Calvin Synod Herald, 2013 (114. évfolyam, 3-12. szám)

2013-05-01 / 5-6. szám

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD 3 Pentecost 2013 Acts of the Apostles 1:4-5 Dear Sisters and Brothers in Calvin Synod! After the resurrection of the Lord the apostles lived with the promise of the com­ing of the Holy Spirit. „ And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.. ” Acts 1:4-5 The promise was fulfilled 50 days after Easter on the day of Pentecost. „ When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. ’’Acts 2:1-4 From that time, the church experienced the presence and nearness of God through the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, the Jewish people and the prophets proclaimed the importance of the Scriptures but they did not recognize the fulfillment of the prophesies in Jesus. It is the responsibility of the Christian Church to know the promises and teachings of Jesus about the Holy Spirit and to practice them. The present spiritual weaken­ing of historical denominations can be attributed to not paying proper attention to the teachings of the Scriptures and the work of the Holy Spirit. During the exodus of God's people in the wil­derness, it became a daily task, except on the sabbath day, to pick up the manna for nourishment. Since the New Testament times and even today, it is our task to read the Scriptures and to pray for the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Many Christians do not read the Scriptures, participate in the worship of God's people, or pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Such spiritual undernourishment is weakening their per­sonal faith and the life of the church. Some congregations are trying to find strength for tasks and mission by turning to the confessional faithfulness of her forefathers although the promise is given: „But But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.. ” Acts 1:8 The witness of the church, as the confession and communion with the living Lord, cannot emphasize only the examples of the predecessors but must demonstrate God's liberating presence in word and deed in our lives today. The Holy Spirit will teach us the truth about God in accord with the Scriptures. At the same time, our spiritual lives will be shown in its true condition as the Spirit reveals the sins and truth in this world. Not just on Pen­tecost, but all worship services and sermons should guide us to hear and to know Jesus’ promises about the Holy Spirit and make us disciples in His mission. What does Pentecost mean to our congregation in Calvin Synod? First, that we can live a Christian life which will bear the fruit of the Spirit. “ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-con­trol; ” Gal 5:22-23a Second, the gifts of the Holy Spirit build up the fellowship of the church: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who in­spires them all in every one. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to an­other the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are inspired by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ” ICor. 12:4-12 Third, the Holy Spirit sanctifies our lives and gives lasting values for our church. We eagerly pray for church growth, the strengthening of the bonds of our membership, and the manifes­tation of spiritual gifts among us. We can only reach the steps of the vestibule of these goals with human strength and effort, but in the fullness of the Spirit, we can enter into the fellowship of God's people and to fulfill the mission of Christ's church. It also means the fight of the old self and sin and the renewal of a new life in Christ, a Christian life which loves, believes, and serves to strengthen and nurture the fellowship of all the brothers and sisters in Christ. This new life follows Christ each and every day. Be filled with the Holy Spirit! Yours in His service Bishop Poznan A Mother's Love There are times when only a mother's love Can understand our tears, Can soothe our disappoints And calm all of our fears. There are times when only a mother's love Can share the j'oy we feel When something we've dreamed about Quite suddenly is real. There are times when only a mother's faith Can help us on life's way And inspire in us the confidence We need from day to day. For a mother's heart and a mother's faith And a mother's steadfast love Were fashioned by the angels And sent from God above. Author Unknown

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