Pentecost is Here!

May 31, 2020 is Pentecost Sunday.  Why should this be important to those of us who call ourselves "Christian"?  It is because we need, just like the disciples did in Bible times, the power of the Holy Spirit.  As a refresher course on what Pentecost is, our first journey would be to the Old Testement.  Pentecost is the Greek name for a feast day observed by the Jews, and it is mentioned in five places, Exodus 23, Exodus 24, Leviticus 16, Numbers 28, and Deuteronomy 16.  The Jews called it the Feast of Harvest or the Feast of Weeks, and it was a celebration of the beginning of the early weeks of harvest.

Fast forward to the New Testament, and you will find the disciples of Jesus gathered in a room after the time Jesus returned to heaven after His resurrection.  They were there because Jesus had instructed them to stay in Jerusalem until such time they received a special gift from the Heavenly Father.  This gift was a baptism with the Holy Spirit. 

So, there they were, waiting in a house.  Suddenly there was the sound which came from heaven, like the blowing of a violent wind.  They then saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  This enabled them to speak in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them.

The sound attracted quite a crowd.  Because of the festival being celebrated, God-fearing Jews from every nation were in town.  Amazingly, they witnessed the disciples, who were all Galileans, speaking to them in their native language.  According to Acts 2:9-11, the languages represented at the time were that of the Parthians, Medes and Elamites, as well as those from Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene, Romans, Cretans and Arabs.  I'd have to get out a Bible Map to sort out all those places, but they all apparently heard the disciples declaring the wonders of God in their native tongue. 

The account indicates the people were amazed and perplexed, and some even made fun of the disciples, assuming they were drunk with wine.  It was then Peter took center stage, raising his voice to address the crowd.  He explained they were not drunk, since it was only 9 o'clock in the morning.  He then quoted a passage from the Old Testament book of Joel.  Joel had foretold a time when God would pour out His Spirit on all people, and this was what had happened.

Peter then went on to tell them a full account of Jesus life, death, resurrection, and explained Jesus had been exalted to the right hand of God, where He received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, which He in turn poured out on His disciples.  As the people listened, Acts 2:37 says they were "cut to the heart" and asked Peter and the apostles what they should do.

The first thing Peter told them to do was repent.  This meant feeling deep regret or remorse over sinful things they had done.  Repentance in this sense is the change that takes place in a life as a result of the Holy Spirit's work to open up their consciousness to what sin is in the presence of a Holy God.  It is a summons to a personal, absolute, and ultimate unconditional surrender to God as Sovereign, leaving behind the life of sin.  Some look at it as a 180 degree turn away from a life of sin, and toward God.

Secondly, the people were told to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of their sin.  Finally, Peter told them they would then receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise would reach even us, according to the words of Acts 2:39:

The promise is for you and your children,

and for all who are far off--

for all whom the Lord our God will call.

 

Peter's final challenge to this group was, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."  It was then about 3,000 accepted his message and were baptized.  As I read those words today, in light of the riots and looting going on in various parts of this country, I couldn't help but think we are once again in a very corrupt generation in need of a Pentecost change.  The question remains, if we were to rewrite this account today, which role would you play?

 

Would you be among the disciples, waiting to receive new boldness through the Holy Spirit's power?  Or would you be among those observing, wondering what was happening with these people who suddenly became so "on fire" for God?  Either way, my prayer is you will have an encounter with God in a fresh way during this Pentecost of 2020.  Our country needs it.  Our world needs it. 

 

As I have been often walking in the wind this spring, the words of a chorus echo through my brain:

 

Holy Spirit, flow through me

Holy Spirit, flow through me

And make my life what it ought to be

Holy Spirit, flow through me

 

Holy Spirit, rest on me

Holy Spirit, rest on me

And use me Lord to win the lost to Thee

Holy Spirit, rest on me

 

Holy Spirit flow out from me

Holy Spirit, flow out from me

That others may see You in me

Holy Spirit, flow out from me

 

This is the prayer of my heart, as we near the midnight hour, when Pentecost, 2020 will be upon us.  May the power of the Holy Spirit find a place to land in your life!

[Not!] According to Plan

Had you asked any of the students who started school in the fall of 2019 how they thought the school year would end, likely none of them would have come close to describing the outcome.  Usually, we think we have a pretty good idea of how the "school year book" reads,  but this time there was a real twist in the plot!

Tonight we attended an open house for one of the graduates here at Divide County High School in Crosby, ND.  Tomorrow they will have a ceremony in the gym, as in other years, but there will be some major differences.  Each graduate will only be allowed 8 guests, and everyone will be required to wear a mask. 

We will be on the road to Dickinson, ND tomorrow to help our niece celebrate her graduation, which will be held on a football field.  In a small town to the west of us, the graduates sat on a flatbed trailer, while their guests observed from cars.  Lots of creativity has been used this year to accommodate the ongoing challenges given us by COVID-19.  Things haven't gone as originally planned, but somehow it is all a part of God's plan for each of these graduates.

As I pondered how to relay "taking things as they come", it seemed far too simplistic.  Instead, I will point you to my daughter's blog, and let you read her take on the end of the school year.  She compares it to her son running cross country, and focuses on the shoes needed to effectively run the race.  Then she talks about the shoes God requires us to wear as we put on the full armor of God. 

According to Ephesians 6:10-18, we are to have our feet fitted with the gospel of peace.  Peace in the midst of whatever comes your way. . .planned or unplanned.  Hopefully, you will take time to read her perspective.  It really is a good one!  You can access her blog here: http://buildingourfamilyinchrist.blogspot.com/

To all who are graduating in 2020, know God has great plans for you!  Keep your eyes on Jesus, and allow the Holy Spirit to gently guide you in the right direction.  Things won't always go as planned, but with your feet in those "gospel of peace" shoes, you will go far!

Praise, Harmony, and a Bucket List √

Way back in the 1980's my brother-in-law, Don, attended a concert in Minot and came home with an LP recording of the group Acappella.  [Yes, I did say LP. . .as in a recording on a big black circle of vinyl, prior to the days of cassettes, CD's and MP3's.]  As he offered to let me listen, I remember him saying, "You're going to like this music!'  He was right!   The album was "Sweet Fellowship", and we have been loyal supporters of their music ever since.

Back then, the group traveled the United States in a big red bus, and we watched their schedule closely, getting to as many concerts as we could.  In 1994, my husband and I went on our first cruise up the Alaskan Inside Passage with Keith & Sharon Lancaster, who are the founders of Acappella.  It gave us a chance to know the singers on a personal basis, making attending their concerts even more fun.  On a second cruise, this time to the Bahamas, we took our daughter and son along.

In the years since, we have attended many more concerts, and have taken four more "Praise & Harmony Singing at Sea" cruises.  Destinations included Western Mexico & Acapulco, New York City, Halifax, St. John & Boston, and Belize & Cozumel.  Just this past summer we joined them for the sixth time on a return trip up the Alaskan Inside Passage.

In 2005, Keith began a new ministry of producing Praise & Harmony Acappella Worship CD's. Singers were recruited through a format of audition tapes.  It was a requirement to submit a recording, with 4 voices singing the parts of soprano, alto, tenor and bass.  Each album would include 2 CD's, one with a large group of singers, and a second training CD, which featured only 4 voices singing the individual parts.  This way, the listener could learn how to sing the various parts, while being treated to a full set of 25 Christian worship songs.

Since then, 16 more recordings have been made, with another set to be released later this year.  Each time another album was produced, my heart longed to be a part of one of the recording sessions.  Unfortunately, to do so I would have to recruit three more singers, and travel to the southern tier of the United States.  It just didn't happen, but remained as an item on my "bucket list".

Last month I received an email with an interesting proposal.  Because of COVID-19, a recording which was intended to be done in Alabama this summer, was being handled in a new way.  Keith was recruiting singers for a "virtual choir" to record a new song written by his son, Anthony Lancaster.  The instructions were to learn one of the four parts, and then submit a video of yourself singing it. Later, all submissions would be compiled and the new song would be released.

Here was my opportunity to sing on a Praise and Harmony recording!  Over the course of a couple of weeks, I learned the alto part, and then managed to get it recorded and submitted prior to the deadline of April 30, 2020.  Just over a week later, I received an email saying I was now a part of the "Virtual Singing Family", and the debut of "Hero of Israel" would be on May 9, 2020.  What a blessing it was to be a part of this project, and cross a very special item off of my bucket list.  "Singing on one of Acappella's Praise & Harmony recordings" could now be followed by a check mark!

In the end, a total of 220 voices were used to produce the final recording.  The virtual singers came from many different church backgrounds, age groups, and locations.  Countries represented were the USA, Canada, U.K., Brazil, Chile, Germany, Italy, France, Zambia, Australia, Singapore, Nigeria, and Ecuador.  142 of the singers had never before recorded on a Praise & Harmony project.  We now have a private Facebook page where we are introducing ourselves, and getting to know each other.  Hearing the song for the first time felt like a foretaste of what singing in heaven will be like!

You can hear the recording, along with some thoughts from Anthony, on YouTube by following this link:

"Hero of Israel"

By the way, what's on your bucket list?  Psalm 37:4 says if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts.  I used to think this verse meant God would give us whatever we wanted.  As I read it with His eyes, however, it says He will plant in us new desires, ones which He can then use for His glory.  The following verses use the words "Commit your way to the Lord", "Trust in Him", "Be still", and "Do not fret".  Perhaps this time of COVID-19 isolation has a deeper purpose we won't see until eternity. . .one of turning our focus to the Lord, so He can direct us to the desires He already has planned for our future!

To purchase any of the music produced by Acappella, follow this link to their music store!

Accappella Music Store 

Here and There

Yesterday was Mother's Day.  Since 1992, this has not been a favorite day of mine, as this was the year my mother left us unexpectedly at the age of 68.  I was 35 at the time.  This past December we also lost my mother-in-law, who had become like a second mother to me.  Finally, my husband realized how hard the day is when you don't have a mother to honor.

Despite the fact neither of us had a mother to celebrate with, we had a full day.  After church we gathered with four of my husband's ten siblings and their spouses, plus a couple of the grown children for a BBQ at his brother's home.  This is the house they grew up in, and so it had a close connection for all of them as they remembered their mother.

In the afternoon, while my husband and son napped, I decided to do some walking, taking along my mother's Black Hills gold ring as a piece of her to carry with me.  Although it is not her "Mother's Ring", I feel it represents her and her children well.  There is one large leaf, and four smaller ones.  Two of the smaller leaves are green, and two are pink, which to me represent the two boys and two girls she gave birth to.  There is also a cluster of small dots where perhaps another leaf could have been added, which speaks to me of the two miscarriages and one stillborn my parents experienced prior to the birth of my siblings and I.

As I walked, I smiled, wondering what it would be like to take a walk with her now.  There are so many questions I would like to ask, and it would be fun to hear her perspective on the state of the world right now.  I thought about her celebrating Mother's Day in heaven with her mother, my dear grandma.  [Do they even do that?  It's hard to know.  I do know they are referred to as a "cloud of witnesses" in Hebrews 12:1, so that speaks to me of them witnessing our lives unfold, so perhaps they know what day we are celebrating here on earth??]

Further along in the walk I decided to call my husband's aunt who is about the age my mother would be now.  She is in our local nursing home, and for now they are not allowed visitors, so I try to connect with her every few days.  It was good to take a few minutes and brighten her day, and our conversation certainly brightened mine!

My favorite part of the day came at the same time my daughter and her family arrived from their home, which is about an hour from ours.  Her family includes a husband, three grandsons, and one granddaughter, and their presence made the rest of my day so special.  We enjoyed pizza together, shared a lot of laughs, and the grandkids and I played a game of Parcheesi together.  They gave me two very special gifts, a frame in which to put a 3 generation picture, and a little book of 50 statements about me completed by the grandchildren.

After they went on their way, to end the day, my son and I took another short walk across town to deliver a card and some brownies to my only living aunt.  She was married to my mom's brother, and has been a very special part of my life through the years.

As the day ended, my thoughts went to the frame I now have in our living room which contains pictures of my family's "Three Wise Women".  Included are my great grandmother, my grandmother, and my mom.  All three gave me great wisdom in their lifetimes.  My thoughts then shifted to another three generations. . .my granddaughter, my daughter, and I.  Three are here on earth, and three are there in heaven.  The bond that will connect us both now and for eternity can be traced through our DNA, but more importantly through the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ, which will allow us to spend eternity together.

The Give and Take in Life

Over the course of the last couple of months, we have all noticed a downturn in the economic structure of our country.  COVID-19 has certainly been a factor, with many businesses closed, and people asked to shelter in place.  In our area of western North Dakota, many have been affected due to the "bust" of the oil field industry.  The low price of gas is nice, but the trade off is many families facing unemployment.  It was refreshing to hear the testimony of a mother this morning in church who told of her sons losing their jobs.  Their reaction was, "God will take care of us."

In our community, we have a 1% city sales tax which goes into a "Spirit Fund".  According to its statement of purpose, is was established to aid in jobs development, retention, and capital expenses for the city.  Thus, it seemed a likely place to look to when businesses started experiencing a downturn due to the shutdown associated with the current pandemic facing our world.

As of this week-end, the board governing over this fund met to review a number of application requests for $5,000 "Pandemic Relief Forgivable Loan" funds.  As a group, they allocated $125,000 to be set aside for this particular need.  It started out labeled as "grants", but was later changed to the "forgivable loan" title.

Please know I am not against our City using this money to help businesses who are desperately hurting.  It appears to me, however, this was a solution created before there was ever a need expressed.  Isn't that what they used to call, "putting the cart before the horse"?  Other than our local newspaper applying for a grant, no other business in our area had expressed a need to the board.

This coming week we will see the results of the Spirit Fund Board's meeting.  At this point, I am unaware of who will be getting which funds, or if the entire $125,000 will be allocated.  It will be interesting to learn the details at tomorrow night's City Council meeting, as they have the final say whether to approve or reject the applications.

In addition to this local program of funding, there are also many relief packages being offered to the businesses from the Federal Government.  Will those seeking funding on the local level also be taking advantage of opportunities to receive funds in other ways?  Perhaps my biggest question to anyone who has applied is, "Did this downturn of events seriously affect your lifestyle, and would you have been able to continue without these extra funds?"  Not being a member of the board, I wasn't able to offer my opinion, and am only throwing the question out as a "watcher from the sidelines".

The Bible says it is more blessed to give than receive.  I'm not sure how this applies when it comes to evaluating the outcome of the $125,000 by the Spirit Fund.  We are a blessed community to have the funds available, but what concerns me is the fact there wasn't a desperate need expressed prior to the time the solution was created.

Overall, the people of our community are generous people.  You can see this anytime a benefit or fundraiser is held.  There have also been glimpses into the generosity of people during these challenging times.  One particular case I heard of was an individual who walked into a local establishment and handed them $100 just because they had been unable to spend their usual amount with the business during the times of isolation.  That is the spirit of a true giver!

The German blood in me is always seeking out the "right answers" to whatever is before me.  Often the answers that unfold don't line up with my perspective.  When this happens, I have to give it over to God and trust He is at work in and through all things.

Meanwhile, take a look at your own current situation, and decide which category you would like to be in.  Are you a giver or a taker?  If you are considered one of those who are "rich in this world", the Bible has a command for you:

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share."
1 Timothy 6:17-18

It has been encouraging, over the last month or two, to see the outpouring of generosity in our nation from those in the "wealthy tier".  In particular, I have heard of many sports players and entertainment people who have given of their abundance to help those in need.

As for right now, God has been supplying all my needs, for which I am grateful.  It always challenges me to look at others less fortunate and think, but for the grace of God, I could be in their position.  According to both Matthew 26:11 and Mark 14:7, Jesus says we will always have poor among us.  Perhaps this is to help us learn the blessing of giving on a personal level.  Meanwhile, God has allowed this current state of affairs for all of us.  Give when you can, take when you must, but mostly remember to allow God to be at work in the midst of it all!