Day of Pentecost

Click here to go to the Bottom Line Meditations for the Day of Pentecost

Godly Abiding Spiritually in Jesus Changes the Meaning of What we See Worldly When Not Abiding in Jesus.

Spirituality is our innate ability to feel the difference worldly or godly thinking makes to the way scripture translates to our daily life and relationships.

All Scripture is a testimony to Jesus Christ, who is the Word of God. He is the complete revelation of God’s will of grace for salvation. Grace is the only unfailing rule of faith and practice for the Christian life.

The Gospel of grace is: rather than trying to be more faithful to become faithful, we become faithful by feeling the Faith God already has for and in us.

The Strength of Christianity is Grace

John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Another name for Jesus is "Grace". Another name for God is "Grace". We are saved by GRACE. "Love" is not Love if it is not grace. This is true for "Faith", "Hope", "Joy" and all other theological words of significance in the scripture.

Until someone experiences the grace gift in their lives, all other theological words have no real meaning. Why not begin to use the word "grace" in place of "Jesus", "God", "the Spirit", "Love" and so on? It might seem inappropriate to do so. However, until it is actually experienced it will make no sense at all.

That is what this year is all about. Grace, did you get it?

Be all that you can be in grace.  Sensing the feeling of Peace brings Love into all situations.

Pray this prayer from the Collect for this Sunday:

”Almighty God, on this day You opened the way of eternal life by the promised gift of Your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and rejoice in His holy comfort.”

Now quietly move into God's Presence and pray the prayer again:

“Almighty God, on this day You opened the way of eternal life by the promised gift of Your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and rejoice in His holy comfort.”

Did you feel the difference?

John 7:37-39 “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.”

Pentecost is more than just a Day or a Season. Pentecost is a direct way to change our life from the Old to the New. It is about getting the Grace of God. His Spirit has been poured out on all people. It is the Spirit of Love. It is unconditional and inclusive to all. “In Him was grace” scripture tells us.

To “get grace” has two meanings. The spiritual meaning is to experience His Presence in our life. The rational meaning is to “get” what grace means. It is to understand the difference between grace and legalism. The only way you can tell if it is legalism is to get grace. If you don’t get it you will become legalistic.

Most still have not come to realize the meaning of grace. Most still are in the old religion mold. We take grace and try to fit it into our mind set. It is like trying to put a round peg in a square hole. If the peg is small enough it can go in, but when “push comes to shove” grace gets shoved out.

Our old religious thinking never had to deal with grace. It was all dealing with the square hole of the Law. We try to make things “fair and square”. It is always “the righteous thing to do”. It is what the Law says to do. If grace fits in the corner, fine and well, but when grace comes out in full force it is battered and beat down. Grace does not fit in the square hole of legalism.

What the woman at the well wanted was from the old religion. She depended on water to relieve her thirst. She was spiritually thirsty and did not know it. Her real thirst was to feel love. She had tried it in four marriages and one not in a marriage. It did not work.

Jesus speaks of spiritual not physical thirst. “Everyone who depends on drinking this water will still be (spiritually) thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst (spiritually). John 4:13

How does Living water fill our thirst? What is our thirst in life? It is to feel that we are being loved. There are many things in this world that can make us feel loved. However, this is conditional and exclusive love. It does not last. We cannot depend on it to do what we depend on it to do. Jesus was referring to this “other love” when He said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again.” Depending on something other than the Love of God is idolatry. It is in vain. It won’t do us any good. Idolatry is depending on something other than God to get what God has already given. We do this a lot.

What we MUST do is to depend upon God for everything. This is where the old religion vs grace falls apart. The old religion uses guilt to get us to become dependent upon God for everything we are looking for in life. The legalistic, reflective questions to ask are when do you depend on God the most? When do you depend on God the least? How do you let God know that you depend on Him? In what ways can God depend on you? How might you seek a greater dependence on God in your daily life? This is depending on God to give us what God has already given us. It is called legalism.

We still do not get it. Here is the grace rub. Grace is that we should not become dependent upon God to give us what we are looking for. Why, because Grace tells us God already has given us all we are looking for. Our dependency is not on God giving us anything. It is using what God has already given. It is called the “Abundant Life.”

Life is not about finding what we are looking for. It is to know how to find what we are looking for. Through grace, we already have within us all the Love, Joy, Peace and Wisdom of God. It is all there. We are not depending on the “Give-enor” to send us our daily security check. He already has given us the grace to be fulfilled. It is a BIG Thanksgiving Day meal. It is all there for the thanking.

What or who other than God are we depending on for our happiness? What happens to our life when we do not have it any more?

Now sense the Presence of the Love of God that is always with us. What happens when we do not have that one thing that used to make us happy? Can we still feel His Love within us? When we do, we will realize the meaning of Pentecost. We let the living water of the Love of God flow onto our thirst and restore our Peace and happiness. God’s love is not something we depend on. It is something we live in.

“Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and rejoice in his holy comfort.”

Did you get grace?

THE DISCIPLE-SHIFT: The Virtual Small Group: Members share once a week with their group through the internet when a shift from being out to being in the Presence made a difference.