Today we celebrate Pentecost - the day when the Holy Spirit was first poured out on those first Jesus followers. Tongues of fire, declaring the goodness of God in a variety of languages and an equipping, empowering and envisioning saw a people movement like no other that transformed communities, nations and the world in the 2000 or so years since. The early church wasn't a new religion, a building, a denomination or something we do on a Sunday - it was 24/7 impacting everybody and everything, influencing every sphere of society with a Kingdom message of a new and different way of doing life. The early church met in homes and often around a meal table (maybe like zoom and facebook live church gatherings today!). The role of the church was to be salt and light - bringing out the God colours in the world and people. It sought to transform, renew, bless, minister to needs and proclaim that the Kingdom of God can be a reality in people, communities, regions, nations and world. The Holy Spirit working in us and through us: brings life; makes us wild and unpredictable; gives vision and dreams; causes us to call out situations that go against God's best; equips us to be people of justice and fairness; helps us stand against and destroy powers of darkness; and works with us towards God's Kingdom come, God's will be done on earth as in heaven. I am privileged to be part of a movement that has seen crime and anti-social behaviour reduced and Kingdom of God principals influence several spheres of society. A movement that has become salt and light in community after community as our amazing volunteers, many of them partnering with the Holy Spirit, see God's kingdom become a reality! In 2020 the world is in a different place than probably any other Pentecost throughout history! Let us be a people who once again ask the Holy Spirit to make us even more wild and unpredictable as we seek vision to be pioneers and influencers in a new and different way of doing life. Have a great Pentecost
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AuthorWelcome to the Blog pages of Paul Blakey MBE! Archives
March 2022
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