The Road To Pentecost #4

We've laid the groundwork for fasting, prayer and the Word on our Road to Pentecost.  These three tools will assist in our attempts to find what God is looking to pour into our lives.  Today, fully equipped with the knowledge of these tools, we look to start the journey to that outpouring from God.  The first step to Pentecost isn't a great leap or a tactical maneuver, though.  It's setting your path forward.

Whenever we are setting out on a journey, we can easily get caught up in getting to the destination, we don't take time to think about what's ahead of us. An example is going on a family vacation in a car. We are so geared up for trip, the only thing going through our head is getting to the destination and not considering the journey that lay before us.  Because we focused so much on what we were going to do once we got to our vacation spot, we didn't check for updates on weather or road closures.  The delays caused by our lack of planning result in us losing hours and sometimes a day or two of our vacation, our designated goal. 

Let's turn this back towards our Road to Pentecost. When we have in our minds what we want to receive from Christ, we can sometimes get so caught up in what life's going to be like once we get that outpouring that we forget about the journey ahead.  The disciples did not do this when they were in the upper room.  They knew they needed a 12th man to fulfill scripture (Acts 1:15-16, 20).  Even though they were in the midst of ardent prayer and seeking the power from on high to fall, they knew there were still some steps to accomplish along the journey.  By not rushing towards their destination, they ensured they met all the requirements to reach it.

Thought for the Day:

Before starting any journey, we must consider the path we will walk for all the trials and triumphs it might bring us.

By examining the road we must walk down to receive the outpouring God has for us, we will be properly equipped and positioned to handle what we will face and receive along the way.  The stories in the Word of those who have faced similar situations will give us that preparation.  The prayers to God will embolden and strengthen us in our own unique journey.  Our fasting will break down our fleshly vision and open up our spiritual eyes to see all that lay before us.  Using the three tools God has placed in our hands, we will be able to see the path to our outpouring clearly.  Then, the journey truly begins.

As you fast, pray and read the Word for your Road to Pentecost experience, consider your life.  What areas of your life need to be shored up before Christ can come and pour out His Spirit on your life. 

If you've never received God's Spirit, one thing you can do is examine your heart and repent of anything that is sinful towards God.  The Bible even has several lists of things God doesn't want you to have in your life if you need help identifying sinful behavior.  For everything else, just ask God to reveal the sin and to forgive you of it all as you turn your life to Him.  Once you've done that, consider being baptized in the name of Jesus.  Christ proclaims that we must be baptized to be saved (John 3:5, Mark 16:16) and baptism in the early church is only done in the Name of Jesus (Acts 2:38, 8:16, 10:48, 19:5, 22:16) and we are to follow the acts of the apostles in our own walk.  After all, these were the men Christ trained for over 3 years and then commissioned to spread the gospel.  Shouldn't we take the testimony of God working through them as a model for our lives?