Egstewart1

We, as believers, once filled with the Holy Spirit are given unbelievable power. It is not only the power to witness for Christ, which is most important, but it is also the power to pray for and intercede on behalf of others. This is so important during the times we are living in. There are so many who are sick, going through bereavement, and dealing with loss of homes due to natural disasters as well as those who may have had to flee their countries. The Holy Spirit allows us to take action whether in person or through prayer, we are on the front lines and although it can be tiring, mentally draining work, the Holy Spirit allows us to regain strength and continue even when we may think it impossible.

The disciples are not to return home because they are to wait for the Holy Spirit to descend upon them. Going home would have meant going back to life as usual or possibly life before Christ. They needed the power that the Holy Spirit would provide so that they could deal with the challenges they would face without Christ being there physically. The Holy Spirit filled them, just as he does believers today, which allows Christ to live inside of us, speak to us and give guidance. The filling, coming upon and baptism are different names for the same event, the Holy Spirit coming to be with the believer to act in whatever capacity he is to be whether guide, comforter, or encourager.

Prayer is an essential part of the life of every believer and I value the power of prayer. I have seen some miraculous things that I can only attribute to God's hearing the prayers of his people. I have participated in group prayer, not only at my church, but in a retreat type setting. It is an almost indescribable experience when men and women of God get together to pray. I can only imagine what it must have been like when the Holy Spirit came upon the 120 on the Day of Pentecost. My church meets to pray at least twice a month, for at least an hour, on a conference call now since COVID-19. The entire hours is devoted to scripture, prayer and songs as each participant is led to do.

Have you ever made a rapid transition between your customary culture and a radically new and different culture? No, the closest I could come to that scenario would be in the early seventies when our school system was integrated. The white children were allowed much more freedom at school than the blacks had been. I saw the change as good and bad in some aspects. It was good to be able to express creative ideas and views but then ideas such as a designated area for smoking hardly became an asset. At the time it definitely felt different but It allowed me the oppotunity to learn about and relate to many people, especially sine this was a military town. However, the choice of what to hold onto and what not to presented problems in later life. At the time I did not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, but once I surrendered to Jesus and allowed him to take control the Word of God allowed me to see that those choices and circumstances made me better able to relate to people of all cultures. The Word also let me know that I needed to repent for the bad choices, ask for forgiveness and move on. Efforts at wanting acceptance can create problems but casting all our cares on Jesus can shed light, give understanding and resolve all situations. Did I take my faith with me or allow it to fade into the background? As I stated I lacked understanding and sought acceptance therefore I said or did things that would or should not be representative of a follower of Jesus Christ. I also did not have a relationship with Christ and that makes all the difference in one's perspective. Thank God I can now see more clearly and if afforded the opportunity to find myself in this type of situation again I pray that I will be bold enough to model the behavior of Jesus Christ.