POST-PENTECOST : IT’S TIME TO CHOOSE YOUR WAY

For many months now, Holy Spirit would sometimes speak to me about 2 roads. These roads look very similar yet they do not go to the same destination. They represent religion and relationship and EVERY person gets to choose which one he will journey on. Ironically, even those who say that they are not religious, unwittingly choose between a relationship with a loving God and a road of serving something other than God : themselves or humanity. Religion takes many different forms!

Before I link back to Pentecost, allow me to briefly explain these 2 roads.

If you are walking in covenant relationship with God, you will understand that there is a vast difference between salvation through faith and salvation through works. I do not consider Christianity to be a religion, but if it were, then it would be the only one where the Entity being worshiped makes salvation possible through His own doing, not ours, and it is accessed through faith alone. All other religions demand, require and are built on the foundation of YOUR works as the way of being qualified, or disqualified, for Heaven.

What James 2:14 says is true, faith without works is not possible, BUT, the opposite is also true: Works without faith IS possible. You see, faith in Christ activates a relationship with Him, which lights a Fire inside of us that inspires us to live in a certain way that produces works that glorify God. We do not do these works because we HAVE TO but because we WANT to. It is the natural behavior of the resurrected spirit man inside of us.

If, however, you are not in relationship with Christ, then all of the good works that you do are borne from religious conviction, inspired by a system of do’s and dont’s that is adhered to for fear of not being saved. They are therefore not based on faith but on fear. These works are therefore meaningless in terms of salvation.

It is essential to understand that coming to faith in Christ is not about embracing a new religion but about engaging in an intimate relationship with a living God.

Every one of us get to choose which of these roads we will engage in, which is exactly what Pentecost was about, it was a crossroad, a place of choosing. There was “before Pentecost’ and “after Pentecost”, so to speak.

Allow me to explain, by taking you way back to the day that the Israelites were gathered at Mount Sinai to receive the Law from God. This day happened 50 days after the Passover took place in Egypt and they were to commemorate it every year thereafter through a feast called Shavuot.

The day we Christians know as Pentecost, the day when the disciples received Holy Spirit, happened on this very feast of Shavuot, and the Outpouring happened at the very hour when the Shavuot wave offering was made at the temple. As a matter of fact, it most likely happened at the same hour that the Israelites received the Law from God’s mouth at Mount Sinai!

Coincidence...? I don’t think so!

The Israelites received a harsh Law graved in stone. The followers of Jesus received a Law of grace written on their hearts through the working of Holy Spirit. The “1st” Pentecost was a prophetic “shadow” of a perfected Law and habitation.

What I want you to notice in particular is that there were 2 unique responses to these encounters on both occasions.

When the Israelites were standing at the foot of Mount Sinai and they heard the voice of God speaking the 10 commandments, they fell back in fear and refused to go near. They begged Moses to hear from God on their behalf. Consequently we are told (in Psalm 103:7) that, while the Israelites knew God’s works, Moses knew His ways. This tells us that Moses knew God in an intimate way, on a relationship level, whereas the Israelites only knew Him in a religious way. Because of this, the Israelites fell into sin barely 40 days after this awesome encounter, even after physically hearing the voice of God and seeing His Presence manifest on Mount Sinai. Moses, on the other hand, ended up shining like a lightbulb, as the glory of God permeated His being because of their intimate relationship.

Let’s fast forward to Pentecost in Jerusalem, as the Fire was falling onto Jesus’ followers.

A great number of bystanders witnessed the same event, yet some scoffed and mocked and turned away from the manifest Presence of God, while others got saved that very day and entered into a wonderful journey of relationship with Holy Spirit.

Can you see how Pentecost brought about a spiritual crossroad, on both occasions? And we, today, are fortunate enough to have this “blueprint” as a “road map”, so we may understand the days that we are living in.

What happened at and after Mount Sinai and Jerusalem, is exactly what is happening this year too. Many of us have received words, dreams and visions of great revival that will be starting around Pentecost this year. Many Christians who have been backslidden started to seek God again and many people turned to prayer during the lockdown. Many testified feeling a great peace and closeness to God in the days leading up to Pentecost, but right after Pentecost, a great shift took place.

Many have been experiencing the days since Pentecost as a period of great trials, challenges and fatigue, even of disappointment because we are not yet seeing in the flesh what God has promised to deliver (the revival).

Just like the Israelites, many will now, and already have started to, simply go back to their old ways, forgetting every close encounter they have experienced with God over this whole period from Passover to Pentecost. Others have decided to hold on, but many feel as if they are just barely hanging in there.

Today I want to encourage you by telling you that what you are experiencing now, is actually the best part of this whole journey. God is drawing us into a deep place of dying to self so that He can revive us into His glory and equip us for this amazing time that we are entering into.

You see, when the Israelites stood back from the mountain, Moses ascended it to go and sit at God’s feet. BUT, he had to wait 7 days on the mountain before God called out to him. Frame a picture in your mind of Moses walking up the mountain, weak from fasting and not knowing when God will come to meet with him. I’m quite certain that he had moments of doubt and weakness. However, his consistency and persistent faith was rewarded.

This is what God is telling us today: right now you are escalating a spiritual mountain and it isn’t easy, but as you keep on waiting on Him, He will make Himself known to you in ways you can’t even imagine.

Please don’t turn back to idols made by human hands. Join hands with me in Spirit & Truth and let’s go up to greater Glory...!