“When you strip it of everything else, Pentecost stands for power and life. That’s what came into the church when the Holy Spirit came down on the day of Pentecost.” – David Wilkerson
Today is what I regard as the second greatest day in history. The first being Resurrection Sunday and the second being Pentecost Sunday. Almost two thousand years ago, the prophesy in Joel 2:28 came to pass and kick started the church age led by the disciples and apostles (Acts 2:1-4). Without Pentecost there is no church! Pentecost was an incredible day and on this Pentecost Sunday in the year of 2020 I’d like to share my Pentecost story.
My Pentecost story began in 2005 but before I get there allow me to provide some details leading up to that day. I gave my life to Jesus in 1995 at Raeford Christian Center Assembly of God in Raeford, NC and was baptized in water on March 31st, 1996 at Bethel Assembly of God in Clovis, NM. I was raised in church for most of my life but never truly served God until I rededicated my life to Jesus in the summer of 2003 when I got plugged into Soldjah’z youth group at New Life Assembly of God in Clovis, NM. I went from a violent, potty mouthed, angry teenager to a fifteen year old sold out for Jesus. A year later, in 2004, our church held a revival led by an evangelist named David Watson. During this revival I witnessed healing miracles, people being slain in the Spirit, people set free from demons and people filled with the Holy Spirit. It was during these extended meetings that I was slain in the Spirit for the first time. For two nights during that revival, I responded to the altar call to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The evangelist and church staff prayed for me but I left the altars both nights empty handed. I remembered filling discouraged and confused because it was to my understanding that all I needed to do was ask and I would receive; however, the real reason I didn’t receive was because I hadn’t completely surrendered everything to Jesus. I was bearing a shameful secret – I was struggling with a lustful appetite of the flesh.
In my Sophomore year in High School, I had my first exposure to porn. The first time I laid eyes on a dirty magazine, I was so sick to my stomach that I couldn’t eat. Despite physically losing my appetite that day, my sinful nature was fed something it liked and was hungry for more. I was instantly hooked and struggled with it on and off for a while. The conviction and disgust was always strong but my will was weak. I wanted to live for Jesus but I simply couldn’t kill that revolving habit. I was powerless to do the things I wanted to do and the things I didn’t want to do were the things I often found myself repeating over and over again (Romans 7:17-19). On the night of June 29th, 2005, I finally had enough of it. I locked myself in my room and popped in my David Crowder Band Illuminate CD and played Only You on repeat. I prayed and asked God to fill me with the Holy Spirit because I was too weak to live a holy life on my own ability and needed the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The longer I prayed the greater my desperation grew. My prayers turned into uncontrollable weeping. As I laid on the bedroom floor in the fetal position, I remember telling God that I wasn’t going to leave my room until I received the Holy Spirit. An hour later, I finally received and spoke in tongues for the first time that night. Not only did I speak in tongues, I received the power and was set free!
The reason I share this story is because the Holy Spirit is free gift for all believers. All we have to do is ASK. “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:9-13 NKJV
Sadly, the number of Spirit-filled believers is rapidly declining in the church today. Many Christians are content with living without Spirit empowerment because they believe it is either no longer relevant or that it’s optional but I tell you that it is NECESSARY. Even Jesus taught His disciples that Pentecost was necessary (John 16:5-16; Acts 1:4-8).
If twelve men discipled by the Son of God still needed Pentecost, how much more do believers discipled by ordinary men and women need Pentecost today!
If there’s a time to seek Pentecost it’s NOW. Us twenty-first century believers need Holy Ghost power just as much as the disciples needed it almost two thousands years if not MORE. If you haven’t been baptized in the Holy Spirit, I highly encourage you to seek, ask and knock. Man power alone isn’t enough to live for God and to do His work. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to do the things that man alone cannot do (Acts 1:8). We all need this endowment from on high. The best part about this gift is that it’s FREE. Don’t pass up on such an incredible gift from God!
“Let the Holy Spirit fill every chamber of your heart; and so there will be no room for folly, or the world, or Satan, or the flesh.” – Robert Murray McCheyne
Joshua Hawk 