Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Dunford Cole

This coming weekend is Pentecost Sunday! On this day we celebrate the birth of the Church by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost marks the 50th day after Easter Sunday, commemorating the resurrection of Christ the Lord.

The Holy Spirit empowers the church for the mission and ministry of presenting the gospel to the world. As we look at today’s world, it’s easy to say that all is lost, but this is not the case.

We were made for times such as these in teaching, preaching and carrying out the mission of making disciples by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Just like that day, the Holy Spirit filled the upper room with divine power and saw 3,000 new believers baptized, establishing the first church as recorded in Acts 2. God is not done; we have Kingdom work ahead.

Regardless of what the world may say, we say as Resurrection people, now the work of Easter begins! It starts with you and me giving ourselves fully to God and trusting in His grace and mercy, changing the lives of others by sharing with them where they can find the spiritual bread that gives life, a life without fear and guilt, a life worth living the calling that God has given us.

With the power of the Holy Spirit, we are reminded that God’s love is greater than any trouble we can face, for He overcame sin and gave us life. That is the message the world needs to hear, and the Holy Spirit will lead and guide us as we go and do Kingdom work, knowing “the best of all is, God is with us.”

Rev. Dunford Cole is pastor at Camp Ground / Rutledge Global Methodist Church.