A Reflection at Pentecost

A reflection by Jonathon Ince

Joel 1:2

Hear this, you elders;

give ear, all inhabitants of the land!

Has such a thing happened in your days,

or in the days of your fathers?

At the beginning of January this year I wrote a reflection wherein I remarked that I had just experienced an extremely sobering day at work. Back then, I witnessed as 9 out of 10 patients being taken into ED by ambulance were testing positive for coronavirus. This trend continued for a further four weeks or so, but as we progressed through February this slowly reversed, whereby only 1 in 10 was testing positive. At the front end of it we could see the first signs of the positive effects of lockdown and the beginnings of the vaccine rollout.

This week we have reached a further milestone in the easing of the lockdown restrictions. It is right to be cautious as many threats and challenges remain. Among them:

NHS is still under enormous pressure.
The economic recovery (job security).
Mental Health issues is a growing concern.
Variants of COVID-19.
The global picture – we watch with concern at India’s plight.

At the time of writing this, nationally we have not seen a sudden spike in COVID cases in spite of the easing of some restrictions. There was a slight one when the schools opened, but this did not last long. With the easing of lockdown, I have enjoyed meeting up with some that I have previously been unable to. It has been fascinating to hear and reflect on their experiences over the past year. The impact it has had on their lives and their hopes for the future. But whatever those experiences have been, we have all agreed that we have never seen anything like this. These have been remarkable times as has the global response.

Scholars have been unable to date the book of Joel, and estimates vary greatly. However, we do know that he was speaking at a time of a great plague of locusts – presumably so significant there had been nothing like it for many generations… ‘has such a thing happened in your days’.

A national disaster.

We are experiencing a global pandemic.

Joel 2:28-31

“And it shall come to pass afterward,

that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;

your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

your old men shall dream dreams,

and your young men shall see visions.

Even on the male and female servants

in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

“And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.

People living during Old Testament times would have understood that only a select few received the Spirit of the Lord. Generally speaking, those blessed with receiving the Spirit were the prophets, those in a leadership position or called upon for a specific purpose. And yet Joel foretells of a time when the Lord will ‘pour out My Spirit on all flesh’. What Joel was prophesying was radical. He talked of a time to come when men, women, young, old, rich and poor will be recipients of the Holy Spirit, an idea alien to his audience. But it was more radical than that…

Following the ascension of Jesus Christ, the disciples remained in Jerusalem as they had been instructed. Jesus had promised the disciples that he would send the Holy Spirit (John 14:17) as a helper. We are all familiar with the account of Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit was poured out on to the 120 followers of Christ gathered together. On that day of Pentecost Peter preached a sermon to those in Jerusalem. He quoted this passage from Joel declaring the morning’s events to be the fulfilling of part of Joel’s prophecy (not all, as some of it is yet to come).

Those listening marveled at what they heard and witnessed, asking what they must do? Peter replied telling them: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). What is more, when believers receive the Holy Spirit, it remains with them always. Contrast that with the experience in the Old Testament and of Saul in particular. In 1 Samuel 10:10 we learn that the Spirit of Lord came upon Saul, but a few chapters later the Spirit of the Lord left him (1 Samuel 16:14). As believers in Christ, how blessed are we? So let us use this amazing gift wisely.

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit as recorded in Acts 2 marks the beginning of a new era…the age of the Church. The church takes off with the coming of the Spirit. The first fruits on this particular Day of Pentecost were the 3000 saved souls! (Acts 2:41)

Joel 2:32

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.

The message of Joel is timeless. He addressed the national crisis but warned of an even bigger disaster yet to come. But there is a way out. Repent! Call upon the Lord and be saved. And not only will we be saved but we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. What a privilege that is; that our Lord God will fill us with His Spirit when we submit to His will!!

Marking a year of lockdown, our minister Paul reflected on the topic of why God allowed coronavirus. He concluded that it was not sent as a judgment by God, and neither was it the work of Satan. Instead, it is the consequence of our fallen world. A stark reminder of the fallen world we inhabit. But as Joel reminds us, and as Peter preached on Pentecost all those that call on the Lord shall be saved.

Let us turn to God and recognise His hand in our salvation. As we consider this current pandemic, let us not marvel at the genius of those scientists working on vaccines and genetic sequencing, or those that have led the national vaccine rollout program. Instead let us thank God for them, for their gifts, for their foresight, that our nation may overcome the deadly threat of coronavirus. Let us give God the glory and praise Him, so that others may come to know what He has done for each of us.

Finally let us remember this…

No matter what tragedy or disaster befalls us, and no matter the reason or cause, God has always been working through the remedy.

Prayer

Let us thank God for His saving mercy.

Let us thank God for the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit.

Let us thank God that once we are His, we will be forever.

Let us rejoice at the 3000 souls saved on that Pentecost morning in Jerusalem.

Let us pray for the world and the global pandemic we face.

In particular let us pray for India.

Let us remember that God is always the answer to our problems. He has never let us down.

Let us give thanks to God for all of the work ongoing nationally and around the world to overcome the threat of coronavirus.

Let us pray that God continues to guide those responsible for leading this fight.

Let us pray for a lifting of all restrictions so that we can all be reunited again soon.

Let us pray for all things in accordance with God’s will.

Amen

Lyrics

Shine Jesus Shine

Lord, the light of your love is shining,
In the midst of the darkness, shining.
Jesus, light of the world, shine upon us.
Set us free by the truth you now bring us,
Shine on me, shine on me.

Shine, Jesus, shine,
Fill this land with the Father’s glory.
Blaze, Spirit, blaze,
Set our hearts on fire.
Flow, river, flow,
Flood the nations with grace and mercy.
Send forth your word,
Lord, and let there be light!

Lord, I come to your awesome presence,
From the shadows into your radiance.
By the blood I may enter your brightness,
Search me, try me, consume all my darkness.
Shine on me, shine on me.

As we gaze on your kingly brightness
So our faces display your likeness.
Ever changing from glory to glory,
Mirrored here may our lives tell your story.
Shine on me, shine on me.

Blessed Assurance

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

Chorus:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Saviour all day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Saviour all day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight.
Angels, descending, bring from above.
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Saviour am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Hadleigh