EDITOR’S NOTE: This week’s article is written by Arnie Saaf, a member of Godfrey First United Methodist Church.
We have journeyed through Lent and the joy of Easter is still fresh in our hearts. It was different for the apostles he left behind. They needed reassurance and further instructions. Jesus appeared to them for a period of 40 days according to Acts 1:3. He spoke to them about the kingdom of God and gave them instructions. He told them in Acts 1:4: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father has promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So they returned to Jerusalem and went back to the upper room and stayed there and joined together in constant prayer. This prepared them for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. That provided the spark that ignited them and and the crowd of pilgrims. Three thousand souls were added to the embryonic church that day.
Like those early believers we must not just bask in the knowledge and promises of our risen Lord. We must wait and pray that the Holy Spirit would ignite us and empower us in such a way that we can boldly spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. Lent is over. Now the work begins.