Friday, June 06, 2014

June 6th Reflection by Bill Lynch


Acts 2:1-21
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’
 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
“In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
   and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
   and your old men shall dream dreams.
Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
   in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
     and they shall prophesy.
And I will show portents in the heaven above
   and signs on the earth below,
     blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
The sun shall be turned to darkness
   and the moon to blood,
     before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Reflection
I've been put into action so many times. It's wonderful when God realizes how you are created, your unique abilities and puts all that you have into action.

The first time I remember was seeing an ocean, no, wait, more that an ocean, but rather the entire body of all water, emotion, and creation, at a boiling point at least. Everything was moving and heaving and moving about in such a chaotic fashion. Then God put me into action and I moved across this mass of what seemed to be water. Just this action of God brought calm and order to whatever this water or whatever it was, that I blew across and made everything ready to be made new or created.

God loves to use me in cases of dealing with water I found out as time passed. Especially when it comes to permitting people to pass through the water to arrive at a destination. God's people were in slavery and were leaving this slavery to worship God. And he did it again. I caused the ground to dry beneath the feet of all of God's people so that they could pass on to safety while the enemy chased them.

Once again with the next generation of God's people I was put into action as these people were brought out of many years of confusion and wandering into a land that God had set as a destination for his people. I stopped the flow of the water through God's Spirit using me.

And oh how many times have I passed over the vocal cords of people to deliver the message God has planned. One time I was blown into a bunch of bones that had been assembled and put together and covered with flesh. When the Spirit blew me into these fleshly beings; they sprang to new life.

God has amazed me time after time. Then there was this time after Jesus had died, rose and ascended that God blew me across a whole assembly of people. You talk about new life. I was even used to pass over these people's vocal cords to permit them to speak in ways that all could understand one another. They could understand because the One true voice of God was passing through them in Spirit.

It goes on today and I believe God will continue to use me forever. I'm pass over the vocal cords of so many people today who speak the Word of God in prayer, in scripture, in the caring conversations of love and forgiveness they have one with another. That's One true voice as well. That's one tongue so to say.

It seems that whenever I am teamed up with the Holy Spirit, God is present and speaking in such a way that all the people can understand what is being said. It's amazing to me that God can use me in ways that I could never have imagined.

Somehow, I'll bet if you stop and take a look at yourself, the gifts God has given you, how you are created and such; you will realize how God has chosen to use you in your life and the life of God's Church. Really! I mean it! And you know what?

Just go with the flow... let God use you for what you are... don't resist a thing. It's amazing what God can do!

Now, I say it all of the time...
Blow Spirit blow!

Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3sl6VXDLYM

Prayer
Lord, use me in the way you have created me to be used, that all you give to me and all who pass by may see your gracious act of salvation and may come to know you as their Creator, Savior and Spirit... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen 

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