By Rt. Rev. Olukayode Adebogun
Let us Pray: Come Holy Spirit, the Spirit of grace
Response: Come Holy Spirit and fill our heart, we need you. Amen
Pentecost greetings in Jesus name. Amen. We thank God for the grace to witness another Pentecost day. May the Pentecostal power rest on you and all that is yours in Jesus name Amen
On behalf of our Diocesan Bishop, Rt. Rev Amos Akinseye Fagbamiye and Mama Abike Fagbamiye (Mama ADOTT), and all our Regional/Suffragan Bishops and their wives we bring you this special Pentecost greetings and message.
No doubt, Pentecost 2020 is unique because of the situation we all find ourselves as people and nations. It is clear to all and sundry that there is limit what man can do. The arm of flesh has failed us. Only God and his power can bring the needed change in the life of man and our world.
This Pentecost season, I enjoin you to think seriously about this God that is to save, heal, and deliver.
The feast of the weeks otherwise called the Pentecost is celebrated by the Jews 50 days after the Passover. Passover was a time of great deliverance and miracle, a time God spared and divinely protected his people. For us today, Pentecost is a 50-day after Easter. Just as the Passover of old, Easter is the time of great deliverance and victory for the people of God. The Son of God who died on the cross, rose again to live in Victory. Alleluia
As we celebrate Pentecost of 2020, I would like you and every Christian around the world to reflect on three things:
- Need to wait on God. We must wait on the Lord if we are to witness his Pentecostal power. The experience of Act 2 is not just a coincident or an accident. Jesus gave specific instructions to his disciples
“And while they were gathered together, He commanded them: “DO NOT LEAVE JERUSALEM, but wait for the gift the Father promised, which you have heard me discuss. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Act 1: 4-5 BSB)
And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you. But remain (WAIT) in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49 BSB)
Unfortunately, we are in a generation where WAITING is getting to be difficult for many. We are not willing to wait to receive power and tutelage. Everyone wants to be general overseer or minister in charge. We are so much in hurry and in haste to climb up the ladder of leadership, in haste to be in the fore front, everybody wants to be seen and heard in the limelight.
We are in haste to get rich; we are in haste to get preferment in the church, we are in haste to get everything now. Everything is now! The drive through mentality is eating deep into our society even the fabric of the Church of God. No wonder the church is powerless today. No wonder we have more proud noise makers, screamers, manipulators, and motivational speakers in our churches today rather than Spirit filled and Spirit led ministers.
We want to prevail, but we don’t want to travail. Travailing is an aspect of waiting. The waiting may be long and difficult. Infact it may be misinterpreted as been ignorant and slow, but the result will show. Sorrow may last for the night, but Joy will come in the morning. You cannot go far with God without mastering the secret of waiting. While waiting you are looking up to God and asking him to fill, guide and direct you. To experience the Pentecostal power of God in your life, church, ministry, and work you must learn the secret of waiting. “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91:1). Wait on the Lord! The Scriptures says “But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).
We are in a Diocese that believes in waiting. As a diocese we declare days of fasting and prayers especially Saturday preceding Pentecost day, we wait on the lord for the in filing on the Holy Spirit.
The disciples followed the instruction of the Lord Jesus Christ; they waited together in a place to seek his face. Yes, some say it is out of fear but I make bold to say it is an act of full obedience to God. The power will come if we can wait on him patiently. The promotion will come, the expected miracles will happen, the healing will take place, and the breakthrough will come if only we can wait. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage and HE will bring it to past in your life, church, ministry and diocese in Jesus name.
- They were all together in one place. This Pentecost day for us to experience the Pentecostal power of God, we must be united in the Spirit. “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1 NIV). There is power in unity. United we stand, divided we fall. There cannot be a free flow of HIS presence if we are divided. Jesus prayed “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” (John 17: 21 NLT). One of the things that kept this diocese together is the power of unity of purpose and vision, no wonder it is difficult for the enemy, the Sanballat, the Tobiah, the enemies of the cross, the slave masters and its agent to divide us. We must remain united. The disciples were united and of one mind. Many churches and ministries are powerless today because of deep division and lack of unity. If we must influence our generation especially in North America, if there must be true revival today, we must be united. Unity is essential for the Pentecostal power to fall on us and operate within us. We need power today and we must be united. All those who were gathered in Act of Apostles Chapter 2 were united and filled with the Spirit. The Scriptures says “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place … All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Act 2: 1,4 NIV) No exception – All were filled with the Spirit. They all waited and were united earnestly expecting the Pentecostal power of God. They were filled with the Holy Spirit of God and spoke in unknown tongues. Every believer should be filled with the Spirit of God. For us to be filled we must learn to wait on God and walk in genuine unity.
- The purpose of this Pentecostal fire is to witness and fulfil the divine mandate/ministry. To receive courage to proclaim the gospel of Christ. The empowerment is not for self-gratification, self-glorification and selfish agenda as we see in our world today. Peter and others received the promise on the day of Pentecost and coward Peter became the bold Peter, the Peter that denied Jesus three times became the Peter that received the courage to stand before multitude to speak the word with confidence and power. The message of Peter was backed up with power. The indwelling Spirit spoke through him to convict men and women of sin, righteousness and lead them to repentance. About 3000 were added to their number that day. We need this same power today to bring to fruition our Diocesan theme for this year and truly do the work of an evangelist and fulfil our ministry. You need this power to fulfil your ministry today and tomorrow. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere-in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Act 1:8 NLT). This is the purpose of the infilling and indwelling of the third person of the Trinity. The purpose of the Pentecost that we celebrate today
I therefore encourage, urge, challenge and persuade you brothers and sisters on this day of Pentecost to ask for grace to diligently wait on the lord, ask for grace to be united in Spirit, and ask for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to do exploit. May the God’s own purpose be fulfilled in you and through you in the name of Jesus the Christ.
This Pentecost season receive the Holy Spirit for the work of the ministry in Jesus name. Amen.
Rt. Rev. Olukayode Adenola Adebogun, M.A, M.Div., Dip.Th, Dip. RS, FCSI, RCIC, is the Bishop Suffragan, ADOTT Region 1 Cana.
