Pentecost is one of the most significant events in world and Church history and will be celebrated during the month of May this year. Fifty days after Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, and ten days after He ascended into heaven, He sent into the world, the Holy Spirit. Unlike God, the Father, Who disclosed His presence through clouds, lightening, earthquakes and even "a still, small voice," and unlike God, the Son, Who presented Himself in human form, dwelling "in the neighborhood" among everyday people, God, the Holy Spirit manifests His presence and power "within" people. More specifically, He lives inside people who, by their profession of faith in Jesus Christ (God, the Son), have established a personal and permanent relationship with God, the Father.

The Children of Israel had celebrated this feast called Pentecost for years as a generational reminder of the faithful presence, provisions and protection of God during their forty years of post-Egypt, wilderness wandering. But, this year would be different! In accordance with His sovereign will and prophetic word, God did something new. This new move "within" represents a significant paradigm shift in the way that the plan of God would be fulfilled. It is this shift that has facilitated the explosive growth of the Church of Jesus Christ throughout the world. Without the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, the Church would lack the sustainable energy to withstand the opposition and oppression it has encountered. Therefore, we encourage Christ-followers everywhere to celebrate and commemorate this important landmark as a salient part of God's strategy for fulfilling His ultimate and eternal purpose.

Fire is one of the symbols God uses to represent Himself in Scripture. The flaming swords guarding the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:24), the burning bush on the mountainside (Ex. 3:1-4), and the nocturnal pillar of fire during the great exodus from Egypt (Ex. 13:21-22), all symbolize the awe-inspiring presence of God. Fire is one of the signs of God's presence cited in our text, Acts 2. Peter and the other disciples who had obediently waited in that upper room, illustrate the Spirit's impact and influence upon "Souls on Fire!" Follow the early church through the Book of Acts, the Epistles, and throughout church history. Then take notice of the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church today, including your own life, and notice how He works on, in and through "Souls on Fire." Read more >>