Pentecostal Heritage

As I was reading and meditating today upon scripture and our upcoming Camp Meeting, I began to think about who we are. As a Pentecostal church we are a people of the Spirit. We yield ourselves to be divinely led by the Spirit of God. In essence we are claiming to be a church just like the one we read about in Acts. In that early church we find a people who lived a reality convinced of Christian truth in heart and mind. Thus we find when the church is inspired to worship and equipped to proclaim Christ by the power of the Holy Ghost, it becomes a charismatic community. The structures of the church and its order of worship are meant to reflect both the freedom of the Spirit to operate in the church and the fact that the grace of God ministered through the church is continuous and faithful. And when the church hears the Word of God, it is reminded of God's faithfulness to His promise s.

As Pentecostals we are widely known for anointed and spirited singing, but singing too must reflect both the freedom of the Spirit and the faithful continuity of God's grace. Thus a Pentecostal church must see the importance of a balanced approach to spiritual singing in the church. For if we fail to sing the traditional hymns, we are robbing ourselves and our children of the historical heritage of praise to God. If we abandon our unique gospel song, then we are missing the music of the heart which is necessary for the fullness of God's presence. And if we fail to utilize the intimacy of the chorus, then we miss the spontaneity of worship which transcends the usual and routine to bring the service into a personal relationship with God. Simply, we need it ALL!

In Pentecostal worship services there is usually a free-flowing operation of the spiritual gifts, but the need to remember the purpose for spiritual gifts in the church is a real one. The gifts can never be rightly separated from the Giver. Jesus Christ is the Giver of the gifts. In giving the Holy Spirit, He gives His church all that is necessary to its life and its mission. The Holy Spirit operates in believers, then, to witness to and glorify Jesus Christ. Thus when Christ is exalted, the church is built up.

Let us all pray for 'AN AWAKENING OF PENTECOSTAL POWER' in our upcoming Camp Meeting. We are to be a continuation of the church we find in Acts. I'm not ashamed of Pentecostal worship and power. Join with me in preparing your hearts for this years outpouring of the Spirit.