Hello, friends.
I want to remind you that this coming Sunday is Pentecost. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate God’s amazing gift to us of His Spirit. You can make your celebration as simple or as elaborate as you’d like, but you will not want to miss giving thanks on this special day.
I have written about Pentecost previously, so I will provide the links to those earlier posts:
What are You Celebrating this Sunday?
It’s Time to Celebrate!
Rejoicing with you,
Tami
Are you ready to celebrate? This Sunday is Pentecost, a fantastic time to celebrate some of God’s best gifts to us: the Scriptures and the Spirit. You can have a super-simple celebration, or you can create something elaborate.
Here are a few ideas that you can easily adapt for your home. Although the suggestions are simple, they are able to communicate profound truth. If you’d like to read more about celebrating Pentecost, you can also go to this link, which will provide further background and additional ideas: celebrating Pentecost.
Here are several easy-to-implement ideas:
1. Celebrate the incredible gift of the Scriptures by eating foods that symbolize the Word of God: bread, milk, and honey. Read corresponding Scriptures, such as Matthew 4:4, 1 Peter 2:2, Psalm 19:10-11, and Psalm 119:92, and 103. Emphasize the spiritual nourishment, strength, and sweetness that God gives us through Scripture.
Use symbols of light, such as a candle or a flashlight, to represent the guidance and comfort that we gain through Scripture. Read Psalm 119:105. (All of Psalm 119 is a rich celebration of the Scriptures.)
2. Celebrate the amazing gift of the Holy Spirit to God’s people by eating foods that have been fried in oil, which symbolizes the Spirit.
Light an oil lamp. Talk about the need to refill the lamp and our need to be filled continually with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).
3. Celebrate Pentecost as the birthday of the Church! (You can read about it in Acts 2.) With cake and candles, thank God for His Church, which is made up of all believers in Christ. It would also be a great time to take a minute to pray for the Church.
I would love to hear about your Pentecost celebrations, and I invite you to share your thoughts and ideas here.
Happy Pentecost!
King David of Old Testament fame earned stellar marks as a musician, warrior, and king; but as a family man, he quite nearly flunked. However, on the day that he brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, he dramatically demonstrated several characteristics of a godly husband and father:
1. David set aside his royal robes of position and put on the linen robes of a priest (1 Chronicles 15:27). Successful husbands and fathers do this when they lay aside their “I am the boss!” robes to wear the priestly ephod of service. As priests, these men bring the needs of their families to God, and they bring the holiness of God to their families.
2. David honored God by honoring the ark of the covenant; David clearly placed high value on the things of God (1 Chronicles 16:1). Successful leaders in the home evidence great reverence for God and spiritual matters.
3. David celebrated and worshiped God with all his heart (2 Samuel 6:14). Now that is excellent leadership right there! A leader in the home is powerful when his family watches him worship God with his whole heart and with great joy. (Dancing in the street, as David did, is optional.)
4. David offered sacrifices on behalf of his nation, just as godly leaders are willing to make sacrifices for the good of their families (1 Chronicles 16:2; Job 1:5).
5. David blessed the people and gave them gifts of food and of joy (1 Chronicles 16:3). Can anything compare with the blessing of a godly father? A strong leader speaks blessing into the lives of his family, and he supplies for them both provision and celebration.
6. David took responsibility to ensure regular observation of prayer, thanksgiving, and praise (1 Chronicles 16:4). Successful men do the same for their families.
On this special occasion, David served as a commendable leader for Israel, and he would have done well to have shown the same type of leadership in his family. Men today who exercise godly leadership in the home are worthy of our applause and respect. They surpass King David in this area, whether they dance or not.
Tami Myer 