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Resist the Devil and He Will Flee
Last month I was the main speaker at a men’s conference in Cali, Colombia—a city that was once the headquarters of the most powerful drug cartel in the world. The city is more peaceful today, but it’s still known as a hub of violence. It’s also famous for its indigenous witchcraft.
On the second night of our event several men surrendered to the lordship of Jesus, and others were filled with the Holy Spirit. That should have been a cause for rejoicing, but when I went back to my room that evening I felt an unusual heaviness. I battled a sense of sadness and dread—along with a strong desire to pack my suitcase and leave!
Because I’ve dealt with spiritual warfare many times in the past, I knew these dark emotions didn’t originate with me. I knew Satan wasn’t happy that we were invading his territory. I had to pray in the Holy Spirit, worship and declare God’s Word just to push through the negative emotions.
The Next Generation Will Perish Without the Holy Spirit
During my teenage years, I was eager to move beyond the confines of my narrow Pentecostal background, so I rejected much of my upbringing. I had been touched by the Lord, but was running from Him. To me, surrendering to God meant ending up in some forlorn mission field, and I didn’t want that for my life. Plus, I was influenced by the rebellious hippie culture, and as I was coming of age, I wanted to experience what had always been forbidden in my Pentecostal home: a liberal lifestyle. As uncomfortable as I might have been, I made it my goal to join a fraternity and be like the other college kids.
I know I’m not the only one who has experienced that tug to stray away from what is good for the things of this world. Just look at what happened recently with the outbreak of hundreds of teenagers destroying property and fighting in the middle of Chicago. The upside-down world is hurtling toward our young adults. I pray that instead of being pulled in by the darkness of this chaos that the gospel would be revealed to them as the truth, just as it was for me.
During college, I broke my foot running across campus. This gave me a lot of time to think while it was healing. I was unhappy and afraid I was getting far from God. So, I called out to the Lord and prayed that if He was real to give me power to live for Him. I didn’t want the up-and-down spiritual existence I’d had, where I’d repent of my behavior, then repeat it and repent all over again.
Why Don’t More Christians Celebrate Pentecost?
It’s undeniable that most Christians celebrate Christmas and Easter. But why not Pentecost? What makes Pentecost so mysterious to most people?
What happened on the Day of Pentecost changed the world. Before then, the Holy Spirit did not permanently reside in the human heart. However, after Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension to heaven, the Holy Spirit could come down and dwell with us!
So why not celebrate this more?
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