May 19th, Pentecost, 180 Student Ministries

       So I got to thinking, the other day. Quite an experience, really. I seem to never be satisfied with where I am spiritually. I can compare it to physical hunger: I tend to get hungry several times daily, regardless of the fact that I eat routinely. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining. I believe that no true Christ-follower should find themselves in a place of contentment. We should find that we are ever-longing for a deaper, more powerful relationship with our heavenly father. That said...I spoke to my students (youth group) this past wednesday night and shared with them my heart. "I want you guys to experience God like you never have. I want to see a fire within each of you like you have never before known." I taught them what Pentecost really means: that when Moses and the Israelite were led, by God, out of Egypt, he led them to Mt. Sinai and there he gave them the law. This was 50 days into their journey. The Jews still celebrate the "Feast of Weeks" or Pentecost. It takes place 50 days after Passover. Jesus was crucified at Passover and the Holy Spirit (Acts 2) came to the deciples on the day of Pentecost.
       Do I believe that what the deciples experienced in Acts is available to us today? Yes I do. Too often I hear people say that those things we read about happening in the early days of the church were for those times only. Hogwash! Your lack of experience with something does not constitute evidence against its existance. (Read the book of Malachi and see that God tells Israel that they don't experience him because of their weak excuse for worship.)
       So, to continue, I said to my students, "I am going to start fasting and praying for each one of you, by name, that God would use Pentecost Sunday to do something miraculous in your lives. I want any of you, who will, to partner with me in prayer, fasting and Bible reading, in anticipation of what God is about to do." Our church will begin revial services, with a missionary/evangelist, May 19th. Wouldn't it be wonderful if God moved in such a way that my students were ignited with motivation and desire that would, in turn, ignite our churchs, families, schools, etc?
       Our Pastor, Kevin Jones, preached last Sunday about when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. He emphasized Jesus command to "Loose him and let him go" but I was even more moved by the fact that Lazarus experienced true revival. It wasn't the words that people heard or the gathering as a congregation. It was the fact that a man was dead, and had been for many days, and through Jesus, new life came into his body and he was revived and restored. People mis-speak when they say "We are going to have a revival." A more honest statement might be, "We are going to have an evangelist come to our church and preach in hopes that some of our people might experience revival."
       Sadly, this rarely occurs. Sure, people get pumped up, emotional, excited, and motivated. Rarely do they get new life in their old existance. I mean, a new life that keeps them from remaining dead. Church camp is merely a week-long children's revival service with games and a sleep-over. A month after camp finds most young people falling back into old routines and habits. Where is the change? I am sure that, for Lazarus and his family, "post-tomb" life differed greatly form "pre-tomb" life. How could it not?
       I need new life. I am a Christ-follower, but I need more. I need the Holy Spirit working in my life more and more. I desire a closer, more intimate relationship with the father.