.
The Fire and Fruit of the Holy Spirit .
The
Scriptures
tell us that
the Lord Jesus
came to
"baptize with
the Holy
Spirit and
fire" (Matthew
3:11, and Luke
3:16). We see
this fulfilled
in the
outpouring of
the Holy
Spirit on the
Feast of
Pentecost.
When
the day of
Pentecost had
come, they
were all
together in
one place. And
suddenly a
sound came
from heaven
like the rush
of a mighty
wind, and it
filled all the
house where
they were
sitting. And there
appeared to
them tongues
as of fire,
distributed
and resting on
each one of
them.
And they
were all
filled with
the Holy
Spirit and
began to speak
in other
tongues, as
the Spirit
gave them
utterance.
- Acts of the
Apostles,
Chapter 2,
versus 1-4
Baptized
with fire and
the Spirit
What
is the fire of
the Holy
Spirit and why
did tongues
of fire
appear over
the heads of
each of the
disciples who
gathered
together in
prayer to the
Holy Spirit?
Cyril of
Alexandria
(376-444
AD), one of
the early
church fathers
known for his
gift of
preaching
and explaining
the truth of
the Gospel,
explains the
significance
of the fire
from heaven as
the "fire of
the Gospel"
and the "fire
of the Holy
Spirit"
"We
affirm that
the fire that
Christ sent
out is for
humanity's
salvation and
profit. May
God grant that
all our hearts
be full of
this. The fire
is the saving
message of the
Gospel and the
power of its
commandments.
We were cold
and dead
because of sin
and in
ignorance of
him who by
nature is
truly God. The
gospel ignites
all of us on
earth to a
life of piety
and makes us
fervent in
spirit,
according to
the expression
of blessed
Paul (Romans
12:11).
"Besides
this, we are
also made
partakers of
the Holy
Spirit, who is
like fire
within us. We
have been
baptized with
fire and the
Holy Spirit.
We have
learned the
way from what
Christ says to
us. Listen to
his words:
'Truly I say
to you, that
except a man
be born of
water and
spirit, he
cannot see the
kingdom of
God' (John
3:5). It is
the divinely
inspired
Scripture's
custom to give
the name of
fire sometimes
to the divine
and sacred
words and to
the efficacy
and power
which is by
the Holy
Spirit by
which we are
made fervent
in spirit."
-
from Commentary
on Luke,
Homily
94
The
grace of
Pentecost and
the fruit of
the Spirit
This
issue focuses
on the grace
of Pentecost
and the fruit
of the Holy
Spirit that
enable
Christians to
live and serve
together in
love and
unity, and
peace and joy.
Don't miss
Steve Clark's
article on the
Holy Spirit as
the Water of
Life and Derek
Prince's
article on The
Fruit of the
Spirit.
Good
fruit is
cultivated in
stages over
time. The
primary fruit
of the Spirit
is love that
permeates,
strengthens,
and unifies
all the ways
in which love
manifests
itself in
joy, peace,
patience,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
gentleness,
and self
control
(Galatians
5:22-23).
50th
Anniversary of
Charismatic
Renewal
This
Pentecost we
celebrate the
50th
anniversary of
the
Charismatic
Renewal - a
movement that
has swept
through the
Catholic
Church and
many Christian
churches and
communities
around the
world.
Countless
millions of
people have
been baptized
in the Holy
Spirit and
have
experienced
the gifts and
graces of the
Spirit at work
in their
lives. God
intends to
pour out his
Spirit more
and more to
unite,
strengthen,
and empower
his people for
mission today.
Come and
See what
God is
doing
God
is pouring out
his Spirit
today for a
purpose - to
equip,
strengthen,
and unify his
people to be bold
witnesses and
ambassadors
for Christ.
God expects
his people to
carry on the
great
commission
that Jesus
gave his first
disciples and
to the whole
Christian
church. That
is why we need
the power,
gifts, and
wisdom of the
Holy Spirit
who goes
before us to
open doors,
build bridges,
and tear down
walls that
divide and
separate. Let
us pray
confidently
for renewed
boldness and
zeal to "cast
our
nets" as the
Lord leads us
and to sow the
seed of his
Word
everywhere we
go, and to
gather in the
harvest he has
prepared for
his glory.
Go
into all the
world and
preach the
Gospel to the
whole
creation...
And they went
forth and
preached
everywhere,
while the Lord
worked with
them and
confirmed the
message by the
signs that
attended it.
-
Mark 16:15, 20
Sincerely
in Christ,
Don Schwager
editor
Credit:
illustration
above, Pentecost
- flames of
fire,
painted by
Cleveland
Woodward, (c)
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