“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2: 1-4). It is with these words from the Book of Acts that the Holy Spirit, in a bold way, makes His appearance known.

I would like to touch on some of the activities of the Holy Spirit and how He works with us and through us.

In biblical times, one of the primary roles of the Holy Spirit was to prompt people to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ as was the case in Acts 13: 4.  Here it states that it was the Holy Spirit that prompted faithful men to go to various cities to preach the word of God.  Furthermore, the Bible states that the Holy Spirit stood by those who professed Christ and when needed, taught them what to say. (cf. Luke 12: 11-12).

Not only does the Holy Spirit work to sharpen our “professing Christ skills”, He is also our precious Comforter.  In His farewell discourses, Jesus Christ promised to send the Holy Spirit as the Comforter and Helper.  We have the unequivocal assurance that the Holy Spirit accompanies and stands by believers in all situations of life.

Another great quality of the Holy Spirit is that He is the Spirit of truth.  Isn’t that a comfort?  In a world that is filled with all kinds of opinions, distractions, and slippery slopes, the Holy Spirit reveals clearly what pleases God and that which stands in opposition to God’s will.  The Holy Spirit, in particular, sees to it that the message of the sacrificial death, resurrection, and return of Christ is preserved and spread throughout the ages.  Today, we perceive the activity of the Holy Spirit clearly in that He grants knowledge and brings to remembrance all the things that Jesus Christ taught us (cf. John 14: 26).  This is especially evident in the sermon.  
Of special note…the Apostles fulfil their tasks because they are filled with the Holy Spirit.  Two very poignant verses in the Bible describe how the resurrected Christ commissioned the Apostles and then bestowed on them the Holy Spirit.  “So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you!  As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”  And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.’’” (John 20: 21-22).  Today, the gift of the Holy Spirit is granted by God through the laying on of hands and prayer of an Apostle.  A wonderful biblical precedent for this is described in Acts 8: 14-17.

So, here we have listed just a few special insights of what the Holy Spirt did in times past and what the Holy Spirit still does today for those who love and profess Jesus Christ.  We are deeply moved by this divine gift and the impact that the Holy Spirit has in our lives.  For this reason we celebrate Pentecost with joy, heartfelt thankfulness, and with a renewed zeal to serve Christ and our neighbour.