What are the basic necessities that we need to stay alive? Many would agree that we need air, food, water, clothing, and sleep. I am sure each of us understands that we need these five necessities to live and survive. Let’s expand on this question. What do we need to have a living faith?

Faith comes from believing, accepting, trusting, and having hope in God and Jesus Christ. This describes faith at its most basic level. A living faith, however, must be more than basic. Faith needs to be alive. In our natural lives, to stay alive, we must do something. We have to breathe, eat, and drink, among many other things. It requires effort. Our faith is no different! Faith requires an effort not only to be alive but stay alive.

On Sunday, May 28, 2023, we will celebrate Pentecost together and will be connected to a worldwide broadcast of the divine service conducted by our Chief Apostle Schneider from Cape Town, South Africa. For this occasion, all District Apostles and District Apostle Helpers will be present and the worldwide church represented. Together with them, we will connect in spirit with all our brothers and sisters. 

On Pentecost, we commemorate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. As children of God, we have been reborn out of water and the Spirit. Each of us has been given the same gift, the gift of the Holy Spirit which gives us the same possibility to be transformed into the image of Christ and enter the kingdom of God as firstlings.