WHY NOT PENTECOST?

Why is it we celebrate Christmas with great fanfare and enjoyment and yet we let Pentecost go by without even-so-much as a mention? Why is it we honor and revere the Resurrection season with special services and great and powerful times of rememberance and celebration, yet we pass by Pentecost like a hitch-hiker on the exit ramp?

That may sound a little harsh perhaps but in reality we, as a Christian body, tend to overlook the day that the church started. The coming of Jesus was obviously important and we celebrate His birth. The death of Jesus and His resurrection were even more important and fulfilled God's plan to redeem a lost and hopeless world back to Him. Yes, these things are to be enjoyed and celebrated, but what about the day the Holy Spirit came? Should we not be a little bit more celebratory to have received that which Jesus said He would give us to empower us, comfort us, and enable us? Shouldn't we rejoice that now as believers we have this great "gift" inside of us? Should we not be so grateful that unlike in Old Testament times it could never be taken away from the person that had it? Shouldn't we be amazed that now the Holy Spirit is available to even us Gentiles? I don't know about you but I'm thankful that I'm not walking around without any "power" inside of me? I'm thankful that I don't have rely upon my own abilities and talents to be effective in ministry, but that God makes me effective and able! IT thrills me to know that 2000 years of lies and false doctrine can be destroyed by the convicting power of the Spirit and all I have to do as a believer is be the "feet" that share the truth of Christ! The pressure is off!

I'm not sure why the joy of pentecost is ignored? I guess so many churches are so afraid of the Holy Spirit these days that it's just far better to not even bring it up? When the sound of a mighty wind came gushing down from heaven and tongues of fire fell upon those in the upper room it was no doubt a different experience than what they had been used to, but instead of freaking out, they went out from their prayer room and began OPERATING in the power of the Spirit...as a result of their willingness to operate in the power of the Spirit, the Spirit did the job that Jesus said He would do and that was convict the world of their sin. I guess we're too afraid of experiencing His power, too afraid of being used, or doing something outside of our little man-made boxes to really rejoice over the coming of the Holy Spirit? Perhaps it just better we leave that one alone right?