THIS weekend includes Pentecost Sunday which might be far less well known than Christmas and Easter in the Christian calendar.

There are no chocolate eggs this time and no presents are exchanged, and there is no bank holiday to celebrate it.

Yet Pentecost celebrates another very important event. After Jesus was crucified and resurrected, He appeared to his disciples again over 40 days and gave them convincing proof that He was alive, speaking to them about the kingdom of God.

Just before He ascended to heaven, He gave specific instructions to them. Jesus said to them, ‘Listen carefully: I am sending the promise of My Father, the Holy Spirit, upon you; but you are to remain in the city of Jerusalem until you are fully equipped with power from on high.’ The disciples did as they were told and waited in an upper room in Jerusalem, constantly in prayer, with Matthias being added as an apostle to their number.

Then on what is known as the Day of Pentecost, they were all together and suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the house where they were sitting. They saw what looked like tongues of fire which came to rest on each one of them and all of them were filled with God’s Holy Spirit and they began to speak in other languages they had not learned.

A crowd gathered who were amazed as the disciples spoke, praising God in many different languages known to those who had gathered. Others thought they were drunk.

Peter then stood up and addressed the crowd, telling them that they were not drunk as it was nine o’clock in the morning. He told them that this was the pouring out of God’s Holy Spirit putting power and anointing into their lives. Such was the words of Peter that some 3,000 became Christians and followed Jesus. And the apostles performed many miracles following this.

That power remains available to you and me to enable us to do what Jesus did and to makes us His people. I suggest we are not expected to live without God’s power and life within us. And the world around us is in such a state that it needs His power and His love speaking to them.