Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” (Acts 1:8a NIV)
Pentecost is about power, the coming of the Spirit to empower the church to fulfill its purpose and calling.
The Book of Acts is the story of this power in the lives of the disciples and the new church. Peter is an example of the power of the Spirit in a life. He was the one who denied Jesus in the crisis moment of his life. But following Pentecost, we meet a new Peter, one who preaches boldly and performs miracles in the name of Jesus. When told to quit preaching and teaching in Jesus’ name, Peter responded with great courage and fearlessness: “I must obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29 paraphrased). He had received the gift of power… The purpose of the church is to equip us with the power to face the struggles of life.
That Greek word for spirit, pneuma (meaning “air” or “breath”), is the root word from which we get pneumatic tires -- tires filled with air. The significant thing for me is that this reminds us that things filled with air consistently bounce up when thrown down, or, if in water, float, not able to be kept under, but always rising to the surface. This is also true of [people] filled with the Holy Spirit, the pneuma. They cannot be held down, they have the power to continually and consistently bounce up and rise again. Pentecost is the gift of power, the power to be a witness and the power to face the struggles of life.
-- James W. Moore and Bob J. Moore in “Lord, Give Me Patience!... And Give It to Me Right Now!”
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