Ascension Day & Day of Pentecost 2021

When the Israelites were freed from Egypt in ancient times, they crossed the Red Sea through the mighty power of God. Forty days after the crossing of the Red Sea, God commanded Moses to come up to Mount Sinai and showed him His will. Ten days later from then, Moses went up Mount Sinai again to receive the stone tablet of the Ten Commandments.

The work of Moses is a shadow of the work of Jesus. Jesus showed Himself to His disciples for forty days after His resurrection, and on the fortieth day, he went up to Heaven from Mount of Olives. Watching Jesus’ resurrection and ascension with their own eyes, the disciples were greatly moved and dedicated themselves to praying to God for ten days in order to receive the Holy Spirit that Jesus had promised; at the time, about 120 disciples gathered to pray. On the tenth day, the Day of Pentecost (known as the Feast of Weeks in the Old Testament), the Holy Spirit was abundantly poured down upon the disciples. As soon as they received the power of the Holy Spirit, they preached the gospel, and people from all around the world, who gathered in Jerusalem, were able to understand the gospel in their own languages. In one day, about 3,000 people were led to the truth, and the gospel that was preached only within Israel rapidly spread to every country in the world. The power of the Holy Spirit became a catalyst for world evangelism (Ac 1, 2).

The members of the Church of God in 175 countries around the world kept the Feasts for ten days from the Ascension Day on May 13 to the Day of Pentecost on May 23, following the examples set by Jesus and His disciples. Morning and evening, the members earnestly asked for the Holy Spirit by attending online worships or onsite worships while complying with the COVID-19 guidelines like social distancing.

General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol emphasized, “The power of the Holy Spirit is manifested through preaching. Each one of us has a different gift of the Holy Spirit, but when we participate in saving souls as different parts of one body, we can accomplish the world evangelism.” He added, “God has made us His disciples, because He wants to save us and the world. Let’s all become God’s proud sons and daughters” (1 Co 12; Mt 4:12–22; Isa 52:7–8; Jn 15:1–10; Mt 28:18–20).

Mother encouraged the children who participated in the Feasts for ten days and fully convinced them of having received the Holy Spirit. During the afternoon worship service, Mother taught them that obedience is an essential part of receiving God’s salvation through the sermon titled, “What Is Obedience?” In the Bible, there are records about the forefathers of faith, such as Abraham, Joshua, and Apostle Paul, who received blessings by obeying God’s word despite various difficult situations where it was difficult to obey God’s words. On the other hand, there are those who failed to receive God’s blessing as they had disobeyed God’s word, such as King Saul and the Israelites who fell in the desert during the forty years of wandering about. Mother said, “Obedience comes from faith, and without faith, we cannot please God. If we practice God’s word, we can receive much blessing. With such absolute faith, let’s obey God’s word, receive His blessing, and return to the Kingdom of Heaven without fail.” Furthermore, Mother hoped that all mankind suffering from endless series of disasters and calamities would soon come to enjoy true peace, saying, “Especially in this age when the news of God’s salvation through the New Covenant is essential, what we need to do is to carry out the Holy Spirit Movement to save even one more soul with the power of the Holy Spirit” (Dt 28; Heb 3:7–19; Heb 11:6).

The gospel in the days of the early Church and in the Age of the Holy Spirit as well was preached to various places in the world by those who obeyed God’s word, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Ac 1:8). Even though COVID-19 is affecting our daily routine, the gospel is still swiftly spreading to the world through various online media. The members who have received the power of the Holy Spirit began to look around their neighbors, and made a resolution to obey Christ’s command, “Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Mt 28:19–20).