Lesson Thirty

THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES

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Memory Verse: Acts 2:38
Further Study: Acts 1:12-14 Acts 2; Acts of the Apostles, pp. 35-56, The Bible Story, vol. 10, pp. 9-16

One of my daughters had a Bible teacher that believed that crying was directly associated with one’s true conversion. To that end, he eventually led student by student to tears, rewarding them with the idea that they had found Jesus, that is except for my daughter’s class. He upped the ante, telling amazing and emotional testimonies in multiple ways, but the class didn’t cry. 

In 1857, Jeremiah Lanphier, a businessman in New York City, decided in September to begin a weekly prayer meeting at noon at a church in the city. He distributed fliers inviting those interested to come for as much time as they wanted. The first day, Lanphier prayed for 30 minutes alone, until one man joined him. Four more joined by the end of the hour. The next week there were 20 and 40 the following week. By October the prayer meetings were daily; by January a second room had to be added. In February a third room. By the end of March there were 10,000 men gathered daily for prayer all over the city.

At Pentecost the disciples were gathered to pray in a room when the Holy Spirit descended upon them in the form of wind and fire igniting a movement and the beginnings of a church that has swept the world for centuries. Holy Spirit power can be like the force of a hurricane. Holy Spirit flames can sweep across a room or a nation. Yet that same power can be as the whisper of a breeze or the glow of a small candle. 

That same power can be as the whisper of a breeze or the glow of a small candle. 

The students who didn’t cry weren’t ignoring the influence of the Holy Spirit. For them, the Spirit wasn’t found in a profound emotional experience. It doesn’t mean they resisted, only that they recognized the Spirit more in whisperings than a whirlwind. The one man who decided to revive a city became a small light in a sanctuary that eventually blew into flames across the city. The Holy Spirit works as He needs in ways that each of us recognize. Some may be captivated by tornadoes, while others by a soft breeze.

This is a reminder about our own response to the Spirit as well as our children’s. There isn’t only one way. There isn’t one right way to answer the call of the Spirit. It’s only that we hear and respond. Watch your children carefully as the Spirit woos them. It may seem to be a breeze now and again that results in a sputtering flame. But remember, if one places their hands carefully around a flame to protect it, when the breezes blow, the flame will grow, mature, and burn brightly for all to see.

Let us cup our hands around our children. 

Let us cup our hands around our children as well as around our own hearts to allow the Spirit to do His work in our lives. When we do, all will be renewed.

Digging Deeper 

When Jesus ascended, He directed the disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait. Ten days later at Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended upon them as flames of fire. Pentecost, as part of the Jewish calendar, is celebrated on the fiftieth day following Passover. It was the celebration of the end of the barley harvest and the beginning of the wheat harvest. While there were many Jewish traditions and festivals, Pentecost was one of three where everyone was to appear with gifts and offerings. The other two were Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles (booths).

Pentecost was a festival of gratitude and thanks for God’s blessing because of the harvest. But more than that it was a reminder of Jewish history. Passover commemorated the redemption of Israel from the Egyptians as Moses led them out of Egypt. Fifty days later, Moses at Mt. Sinai, was given the law, another significant event.

The timing of the Holy Spirit’s descent upon the disciples was when Jerusalem was filled with people. Symbolically they represented the “first fruits” of Jesus’ ministry representing the great harvest that would come.

 

Making it Real

Perhaps the best way for children to think about the spreading of the Holy Spirit is by using candles. This week bake a cake, maybe a special cake for Sabbath. Buy some birthday candles to place on the cake. But this is no ordinary birthday cake! Explain that this is a cake to help understand how the Spirit works. 

Light one of the candles on the cake. Talk about how the Spirit enters a person’s heart making them warm and glowing like the flame. Then light the other candles, either with a match or other lighting device. But at some point, light a candle with another candle. Talk about how the Holy Spirit uses us to spread Jesus’ love to others. If your child is old enough, they can help “spread” the light of the Holy Spirit on the cake.

Obviously, the candles need to be blown out. You can end your lesson above or you can take it another step by talking about how Satan tries to extinguish the work of the Holy Spirit. That he tries to blow out our candles. Talk about how dark it is without the light of the candles; that we always want to shine for Jesus. Then enjoy your cake!

_________

Merle Poirier writes from Silver Spring, Maryland, where she works as the operation manager for Adventist Review and Adventist World magazines as well as the designer for KidsView, a magazine for 8-12-year-olds. She enjoys spending time with her family including being a grandmother to two active little boys, who greatly enjoy Starting With Jesus, and a granddaughter, who’s delighting everyone with her smiles. She is blessed to have all three living close by, continually bringing joy and delight.

 

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