THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD BEING PRESENT

Was Pentecost truly the birth of the Church? What about the "church in the wilderness" spoken of by Stephen in Acts? It was the Spirit of the LORD being present that let it be known that God favored the congregation of Israel, distinguishing them from all the other people on the face of the earth. The LORD promised, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." The echo of this promise can be heard in the call of our Lord Jesus for all to come find rest in Him.

How must we consider the significance of such continuity? Consider this - restlessness may be a sign of absence, not presence. As Augustine confessed in Book 1, "You have made us for yourself and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you." Jesus is Immanuel, God with us. The rock upon which the church is built follows God's people from age to age; on that solid rock we stand or stumble. Eating the same spiritual food, drinking the same spiritual drink, let us become the Body through which God's glory, expressed perfectly in Christ Jesus, is made manifest.

Speaking of being made manifest, it is interesting to note, in 1Co 12:7, that Paul writes that "a manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial ...." This verse is why I resist speaking of manifestations of the Spirit and prefer to emphasize one manifestation - the Lord Jesus Christ. It seems to me that whatever the form such a manifestation takes, the function is the same - to reveal the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The several gifts are singular in what is made manifest. Unity in diversity is the hallmark of the True Church.