One of the joys that Vickie and I now have with us living close to my parents is that we occasionally get to spend an afternoon with them putting together a 300 piece jigsaw puzzle. The time races by. It’s one of the highlights of our week as we catch up on family news and dish out a lot of silliness (mostly from Vickie because you all know that I’m the serious one in the family!).
If you have ever put together a jigsaw puzzle, you know the importance of having the puzzle box close by so that the picture found on the puzzle box cover can serve as a guide. Without the picture, the fun factor would be gone and it would be a struggle to know what goes where.
I know that this blog is being read literally around the world by individuals ministering in children and youth ministries, people that desire to have a supernatural ministry. And, for the most part, many of the readers are puzzled on how to see the picture of the supernatural power of God manifest in their services. These readers desperately want to see a picture of Pentecost.
Thankfully, God has provided the “picture on the box” to clearly show “what goes where” and how the pieces fit together as we stand up to minister. This is discovered as we look at the defining picture found in the original New Testament Church. I love what one of the prominent founders of the Assemblies of God, J. Roswell Flower, stated …
“The further we get away from the original pattern of Pentecost,
the further we get away from the expectancy of the supernatural.”
~ J. Roswell Flower
In other words, if we want to have a New Testament, Holy Ghost, supernatural children’s/student ministry that is identical to “the picture on the box” seen in the Book of Acts, then we need follow the example or “the original pattern of Pentecost”.
Sunday school teacher/children’s church worker, mid-week Bible club leader, student ministry leader, look at the picture shown in God’s Word and then put the picture of Pentecost together piece by piece in your weekly time of ministry. To do so, I’m contending that we don’t just TELL about Book of Acts results but rather we MODEL the pattern of Pentecost. The supernatural will only happen when we expectantly dare to TEACH and DEMONSTRATE the Book of Acts. In your service, boldly pray out loud in other tongues, confidently lay hands on the sick, and without hesitation prophesy (speak the Word of the Lord). SHOW what New Testament Christianity is all about. Better yet, model and then engage those in your ministry to follow “the original pattern of Pentecost.” In doing so, the demonstrated, practiced pattern will become a normal part of every child’s/student’s Holy Ghost DNA. What was once mysterious and mystical will come alive and leave the church building with the child/student and go into homes, schools, and playgrounds.
Ready to put a puzzle together? The pieces are waiting to be joined together to create a Pentecostal picture that human words can’t describe. Have fun!
