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On Tuesday, while preparing this edition, I set the publication timer incorrectly and as a result it did not get released. I\u2019m sorry. Let it remain as a lesson in waiting. So here it is.

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\xa0When the day of Pentecost came, all the believers gathered in one place. Suddenly a sound came from heaven. It was like a strong wind blowing. It filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw something that looked like fire in the shape of tongues. The flames separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak in languages they had not known before. The Spirit gave them the ability to do this. Godly Jews from every country in the world were staying in Jerusalem. A crowd came together when they heard the sound. They were bewildered because each of them heard their own language being spoken. They asked one another, \u201cWhat does this mean?\u201d.\u2026 (Acts 1:1-6,12).

It might be that you were skeptical about what pastor Anthony suggested yesterday about the choosing of Matthais. Was the church really running ahead of Christ? As I was rifling through the notes I have collected on the book of Acts, I came across some comments by Criag Barnes who wonders the same. Dr. Barnes has written a marvellous commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism.

Concerning Acts 1 he wrote, \u201cThe disciples began their time in that room devoted to prayer but grew weary of all that praying and finally succumbed to the church temptation of starting a committee. Peter mentioned that they couldn't really be called the twelve disciples anymore because of that unfortunate incident with Judas. \u2018But we have always been the twelve, so we have to find another disciple to fill this unexpired term.\u2019 They had a little election. It took two ballots, but finally the lot fell to Matthias. About the time the clerk was enrolling his name with the other eleven, the Spirit came.

Well, it wasn\u2019t hell, it was \u2018all heaven that broke lose.\u2019 Luke insists that what ever happened on Pentecost day came from heaven. It was as if the wind had started to blow violently inside the room, eventually pushing the disciples outside. Flames started to appear. The disciples themselves seemed to be on fire and began to speak languages they didn't know they knew. All of them were talking at the same time. People from different nations heard the disciples speaking their own language. "And all were perplexed, and said to one another, 'What does this mean?'" What in the world does this mean?

With that question we inherit a Biblical mark for a Spirit-filled church that is rarely mentioned: confusion. Is it possible that when God decides to use a church and give it a future, he starts with confusion? I\u2019m not sure that\u2019s a valid conclusion, but I do know that one take away from Pentecost day is that things got confusing. It was so confusing that some of the people said the disciples were "filled with new wine." It is interesting that they did not respond by saying that Spirit-filled disciples don't drink. What they said was, "It's a little early."

While the disciples, who all knew each other and spoke the same language stayed in the upper room and carefully avoided changes, there was no Christian Church. That day Christ came back through the Holy Spirit and confronted the church with the world around it. He did not give them an organizational chart, even though these can be helpful, he did not give them a new mission and vision statement, even though these can be useful. Nope. He gave them power though the Holy Spirit. And it was confusing.

Amid all this confusion, Peter began to preach to everyone, and 3,000 converts were added. Wow. How does a band of 120 incorporate 3 000 newcomers? Talk about confusing! The only thing that could account for that is the Holy Spirit, who would not allow the church to hide out any longer.

I suspect that confusion is always part of the package when Christ\u2019s church is renewed in her calling to go to every nation. If a congregation is willing to open its doors and welcome new people, change and confusion are part of the drama, good drama of course. The Holy Spirit led the church into the confusion on the Day of Pentecost, the Spirit continues to lead the church today. We can trust the Spirit to empower us and to walk us into new things, even when they get confusion. Trust him. He is very good at leading the church.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21).