The Spirit descends from on High and comes to lighten our darkness. He is the great Illuminator of our hearts, our minds, our spirits, and our souls (cf. John 1:9; 2 Corinthians 4:6). The Lord Jesus leaves us physically but overabundantly dwells within us through the overwhelming, powerful Spirit of God. The embodied Temple of God – Jesus Christ – now reigns in His resurrected and glorified flesh and blood at the right hand of the Father, and the Holy Ghost burns His unquenchable flame within our hearts and souls as we are made living temples of God Almighty (1 Corinthians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 6:16).

The world is destined to be judged by flame, and we are the first embers to set it on fire. Let us burn now while we live so we shall not burn later. Let us spread the Gospel flame at home and beyond the four walls of home and heart or church and churchyard outward into the souls and hearts of men, women, and children in our towns, communities, and neighborhoods. May the fire of Jesus Christ and the zeal of the Holy Ghost inflame us towards engagement and never be put out. Take up your cross, and bear the torch of your living soul consumed for loving-kindness for your neighbor and zeal to follow the Lord Jesus. In the words of the Anglican martyr, Bishop Hugh Latimer, “Master Ridley, play the man; we shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.”

The Gospel flame shall never be quenched by the devils nor the princes of the world. Oh it is trapped, encased, smothered, but never put out. The Spirit moves where He wills and when it seems as though He is snuffed out, He merely spreads His flames across the lands, hopping oceans, and bringing light to the Gentiles near and far. The Gospel plough shovels through the soil of every man’s heart, for Christ is beckoning all who have ears to hear to come and see. Let us put our hands to the plough, our faces towards the field, and our fire upon the weeds and thorns that cannot hinder God the Holy Ghost.

Thy blessèd unction from above

is comfort, life, and fire of love;

enable with perpetual light

the dullness of our blinded sight:

The enemies of the Gospel and despisers of God throw us into the flames, but forget we were born again in the Flame. Let them deny their Maker, we shall call on the Name of the Lord. When you find yourself locked in the oven of fire, look up and see the One who is ever beside you, the One who walks near you in every trial, danger, and shadow of death is the Son of Man! When they throw us in the fire, we shall retort in the spirit of Br’er Rabbit, “Why we were reborn and razed in the Fire!” Yes, the world and satan try mightily to smother the Fire of God, but shall only increase His presence like the one who foolishly puts water on a grease fire.

On this glorious feast day, God lightens the darkness of our hearts by teaching “the hearts of thy faithful people, by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit.” (Collect of the Day). God mercifully teaches us by touching our souls and granting us a new heart, not of stone but of flesh, a heart not of sinful flesh like we were born with, but of Spirit and Truth, thereby we boldly pray that He will “Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and everymore to rejoice in his holy comfort.” (Collect of the Day). This prayer for right judgment is needed both within and without the Church because the madness of the world and the deception of the devil’s lies loves to creep its camel nose under the tent of the Tabernacle. We cannot let it in, and in these evil days, oftentimes the clergy and laity must root it out from the church.

There is a reason why the Homily for Whitsunday (Second Book of Homilies) implores the church to be ever vigilant. The homilist tells us:

“The true Church is an universal congregation or fellowship of God’s faithful and elect people, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the head cornerstone. And it hath always three notes or marks, whereby it is known; pure and sound doctrine, the Sacraments ministred according to Christ’s holy institution, and the right use of ecclesiastical discipline.”

Doctrine matters because doctrine is teaching, and since we pray to the Lord “who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people,” we know He shall answer by proving us the knowledge of His Truth, His Word, Our Savior, Our Lord, through the power of the Holy Ghost. For the Spirit does not boast in Himself, but points us back towards the Son. Therefore, let us look to the words of Holy Scripture that the Holy Spirit inspired in order to know God and to love Him. What does the Scripture say? “Jesus said unto his disciples, If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: buy ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” (Gospel lesson, John 14:15-17, KJV).

Anoint and cheer our soiled face

with the abundance of thy grace:

keep far our foes, give peace at home;

where thou art guide no ill can come.

Sons and Daughters of Adam ye have been saved, adopted, engrafted, and born again as Sons and Daughters of the Most High! When you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, believe in your heart by faith, then you receive the Spirit of God poured upon you by your baptism and strengthened in your confirmation so you may withstand the fiery darts of the evil one and the ignorance of the world. We withstand and refute, we hold fast and rebut, only by standing upon the rock of Christ’s teaching and living out His commands. The Spirit of God is not your deceptive feelings, shiver in your liver, nor the lunch giving you indigestion in your belly. The Spirit of God is truly God and cannot change. He gives us nothing new or different than what the Son revealed in His Gospel. The only newness of the Spirit is the new hearts, renewed minds, and gifts He bestows as He wills so we may be humble followers, teachers, preachers, and disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, “because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.” (John 14:19-20, KJV). Hence, because the Lord abides within us, now we can love Him as we could not before. Therefore the Lord Jesus tells us, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” (John 14:21, KJV).

Do you expect peace by following Christ? You shall have peace surpassing all understanding within you, for “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.” (John 14:27, KJV). Yet let us not forget, while we are at peace with God and indwelt by the peace of Christ, the fire of the Spirit compels us to go forth as bodily into the world as God’s servants as we once boldly and ignorantly were Satan’s slaves. For Christ has given us a fire, and this fire cannot be hidden. We are given a flame, and it is to be placed on high for others to see and to see by as they stumble towards the cross of Christ. The words of Christ compels us, “I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?” (Luke 12:49, KJV).

Teach us to know the Father, Son,

and thee, of both, to be but One;

that through the ages all along

this may be our endless song,

Lord, reign on high as you rain down below the gifts of your Holy Spirit. Although “the prince of this world cometh” for us, remember he also came for our Savior, and the deceiver “hath nothing in me,” nor in us for we are clothed by Christ and indwelt by the Spirit of the Living God. (John 14:30, KJV). Sinners you are refined for sainthood and the cross of a saint is battling the dragons who bedevil our neighbors in ignorance. Remember, “ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.” (Romans 8:9, KJV). You possess Good News, share it with the poor in spirit so that the rich Spirit of grace may abundantly enrich the lives of those around you. Flee the rotten riches the world tempts you with and seek the treasure buried in the field. Remember that you are dead to all hostility in the present, for your eternity is in Christ Jesus. Or as St. Paul teaches, “if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” (Romans 8:10, KJV).

Christian, what is the worst that can happen by being boldly faithful in the Spirit? Mockery by your peers? Meet their unkind words with the generosity of the Gospel. Loss of income through losing your job? If God cares for the lilies of the field, then He too has provided another income. Perhaps fear of a short or shorter life? You are already dead according to St. Paul and we shall truly live in the resurrection. Because “if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” (Romans 8:11, KJV).

More than likely, the true reason Christians and the Church are so restrained is because we fear. Cast out that fear and dwell in the Spirit who provides all surpassing Peace. For it is in Peace that we learn to go to war for Christ. And our war is to withstand hate from our enemies, our friends, and even our own families through Charity. For love is what Christ had for us while we were yet sinners, and love is what He imparts by His Holy Ghost for us to provide a loveless and forlorn world. Let us boldly love, because He boldly loves us. Let us not fear what happens in our body or in our life, for our soul and life are found in Christ, and He will resurrect our body. On the day of Pentecost, the inarticulate Moses was given the Ten Words of God that commanded our stony hearts to walk in His holy ways. Today we celebrate Pentecost because God has given His Holy Spirit into new hearts of flesh so we may speak the Word of God to all. This “thing was undoubtedly done to teach the apostels and all other men that it is He which giveth eloquence and utterance in preaching the gospel, that it is He which openeth the mouth to declare the mighty words of God, that it is he which engedereth a burning zeal toward God’s Word and giveth all men a tongue, yea a fiery tongue, so that they may boldly and cheerfully profess the truth in the face of the whole world, as Isaiah was induced with this Spirit.” (Homily on Whitsunday, Second Book of Homilies). Do you fail at words? You are in the good company of Moses and the disciples of Jesus. God is with them, and God is with you when the moment comes to speak the Truth in love, “For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.” (Matthew 10:20, KJV).

Or perhaps you doubt that a man may change. Look to your own salvation and be humble. For it is not because of your knowledge, your deeds, your career, nor anything about yourself that you are saved, but only because of the grace of our Lord Jesus. Tuck away the notion that a person cannot change, for of course they cannot. But what is impossible for man is possible for God. What has been done for you, can be done for any. You are called not to judge whom God is calling, but to serve God so that He may call all whom you are serving. “Such is the power of the Holy Ghost to regenerate men, and as it were to bring them forth anew, so that they shall be nothing like the men that they were before.” (Homily on Whitsunday, Second Book of Homilies). Thanks be to God.

Praise to thy eternal merit,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lighten Our Darkness – Whitsunday

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