COG Webcast

Pentecost/Feast of Weeks:

Pentecost celebrates the awesome power of the voice of the Eternal delivering the covenant from Mt. Sinai amidst the thunder and lightning. It also commemorates the giving of the Holy Spirit and the establishment of the Church of God, after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, the Messiah. Pentecost, Shavuot, Feast of Weeks is an annual Sabbath rich in meaning for all those who believe in the hope of the resurrection.

And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. 16 Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD…And you shall proclaim on the same day that it is a holy convocation to you. You shall do no customary work on it. It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. Leviticus 23:15-21

Related Videos:

• Road to Pentecost — Transformed by the Spirit

  Spiritual Warfare

  Christians are called to fight an ongoing battle against a spiritual adversary. But this is only possible if we are being transformed by the Spirit of God. Peter encourages believers to stay alert and watch out, so we can successfully conquer and be victorious in our struggles. We win this spiritual warfare by becoming holy as God is holy. It is only the spirit of God that will give us the courage of our convictions, and the godly character that will set us apart from this world. How does this happen?

• Road to Pentecost — What Spirit Motivates You?

  

  Daniel Borup – sculptor

  A Lesson from James and John

  What kind of spirit motivates people to do what they do? To answer that question, Luke, wrote of Jesus’ journey with this disciples to Jerusalem. Along the road the weary travellers asked to stay in a Samaritan village, but they were rebuffed. Why? Because the Samaritans saw that the group was on their way to Jerusalem. Now, there had been 500 years of contention between Jews and Samaritans over where one should worship. It had begun long before in the time of Zerubbabel when the Samaritans had tried to undermine the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. So there was a long-standing ethnic feud that prompted the Samaritan’s reaction to Jesus and his disciples. Their sin was a mere lack of hospitality to travel worn strangers. What would you have done if you walked in their sandals?

• Road to Pentecost — God’s End-Game for the Saints

  God’s Epic Story of Triumph

  Our world has an appetite for epic stories of triumph over the forces of darkness and evil. “Endgame” is a recent example which brings to mind the question, “What is God’s endgame for his saints?” It is certainly an even greater thriller than one that can be imagined by Hollywood. And it too is a story of the triumph of light over darkness, and the truth over lies and deception. It is a tale of spiritual powers locked in battle for the cosmos, and the eventual overthrow of the great deceiver. But there is more to the story.

• Searching for the Spirit Series

  Confusion abounds when it comes to the nature of God’s spirit, The Holy Spirit. “Ruach” in Hebrew and “pneuma” in Greek can both be translated as Spirit, spirit, wind, or breath, depending upon the context in the scripture. Some theologians or translators would have you believe that  the Spirit is a “Holy Ghost,” or the Third Person in a Trinity? But is this the truth?

  What is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Power, the Comforter, the Voice of the spirit and how does it work in the world? Why, as Christians,  is it vitally important for us  to understand the role of the Spirit in our walk with God? This series will answer these questions and many more. Learn what you need to know about the power of God’s Spirit in your life.

•  Pentecost — Spirit of Power and Promise

  A New World is Coming – a Vision for Pentecost

  Is a better world coming? If we believe the prophesies of Isaiah, we have hope of a new world in the future. But this world will not come until God’s spirit is poured out on all people. This change will not come until the Messiah returns. It will come when the Spirit of the Lord, the spirit of knowledge and wisdom and righteousness, rules with justice and fairness. And, the Spirit of power transforms the very nature of the animal kingdom — so they will no longer hurt or destroy. A time of transformation is coming. Are you preparing for that time?

• Pentecost the Law and the Spirit

  Have you ever noticed this in Luke’s account? In rehearsing the events surrounding Christ’s resurrection, the women came on the first day of the weeks. Have you wondered why the original Greek was plural, week(s). Yet many mistranslations abound, so they miss the significance of this statement. If they knew the law of Moses, they would have realized this was a reference to the beginning of the 50 day count to Pentecost. Looking back into God’s instructions in the law concerning the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Firstfruits, we find another curious yet meaningful side-note. In the midst of the section about the holy day, there is a specific and seemingly unrelated command. It addressed the needs of the poor and the stranger, the foreigner. And it tied together the story of Ruth with Pentecost the law and the spirit.

• Pentecost and Ruth

  Ruth and Pentecost

  Traditionally the book of Ruth was read on Pentecost, Shavuoth, the Feast of Weeks. What are the lessons that God wanted us to glean from Ruth and Pentecost? The Jews reflect on the giving of the law to the people of Israel during the Shavuoth season, and Christians rehearse the giving of the Holy Spirit to the Jewish believers in Christ, the Messiah, on Pentecost.

  So how does the book of Ruth fit into this picture?

• Pentecost – Story of the Path and the Power

  As we celebrate God’s holy day we gain a deeper understanding of the path God has set before us, and the power he has given us to fulfill His purpose. Jeff Patton connects the significance of Shavu’ot in the Old Covenant with Pentecost in the new and shows us how Ruth’s dedication to God, as her God, led God to include her in “His people,” as the firstfruits of creation and co-heirs of Christ.

• Pentecost: Perfecting the Saints

  We are almost 2000 years from that eventful Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples of Christ. In celebrating Pentecost today, we call to remembrance all the lessons of this Holy Day. Are our hearts open to God’s work in our lives so we are not worshiping in vain? Do we accept the divine authority of scripture, avoiding lawlessness and living obedient lives through the power of God’s Spirit.

• Pentecost 2013:Treasure Old and New

  Why Celebrate Pentecost?
  The scriptures advise the people of God to bring out of their treasure things that are both old and new. Jeff Patton reveals the purpose for Pentecost as revealed in the Hebrew and Greek scriptures, making plain the meaning of the day for Christians. As we celebrate Pentecost we look back and reflect on events that transpired millennia ago, but we also look forward to a spiritual harvest that will take place in the not too distant future. Are we preparing to be firstfruits in God’s harvest?

• Why we Celebrate Pentecost
• The Purifying Spirit of Pentecost

Youth Activities:

• Passover to Pentecost
• Pentecost Youth Study
• Pentecost: Wind and Flame
• Pentecost: Book of Ruth

Paul had decided to sail on past Ephesus, for he didn’t want to spend any more time in the province of Asia. He was hurrying to get to Jerusalem, if possible, in time for the Festival of Pentecost. Acts 20:16

God’s Holy Days Read more here!