“After its Kind”
“After its kind,” is a phrase repeated in the first chapter of Genesis. It’s used to describe how plants and animals were created. It also indicates that living things were created to reproduce in order to exist according to their own specific species rather than evolving from one type into another.
Let me simplify this by saying, “a dog will bark,” a rooster will crow,” “a cow will moo,” and a cat will meow!” If you were out in the darkness of night and heard any one of these animals, you would be able to identify each one by their sound even though you couldn’t see them.
As a follower of Christ Jesus, our Lord reproduces Himself through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit within us. This doesn’t happen automatically. His Spirit convicts us of sin and draws us close to God, and we become a Born-Again Christian the moment we confess our sins and receive Him as our Savior. That’s the first step toward becoming the person God wants us to be. We are now a Christian, but God wants us to live a life of holiness, for He is holy.
At salvation, our sins are forgiven, but how do we become what God wants us to be? How do we develop a Godly influence? Becoming a Christian means the heaven issue is settled, but we will need lots of help to live a life that represents the life Jesus lived. In other words, identifying a dog is one thing, but how will others know or identify us a follower of Christ?
These disciples were definitely followers of Jesus, but they had received a commission to spread the Gospel to the world. They were powerless to fulfill such a command. Help was needed! For ten days they prayed and waited. They waited and prayed. Maybe God was testing their obedience. Eventually the room where they were was filled with the sound of a rushing wind. Something happened on the inside of them and that day is known as Pentecost Sunday (Acts 2) and is celebrated as the birthday of the Christian church. Ephesians 5:18 says, “Do not get drunk with wine…, but be filled with the Spirit.” (This will be explained tomorrow).
Pastor Carnes
