It's Time To Receive His Extravagant Gifts

Christine Vales

Today on God’s Calendar:

SHAVUOT // PENTECOST

The 50th Day of The Omer Count

Sivan 6 5781 // May 17 2021

With all the depressing “counting” that’s been going for the past year- be it covid cases or lockdowns- isn’t it refreshing to count-up to something good? What a thought. An actual time to count-up with anticipation rather than counting gloom and doom.

Well, that’s God’s heart too. In fact, today is the day known as the 50th day of the “Omer Count”- a fifty-day count-up from the Feast of First Fruits (Day of Jesus’ Resurrection) to the second feast of God’s calendar known as Shavuot, literally the “Feast of Weeks” - also known as Pentecost. (Lev 23)

So, what happened on the 50th day of this set time of counting up in scripture? Well, it was on the 50th day in both the Old and New Testaments when God gave supernatural gifts to His people. Funny thing is- most of us probably know about both of these supernatural gifts given- but most likely never realized they were given on the very same day- the 50th day of the count- the 6th day of Sivan.

If we flip to the Old Testament, we’ll discover the Lord gave His Word at Mt Sinai on this 50th day. (Ex 19) Then if we fast forward into the New Testament, we’ll notice it was on the same 50th day when the Lord gave the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1 & 2)

We can read that and say- "Wow- that’s amazing! How nice for all of those people in the Bible to receive these supernatural gifts.” But guess what- these very same gifts are offered to us now in real-time. The question is are we receiving them?

Even as believers- many of us have our Bibles- but are we opening them? His Word is a lamp onto our feet and a light onto our path- yet many of us sit in the dark and wonder if there is a way out. (Ps 119:105) Even Jesus said - “Man cannot live by bread alone- but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matt 4:4). Many of us are spiritually starving for no good reason. Let us not just let this precious gift of His Word go unopened. Let’s feast on it- for His words are spirit and life! (Jn 6:63)

And what about the Holy Spirit? When we believe upon Yeshua, Jesus and receive Him into our hearts, we become new creations in Him and are sealed with the Holy Spirit. (Eph 1:13) Therefore, we have all the fruit of the Spirit – all the love, peace, joy, patience, kindness… etc. to the full within us now. (Gal 5:22-23) So are we tapping into what is already ours - from the inside out- or are we begging God to give us what we already have?

And what about the baptism of the Holy Spirit? As believers, are we still running on our own strength, or have we received His empowering by the baptism of His Spirit? Even Jesus told His disciples- don’t go any further in your own strength- but receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1) For it’s the baptism of the Holy Spirit that empowers and enables us to do “works and greater works”- even ministering in the gifts of the Holy Spirit – in miracles, words of knowledge, tongues, prophecy, etc. (Jn 14:12, 1 Cor 13) All we need to do is ask and He will not withhold any good thing from us. (Lk 11:13)

So, what are we waiting for? Enough counting gloom and doom. We can count on the Lord. For He has already provided us with these gifts of His Word and His Spirit- and all because of His great love for us! So, let’s receive them afresh today! And these awesome gifts are not just for us alone- but to share with others! May we open our hearts to first receive them ourselves and then give these gifts to others. That’s what it means to be “blessed to be a blessing” and to have “life and life abundantly!” (Gen 12:2-3, Jn 10:10) And that is our inheritance in Him! Happy & Blessed Shavout // Pentecost in Yeshua Jesus!