When Pentecost gets Personal
The house was a disaster zone. A wall had been ripped out of the fifty-year-old bungalow leaving the framing exposed. A French door had been installed incorrectly, letting rain seep in until the carpet grew mouldy. The laundry was unlined, bathroom fittings were loose, and piles of demolition timber littered the backyard.
Then the team from DIY Rescue came in and took control. This was twenty years ago but we still see reality TV shows like this today, rescuing homes from enthusiastic amateurs who start renovation projects they never finish. A team of experts—professional builders, decorators, and tradespeople—steps in to complete the half-baked projects, fix the mistakes, and finish the job. They do it all in collaboration with the owners, who contribute their own labour and allow their embarrassing mistakes to be broadcast on national television. 
There has always been a strong DIY culture here in New Zealand. I am very proud of my own husband, who learned building skills from his father and is putting them to work on our home in Half Moon Bay. But as one industry spokesman noted, there is an ongoing concern that people “may be attempting things they aren’t anywhere near capable of doing”.
The potential of well-intentioned human beings to make a mess—and the inspiration of a successful clean-up by a team of experts—reminds me exactly of how the Holy Spirit works in the life of a Christian believer. We are entering the season of Pentecost, the perfect time to focus on God’s rescuing, redeeming, and restoring work in our lives. That first Pentecost changed the world for believers, and its impact still resonates 2,000 years later.
The book of Acts shows us that the disciples were initially frightened and confused. They had seen their Master crucified. They felt unsettled by his empty grave and mysterious, resurrected presence. They knew everything had changed, but they didn’t yet understand how or why. In those early weeks, Jesus reassured them, calling them to obedience and promising a new experience of God’s Spirit:
“Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you what he promised… in just a few days you will be ‘drenched’ with the Holy Spirit… you will receive power to tell people about me everywhere.” Acts 1: 4, 8
Weeks later, the disciples gathered together for safety and support during Shavuoth, the Jewish harvest festival. Greek-speaking Jews called this feast Pentecost. It was a time of thanksgiving for the Torah—God’s instructions for a life of obedience. In the church calendar, we remember this day as the moment the Spirit arrived to complement the Law and launch a new harvest, the mission of Christ’s Church.
What happened next was a massive surprise. With the sound of wind and flickering fire, a clear gospel message was delivered to the visitors of many different nationalities . Peter preached a stirring sermon, and thousands were baptised. It was a defining, personal moment for the disciples. From that day forward, they preached with boldness, prayed with confidence, and served the Lord with newfound passion and joy. Pentecost had got personal.
In 1970, this story took on an entirely new meaning for me. I grew up in a church that honoured Pentecost with hymns about heavenly doves and the breath of God, but the abstract language didn’t connect with the living Lord I loved. I had consigned the miracle of Acts 2 to the basket of “things that only happened when Jesus was physically around”.
At university, I began hearing about Pentecost from a different perspective. Preachers reminded me of Jesus’ promise: “You will receive power to be my witnesses.” I started to understand that the Holy Spirit was about passion, purpose, and active energy available to Christians today. John’s gospel revealed the Spirit as Jesus’ gift of another ‘like himself’ to carry on his work of teaching, guiding, and ministering. I grew excited that the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead could empower my life.
One night at St. Paul’s Chapel on Symonds Street, I asked my cell group leader to pray that I might be filled to overflowing with the Spirit. I didn’t shake, laugh, or cry like others I knew; I simply felt peaceful. My leader reminded me of Luke 11:11: “Our heavenly Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” I received that by faith.
Months later, I reflected on my life and realised deep changes had occurred. An emotional wound had healed, a bad attitude within family relationships was mended, and I had opened up to a personal prayer language. Most importantly, I finally grasped the connection between Jesus and the Spirit. The Holy Spirit was no longer a ghostly blur or an abstract force. He was Jesus, risen and present in my life, ready to use His power and love through me.
More than fifty years later, my relationship with the Spirit is continually being enriched. Being filled with the Spirit is a dynamic, lifelong journey. It is like marriage; our wedding 51 years ago isn’t what makes our marriage today. Marriage is about the everyday talking, listening, sharing, serving, and forgiving. Being a Spirit-filled Christian is not a one-time event; it is a daily walk.
Back to the image of the house needing renovation. When we lived in Cockle Bay, we saw many little seaside cottages renovated, reclad, or entirely rebuilt. Some, no doubt, became DIY disasters. You really have to know what you are doing in the building trade, and a warranty is no guarantee of proper work.
Isn’t that a picture of our spiritual lives? We try to do it ourselves and often end up with disasters. We resolve to make changes but leave the work incomplete. In the house of our heart, the roof leaks, windows jam, and mouldy walls develop. Even if you think your spiritual house is in good condition, there is always more work to do. Confined spaces need enlarging, and damage needs restoring.
We need the Experts to rescue us. The ultimate team—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is ready to step in the moment we invite them They stand ready to identify faults, rip out what needs to go, and renew what can be restored.
This Pentecost, will you get personal with the Holy Spirit? Will you ask Jesus to walk with you through the rooms of your emotional and spiritual life to identify the rot and rubbish that needs to be discarded? Invite Him in for an appraisal and cooperate with the projects He wants to complete.
Let Pentecost get personal.
O Christ, the Master Carpenter
who on a cross through wood and nails
has wrought our whole salvation;
wield well your tools in the workshop of our souls,
so that we who come to you rough-hewn,
may be by you fashioned according to your will.
Amen