ⓒ 2016 WATV

The Resurrection and the Ascension of Jesus Christ are highly significant in church history. The early Church saints, who were grief-stricken by the Passion of the Savior on the cross, could strengthen their faith and were spurred into preaching the gospel when they witnessed the great power of Jesus through His Resurrection and Ascension.

The service for the Ascension Day, which is the day to commemorate Christ’s going up to heaven on the 40th day after the Resurrection, was held on May 5 in all the Churches of God worldwide. After ten days, the Sacred Assembly of the Day of Pentecost was held on the 15th.

ⓒ 2016 WATV

The Ascension Day: The prayers of faith are the outset of presence of the Holy Spirit

Mother blessed all the members throughout the world who participated in the Ascension Day service through prayer. Mother gave thanks to Father who implanted hope for the glorious ascension in the hearts of His children by showing the example of going up to heaven after finishing the gospel ministry Himself, and asked that all the children would quickly accomplish the gospel mission with firm faith and receive a rich welcome into the kingdom of heaven.

Retracing the Ascension Day’s origin and meaning, General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol emphasized the importance of prayer: “The early Church saints received the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and led a great num-ber of people to repentance. The beginning point that enabled such things to happen was the prayers offered up with one accord.” And he hoped the Holy Spirit of the latter rain would pour down upon all the members, saying, “As it is written, ‘If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer (Mt 21:22),’ let’s ask for the power of the Holy Spirit earnestly, believing that God will surely answer the prayers offered up with faith” (Ac 1:6–11; 1 Th 4:13–17; 1 Co 15:50–58).

Starting from the evening of the Ascension Day, the Prayer Week of the Day of Pentecost continued for ten days. The members of around 2,500 Churches of God in the world prayed in the early mornings and evenings that the history of the early Church would be reenacted with the grace of the Holy Spirit and quickened their steps to preach the gospel.

ⓒ 2016 WATV

The Sacred Assembly of the Day of Pentecost: Be the witnesses of God Elohim with the power of the Holy Spirit

In the midst of prayers of the members, asking for the descent of the Holy Spirit, the morning of the Day of Pentecost (the fiftieth day since the Resurrection Day) dawned on May 15.

In the early Church times, the saints who received the Holy Spirit on the Pentecost followed Jesus’ request, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Ac 1:8), and achieved a great work of leading three thousand or five thousand to repentance in a day. They preached the gospel even in the land of Gentiles, beyond Judea.

Praying that the Holy Spirit more powerful than that of the early Church times would pour down on every Zion in the world, Mother asked all Her children would be faithful enough to receive the Holy Spirit and would preach the gospel to seven billion people boldly, depending on the Holy Spirit.

General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol also prayed that all the members would receive blessings of the Holy Spirit abundantly and emphasized that the condition for receiving the Holy Spirit is to press on to know God (Hos 6:3). He explained the principle of the Holy Spirit’s coming from God the Father and Mother based on the records of the Bible—the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, and the creation process of Adam and Eve. “Just as the early Church saints became the witnesses of Jesus after receiving the Holy Spirit abundantly on the Pentecost, let us become the witnesses of God Elohim and preach to seven billion people in the world as the ones who have received the Holy Spirit in this age,” he said with emphasis (Rev 21:22; Heb 8:5; Mt 27:50–52; Ge 2:21–23; Gal: 4:26; Ac 2:1–21; 38–47).

After the afternoon service, Mother enlightened the members who had kept the feast holy for ten days about the eternally glorious kingdom of heaven and encouraged them with the words, “When you preach the gospel, trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit, you’ll be blessed with greater works than those of the early Church times and have the joy of heaven.”

Receiving the Holy Spirit and Mother’s encouragement, the members expressed their determination: “We’ll continue to pray so that we won’t put out the Spirit’s fire given by God, and we’ll strive to preach to seven billion people with more mature faith!”