The Birthday of the Church
Different lives, one Spirit — woven together into one body through the breath of Pentecost.
Devotional Credit: Immeasurably More
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s devotional from Ray Stedman celebrates the remarkable day of Pentecost—the birthday of the Church. The writer draws attention to the deep connection between Old Testament foreshadowing and New Testament fulfillment. Pentecost, meaning "fifty," was a harvest feast in which two loaves were presented to God—loaves made with leaven, representing the presence of sin. These loaves, baked from the first fruits of the wheat harvest, symbolized both Jews and Gentiles being joined together into one new body through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Importantly, this was the only offering in the Old Testament where leaven—symbolic of sin—was included. Why? Because the Church is made up of redeemed people, not perfected ones. This isn’t a gathering of the flawless, but of those in whom the life of Christ is at work, transforming them from the inside out.
The essence of Pentecost wasn’t in the outward manifestations like wind or tongues of fire. These were peripheral. The central miracle was that the Holy Spirit took 120 individuals and made them one body—the Body of Christ. This divine union marked the beginning of the Church: not just a gathering, but a Spirit-formed organism composed of all who believe, regardless of their background.
Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I formed you not as isolated vessels but as one body in Me. I have placed you into Christ by My Spirit, whether Jew or Gentile, slave or free, man or woman—you are all one in Him. The body is not one member but many, yet it functions in unity because it draws its life from the Head, who is Christ.
I do not gather the perfect but the willing. You were not called because of your merit, but because of My mercy. Though sin still clings to your mortal frame, I have placed My life within you—a life that is renewing, shaping, and conforming you day by day into the image of My Son.
You are My dwelling place. I have made you part of something greater than yourself. You belong to a people, not a performance; to a family, not a façade. So walk in love, bearing with one another, showing grace as you have received grace. For it is by one Spirit that you were baptized into one body, and it is that same Spirit who now empowers you to live in harmony, truth, and joy.
(Scripture references: 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:28, 1 Corinthians 12:14, Titus 3:5, Romans 12:5, Ephesians 4:2–4)
Real-Life Analogy
Have you ever watched people at a potluck bring wildly different dishes—some store-bought, some homemade, some overcooked, some under-seasoned—and yet, somehow, when everyone shares the same table, it becomes a feast? No one dish defines the meal, but together, they satisfy and reflect the joy of gathering. That’s how I want you to understand the Church. Each person brings something unique, and yes, some bring imperfections too. But when I unite them through My Spirit, I make it a feast of grace—one body, one table, one Spirit.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You for placing me into something larger than myself—a body formed not by striving, but by Your Spirit. I rest in the reality that I don’t have to be perfect to belong. You’ve joined me to Your people, and You’ve filled this Church with Your life. I rejoice in the simplicity and strength of Your Spirit’s work—making us one, knitting together our hearts, and empowering us to live as Your witnesses. Today, I walk confidently in this identity—not alone, but as part of the glorious Body of Christ.