In our previous meditation, we learned about the importance of “Pentecost flame”. When the Holy Spirit is at work in us as it was with the apostles, our doubts and fears will be uprooted. Flowing in the miraculous will be the order of the day. Our present focus is to examine the way to that kind of experience. To begin with, we should appreciate that what happened on the day of Pentecost was not meant to be the exclusive preserve of the apostles and their time. Regarding this, F. B. Meyer said, “Pentecost was meant to be the specimen and type of all the days of the years of this present age, and we have fallen far below this blessed level, not because of any failure on God’s part, but because the Church has neglected its privilege.”
Our text shows Paul’s itinerary as he communicated it to the Corinthians. He purposed to “tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost”. Beyond the fact of his itinerary, there is another sense which the verse conveys. It shows the way to Pentecost or “Pentecost flame” as we noted earlier. The secret to enjoying the fullness of the Holy Spirit is tarrying. Before Jesus ascended, He gave the task of world evangelization to the disciples. He also warned them to not venture into the mission field until they were filled with the Holy Spirit. “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”” (Luke 24:49 NKJV). From the very beginning, the road which God earmarked for experiencing the overwhelming presence of the Holy Spirit is to tarry. Another word for that is to wait. For ten full days after the ascension, the disciples obeyed the command to wait. This they did through searching of scriptures and incessant prayers. This is still the way to wait today. Those who follow this time-tested injunction will not lack the manifest operations of the Spirit.