It is an understood fact Pentecost—or, as some identify it, Whitsunday—is a Christian observance. Yes, many people that claim Christ as their Savior will take time to acknowledge and in some cases observe Pentecost as the memorial commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit. This is the fulfilled Christian Holy Day described in Acts 2 as the day the Church was empowered with the “Comforter” Jesus spoke about in John 14 and 16. Essentially, it is the Birthday of the Church as a “spiritual organism”!

The ancient Israelites called it the Feast of First Fruits, or the Feast of Weeks. It was known by them to be associated with the spring barley harvest—the first fruits of the new year. Interestingly, we find Pentecost’s origins actually “shadowed” in the narrative described in Leviticus 23.

With the recent death of Pope Francis, the Catholic Church is now involved in a conclave that must occur within 15 to 20 days after the death of a pope. The word "conclave" is Latin and means "a room that can be locked up." The Catholic cardinals will gather in Vatican City and then enter the Sistine Chapel to begin a voting process that begins with one vote on the first day and then two votes in the morning and two in the afternoon until a new pope is chosen by a two-thirds majority.

If a pope is not chosen after three days of voting, the cardinals stop the voting for up to one day so they can pray, discuss, and be exhorted by a key cardinal. Only cardinals who are under the age of 80 can vote for the new pope. One hundred and thirty-five of the Church's 252 cardinals are eligible to vote.

You have probably heard this before, but at the risk of being redundant let me ask: Is there enough evidence to convict you to be a Christian? Could a court of law prosecute you as being a follower of Jesus Christ? Do you live like Christ? Lead like Christ? Do you respond and/or act or react like Jesus Christ would, when confronted with certain circumstances?

These are hard questions to answer if we are going to be brutally honest with our self-analysis. And the reason these are hard questions is because all of us have sinned and still do from time to time. Notice: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8). John continues, "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us" (v. 10). However, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (v. 9).

During the Days of Unleavened Bread, we often talk about examining ourselves and our relationship with God. This year I heard a sermon by Rob Gordon of the West Coast Church of God on the First Day of Unleavened Bread that discussed Israel's motivation to follow God. Have you thought much about your motivation to follow God?

One of the primary points for Israel to follow God was they were released from bondage. Not having the Egyptian slave masters over them any longer surely was a reason to follow the God who had freed them. Christ, our Passover, has also released us from the burden of our sins (1 Peter 2:24). This should also motivate us to follow the way of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.