Out With The Old—and The New!

Out with the Old—and the New!

What looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.

Acts 2:3

Gauntlet Brotter was the elderly minister of a spirit-filled church in South Africa. It was time for him to retire, so for two years he had been training a young man named Timba Sambuli to replace him. Gauntlet decided it would be appropriate to make the transition at the New Year’s Eve prayer service, using the familiar theme “Out with the Old, In with the New.” He invited the congregation to meet under the large tent used for summertime events.

Timba had two American friends named Bob and Tony. In his joy at becoming the new minister, Timba told them about the installation service, and they decided to add some fun to the ceremony.

On New Year’s Eve the guys found a spot on a hill about thirty feet from the tent, where they hid to watch. The service went well, until old Gauntlet began calling on God to bless Timba. He called out over and over, “Lawd, come down upon us with the Holy Spirit and fire!” The congregation chanted with him, and the energy of the meeting increased. Singing and chanting soon became dancing and shouting, as they repeated loudly, “Lawd, come down upon us with the Holy Spirit and fire!”

At the height of the chanting, Bob and Tony set off two Roman candles, pointing them at the tent. The balls of fire zoomed through the tent, exploding in the midst of the church service. One fiery ball exploded where Gauntlet and Timba were dancing. In a flash they both dived from the podium out opposite sides of the tent, hollering, “O Lawd! Thank you, Lawd! We see your fire!”

That’s when the New Year’s theme changed to “Out with the Old . . . and the New!”

Thank you, Lord, for your Spirit, who guides us and interprets our prayers. May your Spirit empower us to touch the world around us in the coming year. Amen.