26/05/2026
PENTECOST SUNDAY — YEAR A
Homily by: FR Ronald Ter Awuhe
Theme: "The Fire Fell!”
Something happened.
Something happened that morning that changed the course of human history forever.
Something happened.
Wind came. Fire fell. Men spoke. And the world shook.
And nothing — nothing — has ever been the same since.
I need you to understand with me what was in that room before the fire fell that day
There was Fear in that room.
There was Confusion in that room.
Locked doors were in that room.
Broken men were in that room.
Men who had run, men who had denied, men who had doubted, men who had hidden.
That is who was in the room that day.
And God said perfect. I’ll work with that.
Because God has never needed impressive material. God has never needed polished vessels. God has never needed people who had it all together.
God just needs people who are present.
God just needs people who are waiting.
God just needs people who are open.
And into that room, into that fear, into that confusion, into that brokenness the Holy Spirit came like a violent rushing wind and sat on every single head like fire.
That is not a tame God!
Father do it again. Do it again right here. Do it again right now. We are not gathered to remember a fire that fell two thousand years ago. We are gathered because You are the same God yesterday, today, forever and the fire that fell then is available NOW. Holy Spirit fall in this place. Fall on every head. Fall on every heart. We receive You. We welcome You. Come, Lord. Come. In Jesus’ mighty name. Amen!
Now I want to preach to somebody today.
Somebody came in here this morning with locked doors.
You locked the door on your faith because it hurt too many times.
You locked the door on your calling because too many people told you that you were not enough.
You locked the door on your prayer life because you prayed and prayed and the silence felt like rejection.
You locked the door on your hope because hope deferred made your heart sick and you decided it was safer not to hope at all.
You came in here this morning present in body, locked in spirit.
I have a word for you today.
The Holy Spirit does not need your permission to come through a locked door.
He walked through locked doors then.
He will walk through locked doors NOW.
Look at what the fire did.
Look at what the fire did!
Peter who denied Jesus three times by a fire of charcoal stood up by a fire of the Holy Spirit and preached with a voice that shook Jerusalem.
The same mouth that said I do not know the man opened and said Jesus of Nazareth, crucified, risen, Lord and Christ!
Three thousand souls in one morning!
Do you understand what happened?
The fire did not change Peter’s past. The fire changed Peter’s present. The fire took everything that was broken and made it a weapon in the hands of God.
That is what fire does!
Paul writes to Corinth and he says something that I need every person in this room to hear.
To each one — to each one — the manifestation of the Spirit is given.
Not to the priest only.
Not to the bishop only.
not to the one who has been in church longest, not to the one with the loudest voice or the most impressive testimony
To each one.
That means you.
Yes — you.
The quiet one in the back who thinks nobody notices you — you.
The one who has been sitting in this church for years wondering if God ever actually speaks to ordinary people — you.
The young person who feels like they have nothing to offer yet — you.
The Spirit of the living God has been given to you — not to decorate your life but to deploy you.
You are not a spectator in the Kingdom of God.
You are a carrier of fire.
Holy Spirit I pray right now for every person under the sound of this voice. Touch the one who is dry. Touch the one who is tired. Touch the one who came in defeated and almost did not come at all. Let the fire fall on them NOW. Let the gift that has been lying dormant rise up in them today. Lord Jesus baptise them afresh. Baptise them with the Holy Spirit and with FIRE. Do it now, Lord. Do it now. Amen!
Now I want to declare over this congregation.
Hear me.
The Spirit of God is in this place today and He did not come empty-handed.
He came with healing for the sick body that has suffered long enough.
He came with restoration for the marriage the enemy said was finished.
He came with resurrection for the dream you buried because you ran out of strength to keep believing.
He came with fire for the cold heart that has forgotten what it felt like to burn.
He came with a tongue of flame for the silent voice that has been afraid to speak.
I declare over you today, the locked room is opening.
I declare over you today, the dry bones are coming alive.
I declare over you today, the gift is being activated, the calling is being confirmed, the fire is falling right now in this place.
Receive it.
Receive it!
Open your hands. Open your heart. Stop managing your encounter with God and just receive.
They came out of that room different.
Not because they rehearsed.
Not because they strategized.
Not because they finally felt confident enough.
They came out different because fire had touched them and you cannot be touched by fire and stay the same.
You are going to walk out of this place today different.
Not because of anything I have said.
Because the same Spirit who fell in Jerusalem is falling right here.
And He is falling on you.
Go out of here burning.
Go out of here dangerous.
Go out of here with the name of Jesus on your lips and the fire of God in your bones
And set your world ablaze.
The fire fell then.
The fire is falling NOW.
