Church in the Mind of God - A Pentecostal People

What if we’re missing something obvious—something vital—even in our churches and personal walk with God?

This striking question, drawn from a teaching by Rev. Dominic De Souza at the Maximise Life 2025 Convention, challenges us to look beyond the familiar and into the very heart of what it means to be the Church in the mind of God. Not a denomination, not a label, but a culture—a Pentecostal people empowered by God’s Spirit to live with boldness, purpose, and supernatural impact.

Rev. De Souza paints a compelling picture through the story of a customs officer so fixated on what might be inside a truck that he misses the fact that the trucks themselves were being smuggled. In the same way, could we be missing the "lorry"—the obvious truth that the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit isn’t just optional, but essential?

The early church gives us the model. Even after three years with Jesus, His disciples were told to wait—not for more knowledge or strategy, but for power. That power came at Pentecost, in the form of the Holy Spirit. And it transformed everything. Ordinary believers became bold witnesses, filled with God’s presence and ignited with divine purpose.

Here’s the crucial distinction: salvation brings the Holy Spirit within us, but the baptism in the Holy Spirit brings His power upon us. Rev. De Souza argues that many sincere believers have been saved but have not stepped into this second, empowering experience. Without it, we may love Jesus, but we often struggle—lacking boldness, joy, and spiritual fruit.
The book of Acts makes this clear. In Acts 8, believers in Samaria had accepted the gospel and been baptised in water, yet had not received the Holy Spirit until Peter and John laid hands on them. Similarly, in Acts 19, Paul encounters disciples in Ephesus and asks, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” This question reveals a key truth: salvation and empowerment are distinct experiences—and both are necessary.

What happens when we embrace the baptism in the Holy Spirit? We become vessels of God’s presence. The Acts 2 account—wind, fire, tongues—shows us a pattern: unity, divine timing, supernatural wind (life), fire (commissioning), and enablement for mission. The Spirit didn't fall on just the leaders, but on each of them. And He still wants to rest on each of us today.

This isn't about emotion or performance. It's about being transformed from the inside out and filled to overflow—not just for our sake, but so others encounter God through us. As Rev. De Souza says, “To be filled, we must first be emptied”—of pride, sin, and self-reliance—then cry out, “Holy Spirit, fill me. Ignite me.”

A Pentecostal people are not passive. They are powerful, purposeful, and Spirit-filled. And the invitation still stands: to stop settling, and become the empowered people we were always meant to be.

Devotional: Church in the Mind of God - A Pentecostal People

What if something vital is missing in our Christian lives—something right in front of us, yet easily overlooked? Rev. Dominic De Souza invites us to rethink the Church, not as a building or denomination, but as a Spirit-empowered people, shaped by God’s presence, power, and mission.
Even after walking with Jesus for three years, the disciples were told to wait. Why? Because they still lacked what they needed for the mission ahead: the baptism in the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit came at Pentecost, their fear turned into boldness, their weakness into strength. The same Spirit is available to us today—not just to comfort us, but to empower us.
There’s a clear difference between salvation and empowerment. Salvation brings the Spirit to live within us; baptism in the Spirit brings His power upon us. One is for relationship, the other for mission. Many believers live forgiven but not empowered.
God is calling us to more—to live lives that overflow with His presence and bring transformation wherever we go. To receive this, we must first be emptied of pride, sin, and self-reliance.

Prayer:
Lord, empty me of all that hinders. Fill me with Your Spirit. Empower me to carry Your fire and fulfill Your purpose. Amen.