Pentecost Part 4

Once the Holy Spirit came, Peter was filled and spoke a powerful message. He starts by refuting the accusations the disciples were drunk at nine o’clock in the morning and continues by quoting from the prophet Joel, where God declared that he would pour out his Spirit on his people.

Peter then speaks about Jesus. He states that Jesus had performed miracles and used His power for many purposes. He tells them that they handed Jesus over to be crucified. But death wasn’t the end. Jesus was raised on the third day, conquering death, which could not hold Him.

Peter continues by talking about King David’s prophecy in Psalm 16 and his confidence in God. Yet, David had died they knew where his tomb was. But David spoke of the resurrection of God’s Holy One. Peter connects the dots for them, stating that Jesus is God’s Holy One and was raised from the dead.

He then tells the crowd that Jesus was exalted and sits at the right hand of God the Father. He states that it is because of Jesus that the Holy Spirit has been poured out, which is why the crowd heard the disciples speaking in languages they had not been taught. Finally, Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah the Jews had been anticipating for hundreds of years.

Peter’s message cut to the heart of the crowd and they asked what they were to do. Peter tells them to repent and be baptized in Jesus’ name and they, too, would receive the Holy Spirit. He states this promise was not just for the crowd on that day but for everyone. On that day, nearly two-thousand years ago, about three thousand committed their life to Jesus.

I pray we all understand the importance of Pentecost. I pray we hear and learn from Peter’s message. I pray we take his message to everyone we know and convince them to commit their lives to Jesus. Know the importance of Pentecost. Read Peter’s message. Tell others about Jesus. Help them commit to Jesus.

Acts 2:37-39 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.”

Pentecost Part 3

The Holy Spirit has come with a loud sound and visible indication of believers. He has filled the disciples gathered and given them the ability to speak in different languages. There are at least fifteen different territories or countries represented by the crowd that gathers around them.

Many of these people were pilgrims who came to Jerusalem for the Festival of Weeks or Pentecost. They were celebrating both the giving of the law to Moses and thanking God for the grain harvest. Some of them may have traveled to Jerusalem for Passover seven weeks earlier.

The visitors heard the sound and wondered what it might be. They came to where the disciples were and heard them speaking in their own language. They identify the disciples as being Galileans, which was not a compliment. Galilee was a somewhat isolated place. There was no major trade route running through it. We might consider them rural, country folk today. At that time, it also meant they were not highly educated.

The crowd is amazed. They were hearing the Galileans speak in their own language, meaning they understood the proclamation being made by them. There were at least fifteen different languages being spoken to proclaim the good news of the Messiah. They were praising God and witnessing to his mighty acts. Most of the crowd was amazed and wondering what it meant. However, there were some who accused the disciples of being drunk. This is an example of those who are seeking God versus those who deny God.

Tomorrow, we will review the first part of Peter’s sermon and his quote of the prophet Joel.

Acts 2:5-7 Now there were devout Jews from every people under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?”

Pentecost Part 2

As we continue our review of Pentecost, today we discuss what occurred when the Holy Spirit arrived. First, there was a loud sound. Luke describes it as the sound of a violent wind. Think of it as the roaring sound of a hurricane or tornado. However, he does not say there was actual wind.

Second, there was a light that rested above each person. Luke says it looked like a tongue of fire. He does not say it was actual fire. He then states the Holy Spirit filled them and they spoke in languages they did not know. A very special gift from the Holy Spirit to communicate with the Jewish pilgrims in Jerusalem.

As you read those first two paragraphs, were you surprised? Did anything stand out to you? Perhaps you have been told or seen in movies that there really was a violent wind. Maybe you have told there was fire above their heads. This is just one example of why it is important that we read Scripture for ourselves and we read it carefully.

They all heard the loud sound. They saw the flickering light above each head. This may have meant as many as one-hundred-twenty of them seeing the lights above each other’s heads. The Holy Spirit of God announced his arrival in a “booming voice” and indicated those who believed visibly. He then fills them with himself.

The Holy Spirit then uses each of them by giving them the ability to speak a previously unknown language to them. This is called xenolalia, which means speaking an unlearned language. There are fifteen locations from which the crowd represented in verses 9 – 11. The Galileans would not have grown up knowing any of these languages nor would they have learned them for their trades. The Holy Spirit gave them this ability for this specific day and purpose.

Tomorrow, we will see how the crowd reacted to the disciples.

Acts 2:2-4 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Pentecost Part 1

What is Pentecost? Today we will discuss the timing and meaning of Pentecost. Over the next few days, we will discuss what occurred on Pentecost that fulfilled a promise Jesus made to His apostles. First, the definition of Pentecost is the fiftieth part, which becomes fifty days.

Pentecost occurs fifty days after Passover. It is also called the “Feast of Weeks.” It occurred seven weeks after Pentecost to thank God for the grain harvest. The Jews would travel to Jerusalem for the festival, just as they traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.

At some point, the festival also became connected to the giving of the law to Moses at Mount Sinai. Knowing the reason for the festival helps us better understand the timing of God’s plan to give the Holy Spirit to Jesus’ disciples. For God does nothing by accident. He has meticulously planned and put his plan in motion. His plan continues to be executed with precision.

Who were gathered together on that Pentecost day about two-thousand years ago? We cannot rely on movies to be our guide. We must rely on Scripture. In Acts 1:15, Luke tells there were about one-hundred-twenty gathered at one point during the days between Jesus’ ascension and Pentecost at the time they selected Matthias to replace Judas, who had betrayed Jesus. Therefore, it is possible, and perhaps probable, there were as many as one-hundred-twenty present on Pentecost. Minimally, it would have been the twelve apostles and several women who ministered to Jesus.

Based on historical information, which includes the dating of Roman rulers in Israel, it is most likely that Jesus was crucified in AD 30. Assuming that year is accurate, Pentecost would have fallen on May 27 of that year, according to our modern calendars. Luke intentionally states it was the day of Pentecost, meaning it was the morning of that day when the group was gathered. This also tells us the visitors to the city for the festival were awake and moving about.

Tomorrow, we will continue by reviewing what happened when the Holy Spirit appeared.

Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

God’s Amazing Creation

What amazes you? Is there anything you marvel at? Have you seen beautiful sunsets? Have you walked among wondrous landscapes? Have you seen an incredible animal? How much do you appreciate any or all these amazing things? Have you given credit to and thanked God?

There are more places and animals to amaze us than we can begin to comprehend. Don’t believe me? Watch the Discovery Channel shows about our planet. They capture rarely seen footage of animals all around the world. They also show us amazing places.

God has created birds that are more brilliantly colorful than a rainbow. He has gifted Ibex’s with the ability to climb sheer rock cliffs better than a rock climber with all the appropriate gear. God created the painted desert, the Grand Canyon, majestic mountains such as Everest, corral reefs full of life, and caves full of stalagmites and stalactites. Not one of these was created by humans and yet are more stunning to see than any human built object.

When we open our eyes to see the amazing creation God has created, we cannot help but be amazed. In addition to being amazed, we should praise God for his creation and thank him for it. We are the beneficiaries of his creation, not only because he created us, but we can see and experience his creation. Being in awe of God’s creation should be our natural state of mind.

I pray we all take time to see God’s amazing and wonderful creation. I pray we praise God for it. I pray each one of us will thank God for creating us, the animals, and the amazing places on this earth. See God’s amazing creation. Praise God for all he created. Thank God for creating you.

Psalm 104:24

O Lord, how manifold are your works! 

In wisdom you have made them all; 

the earth is full of your creatures.

Rejoice In God’s Gifts

Are you jealous of what others have or their talents? Do you rejoice with someone who can do something you cannot? Do you ask God to give other’s gifts so they may better serve him and his plan? Do your praise God for blessing others? Do you think it is important?

Jealousy often rules our hearts. We desire something someone else has. It may be material possessions. It may be a specific talent. It may even be a gift from God. Rather than rejoicing for them, we sit off to the side and pout or are envious of them.

Moses was not envious. Quite the opposite. When he was told there were a couple of men in the Israelite camp who were prophesying and further told he should stop them, Moses rejected the suggestion. Instead, he was thankful they were prophesying and stated he wished that all of God’s people would prophecy. He wanted God to give every one of his children the Holy Spirit so they could prophecy.

God has answered Moses’ prayer. He has given his Holy Spirit to every one of his children. That means each of us should be prophesying. As stated yesterday, prophesying does not mean we are to foretell the future. It means we should be proclaiming God’s Word. We are to tell others the good news of Jesus Christ. We are to tell people that God loves them. We are to tell them about God’s grace, mercy, and offer of forgiveness. Does God have expectations? Sure. He wants us to obey his commandments. Most of all, he wants us to tell others about him.

I pray we all give up jealousy. I pray we all rejoice with others who have a gift from God. I pray each one of us will proclaim the Word of God, telling others about the good news of Jesus Christ. Give up your jealousy. Rejoice with others. Proclaim God’s Word. Tell others about Jesus.

Number 11:27-29 And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, “My lord Moses, stop them!” But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!”

Power of the Holy Spirit

Have you ever spent time thinking about the Holy Spirit? Have you thought about what it would be like to prophecy? Would you be willing to share some of the Spirit? What if you didn’t share it, you wouldn’t be able to keep it? Would you strive to share only the minimum to keep as much as you could?

We don’t often think about the Holy Spirit. Many may even be unsure whether the Holy Spirit is in them. If we knew how important he was to us, we probably wouldn’t want to share any of him. In our culture of everything being about me, we would want to hold all of him to ourselves. 

But that wasn’t the attitude of Moses. Moses had been given a strong portion of the Spirit. Yet, when God shared his Spirit with seventy others, Moses was not the least bit upset. Quite the contrary. I’m sure Moses was singing praises to God for sharing his Spirit with the others. We are told they all prophesied. Though we don’t know what they prophesied, we can be sure it was exactly what God wanted them to prophecy.

We often think of prophecy as telling the future. Though it can be that that is not what the word means. Prophecy is speaking the Word of God. Sometimes, the message is foretelling the future. Most of the time, it is simply proclaiming what God has already said. It may mean that we are proclaiming it to someone who hasn’t heard it before. It is also what a preacher should be doing on Sunday morning. Each one of us can prophecy.

I pray we all learn more about the Holy Spirit. I pray we understand the importance of having the Holy Spirit. I pray each one of us proclaim the Word of God with the power of the Holy Spirit. Know the Holy Spirit. Know the importance of the Holy Spirit. Proclaim God’s Word with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Number 11:24-25 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord, and he gathered seventy of the elders of the people and placed them all around the tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders, and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again.

Know Jesus and Proclaim Him

How well do you know the story of Jesus? What do you know beyond the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection? Do you know the purpose for it? Do you know what you are to do with that knowledge? Are you actively applying in your daily life? Are you doing what He wants you to do?

Every Christian should be able to quickly state that Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose on the third day. They also should be able to tell the story of the virgin birth. Many can tell of miracles Jesus performed while He walked this earth. But far too many do not know what to do with that knowledge.

Those who do know what they are supposed to do with that knowledge don’t always do it. They fail to do what Jesus expects them to do out of fear. Fear of being ostracized. Fear of failing to have all the answers. Fear of being made fun of. Fear of becoming an outsider. But we must remember that Jesus was countercultural. And just as He was, we are to be countercultural as well.

We may remember the great commission from Matthew 28:16-20, in which Jesus tells the disciples, and us, to go make disciples. He states the same thing in today’s passage, even if a little differently. We are to proclaim repentance and forgiveness to all nations. That may sound like a daunting task, but not all of us are called to go to a different country. That doesn’t mean we should not proclaim it to our neighbor, co-worker, friends, or even our family. He wants us proclaiming His good news to every person we encounter.

I pray we all know who Jesus is and what He did. I pray we understand the ramifications of what He did. I pray each one of us will proclaim repentance and forgiveness to the people we know and meet. Know who Jesus is. Know what Jesus did. Proclaim repentance. Proclaim forgiveness. Proclaim the good news.

Luke 24:45-57: Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

Jesus Prayed for You

Have you read Jesus’ prayer for you? Did you know He prayed for you? John 17 is that prayer. He prays over the disciples who were with Him and for every one of us who would become His followers later. His prayer is both intimate and profound as He speaks to the Father.

Jesus is praying specifically for those who decide to follow Him. He knows not everyone in the world will choose to do so. He knows the evil in the world will make every attempt to trip us up. He knows we need the protection that only the Father can provide. He prays for it all.

Jesus gives full credit to the Father. He states that all of us belong to the Father and to Him because the Father has given us into Jesus’ care. Notice that Jesus says He is glorified in us. His glory comes in our being good representatives of Him. The more we follow His example and represent Him well, the more glory He receives.

Jesus asks the Father to protect us in His name. We are being protected in Jesus’ name. We are covered with God’s grace and mercy in Jesus’ name. And why does Jesus ask for that protection? So that we will be one, just as He and the Father are one. That means we are to be of one mind, working as one body. Rather than bickering over minuscule differences, we are to unite in the significant agreements, such as believing that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on a cross for us, and that He rose on the third day. By uniting as one, we bring glory to Him.

I pray we all know that Jesus prayed for us. I pray we know that Jesus is glorified in us. I pray each one of us will choose to unite as one, just as Jesus and the Father are one. Jesus prayed for you. Jesus is glorified in you. Choose to unite as one in Jesus’ name. The Father is protecting you in Jesus’ name.

John 17:9-11 “I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.”

Humble and Exalted

Do you take pride in your accomplishments? Is pride something you struggle with? Do you struggle with anxiety? Is worry a constant companion? Do you muddle through each day? Are you observant? Do you notice what is happening around you? Do you see the big picture?

Pride can trip us up quickly. We can become prideful in our humility, thinking highly of ourselves for humbling ourselves before God. We don’t think about it. We come humbly to God in prayer…then we begin to think of ourselves better than others because we humble ourselves.

We can also be held captive by worry and anxiety. We can be consumed by them, becoming immobile or disengaged. Our anxiety can cause us to distance ourselves from family and friends. Or it can cause us to be incapable of thinking for ourselves, resulting in us leaning on others far more than we normally would.

How do we combat pride and anxiety? We must be alert. We are to take a step back, evaluate our behavior and actions. We must recognize we have become captive to them, then discipline ourselves against them. To discipline ourselves we must humble ourselves before God, asking him to remove them from us. It requires us to submit to him with a humble heart.

Why is it important? The devil prowls around looking for opportunities to use them to devour us. He uses them to draw us away from God. He does not do it all at once but pulls us away slowly, one step at a time. Only by periodically evaluating our behavior and actions can we recognize what is happening and return to God on our knees and ask him to pull us back into his arms. Only God can protect us from Satan’s ploys, tricks, and conniving.

I pray we all take time to evaluate our behavior and actions. I pray we remain alert to Satan’s schemes. I pray each one of us will humble ourselves before God, asking for his protection. Evaluate your behavior. Evaluate your actions. Be alert. See Satan’s schemes. Humble yourself before God. Ask God to protect you.

1 Peter 5:6-8 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves; keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour.