“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enables them….”
Acts 2:1-4
“…Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another , ‘What does this mean?’ “ Acts 2:12
A mother in labor groans with anguish, impatient for the ordeal to be over, and then, suddenly, a baby is born. And in that moment of birth, all the pains of labor shrink to insignificance by comparison.
And so it was, “suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind from heaven,” that the Church was born. Empowered by the Holy Spirit to do the works of Christ, but now in multiplied fashion! As G. Campbell Morgan succinctly puts it, “It is the story of all He began to do after He was received up. He has never ceased the doing until now. The work is going forward. He is still doing. He is still teaching. The risen ascended Lord is the living center of His Church.”
In all their imaginings, none of the disciples could have anticipated the Holy Spirit baptism in so dramatic a fashion! Right on schedule during the feast of Pentecost, when the Jews from Galilee, Egypt, Libya, Rome and all surrounding areas came to Jerusalem to celebrate the harvest.
But God was more interested in the harvest of humanity!
The prophet Joel had the vision some 800 years ago :
“The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
the vats will overflow with new wine and oil…
“And afterwards, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days and they will prophecy,”
Joel 2:24, 28-29
The disciples thought; It’s happening right now just as the prophets and the Lord had said it would! But what does this mean?
The words of Jesus echoed in their hearing:
“Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When He comes, He will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin, and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in Me; about righteousness because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgement, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” John 16: 7-11
Suddenly , the redemptive plan of God had entered a new and final phase. The Holy Spirit will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin, because the people don’t believe that is there only one way for redemption . Jesus said : “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14: 6)
Having completed forever the Father’s redemptive plan, Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father where He will judge the world. “For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
(Acts 17:31)
The enemy of our souls, the Adversary, thought he was rid of Christ at the cross. Little did he realize he would have to deal with multiplied thousands world-wide of reflections of the Christ.
“These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.” ( Acts 17:6)
Suddenly…!
Questions to Think About:
1 How does the promise of the Holy Spirit sustain you during those “labor pains” when you are waiting for God?
2 What “upside down” qualities do people see in you?
Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enables them….”
Acts 2:1-4
“…Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another , ‘What does this mean?’ “ Acts 2:12
A mother in labor groans with anguish, impatient for the ordeal to be over, and then, suddenly, a baby is born. And in that moment of birth, all the pains of labor shrink to insignificance by comparison.
And so it was, “suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind from heaven,” that the Church was born. Empowered by the Holy Spirit to do the works of Christ, but now in multiplied fashion! As G. Campbell Morgan succinctly puts it, “It is the story of all He began to do after He was received up. He has never ceased the doing until now. The work is going forward. He is still doing. He is still teaching. The risen ascended Lord is the living center of His Church.”
In all their imaginings, none of the disciples could have anticipated the Holy Spirit baptism in so dramatic a fashion! Right on schedule during the feast of Pentecost, when the Jews from Galilee, Egypt, Libya, Rome and all surrounding areas came to Jerusalem to celebrate the harvest.
But God was more interested in the harvest of humanity!
The prophet Joel had the vision some 800 years ago :
“The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
the vats will overflow with new wine and oil…
“And afterwards, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days and they will prophecy,”
Joel 2:24, 28-29
The disciples thought; It’s happening right now just as the prophets and the Lord had said it would! But what does this mean?
The words of Jesus echoed in their hearing:
“Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When He comes, He will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin, and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in Me; about righteousness because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgement, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” John 16: 7-11
Suddenly , the redemptive plan of God had entered a new and final phase. The Holy Spirit will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin, because the people don’t believe that is there only one way for redemption . Jesus said : “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14: 6)
Having completed forever the Father’s redemptive plan, Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father where He will judge the world. “For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
(Acts 17:31)
The enemy of our souls, the Adversary, thought he was rid of Christ at the cross. Little did he realize he would have to deal with multiplied thousands world-wide of reflections of the Christ.
“These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.” ( Acts 17:6)
Suddenly…!
Questions to Think About:
1 How does the promise of the Holy Spirit sustain you during those “labor pains” when you are waiting for God?
2 What “upside down” qualities do people see in you?
Posted in Suddenly