“Pentecost” watercolor by Estella Canziani, 1936
Acts 2 (New Living Translation)
The Holy Spirit Comes
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Music:
“Spirit of the Living God, Fall Afresh on Me” in Celtic style.
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1 On the day of Pentecost
Pentecost was a Jewish feast held 50 days after Passover. It celebrated the firstfruits of harvest (Numbers 28:26), and it also commemorated the giving of the Law through Moses. So the day is rich in meaning for the people of Israel already.
all the believers were meeting together in one place.
The New King James Version has it that they were meeting “with one accord.” Hahaha!
2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
Matthew 3:11 (English Standard Version)
John said, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
quilted banner of flames and a dove, for Pentecost
5 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.
Not many homes of that day could hold 120 people. It is far more likely that this upper room was part of the temple courts, which was a huge structure, with porches and colonnades and rooms. The crowd would come from people milling about the temple courts.—David Guzik
7 They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! 9 Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!”
This “un-does” the separation of languages of the Tower of Babel.
12 They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other.
13 But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, “They’re just drunk, that’s all!”
Let’s talk about speaking . . . in tongues:
There is no way to argue rightly from the book of Acts that God intends for baptism with the Spirit always to be accompanied by speaking in tongues. And Paul teaches plainly in 1 Corinthians 12:10 that God does not give the gift of tongues to everyone. Being baptized with the Holy Spirit may or may not result in glossolalia (tongues-speaking) and therefore, speaking in tongues is not a necessary part of either Luke’s or Paul’s definition of baptism with the Spirit.
I want to stress here though, that I do not reject the validity of the gift of tongues for our own day. It is wrong to insist that they are a necessary part of the baptism of the Spirit; it is not wrong to insist that they are a possible part of that experience today.
—John Piper, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota
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To open to the beauty of spiritual language does not require you to become a wild-eyed fanatic, a rigid proponent of faith, a drone preoccupied with health or wealth, or a giddy dupe running from one televised service to another.
Charismatic isn’t a stereotyped lifestyle managed by a pop theology or a manipulative leader. It’s a biblical, Christ-centered, sensible, hope- filled, happy, trusting application of God’s promises for today. To be truly charismatic is to enter a dimension of Christian living available to people who sin, fail and suffer, yet seek God’s holiness, depend on His grace and believe for His presence and power in the middle of their tough times.
Speaking in tongues–or any other spiritual gift–is not unbiblical or outmoded, not a status symbol or a substitute for spiritual growth. Above all, spiritual language is not divisive. When the beauty of this exercise is scripturally understood and wisely employed, it is a pathway of blessing for the entire body of Christ.
—Jack Hayford, senior pastor of Church on the Way in Van Nuys, California
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“What good does it do to speak in tongues on Sunday if you have been using your tongue during the week to curse and gossip?”
— Leonard Ravenhill, British evangelist
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Peter Preaches to the Crowd
14 Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. 15 These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. 16 No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel:
17 ‘In the last days,’ God says,
‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit
even on my servants—men and women alike—
and they will prophesy.
19 And I will cause wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below—
blood and fire and clouds of smoke.
20 The sun will become dark,
and the moon will turn blood red
before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives.
21 But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.’
“That day” by contemporary New Zealand artist Cornelis Monsma
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Music:
“Holy Spirit, Rain Down,” words and music by Russell Fragar, 1997.
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22 “People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. 23 But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. 24 But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.
The heart of the gospel: Jesus’ death and resurrection!
25 King David said this about him:
‘I see that the Lord is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
26 No wonder my heart is glad,
and my tongue shouts his praises!
My body rests in hope.
27 For you will not leave my soul among the dead
or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.
28 You have shown me the way of life,
and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.’
29 “Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn’t referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us.
the tomb of King David, on Mount Zion, Jerusalem
30 But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne. 31 David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave.
32 “God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. 33 Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. 34 For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
35 until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.”’
36 “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”
37 Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God,
Peter is following in Christ’s way; when Jesus started his ministry, he said the same thing.
Mark 1:14-15 (New Living Translation)
Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News. “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”
and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” 40 Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”
41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.
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Come down, O Love divine,
Seek out this soul of mine
And visit it with Your own ardor glowing;
O Comforter, draw near,
Within my heart appear,
And kindle it, Your holy flame bestowing.
O let it freely burn,
Till earthly passions turn
To dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
And let Your glorious light
Shine ever on my sight,
And clothe me round, the while my path illuming.
And so the yearning strong
With which the soul will long
Shall far outpass the power of human telling;
For none can guess God’s grace,
Till Love creates a place
Wherein the Holy Spirit make a dwelling.
–Bianco da Siena (d. 1434)
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The Believers Form a Community
42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
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from Whispers of His Power,
by Amy Carmichael
Acts 2:46 They did take their food with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God.
Why do people think it is a dull thing to be a Christian? Even our meal times should be happy. The early disciples took their meals with great happiness, and the Lord took notice of these happy meals and even thought it worth recording for us to read.
May “the delightfulness of the Lord our God be upon” us all, at meal times and all times today (Psalm 90:17).
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Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.
Images courtesy of:
Canziani. http://www.leicestergalleries.com/art-and-antiques/detail/12679
banner. http://www.piecefulquilting.co.uk/images/shop_pics/banner_pentecost_250.jpg
woman speaking. http://www.everywomansblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/woman-talking.gif
Monsma. http://www.monsmart.com/thatday.html
tomb of David. http://z.about.com/d/judaism/1/5/W/1/slichot_kingdavidtomb.jpg
tongues of fire. http://www.blog.fathermulcahy.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/tongues-of-fire.jpg
child eating cake and ice cream. http://newvaluestreams.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/child-eating-cake-and-ice-cream.jpg
DWELLING in the Word 
