Today is Pentecost Sunday!

The church began on the Day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:1-4, 47). In obedience to Jesus, one hundred and twenty of His followers were gathered in the upper room awaiting the promise of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 1:4-5, 15). 

When the Day of Pentecost was fully come, Jesus poured out His Spirit and they all began to speak in other tongues as His Spirit gave them the utterance. (Acts 2:1-4).

Filled with the Holy Ghost and with the keys of the kingdom of heaven given to him by Jesus, Peter preached the first gospel message. (Acts 2:4, Matthew 16:19, Acts 2:14-40). 

At the conclusion, he declared what we must do to be saved – “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:38).

"For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 

“And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward [wicked] generation. 

“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls [3,000 were added to the 120 in the upper room that were already baptized]." - Acts 2:39-41 KJV

"And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers ... And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." - Acts 2:42, 47 KJV

*This chart is from the Bible Study, "Exploring God's Word."

Pentecost - Part 5

 Pentecost - Part 5

On Sunday May 28th we celebrate Pentecost Sunday. Pentecost means "Fiftieth" and is 7 Sundays after Easter. The holiday of Pentecost is also called The Feast of Weeks and Shavuot.

On the Jewish calendar, Shavuot is celebrated this year from sunset May 25th to nightfall May 27th. It is a two-day holiday that commemorates the date over 3,000 years ago when God gave the Torah (the Law) to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai.

"Shavuot" means "weeks," occuring seven weeks after Passover. Shavuot is also the celebration of the wheat harvest and the ripening of the first fruits. It is called, "Day of the First Fruits" and also the "Harvest Festival."

Jesus, in His perfect timing, chose this day to pour out His Spirit upon His followers, beginning His new covenant with His church.

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:1-4 

On Pentecost, Jesus wrote His law on believer's hearts, fulfilling the prophecy of Jeremiah of the new covenant.

"But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." - Jeremiah 31:33 

These believers would be the first fruits of the harvest.

Pentecost: An Acceptable Sacrifice Consumed By the Fire and Filled With the Spirit - Part 4

 

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:1-4 KJV

When Solomon dedicated the first temple in Jerusalem with sacrifices, God accepted the sacrifices by consuming them with fire from heaven. They were acceptable sacrifices. And the glory of the LORD filled the Temple.

"Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house." - 2 Chronicles 7:1 KJV 

The hundred and twenty that were gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost were disciples of Jesus. Because of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, and their repentance and baptism in Jesus name, these disciples were acceptable sacrifices to God. (Leviticus 22:20, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Romans 12:1, Romans 15:16).

"And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them." - Acts 2:3 KJV

Then, the glory of the Lord filled their temple.

"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:4 KJV

Consumed by the fire of the Holy Ghost, filled with the Spirit, they became the newly dedicated temple of God.

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 KJV

Pentecost - The Sound of the Spirit Part 3

 

Before He ascended up into heaven, Jesus commanded His disciples to wait for the promise of the Father, the baptism of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 1:4-5) The baptism of the Holy Ghost is being filled with the Spirit of Jesus. (John 14:16-18).

Jesus had told Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, that except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5). Jesus compared being born of the Spirit to the wind.

Jesus said the wind blows wherever it wants. You cannot tell where it is coming from or where it is going but you can hear the sound of it. Jesus said it is the same as every one that is born of the Spirit. (Acts 10:45-46).

"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." - John 3:8 KJV

On the day of Pentecost, when the one hundred and twenty in the upper room were born of the Spirit, there was a sound AS of a rushing mighty wind.

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. ... And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:1-2, 4 KJV

Just as Jesus said, when those in the upper room were born of the Spirit, there was a sound as of the wind. The Bible says the sound came from heaven. This sound from heaven was the sound of those in the upper room speaking in other tongues (other languages) as the Spirit gave them utterance. With an hundred and twenty disciples all being filled with the Holy Ghost at once, it was the sound of a rushing mighty wind!

No one could see where the Spirit of Jesus came from, and where it went after it filled each of the disciples, but they heard the sound!

Pentecost Part 2

 On the Day of Pentecost, Jesus poured out His promised Holy Ghost on all those gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem.

"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:4

"And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? ... We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God." - Acts 2:5-8, 11

The disciples had just received the promised Holy Ghost. Peter was about to preach the Gospel of the kingdom. (Acts 1:4-5, Matthew 16:19).

In what language was the Gospel preached on the day of Pentecost?

The Jews that were gathered in Jerusalem that day not only knew their native language from the country they were from, but as Jews, they also knew the Hebrew language.

Because all those that were gathered were religious Jews, it is most likely Peter was preaching in the Hebrew language.

The gospel message on the day of Pentecost was preached by Peter, not by the hundred and twenty speaking in tongues. The Bible clearly records the preaching that day, and it was by Peter. (Acts 2:14-40)

“But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:” – Acts 2:14 

Peter’s conclusion at the end of his Gospel message:

“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” – Acts 2:38

Pentecost - Part 1

This coming Sunday, May 28, the Day of Pentecost is celebrated. It is called "Pentecost Sunday."

The Day of Pentecost was one of three holy days that all male Jews were to present themselves before the Lord at the Temple in Jerusalem. This is why there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven present in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:5). Pentecost is also called "feast of weeks," or "Shavuot." (Deuteronomy 16:16). 

Before Jesus ascended up into heaven, He spoke to His disciples:

"And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." - Acts 1:4-5 KJV

When the Lord poured out His Spirit, the Holy Ghost, on the hundred and twenty Jews gathered in the upper room, they all began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave the utterance. (Acts 2:4).

Tongues is another word for languages. (Acts 2:6). When they spoke in tongues, it was in a language which they had not learned. (Acts 2:7). God spoke through them as they allowed God to change their words into another language. (Acts 2:8). This was the beginning of tongues as the sign of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:4, Acts 10:45-46, Acts 19:6).

Because God poured out His Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, there were witnesses present from every country in the world to hear the hundred and twenty speaking in tongues. The disciples didn’t understand the words they were uttering, but those that were there from around the world did. (Acts 2:5-11).

What did they hear in their native language? They heard them speaking of the wonderful works of God. (Acts 2:11). This speaking in tongues was a sign to them that this was an act of God – pouring out His Spirit on these disciples. This signaled the fulfillment of Joel’s last days prophecy. (Acts 2:16-18). God’s promise had begun to be fulfilled. (Acts 1:4, Acts 2:33, Acts 2:39).

To be continued...

Church!

"This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24 KJV

I will "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name." - Psalm 100:4 KJV

"For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." - Psalm 100:5 KJV

Forgiveness

 

When we obey the gospel, we step into God’s mercy. Apostle Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost not only the gospel, which is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, but also how to obey the gospel.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38

When we repent and are baptized in the name of JESUS, the blood of Jesus has been applied to our life. The blood that He shed when He suffered and died for us has washed all our sins away.

We are forgiven.

It is of utmost importance that we also forgive.

"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." - Matthew 6:14-15

Unforgiveness is a device of satan.

Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth,

"To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices." - 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 

"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." - Ephesians 4:31-32 

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;" - Hebrews 12:14-15 

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" - 1 Peter 5:8 

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8 

It is now our turn to show mercy, after the great mercy Jesus has shown us, and forgive.

Laying Aside Every Weight and the Sin

If we want to make it to heaven, we must "lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us..."

"Beset": "to prevent or retard running" -Thayer's Greek Lexicon 

The devil is a deceiver. He would like us to believe there is nothing wrong with the pleasures of sin that some enjoy."

"By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction ["to be ill treated in company with"*] with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;" - Hebrews 11:24-25 KJV [*Thayer's Greek Lexicon].

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us," - Hebrews 12:1 KJV

[Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us]

Church!

                                                          

The Lord promised he would be back for His church. We can see the signs of the times.

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering [patient] to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." - 2 Peter 3:9 KJV

"But the day of the Lord will come [as unexpectedly] as a thief in the night…" - 2 Peter 3:10 KJV

"Be diligent [make every effort] that ye may be found of him in peace [with God], without spot [pure], and blameless [in His sight]. And account that the longsuffering [patience] of our Lord is salvation [gives people time to be saved] …" - 2 Peter 3:14-15 KJV

 The Lord gives us the fivefold ministry to grow in Christ and equip us to do His work. This is one important reason to go to church.

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:" - Ephesians 4:11-13 KJV

To begin the journey –

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38 KJV

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." - Acts 2:41 KJV

"And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine [teaching] and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." - Acts 2:42 KJV