We need to keep ourselves focused on that and to know how to fight the good fight of faith. The Bible says that we’re to humble ourselves and commit ourselves to God – we’re to resist the devil and he will flee from us. We need to get in the habit of acknowledging the necessity of putting on the whole armor of God in our prayer time.
Acts 1:5 ESV – Being equipped for the assignment
“…for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Acts 1:8 ESV – What is the assignment?
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Jesus doesn’t call us to something that he doesn’t equip and empower us for. Sometimes the dreams he gives us, we think we could never do – and we’re right – we can’t. But, he can through us. God calls us to do things that stretch us outside of ourselves. That’s what God does, but, what he calls us to, he will equip us for, and he will empower us for. He’ll give us what we need to do the job that he’s called us to do.
He’s telling us that we’re going to be witnesses, starting with where we live, and then moving out into other places in the world. Yes, he’s talking to each one of us in that scripture! But, here’s the deal, he will give us what we need – both the equipment and the empowerment to do it. This is mission-critical and it is mission-possible. Why? – because all things are possible with God!
It happened on the Feast of Pentecost – also known as the Feast of Shavuot – an important Hebrew festival in Jesus’ time. It marked the end of the grain harvest and was celebrated fifty days after Passover. It involved offering the first and best fruits of the wheat harvest to God. Jewish pilgrims from all over the known world would come to Jerusalem, and the city would swell with people.
The Feast of Pentecost symbolized gratitude and was associated with the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai by Moses, and it commemorates God’s covenant with Israel. It was the one day of the year when most people from other nations would be in Jerusalem – Jewish people that were living in other places.
The Birth of the Ekklesia – The Church!
Acts 2:1,2 ESV
“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.”
People who struggle with the supernatural elements of Scripture should learn to say, “Wow!” instead of, “How?” “How” will wear us out. “How” can even decimate our faith? As we mature as believers, our faith tends to become more simple instead of more complex. We know and understand that God is trustworthy, and his Word is reliable and true – and we can trust what it says and just say, “Wow!”
Something supernatural happened to the disciples – something came over them – that was almost not word-able – hard to describe, and we need to major on the majors and minor on the minors. We need to understand and see what the emphasis here is. Because it is supernatural in scope, our tendency is to default to what confuses us the most. But, the real emphasis is on what they were saying in those different languages – which is that the disciples were telling of the mighty works of God.
Acts 2:6-11 ESV
“And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians – we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”
This is a “Wow” moment, not a “how” moment. It’s a supernatural moment. It was “above nature” and beyond what’s natural – that’s all it was. God showed up, and he’s supernatural in nature, character, and being. When he shows up, stuff happens. Seas part. The dead are raised. Seas calm down. Ears grow back. Stuff happens when he shows up. Why? – super natural.
Here’s what’s really cool – Jesus said that the stuff he did, we’re going to do even more than that. Wow! Forget how. Just Wow! The focus on this is that they were glorifying God and declaring his mighty words. This is where we major on the majors and minor on the minors.
Acts 2:12-17 ESV
“And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others mocking said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’ But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams…’” ”
Now Peter is experiencing the presence of God in a new form. The Holy Spirit is coming upon him, and he begins to preach the first Gospel sermon to thousands of people. This started the epoch that is now “the last days”. We’re in the last days. To prophecy means to declare – to forth–tell, and also to for–tell – to speak and utter the words of God in regard to situations, circumstances, and people. We should get excited about this!
Our sons and daughters will prophesy if we have the ears to hear. The Holy Spirit will speak through our children. The Bible talks about certain times where “a child shall lead them.” Jesus said that if we don’t become “as a child” we won’t even see the kingdom of God. Also, as the enemy comes against the Church, we need to pray for our pastors and leaders. When we, as a church, and as believers in Jesus, begin to move the needle in this world and in the Kingdom, we will come under attack. There is coming a swirl of activity in the world as the day approaches.
Acts 2:18-20 ESV
“Even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.”
Acts 2:21 ESV
“And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
God is moving all over the world right now. CBN is reporting that ten thousand are seeking Jesus at the University of Arkansas. God is pouring out his Spirit on his sons and daughters. Iran’s Jesus Revolution – mosques are closing down as one million Muslims have accepted Christ. As we get all spun-up over election-show-time madness, God is moving across the earth, and is doing some crazy stuff right now – supernatural stuff.
As revival grips Brazil’s Amazon, 14,500 have been baptized. It’s incredible what’s happening. God is causing revival to break out around the globe, but in a decentralized manner, so that we can’t get in the way or mess it up – where only he gets the credit and glory. As brush fires of revival are happening all over the world, we need to be saying, “Wow, God! Do it here, Lord! We want to be a revival looking for a place to happen.” We need to get our expectations up …and get our hopes up!
Prayer
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on The Bridge
Featured Image by akbaranifsolo from Pixabay
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