According
to the Bible, the Jewish calendar and historical records, today is the Feast of
Pentecost.
Many
people imagine that Pentecost is a New Testament phenomenon referred to only
once in the book of Acts, chapter 2. However, Pentecost is one of the seven
Feasts that has taken place each year since the Children of Israel began their
exodus from Egypt almost 3500 years ago. The Feast of Pentecost was a yearly
observance for the Jews and they knew the exact day on which it would take
place. Pentecost is the second most important of the top three Feasts of the year.
The Feast of Pentecost was to be celebrated for one day. It was on that special
day immediately following the ascension of Jesus that God planned and sent His
Holy Spirit to rest upon and abide on the earth.
The
purpose of God sending His Holy Spirit to the earth is so that He might anoint ordinary
people with special power to do special things as a witness for Him. However,
Acts 2 is not the first time we see the Holy Spirit of God active in the earth
anointing and empowering people to do God’s work in a special way. The Holy
Spirit is first introduced to us in the very first chapter of the Book of
Genesis. The first three verses of the Bible introduce the Father, the Son and
the Holy Spirit.
Genesis NKJV
1 In the beginning God
created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was without form,
and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of
God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
God
does nothing without the anointing of the Holy Spirit covering His work. These
first three verses of the Bible constitute the Gospel of Christ, the Anointed
One. Anointed with what? Jesus, anointed with the Holy Spirit of God. We
continue seeing the Holy Spirit prevalent throughout the Old Testament in the
Torah, the Psalms and the Prophets.
David
Psalms 51:11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take
Your Holy Spirit from me.
Moses
Numbers 11:25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud, and spoke to
him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same
upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them,
that they prophesied, although they never did so again.
Othniel
Judges 3:10 The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged
Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of
Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-Rishathaim.
Jephthah
Judges 11:29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he
passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizpah of Gilead; and
from Mizpah of Gilead he advanced toward the people of Ammon.
King Saul
1 Samuel 10
1 Then Samuel took a flask of
oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said: “Is it
not because the LORD has anointed you commander over His inheritance?
6 “Then the Spirit of the
LORD will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into
another man.
Elijah and
Elisha
2 Kings 2:9 And it came to
pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall
do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee,
let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
Micah
Micah 3: 8 But truly I am full of
power by the Spirit of the LORD, And of justice and might, To declare to Jacob
his transgression And to Israel his sin.
The Rod
and Branch
Isaiah 11
1 There shall come forth a
Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom
and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and
of the fear of the LORD.
The Elect
Servant of the Lord
Isaiah 42: 1 “Behold! My Servant whom I
uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon
Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
Jesus
Baptized in Water and in the Holy Spirit
Luke 3
21 When all the people were
baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed,
the heaven was opened.
22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon
Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I
am well pleased.”
Jesus
Filled and Led by the Holy Spirit
Luke 4:1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned
from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.
Jesus’
Confession of His Anointing by the Holy Spirit
Luke 4
18 “The Spirit of the LORD is
upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He
has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the
captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who
are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable
year of the LORD.”
Peter’s
Estimate of Jesus
Acts 10:38 “How God anointed
Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing
good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”
Cornelius
and His Household
Acts 10
44 While Peter was still
speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.
45 nd those of the
circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because
the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then
Peter answered,
47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who
have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”
48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.
Then they asked him to stay a few days.
The
Prophet Joel
Joel 2
28 “And it shall come to pass
afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall
see visions.
29 And also on My
menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those
days.
30 “And I will show wonders
in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned
into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and
awesome day of the LORD.
32 And it shall come to pass That
whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in
Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the LORD has said, Among the remnant
whom the LORD calls.
Peter at
the Feast Pentecost
Acts 2:16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
The Day of
Pentecost
Acts 2
1 When the Day of Pentecost
had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a
sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house
where they were sitting.
3 Then there appeared to them
divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave
them utterance.
Zechariah
Zechariah 4:6 … “Not by might
nor by power, but by My Spirit,” Says the LORD of hosts.
Sons of
God
Romans 8:14 For as many as
are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Disciples
at Ephesus
Acts 19
1 And it happened, while
Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions,
came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples
2 he said to them, “Did you
receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not
so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
·
So many times the Believer does not experience the fullness of God;
·
Because the Church does not teach the fullness of God;
·
Because the world does not understand the fullness of God … so
neither do our children.
6 And when Paul had laid
hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and
prophesied.
The
Promise
Luke 24:49 “Behold, I send
the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you
are endued with power from on high.”
The Gift
Acts 2
38 Then Peter said to them,
“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for
the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 “For the promise is to you
and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God
will call.”
The
Baptism of the Holy Spirit
·
Acts 1:8 You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
·
You
have not because you ask not. (James 4:2)
·
Luke
11:11-13 … how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to
those who ask Him!
·
Acts
8:14-17 Peter and John laid their hands on and prayed for born again and water
baptized Believers in Samaria so that they might receive the Holy Spirit … and
they did!
·
Acts
5:32 God gives the Holy Spirit to those
who obey Him.
·
Ephesians 5:18 And do not be
drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.
The
baptism of the Holy Spirit is not about speaking in tongues, prophesy, healing
or greater faith … it’s an anointing of the of power to do pull down
strongholds and do more for God. It does not make you better than others but it
does make you a better you. The anointing of the Holy Spirit makes you better
able to do whatever you are called to do in a greater way.
A Word about Tongues
Isaiah
28:11 For with stammering lips and
another tongue He will speak to this people.
John
7:38 “He who believes in Me, as the
Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
1
Corinthians 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have
not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
1
Corinthians 14:18 I thank my God I speak
with tongues more than you all.
1
Corinthians 14:5 I wish you all spoke
with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is
greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the
church may receive edification.
1
Corinthians 14:22 Therefore tongues are
for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not
for unbelievers but for those who believe.
1
Corinthians 14:23 Even so, if
unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your church
meeting and hear everyone speaking in an unknown language, they will think you
are crazy.
1
Corinthians 14:39 Therefore, brethren,
desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.
The Holy Spirit is not an experience – rather – The Holy Spirit is
God!
The
Baptism of the Holy Spirit is not all about speaking in tongues but rather
about the anointing of God which releases power. From Genesis to Revelation,
the Holy Spirit of God is consistently involved in the lives of ordinary men
and women anointing the with a special power to do special things for God.
·
The world does not often understand the fullness of God;
·
The Church often does not teach the fullness of God;
·
The Believer often does not experience the fullness of God;
·
The lost are not often touched by the fullness of God.
The
Holy Spirit desires to anoint each one of us with a greater power to reach the
lost and accomplish the work and will of God. Open your heart and mind to the
God possibilities. Perhaps it has been great … with God … life and ministry can
always be greater. Be filled with the Holy Spirit!
