“When the Day of Pentecost had 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 the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
ACTS 2:1-4
The coming of the Holy Spirit changed the world order and tipped the scales in favor of the Church. But there is one major difference–only the Kingdom of God can have access to this almighty power No rogue nation, no axis of evil . . . Just us!
THE AGE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS COME. WHEN JESUS SENT the Holy Spirit into the world, it was a cosmic event which could not be undone. It created a new order of possibilities beyond all that had been known since the days of Adam. A new form of life—resurrection life—was now available. Resurrection life is like radiation—not contaminating nuclear radiation, but resurrection radiation. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead will raise us also into a life of spiritual elevation and power (Romans 8:11).
To bring salvation, the Holy Spirit took residence in Christ the Lord, but to preach salvation, the Holy Spirit takes residence in the Church–men and women, young and old, from all nations and tribes, cleansed with the precious blood of the Lamb.
THE HOLY SPIRIT ANNOUNCED HIS ARRIVAL IN JERUSALEM through 120 throats and wrapped Himself in the flesh of the disciples. We are His temples, His residential address here on earth. From that moment, the lives of the disciples were never the same. As they radiated the glory of God with courage, healings, miracles, prophetic signs and wonders, people took notice that they had been with Jesus (Acts 2), because the same Holy Spirit by which Jesus operated was upon them. The Holy Spirit took residence in the church and has not withdrawn. That same Holy Spirit is with us, in us and working through us today.
The Holy Spirit is not distributed by lottery, with a few people selected to receive. It is not a game of chance. There are no winners or losers. Those whom God calls, He equips. There is more than enough power to go around. No one is left out, and no one gets leftovers. Don’t disqualify yourself when you are already accepted.
THE SCRIPTURES ARE CLEAR AND WITHOUT VAGUENESS. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is not just for a few of “God’s favorites.” No, God has no “favorites.” In fact, we are all His favorites. On the Day of Pentecost, 120 men and women were in the Upper Room in Jerusalem, and we read in Acts 2:3 and 4, “Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit . . . ” It was no coincidence and NO LOTTERY! “Each” of the 120 received and “all” were filled. Their gender was not a consideration, neither was their age nor race nor status in life. You qualify for the Holy Spirit baptism! IT IS FOR ALL God’s blood-washed children, including you and me. God’s power is unlimited; He does not run out of gas, and He has more than enough power for all of His people—all who hunger and thirst.
There were 120 people in the Upper Room. Somebody in heaven must have counted the heads, since one flame landed “on each of them.” If you have a head, God has a flame for you. Right now, His count includes you. “You shall receive power . . . ” (Acts 1:8). Just imagine, your head becomes a landing strip for the fire of the Holy Spirit. He lands and abides–never to take off again.
EVERY ONE OF THE 120 DISCIPLES IN THE UPPER ROOM ON the Day of Pentecost received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. No one was left out. It was not just for the 12 apostles that we know or that walked closely with Jesus. There were nameless ones that also received. They may not have been famous, but they were faithful. They showed up in the Upper Room and waited for the promise. The Holy Spirit came upon all, and a flame of fire landed on top of all their heads—120 flames for 120 faithful ones. If you show up, you will have a flame of power for your assignment.
The Holy Spirit brings us into divine alignment and enables us to walk in step and in sync with God’s plans and purposes, following His Kingdom agenda. Romans 8:14 says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.”
A PACEMAKER IS A SMALL DEVICE THAT’S PLACED IN THE chest or abdomen to help control abnormal heart rhythms. I believe that the flame of the Holy Spirit on every believer is something like a pacemaker. It corrects abnormal rhythms and brings us into harmony with the heart of God. His agenda or ours? His will or ours? The flame on my head, carrying my name, makes me march to the rhythm of God’s heartbeat.
As the Father sent the Son to save us, so He sends His Spirit to fill and empower us. The Holy Spirit does not come because we deserve it; He comes because of the Father’s love, the Son’s sacrifice and our need for a Helper and Comforter. We don’t need to perform, just receive.
ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST, THEY BEGAN TO PREACH THE Gospel “by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven” (1 Peter 1:12). His was a positive descent and entrance into the world, as much as when Jesus came from heaven. “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14)—that was Jesus’ entrance through the door of Bethlehem. He clothed Himself with human form and, similarly, the Holy Spirit garbed Himself with the disciples as He took up residence within them. The world could not receive Him, but hundreds loved Jesus, and a group of 120 of them became the first Spirit-filled people on earth—men, women, apostles and disciples. They were simply sitting together, not standing, kneeling or praying, just waiting as Jesus had instructed them: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised” (Acts 1:4 NIV). Christ ascended to heaven and asked the Father to send His gift, the Holy Spirit. Within 10 days, He had come.
At Pentecost, God and man rejoiced together as one in the charismatic language. To “speak with tongues” (Acts 2) means the Bride has been taken into the embrace of the Divine Bridegroom (Colossians 2:9-10).
THE GREAT DIVIDE BETWEEN GOD AND HUMANITY REACHED its peak at Babel when God came down and confused the language of mankind (Genesis 11:1-9). What God did at Babel, He reversed at Pentecost, uniting them by different languages. From all walks of life, races and cultures, He has purchased us with His blood (Revelation 5:9, 10) and has united us—not to build a tower to man’s glory or ingenuity but to build a Kingdom to the glory of God. By the Holy Spirit, humanity and God rejoice, celebrating this grand reunion together in one blessed language.