Acts 1:1-16
1 ¶ And when the day of Pentecost was 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 all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 ¶ And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
14 ¶ 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:
15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
On the day of Pentecost the Holy Ghost fell in the upper room and 120 men and women were filled with the Holyghost, as tongues of fire sat upon their heads they began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
You can’t box that kind of power up in a room, they couldn’t keep it to themselves, it was too big for that upper room.
As they began to make their way into the streets they were so overcome and so heavily under the influence of the Holyghost that they were speaking in tongues in the streets.
People came from everywhere to witness this visitation and manifestation from heaven.
As it was then, it is now and always will be (there are different types of people that show up when God moves) you have your skeptics, your doubters, your scoffers, your mockers, you have your fearful and your religious and self righteous.
But thank God mixed into that crowd, there are some that are hungry and thirsty, there are some that are looking for the real deal, and there are some that are tired of religion and tradition and they are ready to receive.
I used to expend a lot of energy on the doubters and the critical and the religious, trying to make them hungry, trying to convince them of the goodness of God.
Trying to get them to stretch out and reach for more and to become passionate for God.
Now at this stage of my life, my focus has been refined, and my assigned has been redesigned.
I’m here for the hungry and the thirsty.
I’m not going to try and force feed you, and I’m not going to try and run you down to get you blessed.
I’m going to preach the word of God, and put his power and his anointing within your reach and if you want it you’ll get it.
(I wish somebody would shout: I want it)
These men and women flooded the streets, and they were so under the power of the Holyghost that people began to mock them, and say: These men are full of new wine.
Peter answered their criticism by saying ( these men are not drunk as ye suppose)
In other words: This is not Jack Daniels, or Coors, or Bud light or Millers high life,
In other words, It’s not the kind of intoxication that you think
In other words: It’s not the kind of spirit you’re used to, You can’t get this out of a bottle.
Then Peter begins: 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh:
All Flesh: This is not a Baptist thing, or a Methodist thing, or a Catholic thing, or even a Pentecostal thing, It’s a Spirit Thing.
It’s not given to an organization or a denomination (it’s given to all flesh).
White flesh, black flesh, brown flesh, red and yellow flesh.
It’s for the rich the poor
It’s for male the female
It’s for the young and the old
There are only two requirements to receive this last day out pouring:
1.You have to be flesh
2.You have to be thirsty
Is there any thirsty flesh in this house tonight?
David said:
Ps 63:1O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
What David was saying was: I have a thirst that nothing in this world can quench, this world is a dry desert land that leaves me parched and dry and the only thing that can deliver me from dying of thirst is the Spirit of God.
If we came to every service with that kind of passion and pursuit of God, we would never have a dry service, because that kind of thirst will break open the heavens every time.
Isaiah had that kind of thirst.
Isa 64:1 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,
One hundred and twenty men and women shut themselves up in an upper room and declared that they wouldn’t leave until the rain came.
They declared by their presence and their persistence that they were drought stricken and bound to die of thirst unless the heavens opened.
After ten days of waiting and praying and knocking on heavens door, and declaring their thirst: Heaven responded.
Suddenly there came a sound from heaven (not from the synagogue, not from the scribes and Pharisees, not from the supermarket, not from the radio, or television or the internet. (But from heaven)
It was known instantly that something Holy, Divine, Supernatural was happening.
It came as a mighty rushing wind
It arrived with ferocity, intensity, power (it didn’t just drift in like a gentle summer breeze, it blasted through that house like a tornado)
(And it filled) all the house where they were sitting
There is a realm and dimension of the presence and glory of God that does not just come to touch you, but will literally envelop you, and the very atmosphere around you will become thick and saturated with the presence of God.
And every way you turn you bump into God.
There is a presence of God that is so heavy and so tangible and so powerful that you can’t even move.
2 Chron 5:13-14
13 It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;
14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.
Isaiah said:
Isa 6:1 ¶ In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
Then it goes on to say: The house was filled with smoke, and the door posts shook at the voice of God.
When the glory of God comes, he doesn’t just come to touch us and make us feel good (he comes to fill us and transform us).
Cloven tongues like as fire sat upon them, and they were all filled with the Holyghost and spoke with other tongues as the Spirit gave the utterance.
The problem we see in the church today: Not many people are being filled with the Spirit now days.
(I’m not speaking about the experience of receiving the Holyghost and speaking in tongues) I’m speaking about right now in the place where you stand, tonight being filled with the Holyghost.
Being full of the Holyghost.
Not just touched, not just blessed, (but filled full to the brim, saturated, overwhelmed)
We cannot be effective in the Lords work without being full of his power, and we can’t be full of his power without being full of his spirit.
We’re not qualified till we’re full
The early apostles knew the importance of being full of the HolyGhost: When it came to ministering to the neglected widows, the apostles said:
Acts 6:3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
They started out waiting on tables, but a few verses down it says:
Acts 6:8 And Stephen full of faith and Power did great wonders and miracles among the people.
1. Full of the Holy Ghost
2. Full of Faith
3. Full of Power
Acts 8:4 It says another one of those Holy Ghost filled table waiters named Phillip went down to Samaria and preached Christ unto them, and the people gave heed with one accord to the things which phillip spoke, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
For unclean spirits crying with a loud voice came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies and that were lame were healed.
Stephen was full of the Holy Ghost
Phillip was full of the Holy Ghost
Lu 24:49 Jesus knowing full well the work that needed to be done, told his disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait for the promise of power from on high.
1 King 4: Elijah instructed the widow women to pour her oil into empty vessels, and to keep pouring until the vessels were filled, then to set those full vessels apart from the rest.
In other words: when they were full they went into a different category
They went into the category of ready:
Somebody’s going into another category tonight.
You’ve been on the charger, and You’ve just about hit full charge.
Peter being full of the HolyGhost and full of holy boldness, and full of power, lifts up his voice and declares.
THIS IS THAT !
This is what Joel Prophesied about) He said it would come in the last days.
I’ve heard for most of my life that we are living in the last days, that the day of Pentecost was the beginning of the last days, and that we are living in the (this is that of Joels Prophecy)
In other words: This is that began to be fulfilled on the day of Pentecost and from that day forward the church began to function in supernatural power.
Signs, Wonders, Miracles, Gifts of the Spirit, casting out devils, healing the sick, raising the dead.
The question that plagues me tonight is this: If THIS IS THAT (Where’s That At?)
Jud 6:13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of.
I think Gideon was saying the same thing: If THIS IS THAT (WHERE’S THAT AT).
*Where’s the miracles and signs and wonders?
*Where's men and women filled with the Joy of the HolyGhost?
*I don't want to sound critical, but it's been a long time since I walked into a church anywhere (30 minutes before service and heard men and women crying out to God for a visitation and manifestation of his power).
Does that mean we already have everything we need, or does it mean we are satisfied with the little we have and don't want anymore?
*I remember when evangelists would stay in a back room praying until time to take the pulpit, and when they took the pulpit they were on fire.
Where’s the hunger and passion for God that would go through anything, and lay aside anything just to be in the presence of God?
The old timers would work all day, from sun up to sundown then hitch up a team and ride in a wagon 5 miles to church and stay till 12:00 or 1:00 in the morning, and head home, then do it all over again the next day (sometimes 5 or 6 weeks at a time).
Please don't label me critical, if you want to call me something call me concerned.
Where is the fire of God that used to burn in the righteous bones of Gods holy men and women?
There was a day when you didn't have to wonder whether something was sin or not, because it was thundered from the pulpits by holy, uncompromising men and women of God.
Where’s the men and women and children prophesying?
Joel said, and Peter quoted him:
(When this is that gets here) your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Then he said there would be visible wonders in heaven above and on the earth there would be visible signs of blood and fire and vapour of smoke.
And there would be a great harvest of souls.
Somebody said: man of God we aren't suppose to seek after signs, we're not supposed to follow signs.) I understand that, but my God if you're on the right road you should see a sign every now and then to confirm it.
I have driven many miles as an evangelist and there have been times i have traveled unfamiliar roads, and I wasn't sure I was on the right road and then I would see a sign and I would breathe a sigh of relief because the sign told me I was on the right road.
If we're on the right road, the bible tells us we should be seeing signs and wonders.
Let me go a little farther: The bible actually says (signs should follow every true believer).
I do believe we’re living in the last days. And the power of God has not diminished, and God has not changed his mind.
But the church has gotten lazy, selfish and worldly.
If we’re gong to see another visitation of Pentecost and Pentecostal power, the church has to get back to the upper room.
We’ve got to go up.
We’ve got to shake ourselves loose from the gravity pull of worldliness and indifference and apathy.
We’ve got to shake loose from all this worry and anxiety and fearfulness.
We’ve got to close the door behind us and get down to business with God and Cry out till heaven opens and earth shakes.
We’re waiting for God to come down and visit us, and pour out the latter rain:
But God is waiting for us to go up.
God said: Draw nigh unto me and I will draw nigh unto you.
When are we going to see THAT which Joel Prophesied and Peter proclaimed?
When we can’t stand it anymore:
When we refuse to be refused:
When we hold ourselves to the standard of the word of God.
When the thought of the sick and the afflicted, the bound and the oppressed leaving our churches in the same condition they came) drives us to our knees,
And when we pull ourselves away from the ball games, and the television and the internet, and the cell phones, and we get alone with God and we Pull on heaven, and we refuse to let go until the blessing comes.
Where's that at?
That’s where it’s at:
It’s in the presence of God
That’s where it’s at (It’s wherever hungry people cry out to God and refuse to be pacified, or satisfied with anything less than the manifest presence and power of God.
The fire will fall when the wood is wet:
Please bear with me: I know I'm sounding a little old fashioned but most of our altars haven't felt a tear drop in a long while.
Truthfully many of our churches do not even have altars in them anymore.
The great revivalist: Leanord Ravenhill once said (If you cannot weep over lost souls, then weep over the fact that you cannot weep)
I can't speak for everyone: But as for me, I am not ashamed to cry (many times I have found my way to the front of a church and found that old altar and emptied my soul out to God, and he poured heaven in, and I left knowing that God had taken my burden, and strengthened my heart and I felt like a new man.
I'm closing tonight: But I want to leave you with one simple question. ( If this is THAT then where's THAT at?
God Said:
Jer 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
I still believe God will visit us again If we can find our way back to an altar and take hold of the horns of the altar and cry out to heaven like Jacob:
(I won't let you go till you bless me)
I don't know about you: But I want THAT
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