Acts 2:1-15 describes the Holy Spirit revealed at Pentecost. When the day of Pentecost came, they (the Disciples) were all together in one place. Suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Now they were staying in Jerusalem, God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!
It was not visions or dreams that the crowd experienced, it was the actions of the Holy Spirit descending on the followers known as the Disciples of Jesus. Now they were Apostatized. They had the vision of what they should do in the coming months and years.
Martin Luther King Jr. organized the massive March on Washington on August 28th, 1963, and expressed his brilliant “I Have a Dream” speech. With his vision of the future, he raised the conscience of the nation before God and the judgment seat of racial morality. In January 1964, Time magazine chose King as their Man of the Year. Martin Luther King was the first black American so honored. Later that year, he became the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize as the youngest person to receive that honor. With that speech, Martin Luther King Jr. changed expectations in America, maybe even the world. He offered this democracy a new vision.
A vision, dream, or plan of the future is vital to the success of every living human. If you have no vision, no goals, what is your purpose? What is your mission here on earth? If you do not know your purpose, you are without a positive direction? Most likely, you will not have gained contentment. You’re treading water—no less than that. Worse yet, are you just bobbing and drifting in the swirling currents of sin within your meaningless life? Where is the joy? That is is a terrible way to live!
