REFLECTIONS ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST
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OUTLINE
1.TIMING
2.TOGETHERNESS
3.TWINKLING
4.TRANSFORMATION
5.TESTIMONY
6.TRUST
7.TEMPLE
THE MESSAGE
REFLECTIONS ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST
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1.TIMING
The timing of God is revealed in the outpouring of the Holy spirit on the day of Pentecost.It was God’s sovereign time to pour out His spirit. The disciples were faithful to wait till God’s time to receive His promise. They did not give up their tarrying before God’s time.When the time came they were ready and waiting to receive His promise.The Promise given at the the Garden of Eden that seed of woman would crush Satan took nearly 4000 years to be fulfilled at the birth of Christ. At the wedding at Cana Jesus had to wait for God’s time before He performed the miracle of turning water into wine. Joseph had to wait for a long time before God’s promise to him was fulfilled.The Israelites had to wait 400 years until the sin of the Amorites reached its full measure before they were delivered. Joshua and Caleb had to wander 40 years in the wilderness inspite of their faith because of the unbelief of the people around them. God has a time for every promise to be fulfilled. We must not give up before that time and miss the blessing.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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Acts 2:1 " When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. "
Genesis 3:15 " And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."
Galatians 4:4 " But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, "
John 2:1-4
"On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,
and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, "They have no more wine."
"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."
Psalm 105:19 " Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the LORD tested him. "
Genesis 15:13-16 :
" Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.
You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age.
In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure."
Numbers 13:30-33
" Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."
But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are."
And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size.
We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."
2.TOGETHERNESS
There was unity and one-mindedness among the disciples.Wherever there is unity the blessing of God comes down.The spirit of God flows where there is love and unity.On the day of Pentecost they were all in one accord and in one place.Even today the spirit of God is waiting to flow where there is one accord. Let us not miss the blessings of God because of our discord and divisions.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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Acts 2:1
" When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place."
Psalm 133: 1-3
’How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!
It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes.
It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore."
3.TWINKLING
The outpouring of the Holy spirit happened suddenly.Sometimes the blessings and the promises of God are bestowed upon us suddenly when we least expect it. When the time comes for God to bless us the process can be very sudden and surprising.Before we realise what is happening the entire situation is changed and we are completely delivered from our bondages. Joseph in the Old testament had such a surprise for him .Though he spent many years suffering in prison suddenly one day he was delivered and he became the ruler of Egypt.Even in our lives our deliverance can be very sudden and surprising.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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Acts 2:2
" Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. "
Psalm 126:1-3
" When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed.
Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. "
4.TRANSFORMATION
The lives of the disciples was completely transformed on the day of pentecost.No longer were they fearful and powerless. They were now endued with the supernatural power of the Holy spirit.They were filled with divine boldness.The Lord wants such a tranformation in the lives of His children through the anointing of the Holy spirit.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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Acts 2:3-4 " 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. "
I Samuel 10:6
" The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person."
5.TESTIMONY
The Spirit filled disciples immediately began to testify boldly for the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter who once denied the Lord Jesus now boldly preaches that he is the christ.The testimony of the disciples was the immediate activity after their anointing. The Lord expects his children to testify with boldness about the lord Jesus as a result of their spirit filled experience.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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Acts 2:14-21
"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 men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!
No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
" ’In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. "
Acts 1:8
" But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
6.TRUST.
As a result of the bold testimony of the disciples many put their trust in the Lord Jesus.About 3000 people trusted the lord Jesus and became beleivers on the day of pentecost.The Lord wants us to be such witnesses that multitudes would put their trust in the Lord Jesus as a result of our testimony.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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Acts 2:37-41
"When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call."
With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. "
Acts 5:14
" Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number."
Acts 4:4
" But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. "
7.TEMPLE
The church was established on the day of Pentecost.The new beleivers were not left alone to fend for themselves but were encouraged to have fellowship with the saints and to live together with other beleivers in the fellowship of the church.Even today no beleiver should neglect the church and think that their spiritual walk can be done in isolation. God has ordained all his children should be united as one body called the church and we should be in fellowship with the saints and be part of His church.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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Acts 2:42-47
"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
All the believers were together and had everything in common.
Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
Hebrews 10:25
" Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. "
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