Kingdom's Keys Fellowship
Where God's Kingdom Meets Man's Heart.
Pentecost 3 The Event Acts 2:1-4
Pentecost 3 The Event Acts 2:1-4
1 The day of Pentecost came. The believers all gathered in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound came from heaven. It was like a strong wind blowing. It filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw something that looked like tongues of fire. The flames separated and settled on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak in languages they had not known before. The Spirit gave them the ability to do this.
Some call it the birthday of the church yet it was not the beginning of an institution but something quite different. The world was already filled with all kinds of institutions from empires and nations to tribes, clans and clubs. Pentecost was something new. This was God Himself coming to dwell in the hearts of individuals. This event singles out the moment of a new destiny for every human being.
The very Holy Spirit of God, the Spirit that conceived Jesus in the flesh, the Spirit that was the power in Creation, the Spirit that gave life to the Scripture, the Spirit of prophecy, the Spirit of Truth, the promised Spirit that would transform hearts from within, The Spirit that brings faith, the Spirit that gives God’s life to restore the soul---that personal Holy Spirit was showered upon the disciples who became the beginning of a movement.
This movement was God establishing His Kingdom in the hearts of mankind. The Kingdom of God was Jesus claiming each believing heart in order to personally live in them so that together they would become His physical Body. The Kingdom of God is the Body of Christ in the world. Each believer is an extension of His Body. This is the revelation of a ‘hands-on-God’ recovering and restoring lost humanity from within.
It was a very dramatic event to say the least. There were three parts to the event: wind, fire and speech.
First, wind.
You can’t see it but it’s there. What you see is what the wind does and the sounds it makes. Wind has the power to move the appearance in a landscape, make waves over fields of grain, hurricanes and tornadoes that can uproot and level. Yet there can be the gentle breezes that cool the brow and calm the moment. The Spirit of God moves in the invisible realm the same way. But it is always in a way that is consistent with the person of Jesus and in fulfilling Scripture. The Kingdom of God moves like a wind across the world.
Second, fire.
What appeared to be flames of fire, stood above the heads of each disciple. This was not a fire that would burn the flesh but complete the heart. It looked like fire but was experienced as filling within. Like the wind it signified the effect it had. As physical fire burns so the Spirit of Truth burns away sin but at the same time lights a fire of motivation for mission and ministry. Inspiration, creativity and taking the initiative reflect that spiritual fire moving hearts. Like a forest fire the Kingdom of God moves across humanity.
Third, speech.
The disciples spoke in other languages. Jews from different parts of the world were in Jerusalem and heard them speak in their native languages. What happened at the Tower of Babel when people lost their spiritual bearings and were caused to speak in different languages was now healed. The language of the Gospel of Jesus Christ would be the reunifying language for the entire world. What Scripture teaches is available to the world. It is a language of the heart that everyone could understand. When Scripture is taught, studied and prayed the Spirit plants the closeness, the intimacy and personal direction of God in the mind and heart. The Kingdom of God has a universal spiritual heart language.
Wind, fire and speech,---the three moving elements of the Holy Spirit inspiring the mobile Body of Christ. How do they work? Stay tuned.
1 The day of Pentecost came. The believers all gathered in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound came from heaven. It was like a strong wind blowing. It filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw something that looked like tongues of fire. The flames separated and settled on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak in languages they had not known before. The Spirit gave them the ability to do this.
Some call it the birthday of the church yet it was not the beginning of an institution but something quite different. The world was already filled with all kinds of institutions from empires and nations to tribes, clans and clubs. Pentecost was something new. This was God Himself coming to dwell in the hearts of individuals. This event singles out the moment of a new destiny for every human being.
The very Holy Spirit of God, the Spirit that conceived Jesus in the flesh, the Spirit that was the power in Creation, the Spirit that gave life to the Scripture, the Spirit of prophecy, the Spirit of Truth, the promised Spirit that would transform hearts from within, The Spirit that brings faith, the Spirit that gives God’s life to restore the soul---that personal Holy Spirit was showered upon the disciples who became the beginning of a movement.
This movement was God establishing His Kingdom in the hearts of mankind. The Kingdom of God was Jesus claiming each believing heart in order to personally live in them so that together they would become His physical Body. The Kingdom of God is the Body of Christ in the world. Each believer is an extension of His Body. This is the revelation of a ‘hands-on-God’ recovering and restoring lost humanity from within.
It was a very dramatic event to say the least. There were three parts to the event: wind, fire and speech.
First, wind.
You can’t see it but it’s there. What you see is what the wind does and the sounds it makes. Wind has the power to move the appearance in a landscape, make waves over fields of grain, hurricanes and tornadoes that can uproot and level. Yet there can be the gentle breezes that cool the brow and calm the moment. The Spirit of God moves in the invisible realm the same way. But it is always in a way that is consistent with the person of Jesus and in fulfilling Scripture. The Kingdom of God moves like a wind across the world.
Second, fire.
What appeared to be flames of fire, stood above the heads of each disciple. This was not a fire that would burn the flesh but complete the heart. It looked like fire but was experienced as filling within. Like the wind it signified the effect it had. As physical fire burns so the Spirit of Truth burns away sin but at the same time lights a fire of motivation for mission and ministry. Inspiration, creativity and taking the initiative reflect that spiritual fire moving hearts. Like a forest fire the Kingdom of God moves across humanity.
Third, speech.
The disciples spoke in other languages. Jews from different parts of the world were in Jerusalem and heard them speak in their native languages. What happened at the Tower of Babel when people lost their spiritual bearings and were caused to speak in different languages was now healed. The language of the Gospel of Jesus Christ would be the reunifying language for the entire world. What Scripture teaches is available to the world. It is a language of the heart that everyone could understand. When Scripture is taught, studied and prayed the Spirit plants the closeness, the intimacy and personal direction of God in the mind and heart. The Kingdom of God has a universal spiritual heart language.
Wind, fire and speech,---the three moving elements of the Holy Spirit inspiring the mobile Body of Christ. How do they work? Stay tuned.
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Comment by Pamela Chappell on June 5, 2009 at 12:49pm
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Whitey, this teaching on Pentecost is so welcome to me. I intend to read and reread and share it with others!
I am so thankful that you continue to pursue your gifts and passion for our Lord, His
Word and the Holy Spirit. Thank you! Pam Chappell
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