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Your Personal Pentecost
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Today, June 4, 2006, is being celebrated around the world among Christians as Pentecost Sunday. What a glorious celebration Pentecost is! It comes to us from the seven feasts of Israel, which are recorded by Moses in Leviticus 23. Four of the seven feasts have already been fulfilled by our Lord Jesus. He will certainly fulfill all seven.
The Feast of Pentecost is spoken of in these verses, and verses following:
"You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete sabbaths.
You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD. " Lev. 23:15-16
The word, "Pentecost," means "fiftieth." The children of Israel were to count fifty days from the Feast of Firstfruits, the last feast of Passover. With the Holy Spirit's help, it isn't difficult to comprehend that Firstfruits would coincide with the Resurrection of Jesus, our Lord.
The Feast of Pentecost was celebrated in Jerusalem by Jews from every nation for about 1500 years, before it was fulfilled. Forty days following His resurrection, immediately before He ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives, Jesus told the disciples to stay in Jerusalem, and to wait for the promise of the Father.
"Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me;
for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now...'
you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." Acts 1:4-5,8 (NASB)
In obedience to Jesus' command, the disciples returned to Jerusalem to wait, for the blessed promise of the Father, in one accord, in prayer, in the upper room, accompanied by other believers--120 in all. Acts 1:12-14 They waited and prayed for ten days, which completed the fifty days after Jesus' resurrection, perfectly according to God's pattern in Leviticus 23, the Holy Spirit coming on exactly the fiftieth day.
"When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.
And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.
And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were be wildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.
They were amazed and astonished, saying, "Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
'And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?
"Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,
Cretans and Arabs--we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God." Acts 2:1-11 (NASB)
The 120 Christians who received the promise of the Father, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, were Galilieans, as noted above. They were shepherds, craftsmen, carpenters--certainly not folk who were versed in foreign languages, such as those cited in this passage of scripture. What were the Galilieans doing speaking the marvelous works of God in all these foreign languages? They had received the Father's promise, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit empowered them to speak in these languages unknown to them.
The Holy Spirit baptism brings great joy, the joy of the Lord. The flames of fire which sat upon each of their heads were manifestations of the glory and Presence of God, and He set their hearts and tongues on fire so that they could be witnesses to Him in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and unto the remotest parts of the world. The love of Jesus reaches into the most distant village, town, or metropolis. It is His will that all be saved, and that none should perish in their sins. Immediately upon being saved through faith in Jesus, He wants to fill every person with the glorious fullness of the Holy Spirit.
The Day of Pentecost happened two thousand years ago, and the witness of Jesus has travelled, just as He said it would, to the uttermost parts of the earth. During the apostles' lifetimes, the gospel was carried to most of the known world at that time. In our day, the gospel is being preached throughout the earth. Glory to God!
At the present time, multiplied millions of Christians worldwide have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, many of whom have been filled in the last one hundred years, since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the early 1900's in Topeka, Kansas, and at Azusa Street in 1906.
The Holy Spirit empowers us to be witnesses unto Jesus, telling what we have seen and heard Him do for us and for others. The Holy Spirit also enables us to live the Christian life in the power of the Spirit, and not according to the flesh. He helps us to pray, He is our Counselor, our Teacher, our Helper , the One Who Comes Alongside, our Guide. He is the Third Person of the Godhead, and He loves you and me just as Jesus and the Father love us. The Holy Spirit wants us to receive Him in His fullness, because He knows how He will bless us in every area of our lives.
Every believer in Jesus can receive the glorious baptism of the Holy Spirit. God is no respecter of persons. Jesus is eagerly waiting for you to ask Him to baptize you in the Holy Spirit.
"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.
Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?
Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he?
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" Luke 11:9-13
If you are trusting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and you've never received the fullness or baptism of the Holy Spirit, you can receive right now. Pray with me, "Dear Lord Jesus, I love You and I am very thankful You have saved me by Your precious blood. I repent of all sin which I have committed since I was saved. Cleanse me, Lord Jesus. I want to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Please fill me to overflowing with the Precious Holy Spirit. Thank You, Lord Jesus."
As words, which are not in your known language, come into your spirit, speak them out as the Holy Spirit helps you. You are to speak the words He gives you. The 120 spoke as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance. He will help you. Trust Him.
Continue to speak in your unknown language until you are fluent in it. It may take some time before you speak with fluency, but just keep on speaking the words the Holy Spirit puts into your spirit or heart. Or, the flow of your unknown language may come as a mighty flowing river immediately. The Lord works with us individually. You are being obedient to the Lord, and before you know it, you will be able to pray and sing in your unknown language. It is a glorious experience, I can tell you as one who has walked there, by the grace of God, for 32 years. The Holy Spirit will bring His great joy and power with Him, and you will be blessed beyond words, while obeying the Lord.
Agreeing with you for your personal Pentecost,
Carl and Betty Seiley
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