Acts 2 You’ve Got the Holy Spirit?

Acts 2 You’ve Got the Holy Spirit?

Acts 2 is an amazing account of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  It starts with the sound of a great rushing wind and visible tongues of fire above the heads of the apostles.  This was the day of Pentecost.  Pentecost (fiftieth day), comes 50 days after the end of the passover.  It originally marked a celebration of harvest for the Israelites.  But this first Pentecost following the death of Jesus and it would forever change the memory of Pentecost.

As Acts 2 plays out, the apostles begin speaking in tongues (different languages understood by others).  The outpouring of the Spirit accompanied by the sounds of the rushing wind and the apostles speaking inspired languages drew many to their location to see what was happening.  The people were amazed, because what they were seeing did not match the uneducated men making proclamation before them.

Peter’s words are recorded by Acts 2 as he describes the significance of what the people were seeing and hearing.  Significantly, he declares this was prophecy from the prophet Joel.  Joel explains that this pouring out of the Holy Spirit would be characterized by prophecy, visions, dreams, wonders, and signs.  Peter in sharing the words of Joel utters the fact that this promise would be available to all levels of human creation – male, female, or servant.

As Peter shares the connection of these things to the life of Jesus, those present, being devout Jews, realized their part in the death of Jesus.  Their hearts are condemned over their sin.  In earnestness they ask the apostles, “What shall we do?”.  Of course, Peter tells those present what is needed for their salvation.  They have heard the message.  They believe and understand Jesus is their Lord.  Peter calls for their action and upon obedience they are added to the Church by God.

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Do You Have a Passion?

Do You Have a Passion?

Got Zeal?

Got Zeal?

Do you have a passion?  What really excite you?  What charges your zeal?  We all have different interests which cause us to perk up and get engaged.  For some people vintage automobiles really light their fire.  More than a few friends of mine would state this is a passion of theirs.  As a boy I remember going to “Graffiti Night”.  This was a citywide cruise and vintage car show.  I never knew so many people collected, restored, and even joined clubs dedicated to this passion.  In another field of activity are the quilters.  How much time could it take to make quilt?  Ha!  Squares and diamonds and all sorts of shapes and stitches everywhere of every color of the rainbow!  Having worked a number of years cleaning out homes for auctions, you would be stunned at how many quilters I have found lurking out there.  I have seriously emptied out rooms full of material because of other individual’s avid passion in this area.  Another serious passion of many folks is college sports!  If you want to get someone’s blood pressure up, jokingly tell them their team is inferior to any other team.  Boom!  Fight on!  Sport’s fans wear their passion on their sleeves.

When I look to the scriptures, there are many folks who demonstrate passion.  David’s passion for the Lord caused him to design a temple for his son Solomon to build for God, though God told him that He did not dwell in houses made with hands (Acts 7:45-51).  These men all had a passion, but they operated in a manner contrary than that to which God would have had them behave. Saul had a great passion for persecuting the Church. Philippians 3:6 and Acts 8:1-3 proclaim he ravaged the church and dragged men and women off to prison.  With great zeal Apollos went about demonstrating that Jesus was the Messiah from the Old Testament.  However, he had only been familiar with the baptism of John.  Aquilla and Priscilla had to expound the way of God more perfectly to Him.  All of these men had a passion, great zeal, but it was a “zeal of God, but not according to knowledge” (Romans 10:2).  This statement, applicable to these men was particularly assigned as a description by the apostle Paul to describe the nation of Israel who also went about following a path that was not that which God had prescribed.

Of course, there are people in scripture who had zeal that was not in conflict with God’s Will.  Jehu had great zeal for the Lord in destroying the house of Ahab and Jezebel (2 Kings 10:16).  Anna the daughter of Phanuel would not leave the temple, “but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.” “She spake of [Jesus] to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem (Luke 2:36-38).  Peter speaks of the righteous who “seek peace and pursue it”.  He preaches “Who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?” (I Peter 3:13)  God desires His people to be passionate about Good works (the very thing we were created for according to Ephesians 2:10) for His son gave Himself a sacrifice that he might “purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for [such].

Do you have a passion for God and Good works?  Do have zeal to serve others?  Do you have a zeal for the Word of God?  Do you have a passion to meet your Lord Jesus in the clouds when he comes again?  It is wonderful to enjoy the blessings upon this earth which God has abundantly supplied us with.  You may, in fact, have many passions.  However, I pray your greatest passion is for the Lord and according to knowledge.  Seek him day and night as he desires.  Let His love consume you.  Fill your life with good works and let your passion glorify God.

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Jonah Chapter 4

Jonah Chapter 4

Jonah Chapter 4 takes a look at the days after Jonah’s proclamation throughout Nineveh.  He rests outside the city waiting to see what will happen.  He is angry God has spared Nineveh.  The anger seems irrational if you have in your heart the salvation of all mankind.  Jonah did not want this outcome.

Jonah Chapter 4 focuses upon the compassion God has for mankind.  Assyria had been a wicked people.  Yet, all mankind has or will engage in actions which are evil in the eyes of God.  When we cross that line, do we not wish the compassion of God upon our very souls?

As Jonah sits outside the city, the Lord provides a shade plant for Jonah in an attempt to illustrate His compassion.  Sadly, Jonah seems unmoved in his frustration.  His feelings toward the Assyrian people cause him to wish his own life were extinguished.  Of course, it could have been when he was cast overboard from the ship to Tarshish.  Yet, God showed compassion.  How longsuffering our Lord is.  How good and kind and gracias He is.  Let us not be lost in the myopia of our minds and reject His kind provision.

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Jonah Chapter 3

Jonah Chapter 3

Jonah Chapter 3 records Jonah’s trek into Nineveh.  He survived the belly of the great fish through the hand of God.  Now, he is a walking sign.  A man by whose offering to the sea immediately resulted in their calm.  A man who should be dead having spent three days and three nights in the fish.  Did the men on the ship see him swallowed up?  Did those same men relay the tail of what happened to any of the Ninevites?Nineveh repent

Jonah Chapter 3 features a lesson in repentance.  It is not merely a momentary verbal, acknowledgement of the engagement in evil.  It is far more.  John the immerser once cried out to the Pharisees and sadducees to bear fruit with their repentance (Matthew 3:8).  Nineveh would be held to the same standard.

When a nation repents, as Israel did often, the repentance typically came from the leadership first.  Throughout the Bible, this is a reoccuring occassion.  The sign and prophetic speech of Jonah would once again spur on these results and do so in the hearts of the Ninevites.  Sadly, generations afterward did not heed their example.  The Book of Nahum is an excellent follow up read to the book of Jonah.

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Jonah Chapter 2

Jonah Chapter 2

Jonah chapter 2 is a chapter that resonates with many people who have felt like the have hit bottom.  Perhaps it is an endless line of failure in relationships, jobs, or some earthly goal.  Maybe the issue is an addiction that got way beyond control.  The reality is that the people going through such things feel hopeless.  They feel as if they have reached the end.  This is the situation for Jonah.

Jonah Chapter 2 takes place in the belly of a great fish.  Jonah ended up in this predicament because of his disobedience to God.  His life appears to be about to end.  Thoughts certainly flying through his mind.  Jonah would be preserved in the belly of the fish for 3 days and nights – a type of Christ in the tomb.  What would you do if you were at the end?  Judas came to what he thought was the end and took his life.  Peter in denying Christ three times certainly could have felt the same.

In this peek at Jonah’s response to God’s discipline, we are introduced to humility.  When the bottom is hit, people need to be honest about how they got there.  They need to be honest about who provides real deliverance from an evil world.  When man humbles himself and seeks out the one who can truly help, there will always be hope.

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