Come, Holy Spirit, I need you
Come, sweet Spirit, I pray
Come in your strength and your power
Come in your own gentle way

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. –Jesus, John 14:15-17

“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”—Jesus, Luke 24:29

“The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.  Revelation 22:17 

“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” –Jesus, John 3:8

Acts 2, The Message

A Sound Like a Strong Wind

^1-4 When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.

^5-11 There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were blown away. They couldn’t for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, “Aren’t these all Galileans? How come we’re hearing them talk in our various mother tongues?

Parthians, Medes, and Elamites;
Visitors from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia,
    Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
    Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene;
Immigrants from Rome, both Jews and proselytes;
Even Cretans and Arabs!

“They’re speaking our languages, describing God’s mighty works!”

¹² Their heads were spinning; they couldn’t make head or tail of any of it. They talked back and forth, confused: “What’s going on here?”

¹³ Others joked, “They’re drunk on cheap wine.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Jesus told them another advocate, the Holy Spirit of God, would come to live within His devoted followers.  In the forty days after rising from the death to life, Jesus prepared their hearts, minds, and souls for His Holy Spirit who would come and fill each soul with  wisdom and power from God to help them live daily for His glory.  This Helper and Counselor will guide them to all Truth, making Truth more easily recognizable as they combat the lies of the enemy of God. 

The ACTS of the apostles begin with the obedience to wait for the promise of the coming of God’s Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit came, just as promised, when they were gathered in one place.  They didn’t know how, when or from where His Spirit would  arrive.  But when He came, they were astonished by the power and holiness of His Presence.  They began to speak in the native languages about God to all the pilgrims who had come to the mighty metropolis of Jerusalem that day!

God’s timing is always best!  Crowds had gathered for the Jewish Feast of Pentecost.  People heard the blowing of the wind of change; curious, they came running to check out what was going on.  It was then they hear Jesus’ followers able to speak their language so they could understand fully what God wanted them to know.  Yes, this is how God works!    

The Holy Spirit in Peter then leads this former fisherman to boldly stand and speak Truth to the crowd in ways they can relate and understand.  This is monumental in the building of the church Jesus called Peter to be and do.  “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” –Jesus, Matthew 16:18, NIV

Pause to ponder.  Let this Holy Spirit act of God sink in.  It’s not as much about the strong wind, the Feast of Pentecost, being able to speak the languages of those gathered from other regions, or the even the gathering and obedient waiting.  The timing of this miraculous act was all about God who loved us and sent His Son to save the world!  ALL nations!   

God knew who would be gathered there that day.  God used all the details and circumstances of ordinary life to proclaim His glory in extraordinary ways so that others could be told the Truth of His saving grace! 

It’s all about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit working in tandem as the Three-in-One to redeem the lost so that new life with a new, lovingly intimate relationship with God can begin to grow and bear the fruits of His character in our lives!  It’s always all about God!

All scripture points to God and His Son, Jesus.  Pentecost means “fiftieth” because this feast was held fifty days after the festival of First Harvest (First fruits) (Lev. 23:15–22).

“The calendar of Jewish festivals in Leviticus 23 is an outline of the work of Jesus Christ. Passover pictures His death as the Lamb of God (John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7), and the festival of First Harvest pictures His resurrection from the dead (1 Cor. 15:20–23). Fifty days after First Harvest is the festival of Pentecost, which pictures the formation of the church. At Pentecost, the Jews celebrated the giving of the law, but Christians celebrate this day because of the giving of the Holy Spirit to the church.”

–Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Study Bible

The same Holy Spirit power is available to us today to make us more effective witnesses for Christ. As in all acts of God within us, it is not used to glorify us but God!  The more we understand His working at this particular time in the history of the church, the better we will be able to relate to Him and experience His power. The ministry of the Spirit is to glorify Christ in the life and witness of the believer (John 16:14), and that is what is important.

God’s Word speaks to us of the many ways His Holy Spirit helps us:

As we worship God, His Holy Spirit responds to us with care and correction.

God’s Holy Spirit assures and affirms our faith in God and our relationship with is growing with God.

God’s Holy Spirit takes up residence in our being the moment we say, “Yes, I believe Jesus died for my redemption of sin”.

God’s Holy Spirit leads us away from the distraction and deceit of the enemy while steering us from our selfishness to God’s holiness.  His Spirit is Truth and leads us to Truth.

God’s Holy Spirit helps and counsels us to lean into the wisdom God He so generously gives any time we ask.

God’s Holy Spirit unifies believers.  His Spirit leads us from judging people with help to look for Jesus in others.  Love for each other increases as His Holy Spirit grows our knowledge of God’s love in us!

God’s Holy Spirit transforms and empowers us!  We cannot just say, I’ll be good from now on, with the transforming power of God in us.  With God, all things are possible.  Without God, nothing is possible.  Every one of us is a potential means through which God wants to manifest the Spirit by displaying His power, kindness, and truth to others. As we eagerly desire spiritual gifts of all varieties (1 Corinthians 14:1), we are to ask God’s Spirit to come and do what we could never do on our own.

How different our churches might look if every member asked the Spirit to come and empower him or her to serve others for the glory of Christ!

God’s Holy Spirit teaches us as He reveals God’s Presence with us!

There is no one like our God, His Son, or His Holy Spirit!

Lord,

Thank you for reminding us of the power we have within us to overcome the darkness as well as the power to help others know and believe.  Yes, surely you are with us.

In Jesus Name, Amen