Good Morning Friends,
Just before He ascended back to heaven Jesus
told His followers to go back to Jerusalem and wait there. They did. They
waited for ten days. That’s not a long time to have to wait, but it must have
seemed like a long time to those who were waiting. When the ten days were up –
on the Day of Pentecost – their waiting ended miraculously. What God sent them
at the end of their waiting was worth the wait!
That’s a pretty good principle to remember –
when God tells us to wait for something, what we are waiting for will be worth
the wait.
The wait brought a marvelous gift to the
followers of Jesus. God, by His Spirit, came upon them with a miraculous
manifestation of His presence. That must have been great confirmation for the followers
of Jesus who had already been through so much that was difficult, and would
face so much more that was difficult in the years that lay ahead.
“When the day of Pentecost came, they were
all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind
came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 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.” (Acts 2:1-4)
The sound of a violent wind blowing.
The appearance of what looked like tongues of
fire.
The ability to speak in languages they did
not know.
But the miracle of Pentecost wasn’t just for
the followers of Jesus. The miracle of that day made an eternal impression on
many others in the city of Jerusalem, too.
The apostles were empowered to preach and the
response was remarkable. “When the people heard this, they were cut to the
heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’”
(Acts 2:37) “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand
were added to their number that day.” (Acts 2:41)
That day a wildfire started that would change
the world – the church of Jesus Christ! It was preceded by a wait till God’s
time was right. And it started with miracles that would change those who were
already followers and draw many to become followers. The work of God in the church
is still having that kind of impact today – 2,000 years later.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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