Pentecost: The Holy Spirit, Today!

Sunday, May 31, 2020 was the day of Pentecost.  This week, I want to post on the day of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit.  I know some people reading this don’t have a Pentecostal background, but I have spent the last twenty years as pastor of two Pentecostal churches.  So today, I want to post on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV)
^2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Laying a Foundation

I want to begin by laying a foundation on the significance of the day of Pentecost.  What does it all mean?  Our text takes place on the day that the Holy Spirit fell on the people of God.  He didn’t just fall on the apostles, but on all 120 people who were gathered together in that room on that day.  There are some churches that will teach that this was only for the apostles, that after the apostles died that all of the evidence of the Spirit passed away, but on this day, according to our text, it fell on all of them that had gathered. 

Let’s examine the teaching that this has passed away as the apostles died.  First, let’s look at what Peter said in his first Holy Spirit filled sermon:

Acts 2:17-18 (NKJV)
^2:17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. ¹⁸ And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.

Peter is quoting a prophecy from Joel 2:28 – 32.  Peter says “in the last days,”  Joel says “afterward”.

“And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;” 

 The context of this is that God is speaking through Joel, and He’s saying:

Joel 2:27a (NKJV)
^2:27 Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord your God And there is no other…

Remember, one of the names of Jesus is Emmanuel – That’s translated as God with us!  It shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit!  The question is – did it pass away with the disciples, or is it available today?

Joel 2:31b (NKJV)
^2:31 …Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

The great and awesome Day of the Lord refers to the day of judgment – The resurrection and judgment of mankind!

Let’s look back at Peter – Peter says “in the last days” – The “last days” refers to that time between Jesus’ resurrection and His return to judge mankind.  Another way to say this is “from now on.”  Look at what Peter says in verse 39:

Acts 2:39 (NKJV)
^2:39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

Let’s break that down:

For the promise is to you – Those that were there that day.

And to your children – the next generation.

And to all who are afar off – He’s speaking of generations – people that will come in later generations.  

As many as the Lord will Call – Are you called?  We are all called!

John 15:16 (NKJV)
^15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

We are appointed, that means called, to bear fruit.  Fruit in this sense refers to reaching others with the Gospel.  He had called us to that!  This Took Place on Pentecost

Acts 2:1 (NKJV)
^2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

All of this took place on the day of Pentecost.  Let’s look at what Pentecost is:

Pentecost was a day of prayer and celebration.  People had the day off work; they met to pray and thank God.  Acts 2:1 tells us that they were all together in one accord.  They were there to pray and celebrate this feast.  Remember, they continued to be involved in the temple.

The day of Pentecost was a feast day that celebrated the beginning of the harvest season.  Pentecost is the Greek name for a feast called by Jews the Festival of Weeks.  It was a celebration and day of thanksgiving for the harvest, which was about to begin. The feast of First Fruits was the beginning of the barley harvest.  The Festival of Weeks was the beginning of the Wheat harvest.  It takes place seven weeks after the feast of First Fruits. (For background see Pentecost, The Beginning of the Harvest May 16, 2016)

What happened on the day of Pentecost in our text?

Acts 2:41 (NKJV)
^2:41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

So, from a historical perspective, Pentecost was the beginning of the harvest in the early church.  Lets break this down and digest it.

-          Jesus called us to go and bear fruit – This is before He died! (John 15:16)

-          He told the disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Spirit

Acts 1:4-5 (NKJV)
^1:4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; ⁵ for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

-          On the day that signified to the Jews that the wheat harvest was about to begin, the Holy Spirit fell on those in the upper room, and the harvest of the early church began.

While they’re in the upper room, they hear a sound like a mighty rushing wind.  In Hebrew the word for spirit is the same word that’s used for wind.  In the book of Genesis, God created Adam.  Look at what happens:

Genesis 2:7 (NKJV)
^2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

From H5395; a puff, that is, wind, angry or vital breath, divine inspiration, intellect or (concretely) an animal: - blast, (that) breath (-eth), inspiration, soul, spirit. 

Strong’s Lexicon of Greek and Hebrew 

So God put His breath, or Spirit, into Adam.  This is why we say that man has a soul.  So, this sound like a “mighty rushing wind” signifies the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit enters into the place where they are and fills the house.  

 - The fire appears and sits on each of them.  In the temple there was a fire that was always burning.       That fire signified the presence of God.

Leviticus 6:13 (NKJV)
^6:13 A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.

On this day the fire – The presence of God – sat on each one of them.  It symbolized that they each now contained the presence of God, in other words God dwelt in them.  The fire in the temple signified that God dwelt there.

So, look at this:  The Holy Spirit came upon them and God dwelt in them.  They were immersed (baptized) in the Spirit of God and became a temple of the Holy Spirit.  When you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, God dwells in you – in the form of the Holy spirit – and His power is there for you to use.

Think about Peter for a moment – When Jesus was crucified, he was broken.  He was going fishing; going back to the life he led before Jesus.  After the Holy spirit falls – he’s energized. he’s empowered, he’s equipped.  Immediately, he’s able to embark on God’s calling.  He was equipped for his calling through the Holy Spirit.  For Peter it happened on Pentecost – But it didn’t end there.  

This was just the beginning, because the same thing happened to Paul.  He encounters Jesus on the Damascus road in Acts 9:3-6; he’s led to Damascus where Ananias is led by the Holy Spirit to speak to him.  Look at what happened:

Acts 9:17-20 (NKJV)
^9:17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." ¹⁸ Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. ¹⁹ So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. ²⁰ Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

Immediately, he preached Christ in the synagogues – From the greatest persecutor of Christians in that time, to a preacher of Christ in the synagogues!

What Does That Mean for Us?

So, the purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is to equip us and prepare us for the harvest.   It’s a special tool that’s given to us so, “that we may go and bear fruit…that will remain,” in other words to build the church of Jesus Christ!  That’s the purpose in our text.

So, how do we know we’re filled with the Holy Spirit?

First, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit stood up and preached.  He never did that before.  In John 20, they were in the upper room with the doors locked for fear of the Jews.  There’s a new boldness in Peter’s life!

Second, the people began to speak in other tongues.  This is the evidence of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  This happened in every other instance where this is mentioned.

Acts 10:44-46 (NKJV)
^10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. ⁴⁵ And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. ⁴⁶ For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God...

Acts 19:6 (NKJV)
^19:6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

Third, there is power!  Look back at what Jesus said to the disciples:

John 14:12 (NKJV)
^14:12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

What does He say will happen when He goes to His Father?

John 16:7 (NKJV)
^16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

The “Helper” is the Holy Spirit!  Think of this:  When He goes to His Father, He will send the Holy Spirit – AND we will do greater works than these!  The apostles did many great works!

Acts 3:  Peter and John brought healing to a man lame from birth!  Look at what happened:

Acts 3:11 (NKJV)
^3:11 Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon's, greatly amazed.

Acts 5:  Peter’s Shadow!

Acts 5:12-16 (NKJV)
^5:12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch. ¹³ Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. ¹⁴ And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, ¹⁵ so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. ¹⁶ Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

It wasn’t just the apostles, though!  When a dispute arose between the Greek believers and the Jews, in Acts 6, the appointed seven men “full of the Holy Spirit,” to resolve it!  One of those men was Stephen:

Acts 6:8 (NKJV)
^6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.

There was Philip in Acts 8:

Acts 8:5-8 (NKJV)
^8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. ⁶ And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. ⁷ For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. ⁸ And there was great joy in that city.

We CAN receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  We are that generation that is afar off.  It’s a promise – It’s given to equip us for God’s calling!  We need that!  We need signs and wonders!  We need to call on Holy Spirit power!  We need the boldness to stand and preach the Gospel; to witness to friends, family, coworkers, and classmates!  We need this to build the church of Jesus Christ!

Pentecost, the Beginning of the Harvest

Yesterday was Pentecost, the day that the Holy Spirit fell in Acts 2.  Today, I want to post on Pentecost and what it means to us.  I think you’ll find it interesting.

Acts 2:38-39 (NKJV)
^2:38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

The Crucifixion Timeline and the Holy Spirit

First, I want you to follow the timeline that directly precedes the Day of Pentecost.

1.        Jesus was crucified on the Day of Preparation.  This is the day when the lambs were prepared for Passover.  They were sacrificed by the priests in the temple until three o’clock and then they blew the shofar to announce the end of the sacrifices.  Jesus died at what the Bible called the ninth hour – three o’clock.  So, picture this Jesus cries out, “It is finished” and then the shofar is sounded, signifying the end of the sacrifices.  When Jesus died it was the last sacrifice in the Temple.

2.        The next day was Passover – The commemoration of the death of the first-born in Egypt.  The angel passed over the home where the Jews had killed their lamb the night before.  It was a day of deliverance from death.  Jesus died and His death causes the death from sin to “pass over” us. 

3.        Jesus rose on the third day – The Day of First Fruits.  This is the beginning of the Barley harvest.  It was like a precursor to the Wheat harvest, in fact, the timing of the Wheat harvest was measured as seven weeks from the Festival of First Fruits.  Jesus was the first to rise from the dead, he shows us the way.  He shows us the promise of the resurrection.  His resurrection is the precursor to ours.  In fact, Paul called Him the First fruit:

1 Corinthians 15:22-23 (NKJV)
^15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. ²³ But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.

4.        Pentecost is fifty days after this feast.  Pentecost is the Greek Name, it comes from the New Testament, but in Hebrew it’s called the Festival of Weeks, because it’s seven weeks after the Festival of First Fruits.

Jesus rose from the dead and was on earth for forty days afterward.  On the fortieth day as He was about to ascend into Heaven, He told the disciples to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:4-5 (NKJV)
^1:4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; ⁵ for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

So this day, Pentecost was a feast day – The Festival of Weeks – It was a celebration and a day of thanks to God for the wheat harvest that was about to begin.  First Fruits was the beginning of the Barley harvest and Weeks was the beginning of the wheat harvest.  It was seven weeks after First Fruits.

You can see from timeline how all of this ties together with other references in the Bible:  How Jesus’ death and resurrection was foreshadowed by the festivals and rituals of he Old Testament, and Jewish life.  If the Jews had seen Jesus’ death and resurrection through this prism of foreshadow and prophecy, His death and resurrection would have held some significance for them.

Now, let’s look at the events of the Day of Pentecost:

Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV)
^2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

We know this as the day and the moment that the Holy Spirit landed on the disciples.  I want to get into greater detail about what’s happening at this time:

Pentecost was a day of prayer and celebration.  People had the day off; they met to pray and thank God for the upcoming harvest.  Acts 2:1 tells us the disciples were all together in one accord.  They were there to pray and celebrate the feast day.  Remember, they continued to be involved in the temple.

While they are there they hear a sound like a mighty rushing wind.  The word translated from Hebrew as wind can also be translated as Spirit, and as breath.  Look at the Book of Genesis, when God created Adam:

Genesis 2:7 (NKJV)
^2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

So here is the word “breath.”  The word translated as breath is defined in the Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionary as “a puff, that is, wind” It can also be translated as breath, inspiration, soul and spirit.

So, this sound like a “might rushing wind” signifies the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit entered into the place where they were and filled the house.  Then, fire appears and sits on each one of them.  In the temple there was a fire that was always burning.  That fire signified the presence of God.  On this day the presence of God sat on each one of them and it symbolized that now they each contained the presence of God

So think about this for a moment:  The Holy Spirit came upon them and God dwelt in them.  They were immersed (baptized) in the Spirit of God.  They became a temple of His Spirit.  They began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit moved them.  It was loud, too.  People in the street heard the noise; it was loud enough to attract three thousand people.  It must have been pretty loud.

What Happened After

Now, remember that this day was the day of a great festival – The Festival of Weeks.  This was a pilgrimage festival.  That means that devout Jewish believers came from all over the world to Jerusalem; to the temple to participate in this festival.  There were a lot of visitors in Jerusalem that day:

Acts 2:5 (NKJV)
^2:5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.

Those visitors heard the disciples, speaking in tongues.  They heard this noise but they understood it in their own language.

Acts 2:6 (NKJV)
^2:6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.

They gathered around – They wanted to see what was going on.  They heard the noise and thought the disciples were drunk, but Peter stood up and began to preach a message.  He reminds the of Joel’s prophecy, (I’ll cover this in detail later.)  He tells them how they crucified their Messiah.  He brings it all out into the open and look at the result.

Acts 2:37-38 (NKJV)
^2:37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" ³⁸ Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The conviction of the Holy Spirit fell on these men.  They recognized their guilt and sin.  They were frightened of the Wrath of God, “Men and Brethren what shall we do?”  They cried out in fear, “How can we fix this?  How can we make this up to God?”  Peter tells them to repent…and they did:

Acts 2:40-41 (NKJV)
^2:40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation." ⁴¹ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

Three thousand men received Jesus – The first harvest of the early church.  The beginning of the harvest of Jesus’ church and it took place on Pentecost, the day set aside by the Jews to mark the beginning of the wheat harvest.

Let’s look briefly at the timeline again with what we’ve learned.

1.        Jesus was crucified on the Day of Preparation, when the lambs were killed for the Passover.  He died at three o’clock at the moment when the sacrifices stop. He was the last sacrifice at the temple in Jerusalem.

2.        Jesus resurrected on the festival of first fruits.  He was the first to experience the resurrection and eternal life.  He shows us the way.

3.        The Holy Spirit fell on the day of Pentecost.  The Feast that marks the beginning of the harvest season.  He came upon the disciples like wind (spirit) and fire (presence of God) and the harvest began for the church of Jesus Christ. Now, I want to show you one more thing.

This is Available to Us Today

During Peter’s sermon he reminded them of the following prophecy in the book of Joel:

Acts 2:17-18 (NKJV)
^2:17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. ¹⁸ And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.

This is the way that Peter spoke Joel’s words.  Peter was saying that in the last days these things would happen.  “In the last days,” refers to the time from Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension until the time Jesus returns.  Another way he could have said it is, “From now on…”  Peter even clarifies this idea in Acts 2:39:

Acts 2:39 (NKJV)
^2:39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

In verse 2:38 he told the men 1) repent, 2) be baptized and 3) receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  He continues:

For this promise is to you – Those who were there hearing his words

And to your Children – The next generation

And to all who are afar off – He’s talking generationally.  He’s talking about all of those who will come in later generations.  For many generations to come would be another way to say it.

As many as he Lord will call – We are called.  Remember Jesus said, “You have not chosen me – I have chosen you.”  We are called  - We are as many as the Lord will call. 

These things that happened on Pentecost are available to us today.  We can still speak in tongues, as the Spirit give utterance.  We can see visions.  We can dream dreams.  Young men and women can prophesy.  These things still happen to day and there are other things, too.  Peter became bold.  He boldly spoke the Word of God and brought conviction.  He and John went to the temple and saw a lame man healed.  People brought out their sick, lame and demon possessed to the street so that Peter’s shadow could fall on them and they’d be healed.  These things are manifestations of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  These can happen because of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Look at what Jesus said:

John 14:12 (NKJV)
^14:12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

If we believe in Him we can receive the Holy Spirit and we will do greater things.

The Holy Spirit and His power came with a purpose.  That purpose is the harvest.  That’s why it happened the day that it did.  That harvest is still taking place – We need the Holy Spirit.

The Bible says this promise is for us, but I know some people that have prayed to receive the Holy Spirit many times and still have not received it.  This promise is for us – It’s a PROMISE. God keeps promises.  It’s like any gift, though, you have to receive.  It isn’t a gift until you receive it.  If you are one of these I want you to think about it – What is the impediment to receiving the Holy Spirit in you?  What stops you?  It has to be something in you, God has given it.  Is it hidden sin, fear, unbelief – try to identify it and overcome it.  Repent, then pray again, and continue until it happens.  It’s a promise.  It’s a promise for all who believe.

We Need the Supernatural

What I think we need is the supernatural!  We need God to move beyond our abilities.  God has used the supernatural before, as a way to draw people in to hear the Gospel. 

We want to have an impact on our community.  We want to see the will of God working in the lives of our friends, families, coworkers and neighbors.  If people see the supernatural working in us, then they will be able to believe that God who can have an impact on their lives.  Today, I want to post on God’s use of the supernatural.

Acts 8:5-8 (NKJV)
^8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. ⁶ And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. ⁷ For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. ⁸ And there was great joy in that city.

Signs and Wonders

How many know that people are looking for real power?  That’s why there are so many religions.  People are looking for a power that will move them beyond where own abilities can take them.  People need a God who has power, it that right?  Don’t we all want a God who can meet needs that we have struggled to meet?  Everybody is searching for a God that has power.

Well, here is the good news – WE serve a God of miracles.  He opened the Red Sea.  He rained food from Heaven.  He brought water out of a rock.  He held the sun in one place.  God is a God of the supernatural.

Jesus also brought about miracles:

Acts 10:38 (NKJV)
^10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

So we are serving a God of power.  It’s one thing to explain that to people.  We can tell people that Jesus did miracles.  We can tell them what Jesus did and people will accept it.  There’s a difference, though, between accepting what we say and seeing the miracle happen before their eyes.  There’s a difference.  In our text, Philip preaches Jesus and people listened and accepted what he said because of the miracles that Philip did. 

Nicodemus was a leader of the Jews.  He had a seat on the Sanhedrin.  He was a Pharisee and he said to Jesus, “We know that you have come from God because no one can do the things you have been doing unless God is with him.”  That element of the supernatural is what convinced Nicodemus of who Jesus was.  Look at this scripture:

Mark 16:17-18 (NKJV)
^16:17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; ¹⁸ they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

In other words, there will be signs that follow us: Demons will be cast out.  We’ll speak with new tongues.  We’ll lay hands on the sick and they’ll recover.  What are those things?  They’re miracles; they’re signs.  Jesus performed those signs and people believed.

John 11:43-45 (NKJV)
^11:43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" ⁴⁴ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go." ⁴⁵ Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.

They believed because they saw the miracle.  Philip performed those signs and people believed.  We need a visible dimension of the supernatural in our church.  We need to be like Philip and demonstrate the Power of God. 

One of the things that was really exciting as a new convert was seeing the miracles of healing.  This week, as we did communion a couple of people got healed and it was refreshing to hear them just say, “Hey it’s gone.”  It was fun to see them get as excited as I did, when I was a young believer.  People get saved because they can see the Power of God.

John 2:23 (NKJV)
^2:23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.

Many believed in His name when they saw the signs.  The signs He did persuaded them.  Jesus even sent out His disciples and told them:

Matthew 10:7-8 (NKJV)
^10:7 And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' ⁸ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

He’s telling the “Use the signs.”  Use the supernatural – show them the signs.  In our day and hour we also need to show the Power of God.

The Early Church

The Book of Acts is full of men showing the Power of God.  There is huge growth in the early churches men like Philip were scattered from Jerusalem and ended up in far-flung places, preaching Jesus and performing miracles.  There will always be arguments against logic.  People can counter just about anything that you’ve said, but it’s difficult to argue against a leg growing out when you’ve seen it with your own eyes.

When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the enemies of God platted to kill Jesus because of that act.  They also plotted to kill Lazarus.

John 12:9-11 (NKJV)
^12:9 Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. ¹⁰ But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, ¹¹ because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

How could they deny Jesus’ power when this man who everyone knew had died is standing right there?

Acts 3:6-7 (NKJV)
^3:6 Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." ⁷ And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

Peter and John, at the Gate Beautiful raised a lame man and the Bible says many heard the word and believed; about five thousand of them.

Acts 5:15-16 (NKJV)
^5:15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. ¹⁶ Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

People brought out the sick and lame in the hopes that Peter’s shadow would fall across them and they’d be healed.

Acts 19:11-12 (NKJV)
^19:11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, ¹² so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.

Paul gave people handkerchiefs and articles of clothing and people got healed.

This is how the church was birthed.  This was God’s strategy for reaching men.  The Bible tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.  I believe that this same strategy is available to us today.  All of this is the power we were told we would receive through the Holy Spirit in Acts 1:8:

Acts 1:8 (NKJV)
^1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

God is telling us that when we receive the Holy Spirit we receive power to be witnesses of Him, and we can use that power to do the things that He did.  Thank God for the Holy Spirit.

This is for believers. It’s not just for pastors and evangelists.  It’s for believers like you and I.  Anything pastors and evangelists can do – you can do.  I think we need to use the supernatural on outreaches and in church services.  We can show people that there’s an alternative to the traditional Taiwanese religion.  We can show them the power that God has and that the idols don’t have.

A Plan of Attack

I think there’s a problem in a large part of the church world, today.  I believe that a big part of the problem is that people don’t have faith.  They don’t have faith to give. They don’t have the faith to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  They don’t have faith to witness and testify, and they don’t have faith to pray for the sick.  Some people I’ve prayed for don’t even have the faith to accept that they’ve been healed.  I pray for them and we see God do something powerful in them and I ask them, “What about the pain?”  They say, “Well, it doesn’t hurt…RIGHT NOW.”  There are even those who don’t even have the faith to be prayed for.

We’re Pentecostals.  We believe that what happened on the day of Pentecost is still happening today.  At least, that’s what we’re supposed to believe.  What did Peter have that we don’t?  He was uneducated.  He was a fisherman, not a theologian.  He was an average guy, not really special in any way, but God did powerful miracles through him.  People thought, “If his shadow falls on me, I can be healed.”  What did Peter have that you don’t?  Maybe it’s the faith that God could use him:  Faith that the promise of the Holy Spirit is real.

Acts 2:39 (NKJV)
^2:39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

WE are the ones who are afar off – As many as the Lord will call.  He’s not looking for someone who’s special.  If you’re saved – You’re called.  WE are the ones who will prophecy and have visions.  WE are the ones this promise is for.    THESE are the last days.  We need to pray and contend for the supernatural in our churches.  We need to stand in faith and pray for the sick.  We need to contend for more of the Holy Spirit.  We need to pray, read our Bible and come to church to bolster and strengthen our faith, and we need to step out in that faith.

In the Old Testament, there’s a moment when the Ark of the Covenant is captured.  The Ark of the Covenant is proof of the power of God because it contains the Ten Commandments written with the finger of God.  There is also a bowl of the miracle food that God provided to Israel while they were in the desert.  Finally, it also contains Aaron’s rod that, through a miracle budded in the desert. The ark was captured by the Philistines and they put it in a room with their gods, particularly Dagon, who is the fish god.  The next morning Dagon had been thrown down from his shelf and shattered.  Dagon, the idol lay in pieces on the ground, as God showed his power is beyond that of the idols.  God did that supernaturally.  He threw Dagon down supernaturally.  I believe that it’s time that some idols fell in our cities and nations.  Let’s cry out for a supernatural move of God.