Wait Then Woosh
Jesus tells the faithful to wait in Jerusalem for the baptism of the Holy Spirit before He departs. They could have started trying out who should be the next leader, but they didn't.
Then, 50 days after Jesus was murdered, (but arose and is now interceeding for them/us at the throne of God) the Holy Spirit descends on them all... 120 freshly baptized believers... all at once, all together, all in the same place, as witnesses of each other's baptisms.
Never AGAIN is this to happen: from now on it will be some here, some there, and always with someone present who will either lay their hands on them and/or be preaching the word/worshipping God when the individual or group is baptized with the presence of the Spirit.
Here, the freshly empowered church is given The Spiritual Gift, the presence of the Holy Spirit, and they spill out into the world and about 3,000 were added to them that day, fulfilling the reverse of the first Pentecost when fire swallowed up 3,000 Israelites in the wilderness. Fire to cleanse and fire to empower: so that the world may know God's salvation.
Recommended study: "The Spiritual Gifts", Mel Blackaby, and the workbook, with his son co-authoring.
--the Kirton Drawn Back -artistic outreach & Y.M.
www.kirtondrawnback.org
Created over 1 year ago
