Outpouring Of The Holy Spirit
Joel 2:28
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.”
I am writing this article just after Pentecost Sunday. It is amazing how this day is talked about very little today but in a way it is probably one of the most important days we should remember. The service at my church was very good on this subject. The minister spoke on the similarities between the Passover in 1440 BC at Mt. Sinai and Pentecost which was 50 days after Jesus Christ’s resurrection. “1. fiftieth day from Passover, i.e. the festival of “Pentecost” {G2250 being implied}” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance Pentecost.Feminine of the ordinal of pentekonta; fiftieth (hemera being implied) from Passover, i.e. The festival of “Pentecost” — Pentecost.”
In the first at Passover God came down and spoke through Moses to the Israelites who subsequently disobeyed God and 3,000 men died. In the second at Pentecost God’s Holy Spirit comes to earth to live in those who accept Jesus Christ and to empower them. When Peter spoke about Jesus his words were empowering. Subsequently about 3,000 men were empowered that day with the Holy Spirit. I found it interesting that the minister mentioned the similarities of the 2 events. They are: God comes down to earth, He makes a people a Holy nation, there are loud sounds, there is Holy fire, there is speech from Heaven, at the Passover people reject God and there are deaths, at Pentecost people accept God’s word and people receive the Holy Spirit, in the Passover only Moses goes to God, at Pentecost everyone who believes in Jesus receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit living in us is proof of our Salvation through Jesus Christ.
In Acts 2:1-4 it talks of what happened and notice that it says suddenly, like a mighty rushing. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” The four symbols of the Holy Spirit are:
1. Wind – a mighty wind,
2. Fire – purifying, brings the light of Jesus into us
3. Water – refreshment, cleansing
4. Oil – anointing and healing
The great Anglican Minister John Stott said, “As a body without breath is a corpse, so the church without the Spirit is dead.” A church and people without the Holy Spirit living in them is doomed. Jesus Christ is the breath of life and when we believe in Him the Holy Spirit gives us that life.
This Gospel of Jesus Christ is the same gospel today as it was from that time at Pentecost and it can change anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. This gift of the Holy Spirit is a wondrous event in people’s lives and we do not want to forget what happened at Pentecost. God’s Holy Spirit is with us today. I can’t help but wonder if we might experience another type of Pentecost from God before the return of Jesus Christ. Our church will be baptizing 10 people next Sunday and I have read and heard of a number of churches where people are being baptized in various places around the world. This is wonderful news. “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.” (Acts 2:38-40)
Could these verses from Joel be happening now? If so it is an exciting time to watch what God is doing with His people. “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.” (Joel 2:28-32). Pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We need this gift from God.
