Wednesday February 08th, 2023
Meditate on: Acts 2:2NKJV
”And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.”
Read: Acts 2:1-18 New Living Translation (NLT)
1 On the day of Pentecost the believers were meeting together in one place.
2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting.
3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.
4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages,as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
5 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem.
6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.
7 They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee,
8 and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages!
9 Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia,
10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome
11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!”
12 They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other.
13 But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, “They’re just drunk, that’s all!”
14 Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this.
15 These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that.
16 No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel:
17 ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.
18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike— and they will prophesy.
Understand:
the Holy Spirit can move massively, so massively that you would even think there is a storm.
In Exodus 14:21, when Moses lifted his hand across the Red Sea, the Bible says the east wind blew all night, massively, until the Red Sea parted. Moses described it thus in Exodus 15:8 GNT :
« You blew on the sea and the water piled up high; it stood up straight like a wall; the deepest part of the sea became solid. »
Now, while the speedy move of the Holy Spirit within a man is to work miracles, the massive move of the Holy Spirit is to birth an unusual passion for the things of God such that you will bear and do anything for the sake of the gospel.
When the massive wind hit the Red Sea, the water received unusual strength such that the flood stood upright as a heap. When a timid person like Peter preached to thousands of people such that three thousand people surrendered their lives to Christ, you know the wind of the Holy Spirit has moved massively. Acts 5:29 Coping Words
« Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, ‘we are compelled to obey God rather than human authority ‘ »
This was Peter- the formerly timid Peter, speaking boldly to the rulers of the city. Something within him- a force that was pushing him to do whatever was required for God, had strengthened him greatly.
Oh, how I wish Christians of today can catch that fire!
Christians today are too careful for their lives.
No one wants to go on a missionary trip again, no one is willing to take the gospel to war-torn areas where it is really needed; we prefer to stay in our comfort zones and talk about Jesus from there.
Many of us these days cannot preach the gospel in the face of the slightest opposition, allowing and even partaking of atrocities because we are afraid of what people will say if we oppose them.
God has not given us the spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).
Reflection: Is there a limit to how far you can go for the gospel? Break that limit today.
Author: Pst E. A. Adeboye.
Edited by Naomie
Freely you received, freely you must give (Math 10:8) , kindly share this devotion, and the Lord will bless you for it ♥
