Peter after Pentacost...Acts 2:14-21

 Peter after Pentacost

Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

Listen to me, hear what I have to say.We should notice that the speaking in tongues stopped when Peter began to preach. The Holy Spirit now worked through Peter’s preaching and would not work against Himself through tongues at the same time.

There is a remarkable change in Peter. He has courage and boldness that is a complete contrast to his denials of Jesus before being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Peter was speaking boldly

1 Pet 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Acts 2:15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

It is too early in the day to be drunk, drunkeness is of the night.

Acts 2:16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; Peter announces the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel, partial fulfillment.

This focus on God’s Word did not quench the moving of the Holy Spirit; it fulfilled what the Holy Spirit wanted to do. All the signs and wonders and speaking in tongues were preparing for this work of God’s Word. The Spirit does not call attention to himself, but to Jesus and his word.

The word of God and the Holy Spirit t are the power of God to transform a life. They work together, not apart. The word without the spirit may be dry. The Spirit without the word, may be empty emotion. We need the spirit and the word, then peoples lives are changed and new people are born into the kingdom of God.

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

It was the beginning of the last days. Messiah Jesus had finished the work of redeeming a people from satan's power. Now he was expected to come at anytime to establish his millennial kingdom on earth. These are the last days in expectation of the kingdom.

The promise was the Holy Spirit to be poured out on all flesh. Male and female, boy and girl, Jew or non Jew. The spirit was no longer just to come upon them for a season, as in the Old Testament. Now, he would be poured out in ministry to others. The Holy Spirit remains with the believer.

... and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

God will speak through the spirit of prophecy to young and old male and females. Those who limit the speaking of women in church, must remember this prophecy. Men are not more spiritual than women, but men are given authority in the church to lead, as well as in the home.

Acts 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Acts 2:19 And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
Acts 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Jew and gentile shall be saved.

Pentacost Acts 2:1-7

 Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

Pentecost was a Jewish feast held fifty days after Passover; it was a time of celebration for the first-fruits of the harvest.

At Passover, the first sheaf to be reaped from the barley harvest was presented to God; but at Pentecost, the firstfruits of the wheat harvest were given to God. Therefore, Pentecost is called the day of firstfruits (Numbers 28:26) Also, Jewish tradition taught that Pentecost commemorates the day when the Law was given to Israel; the feast was sometimes called by the Jews shimchath torah, or "joy of the law"

So on Pentecost, Israel received the Law, and the Church received the Spirit of Grace in fullness

All in unity together seeking God.

Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

The word for Spirit is also "wind", a mighty rushing wind filling all the upper room. Is this the fan of Jesus separating the wheat from the chaff? Or is this a new life breathed into born again believers? Perhaps both and more.

Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Mat 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Acts 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

The baptism of fire as in Mat 3:11...he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

The idea behind the picture of fire is usually purification, as fire is used by a refiner to make pure gold, or as it can burn away that which is temporary, to leave that which is lasting. This is an excellent illustration of the principle that the filling of the Holy Spirit is not just for power, but for purity.

Under the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit rests upon God's people as individuals - the tongues of fire sat upon each of them.

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

How many were filled with the Holy Ghost and spake with other tongues? One hundred twenty were in one accord and were speaking in recognizable languages as the spirit gave them utterance.

tongues - the language or dialect used by a particular people distinct

utterances - to speak forth, speak out, say

Acts 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
Acts 2:6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

A crowd quickly gathered, being attracted by this sound (either the rushing mighty wind or the speaking in other tongues); when they came they heard the Christians speak in their own foreign languages; apparently the Christians could be heard from the windows of the upper room, or they went out onto some kind of balcony or into the temple courts.

What better way to show the presence of Gods Spirit in the hearts of the people, then to speak edifying words of God in each language. This was a reversal of what happened at the tower of Babel. There all were confounded and confused speaking in languages no one understood.

Acts 2:7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

Galileans were not known to be educated men or good speakers.

Burned up

We enjoyed our fireplace on this cold rainy day. We were thrilled that the Lord brought rain to our drought. 

Isa 41:17  When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. 

Isa 41:18  I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. 

There  is the fire of God's judgment. This is the final test of the worth of our life's service.

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 

1Co 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 

1Co 3:13  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 

1Co 3:14  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 

1Co 3:15  If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 

This is the judgment of the saved for rewards. For even if all is burned up, our soul shall be saved. Saved by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and not works done. What a shame to have made Jesus our Lord and yet have no fruit to show; no rewards received. Let no man be your judge, but hear the gentle voice of God and follow him.

Eaglewings Ministries

Meeting God in darkness

When I read Exodus 20:21 where it said that Moses " drew near unto the thick darkness where God was." I thought to myself, does God dwell in darkness? God is light and truth, no darkness in him. I had to go back to Exodus 19 and read more. God appeared in a cloud, the glory cloud of God. I have seen dark clouds, full of rain; then there was fire on the mountain and smoke. In the natural I thought of a volcano with dense smoke, but this was more than a natural occurrence. God was there, in the darkness. All the people feared at his presence and would not come near because they were unclean and lacking in faith. Moses went into the cloud and the darkness of smoke on the mountain to speak with the angel of God. 

Exo 19:9  And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD. 
Exo 19:10  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, 
Exo 19:11  And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. 
Exo 19:12  And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: 
Exo 19:13  There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount. 
Exo 19:14  And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. 
Exo 19:15  And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives. 
Exo 19:16  And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. 
Exo 19:17  And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. 
Exo 19:18  And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. 
Exo 19:19  And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. 
Exo 19:20  And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. 
Exo 19:21  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish. 

Exo 20:18  And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. 
Exo 20:19  And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. 
Exo 20:20  And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. 
Exo 20:21  And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. 

The people were not able to touch the holy mountain when God's presence was there. Moses had gone up and he had received the law. Moses spoke to the people that God was proving or testing them, for they had little faith. Because they were lacking in faith God gave Moses laws to guide them until faith was formed in their hearts. As believers by faith in Jesus Christ we will be tested. Darkness will come to us, but God is in the darkness to show us something. He is there with us to bring us through. Sanctify yourselves, cleanse yourself by confessing your sins and stay close to the presence of God. It is a good thing to fear God, but by being in Jesus we may come boldly into his presence.

Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 
Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 
Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 

Fire

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

John 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 

John 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 

Fire is a consumer. The Bible speaks of evil souls cast into the fire where they are not consumed. I see things as I look at the fire, perhaps just my imagination. Do you see things in these fire images?

Mat 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 


Rev 21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. 

Mic 3:10  They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. 

Mic 3:11  The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us. 

Mic 3:12  Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest. 

The LORD told Micah to speak his words. The people want to hear prophets with easy words and there is no repentance.

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 

Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 

Rom 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 

Rom 8:4  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 

Snow

It snowed in the night, our once a year snow. The persimmon tree has a cold blanket to hasten their ripening.

A Hummingbird rests on a holly branch, waiting for the feeder to thaw out. 

Lemons do not do well in freezing weather. Once they freeze, then they will die. Time to pick lemons.

A hot fire in the fireplace is a welcome sight. Watching the flames dart around, the smell of smoke, the cracking of the logs in the fire, and the warm fire reminds me of times past. Perhaps a campfire at a park or beach, or just the family together in the living room sipping hot tea or coffee. Memories are so much better when Jesus is in them.

John 21:9  As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. 

John 21:10  Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. 

John 21:11  Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. 

Joh 21:12  Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. 

John 21:13  Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. 

John 21:14  This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. 

We hear God

Some prefer a list of do's and don'ts and someone giving them rules to live by, instead of walking in the liberty given in  Jesus Christ. It takes hearing and responding to the Holy Spirit to be in perfect liberty and to keep from sin. Our liberty should not cause a weaker brother to stumble.

Jas 1:23  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
Jas 1:24  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
Jas 1:25  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

A minister on the radio was saying that God speaks to us all the time. Are we too busy to hear or do we think it is our voice we hear? People like to say that "God told me" when it comes to giving someone else advice, but how about our own actions? Are we obeying the voice of God?  Are we willing to do things that are too hard for us to do? The LORD can work through us if we trust him. He will not go against his word, so most of our hearing should come from reading his word. Maybe he is telling us when we are doing our own thing, that we need to read his word? 

1Ki 19:12  And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

After so much happens, the still small voice is heard. I suppose the LORD must do some things to get our attention? Often we hear his voice telling us to do what he has already told us to do. We are to respond to what we already know to do for he loves us. Do you feel his love?

The Spy

I picked a persimmon that looked like a cartoon spy.

There are good spies and bad spies.

Num 13:17  And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain: 

Num 13:18  And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many; 

A spy should be "cut out" for his job.

Num 13:30  And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. 

Spies must not fall apart , nor be fearful.

Num 13:31  But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. 

Num 13:32  And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. 

Num 13:33  And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Who knows, there may be a spy around us. In communist countries the government had spies and even children accused their parents. It will be this way in the end times.

Mat 10:21  And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 

Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 

We all may be be put to the heat. Will we be faithful?

1Co 3:13  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 

1Co 3:14  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 

If we survive the heat and are true, 

we shall come forth as gold. 

1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 

1Pe 1:8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 

Sons of thunder

Luk 9:51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
Luk 9:52 And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.
Luk 9:53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
Luk 9:54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
Luk 9:55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
Luk 9:56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

Mar 3:17 And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:

The "sons of thunder" wanted to bring fire down from heaven, like Elijah did to show the power of God to the Baal worshipers. Jesus corrected them, because this was not his purpose in coming. It was the time to seek and to save the lost, not to condemn and destroy them. That destructive spirit is not of the Holy Spirit. The purpose of his coming the first time is still his purpose for us today. We are not to condemn and destroy people because they upset us with their behavior, or rejection of us. We are to give them the gospel truth and pray for them to be saved. Is this your purpose? Or are you a son of thunder? At the second coming of Jesus, those who reject him will be removed, but at this time it is still the age of grace.

Follow the cloud

Num 9:15 And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning.
Num 9:16 So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
Num 9:17 And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.
Num 9:18 At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents.
Num 9:19 And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not.
Num 9:20 And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the LORD they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed.
Num 9:21 And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.
Num 9:22 Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed.

A cloud by day and fire by night, led the people of Israel for forty years through the wilderness to the promise land. If they would have obeyed God they could have gone into the promise land in nine days.,

The Holy Spirit guides the Christian today. We must be sensitive to his leading. He may move in the natural as the cloud and fire were seen by Israel, but usually he moves in our hearts by his spirit. Lacking faith we may take forty years to learn to obey him. I remember how close Jesus was in those early times of my conversion. Many can remember experiences of his presence at salvation, but do you experience his presence today?

Act 2:38 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.
Act 2:39 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.
Act 2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Act 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Act 2:43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
Act 2:44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

Where the Spirit leads there is unity and peace.