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.

Shades of Grey

Grey is the absence of color, although grey is often called a color. In black and white photography there are shades of grey. A grey scale shows shades of grey from black to white. Spiritually there is a right and a wrong, truth and lies, good or evil. These are opposites as is black the opposite of white. Most live in the murky grey of compromise. When I rededicated my life to the Lord I was in a church that taught that there is good and evil and that we are not to mix them up. Without Jesus we would be lost in the murky grey of sin.

Rom 3:19  Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 

Rom 3:20  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 

Rom 3:21  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 

Rom 3:22  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

Rom 3:24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 

Randy the wounded goose stands before the grey of the pond. The pond is grey because the sky is grey. He watches the ripples caused by a gentle wind. The Greek word for spirit is pneumos, meaning wind.

John 3:7  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 

John 3:8  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 

We have a blue Jay called the Scrub Jay. It has blue feathers and a grey breast. A bluish grey is called a cool grey. Grey with hints of tan are called warm greys. The Lord has made good use of colors. Most any color goes with grey.  Grey or gray is the same word. The KJV Bible uses the spelling "gray". Old people have gray hair.

Pro 20:29  The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head. 

 The Robin has a grey top and a red breast. He is a warm grey color. My hair used to be a reddish brown, but I noticed a few years back that the barber started putting gray hair on the floor. Was he getting it from a bag just to trick me? We will all get gray if we live long enough. I am still young in spirit. Jesus keeps us young.

Eaglewings Ministries

Faces in wood

On this mid morning walk I looked for 

faces in the trees. 

I am sharing them with you to see if you see them too.

Cecil is a familiar face on the main trail. Artists have decorated him for all to see.

Exo_33:11  And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. 

An eye stares at me; this whale of a tree.

Mat 12:40  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 

Another dragon or is it an alligator?

Psa 91:13  Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. 

Psa 91:14  Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 

Do you see the elephant?

You tell me this story? 

An ax in wood and an arm and hand 

reaching through a hole in a limb. 

Now where did I leave that axe?

Mat 3:10  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 

The wind blows a strange spirit through the woods. The reflective pond is stirred up. Maybe you will be stirred up to visit the woodland or river trails? It was such a good breezy and warm day that I pushed my wife around the trail in a wheelchair to see the many things God has made. 

Come join us.

Windy woods

Wind and rain today and soft cloud light. 

Some trees same to have a spirit about them.

Rev 2:7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. 

The word for spirit is pneuma, meaning wind. 

Some winds are destructive bringing down limbs.

1Ki 19:11  And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: 

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. 

These oak balls were broken like eggs when the limb broke off. Oak balls are caused by the larva of the gall wasp; somewhat like a grain of sand in an oyster producing a pearl in defense, the oak tree makes the oak ball as a defense. The Indians ground them up and used them to treat wounds. They are high in tannic acid. They also were used  to tan leather.

Act 10:30  And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 

Act 10:31  And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. 

Act 10:32  Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee. 

Now where did this scraggly steer wander in from?

Isa 11:7  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 

This tree could make a tapestry design.

Pro 7:16  I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. 

A bit of manipulation and a Chinese tree appears. 

A cross represents the Chinese Christians from the light of the son. Rainy days make for creative thoughts?

Mat 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Rain Coming

A Mickey Mouse shaped cloud earlier in the week

floated by. It looked like rain clouds were coming to make an end to our hot dry summer. Autumn begins tomorrow.

1Ki 18:44  And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. 

1Ki 18:45  And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. 

The whirligigs twirl in the wind;

 a storm may be coming.

Pro 25:14  Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain. 

 I ordered a cord of firewood that was delivered

this morning and dumped on my driveway.

Pro 26:20  Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.

I remember my hard working mother. I would deliver her firewood at their ranch and as fast as I could unload it she would stack it.  As soon as I had finished stacking the wood, it began to rain. I thanked the Lord for waiting for me to finish.

Psa 128:1  A Song of degrees. Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. 

Psa 128:2  For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. 

Psa 128:3  Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. 

Psa 128:4  Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD. 

Raindrops on pools are beautiful; the sounds, the smell and the many little circles of raindrops are evidence of rain.

Rain has come to bring an end to summer.

Deu 11:13  And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, 

Deu 11:14  That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. 

The little butterfly has drowned in the pool, a tiny flower marks her passing. On the river the tree swallows search for bugs in the water in the rain. Up and down the river hundreds of them dart along the flowing water in search of bugs. Another recurring memory of the rain.

Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 

Mat 18:5  And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 

Mat 18:6  But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 

Are you a child of God, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ?