Read Acts 2:1-21

Read Acts 2:1-21

2  When the day of Pentecost came, all the believers were gathered together in one place. ²Suddenly there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a strong wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire which spread out and touched each person there. ⁴They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.

5 There were Jews living in Jerusalem, religious people who had come from every country in the world. ⁶When they heard this noise, a large crowd gathered. They were all excited, because each one of them heard the believers speaking in his or her own language. ⁷In amazement and wonder they exclaimed, “These people who are talking like this are Galileans! ⁸How is it, then, that all of us hear them speaking in our own native languages? ⁹We are from Parthia, Media, and Elam; from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia; from Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰from Phrygia and Pamphylia, from Egypt and the regions of Libya near Cyrene. Some of us are from Rome, ¹¹both Jews and Gentiles converted to Judaism, and some of us are from Crete and Arabia—yet all of us hear them speaking in our own languages about the great things that God has done!” ¹²Amazed and confused, they kept asking each other, “What does this mean?”

13 But others made fun of the believers, saying, “These people are drunk!”

14 Then Peter stood up with the other eleven apostles and in a loud voice began to speak to the crowd: “Fellow-Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, listen to me and let me tell you what this means. ¹⁵These people are not drunk, as you suppose; it is only nine o’clock in the morning. ¹⁶Instead, this is what the prophet Joel spoke about:

¹⁷   ‘This is what I will do in the last days, God says:

I will pour out my Spirit on everyone.

Your sons and daughters will proclaim my message;

your young men will see visions,

and your old men will have dreams.

¹⁸   Yes, even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days,

and they will proclaim my message.

¹⁹   I will perform miracles in the sky above

and wonders on the earth below.

There will be blood, fire, and thick smoke;

²⁰         the sun will be darkened,

and the moon will turn red as blood,

before the great and glorious Day of the Lord comes.

²¹   And then, whoever calls out to the Lord for help will be saved.’

Think

When Jesus receives the Spirit at his Baptism, when the believers receive the Spirit at Pentecost the Spirit is a real force that moves from the outside in; in these cases visible in flames / like a dove.

The Spirit empowers Peter to preach; empowers the believers to speak in languages that foreigners understand.  This real power produces real results.

Pray

Lord, help me to remember that the power of your Holy Spirit is not imaginary, is not 'person driven' but is your real presence with me today.  Your power to transform, renew and use me for the sake of your Kingdom.