“Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us – to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 (HCSB)
When Jesus was baptized the heavens opened up, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, and the Father spoke (Matthew 3:16). This is important to take note. From this moment onward, the Holy Spirit never left Jesus. It was because Jesus walked with the Father and the Holy Spirit filled Him that He was able to do miracles. Jesus had laid aside His deity when He became a flesh and blood Man (Philippians 2:6-8). What makes this so significant is that the same Holy Spirit that filled and empowered Jesus, and rose Him from the dead, is in us (Ephesians 1:18-20). John the Baptist had said of Jesus that He would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11)!
When Jesus returned to His Father in heaven, He promised to send the Holy Spirit upon His followers so that they could do what He did, and even greater works (John 14:12).
So, as the 120 waited in the Upper Room, you got to wonder what they were expecting. After all, when the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus He came as a dove, which would have been their frame of reference. But instead of a gentle dove lighting upon each one of them, on the Day of Pentecost we are told that indeed the heavens were opened. In fact, they were torn asunder, with sound of a violent wind accompanied by fire and the Holy Spirit! And He filled every one of them who were waiting. And it was evidenced by the speaking in tongues (yep, they all spoke in tongues!), the boldness that came upon Peter, and the thousands of converts! The testimony says that people from all over Jerusalem who there for the feast came running to see what was happening. The sound was the Holy Spirit accompanied by an army of angels, not the 120 people shouting in different tongues. It says that a crowd gathered and were bewildered (Acts 2:6), that they were utterly amazed (2:7), that they were amazed and perplexed (2:12). The Holy Spirit came loudly, in a bizarre manner, so much so that some people made fun of it (2:13). Then imagine this, Peter, the one who denied Christ three times, stood up and raised his voice above the chaos and noise of this huge crowd (2:14), and preached a no-compromise message, including that these folks present were responsible for Jesus’ death (2:23). That day 3000 people became followers of Jesus. Btw, more than 3000 people were impacted that day!
Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to His disciples. He said for them to wait for the promised Empower-or, and on Pentecost the heavens were ripped apart. The Holy Spirit came and turned the world upside down. And He has been doing the same since. The Holy Spirit has come, and He is coming in revival power! He has never left! All of us who are born again (John 3) have the Holy Spirit, and each of us need to be filled continually. But more is coming! Don’t limit God the Father, Jesus the Son or the Holy Spirit, to what He has done before, or how you have experienced Him before. A new sound, a new fire, a new mantle, a new move of God is upon us. Wait, pray and invite Him to do it again in our day as He has promised! Ask Him to fill you and prepare you to be a vessel of this coming outpouring. Ask Him to prepare your pastor, your church and the churches across our city!
