The Holy Spirit Given.

Suddenly a sound from heaven, a sound like that of a heavy, unexpected gust of wind filled the house where everyone was sitting. Out of thin air appeared a flame of fire split in two parts, not just one flame but as many as there were people in the house. The fiery flames touched each person and as they were touched they were instantly filled with the Holy Spirit and opened their mouths. What came out of their mouths though, wasn't their own language but that of other people, other lands. What glorious things they were speaking in the voice given them by the Spirit of God. Unable to contain themselves they continued to speak the words of God even as others surrounded them.  These others were Godly men, Jewish men, who had come to Jerusalem from all over the world where they had been born. Shocked to hear their own countries languages being spoken they couldn't believe these people of Galilee were able to do so, they never had been able to speak like this before! What made this miracle possible? For it was a miracle to be able to hear these words of God spoken by unlearned men and women in their native tongues. What was the meaning of the miracle?

The Apostle Peter stood up among the people, and the eleven other apostles stood with him. Peter called out loudly so all could hear..

'These men are NOT drunk.' 

Some had been laughing and chalking it all up to the people being drunk from new wine. Had they stopped for a moment and really thought logically about it, no amount of wine, new or old, consumed early or late in the day could cause anyone to know, let alone speak in another person's language. At best the drunk person might speak gibberish- which if truth be told, most languages you don't know do sound like a bunch of gibberish. The one whose language it is however, can comprehend every single word of the gibberish others hear and that person knows it's not a drunken babbling.

Peter continued speaking. "All of you listen to what I have to tell you! It's too early for anyone to be drunk. What you are witnessing is prophecy being fulfilled! The prophet Joel told us that in the last days God said He would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. He told us that sons and daughters would speak prophecies and young men would see visions, old men would dream dreams, servants and maidens would be filled with the Spirit and speak prophecy. Wonders from heaven above and signs in the earth below- blood, fire, smoke, and the sun turned dark, the moon blood and all this would occur before the great and notable day of the LORD comes.  And whoever would call upon the name of the LORD would be saved!

Read all this from God's word-

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

Act 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. 

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

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

Act 2:5  And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 

Act 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. 

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

Act 2:8  And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 

Act 2:9  Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 

Act 2:10  Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 

Act 2:11  Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. 

Act 2:12  And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 

Act 2:13  Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. 

Peter's Sermon at Pentecost

Act 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: 

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

Act 2:16  But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 

Act 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: 

Act 2:18  And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 

Act 2:19  And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 

Act 2:20  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 

Act 2:21  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

More on this tomorrow by the GRACE of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!