“Peter replied, “‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
– Acts 2:38
Hi James and Ellen,
The day is sometime in late May or early June in 33 A.D. It is about 9:00 A.M. The city of Jerusalem’s streets are packed with Parthian, Mede, Elamite, Mesopotamian, Judean, Cappadocian, Asian, Pontus, Phrygian, Egyptian, Pamphylian, Libyan, Roman, Cretan and Arabian guys and gals who have a Jew heritage or who had been Gentiles who had converted to Judaism. Jews – who are God’s specially chosen guys and gals, and Gentile converts are in the city of Jerusalem to celebrate three feasts – the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Harvest and the Day of First Fruits. The three feasts – after the arrival of God – as God the Spirit, on planet Earth, have been rolled into a single day that is called Pentecost. This day is always the 50th day after the Passover week’s Sabbath day. Passover Week is a yearly celebration for the Israelite people group guys and gals – who have come to be known as Jews, for what took place in 1446 B.C. when an angel who God – as God the Father, sent to kill all firstborn boys and guys passed over their houses because they had – per Moses’ instructions, painted their door frames with lamb’s blood. Even though the required fast on Pentecost day is not to come to an end until 10:00 A.M, the city of Jerusalem’s streets are humming with activities. Jesus’ remaining eleven apostles along with their newly elected companion –who was Matthias, had gotten together in the city of Jerusalem to join in on the festivities. The twelve guys by 9:00 A.M. are teaching and preaching in a house in a temple district. Devout, God-fearing Jews and Gentile converts are intently listening to Jesus’ disciples as they fervently share their eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ miracles, wonders and signs along with Jesus’ horrifying death which per Jesus’ apostles, their audience is just as responsible for Jesus’ death as the wicked guys who had gleefully hung and nailed Jesus on and to a cross.
The day is suddenly interrupted by a sound that is coming from heaven of a violent, blusterous wind. The loud, mighty roar of the unseen wind completely fills the room where Jesus’ apostles have gotten together. The disciples stop talking. Fire appears. The fire separates into small tongues of flame that settle on the heads of the apostles. The apostles begin to speak. What the apostles are saying is being totally understood by all the guys and gals present in their native tongue. The guys and gals are amazed and perplexed. No one can explain what has just taken place. Misguided guys – who have no fear of God, begin to spread a rumor that the apostles have drunk too much wine. Peter speaks out for his fellow disciples. Peter tells all the guys who are listening to him that he is not drunk; that what they have just witnessed is God doing what Jesus said that He would do – which is to anoint and to fill His specially chosen and elected guys, gals and kids with the Holy Spirit after He . . . as Luke is recounting this day in what is now Acts 2, Luke had to have already internalized Peter’s words which are found in verse 38, “Peter replied, “‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Your grandpaa believes that at the moment that God – as God the Spirit, leads a guy, gal or kid to and through the faith/grace door to join the global family of Christ-follower guys, gals and kids that God – as God the Spirit, will impart or imbue in or on each guy, gal and kid manifestation gifts that will enable and empower each guy, gal and kid to always be able to reach out to God through God – as God the Spirit, as God – as God the Spirit, is everywhere just as the wind is, to always be able to resource the unlimited, awesome power that God – as God the Spirit, has which the deafening sound of a hurricane like wind represented and to sense a passion akin to a burning fire that is being kindled by God – as God the Spirit, to carry the Good News message of hope in God – as God the Son/Jesus Christ, to guys, gals and kids who have yet to . . .
When your grandpaa was in San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala this past June, two guys at different times met with the elected elders of the church that Antonio Muxnay ‘planted’ about four years ago in San Pablo La Laguna. These two guys at different times met with the elders of Antonio’s church to formally request their permission for them and for their families to join Antonio’s church. These two guys and their families per Antonio did not have a church home. These two guys had been influenced – per Antonio, by the interaction that the short term ministry teams – which your grandpaa was leading as a project leader, were having with the guys, gals and kids who were living in San Pablo. Because these guys knew that Antonio’s church was associated with these teams and because they saw guys and gals from churches in the United States modeling their born again faith in a joyful, caring way, they wanted to be and their families to be members of a Christ-follower community. The experiences that your grandmaa and grandpaa have had over the past 33 years or so with Latin America churches have led your grandpaa to think that a rural Latin America church is often much like an early New Testament church in the way that the guys, gals and kids who are in rural Latin America churches devote themselves to fellowshipping with each other, sharing what they have and praising God. Your grandpaa is convinced that because Antonio was grounded in the Word of God through intensive Bible classes, guys, gals and kids are continuing to be added in Antonio’s church.
Acts 2 (1093)