Easter and Christmas are special holidays because those are the times we celebrate the birth of Christ and Passover. Pentecost is just as important. It was the day the church was born, and it was born with fire. Acts 2:2.
Pentecost was one of the 7 feasts that Israel celebrated. The City of Jerusalem was filled with things about Christ's resurrection. Then the 12 disciples were up in the upper room in Jerusalem and they were praying with expectation. Now, Jesus had promised them the Holy Spirit. Matthew 3:11.
Jesus never baptized anyone in the Holy Spirit until he ascended. These disciples were not disappointed. John 1:33. The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove. John had discernment about this. John 14:26 and Acts 1:8.
These are just some of the scriptural promises they had. Jesus said, I've got to go back to the Father first. I've got to complete the work of the cross, and be glorified. The descent of the Holy Spirit was sudden. Cloven tongues hit them. God had a fire for them, and God still has a fire for us today.
As the Spirit of God filled them, they received the promises. The former rain and the latter rain was theirs. Now, there is a church that is arising in these end times that is going to be on fire. The Holy Spirit endues us from on High to complete his work and to overcome all opposition.
You don't have to be afraid of the devil, and you can get the promised blessings here in this world today. It is not by our power or might but by him. We've got too many churches trying to do it without his power. The disciples came out of that place on fire and began to preach. I believe they were rejoicing, dancing and shouting. The bible doesn't say that they were dancing and shouting but I know when the presence of the Holy Spirit is the midst of a congregation this is how the people react. These disciples were pricked in the heart and they knew how to preach to get a reaction from the people.
We can look back in Pentecostal periods like in the day of the great preacher, John Edwards in the second great awakening and see the same reaction. One woman grabbed hold of a pillar in the building because she was afraid this power was going to lift her off the ground. And as in today, some people don't understand when you begin to shout and cry and praise the Lord.
I praise and worship him in the spirit because one day the Lord passed by me and healed me and brought me from darkness into his marvelous light. This is foolishness from ordinary people. But you can not touch God through the intellect but must come through the spirit.
Spiritual things cannot be discerned by the natural man. This is that Joel the prophet spoke of when he said God would pour out his spirit upon the sons and daughters with power. People say, well I have an opinion about all this. Well, I don't have an opinion, I have the word on the matter. God said, I will show you miracles, signs and wonders.
Peter said, Jesus was raised up because the devil didn't have the power to hold him down. Well, Glory! Peter preached the cross and the Holy Spirit gave conviction power to that crowd that day on Pentecost and three thousand people were saved. The reason we don't see that today is because the message is wrong.
Peter's message was simple, he preached the gospel, and all of it, not just half of it like we see today. We're living in the dying hours of this world. Perilous times, a time that is difficult to deal with. You're not dealing with the dark spirits of the 1700's here. These spirits are powerful and determined because they know their days are numbered.
Let's take a closer look at what is going on in the world and in the churches and get some discernment of how the gospel has been lost.
1. World Is Dying Morally
Young people coming into the church doesn't even know what biblical morals are because we have become accepting of morals that are of the world. When you've got back stabbing Christians, gossipers, bad stewards, and sin up in the church. Young people see that and absorb that quicker than they do a Sunday School lesson. Its time for us older Christians to clean up because we are responsible to teach the younger Christians and the Lord will hold us responsible for that one day.
2. The World Is Dying Educationally
We got schools that teach evolution and deny our children of hearing the truth of God as the Creator of the Universe. That's not education, that's control over our children's minds. They are not allowed to all sides, but one side, and that is to cut God out of this nation starting with the education system, which are our children. We have a President that's telling our young teenagers its okay to go get an abortion.
We have fools teaching our children that there's no God and all that exist is some big bang. But we know now since DNA that even a single molecule has a pattern. Scientist now call it a divine intellect, and our children don't even know who this divine intellect is since the bible is banned from schools.
We're living in a society where our children have access through electronics to see and hear anything they wish and making it near impossible for parents to monitor. There is no honor to ministers, not even honor to his seat which God hath appointed.
The world is dying because men are lovers of pleasure and never able to come to knowledge of the spirit. Modern thinking will carry you to hell because God is left out and when he is left out so is truth.
3. This World Is Dying Religiously
Our churches are luke-warm. I know Pentecostals that the only fire they have is in their kitchen. You say you're saved but we see no change in you. Have you ever had a divine healing? Have you been set free from something? I remember the day I was set free, light clashed with darkness and I was changed and got up and turned my life around 180%. My old friends didn't recognize me anymore. I had different words on my tongue and the aroma of Christ was about my countenance.
We've got to stop preaching on partial gospel, but all of it. Peter said, Repent and be saved and receive the Holy Ghost. But you see people don't like preaching like was in the early church. But the Holy spirit is raising up a remnant that will preach and walk in the power of the Holy Ghost.
Change would come in the church if we would raise up some Jeremiah's with some backbone that was all about obedience and not the people. What gospel did Paul preach. He was preaching to rich Greeks. Oh they believed in God even in their sin. Paul preached repentance, a new way, new life in Christ, reborn in the spirit to King Agrippa.
The early church did preach repentance. You will fail with conviction of the people with preaching a half gospel. The church must get things back in order. Be careful not to apply the wrong faith doctrine. You can't talk your way into faith, but it comes through self reproach from sin and feeling sorry and contrite for your wrong. You will feel a desire to change direction and take steps to making a commitment and love for Christ. 11Corinthians 7:10.
Most people don't want to change their heart. But a change in the heart must take place at the altar. You have to experience a Bethel in your life. A place where God changes everything about you, the way you think, the way you act, the way you love and a whole new set of morals. Then people will turn and say, Wow, he's a new person.
The name means nothing if you've lost the fire and fallen out of love with Christ. We have to allow him to do an operation on our hearts. I'm not going to walk with the name Christian without the power of the Holy Ghost. You are a sitting duck for the devil. Because he is pouring out 3 powerful spirits upon this earth as the Holy Spirit is pouring out his enduement upon the sons and daughters.
Get a blazed and hear the mighty rushing of the wind. The disciples turned the religious world upside down and we need to do just that too. When the word has put a message up in your bones you can't help but talk about it.
You don't think your city can be saved. Paul preached to many sin filled cities and the people were changed. He preached that no liars, fornicators, back stabbers, gossipers, and dividers would inherit the Kingdom of heaven. When you've been washed a radical change occurs and you are not going to have these characteristics in you.
Ephesus was a city that worshiped the Goddess Diana. The power of word changed it. These are the days that God's word has told us about, the outpouring. Pentecostal power can change you and your city. The mission of the Holy Spirit is to testify of Jesus and the power of his blood.
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