Pentecost (May 24th) - 50 Days Easter to Pentecost
Pentecost (May 24th) – 50 days… Easter to Pentecost 7 weeks/7 topics
50 days… Easter to Pentecost 7 weeks/7 topics
Pentecost (May 24th) — In full expectation, Holy Spirit speak as we pray through Acts 2 – The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost and Peter’s reminder of Joel 2:28-32. — Join in praying with the body of Christ across the globe this day of Pentecost.
To Listen to Acts 2 or for a free download: https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/niv/Acts.2
Acts 2 Coming of the Holy Spirit
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord[a] in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The Crowd’s Response
And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”
Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”
Peter’s Sermon
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.
I will show wonders in heaven above
And signs in the earth beneath:
Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.’[b]
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.
I will show wonders in heaven above
And signs in the earth beneath:
Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.’[b]
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken[c] by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. For David says concerning Him:
‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face,
For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.
Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad;
Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.
For You will not leave my soul in Hades,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
You have made known to me the ways of life;
You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’[d]
For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.
Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad;
Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.
For You will not leave my soul in Hades,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
You have made known to me the ways of life;
You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’[d]
“Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,[e] he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
“For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
A Vital Church Grows
And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly[g] received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church[h] daily those who were being saved.
What God used Jesus to began, continues still to today. It has been said there is a real sense in which the Book of Acts continues to be written today. Not in an authoritative Scriptural sense; but in the sense of God’s continued work in the world by His Spirit, through His church. “The Acts of the Apostles should therefore be studied mainly for this double purpose: first, to trace our Lord’s unseen but actual continuance of his divine teaching and working; and, secondly, to trace the active ministry of the Holy Spirit as the abiding presence in the church.” “The ‘promise of the Father’ now became also the promise of the Son.” (A.T. Pierson)
Between the promise of the Messiah (even the latest of those promises) and his coming many ages intervened; but between the promise of the Spirit and his coming there were but a few days; and during those days the apostles, though they had received orders to preach the gospel to every creature, and to begin at Jerusalem, yet lay perfectly wind-bound, incognito—concealed, and not offering to preach. But in this chapter the north wind and the south wind awake, and then they awake, and we have them in the pulpit presently. This was to signify the powerful influences and operations of the Spirit of God upon the minds of men, and thereby upon the world, that they should be mighty through God, to the casting down of imaginations. (Matthew Henry)
___________________________________
Let us pray: Lord give a fresh, historic outpouring of the Holy Spirit, upon Your body of Christ. We ask You to pour out afresh, on International Orality Network and ION Partners, so that we might fulfill our call to Influence the body of Christ to make disciples of all oral learners. We are asking as we seek You, that we would Influence the body of Christ to bring the Gospel to those oral peoples, unengaged unreached people groups, and oral Bible-less who still wait to hear the saving message of Jesus Christ in a way that they can really understand and receive.
As we close out these 50 days of prayer, we ask for Global Positioning, for Next Generation -- "students and young adults", for Media-ization -- "getting the Story out" and for a Maintaining the centrality of all we do to be the Bible -- The WORD.
Just as it is written in Acts 2:17-21, Lord, we pray “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. Show us Your wonders, O Lord in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’"
Lord, give us a fresh, historic outpouring of the Holy Spirit, so that ION might fulfill the call. In this also we ask for a NEW anointing as we seek to Influence the body of Christ to make disciples of all oral learners. Lord bring the Gospel to all Oral Peoples, Unengaged Unreached People Groups, and Oral Bible-less who still wait to hear the saving message of Jesus Christ, in a way that they can REALLY understand and receive.
We rejoice as Pentecost begins at Sunset today. Lord send a fresh outpouring over Your body!
May this be our prayer for the body of Christ!
Join in praying for the body of Christ to recognize where we are and where God is drawing us to be into the future for Revelation 5:9 & 7:9. State of the World – Global Frontiers Missions via vimeo.com Watch at: https://vimeo.com/127875015
As sunset falls and Pentecost 2015 begins across the face of the earth, we pray united. . . May we be found faithful. . . continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. . . Amen
· The disciples did what they could do, relying first on God. Let us be people of the Word doing what we can do, relying first on God alone, that the world might hear and see His Story in a way that they might receive.
– Grateful for all who have been linking into the 50 Days of Prayer Pentecost Initiative. http://Orality.net/blog