Pentecostal Pastor &
Bibleteacher T. J.
de Ruiter in
The Netherlands
"And they were all
filled with the Holy
Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance."
Acts 2:4
Introduction
In the book of the Acts of the apostles chapter 2, we read of the wonderful, supernatural experience of the first disciples of Jesus as they received the power of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus had promised they would receive; Luke 24:48 and Acts 1:8.
They had followed Jesus in His
ministry, had
heard
His teachings and seen the many wonderful healings of the sick and the
many deliverances from satanic powers. They had witnessed His
resurrected
life and had been totally convinced that He was indeed the one that had
been crucified and had died. They had witnessed Jesus going back to
heaven,
had seen Him actually rising up from the surface and disappearing in a
cloud high in the sky. Before He went He had commanded them to preach
the
Gospel to all creatures. But before they started with their mission to
tell the world about Him they were to receive the power of the Holy
Spirit.
And power they needed! For how could they with their shattered dreams
about
the kingdom with the Messiah (read Acts 1:6) think of starting with a
successful,
dynamic proclamation of a message that would save people and
change
the nations?
At Pentecost in Jerusalem
It was the Jewish feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem, probably in the year 33 A.D. The disciples of Jesus were together as they had been doing during the previous days and weeks. They were praising God, praying and discussing the task that was before them, to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ. But they did not have a clue as how they should start with it. They had to wait for power; so Jesus had told them.
Suddenly, there came from above them the sound of a terrific storm, the whole house was filled with it and it was even heard in the street. There appeared tongues of fire - was it a kind of electric fire? - the flames of which settled on the head of each one them. But most important of all they felt a tremendous surge of power within them and an uncontrollable urge to speak. And as they began to speak they uttered sounds they themselves did not understand. The experience was truly overwhelming, ecstatic and the power to speak and praise was irresistable. Suddenly they knew it: This was the power that Jesus had promised; it was wonderful!
In the meantime people began to
enter the
house.
On the streets there was a vast crowd from all parts of the Roman
Empire,
wondering what was happening here. They were absolutely bewildered and
began to ask questions and to criticize the strange behaviour of the
disciples.
Many had come from far to celebrate Pentecost in Jerusalem and they had
learned to speak the foreign language of the nation where they were
living.
It was amazing because they understood what the disciples were saying
for
they heard them speak about the goodness and the greatness of God in
their
own foreign language. It was truly miraculous what was happening here!
Why the sound of a wind and tongues of fire?
The sound of a mighty wind was undoubtedly a symbolic manifestation of the spiritual, powerful arrival of the Spirit of God. As we know, the Hebrew word 'Ruach'' and the Greek word 'pneuma' can both be understood as breath, air, wind and spirit. Spirit is used to describe the being of God, as neither physical nor material. Jesus said about God, 'He is Spirit,' (John 4:24). In John chapter 3 Jesus gave a lesson on the need for sinful man to be born from above. He said that the saving renewal of man is the work of the Spirit of God. He also said that as man cannot control the wind, so he cannot control the Spirit of God; we can only obey and use the wind and the Spirit of God. And this was exactly what happened on that day in Jerusalem and always happens when the Spirit truly works in man to regenerate him and falls upon believers giving them supernatural power, as Church History shows us..
The tongues as of fire that appeared were undoubtedly symbolic for the dynamic, holy and divine empowering of the spirit, mind, soul and body of the apostles for their ministry in the name of Jesus, proclaiming Him as Saviour and Lord. The Bible has recorded in the Gospels that John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah, had prophesied some thirty three years before this outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost that the Messiah would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire! Truly, this prophecy was fulfilled on this Pentecost in Jerusalem (Luke 3:16).
Christians should always be
filled with the
Spirit
and serving the Lord, as the apostle Paul encourages believers in his
letter
to the Ephesians. In Romans 12:11 he encourages Christians to be
fervent
(fiery) of spirit. Our present day use of 'enthusiasm,' which
originally
meant in the Greek language 'with the godhead in you' could very well
be
used for Christians who have experienced this baptism with the Holy
Spirit
and know His power for serving Christ. All who truly want to serve
Christ
in bearing testimony of Jesus, preaching and teaching the Gospel,
should
do this empowered by the Holy Spirit.
The power of the Holy Spirit in action!
The apostle Peter gave that same day the Spirit fell his first message about Christ, His identity and the salvation He wanted to give to all men and three thousand people accepted Christ as their Saviour!
The book of the Acts of the apostles has recorded the first deeds of the apostles. Their preaching was effective, the sick were healed and demon possessed people - we would call them today insane, lunatics, psychiatric patients, were delivered and totally healed. People involved in witchcraft, occult, paranormal and other practices recognized the danger and darkness of these things and got free from them by faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of the Most High God. We read in the book of Acts that the apostles reached all areas of the Roman Empire and from other historic sources we know that they even travelled beyond the borders of that Empire, reaching peoples with the Gospel and establishing churches.
And all down through the
centuries, up to our
present days, we read and hear of supernatural signs and wonders that
accompany
the preaching and teaching of the Gospel: Sick are miraculously healed
sometimes to great amazement of physicians, foreign and unknown
languages
are spoken without having studies them, just by spontaneous inspiration
and demons are cast out, unsane people become wonderfully sane. All
these
wonderful blessings can only be ascribed to the power of the Holy
Spirit,
that enables believers to do things that are quite impossible for
humans
in their own strength and abilities.
What is this baptism with the Holy Spirit?
This is an important question. It is an empowering that cannot be rationally explained or understood. It is an empowering from above - read Acts 1:8 - coming from the heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ (read John 14). The supernatural power operates through humans in the physical sphere and world.
Why is this experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit called a baptism? A comparison with a baptism in water may help to understand it a little: Just as in baptism in water the person is immersed in it and totally surrounded by water so is the experience of the baptism with the Spirit a 'spiritual immersion' in His presence and power. That's the reason why it is called a 'filling with the Spirit.' It is very interesting to know that the Greek verb for baptizing 'baptizô' could also convey the meaning of 'overpowering, ' or 'being extremely overwhelmed.' And truly, when we read the account of the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 we cannot escape the conclusion that the apostles were overpowered - some people even thought that they had drunk too much wine that early in the morning!
But let me make clear that the personal experience of the baptism with the Holy Spirit varies from believer to believer. Therefore I give the advice not to look or crave for a certain kind of experience or a certain kind of manifestation, but just to open yourself by faith in Jesus Christ and be receptive for Him, the Holy Spirit of God.
There is one more part of Scripture, I like to refer to, John 7:37-39. Jesus invited people to come to Him to drink of the water of life. It must have been a hot and exhausting feast day in Jerusalem, people must have been searching for water. Then the apostle John who wrote this Gospel years later, added to this invitation: "This He said of the Spirit, which was then not yet given for Jesus was not yet glorified." He wrote his comment after He had experienced the baptism with the Spirit and seen and felt the life-giving power of the Spirit. Then He know what Jesus had been talking about!
The dynamic power of the Holy Spirit is available for you too
Dear reader, do you personally know (by experience) what Jesus had been talking about that day in Jerusalem? Do you truly believe in Jesus as your Saviour? Are you thirsty for the life of refreshing and power that He wants to give to all who believe in Him? Have you not received the filling with the power of the Holy Spirit and do you not yet experience that life-giving stream, that will not only satisfy you but others also? If not, then come first to the sin cleansing stream of Calvary, where Jesus poured out His blood and life as the sacrifice for the forgiveness of your guilt and the atonement of your soul with the Almighty God. Then, after you believe in total cleansing and forgiveness, ask for the power of the Spirit, for the live giving stream that will not only satisfy you completely, but make you overflow so that others will be blessed and filled too.
Please read now: How to receive the filling (Baptism) with the Holy Spirit~~~~~~~~
A question or information? Contact: Pastor T. J. de Ruiter