GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT || ACTS 2:1-13
THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER’S GIFT
If we read the Old Testament carefully, we will discover many places where God promises to send the Holy Spirit.
“Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, ‘Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he
, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the .’” —Acts 1:4-5 (NLT)
“‘Then, after doing all those things, I will
my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike.” —Joel 2:28-29 (NLT)
“And I will
you a new heart, and I will put a new in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.” —Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NLT)
LIFE-CHANGING PRAYER MEETING
We are told that after Jesus left the disciples, 120 of Jesus’ followers, which included the original 11 disciples and other men and women, met in the upper room of the place where the disciples were staying in Jerusalem. There in that upper room, they were together for about 10 days, where it says:
“They all met together and were constantly united in
….” —Acts 1:14 (NLT)
The disciples still did not fully comprehend what was to come, but they simply obeyed Jesus’ final instructions to them to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit is poured out. They were making themselves available to receive whatever this pouring out of the Holy Spirit would be.
THE OUTPOURING OF THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
God liberally poured out His Spirit on and into each and every one of those 120 followers of Jesus and their lives were never the same again. They were spiritually brought to life by the wind or the breath of the Holy Spirit.
“Jesus replied, ‘I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, “You must be
again.” The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.’” —John 3:5-8 (NLT)