Ascending - Day 3

On this final day, like you, I am absolutely thrilled and totally overjoyed to be given these precious moments of learning. This is a time when we are being given all we need by the Holy Spirit, to grow more and more in Christ Jesus, to be His genuinely, perfect witnesses.

Having looked with deeper, convicting and convincing eyes and ears at what transpired at the Transfiguration of Jesus, we are totally silenced. When we hear Jesus telling Peter, James and John, after such a once in a lifetime experience, these words, we marvel with divine wonder. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. Mark 9: 9. When we are told, They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant, our minds and hearts are with them.

We understand that it meant that Jesus had to first know Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension, so that He could come again in Pentecostal Power, for the transformation of Peter, James and John, and all His disciples. Indeed, the fact is that unless Jesus had been raised from the dead, in every single one of them, their witnessing and telling of His Transfiguration, would be to no avail.

As with the three witnesses to Jesus’ Transfiguration, so too, with the transforming of over one hundred witnesses - Jesus’ disciples - on that first Pentecost occasion. Their Lord came to them in the Indwelling Holy Spirit. Does this not lift you in spirit and truth? Look! Think about it! I know that you will not just be touched by this, but you will be changed, transfigured, in many ways, both within and without.

Our Holy Spirit is marvellous and only He can bring such transformation in us, mere mortals.

We surrender to You, O Divine Paraclete. Amen!

Now here are the three.

Sight – They saw something. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. Acts 2: 3

Sound – They heard a sound. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. Acts 2: 2

Speech – They spoke in different tongues. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2: 4

Where are we in this? We too must have the personal witness of sight, sound and speech, before we are able to tell anyone about Pentecost. Remember, it is with the transfiguration of all of us, with Pentecostal Power that we are perfectly able to be powerful and true witnesses of Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, ascended and returned.

We too, must know in our quickened earthly bodies:

Sight – Are we able to identify and see the Holy Spirit in us in His many different forms? Here is what I mean. Anger is not something tangible as an apple is tangible, for instance, yet we can see anger in us. Is that not true? In the same way, can we see the Holy Spirit in us?

Sound – Are we able to recognize and hear the Holy Spirit in us? This is what I mean. Wind has no voice as it cannot sing as a nightingale sings, for example, yet we can hear its voice. Is that not true? In the same way, can we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit in us and outside of us?

Speech – Are we able to discern, hear and speak the Holy Spirit’s language in us? Listen to what I mean. Peter, an ordinary disciple, does not know the mind and mouth or tongue of the Spirit. However, when Jesus asked a question and he answered, Jesus recognized the tongue of the Spirit and tells Peter that what he just spoke was nothing of human – flesh and blood - knowledge, but everything of Spiritual revealing and enabling. Is that not true? In the same way, we can hear the Holy Spirit in us and speak His speech.

If Jesus, Son of Man has risen from the dead in your mortal bodies, yes, if Christ Jesus, through your Pentecostal experience, has transfigured you in word, thought and deed, then you can go and tell, all that you have personally witnessed and tell it all in the Spirit’s tongue, all that you have seen and heard.

Tomorrow is Pentecost!