Pentecostal Witnessing

Our minds are being vigorously refreshed regarding what was stated about our Lord Jesus Christ, at the end of yesterday’s offering. We were told that only the Lord Himself, our Teacher, can breathe truth upon us and open our minds to the realities of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. So what are some of these realities? May we all be made free to receive.

Holy Spirit, You have not left us alone to grope in the darkness. Thank You for Your enabling power. Amen!

We have already agreed and hold fast to the fact that the Holy Spirit is One and the same Spirit. We have also been settled on the truth that at Pentecost, the Gift of Promise of the Father, which is the Gift of the Holy Spirit, was given. He came on the disciples, in order to give them power to be Jesus’ witnesses. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.  Acts 1: 8. We can safely accept this response to our ever-present question about the Holy Spirit on the night of resurrection and the giving of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

Today we look at what many of us already know very well, yet my admission may be the admission of some others, also. I refer to the account of the first Pentecostal outpouring in the Acts of the Apostles. I have heard it umpteen times, yet I hear it in this time, as though I have never heard it. I have read this account so many times, that I can recite most of it by heart. Amazingly, I read it in this time called now, and I see what I have never seen before. I listen to it as I have done on numerous occasions, and simply respond with confirmations of what is already known to me. Albeit, I listen now and hear what I have never seen or heard before. This leaves me in a sort of unbelievable stupor, as I am totally and completely grateful for learning and the ability to learn. My faith allows me to know that this is the same with many of you also.

Let me share this one revelation with you, which was fresh, new and spirit-growing within me. Perhaps it has been manifested in others also. We know that on Pentecost, the Spirit came on the disciples of Jesus, to give them the power to be His witnesses. They were enabled to be living witnesses of a living, present, risen Jesus.  They are not just going to do the work of Jesus, in His Name and with His Breath in them. No! They are going to be the very Person, Presence and Personality of the now, returned to heaven, Human Jesus.

They receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and immediately the power of which Jesus spoke, is made flesh. By this, I simply mean that this different power becomes evident, visible and wonderfully open to all, believers and non-believers. Have you ever thought of this? Not one man or woman in that Pentecostal crowd that morning, knew what was happening. Their thoughts, their minds, their understanding and their belief in the Holy Spirit, was totally barren. The truth is that all who were hearing, were ignorant of the Holy Spirit. In fact, they were not much different from some disciples, whom Paul met one day, on one of his missionary journeys. We shall speak about them at a later time.

Nevertheless, tomorrow, we want to spend a little more time on the Pentecost Day witnesses.