Acts, Naturally!

As yesterday was Pentecost Sunday, several churches took time to reflect on various passages in the book of Acts. Here at Bronx Bethany, Pastor Joy spoke on Acts chapter 2, verses 1 through 13.

For today, let us re-visit the Scripture passage with the following questions in mind:

• Am I willing to wait, patiently and prayerfully, until God delivers on His promise to me?
• Between the Resurrection and the Ascension Jesus was seen by several hundred people, but on the day of Pentecost (according to Acts 1:15) there were approximately 120 persons waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. Why do you think there were so few witnesses waiting for Him?
• The passage tells us that those who received the Holy Spirit were able to declare the wonderful works of God in languages they had never previously studied. Do you have a testimony of God’s Spirit equipping you to say (or do) things that you, on your own, did not have the knowledge to say (or capacity to do)?

Acts 1:1-13 (NET Bible)

Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a violent wind blowing came from heaven and filled the entire house where they were sitting. And tongues spreading out like a fire appeared to them and came to rest on each one of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven residing in Jerusalem. When this sound occurred, a crowd gathered and was in confusion, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 

Completely baffled, they said, “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that each one of us hears them in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and the province of Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs – we hear them speaking in our own languages about the great deeds God has done!” All were astounded and greatly confused, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others jeered at the speakers, saying, “They are drunk on new wine!”