Acts 2:1-11

¹ When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. ⁵ Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. ⁶ When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. ⁷ Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? ⁹ Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome ¹¹ (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

What is the source of your assurance that you have truly received the gift of eternal life?
The active presence of the Spirit in the believer’s life is a remarkable source of assurance.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 teaches us…
²¹ Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, ²² set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Similarly Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:13-14…
¹³ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Those are simple to read and easy to understand but how does one be assured of the presence of the Holy Spirit in one’s life?
The believer has internal and external experiences of the presence of the Holy Spirit.

1. Internal

¹ When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

The Pentecost is a one day Jewish festival celebrated at the end of barley harvest. Pentecost was derived from the Greek word “pentekoste” which means “5o.” The Pentecost Festival is celebrated on the 50th day after the Passover Feast.

The night before His crucifixion, Christ and His disciples celebrated the Passover meal. Three days later, Christ resurrected and spent 40 days with His disciples on earth before He ascended to heaven. The disciples waited for 7 days more after Christ ascended to heaven. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit filled the house where the disciples were sitting.

The Holy Spirit showed Himself like tongues of fire and filled the disciples. Of all possible forms, why did the Holy Spirit appear like tongues of fire? Why not like dove similar to His appearance when Jesus was baptized at Jordan River?

God the Holy Spirit can show Himself in many possible means. The Holy Spirit appeared to be tongues of fire was very symbolic. Tongue is a proper symbol for witnessing. Fire is very appropriate symbol for the consuming power of the Holy Spirit.
Christ told the disciples in Acts 1:4, 8…
⁴ … “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about… ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…
Christ told the disciples to wait for God’s promised gift, the Holy Spirit. When they receive the Holy Spirit, they will receive power and result to becoming witnesses. Christ was saying… “You will know that you receive God’s gift of the Holy Spirit when the power is active in your life… and you know that the power is at work in your life when you have that desire to go and be my witnesses.”

The desire to be witnesses for Christ is an internal manifestation of the power of the Spirit. When you feel that desire in your life that you want to share the gospel, tell God about your nervousness of going, tell Him about your uncertainty of what to do or what to say.

The Lord Jesus understands all consequences surrounding the act of witnessing. This is another reason why we need to rely upon the Lordship of Christ while witnessing. To go and evangelize is a manifestation of submission to the Lordship of Christ. Anyone may train, recite, memorize what to say during witnessing but for fruitful spiritual result, a witness must completely rely upon the leading of the Holy Spirit. The desire to witness is an internal mark of the active presence of the Spirit in your life.

Have you experienced that desire of wanting to buy something special for yourself? Have you had an experience that you cannot help but visit your favorite shop? What is the latest expensive thing you purchased for yourself?

First Car

Do you still remember your experience when you bought your first car? Car dealers normally ask you if it is your first time to buy your own car. They know that first time buyers are very vulnerable to deceptions.

The best preparation one needs to do before buying a car is to define the need for the car and how much one is planning to spent for the car.
Buying your first car or any thing valuable as long as it is your first time to own one like computer, camera, or even a house, the excitement is high but temporary. After few weeks, the excitement will cool down and that is when you will realize many of the mistakes you’ve done in your decisions.

What was the latest thing you bought that you hate yourself for buying it? That excitement of buying your first car or you first computer or cell phone is not even close to a fraction of joy when the Holy Spirit fills your life. That overwhelming joy and desire to be involved in witnessing are internal mark of the Spirit. There are internal and external marks of the Holy Spirit that believers would experience.

2. External

⁵ Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. ⁶ When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. ⁷ Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?

The disciples were filled with the Spirit and they were speaking in tongues, speaking in languages of other nations and not in their Galilean language. Speaking in tongues was an external sign that the Holy Spirit filled the disciples. From the disciples’ experience, speaking in tongue was necessary to declare God’s wonders.
In v.11 it says… ¹¹ —we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

When the Holy Spirit is active, the believer declares God’s wonders, and that’s witnessing. The Lord does not just sit in heaven and watch the process of witnessing. He helps the witness speak, He also enables the listener to understand God’s message. When the disciples spoke in tongues, they were using foreign languages to witness for Christ or to declare about the wonders of God. Meaning, the disciples knew very much of what they were declaring about. They testified about God’s wonders and not just murmuring or mumbling foreign words.

The external mark of the Spirit in the disciples’ life was observed by other nationalities. They were bewildered, confused and amazed of what was happening to the disciples. They heard the sound and they were amazed how the Galileans spoke foreign languages. They assumed that Galileans did not know how to speak non-Galilean languages. If the disciples were from the big city of Jerusalem, perhaps they were more acquainted with other languages but they cannot believe any possibility for the Galileans.

⁸ Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? ⁹ Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome ¹¹ (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

The words that came out of the disciples’ mouth were valid everyday-used-languages from other countries outside Israel. The disciples speak the tongues or the languages of other nations foreign to them. The Spirit of God gave them the ability to speak foreign languages so that the wonders of God will be spread throughout the world.
Remember what Christ said back in Act:18?
⁸ 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.”

The Lord Jesus wanted that other people outside Israel will hear about His wonders. He enabled the disciples to speak about God’s wonder through the Holy Spirit. God wants all nations to know and experience more of Him.

When God blessed Abraham, He was thinking of blessing all nations.
In Genesis 18:18…
¹⁸Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.
1 Chronicles 16:24…
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
Psalm 22:27…
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,
Psalm 45:17…
I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.
Psalm 72:11…
All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him.
Psalm 86:9…
All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name.

God has been concerned about all nations from the very beginning. Some believers are called to go to other nations to be missionaries. You might have been called to go or perhaps just to stay in Canada. Witnessing to other group of people with foreign languages is still possible even if you remain in Canada because there are a lot of immigrants here.

The desire to be a witness is an internal mark of the active presence of the Holy Spirit. The act of witnessing about God’s wonders is an external mark of the active presence of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life.

If you have the desire for missions, God, the Holy Spirit is active in your heart. Pray and ask God how you can be involved in missions: Pray, support or go as a missionary.

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