Even In The Darkest of Times
Pentecost was the fulfillment of the Feast of Weeks. It was the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise of sending His Holy Spirit to His Church. So, what does this mean for us today? How do we today benefit from this fulfillment? Join Reverend Kenny as he reminds us of the promises that come with the fulfillment of Pentecost in his Pentecost Message, The Fullness of Pentecost.
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. ~ 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Tomorrow is Pentecost Sunday. The anniversary, celebration, and commemoration of the Holy Spirit being poured out on all flesh. Something that never happened before. Before Pentecost, the Holy Spirit would only dwell on certain people, during certain times, and for certain occasions. But now, now He dwells in any person willing to accept Him. Willing to claim the Son of God as their LORD and Savior. What great hope we have.
Pentecost is hope. Not just for Israel, but for the entire world. Pentecost is the hope of salvation and reconciliation to the Creator of the entire world. Your past sins no longer matter. How far you’ve fallen, now irrelevant. Nothing but your decision to follow or not keeps you from God. What a great hope we now have. Therefore, today, make the decision to follow Christ. Make the decision to do better. Make the decision to strive to be worthy of the Almighty dwelling in you. You are now the Temple of the Living God.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Strive To Be A Worthy Temple.
Acts 2:22-24, 36-37
[22] “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— [23] this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. [24] God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
[36] Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” [37] Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
All week we’ve talked about Pentecost being the fulfillment of the promise of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. And when the Spirit, other promises or declarations became a reality, as well. For instance, Jesus declared over His followers that they are the Light of the world (Matthew 5:4), but He also declared He is the Light of the World (John 8:12). How do we reconcile this? Jesus stated He was the Light of the World as long as He was in the world. Jesus is no longer physically in the world, instead He is spiritually here through us. How? Pentecost.
That day when the Holy spirit came down and filled those in the Upper Room, the Church was filled with the Spirit of the living God. The Spirit that dwelt in Christ. Therefore, it was at that time Jesus’ declaration truly became a reality for us, because it was at that time that we began to be molded and transformed into the Image of God, which is Christ Jesus. The Light of the World. That is why He is the Light of the World, as long as He’s in the world. He’s now passed that torch, that mantle onto us to carry in and through His name.
It’s now up to us to teach, preach, and evangelize. It’s now up to us to reach the masses and spread the Gospel to the ends of the Earth. Jesus did His job. He made a way where there was no way. He died, rose again, ascended, and then sent The Holy Spirit to us. He did the hard part. Now, it’s time for us to step up and take up the torch and be Christ to the World.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Illuminate His Light.
[1] When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. [2] And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ~ Acts 2:1-2
After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to the apostles for forty days. Then He told them to wait for the Holy Spirit to come, and ascended into Heaven. So, the next ten days they spent devoted in prayer. See, the Holy Spirit didn’t come down as soon as Jesus ascended. No. It took them earnestly praying in one accord for ten days for the Holy Spirit to come down.
We are each given promises, but just because we’re given promises, doesn’t mean we no longer have any responsibility in the matter. We have to fight for our promises. They don’t always happen overnight, in fact, the majority of times it takes many days or even years.
If they had not prayed earnestly, I’m not so sure that the Spirit would have been poured out on all flesh. It takes someone to stand in the gap. It takes someone to pray, come LORD come. They spent ten days devoted in prayer, today we struggle to pray for ten minutes, and then wonder why we don’t see the same power they did. We even make excuses saying it just wasn’t for us, but for them alone.
The Church today has become lazy. We will stay up all night working for money, but not to see the glory of God. Not to be filled with His Holy Spirit. I’m not against money, I’m against putting everything into making it but putting nothing into the Kingdom of God. That is the difference between today’s Church and the first century Church. That is why we don’t see the same miracles, signs, and wonders. Because we’ve become lazy to point of death. Spiritual death.
There is only a few days left until Pentecost. Don’t let another Pentecost Sunday pass you by without seeking the LORD. Earnestly seeking Him.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Earnestly Pray For Your Promise.
Leviticus 23:15-22
[15] “You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. [16] You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord. [17] You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the Lord. [18] And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. [19] And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. [20] And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest. [21] And you shall make a proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. [22] And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.”
Pentecost is the fulfillment of Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks. The Feast of Weeks was during the Wheat Harvest. They were to not just bring a blood sacrifice from lambs and goats, but a bread offering. Two loaves of bread made from fine flour. It wasn’t just any old flour they used. The flour took more work to produce.
It had to be carefully ground and sifted. Wheat was, apparently, more prestigious. It wasn’t the common grain. Barley was. Pentecost fulfilled this by taking two groups of people: the Israelites and the Gentiles. These two groups of people were brought before the LORD as one body in Christ.
No longer did it matter whether of not you were a Jew, but it is now about your heart. That’s why it’s not just common grain. It’s grain that’s harder to grow and take care of. And that’s not enough. It has to be ground. Sifted. And made fine. It’s not enough to just say you follow Christ or you believe in God. You have to do more than that. You have to deny your flesh. You have to go through the fire. You have to be ground and sifted. Not just anyone can enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Many are called, but few are chosen.
Pentecost is the day the Church was born by the power of the Holy Spirit and the Blood of Christ. It is the day two people’s were waved before the LORD as one. The day the Holy Spirit was poured out on all flesh and the grinding and sifting process of our soul could truly begin. That is Pentecost. It is hope. Hope of changing for the better. Hope of becoming one people in Christ. Hope of becoming a wave offering to the LORD.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Become Fine Flour.
When we think about Pentecost, we think about Acts chapter two and Joel chapter two. These are the two main portions of scripture that we use to discuss Pentecost, but is there more? Are there more prophecies about Pentecost in the Bible? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to deeper things of Pentecost in his message, The Return of The Dove.
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29 Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
Joel 2:28-29
16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:16-17
1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:1-4
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2,000 years ago, 120 disciples of Jesus sat in the Upper Room praying and waiting, in accord, for the promise of the Holy Spirit. It was Pentecost Sunday, around 9 am, when the power of God rushed into the Upper Room like a mighty rushing wind. Tongues of fire rested upon each and every head. The promise of the Holy Spirit had come. Pentecost had been fulfilled. 2,000 years later, we take all of this for granted. We don’t fully grasp what that meant for the Church and the world that day. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the grave importance of Pentecost in his fiery Pentecost Sunday message, The Promise of Pentecost.
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29 Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. 30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 32 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.
Joel 2:28-32
1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:1-4
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Throughout the years, we can see a subtle decline in the strength of the Church. In the previous ages of the Church, there were miracles, signs, wonders, and healings. The gifts and fruit of the Spirit weren’t just evident; they were understood. But as time passes and society ‘progresses,’ we seem to regress as a Church. We’re no longer able to even see our prayers answered, much less see the power of God working in our lives. What does that mean for us? Is there no more power from God left for this generation of the Church? Are we programmed and intended to be weaker than previous generations of the Church? Are the gifts of the Spirit no longer working in our lives today? Are they just not meant for us? Join ArieRashelle as she searches through Scripture to find some answers in her video, The Fruit of The Spirit vs. The Gifts of The Spirit.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills.
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
The Feast of Shavuot was celebrated from the time of Moses. When the Day of Pentecost (Shavuot) had come in its entirety, the followers of Christ were together in one accord in the Upper Room. When they were in the Upper Room, the Holy Spirit came and filled all in the Upper Room with the Holy Spirit and His power. 2,000 years later, what happened to the power of the Holy Spirit that came down and filled those in the Upper Room? Does the Church still have power today? What does Joel’s prophecy in Joel 2 mean for the Church? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the power of the Holy Spirit in the Church today in his Pentecost Sunday message, Where’s the Power?
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:6-8
17 And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
Acts 2:17-18
20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.
1 Corinthians 4:20
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Pentecost in the Bible is called by three names, Pentecost, the Feast of Weeks, and Shavuot. As Christians, every year, we celebrate or remember the day of Pentecost, but do we truly understand what we are celebrating? We know that on the day of Pentecost 2,000 years ago, the Holy Spirit was poured out on all flesh, but do we truly understand what this means for mankind? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the mysteries of Shavuot, the day of Pentecost.
15 You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. 16 You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord. 17 You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as firstfruits to the Lord.
18 And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one bull from the herd and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 19 And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest.
21 And you shall make a proclamation on the same day. You shall hold a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a statute forever in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. 22 And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 23:15-22
We see the term Pentecost first used in the New Testament in Acts 2 when all of the followers of Christ were all together in one place, in one accord. When the Holy Spirit was poured out on all flesh, both Jew and Gentile, fulling Joel’s Prophecy of the coming Pentecost.
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:1-4
After they are filled with the Holy Spirit, and the people around there mock them, Peter stands up and quotes the prophecy of Joel 2. Peter explained that this prophecy was a prophecy of Pentecost.
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
17 ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. 21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”
Acts 2:14-21
Peter goes on to explain this prophecy of Pentecost was fulfilled on that day when God sent His Holy Spirit to all of mankind so that both Jew and Gentile might be saved. God sent this prophecy of the coming Pentecost to the Prophet Joel and fulfilled it 2,000 years ago.
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