No, today isn’t Pentecost Sunday, but last Sunday was! With all the travel, it slipped up on me, but it won’t hurt to publish something today!

First, I made it back in time to put on my red Pentecost shirt and do a prelude with my friend Mike Guyote, another retired Air Force officer, who is very good on the organ.

The observant among you will notice I have my sling off and I’m using my left hand – an improvement from when Mike and I practiced three weeks ago! Then it was “Two keyboards, three hands.” I still use the right hand to cross over and hit the lowest notes.

But back to Pentecost Sunday.

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1.4, 5, ESV)

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 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, ESV)

I love the ALL. “ALL together in one place…rested on EACH one of them…they were ALL filled with the Holy Spirit.” A similar event occurs a little while later:

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4.31, ESV)

Again “ALL filled with the Holy Spirit.” The result was speaking the word with boldness…not necessarily in tongues! And this second one was not an attention step for unbelievers like the first one. It was just for them but resulted in their speaking the word with boldness and power.

And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. (Acts 4.33, ESV)

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15.13, ESV)