Return to Pentecost

(Acts 1:4-5 knjv) And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

We see the fulfilment of the promise of the Father in the second chapter of acts which records the day of Pentecost when all who gathered in the upper room had an encounter with God that changed their lives.

On that day there were many elements recorded for us of the experience that these ones received. Sound from heaven, tongues of fire, the out flow of speaking in tongues and the overflowing joy that filled their very being.

All through the bible we see that men and women just like us experienced the sound from heaven in one form or other. Adam and Eve heard the sound of the voice of God walking in the garden. [Gen 3:10] Moses, David, Elijah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Paul, Peter, John, the shepherd watching their sheep at the birth of Jesus, and many more heard the sound from heaven that changed their lives. On the day of Pentecost it was a sound as a mighty rushing wind which filled the house.

Jesus said my sheep hear my voice and another they will not follow. This is a sound from heaven that we cannot do with out and we need to be able to recognise the voice of God so that we know who we are and how to follow Him. With ever sound that comes from heaven there is always a response that comes from those that hear it or experience it and it was no different on the day of Pentecost.

(Acts 2:1-3 nkjv) When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place and suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.

Note the response to this sound from heaven.

(Acts 2:4 nkjv) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

When ever God's presence comes to us there is and immediate response and that response is often a overflowing release of worship that rise from deep within us, it is an uncontrolled reflex action for we are wired to respond to God's presence. The other thing that can happen is we fall flat on our faces, falling down in His presence because of His over shadowing glory where it is impossible to remain standing.

(John 18:4-6 nkjv) Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, "Whom are you seeking?" They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am He." And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground.

When ever God's presence comes suddenly there is always an involuntary response form us that cause us to worship or fall down in awe. As good as these times are it is not the norm of everyday life where we live. God wants to come and have us enjoy His presence and have it as part of our normal life. For this to happen we need to respond to Him the way that He desires.

(Psalm 89:15 nkjv) Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance.

God has given to you and I an incredible gift and that gift is a free will. His desire for us is to exercise this great gift and begin to worship Him for whom He is rather than from an involuntary response because He came suddenly.

When we exercise our free will to worship and reach out to Him then His presence comes in answer to our hunger for Him. On the day of Pentecost they began to speak in Tongues in response to the Holy Spirit coming suddenly.

We also have been filled with the Holy Spirit as those were on the day of Pentecost and we responded to Him coming on us suddenly by speaking in tongues that rose out of the depth of our being. Now God requires we speak in tongues reaching out and speaking mysteries to Him as an act of our free will.

Form this place we then will experience the coming of His presence and the release of the restrictions of our natural minds and enter into a deeper place in the things of the Spirit.

God poured out His spirit on us as He did on the day of Pentecost to empower our free will to respond to Him and to make right decisions to become all that He desires for us and that is to be like His son Jesus. Our free will exercised towards Him always draws His presence towards us.

(2Ch 5:13-14 nkjv ) indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying: "For He is good, for His mercy endures forever," that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

There is a sound from Heaven that is available for all of us are you hungry for His presence?