On the 10th day after Jesus ascended into heaven the disciples were gathered together to pray and wait for the promised Holy Spirit. This was one of three special holidays for the Jews. The first one of the year was the Passover. This was the time when the Jews remembered that they were freed from slavery in Egypt. This was also the time when Jesus was crucified on the cross and died for our sins. The Jewish Passover is the first new moon after spring. 50 days after that is Pentecost. No better day could be chosen for the disciples to begin their witness for Christ. Pentecost was the most popular feast of the Jewish year and the whole city was filled for people from every part of the world where Jewish people lived. This festival is also called the Day of First Fruits for it was a harvest festival, and two loaves of bread were presented to the Lord as a thank offering for the harvest. Every male who lived within 30 kilometers of Jerusalem attended. It was also a national holiday celebrating the day when the law was given to Moses on Mount Sinai.

The disciples were assembled in an upper room. Looking back at Acts 1:15 there were as many as 120 disciples gathered together to pray and wait for the Holy Spirit which Jesus had promised 10 days before. The disciples were up early that day. Perhaps they had even had an all night prayer meeting as Jesus sometimes did. The coming of the Holy Spirit was early in the morning as we read in 2:15 that a crowd had gathered and were debating with the disciples already at 9 in the morning.

What can happen after 10 days of waiting on God and praying? We see that a sound like a rushing wind was heard in the city and filled the house. It attracted a large crowd in a city that was filled with pilgrims and worshipers from around the then known world.

From the beginning of the Bible, in Genesis 1:1 we read about the breath, or spirit of God moving across the waters. Now at the beginning of the church we have the same image of the Spirit of God moving as he perhaps did at the creation of the world in the creation of the church. As a further sign there was seen something like a fire burning above the heads of each of the disciples.

What a beautiful picture that is. Jesus told his disciples that they were to be the light of the world. Furthermore, fire is used to purify. I Cor. 3:11 - 13 tells us that all our works will be tried by fire and purified. That which is meaningless will be destroy and that which is precious and worthwhile will remain. In the life of each believer on that day their lives were purified. We too can experience that same purifying of the Holy Spirit. We will receive it in the same way that is by prayer. It did not happen immediately when the disciples prayed but in God's providence God sent the promised Holy Spirit. God will send the Holy Spirit to cleanse and fill you when you pray and ask God to.

Have you done that? If you haven't please do, to experience the wonderful grace of God in your life. The Holy Spirit's presence is reflected in the gifts He gives to us as well as the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control. (Gal 5:23,24)

If we wait on the Lord we too will be endowed with the Holy Spirit so that it will be evident that there are supernatural forces at work within us.

When the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the disciples God sent specific signs indicating his power and presence. The noise and fire attracted many of the pilgrims who were thronging to the temple at the hour of prayer - 9 am.

Pilgrims had come from many places around the Mediterranean Sea and from the east. Many had traveled for their vacation for several weeks or even months for this special occasion. This year would prove to be truly unique as God poured out his Spirit on the disciples and gave them special abilities to speak the languages they had never learned.

This special ability to speak the languages of people was a unique gift of God and demonstrates the wonderful working of God. The languages which the disciples spoke were not some heavenly words which had no meaning to the listeners but they received very practical abilities which the used to spread the message of Jesus and His work on the cross. That day the people who believed that Jesus was the Saviour of the World could bring this message back to the various parts of the world from where they came. The church spread more on that day than perhaps years of evangelism could accomplish. It was a way that God had provided so that in one day the message could be transmitted to the ends of the earth. The special ability that the disciples received on that day to share the message of Jesus was also a miracle which gave power to the message which they were preaching. The disciples were declaring the mighty works of God.

What were some of those mighty works which God had done? Jesus had demonstrated the power of God over demons, sickness and even death. He had performed miracles of multiplying food and walking on the water. In every realm of life he had demonstrated that He was truely the Son of God. Then Jesus was captured and killed by the Jews. At first the disciples feared for their lives but now we see a revived group of disciples boldly proclaiming the wonders of God. It was the power of the resurrection that became important to the disciples and also is very important to us.

Disobedience and sin must be punished. If sin is not punished it is like a country without any laws. Everyone will do whatever they please and many people will get hurt. How can man make right the things he has done wrong. When we hurt innocent people we feel bad. How can we try to help the other person. If we are in a traffic accident and someone is injured so that they cannot walk we can give money and help them but we cannot make them walk again. The damage is done. It is final. We can only say we are sorry and ask them to forgive us.

When we disobey God he becomes angry. He is patient but he must punish for the sin. Is there anything which we can do to pay for our sin? The Bible says that Jesus died so that the penalty for sin would be paid in full. We must ask God to forgive our sins. Because Jesus died for our sins and took the punishment for them God will forgive us and we will not receive the punishment in Hell but will go to Heaven when we die. John 3:36 says that if we do not believe in Jesus the wrath of God remains on us and He will punish us when we die. Many people heard this message on the day of Pentecost and talked with the disciples.

Pentecost is called the Festival of First Fruits. It is interesting that God chose to send the Holy Spirit on that day and that there were many that committed their hearts and lives to God on that day. There was a great spiritual harvest which followed. Many people experienced new life that day and went to their homes with joy and rejoicing. Let us also commit our lives to God and ask him to forgive us and give us the Holy Spirit.