WHY CELEBRATE PENTECOST
By W. G. Guy
The celebration of Pentecost is the beginning of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. This event occurred fifty days following the celebration of Passover and the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross.
Acts 2:1-4 – And when the day of Pentecost was 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 all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
I want to draw attention to the “sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind”. This was a sound that came from, or originated from, heaven; meaning it came from Almighty God. This sound was actually the Breath of God that blew upon the believers as they were assembled together as instructed by Jesus.
This Breath of God is very significant as it was this same breath that God breathed into Adam that made him a living, God filled soul.
Genesis 2:7 – And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
The word breath as used in the above verse comes from two Hebrew words: breathed, which means to blow hard; breath, which means wind. This wind is God blowing His Spirit upon His people. Jesus mentioned this when He was speaking to Nicodemus:
John 3:7-8 – Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
The Bible records another incidence of divine breath being breathed out on believers following Jesus’ resurrection:
John 20:19-22 – Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
The Holy Ghost referred to here is not the same Spirit that they received on Pentecost. Jesus breathed on them HIS Spirit which is also Holy. This is when they were born-again; they received the breath of life from God, this redeemed them from the fallen state that occurred in the garden. The life that God gave Adam, which he then lost, is now restored to those who accept what Jesus did on the cross. This is the Spirit of Christ that indwells us when we believe. It is also called the Spirit of Adoption:
Romans 8:15 – For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Galatians 4:6 – And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
The Spirit poured out on believers at Pentecost was the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit; which I consider to be like the very heart of God, the most tender part of God. This is why blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is the unpardonable sin.
Matthew 12:31-32 – Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
What was said that Jesus identified as blasphemy:
Matthew 12:24 – But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
The religious leaders said that what Jesus did was of the devil. Such blasphemy is saying that God’s heart (Spirit) is dirty and evil. This causes God great pain, and His Spirit of conviction and revelation of Jesus then departs from such a person and they cannot be born-again; God will not allow the Spirit of Christ to be placed in that person. Many people, even preachers are blaspheming the Holy Spirit by saying “tongues is of the devil”, and that the “Baptism in the Holy Spirit is of Satan”.
Pentecost is when the Holy Spirit was first poured out on believers, and has happened many times since as recorded in the Bible, and is still happening today. The purpose of this Pentecostal experience is to equip believers with divine power and ability to be witnesses of Jesus Christ with supernatural ability.
Acts 1:8 – But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
There are multiple forms of ability which are called the Gifts of the Spirit:
1 Corinthians 12:8-11 – Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
The blasphemers say that these Gifts of the Spirit are not for today as they deny the ability God gave us to witness for Jesus Christ. However they do not know the Bible very well because the apostle Paul stated these gifts are in effect until the return of Jesus.
1 Corinthians 1:7 – so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
The operation of the Gifts of the Spirit is simply this: the Spirit of Christ that indwells the believer, responds to the Holy Spirit that comes upon the believer. And the believer begins to operate in that divine power; such as speaking in tongues, having discernment of spirits, and prophesying, etc. This is called, “being filled with the Spirit” because of the manifestation of this divine power that wells up from the Spirit of Christ in the believer; it is called “rivers of living water”.
John 7:38-39 – He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
So what are you going to do with what Jesus has provided, and God freely gave to us at Pentecost? It is a lot to celebrate!
By W. G. Guy
The celebration of Pentecost is the beginning of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. This event occurred fifty days following the celebration of Passover and the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross.
Acts 2:1-4 – And when the day of Pentecost was 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 all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
I want to draw attention to the “sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind”. This was a sound that came from, or originated from, heaven; meaning it came from Almighty God. This sound was actually the Breath of God that blew upon the believers as they were assembled together as instructed by Jesus.
This Breath of God is very significant as it was this same breath that God breathed into Adam that made him a living, God filled soul.
Genesis 2:7 – And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
The word breath as used in the above verse comes from two Hebrew words: breathed, which means to blow hard; breath, which means wind. This wind is God blowing His Spirit upon His people. Jesus mentioned this when He was speaking to Nicodemus:
John 3:7-8 – Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
The Bible records another incidence of divine breath being breathed out on believers following Jesus’ resurrection:
John 20:19-22 – Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
The Holy Ghost referred to here is not the same Spirit that they received on Pentecost. Jesus breathed on them HIS Spirit which is also Holy. This is when they were born-again; they received the breath of life from God, this redeemed them from the fallen state that occurred in the garden. The life that God gave Adam, which he then lost, is now restored to those who accept what Jesus did on the cross. This is the Spirit of Christ that indwells us when we believe. It is also called the Spirit of Adoption:
Romans 8:15 – For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Galatians 4:6 – And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
The Spirit poured out on believers at Pentecost was the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit; which I consider to be like the very heart of God, the most tender part of God. This is why blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is the unpardonable sin.
Matthew 12:31-32 – Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
What was said that Jesus identified as blasphemy:
Matthew 12:24 – But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
The religious leaders said that what Jesus did was of the devil. Such blasphemy is saying that God’s heart (Spirit) is dirty and evil. This causes God great pain, and His Spirit of conviction and revelation of Jesus then departs from such a person and they cannot be born-again; God will not allow the Spirit of Christ to be placed in that person. Many people, even preachers are blaspheming the Holy Spirit by saying “tongues is of the devil”, and that the “Baptism in the Holy Spirit is of Satan”.
Pentecost is when the Holy Spirit was first poured out on believers, and has happened many times since as recorded in the Bible, and is still happening today. The purpose of this Pentecostal experience is to equip believers with divine power and ability to be witnesses of Jesus Christ with supernatural ability.
Acts 1:8 – But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
There are multiple forms of ability which are called the Gifts of the Spirit:
1 Corinthians 12:8-11 – Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
The blasphemers say that these Gifts of the Spirit are not for today as they deny the ability God gave us to witness for Jesus Christ. However they do not know the Bible very well because the apostle Paul stated these gifts are in effect until the return of Jesus.
1 Corinthians 1:7 – so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
The operation of the Gifts of the Spirit is simply this: the Spirit of Christ that indwells the believer, responds to the Holy Spirit that comes upon the believer. And the believer begins to operate in that divine power; such as speaking in tongues, having discernment of spirits, and prophesying, etc. This is called, “being filled with the Spirit” because of the manifestation of this divine power that wells up from the Spirit of Christ in the believer; it is called “rivers of living water”.
John 7:38-39 – He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
So what are you going to do with what Jesus has provided, and God freely gave to us at Pentecost? It is a lot to celebrate!
