WHEN THINGS STARTED HAPPENING

Acts 2:16-18 NKJV 16

But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. 

Acts chapter two is a monumental moment for the church. There were 120 of Jesus' followers in an upper room in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit was poured out. The Holy Spirit not only came, but He came to individuals. Men and women had the Holy Spirit come on them, and they poured out into the street, speaking with other tongues and glorifying God.  

This shook Jerusalem up. Evidently, the Holy Spirit did not show up quietly. The sound of a rushing mighty wind was heard all over town, and people began to gather. As they heard the disciples speaking in other tongues, many heard them in their native language. There were people from all over the known world who came for the feast of Pentecost.  

Some people were amazed, and some mocked the disciples, thinking they were drunk. Peter stood up in the middle and gave an outstanding message. Keep in mind this was the Peter that had denied Jesus earlier. But now, this was an empowered Peter, and his message was a bold declaration of what was taking place. Our verses for today are Peter recounting for the people gathered that what was taking place was what had been prophesied by the prophet Joel hundreds of years earlier.  

God poured out His Spirit on all flesh. This promise was particularly amazing to the Jewish people. For centuries, the Holy Spirit had been reserved for prophets, priests, and kings almost exclusively. Outside of a few craftsmen, the regular people had no access to the Holy Spirit. But that changed. After Jesus was glorified, the Holy Spirit was poured out on anyone who would receive Him - not just preachers or musicians but anyone. All flesh meant all flesh.  

The second thing that was prophesied was that the Holy Spirit would be poured out on men and women. In the male-dominated Jewish culture, this was a huge paradigm shift. But there were women numbered with the 120 in that upper room, including Mary, the mother of Jesus. So, there were women in that group who poured out into the streets.  

This event marked the beginning of the church moving out into the world. This event marked the beginning of supernatural events taking place in the lives of regular men and women. This event was the beginning of dreams and visions from God to His people. This is when things started happening.  

APPLICATION 

After Peter spoke that day, 3000 people came to a saving knowledge of Christ. And the church took off. And the church is still taking off. All over the world, God is still pouring out His Holy Spirit on hungry hearts. All over the world, men and women are experiencing the supernatural empowerment of God to be witnesses of Jesus. This outpouring is still taking place in America and worldwide. Culture has changed, but man and God have not. We still need His empowerment to reach a lost world, and thankfully, the Holy Spirit is still being poured out today.  

PRAYER 

Thank You, Lord, for the marvelous gift of Your Spirit. Thank You for showing me how I can be empowered and used by You to reach the people around me. Thank You, that great things are still happening today!