Notes on Acts

My Journal notes from Bro Mike's series on Acts...December, 2010

Acts 2:1-4

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

They were waiting for the promise of the Father. Waiting as Christ instructed them to. This event in Acts 2 marks the end of the Old Testament.

There was no preaching, no teaching, no youth group, no Sunday School, no VBS. They were just waiting.

The main action in town was over at the temple. Many thousands of Jews had arrived at Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. But this group of 120 or so were at an unimportant room, waiting for God's promise.

God had an appointment there no one else knew about. God was looking down on that upper room, not on the temple mount.

Ezekiel 37. The Valley of Dry Bones. This valley full of dry bones; hopelessness.

God told Ezekiel, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will now that I am the LORD.'"

Earlier, in Ezekiel 36:26, God had said

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep My Laws.

Back to Acts 2:3.
Sound - temporary
Flames - momentary
What stayed? The Holy Spirit.

They were all filled -- all who had waited.

What does it mean to me?

Romans 8:9-10. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.

Do you know if the Holy Spirit is in you?
When was the last time you were aware that the Holy Spirit was in you?
What evidence of the Holy Spirit is in your life?
See Galatians 5: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Has the Holy Spirit taken residence in you?