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Vol. II Number 14 April 19, 1998
Pentecost is 50 days after the celebration of the Passover. It is primarily a Jewish holiday, but to the first century Christians it seems to have been a holiday that was the number one ``Christian'' holiday. For this was the day that the Holy Ghost fell and the initiation of Christianity began. This day was far more significant than all of the other days to the first century saints. For on this day was their rebirth into the kingdom of God initiated. Also this is the day when God gave the Church the Spirit of Christ. This day Tertullian wrote, ``That all the festivals of the heathen put together will not make up the one Pentecost of the Christians.'' (Schaff, Phillip, ``History of the Christian Church'' vol. 2 pg. 220) First we will look at the the record of that glorious day in Acts 2.
Acts 2:1-38
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord
in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind,
and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat
upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation
under heaven.
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were
confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are
not all these which speak Galilaeans?
8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in
Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene,
and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful
works of God.
12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What
meaneth this?
13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto
them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto
you, and hearken to my words:
15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour
of the day.
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of
my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and
your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of
my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath;
blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before
that great and notable day of the Lord come:
21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the
Lord shall be saved.
22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of
God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the
midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God,
ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was
not possible that he should be holden of it.
25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my
face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my
flesh shall rest in hope:
27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer
thine Holy One to see corruption.
28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of
joy with thy countenance.
29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David,
that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to
him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up
Christ to sit on his throne;
31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul
was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of
the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now
see and hear.
34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord
said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made
that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto
Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift
of the Holy Ghost.
This was the day when the Church was baptized with the Spirit of Christ. This is the day when the Apostles were filled with Christ's Spirit and spiritual strength. This is the day that the first century Church held in high esteem. Paul made mention of getting to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost.
Acts 20:16
16 For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the
time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem
the day of Pentecost.
If this day was considered an important day to the Apostle Paul, why has its importance slipped for us? After a period of time, as the Church became less and less spiritual, the importance of the Spiritual Birthday of the church diminished. Also as time went on, the Church mingled the heathen idol worship with Christianity. For instance, Christmas comes from the feast of Saturn, and Easter comes from Astarte, one of the titles of Beltis, the queen of heaven. (Hislop, ``The Two Babylons'', p. 103) Thus Christmas and Easter were just inventions of the an apostate church, while Pentecost was the birth of the Spiritual Church. This Pentecostal celebration of the first century church meant a lot to everyone. It was their rebirth and Spiritual birth. It marked the day when the path to heaven was open to all. It was the day when the true church was born. It was not a mix of another religion and Christianity, but the first fruits of the Spirit.
This is the time that the Church needs to get back to the Spiritual side of Christianity. This is the time when the saints need to realize that Christianity and the world don't mix. Look at the ``big'' religious'' holidays and the world. There is nothing spiritual about Christmas and Easter. All it means to them is Santa Clause and the Easter bunny. These are not spiritual or even Christian holidays, but a mixture of ancient paganism and Christianity. Christianity is not a religion, but a Spiritual experience. A new life in Christ Jesus. Christianity is a Spiritual world and not the world of the flesh, which it has become. There needs to be a cleansing and a Spiritual rebirth in the Church and celebrate the things of the Spirit rather than the things of this world.
3014 E Street Philadelphia, PA 19134 Church Office Phone: (215) 634-3637 Published by: Rev. LeRoy D. Cressy (215) 535-4037
Services:
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Sunday Morning Worship . . . . . . . . . . 12 NOON
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