<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Acts 2;1-4<div><br></div><div><b>1. &nbsp;When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.</b></div><div><b>2. &nbsp;And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled the house where they were sitting.</b></div><div><b>3. &nbsp;And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them.</b></div><div><b>4. &nbsp;And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Pentecost is the Jewish festival of the early harvest of the wheat. It is celebrated 50 days after Passover/Easter. &nbsp;We should not overlook the importance of the Lord drawing his disciples together as one, to receive the promised Holy Spirit. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>Scripture teaches that in Christ, we are members, one of another. &nbsp;Our true identity is found in&nbsp;a participation of&nbsp;the corporate Church. &nbsp;We belong to Christ and to each other. &nbsp;Our focus therefore must be in recognition that we are not separated, isolated&nbsp;individuals, but truly part of each other. &nbsp;No significant transformational&nbsp;spiritual growth can happen if we attempt to maintain a private relationship with God, avoiding our brethren. &nbsp;Healthy, joyful families assemble, it is divine, the communion of the Saints.</div><div><br></div><div>Imagine that you can not hear, or see, or walk. &nbsp;That is a Believer content to not gather with other Believers&nbsp;to hear the voice of Jesus in the readings, preached in the sermon, and proclaiming&nbsp;Absolution, and&nbsp;receiving&nbsp;Holy Communion.</div><div><br></div><div>The Greek word for Spirit is “Pneuma”, which means the very breath of God. &nbsp;The Spirit brings life and power, to walk with Jesus in newness of life, denying ourselves and loving others. &nbsp;The sound of a mighty wind is God revealing how he moves&nbsp;his vessel, His Ship, (Ark) the Church. &nbsp;Faith is the sail which catches the breath of God.</div><div><br></div><div>The tongues of fire <i>“resting”on each one of them”</i>&nbsp;do not burn them up! Like the burning bush appearance of God to Moses. &nbsp;We have become a part of God, he indwells us! &nbsp;His love warms our hearts to live sacrificially. &nbsp;Self does not count, love is what matters. &nbsp;In the chapters to come in Acts we see this compelling love of God at work in the disciples. &nbsp;They no longer care what happens to them personally. &nbsp;The only thing that matters is proclaiming the risen Christ.</div><div><br></div><div>Jesus warns his Church, <i>“And because&nbsp;wickedness is multiplied, most men’s love will grow cold.” &nbsp;</i></div><div>(Matthew 24;12) &nbsp;Dead people are cold, living are warm. &nbsp;The Spirit is given that we live by the Word and are warm with the love of God and the Good News of his mercy and live for&nbsp;sinners in Christ.</div><div><br></div><div>The Lord is impatient to have this Gospel get out into the world. &nbsp;He will not wait for his disciples to learn other languages. &nbsp;He simply uses their tongues to breath forth life by His Word to all gathered in Jerusalem from all over the world.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>This is how all good works are done. &nbsp;<i>“For God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” </i>(Philippians 2;13) &nbsp;We, like the disciples, are his instrument through which the breath of life</div><div>like a mighty wind moves us.</div><div><br></div><div>This very&nbsp;same Holy Spirit is given infants and all&nbsp;in Baptism. &nbsp;It is our ministry to teach little ones and everyone&nbsp;what God has already given us. &nbsp;The gift of the Holy Spirit is like deeds to beautiful farms, with our&nbsp;names&nbsp;written on them. &nbsp;It is truly and legally ours, but we must be taught what we have been given!</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, bless us to know the greatness of you love given to us, warming us, making us burning bushed, fruitful in your sight. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.”</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><br><a href="https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/?.src=iOS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Acts 2;1-4
1.  When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.2.  And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled the house where they were sitting.3.  And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them.4.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Pentecost is the Jewish festival of the early harvest of the wheat. It is celebrated 50 days after Passover/Easter.  We should not overlook the importance of the Lord drawing his disciples together as one, to receive the promised Holy Spirit.  
Scripture teaches that in Christ, we are members, one of another.  Our true identity is found in a participation of the corporate Church.  We belong to Christ and to each other.  Our focus therefore must be in recognition that we are not separated, isolated individuals, but truly part of each other.  No significant transformational spiritual growth can happen if we attempt to maintain a private relationship with God, avoiding our brethren.  Healthy, joyful families assemble, it is divine, the communion of the Saints.
Imagine that you can not hear, or see, or walk.  That is a Believer content to not gather with other Believers to hear the voice of Jesus in the readings, preached in the sermon, and proclaiming Absolution, and receiving Holy Communion.
The Greek word for Spirit is “Pneuma”, which means the very breath of God.  The Spirit brings life and power, to walk with Jesus in newness of life, denying ourselves and loving others.  The sound of a mighty wind is God revealing how he moves his vessel, His Ship, (Ark) the Church.  Faith is the sail which catches the breath of God.
The tongues of fire “resting”on each one of them” do not burn them up! Like the burning bush appearance of God to Moses.  We have become a part of God, he indwells us!  His love warms our hearts to live sacrificially.  Self does not count, love is what matters.  In the chapters to come in Acts we see this compelling love of God at work in the disciples.  They no longer care what happens to them personally.  The only thing that matters is proclaiming the risen Christ.
Jesus warns his Church, “And because wickedness is multiplied, most men’s love will grow cold.”  (Matthew 24;12)  Dead people are cold, living are warm.  The Spirit is given that we live by the Word and are warm with the love of God and the Good News of his mercy and live for sinners in Christ.
The Lord is impatient to have this Gospel get out into the world.  He will not wait for his disciples to learn other languages.  He simply uses their tongues to breath forth life by His Word to all gathered in Jerusalem from all over the world. 
This is how all good works are done.  “For God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2;13)  We, like the disciples, are his instrument through which the breath of lifelike a mighty wind moves us.
This very same Holy Spirit is given infants and all in Baptism.  It is our ministry to teach little ones and everyone what God has already given us.  The gift of the Holy Spirit is like deeds to beautiful farms, with our names written on them.  It is truly and legally ours, but we must be taught what we have been given!
Prayer:  Merciful Father, bless us to know the greatness of you love given to us, warming us, making us burning bushed, fruitful in your sight.  In Jesus we pray, Amen
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.”




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