Balance of thoughts to :
Nehemiah6
WHY?
When the Jews from all nations ... saw and heard the 120 ... they said to Peter ...
What does this mean ( = tongues and speaking wonderful works of God ) ??? Because the JEWS
were NOT in the Upper Room
to see HS FALL UPON the 120 ... the question can only mean ...
WHAT DO THESE TONGUES MEAN ??? WE CAN RIGHTLY CONCLUDE ... after Acts 1.3-4 ... the 120 walked out of the Upper Room ... INTO THE STREETS OF JERUSALEM ...
animated by the HS and speaking WITH tongues ... speaking the "foreign" languages of the Jews from all nations ... speaking the wonderful works of God.
That's what the Jews SAW ... and HEARD. The Jews were asking what was the
MEANING/significance of these supernatural "foreign" TONGUES ...
120 "Galileans" speaking the wonderful works of God in their "native" homeland languages ... and knowing those 120 " Galileans" couldn't be expected to know "foreign" languages ... let alone speak such profound and wonderful works of God.
God the same ... yesterday today forever ( Heb 13.8 = He Baptizes in the Holy Spirit ). If ... BECAUSE ...
tongues is the SIGN ... of the Joel Promise ... of Jesus' Promise ( baptized in the Holy Spirit ) ...
was fulfilled in the 120 Believer's lives ...
then that SIGN/evidence hasn't changed TODAY ... JESUS THE SAME ... YESTERDAY TODAY FOREVER .
Now you have to ... consider ... Acts 2.38-39 !
Read Acts 2 carefully. The
chronological order is this:
1. Pentecost = the Promise = the Holy Spirit =
poured upon = given ... to the 120 =
Acts 2.3-4
2. The Jews ask:
what do these tongues mean/signify ?
Acts 2:12
3. Peter explains: it is the
PROOF ... that God's Promise ... according to Joel ...
has come to pass ...
UPON the 120 ! Acts 2: 14 - 21.
4. Peter preaches Jesus to the 3000 + Jews
who heard/saw the 120 animated/empowered by HS and who were SPEAKING IN TONGUES.
Acts 2:22 - 36
5. Peter INSTRUCTS the 3000 + ...
HOW to RECEIVE the Holy Ghost = get Baptized with Holy Spirit = which,
then RESULTS in that new Believer ( repented and water baptized ) starting to SPEAK WITH OTHER TONGUES.
Acts 2. 38 - 39
What must the Jews do ( you do ) in order to RECEIVE the baptism of the Holy Spirit ? Not the tongues ... this is the evidence ,,, you received the BAPTISM of HS !
1. It isn't said in the text ... but implied ...
now that you understand Jesus" coming/death/resurrection and you have BELIEVED the Gospel ..
2.
REPENT ... turn away from your sins.
3. That being the case ... we assume ... like today ... that person instantly got/gets Born Again ( HS IN them ).
4.
now, Get water Baptized. We call this a "sacrament" ... obeying the teaching of Jesus. Peter wouldn't ...
we don't ...
water baptize UNBELIEVERS.
5. So we conclude,
they got Born Again ...
prior to the 2nd manifestation of Holy spirit = being BAPTIZED with Holy Spirit by Jesus ( according to John's prophecy Mat 3.11 etc. + Jesus promise Acts 1.5 ).
6.
THEN ... and only
after they are
BA ...
they WILL receive the Holy Spirit ( which in context ... can only mean =
BAPTISM of HS ...
with the accompanying tongues ). Why? BECAUSE the 120 did ... why wouldn't the 3000 + expect the same treatment from Jesus/God ... to receive the SAME GIFT ( blessing from an impartial loving God ) ?
7.
BUT HOLD ON ...
Peter ( GOD ) ... goes FURTHER ... HE says ... the Promise ...
the Holy Spirit ( = conclude the Baptism of the Holy Spirit = what Joel said ... God would
POUR out UPON = baptism . see Joel 2.28 29 )
would be poured UPON ...
all those afar off ( that means Christian during ALL ages ) AND to
as many as God shall CALL ( = born again believers ) ... that's the real sticker = means all Christians yesterday, today and until Jesus comes back ! PLUS, they can expect/receive the EVIDENCE = speaking in tongues !
Christians, who have been taught wrong ... are in fear ... some think tongues are the devil's business ( NO ... God's scripture says its from HIM ) ... they are in UNBELIEF ... WHICH stops God from moving.
CONCEDE YOU COULD/might BE WRONG. If you are not ...
then do not worry.
However,
IF YOU ARE HUMBLE , you will
CONSIDER THIS GODLY PRAYER challenge.
God WILL NOT FAULT your SINCERE
prayer of scripture.
Consider prayerfully ... to
Pray Acts 2.38 - 39. ... something like this ...
"Dear Father GOD,
I confess I could be absolutely wrong ... You know the truth ... I plead the blood of Jesus' over my spirit/soul/body ... protect me from all false doctrines. BUT, today ... I read Acts 2.38-39 ... YOU ( thru Peter ) told the 3000+ Jews who SAW the 120 ... that they would ...
RECEIVE the gift of the Holy Ghost ... if they
REPENTED and were water baptized ! I am born again ... I am born of the Spirit of God and have been water baptized. HOWEVER ... if I have MISUNDERSTOOD what Peter ( You ) MEANT in Acts 2.39 ... misunderstood,
what it means to RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT .... and the meaning/PURPOSE of the Pentecost story/history ...
how it applies to me today ... please change my heart ! And, because You are no respecter of persons ... if there is more of Holy Spirit for me to receive/experience ... like the 120 did ... I want to receive the
SAME baptism of fire the 120 received ...
the same gift of the Holy Spirit ... the the
same GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT that the 3000 Jews were told they would received ... according to Peter's (
Your ) promise. AND, if I am wrong about the
accompanying gift of tongues ... I want it ... because You obviously gave it to the
120 for a purpose ( then instructed them how to use the gift in 1st Cor. 14 ) ... and I want to understand why the gift of tongues should/will operate in my life. Please protect me from any demonic interference ... from any so-called "false Baptism in HS and resulting tongues" ... I know You love me and wouldn't let that happen.
I pray all this all in the precious name of Jesus. Amen and amen !
WAIT upon God ... just like the120 were instructed ... don't skim over this ... read and re-read Acts 1 and 2. Then, when you have peace ... pray the above. Pray with expectation ... God won't mislead you ...
nor allow you to be misled.