Our God is about to do great things! His power is on the increase. Biblically God’s power cannot become smaller! At a time of national calamity in Israel, Joel 2:21&23 says, ‘Rejoice and be glad, for the Lord is about to do great things – in YOUR nation! ... Be glad, rejoice in your God, because He gave you the former rain moderately, and He will give you the latter rain!’ I know Israel well: the former (first) rain is when they plant the seed, the last rain is just before the harvest and it is greater than the first – that’s why I believe we are living in a new Day of Pentecost (harvest) now! When the church was born on the Day of Pentecost, it was born in fire! And before Jesus comes back, we’re going to have another greater baptism in fire!
This question of a ‘baptism of fire’ is not a matter just for the church collectively, but rather it is an individual experience that each one of us needs to experience. Jesus, speaking to His closest disciples in the aftermath of the drama of the crucifixion and the miracle of His resurrection realises the situation facing them. They realise that despite these miraculous events He is leaving them again, until His final return as Messiah! They now face a leadership crisis – they need inspiration, direction, but most of all someone who will perform the miracles and empower them!
His answer was for them to wait in Jerusalem for the gift promised by the Father – “John baptised with water but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” Later, as they questioned the meaning, His answer was simple, “When the Holy Spirit comes, you will receive power and become witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth!” Wow! Then He was gone! (Acts 1:4-9.)
Ten days later the remaining group of only 120 dispirited disciples were meeting in an upper room on Mount Zion behind locked doors. They were now secret disciples desperately trying to hold on to their faith – but in total fear of imprisonment or even death. Suddenly a miracle – the noise of violent wind filled the room and fire that separated and sat on each one individually! All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign languages! But amazingly, they spoke many languages recognised by all the nationalities of the Jews who had come to worship at the feast in Jerusalem. (Acts 2.)
So the Church was born in Fire – the disciples were empowered – they could do all that Jesus had done previously – and now they evangelised the world! That is how the Church began and how it should be today! Was this experience only for the few? No, they laid hands on others, including all the new converts, until all became empowered by this power from the Holy Spirit. The Book of Acts reports that everywhere the disciples ministered many repented were baptised in water and received the Holy Spirit.
It is interesting that on the Day of Pentecost, Peter in his first evangelism spoke of this experience of the Holy Spirit, not just in the words of Jesus, but of the Jewish prophets. He said, “This is that spoken by the prophet Joel… . (Joel 2:28-32.) This prophecy continues until the coming of the ‘Day of the Lord’, and the final prophecy concerning the return of Christ to Jerusalem!
If we believe we are living in the last days, we need the same Holy Spirit desperately!
We need a spiritual re‐awakening! Pentecost was the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples. The significant sign of the arrival of the Holy Spirit was and is speaking in tongues – and a very strong move of evangelism. But some Christian groups are reluctant to recognise Pentecost and its importance today. In my early years, and when I was a young pastor in the 1950s, the Pentecostal experience was not so well accepted as it was to become later.
We all know what happened on that first Day of Pentecost, but let’s look in Acts 2:16, where Peter is saying to the gathered crowds, “This – the outpouring of the Holy Spirit – is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel” – now fulfilled as he was speaking! But the text from Joel that Peter continued to quote actually extends into the ‘last days’ – verse 17 – and as far as the ‘great and notable day of the Lord’ in verse 20! So Peter’s meaning and understanding of Joel and the outpouring of God’s Spirit – verse 17 – must encompass what Joel refers to as the ‘former’ and the ‘latter’ rain!
I believe that the ‘latter’ Pentecostal rain or outpouring of God’s Spirit began after 1904 with the restoration of speaking in tongues, which has continued up until the present time. Then either this must increase as we approach the ‘Day of the Lord’ – or there must be a totally new outpouring now, as I am absolutely certain that these are the ‘last days’ immediately preceding the ‘great and notable Day of the Lord’.