God Goes Before Us

Deuteronomy 31:1-8

Do you like change?  Some people do, but many do not, including myself.  I can deal with it, but for the most part, unless the way it’s been is totally not right, I’d rather things not change.  However, throughout life there are going to be changes, and we need to face them without fear.  New leaders will come and go, whether in the political world or the business world.  We might have to adjust to a new boss who brings changes to how some things are done.  The pastor or priest that we have grown to love and depend on may be called to a new location.  Even in our families, there comes change which we may not like, but have to deal with.  A beloved spouse dies, and we have to continue on without them.  An adult child that we might count on for help or companionship, decides to move out, maybe gets married, and we have to adjust without them.  Are we going to panic or fall to pieces in these changes?  Our Scripture today tells the account of a very big change that occurred with the people of Israel, and how they were to deal with it.

As our Scripture opens, the people of Israel were on the eastern side of the Jordan River, and they would soon be ready to cross the river and take the land that had been promised to them by the Lord God, the land which He had promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would be theirs and their descendants.  For the past forty years they had been in the wilderness, and Moses had been their leader.  He had been their only leader since the days right prior to their crossing the Red Sea and escaping bondage in Egypt.  Most of them couldn’t even remember a time when Moses wasn’t there.  Now, just when they were preparing to cross the Jordan and take the Promised Land, Moses told them that he would not be going over with them (vs. 1-2).  What?!  How could they possibly go over and conquer the Canaanites and other nations without Moses and his leadership?  They will surely fail!  A fear and panic spread among the people.

Why couldn’t Moses go across the Jordan and be a part of their taking the Promised Land?  After all the years and trials he went through with the people of Israel during the forty years in the wilderness, it would seem to all be pointing to this moment, a triumphant moment for Moses.  However, the Lord told him he could not cross over with them because of his sin at the waters of Meribah where he disobeyed God’s command (Numbers 20:2-13).  We need to be careful in giving God our complete obedience, as one seemingly small act of disobedience can have tremendous consequences, including removing from us great blessings, like with Moses being allowed to enter the Promised Land.

God, though, was not going to leave the people on their own.  He did not bring them out of Egypt, and all through the wilderness, just to dump them on the border and say they now had to fend for themselves!  God had provided them with Joshua, who would be their next leader (vs. 3).  And though Joshua would be the new human leader, it was the Lord Himself who was the real leader and the real power.

As mentioned, Moses had been the leader of the people of Israel for forty years.  Now he told them that he would be dying, and would not actually lead them into the Promised Land.  The people were afraid and fearful, and he, like the loving leader he had been, gave them encouragement (vs. 6).  Their new leader, Joshua, also needed encouragement, for he was apprehensive about stepping into the shoes of someone like Moses.  Moses told them all not to be afraid.

God’s Word gives us a great truth that should sustain us no matter what happens. The Lord God is the One who goes with us.  We don’t have to face our trials by ourselves.  Leaders and loved ones may come and go but Jesus is always right there with us.  We don’t have to be afraid.  God is with us, and he will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5).  God is committed to us.  He always works in our best interests.

We may face uncertainty about what lies ahead in life, and then become fearful.  Life can be full of trouble, but we can have confidence in God.  Some situations may seem hopeless.  However, as believers and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are in good hands (vs. 8).  God’s knowledge exceeds ours.  With Jesus as our Helper, our fear can give way to a sense of peace and security.  We can trust Him in all things.  No matter what obstacle we face, He has already made a path through it for us .  We just need to keep our eyes on Jesus, and He will lead us in the very best way possible.

Religious, But Lost

John 3:1-16

Many churches have them, and there is a good chance that you know some among your acquaintances.   What am I referring to?  I’m talking about people who are very religious, but who are lost, who are unsaved.  Many people think that if one is religious, if they meticulously follow a set of religious rules or practices, that this will certainly gain them entrance into heaven.  In our Scripture today we read about a man who was extremely religious, but while having a private conversation with Jesus, the Savior instructed him in the only way that one can receive salvation.  Let’s listen in on this conversation.

Sometime early in Jesus’ ministry He received a night-time visitor for a private meeting.  This visitor was a gentleman by the name of Nicodemus.  Nicodemus was an observant, practicing Pharisee who diligently kept the Old Testament Law.  He was also a member of the Sanhedrin.  The Sanhedrin was a Jewish council in Jerusalem that held political, religious, and judicial functions.  They acted like a Supreme Court. The overwhelming majority of both Pharisees and the Sanhedrin did not follow or approve of Jesus.  However Nicodemus had an open mind, along with many questions, and he wanted to talk with Jesus and try to find some answers.  He came by night, though, to keep this meeting private from other Pharisees and Sanhedrin members (vs. 1-2).  Nicodemus was a very good and moral man by the world’s standards, yet Jesus told him that would not get him into heaven.  He needed to be born again.  It’s still the same today.  Going to church, singing in the choir, giving money, doing all sorts of good deeds and works will not gain anyone entrance into heaven.  As Jesus said, you must be born again.

Nicodemus started by paying Jesus a compliment, saying that he believed Jesus was a teacher from God, because He would not be able to do the things that He did unless God was with Him.  Jesus, though, immediately came to the point.  He didn’t waste any time, and told His visitor that he needed to be born again if he wanted to see the kingdom of God (vs. 3).

Jesus repeatedly spoke to Nicodemus about being born again.  What does it mean to be born again?  This occurs when the Holy Spirit leads a person to understand that Jesus Christ died on the cross to provide forgiveness for their sins.  We are born again the moment we accept that Jesus Christ is the only One who can redeem us, and we confess Him as our Savior and Lord.

As Jesus continued, He gave a reference to the type of death that He would suffer, and how it connected with an incident with Moses (vs. 14).  In Numbers 21:4-9 we read of how the people of Israel had been complaining to Moses about God’s care for them, and then the Lord sent poisonous snakes as a judgment.  The Lord told Moses to put an image of a snake on a pole and hold it up.  Whoever was bitten and looked at it was healed.  In the same way those who face the penalty of death because of sin (that includes all of us), can look upon Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and receive eternal life.

In verse 15 we read the word “whoever”.  That word means that any one who does what Jesus said, which is to believe in Him, will receive eternal life.  Not just a select few.  So if you believe in what Jesus did, that is, died on the cross for your sins, you are saved.  This puts to wrong the heretical belief of Calvinistic predestination, which says that some are predestined to heaven, while some are predestined to hell.  “Whoever” means none are excluded from being lost, and none are excluded from being saved.

To believe in Jesus is more than just intellectual knowledge (vs. 16).  One must believe that He is the virgin-born Son of God, who died to save us, and rose again the third day.  If you continue to believe that you can earn your salvation by all of your good works or religious practices you are not born again, you are not saved.  You may be religious, but you are lost.  Nicodemus was in that condition when he came to Jesus.  He later came to faith in Jesus, and was there when He was taken down from the cross, providing spices and ointments for His burial (John 19:38-40).  When you place your faith in Jesus Christ you receive His gift of eternal life.  God paid dearly with the life of His Son, the highest price He could pay.  Jesus accepted our punishment, paid the price for our sins, and then offered us the new life He had bought for us.

John 3:16 is a very well-known and often quoted verse.  This verse applies to everyone, not just a select few who have been supposedly “predestined”.  This includes you!  Don’t believe Satan’s lies.  There is no one too sinful, too scarred, no one of any particular race or nationality that God can’t or won’t save.  However, they must come to Him and accept Jesus as their Savior.  If you haven’t already, won’t you come to Jesus today?  Don’t go into eternity religious, but lost.

A Child And Heir

Romans 8:12-17

It might be nice to discover that you were an heir to a big fortune.  As I am now in my mid-60s, I have yet to discover a hugely wealthy uncle I never knew before, who left me a great sum of money, and that is unlikely to ever happen!  However, if you are a Christian, then you are an heir, and an heir to something greater than any earthly fortune!  Our Scripture today speaks of being an heir of God, and joint-heir of the Lord Jesus, and begins by letting us know how we should live since that is our position.  Let’s look into our Scripture.

The Apostle Paul is speaking to believers here, as he addresses his audience as “brethren”, so what he says is applicable to Christians, not the lost (vs. 1).   He instructs believers that we are not to live after the flesh.  The word “flesh” here, and in most instances in the New Testament, refers to our unredeemed humanness, with all of its sinful desires.  That is what Paul says should not be what is directing our life.

Living by the flesh will lead to death, spiritual death, which is why we are instructed to put to death our fleshly desires (vs. 13).  We are to put to death the sinful deeds of our carnal nature, and regard as dead the power of sin in our body.  The Holy Spirit provides us with energy and power to continually put to death the power of sin in our life, and then we are better able to ignore temptation when it comes.  We cannot achieve this in our own strength, but instead we do it through the power of the Holy Spirit.  God’s grace enables us to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to put to death our sinful desires.  We need to address all actions that keep us from having a deeper relationship with God, and when they pop up, to destroy them as quickly as we would a bug in our house.  This process is never complete in this life.  We do this by faithfully obeying God’s Word through the power of the Holy Spirit.

As Paul continues on in verse 14 he tells us who can call themselves sons (or daughters) of God, who can claim to be children of God.  Again, Scripture teaches us that not every person is a child of God.  Everyone is created by God.  He is their Creator, but He is not Father of all.  We become a child of God when we repent of our sins and ask Jesus to save us.  This is also stated in John’s Gospel - John 1:12.  Paul tells us that those who are led by God’s Spirit are truly His children.  Being led by the Holy Spirit is just that, letting Him lead the way in our life.  We can stop our fretting and follow where He leads.  The Holy Spirit will confirm that one is truly a child of God and adopted by Him by the fruits that He produces in us, and the power that He provides (vs. 16).

When we are saved we become God’s children, and can come to God without fear or hesitation because He is our Daddy (vs. 15).  We are no longer cringing and fearful slaves.  Instead, we are the Master’s children.  We share in great treasures as co-heirs with Jesus (vs. 17).  Unsaved people are a slave to their fears, particularly the fear of death and of the Final Judgment (Hebrews 2:14-15).

Every believer is an heir of God (vs. 17).  Every adopted child of God will receive by divine grace the full inheritance that Jesus Christ receives by divine right.  Whatever Jesus has through inheritance has become ours through the very same inheritance.  I am an heir of God, and a joint heir with my elder brother Jesus!

Paul closes with reminding us that though we are joint-heirs with Jesus of all the treasures of heaven, we also share in His sufferings (vs. 17).  There is a price for being identified with Jesus.  Along with great treasures, Paul mentions the suffering that Christians must face.  All around the world Christians are suffering for their faith.  For some it may be ridicule, or some may feel the repercussions at their job.  Others may pay a bigger price, such as being disowned by their family, and still others pay with physical violence and persecution, including death.  Are you ready and willing to suffer with the Lord Jesus for your faith?  This world is becoming more and more hostile to those who faithfully follow Him and His Word.   Stand true and strong, and we will one day receive our crown of glory!

Jesus Is Mightier Than All

Psalm 93

When I was a child I had the opportunity to go see Niagara Falls, a spectacular and majestic waterfalls that straddles the border between the U.S. and Canada in western New York State.  Even though that was at least 55 years ago or more, I still remember that sight.  We went on the Maid of the Mist boat cruise, which goes right up to the rapids beneath the falls.  The water there is quite powerful.  Another powerful display of water are the mighty waves that crash against the ocean coasts.  I don’t live anywhere near an ocean, but have seen some rather significant waves crashing in Lake Michigan during and after storms.  As mighty as the powerful waves and waterfalls are, they are nothing compared to the majesty, power, and might of the Lord God, which our psalm today speaks of.

Psalm 93 is a short psalm, and in the five brief verses it pictures the Lord God as a great and majestic King in all of His glory.  As the Scripture opens, we read how Yahweh is clothed as a great King (vs. 1).  The first thing that the psalmist indicated that the Lord was clothed with is majesty.  This pictures Him with great dignity, awesomeness, and regal manner.  This is appropriate, as He is the King and Ruler of all of creation.  The psalmist continues by saying Yahweh is also clothed with strength.  Any great king would need to be a powerful one.  He would have to be able to defend his realm against all enemies, and maintain control.  Yahweh is more powerful and has more strength than any person or creature, as he created all.  There is no fake god greater than He, and He even has all power over Satan and his minions.  Yahweh is the sovereign Lord of all that exists. He has the power and wisdom to make everything happen as He desires.  Nothing can change that.

We continue to read that the Lord’s throne is from of old, and that He is everlasting (vs. 2).  Yahweh has always existed, and will always exist.  He had no beginning and will have no end.  He is not a created being.  There was not something before that created Him.  Rather, He is the One Who created everything.  We read in the Book of Revelation where Jesus called Himself the Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet (Revelation 1:8; 21:6; 22:13).  He is the beginning, the end, the start, the finish, and everything in between.

The psalmist then compares the Lord’s power and might to that of the mighty waves and powers of water (vs. 3-4).  This is where I picture the powerful waves of oceans and great lakes of the world during storms, crashing upon the coastline.  Many people who have ignored or not respected the power of the oceans or other great bodies of water have lost their lives.  How many boats have been tossed about like nothing, being flipped completely over by angry waves when a storm rages?  Many times every year Chicago issues beach warnings because of dangerous waves, as they can easily sweep a person out into the water to their death.  And there have been a number of people who have lost their lives because they did not heed the warning as they approached waterfalls, such as Niagara Falls, in their boats.  Once they reached a certain point, it was too late, and the power of the falls as they went over took their lives.  Power as great as this is nothing compared to the power of the Lord God!

The sound of mighty waves and waterfalls is awesome, too.  Niagara Falls can be heard at a distance of forty miles away.  If God were to shout out, His Voice would be heard clear across the universe with no problem!  If we can’t outshout Niagara Falls, what makes us think we can shout louder than God?  Yet so many people sadly think they can.  Looking around the world today, there are so many angry voices raised against God.  They don’t want Him or His Word, the Bible, inhibiting what they want to do with their lives.  They don’t want Jesus telling them how to live, as they angrily scream for believers to get God out of here.

As our psalm ends, we are reminded of how holy Yahweh is (vs. 5).  The key to God’s eternal reign is His holiness.  His glory is seen, not only in His strength and majesty, but also in His perfect moral character.  God will never do anything that is not morally perfect, and He also calls us to be holy, as well (I Peter 1:15-16).

In closing, we see just one example and comparison with how mighty and powerful the Lord God is.  Just as it is foolish to underestimate how powerful waves and waterfalls are, so too it is foolish to think one can come against the Lord.  Do you know the Lord Jesus as Savior?  If so, His mighty power is there to help and sustain you.  He is always greater than all of our troubles.  No matter how high the floods or waves of trouble in our life is, the Lord remains greater than them all!

Alert And Listening

Exodus 3:1-6

How observant and attentive are you?  Do you notice if there is a change in something that you see occasionally?  How well do you pay attention?  When someone is talking, are you really listening to what they are saying, or is your mind a million miles away?  And are you curious about what you see and hear, or is your mind dulled?  Our Scripture today tells the account of someone whose whole life was changed because he noticed something, was curious, and was listening.  Let’s listen to what God’s Word says to us today.

As our Scripture passage opens, we find Moses out watching his father-in-law’s flocks.  What a change Moses’ life had taken over the years.  In the previous chapter in Exodus we read about how, as a baby, Moses’ mother placed him in a basket which she put into the Nile to save his life from Pharaoh’s decree to kill all baby boys.  Then a royal princess found him, and raised Moses as her own son.  The first forty years of his life, Moses spent as a member of the Egyptian royal family (Exodus 2:1-10).  However, after killing a man, he had to flee out of Egypt, and ended up in the land of Midian, where he joined the family of Jethro (Exodus 2:11-21).  Now, forty years later, at age 80, he is out in the wilderness as a shepherd.  That is where we find him today.

Moses is out watching the sheep.  For a man who had the very best education in the world at that time, who had had access to the best entertainment, books, and conversations with learned and interesting people, sitting out in the wilderness watching sheep day in and day out would probably become rather dull quite quickly.  At his age, I can easily see him leaning back against a large rock and taking a nice afternoon nap!  However, that was not what Moses did.  He was quite alert to what was going on.  There were dangers in the desert wilderness - large wild cats, venomous snakes, scorpions, etc.  One false step and one could get bit or lose your footing and break a bone.  He must be alert to keep both himself and the sheep safe.

That day Moses noticed an unusual sight.  Off in the distance there was a bush on fire.  That sparked his interest, and he stood there and observed it.  Curiosity, interest.  Those two qualities would very shortly change his life.  God gave us good minds for a purpose, and we shouldn’t let them get filled with cobwebs.  Moses noticed that though the bush was burning for a certain length of time, it wasn’t disintegrating, so he decided to check it out (vs. 2-3).  Some have said that this was not a miracle or supernatural event.  However, those who try to put down everything miraculous in the Bible are wrong.  Moses had spent the last forty years in the wilderness tending sheep.  He would not have been in wonder over something that was normal and usual.  This aroused his curiosity enough for him to investigate.

God observed that Moses had taken notice of the bush, and He called to him from out of the bush (vs. 4).  God knew Moses’ name, and He called him by his name.  There are about 8 billion people on earth, and yet God knows each of our names.  He loves us so much that He bothers to know us each individually.  God knew Moses, and called him by name.  Moses, on his part, was both paying attention and listening.  When God called him, he heard and responded.

As Moses approached, the Lord told him to stay back from the burning bush, and to remove his sandals, as the ground was holy ground (vs. 5).  Taking one’s shoes off showed a sign of reverence in a holy place.  God was present there.  This was to prevent Moses from rashly intruding unprepared into God’s presence.

Taking off his shoes conveyed Moses’ own unworthiness before God.  God is our Friend, but He is also our Sovereign Lord.  To approach Him frivolously shows a lack of respect and sincerity.  This world today has no respect at all for God.  He is either completely ignored, or cursed and cast down.  Often even Christians have too casual an approach to God.  They refer to Him as their “buddy” and their “pal”.  There is very little bowing in reverence to Him anymore, which should not be the case.  Moses showed reverential fear in the presence of God.

The Lord God then spoke to Moses, telling him who He is (vs. 6).  The Lord didn’t say “I ‘was’ the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”  Instead, He said “I am”, proving that these patriarchs were still alive with God, though they had died physically several hundred years earlier.  As Jesus said centuries later, God is not the God of the dead, but of the living (Mark 12:26-27).

In closing, are we alert and paying attention?  When God speaks, are we listening?  When He moves in our lives, do we notice?  And equally important, do we show the Lord God the reverence, respect, and worship that He deserves, for He is an all-holy God!

Thirsty? Come Drink Of The Living Water

John 7:37-39

Think back to a time when you were really, really thirsty.  Perhaps you had gone for an afternoon hike and forgotten to take along a water bottle or canteen.  Maybe you were working outside, doing chores in your yard on a warm summer day.  All you could think about is a glass of refreshing lemonade or ice water.  That is physical thirst.  How about spiritual thirst?  How do you know if you are spiritually thirsty?  We know what to do for physical thirst, but what do you do for spiritual thirst?  Our Scripture today gives us the answer.

As we open our brief Scripture passage from the Gospel of John, we read that Jesus was in Jerusalem at a certain religious festival (vs. 37).  The festival that John is referring to is the Feast of Tabernacles.  This religious festival was to celebrate and give thanks to God for the ingathering of the fall harvest, particularly grapes and olives, both very important crops for the Jewish people at this time.  This festival usually falls in September or October.

There was one tradition that the religious leaders would practice during the Feast of Tabernacles.  In this tradition a golden container of water from the pool of Siloam was carried by the High Priest into the Temple, and was then offered on the altar in thanksgiving for the rainfall the Lord gave, producing the harvest.  This ceremony was an important part of the festival, and the people would line up to see this procession of the High Priest carrying the water into the Temple.

As every farmer and gardener knows, plenty of rain and water is essential for a good crop.  This is particularly a concern in a desert-like climate, such as the Middle East.  One thing that particularly worried the Israelites during their 40 year wandering was having sufficient water.  A person can go a few weeks without food, but only about three days without water.  Again, this is physical food and water.  What about food and water for spiritual hunger and thirst?

On the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus stood up before some of the people and gave an answer to that question.  He told the people that if they thirst, that is, a spiritual thirst, they need to turn to Him and be spiritually refreshed (vs. 37).  If anyone believes in Him, they will have rivers of living water flowing out of their heart (vs. 38).  If someone accepts Jesus as their Savior, they will receive the Holy Spirit, who is that living water (vs. 39).

In a physical sense, living water is water that is moving, that is good and healthy to drink, like a crisp, clear high mountain brook that is flowing over stones and rocks, on its way downhill.  That is generally fine to drink from.  However a pond where there is no movement of the water, that water soon becomes quite stagnant, especially on a warm day.  It is certainly not safe to drink.  We want living water, both physically and spiritually.

Jesus said that those who came to Him would receive living water, something that is good, and brings spiritual health and life.  Earlier in His ministry, Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman at a well, and said He would give living water, referring to salvation and eternal life (John 4:10).  Here He is referring to the Holy Spirit.  They go together.  When one accepts Jesus as Savior, they receive the Holy Spirit and eternal life.

Jesus used this event, the bringing of the water into the Temple during the festival as an object lesson to make a public invitation, the greatest invitation ever given to man, for the people to accept Him and receive eternal life.  The Messiah has life-giving blessings, and promised the Holy Spirit to all who believe  The imparting of the Holy Spirit is the source of spiritual and eternal life.  His presence and power poured out on us are like these rivers of living water.

“Thirst”, “Come”, “Drink” - three words summarizing the Gospel invitation.  First we have to recognize our need for the Living Water by acknowledging our lost condition, our spiritual thirst.  Once we realize we are spiritually lost, spiritually thirsty, then we need to approach the source of provision.  We need to come to the Savior.  Once we come, then we receive what is needed.  We can drink of the life-giving water, receive salvation and the Holy Spirit.

Pentecost

Acts 2:1-11

Waiting for something that has been promised can sometimes test one’s patience.  Will it come?  Can I trust and believe the one who made the promise?  How long do I have to continue to wait?  What do I do in the meantime?  Will I even recognize it when it arrives?  These questions might have gone through the disciples mind while they waited for what the Lord Jesus had promised would come.  Our Scripture today gives the account of when His promise did arrive, and what happened then.

Shortly before our Scripture passage begins, Jesus had taken His disciples to Mt. Olivet, and gave them a few instructions before He ascended into heaven.  One of these was to remain in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit would come upon them (Acts 1:4-8).  So they waited and they waited. Several days passed, and nothing happened.  There are some people who would begin to get impatient.  Had Jesus forgotten?  They had no one to ask about this.  Rather than lose patience, give up, and just go back to their former life, the disciples got it right.  They spent the time in prayer together while they waited (Acts 1:14).  Whenever we don’t know what to do, whether the situation is stressful or not, such as this time, prayer is always a good choice.

While they waited, the Jewish festival of Pentecost approached (vs. 1).  The Greek word “Pentecost” means “50th day”.  This festival occurs 50 days following Passover.  It was also known as the Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot in Hebrew.  It was a festival of celebration to the Lord for the beginning of the harvest, falling between May and June, where an offering of fruits and vegetables was made to the Lord (Exodus 34:22-23; Leviticus 23:20).  That holy day was a celebration of thanksgiving for God’s provision, and devout Jews would come from all over the world, bringing their offerings of the first fruits of their crops (vs. 5). The Holy Spirit came on this day as symbolic of the first-fruits of the believer’s inheritance.

While the disciples were gathered together in prayer on the festival of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon them in a dramatic way.  There was the sound of rushing wind, “tongues of fire” appeared upon them, and they were able to speak with “other tongues” (vs. 2-4).  This was a fulfillment of John the Baptist’s words about the Holy Spirit baptizing with fire (Luke 3:16), and the Prophet Joel’s words about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28-29).

Before Pentecost, the Holy Spirit’s work had come from without, outside of the person.  It was temporary, and only occasional.  After Pentecost the Holy Spirit now indwelt believers.  The Holy Spirit permanently remained, indwelling Christians, and would work in and through committed believers regularly.

Why “tongues of fire”?  Tongues symbolize speech, and the communication of the Gospel.  Fire symbolizes God’s purifying presence, which burns away the undesirable elements of our lives.  The Holy Spirit sets our hearts aflame to ignite the lives of others as we speak and share the Good News of Jesus with them.

One very noticeable effect of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was the speaking with other tongues.  What they spoke that day were the dialects of the people from other nations who had come to Jerusalem for the holy day.  Scripture says that the people “heard them speak in his own language” (vs. 6).  We see listed some of the countries and areas around the Middle East and Mediterranean world whose languages were miraculously being spoken by the disciples (vs. 8-11).  They did not speak meaningless babble, or some unknown language.  Rather, they spoke the established languages of the people visiting Jerusalem.  This was a miraculous occurrence, enabling the disciples to speak a language they hadn’t learned, in order to tell of the wonderful works of God, giving a witness for Jesus.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a one-time occurrence, and happens when a person is saved.  God puts His Spirit in the believer, and they become part of His Body.  The Filling of the Holy Spirit is a different thing.  This is something that happens over and over.  It is an ongoing process that happens as believers yield themselves to the Holy Spirit’s control in their life.  As they yield themselves to the Lord, He fills them with His Spirit.  If they ignore the Lord in their life, and instead live for themselves and the world, the Holy Spirit’s power in their life is weakened and depleted, but He still remains indwelling them if they are a genuine Christian.

As we see in this passage, there were many different languages, from all around the known world at the time, that the Holy Spirit enabled the disciples to speak.  Christianity is not limited to any race or group of people.  Jesus offers salvation to all people, without regard to nationality.  Come to Him today!