"1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
5Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs-we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" 12Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"
13Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."
14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! 16No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17" 'In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19I will show wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.'[c]
22"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,[d] put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25David said about him:
" 'I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will live in hope,
27because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
28You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.' (Acts 2:1-28)
When we let God take over our life we will start to live a life of love just as the disciples in the upper room did when they received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. If our heart is always open to love everyone then we keep our heart and life open for God to live in us. We can't do the one without the other automatically happening. God is the Creator of love. God showed us perfect love by coming to die for us. God and love are bundled up in one package. If we have one, we will have the other.
Then, if we let God and love rule our lives, we have no reason to fear. We have no reason to fear judgment and we have no reason to fear anyone else. It doesn't matter what anyone might do, we are safely tucked in the arms of God and we know that whatever happens, we will one day be in Heaven. These bodies we have are just temporary bodies. We will have new ones in Heaven. This earth, as it is now, is only temporary. There is nothing on this earth worth hanging on to and worrying over. It will all be burned up and wiped away in the end and a new earth will be in it's place. The minute fear and worry hits, the first thing a person needs to do is start praying. If someone is causing us to worry, that's the time to pray for help to see them the way God sees them and to love them as God loves them.
If we say we love God and then retaliate or seek revenge against someone, we are a liar. That's not just my words. The Bible says it. We can't hate another or strike out at another if we love God. When we love someone, we don't want to do anything that would hurt them. When we hate someone, we are hating someone that God dearly loves, and we are disappointing God with our actions. Notice the Bible also points out that if we can't love someone we can see, how can we love someone we can't see? So if we cannot show love to those we around us that we can see, then we don't have the kind of love that can love Someone we cannot see. Love and God come in one package. We can't have one and not have the other.
Peace and love,
Sue
"Be still and know that I am God"(Psalm 46:10)
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