It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
….to sing praises to the Most High.
It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning,
….your faithfulness in the evening… Psalm 92:1-2 NLT

Acts 2:1-12 (<<click here to read the passage)
There was one thing I did my freshman year of college that I had not done before college and have not done since. I took part in a small theatric presentation of a play entitled The Great Physician – a story of Luke, the writer of the Gospel that bears his name, as well as the book of Acts.
I had a very small role and as a slave owner I had one whole line, “Stop or I will have you boiled in oil!” I remember some bits and pieces of rehearsals; I remember having make-up put on and having mascara put in my beard so it would be black and not the brown it was at the time. It took place at Mt. Vernon’s Memorial Theater (It was way before the facilities the university has today.) There was nothing exceptionally elaborate about it, but it was a really enjoyable experience.
We had decent props and backdrops and all the other things needed for our performance. All in all, we made sure both literally and figuratively that the stage was set for an evening of entertainment, having done everything we could to draw a good crowd.
In today’s passage, the stage was set for an event that would propel the Good News of Jesus Christ (the Messiah) out into the world! His timing was as it always was …perfect! And it was not for entertainment purposes but aimed to change to the very core the lives of men, women, and children across the world!
Jesus had returned to heaven, the apostles – as they were now called – and the many other followers of the Way, that is all the believers were meeting together in one place. v1 NLT One hundred and twenty of them had come together …with one mind and one purpose… and …were continually devoting themselves to prayer, [waiting together]… Acts 1:14 AMP
They had done their part to prepare themselves for what God was sending.
It “just so happened” – no coincidence here! – that the coming of the Holy Spirit took place on the day of Pentecost. It was one of the three great festivals that took place every year in Jerusalem. It was a celebration of the first fruits of the harvest and in addition to native local Israelites brought in devout and God-fearing men from every nation under heaven. v5 AMP
God had assembled a receptive audience.
The stage was set, but now to draw the crowds to where the one hundred and twenty were gathered. And God was prepared!

Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. v2 NLT

And when they – the devout and God-fearing crowd – heard the loud noise, everyone came running… v6b NLT
Everything was exactly as it needed to be for God’s desire to be fulfilled. The Spirit had come and now the world – the whole world – would know!

Dec 19th, 2021, Sun, 7:27 pm