We Didn't Start the Fire... God Did!

In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit was given to specific individuals for specific purposes. The same is generally true in the New Testament.

Jesus gave the eleven disciples a mission that must have seemed impossible to them. To go out to the whole world and make disciples.

Imagine the questions that must have risen… is Jesus speaking literally or figuratively? How are we supposed to travel to “all nations”? How will we finance this? What about the languages?

Of course the trump card in all this was the promised Holy Spirit… never seen and barely understood.

Look with me at the drama in Acts 2, 50 days after Jesus was crucified.

They were all gathered in one room and a great noise like a great mighty rushing wind (Pnoe). I don’t know how long it lasted but imagine the sensory stimulation… mydriasis and shock. And then the visual stimulation “divided tongues like fire” sitting upon them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Pneuma) and began to speak in other tongues (languages)

The words “wind” and “spirit” are related to each other (Pnoe and Pneuma) doubtlessly the disciples connected the dots.

Recall what Jesus said in Luke 12:49…

“I came to cast fire upon the earth; and what do I desire, if it is already kindled?”

When Jesus poured the Holy Spirit (better experienced than explained) on the world he started a fire that could not be extinguished and whatever the doubts the disciples might have had when Jesus issued the “Great Commission” to them were put to rest.

Let it burn baby… let it burn.