By E L Thornton
Acts 2:1-4
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
It is useless for me to tell you that this is real, for you full well know that what we received from God is real. What you and I received from God is as real as what they received on the day of Pentecost. No one can argue with an experience. If it’s your experience, if it’s the Holy Ghost or some natural experience, how can anyonetell you it’s not true, or didn’t happen.
The Holy Ghost did happen, not only to the believers at Pentecost, but tomany thousands of others, including myself. Did it happen to you?
The possibilities that face, even stare, at us are awesome, wonderful, full-filling and miraculous. Within the reach of our faith there’s healing for our bodies.Within the reach of our faith there’s revival for our church. Within reach of our faiththere’s salvation for our children and friends. Within reach of our faith there’s hope for our community . Within reach, yes within reach! of our faith there’s a miracle thatwill astound, stagger and shock our worldly friends into the realization that God is real and our experience is genuine, authentic, and unquestionable.
And I would like to tell you that, after all the scandal, disgrace, shame, and ignominy, We desperately need something to happen to lift us out of the dust and dirt of stigma that we’ve found ourselves in. And nothing will lift our image like an old fashion move of God’s power will. You can live long enough, and prove your life enough, to finally over come reproach. But we don’t have time. We must have
revival now, are we may never be restored to the high plain in God we once had.
In order for God to keep the early church on course, He visited the church with the untimely death of Ananias
Acts 5:5
5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
Pg. 2
“THE POSSIBILITIES OF PENTECOST”
Will this have to happen to us, to get us closer to God, for us to get a refilling of the Holy Ghost, for us to put aside all bad feelings, repent of our slothfulness.
But it is easier to get—
I. FOCUSED ON THE ISSUES INSTEAD OF POSSIBILITIES:
John 9:2
2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
While Jesus was thinking about a miracle, these carnal minded men were talking about and looking for issues. It would been just as easy for them to have said, “Master, here’s a blind man that needs healing”. But the issue, the probable cause, the trouble, the problem, has their attention.
Most of the “ISSUES” are nothing more than traditions, formalities, or somebody’s idea. The Apostles almost split the church over “issues”. They almost stopped the work of God over the questions off circumcision, and the washing of hands before eating. (circumcision, Acts 15:1, hands, Matt. 15:2)
So what, maybe you don’t comb your hair like the tradition, maybe you don’t dress like the tradition, (youth with mod clothing) but does that make you any less a child of God. I’m sorry, but I don’t intend to fit anyone’s mold, I’m myself, you’re your-self, so let’s just please God and let the rest alone. Don’t make issues out of something that’s none of your business.
So somebody has something in they’re life that you don’t agree with. And maybe it is wrong. But will we let these things keep us from having revival, because we are looking at issues instead of possibilities? Friends, it’s time we lift our field of vision, it’s time we matured as saints and stopped
playing childish games, and be for God what He wants from His servants.
Are you listening to me when I say, most people that find fault with the church, just needs to pray through. The devil likes nothing more than for the church to lose it’s vision, get involved in carnal things, place emphasis, or stress on the unimportant.
The important thing in a Pentecostal church is the move of God, to heal and to save the lost, and if we are not saving the lost, we are missing the purpose of the death of Jesus and the work of the church. AMEN!
Pg. 3
“THE POSSIBILITIES OF PENTECOST”
II. THE METHOD IS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS THE POSSIBILITIES:
Jesus was an unconventional man. He did things a little different than people were use to. He broke out of the mold. (we shoot these kind down)
John 9:6-7
6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
One woman, praying with a seeker and wanting to see him cry, prayed in his ear, as a suggestion, “Lord see these tears”, the man opened one eye and said, “lady I ain’t crying”. Mister, tears are not repentance. Repentance is a condition of the heart and until it comes from the heart, no matter how many tears there are, it’s not repentance.
Larry Lea, tells of an interesting experience in one of his books, (Could You Not Tarry One Hour), of how he received the Holy Ghost.
But this is not how we get it. We must shake them a little, we gotta spit on them a little, we must put our ear to their mouth so we can hear them speak in tongues, and they gotta cry when they repent. And they must shout when they recieve the Holy Ghost.
But our own services are so predictable. Have prayer, two congergational songs, two special songs, an offering, preachin’, and we go home and say we had a wonderful service. But I wonder if God did.
If God moves among us he will have to us our method, or we will not accept it as a move of God.
III. THE POSSIBILITIES OF PENTECOST:
The possibilities that we have are incalculable and innumerable. Our Lord Jesus Christ has made it possible for us to have at our disposal unlimited power.
Luke 10:19
19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Pg. 4
“THE POSSIBILITIES OF PENTECOST”
The only way God’s power is limited is by our short sightedness, by our short comings, by our faithlessness, or simply because we have sin in our lives.
Matt 13:54-58
54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?
55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
There is only one thing that will stop God from doing what he said he would do, and that is a lack of faith
So if we’re not seeing anyone receive the Holy Ghost in our alters, It’s not God’s fault. God has given everything for the salvation of man.
We need to get our minds off the issues and began to look for and believe the possibilities.
Luke 1:37
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
