The wind is blowing

 I am sitting in my kitchen this morning. That is where I am usually sitting when I blog. As I sit here, I listen to the wind blowing, really blowing. I just checked and it is blowing at 29 miles an hour with gusts higher than that. It is really howling out there. 

This made me think of Pentecost. I wonder how many people were sitting in their houses in Jerusalem that Sunday morning, having a cup of coffee and reading the Jerusalem times, when the wind began to blow. (I know that I used creative license on the previous sentence.) And blow it did. It howled through the city. It was a time when there were no winter storms. This would have been late spring/early summer, so mornings were not the time when the wind would really blow. Yes, storms might blow up, but that would happen from the heating of the day, much like what we face at that time of the year. Sitting there, the wind began blowing and one says to the other, "What is that? What is going on?" Getting up, they wold go outside, as others were coming out of their houses, and what did they find? A storm? Rain falling? A tornado? Nope. 

They found some folks talking. Not just talking but talking in a variety of different languages. People from different nations were hearing them talk in their languages. It must have been crazy! Lots of talking. Lots of languages. Lots of people. It probably was a wild time. Then Peter speaks up and begins to explain what was going on.

What was happening is the Holy Spirit had come. He had come to work faith in the hearts and the lives of people. He came to empower the disciples to proclaim the word of God. And in the midst of that crowd of people, which must have been mighty big, nearly 3000 people came to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. What an amazing day! Powerful day. Wonderful day!

All that went through my mind as the wind blew by. I pray that the Spirit will work mightily in the hearts of people today. That He will strengthen those who believe in Jesus already. That He will change hearts and bring them to believe in Jesus as their Savior. That kingdom of God would be proclaimed again and again. That is to go on until that day when Jesus comes. And He will come. Do not doubt that! Until He does (and who knows when that will be), may the Spirit lead you to continue to speak of Jesus Christ to others, so that the gospel may be spread and lives may be changed and salvation might be given.

Be safe out there in the weather. Stay warm and safe. And be held fast in the hand of the Lord.