Brian and Cathy Gray Bible study

Holy Spirit Baptism

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Acts 8:14-16

The gospel going to Samaria was the beginning of the Church’s growth that proceeded as a result of Saul’s persecution.

Most of the group discussion last week revolved around the subject of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Everyone in attendance had received it. Each person gave testimony of receiving it.

The questions that preceeded it were,

  1. Is it a separate event or does everyone receive it at baptism?
  2. What is the evidence of it?

Some people received it when they were baptized. The evidence one cited was that the scripture suddenly made sense for the first time. One person had a demon cast out of them. One received the gift of radical love and the power to forgive. One received the gift of tongues. All agreed that a passion for God’s word was a result of the experience.

As Phillip proceeds on his journey, he runs into an Ethiopian Eunuch who just happened to be reading from Isaiah 53.

Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.

Isaiah 53:7

Isaiah 53 prophesied the crucifixion of Jesus 700 years before Jesus was born. It is the very chapter that led Moishe Rosen to surrender to Jesus as Messiah. He went on to found Jews for Jesus in 1973. Isaiah 53 is dismissed or even forbidden by contemporary Rabis.

When the Ethiopian Eunuch understood the meaning of what he was reading, he immediately asked to be baptized.

And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.

Acts 8:39-40

Caught away is harpázō the same word used to describe the rapture.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Harpázō
to seize, catch (away, up), pluck, pull, carry off by force, claim for one’s self eagerly, to snatch out or away.

-Strongs Concordance-

While this is a side note, or a squirrel as we say in our Bible study group, it occurs to me that while the rapture is certain, the destination is not clear. Philip was harpazoed from Samaria to Cesarea about fifty miles away.

Revelations 12 and 13 describe the three and a half year tribulation from which the woman (the elect) is preserved.

And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

Revelation 12:5

The only place harpazo is found in Revelation is in verse 5 speaking about Jesus in Daniel 7:13-14 and Acts 1:9-11. Even so, harpazo is implied for the remnant church.

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Revelation 12:6

And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

Revelation 12:14

What do you think?

If you are a regular reader you will notice that my weekly blog posts have dropped off. This is because I am writing a book. I’ll let you all know when it is published later next year.

Maranatha!

Brian and Cathy Gray Bible study

Pentecost

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

Acts 2:1-2

Pentecost is the 5th of eight feasts, sometimes called the second of three Great Feasts of the Lord established before God created man.

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years,

Genesis 1:14

Seasons in Hebrew is mow`ed, an appointed time, meeting, or feast. A place of, assembly, congregation… God appointed These Feasts, which were formally established in Leviticus 23.

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.

Leviticus 23:1

Convocations is miqra’ something called out, i.e. a public meeting, a rehearsal.

Pentecost is the conclusion of the Feast of Weeks. A week is seven days. Seven weeks is 49 days. The fiftieth day is Pentecost. Pente is fifty. The Feast of Weeks follows the Feast of First Fruits, the beginning of the forty-nine-day harvest marked by a daily counting of the Omer. An Omer was a dry measure that would be about two quarts of wheat today. The counting of the Omer signified the connection between Passover and the giving of the Torah (The Ten Commandments) to Moses on Mount Sinai or Shavuot. Shavuot was the first Pentecost.

It is important to note that the Great Feast of Passover, which originated in Exodus 12, contains three feasts, Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. Jesus was the fulfillment of all three feasts. Biblically speaking, Fulfillment means to give the correct interpretation of something. Think of it as the difference between seeing a photograph of someone and then meeting them for the first time in person. The meeting is the fulfillment. Jesus fulfilled all three Feasts. He was crucified on the day of Passover. He was in the tomb during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. He was resurrected at the commencement of the Feast of First Fruits. Hence, Paul is speaking literally in 1 Corinthians 15.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

1 Corinthians 15:20

The God’s chosen people were rehearsing the death and resurrection of Jesus for at least 1500 years but missed Jesus when He came. That should give all of us reason to pause and reflect.

Shavuot

On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 

Exodus 19:16

The giving of the Law, the Torah, the Ten Commandments came amidst a storm after three days of consecration. Some versions say sanctify.

When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.

Exodus 19:10-11

Consecrate is qadash –  prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate.

In Acts chapter two, the 120 had consecrated themselves in prayer. They were of one accord. Accord in Greek is homothymadón

Homothymadón is a unique Greek word, used 10 of its 12 New Testament occurrences in the Book of Acts, helps us understand the uniqueness of the Christian community. Homothumadon is a compound of two words meaning to “rushalong” and “in unison”. The image is almost musical; a number of notes are sounded which, while different, harmonise in pitch and tone. As the instruments of a great concert under the direction of a concert master, so the Holy Spirit blends together the lives of members of Christ’s church.

– Strongs Concordance-

The first Pentecost was characterized by rebellion of all involved, including Moses, who broke the first tablets in a fit of rage when he saw the Israelites worshipping the golden calf. In contrast, the fulfillment of Pentecost was characterized by radical obedience to the command of Jesus among all involved. The first Pentecost took place after three days of waiting for the law. It seems to me those three days were a foreshadowing of three days in the tomb before the fulfillment of the law came in the resurrected Jesus.

The fulfillment of Pentecost came after ten days in the upper room. We know it was ten days because Jesus ascended on the 40th day of the Feast of Weeks. Pentecost came ten days later. The first Pentecost began with thunder and lightning, a thick cloud, and a very loud trumpet blast... The fulfillment of Pentecost came with a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, that filled all the house… The people were terrified on the first Pentecost. The fulfillment of Pentecost  brought the comforter.

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 14:26

The promised Holy Spirit came. Then Galilaens, Parthians, and Medes, Elamites, and Mesopotamians, Judaeans and Cappadocians, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Cyrene, strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, heard everyone speak the in their own language.

Approximately two thousand years after God confounded the language of men at the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, Holy Spirit restores the understanding of the very same people groups at Pentecost.

The motivation for building a tower to heaven was self glorification.

And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

Genesis 11:4

Name is Shem, ironically pronounced Shame.  It means reputation, fame, and glory. They wanted to glorify their name, not God’s.

And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

Genesis 11:6

The people in Genesis 11 were of one accord to glorify themselves. Therefore God broke the accord.

Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.

Genesis 11:7

In contrast, the 120 were in one accord. Holy Spirit came, restored thier understanding and they did

hear them speak in their tongues the wonderful works of God.

Acts 2:11

How ironic that the root issue in Genesis 11 is rectified in verse 11 of Acts 2.  It’s no coincidence that self-glorification remains the core struggle for the body of Christ today. Let’s pay attention as we move on in Acts. Are the Apostles and disciples primarily focused on their identity, authority, gifting, and power? Or does their spiritual self-esteem take a back seat for His namesake and glory?

Maranatha

Brian and Cathy Gray Africa Bound

      Africa Bound

Well it’s been a long time coming but it should come as no surprise to those who know us well that we are giving all to become full time missionaries.  

Granted we’ve been short term missionaries in Honduras since 2008, however this different. 

We have also run a faith based transitional home and lived with furloughed inmates since 2005 which probably seems crazy enough to most, however we’ve always had financial security, and a place to lay our heads in a paradise that most people only dream of visiting.  In a word we have lived the proverbial American dream.  

Giving everything up now in hopes of serving the poorest of the poor in the most impoverished and worn torn corners of the world might sound like foolishness to some.  However this has been our dream since before we were married.  In fact we have both known since we were children that we were made for this day.

As Christians we are called to live and walk by faith.  There’s really nothing in the bible that even hints that we should play it safe.  In fact Jesus gave us the formula for success.  Those who will lose their lives for His sake will gain true life. And so we are going.  We are going with a goal of loving the lost and unloved in hopes of one day becoming love ourselves.  This is our theory.  This our plan.  To be perfectly honest we don’t really know what that looks like or even means at this point.  We are simply stepping out with child like faith, knowing only that we know nothing especially in terms of what lies ahead.  We are only certain that God has called us to a deeper place, a place of knowing Him more, a place of acquaintance with His sorrows and with those sorrows, an unspeakable joy that we know will be our inheritance if we remain obedient to His call. 

We will be departing Kauai to attend the IRIS Global Harvest School of Missions in Pemba Mozambique on Oct 4th.  This is a turning point and not just an event.  God willing we will eventually be in places like South Sudan, Honduras and wherever the Lord calls us from here on out. 

Follow us here if you’d like periodic updates as we journey deeper into the heart of God and endeavor to love Him by loving His children here on earth.