Blog Layout

The Day of Pentecost:

The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit Then & Now!

Dr. daniel b. gilbert

may 27, 2023

The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit Then & Now!

Luke writes in Acts 1:1-3 that for forty days after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, He continued to teach His disciples about the kingdom of God. We do not have much of those teachings recorded during those forty days, but we do have some important statements of Jesus recorded on the last day before His ascension. Luke writes:

 

And while staying with them he ordered them no to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now…But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:4-5, 8, emphasis mine)

 

After this, Jesus ascended and was seated at the right hand of God, the Father. Ten days later, on the Day of Pentecost, at the beginning of one of the most joyful festivals the Jews celebrated, (see Lev. 23:15-21), something supernatural happened! (Read Acts 2) The fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel 2:28-29 took place. The Father, through the ascended Son, sent and poured out the Holy Spirit upon the disciples and for all who would believe!

 

This was no ordinary day, nor should it be ordinary for the Church and believers today. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit was uniquely a New Testament event, not just for the 120 believers that day who were baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire, but for believers today too!

 

There are several insights and purposes of Spirit baptism to encourage us about this special day in the history of the Church:


  • The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit was the unique initiation for the Church, but also it continues until the Parousia (The second coming of Christ).
  • The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit was to fill and immerse the believers in God, the Holy Spirit, with heavenly joy and praise, that is still one of the main purposes for Spirit baptism today. (See also Romans 15:13; Ephesians 5:18-20)
  • The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit was to bring a deeper fellowship with the Triune God, as now God resides in our hearts today. (See also 2 Corinthians 13:14)
  • The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit was to empower the believers for ministry and to be mighty witnesses for Jesus Christ by continuing the power ministry of Jesus and is still one of the main purposes for Spirit baptism today! (See also Acts 4:28-31; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11)

 

So, I want to ask you three key questions:

  • Have you and I surrendered to the fullness of and the empowerment with the Holy Spirit for the main purpose to be Spirit-empowered witnesses of Jesus Christ to a lost world?
  • Do we desire to be vessels of the Holy Spirit and not limit Him in our lives and ministry, including all the gifts of the Spirit?
  • Are we a people set apart in holiness and radiate the joy of the Holy Spirit in our lives that attracts people to Jesus?

 

May this Pentecost Sunday be a day of celebrating the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that commenced the New Testament Church, but may it also be a day of surrendering more to God, the Holy Spirit, to empower us to be mighty witnesses for the world to come to Jesus Christ our Lord!


Give your comment below and don't forget to share this post with your friends!


By Daniel Gilbert 28 May, 2023
This is a subtitle for your new post
By Daniel Gilbert 19 Mar, 2023
What God Did in Kenya this March: An Overview
By Dr. Daniel Gilbert 04 Mar, 2020
We must stop the rise of Antisemitism that’s happening now, which is similar to what was happening prior to 1938! Then this evening at the Sabbath (Shabbat) we had an amazing time celebrating and praying at the the Western Wall!!!! I was so humbled to get to pray at the wall for all our partners of the ministry! I was weeping at the wall as I prayed. What a moment with God! Thousands of Jews & hundreds of Christians where praying, yet as I prayed I didn’t sense anyone around me, but just the presence of the LORD! Then after our time there, we were blessed to go to a Jewish home and celebrate Shabbat Dinner. It was beautiful and wonderful. We all sang, in Hebrew Psalm 133 at the end! I can’t thank CUFI, Christians United for Israël enough for this trip for us at Regent University! Keep Praying my friends and send me any specific prayer requests for me to pray for you, as we will be returning to the Western Wall to pray again before we leave Jerusalem. God BLESS You, Dr. Daniel B Gilbert Mary Beth Miller Gilbert
By Dr. Daniel Gilbert 04 Mar, 2020
I’ve read Ephesians 2:10 a thousand times. And when you read something you tend to gloss over it mentally. Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV) And at first reading, this is a great verse. I make a little graphic for Instagram and then I close my Bible and get ready for work. But if you really dive into to what this verse is really saying, it will literally change your life. The Word “workmanship” in particular is what I did a word study on and found that there were so many layers and meanings behind it. Let’s unpack that word. The Amplified Bible says, “His own master work/ work of art.” The NIV says, “We are God’s Handiwork” The Passion Translation says “We are His Poetry” The Voice translation says, “We are the product of His hand, heaven’s poetry etched on lives..” After reading all the translations, I started to peel back all the layers of meaning. But it wasn’t until I read the Spanish version that I really understood. The “Palabra De Dios” Version says, “Obra” instead of “Workmanship.” This word OBRA is where we get OPUS- or a composer’s greatest symphony. Now, when I read this verse, I don’t just see that I am created by God’s hand, but that I am his GREATEST MASTERPIECE, His SYMPHONY of life. It makes me want to sing to HIM, dance for Him, create for Him- with all my innermost being!
By Dr. Daniel Gilbert 04 Mar, 2020
I was so blessed to be in Israel for 9 days with 24 other faculty from Regent University through our partnership with Christians United for Israel (CUFI)! Right now, all I can say is, "Wow!" It was a life-changing trip for me! One of my highlights was visiting the Western Wall in Jerusalem twice! Both times, I prayed for you and all our Partners! Praying for You are the Western Wall in Jerusalem! There is so much to share with you, so over the next few weeks, I'll be writing an e-book entitled, Journey to Israel: Insights & Impact, which I'll send you for your faithfulness to Mary Beth and me and our ministry I just returned this week from this life-changing journey to Israel and will be "leaping" back over to Kenya in less than a week (March 5th to 16th)! You can "leap" with me to Kenya to make a difference in educating village pastors who have no other opportunity to be trained! You can "leap" with me to bless the orphans and most vulnerable children in the region, who need your love and compassion! You can continue to help change an entire region with the Kingdom of God with your prayers and support today! We are currently $7,147 short for all that needs to be done for this trip! You can spread the Kingdom of God today with a special gift: GIVE As I get ready to "leap" over to Kenya, we are still short of our funding to help the pastors and orphans. Will you consider investing in our ministry with a special gift today to help the orphans and pastors for this trip? You can give on our secure website: GIVE Please give as generously as you can. Thank you for your support and care for those in need. Mary Beth and I can't THANK YOU enough! God BLESS You!
By Dr. Daniel B. Gilbert 30 Jun, 2018
The 2nd Edition of my book The Big 5: The Five Foundations Every Christian Should Know is currently at the Publishers with an addition of a “Foreward by Dr. Pat Robertson!”
By Dr. Dan Gilbert 01 Mar, 2018
God is really moving in Kenya and you still have time to help make a difference as well as receive a tax deduction for 2017! Your gift received by tomorrow night, 12/31/17, will assure that our Kenya March mission will be able to meet budget and be under written. We are counting on God to once again do great things thru our ministry. Our Bible Institute (ELIM Theological Institute) and the orphanage we sponsor, Ebenezer Children’s Home and School, will be the focus of our mission trip. ​​ We are writing to ask for your help to make this mission trip possible. Our projects below continue and are growing!​ Training Kenyan Pastors ELIM Theological Institute is a “mobile seminary” bringing seminary to those who can’t afford to go! We have grown from 26 to 170 pastors and church leaders! We have been ministering in a poor region of Kenya for seven years now ~providing them with the vital need of theological and ministry training as well as personally mentoring them. Your support will help pre-fund our trip and pay for the following: general school supplies, program materials, food and water for a week for the pastors and church leaders, translating expenses, travel expenses, facility rental, printing costs, transportation for some to attend, travel and lodging. We emphasize skills they need for effective ministry and protection from false prophets and Islam…a good understanding of Bible knowledge and doctrine, the ability to speak and preach well, the capacity to lead people to Christ and disciple them, and the training to guide a church in areas of relationships, marriage, discernment, forgiveness and more. We believe in empowering indigenous pastors, as it is the local Kenyan pastors who will have the greatest impact and can reach and disciple their people more effectively. And they have a greater propensity for multiplication. Some churches have doubled and tripled in size! We could not have seen God do miracles in their lives for many years now without so many wonderful partners and friends like you! Thank you! Gifts to Orphans in Kenya Second, we want to continue to help feed and care for over 400 children at the orphanage and the school we sponsor. Ebenezer Children’s Home and School in Kenya provides these orphans withfood, medicine, clothing, education, medical supplies, mosquito nets and the love of Jesus. We already have a huge suitcase packed and filled with stuffed animals and toys for the orphans. The children are very responsive to our ministry and they love it when we come to minister to them. This is all done in a Christ-centered environment serving the children’s physical and spiritual needs. Because of the generosity of others like you, we’ve also been able to provide for big items such as a new dining hall floor, kitchen, water tanks and more! Of course, we could never do it alone. Only through your generosity are any of these ministries to the underprivileged possible. In the months leading up to each mission, we pray, plan and prepare so that God, thru his people, will fully fund the mission. That’s what we’re doing right now in preparation for March. Your gift at this time will help mobilize the trip in order for us to go and be a blessing to these folks. Will you prayerfully consider helping the orphans and pastors by giving and making this trip possible in March 2018? To pay for all the items mentioned above and more (for 170 pastors/church leaders & over 400 orphans), our estimated budget for our March 2018 mission trip is $25,427! We need gifts of varying amounts: $50, $25, $100, $500, $1,000, $5,000 or more. You can make a difference right away when you give: Through our website www.empowered-living.org (click on the “DONATE” button and give through our secure account); or By check (mail to EmPowered Living – 825 Water Elm Ct., Chesapeake VA 23320) date check by December 31, 2017 in order to receive your 2017 tax-deduction We are so thankful for you and will be grateful for your gift! Thank you in advance for your prayers and support. Your help will be a blessing to the orphans, pastors and their church members and to all of us. God BLESS You, Dr. Daniel and Mary Beth Gilbert
By Dr. Daniel and Mary Beth Gilbert 06 Jan, 2018
HAPPY NEW YEAR! May I bless you with a word of encouragement for 2018? The LORD spoke through the Prophet Isaiah stating:
Share by: