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The Purpose of Pentecost

On the night of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, He breathed on those gathered followers of His, and said "Receive the Holy Spirit..." At that moment they were regenerated by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit united them all to the death and to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They were put INTO Christ Jesus at that moment and given authority, His authority, to forgive sin. The indwelling Presence and Power of His life gave them a new spiritual DNA. They became "new creations". That was for them; the promise of their lives being transformed by the New Life that had begun to work in them. That was God's work in them, for them.

Pentecost was God empowering His New Creations to live out the new life they had already received for the sake of the world that had yet to hear and see the Gospel manifest in power as it had been manifested through Jesus Christ in His earthly ministry. THAT mission is to be carried out through His Body, still here on earth...His church...His people. Jesus said that the things He had been doing, His followers would continue to do, because He was going to the Father and the Holy Spirit would be poured out to empower His people to continue to live out His ministry and mission. There is NO timeframe limiting that mission and ministry, save His Second Coming when all the gifts and anointings for mission and ministry will no longer be needed.

He told the 120 followers, after His resurrection and during the days He was with them before His Ascencion (Acts 1:4-5), "Once when He was eating with them, He commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift He promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”. And a couple of verses later (Acts 1:8), "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The baptism with/in the Holy Spirit was Jesus Christ empowering His people to BE witnesses for Him. His life and ministry continued through His people was to result in lives being transformed by the Holy Spirit as the first followers' lives had been transformed. Salvation is for you. Being anointed by the Holy Spirit in power is for the sake of others.



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