Dear Jane,
How are you today. Hot, hot hot in Tejas. 109 in my town yesterday. Problem with that is that was NOT even a record. <g>
May I make a couple of comments?. First gotta post what you said:
>> He was full of joy and almost yelling," Praise you Jesus, I love you Jesus" and then he ran to the balcony, one-armed over it many feet to the grass below and ran out into the pasture in the dark and we could hear him praising God in a mighty voice for some time, and then some other guy was out there doing the same thing, and THAT'S WHY PETER AND JOHN SAID TO THEIR ON-LOOKERS--NO! THESE GUYS HAVE NOT BEEN DRINKING, BUT THEY ARE FULL OF THE NEW WINE OF JESUS CHRIST. <<
Now, I am not refuting the emotion or experience of the men you were talking about had, but lets look at some scripture.
(Acts 2:4 NRSV) All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Why would all these men be speaking in other languages? Well the Word tells us why.
(Acts 2:5 NRSV) Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem.
(Acts 2:6 NRSV) And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.
(Acts 2:7 NRSV) Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
(Acts 2:8 NRSV) And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?
(Acts 2:9 NRSV) Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
(Acts 2:10 NRSV) Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,
(Acts 2:11 NRSV) Cretans and Arabs--in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power."
There were men who spoke MANY different languages there, and if the apostles only spoke in one language, they would not have understood.
The reason others thought they were drunk was because they knew the men to be Galileans, and as they did not accept the coming of the Holy Spirit, they could not understand. What this was is CLEAR and UNDERSTANDABLE LANGUAGE that every man(kind) could understand so they could make a clear decision on the direction to take. And many did....
(Acts 2:37 NRSV) Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?"
I also think the reason this verse says "....and said to Peter and to the other apostles ........ is because the people who had heard their own natural language spoken would go to the one(apostle) speaking it.
This ended up being a lot longer post than I intended, sorry, but I guess I said this to say the things that happened on Pentecost were ALL repeat ALL miraculous; the sound like rushing wind, the tongues of fire, the languages spoken by men who were not schooled in those languages, ALL brought by the Spirit.. BUT this was not done as a show. There were no hucksters running up and down the stage spouting a bunch of gibberish (claiming to be speaking with God) and knocking people down, or laying(in the spirit) for 24 hours or any of that "stuff" This was ALL done for a very good reason:GOD LOVES US!!
(Acts 2:17 NRSV) 'In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
(Acts 2:18 NRSV) Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.
(Acts 2:19 NRSV) And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist.
(Acts 2:20 NRSV) The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day.
(Acts 2:21 NRSV) Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'
SHALL BE SAVED........GLORY....HALLELUJAH........PRAISE TO GOD!!!!!!!
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