Friday's Devo - Call the Fire Department...the Church is on Fire!!!

Read Acts 2 again!
It is the day of Pentecost and all the Jews have come to celebrate. One hundred and twenty of Jesus' disciples were in an upper room praying and waiting for the promise Jesus said would come. It came in a sound from heaven, a mighty wind and it filled all of them. There were flames of fire resting on top of their heads. The Holy Spirit filled them and they spoke in tongues. Remember at the first Pentecost on Mt. Sinai there was the sound of the trumpet, the mountain quaked, and there was fire like a furnace on the mountain. God spoke audibly to his people from the mountain. This time God filled the people individually with his power and used their mouth to speak to the people. The fire was on the people instead of a mountain.
Everyone in the city came to see what the noise was all about and they heard these people proclaiming God in their own dialect and language. They were amazed and couldn't figure it out. Some thought they were drunk.
But Peter stood up and was empowered to witness to the crowd about what this was all about. Every Jew knew the prophesies about the last days. Joel had prophesied that in the last days God would pour out his spirit and people would prophesy, see visions, and dream dreams. God would also shew them signs in the heaven and on the earth: blood, fire, and smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come. Then he gave an invitation for all who wanted to be saved and follow Jesus. He took them through the scriptures that pointed to Jesus being the Messiah. The word pricked their hearts and they believed...3,000 of them. (The same number that were killed at the foot of the mountain for disobeying Moses and worshipping the golden calf. The law kills, but the sprit gives life)
This was the birth of the church. They came together daily and fellowshipped, ate, and prayed. They saw God do many wonders and signs. They sold their possessions and distributed the money evenly so that everyone had their needs met. Joy filled their soul as they grew daily in number.
I have been reading a book about the revival at Azuza St in the early 1900's. There was fire on top of the church where they would meet. It was visible to the whole town. Firemen were repeatedly called to put it out. It went up from the church and fire came down from heaven. It was prophesied that another revival bigger than that would happen 100 years from then. That would be around the time we are in right now! May it be Lord. Bring the fire!!!