The Gateway of Heaven : Building With God Brings Understanding

Have you ever traveled far from home to go to a big party? Well, it was time for the Big Jewish party celebrating Pentecost — the feast of harvest. So there were people from every nation staying in Jerusalem.

Jesus’ disciples were also in Jerusalem. They were still waiting, waiting, waiting for the Gift of the Holy Spirit to come, just like Jesus had told them.

One day, they were all together in a big room, singing and praying together and suddenly… a sound like a super strong wind came from heaven and filled the entire house. Whoooooooooo!

Then something like flames of fire spread out and rested over each one of them. This was it! This was what they’d been waiting for! All of those who believed in Jesus and who had waited were filled with His Holy Spirit!

THIS was what Jesus had promised. A NEW COVENANT… a brand new deal. Jesus “had been with them, but now He would be IN them.” And just as He had promised, things were about to get better than ever.

Just like God’s Seers had said long before… this New Covenant wasn’t about trying to remember and do all the right things anymore. This was the “GOD’S SPIRIT WITHIN” COVENANT. And now, God was making it not only possible to see with Heaven-Eyes, but to have Heaven Living on your inside, through His Spirit.

When that Holy Spirit fire began to rest on Jesus’ disciples, they began to speak in languages that they had never spoken before. (That would be like if all of a sudden, you could speak in Chinese, or French, or Spanish.)

When the people in the city heard the commotion, they all came ruuuuunning to see just what in the world was going on! And when they gathered around and heard everyone talking in different languages, they were confused.

But they weren’t confused because they couldn’t understand. They were confused because they COULD understand. Because no matter who was speaking or what language they were speaking, everyone could HEAR and understand what was being said! And that was kinda surprising.

People were in Jerusalem from every nation on the earth, so they spoke many different languages. And now all of a sudden, they were hearing each other in their own language.

Think about it…

This sounds like the opposite of what happened at the tower of Babel, doesn’t it? Back then, God had confused and scattered the disobedient people by making them speak different languages. BUT nooooow, for these people who obeyed and waited, the OPPOSITE of the Tower of Babel is happening. God is undoing what He’d done at the tower of Babel because this time, God is building His House, His Tower, His Gateway to Heaven (just like that stairway Jacob saw in his dream).

They were completely surprised and said, “Aren’t all these people who are talking from around here? How can we be hearing them in our own language which is only spoken far away? Their language is totally different from ours, but we can understand them! I hear them talking about the great things God has done! What does this mean that this amazing thing is happening?”

Just then Peter stood up with the other 11 apostles, and started to talk LOUDLY to the crowd so that everyone could hear. “Listen carefully to what I say. What you see and hear happening right now was talked about long ago through the prophet Joel. Joel said,

‘In the last days, I will pour out My Spirit on all people, and your sons and your daughters will talk for Me; both men and women, they will speak for Me.

‘I will perform wonders in the sky above and miracles on the earth below. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

The people were listening closely, so Peter went on talking. “God proved that Jesus was True with powerful deeds, wonders, and miraculous signs that you saw for yourself. But you murdered Him on a cross. But death couldn’t keep hold of Jesus. He came back to life.

“A long time ago our King David said this would happen. And, we are here to tell you that it did happen. God did raise up Jesus from the dead, and He has been taken up to the right hand of God! We saw it!

“And now the Holy Spirit has been poured out on us from the Father, just like He promised. That is what you are seeing and hearing.

“God made this Jesus, who you killed, both Lord and Rescuer, but you murdered Him by nailing Him to a cross.”

Now when the people heard this, they felt awful, awful, awful. It was like something sharp had poked their hearts. They knew what Peter said was true! They had killed Jesus, their Savior! They said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “You’re right! What should we do now?”

Peter answered them, “Turn around from your bad ways. Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

And then the next thing that happened was quite amazing. People started saying, “Yes.” “I will.” “Me too.” “Yes.” “And me.” — to what Peter and the apostles said.

And the crowd got bigger, and bigger, and bigger. People were coming from everywhere. “Hey.” “What’s going on?” “What’s up?”

So Peter told them and warned them, “Be Saved from this perverted and wicked, evil generation.”

By the time that day was over — that ONE day — about 3,000 people Believed in Jesus and said, “Yes!” to turning away from sin! Each one of them was baptized and became part of the Church, God’s House.

Remember how long ago, when God’s Holy Box went missing and Jeremiah had told the people, “You’re not going to wish for those old glory days. In fact, you won’t even remember them because NEW BRIGHTER Glory Days are Coming.” Well, those Glory Days were now just getting started.

This New Covenant deal had just CHANGED EVERYTHING. Just as Jeremiah had said would happen many years before: No more would people have to try to convince others to “Know the Lord. Don’t forget to Know the Lord. Do this. Do that. Don’t do this. Don’t do that.”

Nope. Now, from the least to the greatest, everyone with that Holy Spirit fire on the inside would know God themselves. God gave this gift of His Holy Spirit to do a New Work in those who would come to Him. And that work was not a work of just being able to speak another world language, but the work of bringing Understanding and Heaven-Life amongst God’s Family.

This New Covenant would be the last earth agreement that God would need to make with people. Do you know why it’s the last? Because with this Covenant, God gave us everything.

He gave the LIFE of His Son, who took the punishment for our sins. And for all those who believe, He washes our sins away.

Then He gave the Indwelling of His Spirit — a new life descending on us to live within our hearts, giving us the power to live His life.

And along with His Spirit came His Holy Spirit fire — so that His rivers of alive water can gush out of us to the thirsty world around us.

You see? He gave us EVERYTHING we need to Finish out His Big Plan — to become a Bride for His Son.