Holidays bring a smile to the face of most fam­ilies, parents as well as children. A long time ago, in Palestine, this was also the case. One of the favorite holidays which Jewish families kept was Pentecost. The word Pentecost means "the fiftieth". Pentecost, you see, was always celebrated the fiftieth day after Passover and it lasted for seven wonderful days. Pentecost was a holiday that was similar to our Thanksgiving. People were thankful for two things at this time: for the Ten Commandments and for the bounty of harvest.

Pentecost often fell in June and many people came to Jerusalem to celebrate. Not just Jews kept Pentecost but devout proselytes, (men who had converted to the Jewish religion), celebrated with them. These proselytes came from all races and countries. Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamians, Cappadocians, Egyptians, Libyans, and others traveled the roads together. June usu­ally brought warm weather, excellent for walking. The roads were dry and passable, and most people were in a jovial spirit as they made their way towards the big city. Perhaps their happiness was partly due to the fact that no work was allowed during this holiday, (Lev. 23:21), and it is a fact that most people relax when they don't have their everyday chores to occupy them.

The mood on the streets, one particular Pentecost, was not only happy but also excit­ing. There was much talk in the crowds about Jesus — a Man who had been crucified at Passover. Some of His fol­lowers, it was rumored, were gathered together some­where waiting. What they were waiting for no one real­ly knew for sure. It was also rumored that this Jesus had somehow risen from the dead and had ascended into heav­en in full view of a great many people. In between all the jostle and bustle in the Jerusalem streets, little groups of people talked. At times they pointed to a build­ing where they knew the apostles were meeting. The crowds were curious; the crowds wanted to know what was going on.

Suddenly, a very strange thing happened. A sound traveled across the streets of Jerusalem — a mighty sound ­a sound like the onset of a gale — a sound like a tremen­dous wind.

People stopped talking. They looked up into the sky, wor­ried that their holiday might be spoiled by bad weather. They scanned the clouds for movement. But the incredi­ble thing was that although there was the sound of wind, there was no movement any­where. The blades of grass did not even tremble. The leaves on the trees did not flutter and the white clouds in the azure sky above their heads did not move. The wind they heard, you see, was not a physical wind but a spiritual one. It filled the building where the apostles were gathered. The apostles not only heard the sound, but also perceived that this sound filled them with power, with strength and with joy. In amazement they saw that small flames of fire, small tongues, as it were, had appeared among them and settled on each one of them. Awe filled them. Looking at one another they stood up and began to speak and the overwhelming strength and joy which they felt over­flowed into their speech.

Not remaining in the upper room where they had gath­ered for prayer, the apostles went outside. Crowds of peo­ple had assembled outside their building. The news of the powerful wind, a wind which left leaves and clouds motionless, had quickly carried down the Jerusalem streets. The apos­tles began speaking to a growing crowd — a huge crowd made up of all the races under heaven — and an astonished crowd. They were not astonished so much because of what the apostles said but because of how they said it. The fact was that the apostles, unlearned men that they were, spoke in many different languages. There was no one there who could not understand what the apostles said. The Egyptian could hear the Word of God as well as his Arabian neighbor. The Roman, as well as the Libyan, could understand what was proclaimed. The Mede and the Cretan, side by side, both heard the call to repent and be baptized. The mighty wind, the Holy Spirit, was making the Gospel avail­able to all who were there and that day about three thousand people believed. Just think of it! Three thou­sand people became believers in one day! Three thousand people were baptized! And three thousand people, not just Jews but also Gentiles, would carry the Word of God back with them to their own towns and countries!

Who Has Seen The Wind?⤒🔗

It would be wrong to think that the Holy Spirit had not worked before this par­ticular happening. The Holy Spirit always existed. He always was, and is, and always will be the eternal third Person of the Trinity. He helped with creation (Gen. 1:2); He gave people such as Samson great power (Judges 14:20); and He con­stantly works in human hearts to make the world accept God (Rom. 8:26). In the Old Testament the Spirit's work was restricted to Israel, but in the New Testament, because of Jesus' redeeming work, every nation was included in the Spirit's work. This inclusion began at Pentecost. The flam­ing tongues represented hearts being filled with the strength and power of the Holy Spirit; and the many languages indicated that a world-wide work was begin­ning.

After the amazing Pentecost holiday, the wind continued to blow. That is to say, the preaching continued and peo­ple were filled with love for the Lord and for each other. They shared things; they helped one another, and they were content.

Who has seen the wind? Ah, the wind blows where it pleases and has continued to do so throughout the cen­turies. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. Through the Holy Spirit, the universal church was planted. If you have seen the church, the bride of Christ, then you have seen the wind's work. And it is the truth that from the small beginnings of the one hun­dred and twenty firstlings, the church now numbers multi­tudes.

Judaizers←⤒🔗

There have been, and there always will be, those who oppose the church. In the first congregations during those early days there were a number of Jews who did not want to accept what the Lord Jesus had taught through His apostles. They had not want­ed to accept Jesus as Lord while He lived and they cer­tainly didn't want to accept Him as Lord after His death.

These were Jews who felt it was very important to keep the Law. As a matter of fact, because they felt that they could be saved from sin by keeping the Law, they had absolutely no need of Jesus. In their zeal for rules they had enlarged the Ten Commandments by adding new commandments. For example, they had made it a rule that walking more than one kilometer on the Sabbath was work; they had made it a rule that the tying of a leather strap on a sandal on the Sabbath was work; and they had made it a rule that the lighting of a fire in one's home on the Sabbath, even if the day was cold and your hearth fire had gone out, was work. Anyone who even thought about breaking these extra rules was looked down upon, was despised. These Jews lived by so many rules and regulations that they for­got the Lord their God — and the rules and regulations became their god.

When Jesus came, He struck down man-made rules. He healed on the Sabbath; He permitted His disciples to eat grain without washing their hands; He told those who held to man-made rules to their faces that they were hypocrites; and He main­tained that justice, mercy and faithfulness were more important to God than regu­lations. (Read Matthew 23 just to see how very harshly Jesus condemned the Pharisaic way of life).

After Jesus' death, when the church began to grow, the Judaizers wanted to enforce their rules on the new believ­ers. Jealous of the rapid growth, they often stirred up trouble for the members. They slandered the apostles, opposed their work, and fol­lowed them to different cities to have them punished by the Roman authorities. But the wind blew and in spite of the Judaizers, the church grew.

Salvation Through Christ Alone←⤒🔗

There is only one possible way to be saved. And that way is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Judaizers wanted to add rules — they wanted very much to be in control and contribute to their own salvation. Throughout the centuries the church has encountered many false teachers like the Judaizers — people who either added to Jesus' work, or sub­tracted from it. It is very important today to still be on guard against such false teachers and to kneel down daily confessing that our salvation is in Christ alone.

For The Record←⤒🔗

The New Testament does not give us historical dates on the births and deaths of the apos­tles. We do have human records, however, which give us a little information. These records tell us where a num­ber of them traveled giving us some idea as to how the Great Commission Jesus gave just before He ascended was carried out. Because, thanks to the Holy Spirit, discipling began. The disciples "went", "baptized", and "taught". And so must we!

Whence the Apostles←⤒🔗

Peter←↰⤒🔗

The apostle Peter preached to Jews in Pontus, Galatia, Bithynia, Cappadocia and Asia. He also wrote two epis­tles. Legend has it that, flee­ing from persecution in Rome, Jesus met Peter on a road. "Quo vadis, — where are you going?" Peter asked Jesus. The legend goes on to record that Jesus answered, "I go to Rome to be crucified again." Ashamed, Peter stopped fleeing and turned back to Rome. This is only a story, but we do know that history records that Peter's travels ended in Rome where he was crucified (upside down) during the persecution begun by Nero.

Andrew←↰⤒🔗

Andrew began preaching the Good News in Scythia, an area lying northeast of the Black and Caspian Seas.

James←↰⤒🔗

The apostle James, the broth­er of John, was beheaded by Herod. It is said that when James was brought to court by the man who betrayed him, the man was so moved by his testimony that he too confessed to being a Christian. As James and his betrayer were taken away together to be killed, the man asked James to forgive him. James considered for a moment and then said, "I wish you peace" and kissed the man. So both were beheaded at the same time.

John←↰⤒🔗

This apostle, who was so close to the Lord Jesus, wrote the fourth Gospel as well as three epistles. Exiled for a time to the island of Patmos, he had heavenly visions and wrote the book of Revelation. After his exile he moved to Ephesus. From this place he directed the church­es in Asia, appointing bish­ops, organizing churches and ordaining preachers. Much loved, it is even said that he, by divine power, raised a man from the dead. Living the longest of all the apostles, he died and was buried at Ephesus, likely over 100 years of age.

Philip←↰⤒🔗

Philip probably preached in the area of Hierapolis in Asia. There he, as well as some of his prophesying daughters, was buried.

Bartholomew←↰⤒🔗

It is recorded that Bartholomew preached the Gospel as far away as India and that he later became a teacher at the academy of Alexandria in Egypt. Here, both in speaking and in writ­ing, he taught the Gospel.

Thomas←↰⤒🔗

Thomas probably traveled to Parthia in western Asia. This area is now a part of north­eastern Iran.

Matthew←↰⤒🔗

Matthew compiled the say­ings of Jesus into the Aramaic language. This, of course, is the first Gospel ­the Gospel of Matthew ­known by his name. Bartholomew took this Gospel to India.

James←↰⤒🔗

James the son of Alphaeus ­no record found.

Thaddaeus←↰⤒🔗

Thaddaeus went to Edessa proclaiming the Word of God as he went. It is recorded that after Thaddaeus was able to cure the ruler of this country of a terrible disease, many in this area of Mesopotamia, (which is now Iraq), believed.

Simon the Zealot←⤒🔗

Nothing recorded.

←↰⤒🔗

Matthias←↰⤒🔗

Matthias was the man who was chosen by lot to take Judas Iscariot's place in the list of apostles.

Paul←↰⤒🔗

Paul, also known as the thir­teenth apostle, has his mis­sionary journeys written down in the Bible. He was arrested and sent to Rome but released again after a time of imprisonment. During this time of his first imprisonment he wrote some of the epistles. Possibly jour­neying as far as Spain on a preaching tour, he was later rearrested and once again sent to Rome. He was beheaded by Nero about 67 A.D.