The Day of Pentecost

by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2014, all rights reserved.

Chapter 1

The Day of Pentecost came about fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  Some churches celebrate “Pentecost Sunday” every year.

After Jesus was raised from the dead, he showed himself to his disciples, and to more than five hundred Christians.

Jesus had told his people, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

But in Acts 1:4, Jesus said to wait at Jerusalem for what the Father had promised, that Jesus had told them about.

Had Jesus changed his mind about their going into all the world to preach the gospel to every creature?

No, he just wanted them to go properly equipped.

And I say to you, friends, if you’re a Christian who has not received the Baptism with the Holy Ghost, you’re not properly equipped.

Some people might have the idea that Christianity is like a cafeteria.  You take what looks good to you, and leave the rest.

No, that’s the wrong idea.  If you’re a Christian, you’re a follower of Jesus, and Jesus told us to get the Baptism with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues (languages).

It’s an unknown tongue because the person speaking that language doesn’t understand the language that he’s speaking.

The evidence that a person has received the Baptism with the Holy Ghost is that he speaks in an unknown tongue.

I met a man passing out tracts in Los Angeles, and we got to talking.  I asked him if he’d received the Baptism with the Holy Ghost.  He said yes.

I asked if he prays in a language he never learned.  He said no.  I said, “Brother Jerry, if you haven’t spoken in unknown tongues, then you haven’t received the Baptism with the Holy Ghost.

Someone might say, “Do I have to have that to go to heaven?”

Actually, I believe a Christian can go to heaven without the Baptism with the Holy Ghost, but you would be missing the will of God.

Without the Baptism with the Holy Ghost, you might not make it to heaven.  Jesus said, “He that endures to the end shall be saved,” and “Be faithful until death, and I will give you a crown of life.”

Without the Baptism with the Holy Ghost, you might not endure to the end; you might not be faithful until death.

Haven’t you noticed how the Obama Administration is trying to take away people’s freedoms?  Haven’t you noticed how they have a new law trying to force everyone, even Christians, to buy health insurance?

But we Christians have our health care promised to us in the Bible (Ex 15:26, Psa 103, 1 Pet 2:24, Rom 8:2, Gal 3:13,14).

Please see my book, “Better Health Care than Obamacare, for Free.” (Amazon.com)

You’d better have all the tools that are available to you as a Christian if you want to endure to the end, and be faithful until death.

The Bible says in the last days, perilous times shall come.  We are now in those dangerous times, and things will get worse.

The Bible says that strong delusion will come on the earth.

Have your spiritual weapons assembled, ready, and sharp.  One of the weapons provided to Christians is the Baptism with the Holy Ghost.

Chapter 2

Here is the narrative about the Day of Pentecost from Acts chapter 2, from the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version, (Amazon.com).

___Acts chapter 2

1 And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all in agreement in one place.

2 And suddenly, a sound came from heaven like a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And they saw split tongues like fire, and it rested on each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the words to speak.

5 And Jews were living at Jerusalem, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

6 Now when this news had spread around, the multitude came together and were amazed, because every man heard them speak in his own language.

7 And they were all amazed and surprised, saying to each other, "See, aren't all of these who speak Galileans?

8 And how is it that we hear every man in our own language in which we were born?

9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and those living in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, Jews and converts,

11 Cretes and Arabians, we hear them speak in our languages the wonderful works of God."

12 And they were all amazed and were in doubt, saying to each other, "What does this mean?"

13 Others mocking said, "These men are full of new wine."

14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said to them, "You men of Judea, and all of you that live at Jerusalem, know this, and listen to my words,

15 For these people aren't drunk, like you think, since it's only the third hour of the day.

16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel,

17 And it shall be, in the last days, says God, I will pour out of my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams,

18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit, and they shall prophesy,

19 And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke,

20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord comes,

21 And it shall be, that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

22 You men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God among you, by miracles and wonders and signs, that God did by him among you, as you yourselves also know,

23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and beforehand knowledge of God, you've taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and killed,

24 Whom God has raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be held captive by it.

25 For David speaks concerning him, I could always picture the Lord before my face, for he is at my right hand, so that I wouldn't be moved,

26 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad, also my flesh shall rest in hope,

27 Because you won't leave my soul in hell, nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption.

28 You've made known to me the ways of life, you'll make me full of joy with your face.

29 Men and brothers, let me freely speak to you about the patriarch David, that he is dead and buried, and his tomb is still with us today.

30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne,

31 He, seeing this beforehand, spoke of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, nor did his flesh see corruption.

32 God has raised up this Jesus, about whom all of us are witnesses.

33 Therefore being honored at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he has given this that you now see and hear.

34 For David has not ascended into the heavens, but he said himself, The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand,

35 Until I make your enemies your footstool.

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain, that God has made that same Jesus, whom you've crucified, the Lord and Christ."

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said to Peter and to the rest of the apostles, "Men and brothers, what shall we do?"

38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you'll receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

39 For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all that are far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."

40 And he testified and exhorted with many other words, and said, "Save yourselves from this wicked generation."

Chapter 3

Now the thief on the cross, who converted to Christianity on the cross, didn’t have time to go get baptized in water.  But Jesus said he’d go to heaven.

But if you’ve had opportunity to get baptized in water, and also baptized with the Holy Ghost, and don’t get both baptisms, how will you explain it to Jesus on Judgment Day?

In the first four books of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, John the Baptist tells us that Jesus is the one who baptizes with the Holy Ghost.  Jesus said, “Ask and you’ll receive…” (Matt 7:7)

And Jesus said, “When you pray, believe that you receive the things you ask for, and you shall have them.” (Mark 11:24)

So, ask Jesus for the Baptism with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues, and believe that you receive.

Now God doesn’t take control of your lips and tongue, and make you talk.

No, the Holy Ghost gives you words to speak.  Strange words in a strange language that you never learned, and don’t understand.

Then, you add your voice, and speak those words out.

Don’t listen to Charles Stanley, who wrote that the Baptism with the Holy Ghost has been done away with.  That’s a lie.

If the Baptism with the Holy Ghost has been done away with, how did I get it when I was 13 or 14, half a century ago?  And how have I been able, every day since then, to pray in a language I never learned and don’t understand?

I’m against you, Charles Stanley, for teaching the false doctrine that the Baptism with the Holy Ghost has been done away with.  The Lord rebuke you.

God will promote me, and demote you.

Someone might say, “Well doesn’t the fact that God hasn’t already struck him down suggest that he has God’s stamp of approval?”

No, it doesn’t.  Look at the Parable of the Tares and Wheat.  God is letting “both grow together until the harvest, so that some of the good wheat is not uprooted.”

Another Baptist preacher, John Osteen, also didn’t have the Baptism with the Holy Ghost.  But, as he studied the Bible on the subject, he said, “Well, what’s wrong with it?  It’s scriptural.”  So, Osteen got the Baptism with the Holy Ghost, and his Baptist church kicked him out.

Osteen went and started Lakewood Church in Houston, and it grew to thirty thousand members.

Isn’t the same Bible available to Charles Stanley that showed Osteen that the Baptism with the Holy Ghost is legitimate?

John the Baptist said Jesus is the baptizer with the Holy Ghost.  The book of Hebrews says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Heb 13:8)   So then Jesus still is the baptizer with the Holy Ghost.

Charles Stanley, is Hebrews 13:8 not in your Bible?  It’s in mine.

Jesus said to his disciples that he’d be going back to his Father in heaven.  The disciples were sad.  Jesus said, “If you loved me, you’d rejoice, my Father is greater than I am.”

Jesus was getting promoted back to heaven from earth.

But Jesus explained, “It’s expedient for you that I go away (it’s the best thing) because if I don’t go, the Comforter won’t come.  But if I go, I’ll send him to you.  The Comforter is another name for the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of Truth.

Jesus was basically telling them that it was better for them to have the Holy Ghost than to have Jesus’ physical presence on earth.

So, if Jesus says it’s that important, can you say no to the Baptism with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues?

Maybe you’re a member at Stanley’s church.  Maybe you have friends there.  Is that church and are those friends more important to you than doing the will of God?

If you’ll obey God, he’ll give you other friends.  Don’t go to a church where they don’t believe in the Baptism with the Holy Ghost.

In Jude 20, we read that we can build up ourselves on our most holy faith by praying in the Holy Ghost.  But you can’t do that until you’ve received the Baptism with the Holy Ghost.

And we need strong faith to live the Christian life.  You get things from God with your faith.

In Acts 1:8, Jesus said, “You’ll receive power after the Holy Ghost has come on you.”  A Christian with the Holy Ghost has more power than a Christian who doesn’t have the Holy Ghost.

Can you afford to try to operate without the power God wants you to have?

“Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

In Romans 8:26, we can pray more effectively with the Holy Spirit (in tongues).  But you can’t do that until you’ve received the Baptism with the Holy Ghost.

In Omaha, I learned about a man who asked the Lord to make him a more effective witness for the Lord.  God answered his prayer by baptizing him with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues.

___James chapter 1

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.

2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,

3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.

4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.  For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.

7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,

10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.

11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.

18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.

21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,

24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2

1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,

3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"

4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

6 But you have despised the poor.  Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?

7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?

8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,

9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.

10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill."  Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.

12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.

14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works?  Can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,

16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?

17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."

19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?

22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."

24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3

1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.

2 For in many things we offend all.  If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.

4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.

5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things.  See how great a matter a little fire kindles!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.

7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,

8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.

10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing.  My brothers, these things ought not to be.

11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?

12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries?  Or a vine, figs?  So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.

13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you?  Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.

15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4

1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from?  Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?

2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.

3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.

4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.

5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"

6 But he gives more grace.  So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.

11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers.  He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?

13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"

14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."

16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5

1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.

2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.

3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire.  You've heaped treasure together for the last days.

4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.

5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.

6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.

7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.  See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.

8 You also be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.

9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.

10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

11 See, we count them happy that endure.  You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.

13 Is anyone among you afflicted?  Let him pray.  Is anyone merry?  Let him sing psalms.

14 Is anyone sick among you?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.

16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed.  The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.

17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,

20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.