By Pr. Ted Jungkuntz

What did the Apostles do between the Ascension of Jesus and the first Pentecost that followed? Jesus had given them this command and promise:

“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised… For John baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4-5)

So, they returned to Jerusalem and together with about a hundred and twenty other believers, they prayed a lot (Acts 1:14-15).

Then there was a “Wow!” moment. I summarize, but you check out the details:

  • “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2:4)
  • Peter said: “Exalted to the right hand of God, [Jesus] has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.” (Acts 2:33)
  • “[The believers] devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.” (Acts 2:42-43)
  • [The believers prayed,] “Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke the word of God boldly. (Acts 4:30-31)

Now, does Carl Medearis’ teaching on “42 Seconds” scare us or put us off? (That’s about how long it would have taken you to read the above.) Are we running short of the courage and boldness to witness of which both Scripture and Medearis speak? My prayer for St. Luke is that many of us would dare to pray for Pentecost to happen among us again and again.

Are we ready for the “Wow” moments of “The Acts of the Apostles” to continue, as we “See and Hear” what God wants to do in us and through us? – It’s a merging of “our story,” “their story,” and the eternal “story of Jesus”! I know how desperately “my story” needs to daily include this prayer:

“Come, Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit. Come, Holy Spirit.” (Lk. 11:13 and the Early Church)

And all God’s people said: “Amen.”