My Own Pentecost

My Own Pentecost


It happened many years ago—in the late 70’s. That Sunday morning our friend, Sonny, preached at the Methodist church, but I don’t remember a thing of what he said. 


For quite some time I had become more serious about spiritual things and was wanting to know God better and live a life more pleasing to Him. I believe God knew the state of my heart and the desires in my spirit and decided to bless me in a big way that day. 


The service was ending, and I stood with my family for the benediction. That’s when it happened. It was incredible, amazing, nothing like anything I had experienced before. It was supernatural!


With eyes closed, I felt close to God. Then suddenly, from the upper right corner of the vaulted ceiling of the sanctuary it came. I couldn’t see it but I sensed it descending toward me. Then I could hear it, softly at first.


As the volume increased it swirled around me and gently encouraged my spirit. It’s really hard to describe. Louder and awesome, the swirling continued. It was thrilling, not one bit scary, and continued for what seemed like several minutes.  

I could best explain it like a “mighty rushing wind,” as described in Acts 2. The sound became thunderous. I thought that everyone in the sanctuary must be hearing it. It continued and I revered it and was overjoyed by it. 


My mind interrupted the awesome experience and told me that if it didn’t soon stop, I would end up on the floor and embarrass myself and my family. I didn’t want it to stop but I didn’t want to suffer that humiliation either. I told it to stop.


That thunderous mighty rushing wind slowly ascended back to where it came from. I loved it and didn’t want it to go but I was afraid for it to stay. Afraid of what? –of what others would think. That’s a big mistake. I had quenched the Spirit.


I regret not allowing God to stay and finish whatever He wanted to do in me but God will not overrule our free will. I knew it was the Holy Spirit moving over me and that He wanted to do something for me. That’s always a good thing. But because of my fear of man, I stopped Him. 


BUT—I was certainly changed by the experience. There was no doubting the supernatural power of God and His Spirit. Also, it was incredible to think that He would visit me in such a way. It was a personal visitation of the Holy Spirit to me—such a small particle of Creation.


That experience brought me to a greater awareness of the reality of God’s presence in me. I better know God’s love and have a greater capacity to love others; my hunger for God’s Word is greater; my desire for things of God has increased; I can see with spirit eyes and hear His voice more clearly; and my desire to point others to Jesus has intensified. 


I believe that I was baptized in the Holy Spirit as spoken of in the Book of Acts. In Acts 2, we learn about the Day of Pentecost when Jesus’ disciples received the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues. They were endowed with the dunamis power of God and went out from there and changed to world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 


For me, speaking in tongues came later, in the form of a prayer language, but I believe God gave me the gift that day. I regret stopping the Holy Spirit when He visited me in such a mighty way. Sometimes I wonder how I and my life would be different if I had let Him have His way.


I’ve not experienced His mighty rushing wind since then, but I experience the Holy Ghost in me all the time and from time to time, His manifestation in a supernatural way. And He sometimes tells me things and shows me things that could only come from all-knowing God.   


In my weakness, I don’t always follow His leading, but my prayer is that I will do so more and more. He’s always there to show the way and give strength but the choice is mine.


Have you experienced the second touch of the Holy Spirit since you believed? (Acts 19:2)


On His Resurrection Day, Jesus breathed on His disciples and they received the Holy Spirit. (John 20:22) Then when He ascended back to Heaven, He promised a second infilling of His Spirit--with power. So, they waited as He instructed. Then it happened. 

We read about it in Acts 2:

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).  

Internet Image

From there, the empowered disciples went into the streets of Jerusalem and proclaimed the Gospel. They each preached in a language unknown to them but was heard by other people in their native tongue. Then Peter preached his famous sermon, quoted in Acts 2:14-39. About 3,000 people came into the Body of Christ that day by believing in and receiving Jesus into their hearts.

Our Creator wants each of us to experience Pentecost. Peter said, “For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:39). 


Please pray, knowing God is for you and has magnificent gifts for all who will believe and receive Jesus. May God richly bless you on this Day of Pentecost.    

All Bible quotes are taken from the New King James Version.

©Copyright 2020 Connie Wohlford