"I didn't come down like this in a chute," said the soldier. "I went up in a tent."

A one hundred mile per hour gale hit the disciples of Jesus on that first Pentecost. They didn't come down in a parachute. They went up in a tent.

The events of that day were dramatic. The disciples were together to celebrate the Jewish Harvest Festival known as Pentecost. Suddenly, there was a sound like a violent blast of wind. Then, over the head of each of them there appeared what looked like tongues of fire. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages.

There were in Jerusalem at that time devout men from many distant lands. When they heard about this unusual phenomenon, they came to see for themselves. They were amazed because each of them heard the disciples speaking in their own language.

Some of them asked, what does this mean? Others sneered and accused the disciples of drunkenness. Simon Peter was the spokesperson for the day. "We're not drunk," he said. "After all it's only nine o'clock in the morning. Rather this is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel, `And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.'"

Then Peter linked the Old Testament prophecy with the Good News of the message of Jesus Christ. When he finished, people began asking, "What should we do?" Peter answered, "Repent and be baptized." They did and they were. About three thousand of them. But this was only the beginning. When the celebration had subsided, they met together regularly for fellowship, prayer, praise and teaching, "and the Lord added to their number daily such as should be saved."

Ron Newhouse