Crossroads At the Day of Bapticost

by Jesse Steele

Your Holy Spirit—is part of Your plan to purge Satan from the earth.

  Jesus: That’s part of what revival leads to. Fulfill the Great Commission, then… I purge.

  Carl: So, there’s something bugging me.

  Jesus: I know. You are going to ask how Drenching of my Holy Spirit happens and you are all upset about the whole drama with speaking in “tongues.”

  Carl: How did You know I was going to ask about that?

  Jesus: Trade secrets.

  Carl: So, help me out here.

  Jesus: Back to the dictionary. Any guesses.

  Carl: Hmm… I’d suppose You’re going to talk about “tongues.” But that’s an English word.

  Jesus: True, but it is a Greek expression. What’s another English word you can use for “tongues?”

  Carl: “Languages.”

  Jesus: Yes. I invented Greek, so I know… When they make it plural—“languages” and not just “language”—they mean many. My point is that it doesn’t just mean “saying weird stuff.” In some cases it might be translated, “…they spoke in many languages, not just their own.”

  Carl: But that often bothers me. Are we supposed to understand all of that “tongues-languages” stuff or not? We don’t want to just sound like babble-babble.

  Jesus: You say Greek words like “baptism” or label evangelism with the aggressive verb “outreach” and other things non-Churched folk don’t understand—you do it all the time.

  Carl: But that’s different.

  Jesus: It’s all “Greek” to them.

  Carl: Fine, good point. But I still want to know about that whole “prayer language” thing.

  Jesus: Paul told Christians not to do that in the context of “assembly.”

  Carl: But is it a legitimate gift from Your Spirit? It just seems stupid to me… people talking in all that babble-babble.

  Jesus: Look, Carl… If someone wants to praise me with gaa-gaa-goo-goo noises, what’s that to you? I use things people think are foolish to shame the wisdom of the wise. Maybe that’s a good way to grow confidence in me. I can “lead” you to talk to a new person on the street, call a friend, fly to a different country, and I AM allowed to “lead” you to say “gaa-gaa” instead of “goo-goo.” Don’t judge my other servants.

  Carl: Okay, alright, that’s between them and You. But do I need to hear it in Sunday morning worship?

  Jesus: No. I inspired Paul with the idea of coaching the Corinthians about that. Do you know what “assembly” means?

  Carl: Yeah. It means “together.” Wait… are we going back to another “Greek” discussion?

  Jesus: To the Greek speakers, “assembly,” which comes from a Greek word, naturally, means “conversation-assembly.” It’s not this American-Western thing you think of today where one guy talks and everyone else keeps their mouths shut. In Greek Assembly there was more “public dialogue,” or “conversation-assembly.” Did you see how interactive the “assembly” was in Ephesus in Luke’s record of the Acts of the Apostles?

  Carl: Yes, the people of Ephesus were all upset about Paul and held a town meeting. It was an interactive bunch.

  Jesus: That’s an example of Greek assembly: interactive-conversation-assembly. Paul told the Corinthians not to address the “conversation-assembly” in “other languages” unless it was translated, and only three times per gathering at that.

  Carl: Okay, so, if some guy is praying quietly by himself in Sunday worship…

  Jesus: …or Monday worship…

  Carl: Who worships on Monday!?

  Jesus: Oh, there are people who worship me every day of the week… together.

  Carl: We all do that, but I mean the “Sunday morning” gig.

  Jesus: Don’t limit my answer by limiting your question. What about a small worship gathering in someone’s home during the week?

  Carl: Okay, sure… if some guy is praying to You by himself quietly, in a small home worship gathering or in a big weekend assembly, and I happen to hear him… doesn’t it have to be translated?

  Jesus: Not if he isn’t addressing people.

  Carl: Is that Biblical?

  Jesus: I didn’t inspire Luke to cite every translation in the Acts of the Apostles. I’m not obsessive-compulsive about translating every single time anyone says something in another language. I let you speak Greek to people on the street all the time and don’t strike you with a bolt of lightening.

  Carl: Alright, but sometimes this “tongues” thing gets out of hand.

  Jesus: Then I give you permission to say something. And if you don’t blend well together, be decent, be respectful, but leave. No one has to be labeled “wrong,” no one has to be rude, just remove yourself and grow in friendship with people wherever you can. Maybe you can be friends outside of corporate worship first.

  Carl: So, who’s right, then?

  Jesus: I AM allowed to have my people pray aloud in my own language with their friends, but I never want people to make a show of it. People are going to make lots of mistakes as they grow closer to me. You’re a Bible-Focused “academic” Christian, so keep your composure and don’t get angry. I AM still on the throne, no matter what. Don’t get scared and don’t get mean. Who knows, you just might recognize someone saying something in a foreign language you know in one of those meetings.

  Carl: You mean You might ask me to translate it?

  Jesus: If you understand it.

  Carl: But I don’t do all that “Holy Ghost Oooga-Booga” stuff!

  Jesus: That just might be why I give you the clear-minded understanding of it.

  Carl: We all have our different roles, I suppose.

  Jesus: One Body, many parts. I have called all of you. Maybe I want you to help keep a little bit of order in my Church—if that’s what’s in your heart. I only ask you to be kind in doing so. The people you’re talking about are worshiping me, even if it isn’t always pretty or perfect.

  Carl: I have to actually go and visit other congregations to do that, don’t I?

  Jesus: Yes.

  Carl: But will they welcome me when I talk about helping them to be orderly?

  Jesus: If they know you love them because you understand them first.

  Carl: I may have to visit several times for that.

  Jesus: If you love everyone in my Church, it shouldn’t be too hard for you.

  Carl: But all this “tongues/languages” stuff isn’t as important to me as it is to them. I wanted to know how Drenching/Baptism of Your Holy Spirit happens. How do I know if I have this “Drenching” or not?

  Jesus: Look at what I inspired Luke to write. What usually happens with Drenching in my Holy Spirit?

  Carl: A lot of it involves laying on of hands.

  Jesus: Is that always the case?

  Carl: No, in chapter 2 “tongues of fire” came on them.

  Jesus: That’s Drenching of my Spirit… I can do it with my own hands or you can do it with yours.

  Carl: So, where does “praying in multiple languages” come in to all that?

  Jesus: It is something that happens for evangelism and private worship after Drenching in my Holy Spirit, but I never meant that to be the main focus. The bigger issue is the laying on of hands which causes it… and being together to worship me.

  Carl: But how do I prove that I have it?

  Jesus: Did I ever ask you to prove that you have it?

  Carl: No.

  Jesus: So why are you worried about it?

  Carl: Other people are.

  Jesus: Are you comparing yourself to others again?

  Carl: I suppose, yes, I am.

  Jesus: Well, don’t.

  Carl: Okay.

  Jesus: Drenching in my Spirit is between you and me. Don’t try to prove to yourself that you have stuff. Simply have faith in me.

  Carl: And focus on what empowers people to grow closer to You, not so much on trying to prove our attainment.

  Jesus: That’ll be all for today.

  Carl: Thanks Jesus. That reall
y helps diminish the drama.

  Jesus: You know why there’s so much drama, don’t you?

  Carl: Because I’m a mess?

  Jesus: No. The world is a mess. It’s in this “night-and-day” routine for now. In the New Heaven and Earth, we will have True Day with no night.

  Carl: That will be a relief.

  Jesus: I AM separating light from darkness. So, for now, we struggle. Don’t loose heart about it. The more you come into my Light, the more calm and stable you will become.

  Carl: Now that makes sense!

  Jesus: I have always made sense. The more you know me, the more I will make sense to you.

  Scene 5: Three

  Alexander: I have a word from the Lord.

  Carl: Huh?

  Alexander: He gave me a word, and I have it.

  Carl: Have what?

  Alexander: A word.

  Carl: A word? You’ve said many of them.

  Alexander: Come on, you’re ruining the Spirit.

  Carl: How can I ruin a spirit?

  Jesus: Hey guys. So, I see you are getting acquainted.

  Alexander: Lord!

  Jesus: Alexander!

  Carl: You two know each other?

  Jesus: Of course we do. Alexander, here, goes to my Church.

  Alexander: Lord, I have Your word.

  Jesus: Good. Keep it. Remember, I told the Church of Philadelphia to keep my word.

  Alexander: Not that kind of word.

  Jesus: What kind did you mean then?

  Alexander: The kind of word You gave me.

  Jesus: Which one was that? I’ve given thousands of words. Did one of them seem extra special to you?

  Alexander: I thought it was extra special to You.

  Jesus: Everyone is extra special to me.

  Carl: Um, Jesus?

  Jesus: Yes, Carl?

  Carl: Is he for real?

  Jesus: Oh yes. Alexander is real. I made him.

  Carl: He kind of scares me.

  Jesus: Alexander, did you hear that?

  Alexander: I’m taking a hit for the kingdom.

  Jesus: Alexander!

  Alexander: