Today is a special day, a time to celebrate the feast of Shavuot also known as Pentecost. It is Sivan 6 (the sixth day of the third biblical month as written in the book of Esther 8:9). This is day when residents of Jerusalem in 33AD witnessed a spectacular incident happening among the apostles. The scriptures have provided a detailed account of events and how they occurred on the day of Pentecost. The apostles had gathered together in obedience to the scriptures found in Exodus 23:14 “Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me. You shall keep the feast of the Unleavened Bread….you shall keep the feast of Harvest of the first fruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the feast of Ingathering at the end of the year…Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord God…”
Then suddenly, there came a sound of a mighty wind from heaven, which filled the entire house. There were tongues of fire that appeared on everyone who was in the house and they were filled with the Holy Spirit of Adonai. They started to speak in tongues as the Ruach Hakodesh (Holy Spirit) enabled them. What a remarkable day to receive the promise, which had been prophesied by Prophet Joel. The disciples had been asked by Yahshua not to leave Jerusalem until they received the promise. Do you realize from this event how important the feasts of Elohim are to us? Remember that the disciples did not know when the promise would be fulfilled. They were just waiting in total obedience to the word from their master. The promise was fulfilled not on any other day, but on the feast of Shavuot!
Flashback to several thousand years and we realize another incident that happened on this same day of the feast of Shavuot. It occurred at Mt. Sinai and involved the children of Israel. Moses had been told by God to prepare the children of Israel for three days so that on Sivan 6, they would all come together at Mt. Sinai to make a covenant with Elohim (Exodus 19:1-14). We read in Exodus 19:16 how Elohim appeared to the children of Israel in a loud trumpet blast, thunder, lightning, fire and smoke on the mountain. On this day, He made a covenant with the children of Israel and gave them his commandments that He wrote on a stone tablet with His own hand.
We therefore see that Pentecost did not start with the apostles. In fact, it was being celebrated for many years by the children of Israel. In Leviticus 23:15, Elohim had told them on how to count 50 days from Nisan 16 (the day when the sheaf of wave offering was presented to the temple). Shavuot also known as feast of weeks would be and is still celebrated on the 50th day.
In Hebrews 8:8, we read about a prophecy that had been made by Jeremiah about a new covenant that Elohim would make with His people in the latter days. In this covenant, He would “put the laws in their minds and write them on their hearts” verse 10. Yahshua came so that this prophecy would be fulfilled in the new covenant, which even required a different order of priesthood (Hebrews 5).
By receiving the Holy Spirit, we become sealed as God’s children in this covenant being prepared for the day of redemption as written in Ephesians 4:30. That is what made the apostles to become very bold and aggressive in their ministry after receiving the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. It is my prayer that this day will be meaningful to every one of us. Just like it happened with the apostles, may there be a positive change, an awakening of our souls that will ignite and fan into flame the gifts given unto every one of us. May this power of the Spirit of Adonai work in our lives to help us do exploits and bear many fruits for the kingdom of God.
We have gathered at our Church headquarters in Nairobi and in all other branches throughout the country and beyond, including Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, South Africa, and in the United States.
I wish you all a Happy and Fulfilling day of Shavuot! Chag Sameach!
The General Overseer- Pastor H.K Karanja
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