FRIDAY FIVE - Gifts of the Spirit

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FROM ACTS CHAPTER 2: 14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:17 " 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

(My personal favorite in this passage is how Peter insists the men cannot be drunk because it's only 9:00 a.m.)

Anyway, it's Pentecost and my very first Friday Five! Thinking about all the gifts of the spirit and what Peter said of the "last days"......

Have you or anyone you know

1. ...ever experienced a prophesy (vision or dream) that came true?
I had a dream once in college that I would marry a guy by the name of B_ _ _ _. I never saw a face or remember much about the dream, but it was raining outside the church, and there wasn't much light in the church, and I had lace all over my dress.

8 years later, I started dating my husband. And he had the exact same name and after 2 1/2 years dating, we got married. There was a downpour outside during the first 15 minutes of the candlelight service. My wedding dress was covered in lace.

It was a beautiful service and years later, I made the connection from what I remember. Freaky, but so cool!

2. ...dreamed of a stranger, then actually met them later?
I've had that feeling that I have met someone before, lots of times. But I can't remember a specific instance that it happened.

3. ...seen a wonder in heaven? (including UFO's)
The clouds on a beautiful sunny and slightly breezy day. I remember as a kid, going to the top of a hill outside our farm and just laying there and looking up at the clouds (kind of a little house on the prairie feeling) and just believing that heaven was on the other side. Sometimes when I see the clouds the same way, I get a wonderful, peaceful feeling inside and feel that heaven is only just steps away. A joyous feeling.

4. ...seen a "sign" on the earth?

Everyday I turn on the TV. Wars in such awful places. Families fighting against each other. Earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons in such odd places or striking with such destructive forces. And a woman and African American running for President. That in itself must show the end of the earth. =)

5. ...experienced knowledge of another language without ever having studied it?

I can't say that I have with this one. I'm not a foreign language person. Passing German in collage was a miraculous occurrence, but as far as experiencing any and being able to correspond in that language....not by this person.

Bonus Question: What would a modern day news coverage of the first Pentecost have sounded like? Probably Dan Rather or Peter Jennings in front of the Apostles and other disciples and just so confused as to how they were carrying on conversations with other people of so many diverse languages. The camera would roll and they would be directing question after question at these people expecting to get a concrete answer. Finally would just explain, "that's the way it is" and walk away confused.