On the Road to Pentecost Day One, An Introduction

[snorts] [snorts] [snorts] [sighs] >> Good morning, everybody. It's so good to be here with you again. It feels like it has been forever since we have joined together here on on well, on Facebook and on YouTube. It's very good to see all of you this morning on this beautiful Friday morning. I'm sitting here in my home office. You can hear the birds chirping outside. It's always nice to be at home. It's especially nice to be at home in my office coming at you and knowing that we're doing a live broadcast from here in in my office even though we may have to join in from different areas as we travel just a little bit this month.

>> [snorts] >> I thank all of you for joining me today. I thank all of you for sharing our announcement that we would be going online starting on today that we are doing a new devotional series, a new devotional broadcast called on the road to Pentecost. As you are joining us, whether it be on Facebook or YouTube first of all, I'd like for you just to stop for a moment. If you could like, if you could share the broadcast, let people know that we are online right now, that we are doing this live broadcast and we will be doing it from here all the way until the day of Pentecost. It is really exciting for me. I love first of all, I love the book of Acts. I love to study about Pentecost. I love to talk about it. I love to teach about it. So as I was praying, I guess it was last week, I told my husband, "Honey, I really feel that we should jump online and we should do a devotional series going towards Pentecost." And I asked him, "What do you think that we should call it?" He said, "Well, what about on the road to Pentecost?" So, that's what we're doing on the road to Pentecost. And as you are liking, as you are sharing with your friends with your family members I do want to stop a moment and say thank you to my husband. He has been awake for the last couple of hours setting up all of our cameras and lighting, doing what he does. I don't want to say does best, but one of the great things that he does know how to do to make sure that we have an amazing broadcast with great video streaming, great sound and great lighting. So, thank you, honey, for helping us. We've been up since 3:00 in the morning. It has been a moment since we have done a live broadcast. So, we wanted to make sure that we had everything in order.

>> [snorts] >> As you are jumping online, you will see that there's a description to this video. And the description, we'll go through it real quick. As you know, every day I try my best to post in writing um maybe just a devotional thought and prophetic declarations. I believe in prophetic declarations. I believe that the word of God uh shows us a clear pattern. It says that the power of life and death are in the tongue. So, we always choose to speak life. You can go to the description. You'll see just a little bit of what we have written so that you can get a general idea of what we will be going into today. And I'm going to go ahead and read the description to you and I'll read the prophetic declarations that we also have. So, today we ask you to prepare your heart. That's not what we're talking about. We're making a statement, prepare your heart. This is just the beginning. Pentecost looms before us not as a distant memory but as a present invitation pressing into this moment. 120 years have passed since the fire fell on Azusa Street. Yet the echo of that outpouring still resounds through history and into my spirit. Into your spirit, dear friends. Men and women gathered with no ambition but hunger with no platform but prayer and no desire but God. Heaven responded to their surrender. History is not repeating itself but it is echoing forward with power and purpose. The wind is blowing again. This is not accidental but it is intentional and it is divine. There is a stirring that cannot be explained by logic and it refuses to be quieted by routine. We recognize that this is a moment of preparation not passivity. We choose to respond with intention. We choose to respond with intention, friends. So, our prophetic declarations for today are these. I am awakening to a fresh hunger for God that cannot be satisfied by anything less than His presence. I am being drawn into deeper encounter with the spirit and I am responding with surrender. Boldness is rising within me and fear is losing its hold over my life. I am stepping into divine alignment and my life is coming into agreement with God's purpose. The fire of God is being rekindled in my spirit and it is burning away everything that does not belong. I am walking in clarity. I am walking in direction. I am walking in spiritual authority as I follow the leading of the spirit. The gospel is flowing through my life with power and I am becoming a vessel of transformation. Barriers are breaking and doors are opening as I move forward in obedience. I am receiving fresh in-filling and renewal and I am being strengthened for what lies ahead. My life is becoming a living continuation of the book of Acts and I am walking in the reality of God's power. Why don't we give the Lord a hand clap of praise for those prophetic declarations. And now we're going to say a word of prayer and then we'll go into our devotion. I'm going to share some books that I'm studying as I'm putting together these devotions just in case you want to add them to your library. There is no specific book that I'm just going through, so that's why we didn't announce a book. But I am going to share with you the different commentaries that I'm going to be using as I put together the teaching that I will bring to you on a daily basis from here until Pentecost. If I'm not mistaken, I think we are 43 days away from the day of Pentecost. My husband and I will be traveling for the day of Pentecost ministering like we do every year. We will be in California with brother Robinette with the South Cal District on the 120 year anniversary. You'll be seeing me making a lot of announcements concerning that WMM, myself, my husband, we are joining in with this great endeavor as we celebrate 120 years of Pentecost on Azusa Street. This is at the end of May. So, we're very excited about it. There where you're at, let's raise our hands. Not if you're driving, but if you're not driving, let's raise our hands as we prepare ourselves, as we open our minds and our hearts, as we fine-tune our ears, and we allow the Lord to lead us on this journey that we're taking on the road of Pentecost. Father, we thank you for the opportunity that you're giving to us, Lord, to be able to broadcast again, to go online through these social media platforms. I ask you, Father, that you allow these different devotionals, these different teachings to reach out throughout the globe, God, that it reaches out through the world, that it goes to someone that may have never experienced Pentecost personally. I ask you, Father, that you allow us to open our minds that you open our hearts, God, so that we can understand and receive your word. Fine-tune our ears, God, so that we hear only your voice and none other. We release the gift of faith today, God, going out into these into these airwaves, God. We release the gift of faith, knowing that where there's faith, you can do absolutely anything amongst your people. I ask you, Lord, that you allow us to become conduits of your power, of your mercy, of your grace, and that you allow our mouths to speak your word on a consistent basis that we may be witnesses and testify of your glory and of your faithfulness. In the name of Jesus, we pray. In Jesus' name, and we give the Lord a hand clap of praise. Now, as I'm going through my devotion, I'll be talking and I'll be reminding you that you should have your Bibles with you. I have several Bibles with me this morning. I have my preaching Bible, if you've ever heard me, and and most of you have, you'll know that I carry my preaching Bible with me everywhere. It it has tear stains, it has all kinds of things of study that I just always want to carry my preaching Bible. Even though I I do love Bibles, you can see behind me I have some of my premium Bibles right behind my desk. I do have the ESV Study Bible. This is a massive Bible. I am also working through it. It's something that I love. It's one of the best study Bibles that you can have in your library. So, you should have a study Bible with you also. And I do have one of my Bibles that I'm using to write in now, not just my preaching Bible. It is my Schuyler ESV wide margin. I'm using this to write in. I've chosen it because of the wide margins that it has. Because it has wide margins, I can go in and I can write notes as you can see. I'm just barely beginning to go through it, but this is something that is also traveling with me, one of my Bibles that I'm starting to write and take notes in. You should have a journal. If you do not have a journal, you should designate a journal just for this journey that we are on. This is one of the journals that I am using. It is a leather journal. I love it. As you can see, it has it's just really nice. I'm able to use it with my fountain pens. Doesn't bleed through. So, I do have a journal. I carry pencil cases with me everywhere. If you know you know you know me, I have a a lot of highlighters. These are my favorite ones. They are pencil highlighters. They do not bleed through when you use them in your Bible. So, you should have your you should have your highlighters with you. I also have special pens that I use in my Bible. Why do I have special pens? Because I don't want it to bleed through the pages. I tend to use a .5 a .5 point in order to write. If you go, I think it's called Mr. Bible on Amazon, there are a lot of things that you can buy that you can use to write in your Bible as you study. Of course, I'm the queen of Post-it notes. I love Post-its. I love to write. I have Post-it notes. I have things everywhere just making sure that I don't miss anything in my Bible. So, if you need to know any information about that, you can. Now, I'm going to go through the books that I I am studying so that you can also know. This is a commentary. This commentary, I love it. My WMM team gave it to me. I think it was for my birthday that they gave it to me. It's a New Testament series. It is called Preaching the Word Acts the Church of Fire. I really love this commentary series because it reads like a book, and it it's very it's very easy to follow. So, if if you need if you need information information about this, I know that some of my team members are on, they can put links from Amazon so that you can know. This is called Acts the Church of Fire, and this is part of Preaching the Word Commentary. Now, if you don't have this book in your library, you should. It's called Azusa Street. It is by Frank Bartleman. It's a very great book that just goes through the things that occurred in Azusa Street. You'll want to add this to your library. Now, because I do love books and I I collect books. I have a great library. One of one of my favorite theologians that is from older times, his name is F. F. Bruce. This is a very old book, a very old commentary on the Acts of the Apostles. I don't remember where I bought it from. I bought it somewheres along the way. You can if you see anything ever by F. F. Bruce, you should purchase it. You should put it in your library. The first publishing of this was from 1951. F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles. It has the Greek text with introduction and commentary. A very great book to have. If you've ever heard me teach at all, I'll tell you that there is not a greater commentary series on the Book of Acts than Acts and Exegetical Commentary by Craig S. Keener. This is just one commentary on the Book of Acts. There are four of them in All four of them are just as thick as this one. There is no greater in-depth commentary series on the Book of Acts than this one. Now, if you were to go and purchase it on, you know, purchase it on Amazon, I think it's $269 for all four of them. If you were to buy them individually, I think they run close to $70 a commentary, but right now christianbook.com, I just told some of my cohorts and my team this I think my cohorts I told them that it is on sale right now. I have not seen it at this price ever for all four commentaries on christianbook.com for $179. That's almost $100 off. So, you'll want to go and take advantage of that. Again, Craig S. Keener is my favorite my absolute favorite theologian. I love him. I love the way that he writes. I have every book except the new commentary series that he has just put out. He has put out Mark and I think it's going to be four volumes also, but each one of those and I think it's just like Mark chapter 1 through 4 is $100, and there's only two that has come out. So, that's $200. I still have not purchased those to put in my library. But you do want to have this because it's just amazing. If you have the app EverandEver and does have this Acts commentary series on it. And I'll share one more today. Tomorrow, I'll share share others. I think I have every commentary on the Book of Acts because I just love the Book of Acts. But this is another one. It is also by Craig Keener. It's called Spirit Hermeneutics, Reading Scripture in Light of Pentecost. It's also a great book for you to have in your library. So, these are just some of the books that we are using as we're studying and writing our devotions, writing our teachings for you. I wanted to share that just in case you want to have them in your library. We've already read uh Prepare Your Heart. I'm not going to go through that again since we've already done it. It is also in your description. But we're going to go ahead and start right here. Let me make sure. Okay. We finished reading in the description. I recognize that this is a moment of preparation, not passivity, and I choose to respond with intention. There is a hunger that is rising that cannot be satisfied by familiarity or religious routine. It is a deep calling that reaches beyond surface level living, and it is inviting us into something more profound. There are many of us that refuse to ignore this hunger. That's why you're joining with us online right now. This is why you're sharing this broadcast. And for those of you who watch later, you'll be able to go through and take even more notes. If you have any questions, of course, just put them in the comments and we'll do our best to answer. We refuse to ignore the hunger. We refuse to silence the call. We are preparing ourselves, not casually, but deliberately, because we understand that preparation positions us for encounter. We grab our Bibles with expectation, not because of obligation, knowing that these pages carry life and carry revelation. We take our journal and we begin to take notes. We write. We listen to the voice of the Lord. We write down what we feel as we journey on this road to Pentecost, because what God speaks must be captured and it must be remembered. We underline passages. We highlight truths. And we pause long enough to allow the word to penetrate deeply into our spirits. We don't rush through scripture, because we understand the depth that we are looking for requires time. It requires attention. We're not just skimming over the words, especially if you add these books, these commentaries in your library to study. We are stepping into revelation as we delve deep into scripture. We are going deeper and we are choosing to remain there. We are not satisfied with knowing about God when we can know him personally, when we can have a relationship with him, when we can know him intimately. We are not content with observing others encounter God, when we can experience his presence ourselves. We are positioning our hearts. We are aligning our thoughts. We are quieting distractions so that we can hear clearly. We understand that God does not force his presence on distracted hearts, but he reveals himself to those who seek him intentionally. We're not approaching this journey casually, because we recognize the weight. We recognize the significance of Pentecost. Pentecost is not just a day, friends. Pentecost is a life dial that we choose to live. We are preparing not just schedules, but our spirits, because what God is about to do requires readiness. We are stepping into this journey with expectation, because we believe that the same God that moved in the book of Acts is moving even today. And we give him a hand clap of praise for that. So now, let's step into this story. I told you that we're walking through the book of Acts. So today, what I'm going to do is give you a general introduction and then we'll delve in deeper as the days progress. There are seasons when God teaches and there are seasons when he corrects. There are seasons when he restores what has been broken. There are also moments when God invites and those invitations carry a weight that cannot be ignored. The book of Acts is one of those invitations and it calls us beyond observation into participation. It does not allow us to remain distant or detached, because it draws us into a living narrative. This narrative is not confined to history, but it is alive with present-day relevance and power. Luke writes with careful precision, yet beneath his words, there is a sense of wonder that cannot be overlooked. He has seen something that cannot be fully explained and he is attempting to capture it faithfully. The continuation of Jesus' ministry through the Spirit is not theoretical, but it is tangible. It is real. Acts begins in stillness, rather than spectacle. And that truth carries significance. There is no thunder in the opening chapter of the book of Acts and there is no fire yet, but there is expectation. A group of people are holding on to a promise they cannot yet see. And friends, that requires faith. God often begins his greatest works in quiet places where hearts are being prepared. There is a sacred tension between promise and fulfillment and that tension stretches the soul. It refines motives. It deepens hunger and it aligns priorities. This space is uncomfortable, but it is necessary for transformation. We recognize that this is where we are invited to stand and we choose not to rush through it. We are going to allow the tension to shape us, rather than to frustrate us. Acts invites us into this space and it does not allow us to remain spectators. We are called to step into the story and become part of what God is doing. This invitation requires surrender, because participation demands more than just observation. It requires trust, because we cannot control what God is about to do. This requires obedience, because we must follow even when we do not fully understand. We're not watching from a distance, but we're stepping into alignment. We are not analyzing from afar, but we are engaging with expectation. This is not just a historical account, but it is a present-day calling. We are not just simply reading Acts. We are entering into the book of Acts today. Now, Luke writes with intentional care. And his background as a physician, because just in case you don't know, Luke was a doctor. And Luke was the author of the book of Acts. His background as a physician is evident in his attention to detail. He does not speculate. He does not exaggerate, but he investigates and confirms what he records. His writing reflects both intellectual rigor and spiritual sensitivity, which makes his account trustworthy. Craig Keener demonstrates that Luke's work aligns with the highest standards of ancient historiography. The political titles he uses are accurate and the geographical references he includes are precise. The cultural details he records reflect a deep understanding of the context in which these events occurred. This is not imaginative storytelling, but it is historically grounded truth. Faith is strengthened when it stands on something that is both spiritually powerful and historically reliable. Luke is not only preserving facts, but he is also revealing purpose. Now, we did mention that we are using our Kent Hughes commentary and he describes the early church as a flame with divine energy and that description captures the essence of the book of Acts. Something ignited in those early believers that could not be contained. It could not be extinguished. The Spirit moved in such a way that ordinary people became extraordinary vessels of power. Luke writes so that certainty would rise within the reader and that includes both you and I. He wants us to understand that this is not a distant or irrelevant story, but it is a pattern for what God still desires to do in the church. Who's the church? The church is not a building. The church is you. The church is me. We are the church of the living God. And God still desires to do the same thing in us. The same spirit that moved then is not absent today. And that truth changes everything. There is assurance in this revelation, my friends, because God is consistent in his character. And God is faithful in his promises. What my God began, he continues. What my God promised, he fulfills. We don't have to wonder if he is willing to move because the book of Acts reveals that he is both willing and he is able. We do not have to question whether God's power is still available because the testimony of scripture confirms that that it is. This assurance anchors my faith. This assurance should anchor your faith. It steadies our expectation. We are not hoping for something that is uncertain because we are aligning ourselves with something that is guaranteed. The God of the book of Acts is still active. And we are invited to trust him fully. That trust becomes a foundation for everything that follows. Right there where you're at, raise your hands with me and say, "Father, we are aligning ourselves. We have expectation knowing that you are still moving even today in our lives. And we give the Lord a hand clap of praise for that." What Jesus began, friends, he still continues. Acts opens. The book of Acts opens with a statement that carries profound theological weight. Luke refers to his gospel, that's the book of Luke, as the account of all that Jesus began to do and teach. And that word began is critical. Just in case you don't know, the book of Luke and the book of Acts if the book of John wasn't right in between, which it is. But the way that we read the book of Luke immediately goes into the book of Acts. Tomorrow, I'll share another commentary with you that's called Luke-Acts. That way you can add it into your library. So, we see again that Luke refers to his gospel as the account of all that Jesus began to do and teach. And that word began is critical. It implies continuation, not conclusion. And it reveals that the resurrection was not the end of Jesus' ministry. Instead, it marked the expansion of his work through the spirit and through his people. Jesus did not stop working when he ascended back into heaven. But he did change the way that he worked. Through the spirit, he continues to heal, to restore, and to call. His ministry is no longer limited to one physical location, but it is expressed globally through the church. Who's the church? You're the church. I'm the church. This reality shifts how we understand both Jesus and the church. Acts reveals a spirit-formed community that embodies the mission of Christ. The church is not replacing Jesus, but it is representing him. This means that the same authority, the same compassion, the same power that marked Jesus' ministry are now present through his followers, through his disciples, through his church. That truth is both humbling and empowering. We recognize that we are not replicated. That we are not called to replicate his work in our own strength, but we are called to yield to his spirit. The same Jesus who calmed storms now moves through surrendered lives. The same Jesus who opened the eyes of the blind now works through yielded hands. This is not symbolic language. It is a lived reality. The book of Acts is not just what happened in the past, but it is about what is still happening in the present. Jesus is still active. His ministry is still advancing. We are not reading about a finished work, but we are stepping in to an ongoing movement. This realization removes passivity. We cannot be complacent. It replaces it with purpose. We are not waiting for God to act independently of us, but we are aligning ourselves to be a part of what he is doing. The continuation of the ministry of Jesus is not abstract, but it is personal. We are invited to participate. And that invitation carries responsibility. We do not respond with hesitation, but we do respond with surrender. And why don't we raise our hands right now and say, "Father, we are not responding with hesitation today, but we are responding to your invitation with surrender. We want to be used by you. We want to be a continuation of what you did as you walked here on earth. Use our hands, God. Use our lives, God. Use our voices to do what you have called us to do here on earth. In the name of Jesus, we pray. And we give the Lord a hand clap of praise. Now, tomorrow or the next day, because we will be going through the weekend, we'll be going through Acts chapter 1. But I like to stop for a moment and show you a divine blueprint. We find this divine blueprint in Acts chapter 1, verse 8. Before the spirit was poured out, Jesus gave direction that would shape the entire movement of the early church. He did not leave his disciples with uncertainty. He did not leave them with confusion, but he spoke with clarity. And he spoke with purpose. Acts chapter 1, verse 8 tells us, "And ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you. And you shall be witnesses to me." That statement carries both promise and assignment. Power is not given for personal elevation, but it is given for divine purpose. God equips before he sends. Let me say that again. God equips before he sends. He prepares before he releases. The disciples were not asked to create their own strategy, but they were instructed to follow his. This reveals that the expansion of the gospel is not accidental, but it isn't intentional, and it is spirit-directed. The church does not advance by human effort alone, but by divine empowerment. The progression that Jesus outlines is both geographical and theological, and it reveals the heart of God for all people. Jerusalem represents, because if you read Acts chapter 1 verse 8, and it says, "You shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth." Okay? We'll know that. Just in case you don't have Acts 1 and 8 highlighted in your Bible, it's a good time for you to do it. Jerusalem represents what is familiar and immediate. And it is where the work begins. God often starts in places, in the places that are closest to us, before he expands our reach. Judea and Samaria represent what is uncomfortable and unexpected. And this is where boundaries are challenged. Samaria carried historical tension and division, yet the gospel crossed those lines without hesitation. This demonstrates that the kingdom of God does not conform to human limitations or prejudices. The ends of the earth represent the global scope of God's mission, and it reminds us that the gospel is for everyone. There is no place too distant. There is no person too far removed for the reach of God. Craig Keener, you'll remember he's the theologian that we're quoting from one of the commentaries, notes that this progression is not random, but it reflects a deliberate strategy guided by the spirit. The expansion of the church follows a pattern that is both structured and spirit-led. This means that growth is not chaotic, but it is purposeful. The spirit directs movement with precision, ensuring that the message reaches those who need it most. The church is not designed to remain static or confined, but it is created to move and to expand. This challenges any mindset that seeks comfort over calling. The gospel refuses limitation, and the spirit resists confinement. This blueprint also reveals something deeply personal for each of us. God does not call us to stay where we are comfortable, but he calls us to move where he is leading. The familiar is only the beginning, not the destination. There will be moments when God asks both you and I to step into places that feel uncertain and that feel uncomfortable. There will be times when obedience requires both you and I to cross boundaries that we once avoided. This is where faith becomes active rather than theoretical. We are not called to observe the movement. We are called to participate in it. The blueprint of Acts chapter 1 verse 8 becomes a mandate for our lives. Power and witness are inseparable in this passage, and that connection is significant. Power without purpose becomes self-centered, but power aligned with witness becomes transformational. The spirit empowers us, not for our own recognition, but for the advancement of the gospel. This shifts our perspective from self to mission. We are not seeking power for personal gain. In fact, why don't you write that in the comments section? Write it in your journal. Make sure that you remember it. We are not seeking power for personal gain, but we are receiving power for divine assignment. I am receiving power for divine assignment. This alignment ensures that our focus remains where it should be. The church moves forward when it understands why it has been empowered. Who's the church? You're the church. I'm the church. We move forward when we understand why we have been empowered. Acts chapter 1 verse 8 is not simply a verse to memorize, which this isn't one of my classes, one of my cohorts, so you don't have homework. But if I were to give you homework, it would be something quite simple. I would say, "If you have not memorized Acts chapter 1 verse 8, you should memorize this scripture. You should be intentional about it, and ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you. And you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth." Whatever translation you're using, it should be a scripture that you commit to memory. But it's not simply a verse to memorize. It is a framework to live by. It shapes how we view our calling. It shapes how we view our responsibility. It shapes how we view our role in the kingdom of God. It reminds us that we are part of something that is much larger, much greater than ourselves. The movement of God is ongoing, and we are invited to be part of what God is doing. We do not have to create the mission. The mission has already been given. We simply have to align ourselves with it. This alignment brings clarity. It brings purpose. It brings direction. And now we're going to talk about the quiet before the fire, before Acts chapter 2. There is Acts chapter 1. And that truth is easy to overlook, but essential to understand. Before the wind, before the mighty rushing wind filled all the house where they were sitting, there was waiting. Before the fire fell, there was prayer. The disciples had gathered in an upper room. There was nothing outwardly spectacular that was happening. They were sitting, and they were waiting. If you study, and we'll talk about that more, I won't go off on a tangent. I won't go into what what came to my mind, but I will say there were 500 that were there. But by the time Acts chapter 1 comes along, there was only 120 that were waiting in an upper room. Because people don't like to wait. They want everything quick. They want everything to happen so fast that their head is spinning. Sometimes it don't happen like that. But we have to learn how to wait. We see this in Acts chapter 1. Nothing outwardly spectacular is occurring. There are still no miracles in the book of Acts that we read. There is no visible outpouring of the spirit in Acts chapter 1. What exists in that room is something that is much more quiet, but just as powerful. There is unity. Let's let that sink in for a moment. There is unity. There is persistence. There is expectation. Acts chapter 1 verse 14 reveals that they continued steadfastly in prayer. And that continuity is significant. They didn't just all gather together and pray as a corporate body one time and say, "Well, we came. We waited. We prayed once and we're done." No. They did not pray and move on. They remained in a posture of seeking. Waiting is often misunderstood, but it is not passive. Waiting is not inactive. Waiting is alignment. And it is a discipline of staying where God has spoken until he [snorts] moves. Not when you want to move, but it is a discipline of staying where God has spoken until he moves. It requires trust because we must believe that his timing is better than ours. It requires patience because we cannot rush what God is preparing. It requires surrender because we must release our need to control the outcome. If you're like me, which if you are, I'll pray for you. I like to know how things are going to happen. I like structure. I like to be prepared. I like to know where I'm going. When I see a scenario, I can play it out in my mind and see every which way that it could end. I like to know what is going on. And I have to be so very careful not to take control of a situation that God is telling me to sit, to wait, and to allow him to be in control. There's a lot of us that is like that, friends, that we like to be in control. But when we surrender, we release our control of the outcome. And we say, "Not our will, God, but your will be done." Waiting is not empty time. It is formative time. God does deep work in seasons where nothing seems to be happening outwardly. The upper room becomes a place of preparation. And that preparation is necessary for what is coming. God works most profoundly in quiet places. When you stop talking, when you stop moving, when you stop doing and you sit, you quiet your spirit, you quiet your mind, and you allow God to begin to speak. The absence of noise does not mean the absence of activity. Let me say that again. The absence of noise does not mean the absence of activity. God is shaping hearts, aligning motives, deepening faith. The disciples were being prepared for something they could not yet fully comprehend. This preparation ensured that when the spirit fell, they were ready to receive. God does not pour new wine into unprepared vessels. He prepares the vessel before he releases the outpouring. Unity is another critical element in this moment, and it cannot be overlooked. The spirit was poured out on a unified people, not a divided one. Unity does not mean uniformity, but it does mean alignment of heart and alignment of purpose. The disciples are gathered together with one focus, and that focus was the promise of God. Division disrupts what unity invites, and it creates barriers to what God desires to do. This is why the enemy uses this tactic so much, and it's a tactic that works so greatly amongst humanity. All he has to do is come in and sow a seed of discord, a sow a seed of division. He comes in trying to distract so that we no longer have our eyes on what we need, what we must have our eyes on. This is why we see so many people with their own ministries always focused on their selves, never wanting to invite anybody in, never allowing for there to be unity in the kingdom. Not just unity in the local church. I'm talking about unity in the kingdom. The upper room demonstrates what God desires to do. The upper room demonstrates that unity is not optional. It is essential. We must be unified. The presence of God rests where there is alignment. The disciples do not know how the promise will unfold, but they do trust that the promise will indeed unfold. This kind of faith does not depend on understanding, but it rests in trust. The disciples, the people gathered in the upper room, the 120 that were sitting waiting, they were never given a timeline, friends. They were given a promise. This requires them to remain in place without knowing when the breakthrough would come. This kind of faith is not easy, but it is a necessary faith. It teaches us to trust God beyond what we can see. It teaches us to remain faithful in the waiting. Now, I know that we're coming up to 7:00, so I'm going to finish with this last with this last note, and then we'll say a word of prayer. But don't leave me yet because we're we'll continue on tomorrow, but I want for you to hear what we're going to say, and I want for you to be with us in our final prayer. The road to Pentecost. What are we doing, friends? We're journeying on the road to Pentecost. The road to Pentecost is paved with prayer. It is sustained by unity. It is marked by expectation. This pattern has not changed. It still applies today. If we desire the outpouring, we must embrace the preparation. If we want the fire, we must commit to the waiting. God does not bypass the process because the process prepares us for the promise. We choose to remain in the upper room until God moves. Now, I have felt the power of the Lord the entire time that I have been speaking and teaching this morning on this broadcast. The road that we are taking is preparing us for the outpouring. The outpouring where, Sister Marquez? The outpouring wherever you are at. We are preparing ourselves in prayer. Those of you who would like to join me at least with one day of fasting throughout these next 40 odd days leading up to Pentecost, leading up to the great outpouring in Azusa Street, which if you have not joined us, you can join us. We are joining with Brother Charles Robinette. We are joining with this crusade, this outpouring crusade. Not just WNW, not just myself and my husband, but there are many of us that are joining in, many of us that have ministries that reach across the globe. We are joining together in Azusa Street to see a great outpouring. If you like to be a part, know that we're gathering together on May the 26th in Los Angeles joining with the South Cal District to see an amazing move of the Spirit of God. But those of you who are preparing for Pentecost, which if your church does not celebrate the day of Pentecost, I encourage you to speak with your pastor and say, "Let us celebrate Pentecost Sunday." This is on May the 24th. Because the day of Pentecost is a day that should be celebrated. There should be a focus for souls to be saved. There should be preparation leading up to the day of Pentecost to see the greatest outpouring that your city, that your region, that your church has ever seen. This should be our goal every year as we prepare for Pentecost. But on this road that we are taking, we are preparing our minds, our hearts, our spirits. We're allowing expectation to grow because we are going to see the greatest outpouring that we have ever seen, not just this year, but in the days, the weeks, the months to come because this is what God is asking of us. So we ask that you continue to prepare with us, friends. We're about to finish this broadcast for this morning with a word of prayer. If you have any kind of prayer request, if you feel safe to share it, share it in the comments section. Both myself and my prayer team, we will be praying for your prayer request. If it is sensitive in nature, don't put it out there for everyone to see. Send us an inbox. We'll mark it down and we'll pray. Tomorrow we'll be meeting again at 6:00 in the morning and on Sunday also. And every day, as long as I am physically able, we will be meeting from here until Pentecost. This is something that I have purposed in my spirit that the Lord has spoken to me about. Tomorrow we will continue to talk about this introduction to the Book of Acts. We'll be starting off with When Heaven Touches Earth. It's going to be a powerful devotion, so you do not want to miss it. For those who joined in later, please like, share, comment. We want to make sure that these broadcasts continue on the algorithm. I did not realize how many people had joined in with us in our 40 days of prayer and fasting broadcast. But as my husband and I have been traveling throughout this year that we have traveled extensively without any stopping or rest, I have had so many people come up and say, "Sister Marquez, I joined with you." People from the East Coast to the West Coast and everywhere in between. You never know where this broadcast will reach because you take a moment to share it. Remember you might not be able to reach the places that we're able to reach, but you can do it by sharing, by commenting, and by letting someone know that they can also join us on this road to Pentecost. If you would like to support our ministry, we are asking people to start supporting us, to become a partner with us not just in prayer, but a partner in support. You can partner with us. The giving is on the bottom of the screen. You can partner with us on a monthly basis. Thank you to those who have started. We have a handful that have already joined in, but if you feel the Lord prompting you saying, "I can't go everywhere that Sister Marquez goes, that Brother Marquez goes, but I can journey with them through finances and through prayer." We ask that you do that. And there where you're at, friends, if you could raise your hands with me as we come to a close. It doesn't feel like an hour passed by because the word of God is so real and especially when we're talking about the Book of Acts. Doesn't seem like an hour passed, but it did. But we'll meet you again tomorrow. There where you're at, if you raise your hands with me and we pray one more time. Father, as we continue on this journey on the road to Pentecost, I ask that you begin to do a great work in us. We're sitting and we're waiting and we're anticipating. We have an expectation, Father, that you're going to use us for this end time outpouring. We're going to be used by you, God, as your mouthpieces, as your hands, as your feet. We're going to speak and see miracles come to pass. We're going to prophesy as your spirit is poured out. We're going to see incredible miracles happen, creative miracles happen with our very own eyes, not because an evangelist came, even though we're so thankful for our evangelists. Not because a faith preacher came, even though we're so thankful for our faith preachers. Not because a pastor or missionary spoke, even though we're so thankful for our pastors and our missionaries. Not because someone that is used in the fivefold ministry spoke and prophesied a word and we're so thankful, God, for the fivefold ministry. But because each one of us that has been filled with your spirit, baptized in your name, because we have aligned ourselves with you, and we have understood that the power, the power that comes from you, is available to each one of us. That each one of us can speak the word of faith. That each one of us should be able to turn around and see miracles, signs, and wonders that follow. This is not something that I am teaching that is some new revelation, but it is something that we find in your word. That these signs will follow those that believe. And we know, Father, that we are the believers, both myself and each one of my friends that is joining in. That we are the believers and we fully expect to see the miraculous transpire through our lives. In the name of Jesus we pray. In Jesus' name. Amen. Let's give the Lord a hand clap of praise, friends. Let's thank him for what he is doing. I feel the power of the Lord. There where you're at, just let the power of God move. I fully expect for there to be demonstrated powers of the Lord during our broadcast because we are talking about the Book of Acts. I fully expect that as we journey on this road to Pentecost, that people will be healed, that they will be transformed, and they will be renewed. We're not just taking up your time, but when we talk about the Book of Acts, we fully expect that what happened in the Book of Acts will also occur as we meet together every day on this journey through the Book of Acts and on this journey to Pentecost. I love you. I'm praying for you. I bless you in the name of the Lord. Remember to find a place today. Sit with your word. Sit in a quiet time. Even if you have to go sit in a closet or go sit in your car or you have to wait until the kids go to sleep or you have to take time during your lunch hour. However you have to do it, take time. Sit silently in the presence of God and wait with expectation. And as we prepare ourselves, we will see the glory of the Lord manifested in our lives. I love you. We'll see you tomorrow at 6:00 in the morning as we continue on with our journey on the road to Pentecost. God bless you.