“Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Acts 1:8 (KJV)
Reform of Biblical Proportions
Suddenly, what seemed like a mighty, rushing wind whisked through the room. For ten days after Jesus bestowed His final instructions to His disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait with prayerful hearts for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the disciples, and more than 100 other people anticipated the promised event together. They had willingly set their differences aside, preparing their hearts to carry forth the news of life eternal with their Savior.
Now tongues of fire danced over their heads, and the time had arrived for them to disperse and dispense the great news of salvation, which was accessible to everyone who claimed it, Jew, and Gentile alike. The only requirement was that listeners accept this free gift.
Peter wasted no time in racing out the door, proclaiming the message that Jesus had placed on the heart of the once anger-driven disciple. He sermonized with power and authority: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38 KJV).
Visitors from other countries were stunned that they understood every detail of the message that was shared with them, even though they spoke a different language.
"Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?"
Acts 2:6–7 (KJV)
Because of the power of the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:41 tells us that about 3,000 souls were baptized into Christianity in a single day. Not only that, but these people also remained true to their new-found convictions to the point that they sold their possessions to give to those who were in need.
Power of the Holy Spirit Poured Out in 2023
"Today, as in the days of the apostles, these rich promises, the inexhaustible supplies of heaven, are at the command of every soul that is united with Christ. He pitied poor sinners so much that He left the courts of heaven and laid aside His robes of royalty, humiliating Himself to humanity, that He might become acquainted with the needs of men, and help them to rise above the degradation of the fall. He bound Himself closely to the Father, that He might bring their united strength to bear upon the souls of men, and save them from eternal ruin. In like manner should His servants cultivate spirituality, if they hope to succeed in their work."1
Kajiado County, Kenya, in which the predominant tribe is Maasai, is nestled between the capital city of Nairobi, the Maasai Mara, and the country of Tanzania. Mara Vision Outreach (MVO), an organization that provides pastoral and educational care for the Maasai and Samburu tribes of Kenya, added Kajiado County as part of the ministry’s outreach in 2022. Severely drought-ridden, this area is also supremely hot, so any moisture that may be present evaporates very quickly.
Mara Vision’s pastors and teachers in this area wasted no time in proclaiming Jesus to these spiritually destitute souls. Ultimately, an entire congregation of 150 people planned to be baptized into the seventh-day Sabbath-keeping church on July 15, 2023, at the Endonyo-Oolasho Church in Kajiado County. From a culture that once drank blood, they now embrace the blood of Jesus being poured out on them and drink the water of life instead, prompting an angry devil to storm along his warpath.
As church members prepared a community meal of a traditional Maasai dish called ugali (resembles polenta but white, not yellow) for their dinners, they boiled water outside under a tree, some people who were agitated that so many had embraced the Sabbath message, threw some poisonous sisal leaves into that boiling water. Unknown to the cooks that the poison had been tossed into the food, they threw in the other ingredients to finish making the ugali.
As the plates were being filled with the poisoned supper, they noticed strange ropes that were not supposed to be there. Sisal leaves are often used to make rope and twine. The server called the other pastors and pulled many ropes from the ugali. Seeing that it was sisal, they threw it away, knowing that their lives had been spared.
Looking forward to his baptism on July 15, 2023, on Friday, July 14, one of the village elders invited the pastors to stay at his home so they would have ready access to the evening’s evangelistic meetings. Around 11:00 p.m., the elder started complaining of illness. They rushed him to the Magadi hospital, about 50 km (31 miles) from his home. Since he was in critical condition, they needed to transport him to Nairobi, another 200 km (124 miles), for treatment. He died en route.
The morning of July 15, 2023, dawned hot and dry, just like every other day in the drought-ridden Kajiado County. Not only was the entire Endonyo-Oolasho congregation to be baptized, but members of the Magadi, Kajiado, church and choir were traveling 50 km to the baptism as well. Their group had more people who were planning to be baptized.
Riding in a bus rented from the Magadi High School, a terrible accident occurred before they even left town. When the brakes failed, the bus hurtled through the air, landing in a residential apartment building. Many were injured, and an 18-year-old church member was killed. He was the son of an elder at the Magadi church.
Despite the disastrous events surrounding the baptism, 21 people were immersed into their watery graves. The elder who died in the early hours was to be the 22nd person. The other 150 are still awaiting baptism. The heat and years-long drought have segued into lethal flooding.
The March to June rainy season has hit East Africa particularly hard this year, even in those areas that have parched land. Travel is challenging at best, but impossible in some regions. As of May 1, 2024, 170 Kenyans perished nationwide, many going to Christless graves. Even so, Mara Vision Outreach’s workers persist in presenting the message of hope that eternal life is a gift that God offers to anyone who wants to accept it.
Call to Action
In the book of Acts, we see the disciples of Jesus were to wait until the Holy Spirit empowered them before they begin to carry out their commission of spreading the gospel message. Did they just sit around, doing nothing, twiddling their thumbs while they waited? Absolutely not. Acts 1:12–14 tells us that they united in prayer. They were of “one accord,” which means they set aside their personal opinions and politics, unifying together in like-mindedness in the service of God to present the gospel.
"Just as soon as we realize our inability to do God's work and submit to be guided by His wisdom, the Lord can work with us. If we will empty the soul of self, He will supply all our necessities. Place your mind and will where the Holy Spirit can reach for them, for He will not work through another man's mind and conscience to reach yours. With earnest prayer for wisdom, make the work of God your study. Take counsel of sanctified reason, surrendered wholly to God."2
We too can choose to place our minds and wills where the Holy Spirit can reach them. Prayerfully, reach out to God in submission to His plan for you to furnish others with the truth about salvation.
- Ellen G. White, “The Promise of the Spirit,” The Signs of the Times, May 17, 1899.
- Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7 (Oakland, Calif.: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1902), 213–214.
