MEMORISE:
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Ephesians 1:13
READ: Acts 2:1-4
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
MESSAGE
“For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God”. 1 Corinthians 2:11
To remain in tune with Jesus Christ requires the help of the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. You need His help because He is the only one who can grant you access to the thoughts and workings of the Lord at any point in time. In Acts 1:8, Jesus said to us:
“But 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”.
We see from these words of the Master that the Christian life is only empowered by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, so it amazes me when any Christian organisation refuses to embrace the doctrine of baptism in the Holy Spirit. The truth is that you cannot be a lasting Christian without experiencing the baptism of the Holy Spirit, neither can you effectively do the work of the ministry without this experience. This is why Jesus instructed the early disciples to wait for the promise of the Father before proceeding to evangelise the world (Acts 1:4-5).
There are some points about the Holy Spirit that are worthy of note in today's memory verse. One of these is that salvation comes before baptism in the Holy Spirit. Although these two experiences may follow each other almost immediately, you cannot be baptised in the Holy Spirit if you are not first born again by accepting the gospel of truth and salvation. The benefits of being baptised in the Holy Spirit are numerous, one of which is that your salvation is sealed to the end, provided you do not grieve the Holy Spirit to the extent of Him leaving you alone (Ephesians 4:30). Another benefit is the renewing of your body, soul and spirit by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11, Titus 3:5). As we journey through life, a lot of issues confront us daily, discouraging, nauseating or even defiling us. It is a blessing to be baptised in the Holy Spirit, who renews and encourages us to forge ahead. Beloved, have you been baptised in the Holy Spirit? If not, you can be baptised right now as you read this. All you need to do is ask the Lord to baptise you with His Holy Spirit and believe that He will. Regardless of whether your church believes this truth or not, because it is the word of God, it will become reality in your life today if you receive it.
ACTION POINT:
If you have not been baptised in the Holy Spirit, ask Jesus to baptise you today. If you have experienced this, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you anew right now.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Mark 3-4, Isaiah 13:17-14:11
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 11: WHEN THE POWER OF GOD DESCENDED
1 When the power of God descended
On the day of Pentecost
All the days of waiting ended
They received the Holy Ghost.
Chorus:
O Lord, send the power just now;
O Lord, send the power just now;
O Lord, send the power just now;
And baptize, every one.
2 Tongues of flame came down upon them,
And they preached the world in power,
Listening multitudes awakened
Turned to God that very hour.
3 We are waiting, Holy Spirit
We are all of one accord
Lord fulfil just now the promise
That is given in thy word.
4 Fill and thrill us with thy presence,
Grant the blessing that we need
Flood our souls with wondrous glory,
While the prayer of faith we plead.
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