TOPIC: ARE YOU BAPTISED IN THE HOLY SPIRIT?
MEMORISE:
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. Acts 1:8
READ: John 7:37-39
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
MESSAGE:
The Holy Spirit baptism is very important to every heaven-bound Christian for many reasons. The first is personality of the Baptizer- the Holy Spirit Himself. The Holy Spirt, being the third person in the Trinity, plays the role of the preservation of the believer after salvation. The Bible says “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30).
There are lots of virtues the Holy Spirit imparts on believers when they receive His baptism. For example, in our text today, we read of the flow of the rivers of living water- symbolizing the Holy Spirit. Just as water is very important for the survival of the physical wellbeing of man, so also the ‘living water’ or ‘water of life’ is very important for spiritual wellbeing. The spirit of a Christian can get dehydrated and ultimately become dormant due to the lack of this living water.
Another fundamental blessing from the Holy Spirt baptism is what we find in the instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ in today’s memory verse- power. The disciples of old would not have been able to face the Jewish elders had they not received power from the Holy Ghost. Without the baptism of the Holy Spirit there can be no power or boldness for Christians to evangelize and witness to the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says in Acts 4:31:
“And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”
The Holy Spirit also enable a believer to pray without ceasing when he or she speaks in tongues. This is the promise of our Lord in the Great Commission- that we shall speak with new tongues (Mark 16:17).
Beloved, do you lack boldness as a Christian? Are you hesitant about sharing your conviction on the Lordship of Jesus? Are you rising and falling into sin because you think it is impossible to withstand the wiles of the devil? Are demonic forces tormenting you? Pray earnestly for the baptism of the Holy Spirt today and you will receive power and boldness for the victorious Christian living, in the mighty name of Jesus.
PRAYER POINT:
Lord, please send Your Holy Spirit to empower and embolden me now and always in the mighty name of Jesus.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 15-19.
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 9: HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.
1. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee:
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity.
2. Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.
3. Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide thee,
Though the eye made blind by sin thy glory may not see,
Only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.
4. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name,
in earth and sky and sea;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessed Trinity.
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