TOPIC: LIKE THE DAY OF PENTECOST I
MEMORIZE:
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: Acts 1:12-14
12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.
13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
MESSAGE
The first time the Holy Ghost came to dwell in man was on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-12. Jesus had to wait in Jerusalem until they received the Holy Ghost (Luke 24:49). The day of Pentecost and the events that followed defined Christianity forever. If only there could be a repeat of that day in churches all over the world; oh, what a revival that will be. There was a similar experience in Azusa, USA, in 1906, and up until today, people are still talking about that revival. For the next few days, I will be examining what happened on the day of Pentecost and the implications of the events of that day.
One major thing you must note is that the disciples were in an upper room - they were separated from the rest of the world. While everyone around them was enjoying the Passover feast, they were in a different realm, praying, fasting, and yearning to go deeper in the Lord. If we are to experience a repeat of that day, Christians must learn to live separately from the world (2 Corinthians 6:14).
You cannot be engrossed in the pursuit of material things like the rest of the world and expect the Holy Spirit to descend on you and manifest through you as He did on the day of Pentecost. You cannot expect to carry the power of the Holy Ghost when your eyes are focused on worldly things. What you behold is what you will eventually become (2 Corinthians 3:18). You cannot love the world and claim to also love God (1 John 2:15). You cannot keep listening to worldly music and expect to be filled with the Holy Spirit. What you listen to greatly impacts your life, and faith comes by hearing God's word (Romans 10:17).
In the upper room, the disciples were not distracted by mundane things. Their eyes, representing their focus, were single, causing them to be filled with light (Matthew 6:22). Their desire was to wait for the promise of the Father, and they did this wholeheartedly. To receive and manifest the Holy Spirit's power, you must seek God wholeheartedly.
Only those who seek God with all their hearts and souls find Him (Deuteronomy 4:29). Only those who separate themselves from sin and distractions will receive the Holy Spirit's power, Iike on the day of Pentecost. Beloved, God wants you to be separate because you are His (2 Corinthians 6:1 7) and not of this world (John 15:19).
ACTION POINT
Let go of distractions and everything that can keep you from being filled with the Holy Spirit.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 1-3
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE
HYMN 7: I AM THINE O LORD
1 I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.
3 O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend!
4 There are depths of love that I yet may know
Ere Thee face to face I see;
There are heights of joy that I yet may reach
Ere I rest in peace with Thee.
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