Pentecost changed everything
(Acts 2).
The disciples of Jesus Christ
were powerless before Pentecost. And then things
changed. Jesus promised, “You will receive power
after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you” (Acts
1:8). That was His promise to every believer.
There is no need for the
Christian to be powerless today. The baptism of the
Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost was a climatic,
demonstrative, once-for-all experience in the upper
room in Jerusalem. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is
the baptism of the believer into Christ by which he
becomes a member of the body of Christ. The apostle
Paul wrote, “By one Spirit are we all baptized into
one body.” We “have all been made to drink into one
Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13). The “baptism” is not
a special endowment of power from the Holy Spirit
for service. It is His work of placing the born
again person into the body of Christ. And they were
filled with the Holy Spirit.
There is therefore no reason
for us to spend one day without the power of God.
The early church is a demonstration of that power in
preaching and daily living. It is the normal
Christian life. “One baptism; many fillings.”
The early Christians stormed
the citadels of hell and won. But they could never
have done it without the presence of the Holy Spirit
within them. They were under His control, guided by
the Spirit, taught by the Spirit, empowered by the
Spirit, and illuminated by the Spirit. These early
believers were valiant, daring, dauntless, and
undismayed in every situation.
What happened? Why the radical
change in the lives of the disciples? They were
under the control of the Spirit of God and for that
simple reason they were filled to overflowing. His
presence makes all the difference.
“And with great power the
apostles were giving witness to the resurrection of
the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them
all” (Acts 4:33).
If you are a born again
believer in Jesus Christ you do not have to pray and
wait for the baptism of the Spirit. He has already
baptized you into the body of Christ. Yield yourself
to Him. Make yourself available to Him to do in and
through you His eternal purposes.
We should be content with
nothing less in the Christian life. The government
and religious leaders could not shut the disciples
up. The declared, “We cannot stop speaking what we
have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). They were living
bold witnesses of Jesus Christ.
“And when they had prayed, the
place where they had gathered together was shaken,
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and
began to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts
4:31). “And with great power the apostles were
giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all” (v.
33).
There was no magic formula or
methodology. They simply said Lord here am I. They
made themselves available to Him and obeyed His
Word. They needed the fullness of the Holy Spirit,
and He gave it. Each believer is made a witness of
Jesus Christ. The infilling Holy Spirit instantly
prepares all for spiritual ministry.
True New Testament preaching is
proclamation of truth through the personality in the
power of the Holy Spirit. It is the God-controlled
man He uses. We don’t need dialogue and
entertainment; we need Christ preached in the power
of the presence of the Spirit of God.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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Reports on what God is doing through Bible believing evangelical Christians in Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, India and Ecuador. Jesus said, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you" (John 15:7).
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