Welcome to Hank’s Place –
Last message we found in Acts 2 that two different Greek words were used for “filled” by the Spirit. There was a filling INWARDLY fulfilling Ezekiel 36:26’s promise. And a filling OUTWARDLY fulfilling Joel 2:28’s promise. Inwardly. Outwardly. Those in the upper room experienced both.
Two experiences. Here’s something more: consider the feasts of Passover and Pentecost. Jesus our Passover lamb by which we are born again! Then Pentecost and the infilling and empowerment for service. Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Outward manifestations. The tongues of the disciples becoming fiery tongues of life-saving words!
Passover, and Pentecost! Have you experienced your Pentecost? Being filled with the Holy Spirit within (personal salvation) and then outwardly (for service), I have no doubt that others will say of you that you—have indeed COME ALIVE!
You don’t think you need this baptism of the Holy Spirit? Yes, you do. God is offering you gifts from heaven. Gifts. Not earned. Not by being holy. Or getting things right. Gifts of the age to come to destroy the works of the devil hallelujah.
How important was being born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit to the early Jewish believers? Well, all the early believers were Jews. The Sabbath was their holy day of rest, ordained by God thru Moses. Sacred. Unthinkable to break. Until Jesus rose from the dead on the 3rd day! The sacred Sabbath was replaced by something greater than the Law. That’s how big the resurrection was in the lives of those believing Jews.
What about this baptism of the Holy Spirit? In Acts 8:15-17, Peter and John we were sent by the church leaders to the new believers in Samaria, to pray for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. It says they laid their hands on them and the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit. Wait! Samaritans?
Think of the woman of Samaria in John 4. Samaria was a mixed race of people, what was left of the overrun Northern Kingdom. Good Jews had no dealings with Samaritans and would even detour around Samaria.
But these ‘inferior people’ as far as the Judaean Jews were concerned, were hearing the Gospel and believing it! And the leadership in Jerusalem, upon hearing this, SENT Peter and John down to them to baptize them in the Holy Spirit! The Jewish church leaders sent apostles, overcoming all the centuries of antagonism, to be sure the Samaritans were filled with the Holy Spirit. That’s how big, how important, the baptism of the Holy Spirit was to the early church!
God does not care about your breeding or background: He wants you born again, part of His family, and filled with power from on high. Don’t delay – be filled today.
And — COME ALIVE!
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