A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day (November 28, 2017)
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)
The early Church was endued with power from the Holy Ghost (Acts 2)! The world was turned upside down! New converts were added to the church daily! Miracles were happening! Where has that power gone???
Well, let’s take a moment to review where that power comes from and what importance the scriptures place on receiving and operating in that power. Then, let’s look at our present spiritual situation and decide where we are personally, and where the Church is corporately, by using the following Holy Ghost thermometer to measure how important we think Holy Ghost power is:
Not Important————————————Middle of the Road———————————-Very Important
|—-Cold————————————————-Luke Warm————————————————-Hot———|
I (John the Baptist) indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: (Matthew 3:11)
And, being assembled together with them, (Jesus) commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. (Acts 1:4-5)
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:4)
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. (Acts 2:38-39)
Let me ask you this. If you were Satan, who comes to steal, kill, and destroy, what would you try to steal first? Do you think the “Power” might be a good candidate? And how would you go about that? How about downplaying and minimizing the importance of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost? How about planting a lie in the Church that all this power has passed away and was just for the early church? How about making the Baptism in Water more important than the Baptism in the Holy Ghost when John the Baptist said just the opposite and the Spirit did just the opposite in Acts 10:44-48 where Gentile believers received the gift of the Holy Ghost before they were baptized in water?
The early Church leaders knew how important receiving the Holy Ghost was! When the Apostles heard that the Samaritans had been saved and baptized in water they sent Peter and John to pray for them to receive the Holy Ghost (Acts 8:12-17). When Paul encountered believers in Ephesus that had been baptized in water, but had not even heard that there be any Holy Ghost, he laid hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost and they spoke in tongues and prophesied (Acts 19:1-7).
Could it be that the very thing that would unite the Church is one of the things that the enemy has used to divide the church? Could it be that John’s baptism in water was a prophetic picture of being baptized, submerged, and filled with the Holy Ghost? Could it be that the baptism in water of Jesus, and His simultaneous receipt of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 3:16; John 1:32-33; Acts 10:37-38), was a perfect picture of how we could experience both at the same time? Could it be that no man can say Jesus is the Lord (controller of their life) except by the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 12:3)? Could it be that the very power that we need to defeat the enemy, and turn the world upside down, is still available and all we have to do is ask for it (Luke 11:13)???
Could it be??? Think about it!!!!
