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4. The Holy Spirit

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In Your Bible Read This

Acts 2

Here Is Your Memory Verse

For we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 1 Corinthians 12.13

Afterwards Talk About This

Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you first believed? Or afterwards? Have you been filled with him since then?

Something To Do Before Next Time

Get together for prayer and go through the steps of welcoming and receiving Holy Spirit, praying for each other until you are all filled.

Written Diploma Work

Look at those words pletho and pleres. Write a page to describe what that could mean today

Meditate Word By Word On This Verse

Galatians 5.5.

Spend a Minute to Change the World

Pray For Latvia – 3,000,000 Baltic & Slav peoples. In Northern Europe, former USSR, Ethnic tension, economic problems. 20% Protestant, 20% RC, 15% Orthodox

Be sure to teach this lesson to others. Always pray and prepare well adding your own verses and stories to bring it to life.

To successfully respond to the call of God everybody needs the power of God's Spirit within and although Christians may have different opinions as to when and how we receive Holy Spirit no-one ever doubts that we need him. Always listen courteously to alternative views and learn and share without arguing or showing superior attitudes. Here is one very popular understanding.

The Promise Of Another Baptism

In Acts 1, 4-8, the word baptism is baptizo, which means immersion or soaked. It is not ‘baptisma’ of Ephesians 4.5, which is the act of baptism, and it is not baptismos of Hebrews 6.2, which is a cleansing.

The Promise Was Prophesied

  • Read Isaiah 32.15 and see the result.

  • See Ezekiel 36.27-28 and find five consequences.

  • See Joel 2.28 and eagerly desire the consequences.

  • Read John's words in Luke 3.16, and the testimony of his birth. Luke 1.15

  • Elizabeth was filled and so was Zechariah, Jesus, and the disciples. Luke 1.41;1.67; 4.1; Acts 2.4.

One word for ‘filled’ is pletho which means to be like a sponge, saturated and dripping streams of water everywhere. Another Bible word is ‘pleres’ which means a breadbasket, full to the top, over-flowing and dropping food everywhere.

Holy Spirit Is Father’s Promise

In Old Testament days the Spirit was usually ‘on’ but not in God's people, Num. 11.25. There were some special except-ions like Bezalel and Joshua See the consequences in Exodus 31.3, Deut. 34.9.

Holy Spirit Is Jesus’ Promise

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit is coming, John 7.37-39, 14.16, 16.7

He will live with you and be in you, John 14,17

He will clothe you with power. Luke 24.49

Jesus commanded his disciples to receive Holy Spirit, in other words to make him welcome. John 20.22, Acts 1.5-7.

Jesus Promised Us Power

In Acts 1.8 the word is dunamis, the ability to perform anything, or to do miracles, Mat. 25.15, Gal. 3.5, Acts 8.13, Mark 6.5. Another Bible word for power is exousia, which means authority. Luke 10.19.

Exousia gives us the right, but we need ‘dunamis’ power to enforce the exousia. An official might have authority to take a farmer's field but he needs power to drive out the bull that lives in there! You have authority over demons but you need God's power to make them leave

The Promise Begins

In Acts 2.1-11, Holy Spirit comes with power and 120 believers speak in languages they have never learned. See 1 Cor 14.5,18. Men from many nations come running and hear the wonders of God in their own language. That’s still God’s purpose in filling us today. Peter said that the coming of the Spirit showed that the last days had begun, Joel 2.28-32, Acts 2.16-21.

The Promise Moves Outwards

The Jewish believers soon found that Holy Spirit filled them again and again. Then the nearby Samaritans decided to follow Jesus and also received the Holy Spirit. Acts 8.4-8, 14-17.

Peter visited Cornelius, who was a Roman, a European and a soldier and as he spoke about Jesus, the Holy Spirit fell on all his family and friends. Acts 10. 44-46.

Later we find people in Turkey being filled as well. Acts 13.52, 19,1-7.

Paul wrote that we should all 'be being filled – continually' with the Spirit: Ephesians 5.18; see also Acts 4.31.

The Promise Is For You Today

Acts 2.38-39 has no time limit even to we who are far off. You can see a picture of how to receive the promise in Mary's experience in Luke 1.35. The Holy Spirit can also come upon you and the power of God can also overshadow you, to allow another holy child of God to be born.

Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you first believed? Acts 19.2

Are you full of the Holy Spirit now?

Are you dripping the blessing of God like the sponge, or overflowing with the bread of life like the basket?

Do you want 'dunamis' in your life?

Do you really want Holy Spirit in you?

He is a person who convicts of sin, promotes a holy lifestyle and may even call you to the ends of the earth.

Welcome Holy Spirit Now

  • Be thirsty for God John 7.37

  • Clean up your ‘temple’ by asking God to forgive you. 1 Cor. 6.19, 2 Cor 6.14 to 7.1, 1 John 1.9

  • Renounce every other spirit you may have received, in Jesus name.

  • Ask the Father for his gift of Holy Spirit for you, Luke 11.9-13.

  • Welcome him by a prayer of faith.

  • Give him freedom to go anywhere in your body, soul, mind and spirit, and into your past, present and future.

  • Now relax and receive the gift, drink him in deeply, John 7.37, 1 Cor 12.13.

Overcome all timidity and pride, thank him for coming, surrender to him and expect either peace, joy, laughter or tears or all four. Maybe you will speak in tongues or burst into praise, worship or prophecy immediately or soon afterwards. You will soon notice his presence in every part of your life. Acts 2.4,10.46, 19.6.

To Close Pray for the World's Most Unreached Peoples by Name

Taken from the Joshua Project Unreached Peoples List these people have no church and as yet no cell, church or mission has committed themselves to prayer, adoption or church planting among this people.

Ethiopia

People Name Language Population
Bale Kacipo-Balesi 10,000
Saho Saho 24,000
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