Posts

Filled with the Holy Spirit

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Job 3-4; Acts 8-9   “When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus…Placing his hands on Saul, he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord - Jesus, who appeared to you…has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 8:14-16; 9:17 It was the priority of Jesus and the leaders of the early Church for all Christ-followers to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came upon people with the prayer and laying on of hands by those already filled with the Holy Spirit. Simon the Sorcerer was so impacted by the dramatic difference the Holy Spirit made in the lives of the Samaritans, that he was willing to pay money to have the ability to pray with people in that way. Some people today still see the gift
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The Mission-Call of God

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Job 1-2; Acts 6-7 “’I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob’. Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look…’I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’” Acts 7:32, 34 Stephen’s last sermon laid the foundation for God’s revelation of Jesus Christ as the deliverer of Israel. In quoting the Exodus account of Moses’ call, Stephen answered two essential questions that both Moses and Jesus answered: Who is God? And what does God do? God is willing to be identified with those who covenant with him and choose to walk with him. He is the God of relationship with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and countless others in history. God sees, he hears our cry, and he moves in history to deliver his people. Our salvation-story is valuable as part of God’s eternal story of salvation. Knowing who God is and what he does, helps us answer who we are in light of God’
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The Sun has Risen

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Malachi 3-4; Psalms 148; Acts 5   “But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver…Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness…But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings...” Malachi 3:2, 3; 4:2 The sun of righteousness has risen, and his name is the Lord Jesus Christ. Through the sacrifice of his body, once for all, for the sins of the world, those who believe are made righteous. We bring offerings in righteousness because we have received God’s gift of righteousness. We are also receiving the refiner’s fire and the launderer’s soap in the ongoing process of surrender, repentance, and forgiveness through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. God loves us too much to let us stumble in our sins. His invitation is to offer our bodies and lives to him as living sacrifices made
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There is More

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Nehemiah 13; Malachi 1, 2; Acts 4   “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:31-33 Are we tired of playing church? Do we long for the reality of God’s presence, anointing, unity, and power? Prayer from a place of being broken, desperate and faith-filled was all that the early Church knew. They had no other place to go, but the presence of the Lord! When persecution and opposition confronted their witness, they went back to the presence of the Lord together. They sought God’s face for new empowerment, new prophetic insight, new love for one another, and new levels of faith for their provision and protection. Grace, mu
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What Do We Have?

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Nehemiah 11-12; Psalms 1; Acts 3 “…’Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’…He jumped to his feet and began to walk…’By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.’” Acts 3:6, 8, 16 We can only give to others what we already have.   What do we have to give to those around us who are in addictions, loneliness, sickness, trauma, and pain? Peter and John had the name of Jesus. We often give silver and gold, or our time and compassion. Peter and John gave the living presence of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is by faith in the name of Jesus that people are healed, restored, freed, and empowered today.   Do we know Jesus in all those ways so we, too, can share his name with others? Are we walking through our day with confidence in the name of Jesus for both our
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God’s Gift

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  Nehemiah 9-10; Acts 2   “…’Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:38, 39 The gift of the Holy Spirit is for those who have repented of their sin and now consecrate their lives to God. The person of the Holy Spirit releases prophetic anointing in our lives which transforms everything we do. “…I will pour out my Spirit in those days and they will prophesy.” (Acts 2:18) When we are led by the Holy Spirit, witnessing bears fruit, preaching bears fruit, service bears fruit, and discipleship bears fruit that remains. The Lord is not limited by age or distance but is calling us from every generation and every people group around the world to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that is the key to multiplication. God’s first command was t
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Passion, Prayer, Power, Proclamation

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Nehemiah 7-8; Acts 1   “’But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’…They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty).” Acts 1:8, 14, 15 Peter had experienced the stirring up of his affections for Christ when Jesus asked three times if he loved him. Jesus instructed his disciples to wait for the gift of the Father before going out to witness to others what they had received from Christ. Peter led a ten-day prayer meeting in Jerusalem, waiting on the Father. It’s not easy to wait on the Lord before we go out to bear witness. But without the empowering of the Holy Spirit our witnessing will lack impact or lasting fruit. The passion Peter felt for Christ translated into prayer, then power and proclamatio
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