Receive the Holy Spirit

God's Exceptional Choice  We are God's Artwork God Picked You! Live in the light of God (Isaiah 2:5)  Acts 19:1-12 The Message 19 1-2 Now, it happened that while Apollos was away in Corinth, Paul made his way down through the mountains, came to Ephesus, and happened on some disciples there. The first thing he said was, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Did you take God into your mind only, or did you also embrace him with your heart? Did he get inside you?" "We've never even heard of that—a Holy Spirit? God within us?" 3 "How were you baptized, then?" asked Paul. "In John's baptism." 4 "That explains it," said Paul. "John preached a baptism of radical life-change so that people would be ready to receive the One coming after him, who turned out to be Jesus. If you've been baptized in John's baptism, you're ready now for the real thing, for Jesus." 5-7 And they were. As soon as they heard of it, they were baptized in the name of the Master Jesus. Paul put his hands on their heads and the Holy Spirit entered them. From that moment on, they were praising God in tongues and talking about God's actions. Altogether there were about twelve people there that day. 8-10 Paul then went straight to the meeting place. He had the run of the place for three months, doing his best to make the things of the kingdom of God real and convincing to them. But then resistance began to form as some of them began spreading evil rumors through the congregation about the Christian way of life. So Paul left, taking the disciples with him, and set up shop in the school of Tyrannus, holding class there daily. He did this for two years, giving everyone in the province of Asia, Jews as well as Greeks, ample opportunity to hear the Message of the Master. Witches Came out of the Woodwork 11-12 God did powerful things through Paul, things quite out of the ordinary. The word got around and people started taking pieces of clothing—handkerchiefs and scarves and the like—that had touched Paul's skin and then touching the sick with them. The touch did it—they were healed and whole. For Reflection Is believing the only thing that differentiates Christians from other people? Perhaps not. Apollos, an influential evangelist, brought many into the fold of believers. And yet, Apollos nor his converts were inducted into the fullness of the faith. They were baptized by John and embraced intellectual and existential philosophies. However, baptism by the Holy Spirit gave them the full support and complete backing of God through the Holy Spirit that would animate their faith and works. These early converts were so successful in their witness to the resurrection that they upset the conventions of the Jewish faith. The threat of this new WAY initiated violent objection, much spurred by ignorance and misinformation about Jesus. Paul's educational efforts gave the converts sufficient knowledge and understanding so that through the Holy Spirit, the converts could speak in a language that the objectors could understand. Pray Pray and receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Pray and let the Holy Spirit direct and engage your every action and thought. Forward to a friend Sign up for our mailing list!