Scripture: Philippians 4 v 11 - 13: "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
The Book of Acts is called the Acts of the Apostles but it should really be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit. It finishes at Chapter 28 but our lives and testimonies lived in His power should be a continuation i.e. Acts 29 and following. Just saying.
In the Book of Acts the Holy Spirit is spoken of as the gift of the Father to the whole church. His gift to every born again Christian. Those who choose to deny, reject or argue against the baptism of the Holy Spirit are fighting against Someone they can never beat.
Jesus continued with His final words to His faithful disciples. When the Holy Spirit comes you will be empowered to witness for Me here, there and everywhere. Without this power its a hard grind in the flesh.
When the Holy Spirit came upon the Upper Room in Jerusalem, there was a sound like a mighty rushing wind. No actual wind, just the sound of a hurricane, gale like wind. The disciples did not know what to expect as the top of their heads started to tingle and a flame of fire was seen on each of them. Suddenly they were all speaking in tongues.
People in the street, especially foreigners all heard them in their own language declaring the power and wonders of Almighty God. Some thought they were drunk but it was only 9 o'clock in the morning.
That same day Peter the fisherman preached to a crowd of people and 3 thousand got saved. He was not gentle in his words either. The Holy Spirit caused him to let them know they had killed the Son of God. It convicted them of sin and they cried out for salvation.
The Holy Spirit's first task with a sinner is to convict him of sin. Until you feel that guilt and remorse for sin your salvation never seems quite real. Once you confess and repent the darkness lifts off your soul as the Blood of Jesus cleanses you.
Jesus is the baptiser in the Holy Ghost. We have to ask Him for it. Spirit-filled Christians lay hands upon one seeking the Holy Spirit baptism and it feels like butterflies in your tummy. Turn off your mind and let the anointed tongues of the Holy Spirit flow out of your mouth.
Acts 10 v 44 - 48: "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days."
Peter was very nervous to enter into the house of Cornelius, a Gentile. The Holy Spirit had given him a vision of everything unclean to the Jews being made clean. He still was fairly insulting to Cornelius and waffled on in his sermon until the Holy Spirit took over and the first Gentiles were speaking in tongues. Peter backed down and baptized them as well.
In Acts 5 Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Ghost about how much they should give to the apostles who held all things in common for rich and poor to share. It cost them their lives. No second chances, no time to put things right. No heaven in their future.
In Acts 19 v 1 - 6: "And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied."
It is vitally important to make sure that we have been baptized correctly. Not infant baptism which is not scriptural and accomplishes nothing. The procedure is repent and believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Be baptized by immersion in water soon after being born again. Let believers lay hands on you and ask Jesus to baptize you in the Holy Spirit. We do receive the Holy Spirit when we are born again but the baptism in the Holy Spirit is when His power and gifts come upon us.
We need to be extra careful in these matters. The church has become weakened by complacency. We have to be politically correct and sensitive to others. The early church had no such empathy. Things were either right or wrong. Compromise is playing with strange fire. Strange fire is unacceptable in the extreme.
In Acts 16 Paul and Silas were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to go into Asia. He gave Paul a dream where people dressed in Macedonian clothing were calling for help. That's where He needed them to go.
That's where a woman possessed with the demon of divination lived and plied her trade. She followed Paul and Silas shouting out that they were servants of the most High come to show the way of salvation. Paul was having none of it. He started praying for her. It took a long time, many days, to break this demonic power.
Acts 16 v 17 - 18: "The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour."
That feeling of "being grieved" was the signal from the Holy Spirit saying NOW! Paul had been waiting for it and he saw the fruits of it. Unfortunately he and Silas ended up in prison because the people who profited from this fortune-teller were very angry at losing her. They were jailed the deepest dungeon they sang hymns of praise and worship.
The Holy Spirit sent an earthquake to unlock every cell door, which led to the salvation and baptism of the jailer and his whole family at midnight. The next day the magistrate set Paul and Silas free and told them to leave this place. By then the whole town had heard of Jesus. The Holy Spirit had achieved God's will in Macedonia.
Be led of the Holy Spirit and see the amazing things He does. You just have to be in the right place, don't need to actually do anything, and He makes things happen. It was said of the first apostles, These twelve have turned the world upside down.
That is the desire of my heart ever since the Holy Spirit filled me.....turn the world upside down for Jesus!
I knew a dear pastor's wife from Los Angeles. The family came out as missionaries to Zimbabwe and passed through South Africa. At a fund raiser for them she told me that she had once been in a coma for six months in ICU.
Every now and then she would be secretly woken from her coma by the Holy Spirit, to minister salvation to whoever was dying in the bed next to her. She lost count of how many were saved in this way. Nothing is impossible or too difficult for God! You just have to be in the right place at the right time for the Holy Spirit to use you. And be willing to do what's needed.
Brothers and sisters we need to be ready to do exploits to win the world into eternal safety. Only the Lord knows His real plans for each one of us. Sometimes we don't have a clue that we have done anything but the day comes when we hear a testimony and know that in the chain reaction of the Holy Spirit, we were a link.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we love You and we ask with our whole hearts to be links in the chains that bring people of the world into Your Kingdom. It is more important than any other thing we can do - souls are the whole reason Jesus died. If He was willing to die for us, what are we willing to do in return? Father, please use us! In Jesus' name. Amen.