December 7, 2014

The Holy Spirit Fell 

 Acts 10: 44-48  

 Luke

Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who had heard the message.  The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles, too.  And there could be no doubt about it, for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

Then Peter asked, "Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?"  So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.  Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days.

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Thoughts....

Praise God!  From whom all blessings flow.  I hope today finds everyone well and happy.  What a glorious season we are in.

Holy Spirit fell.  What does that mean?  When you or a loved one, hek, even a stranger falls, what happens?  Is it a rapid crash or a slow moving graceful moment?  I don't know about you, but when I fall, I drop like a rock.  Usually fast and hard.  So, saying Holy Spirit fell implies it was a 'ba bam!' moment.  Impactful. 

Holy Spirit never seems to arrive slowly, he always seem to indwell with momentum.  From experience, I can absolutely say that Holy Spirit falling causes a person to want to hit the ground running with excitement and joy, an opening of the heart, a desire to give your all to him, Jesus, God.  And Holy Spirit fills you with such rapture, such a need to share the wonder and love of God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, that you can hardly contain yourself....you HAVE to [are compelled to with passion] share who they are, that they are, how wonderful they are with EVERYONE. 

Holy Spirit is a very special gift from God and Jesus.  Jesus said in Luke 24:49, right before he ascended into heaven, "And now I will send the Holy Spirit just as my Father [God] promised.  But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit fills you with power from heaven."

Why did Jesus say that, what did he mean?  Recall in Acts 1:4-5, Jesus said, ""Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you what he promised.  Remember, I have told you about this before.  John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

Quoting the NIV notes for Acts 1:4 it reads as follows:

'If Jesus had stayed on earth, his physical presence would have limited the spread of the Gospel, because physically he could be in only one place at a time.  After Christ was taken up into heaven, he would be spiritually present everywhere through the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit was sent so that God would be with and within his followers after Christ returned to heaven.  The Spirit would comfort them, guide them to know his truth, remind them of Jesus' words, give them the right words to say, and fill them with power (see John 14-16).

In 1 John 2:27 read with me, "But you have [Have you?] received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true.  For the Spirit teaches you all things, and what he teaches is true - it is not a lie.  All of 1 John is a precious gift to behold....do read this further later.   

In John 3:5 [Recall that 1 John is different than John-the Gospel of] Jesus is quoted as saying [historically documented], "The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit."   Please continue reading through verse 21 as time permits later.

Paul tells us in Romans 8: 9c to "remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all".

Holy Spirit is for everyone.  Paul tells us in Romans 8: 29, "For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brother and sisters.  And having chosen them, he called them to come to him.  And he gave them right standing with himself, and he promised them his glory."   And in verse 28, directly prior, he said, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."

So for those who question if Holy Spirit is okay, or alive and well, and available to us today....oh ya, he is.  God and Jesus wait with fullness in their hearts for you to receive all the gifts they want to give you, Holy Spirit being first of many.

Speaking in tongues and praising God?  Todays Scripture tells us that happened, and it wasn't just at Pentecost apparently.  How can that be?  God is for everyone, everywhere, for all times.  As is Jesus....so is Holy Spirit. 

In 1 Corinthians we learn about Spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit in 12:.1 and 3.  Paul said, "And now dear brothers and sisters, I will write about the special abilities the Holy Spirit gives to each of us...."  He goes on to say "So I want you to know how to discern what is truly from God:  No one speaking by the Spirit of God can curse Jesus, and no one is able to say, "Jesus is Lord, " except by the Holy Spirit." 

He goes on to say in verse 4 "Now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all."  And in verse 10c he says, "Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages."  And in verse 11 he says, "It is the one and only Holy Sprit who distributes these gifts."  Please recall when Holy Spirit was poured out/fell at Pentecost, people were speaking in other languages, unknown to them previously, so they could impart God's message to those who might not have understood because there weren't interpreters....until Holy Spirit.  Remember, and read if you don't recall, Acts 2, how Holy Spirit filled people who began to speak in other languages.  

From 1 Corinthians 14:21 and Isaiah 28:11-12 we learn, "I will speak to my own people through unknown languages and through the lips of foreigners." 

And Paul quotes Psalm 16:8-11 when we read in Acts 2: 26 where he says, "No wonder my heart is filled with joy, and my mouth shouts his praises!"

In todays lesson we read, 'Then Peter asked can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?"

What did we learn in Acts 10: 15?   "If God says something is acceptable, don't say it isn't."  

Did you notice that Holy Spirit fell prior to baptism in the name of Jesus'? Apparently it does not matter in God's scheme of things.  And, what does it mean to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ?  It means we are not just being baptized in water to show an outward profession of an inward confession, as John the Baptist baptized.  Baptized in the name of Jesus Christ goes beyond just that and shows we are expressing our desire to accept Jesus as our Savior and welcome him into our life.  He becomes our Lord when we obey him, thereby making him THE Lord over our lives. 

It also means that we are to do as Jesus did after his baptism as outlined in Luke 4:14-19. Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit's power, after his baptism by John the Baptist, and being tempted by Satan in the desert for 40 days.  [Which Satan will also do to us as we become Christians or renew our walk with God, Jesus, Holy Spirit.  Stay strong in Christ!]   Having beaten the foe Satan, Jesus, now filled with Holy Spirit's power, went forth.  We, too, are to go forth. 

When Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures, he was handed the scroll and began to read:  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has appointed me to preach Good News to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the downtrodden will be freed from their oppressors, and that the time of the Lord's favor has come."  Read this prophecy of Isaiah on Jesus' life in Isaiah 61.  As he was and is, we, too, are to become 'oaks of righteousness' as it is phrased in the NIV.  We, too, are to do as he did.  The prophecy on Jesus' life did not end with his death.  His baptism washes us anew.  His death proclaimed freedom and gives us the opportunity to also be free.  And help others.  But we cannot do any of this without Holy Spirit.  

So, are you ready to have the Holy Spirit fall on you?  Are you ready to be baptized in the name of Jesus?  If so, ask God to forgive you of your sins.  Ask Jesus to come into your life.  Ask Jesus to baptize you in and with the Holy Spirit.  Ask Holy Spirit to enter into you, so that he can help you obey God, Jesus, Holy Spirit and teach you how to live your new life.  He'll do this first by opening up the understanding of the Scriptures to you.  Then you can begin to obey them better and become one with them.  Then as written in Acts 2, you will be taking the steps to insure your soul will not be left to rot among the dead in a grave.  You will be shown the way of life, and you will receive wonderful joy in his presence.

Please read all of Chapters 7 & 8 in Romans to further understand how to best live your new life in Christ and the struggles that can come as Satan tries to keep you from it.  You are never alone, if....BIG IF....you receive Holy Spirit and allow him to live within you to help you make more right choices of living with, and loving, God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, yourself, and others around you. 

See also Galatians 5 as a brief baseline of the values expected by God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, and those which should be sought and followed to be called a Christian and live as one for THE Lord, while obeying him to bring him glory....and eternal life for yourself. 

Paul said in Romans 8:37, "Overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us'.  Praise the LORD!  Alleluia!

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  Let Us Pray

Father God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I want all you want me to have to be able to live my new/renewed life with you.  Please God, forgive me of my sins, heal me and make me whole.  Jesus, I choose you to be my Savior, help me to make you Lord of my life by baptizing me with your Holy Spirit.  Holy Spirit, I long for you to enter into my heart, mind, body, spirit, soul, that I may not just live, but live forever.  I can only do that if I live my life in a way as to show that I am being obedient.  God, Jesus, and you, Holy Spirit WILL know that I am obedient by how I live my life, the choices I make, in doing good in all ways in all works.  As in days of old, I will sprinkle myself with water as an act to profess cleansing of the old and an opening to the new....you, Jesus.  Whether I literally go down into a body of water as an act to show that profession, or I sprinkle myself with that water, my action is enough for you to recognize my heart has chosen to be cleansed, so that you may enter anew.  I praise you and thank you for being willing to love me.  And for giving me eternal life, if I but obey, as outlined in John 15.  Thank you.  I love you.  I praise you!  Amen.   

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Let us hear from Paul as he prays:  

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.  May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages.  Amen.  Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT         

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Scroll down to read Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving...'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'.

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Definition of a Christian:  Anyone who believes in God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Regardless of church name or religious affiliation. 

'All who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like him.  There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female.  For you are all Christians - you are ONE in Christ Jesus.'  Galatians 3: 27

  It is not how we worship, but that we worship....the Trinity!

Teach tolerance....reach in acceptance....worship as one!

Embrace....Respect....Encourage!

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    One last thing....

 Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'

"Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer:  "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.  You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people.  Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work."

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.  "The Father has given me all these things to do and say.  This is a unique Father - Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge.  No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does.  But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."

"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly.

   Matthew 11:  25-30

  The Message

And the people said,

"Amen."

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 I now write most prayers in the position of ' I ' (first person) because most people are sitting at their computer alone, not in groups, and it allows those reading and praying to personalize the prayer as coming from them going to God.  Variations may appear on holidays when families may wish to use the prayer provided.  I encourage you to pray your own prayers as well.

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  Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.

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NOTE:  I said it long ago, but let me say it again.  If you are wanting to lead a group, start a church, or are confined in an institution, or live in a country where the Gospel is not preached, and you don't know what to say or how to say it, and yet feel led to share, teach, or preach, besides just reading straight out of the Bible and sharing what God puts on your heart, please feel free to share any or all of what I've written, if it will help you, as long as you include where it comes from, due to copyright laws.  Jesus gave God's love and healing freely, as well as his message.  Our responsibility is to get the Word out to those who need to hear it.  If what I've written....by the power and direction of the Holy Spirit....or what he has said through me....has helped you, it may help others that you know.  You are welcome to share it.  God calls all of us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world.  Please share it with the fullness of love that God, Jesus, Holy Spirit....and I....have given it.  Amen!

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