Acts 17
Paul’s 2nd Missionary Journey
The Holy Spirit”
"Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John’s baptism. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately." Acts 18:24-26 (NLT)
Repentance opens the door and releases our rebellion.
The Holy Spirit enters through the door and takes up residence.
Pastor’s Reflections
Somehow the brilliant Apollos, trained in the academic center of the Roman Empire, having become a believer and having studied everything he could get his hands regarding Jesus, still didn’t know about the Holy Spirit.
It took a tentmaker and his wife to teach him. We don’t always get the best information from academia.
Apollos knew all about repenting of sin, being forgiven, being offered a fresh start in life and being offered the gift of eternal life. Yet, he had not learned about what fills the void that repentance leaves. Repentance (metanoia in Greek, the language in which the New Testament was written, means turning around, changing your mind) rids of us of the bad stuff (John the Baptist’s baptism), but the Holy Spirit fills us with the good stuff of God (Pentecost onwards).
Repentance is the turn around. The Holy Spirit gives us a life to live. Repentance empties. The Holy Spirit fills.
And the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, who guides, comforts, animates us, gives us a purpose to live and the power to obey, this Holy Spirit is available to all who, having chosen to trust Jesus, ask.
Ask and you shall receive.
Sometimes I think Christian “leak”. If this may be true for you, ask. Ask Jesus to fill you anew. One surefire way to know that he has and that you really want what you’re asking for is checking out your “obedience quotient”. Obedience just might be the best sign that the Holy Spirit is at work in you.
When a young teen, I never remembered hearing about the Holy Ghost except for repeating the Doxology on Sundays. It wasn't until I was about 35 years old that God revealed to me that there was more than just being "saved". I read a book written by Debbie Boone and her experiences in living a Spirit-filled life. Before reading this, my spiritual life was dull, boring, ineffective, mundane, and just a set of church rules by which I must live. When I read this book, finishing it in be one night, I became aware that something was missing in my "Christian walk". I wanted what Debbie had and asked for it. I wanted Holy Spirit to come into my life and bring excitement into my life in Christ. That night I know something happened. I was awakened to a sitting up position from a dead sleep and remember drifting in slow motion back to laying down and going back to sleep. It was very real that something happened that night after I had prayed. What a difference in how I view walking out my salvation now. I absolutely believe I could have walked away from church until Holy Spirit filled up that part of my life that night. Now there is no turning back and I find myself hungering more and desiring to surrender more for the sake of the Cross. Without Holy Spirit filling and refilling to a greater awareness, I find there is no separating us, no separating me from Jesus, no separating me from my heavenly Father. It made all the difference and still does. I am so glad the Lord lead me to understand what I needed to make more of my life in Jesus. All I had to do is ask.
ReplyDeleteAwesome testimony - thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHe truly is the secret. Much of what Jesus says does not make sense/can't be done or experienced apart from the Holy Spirit. The little book "They Found the Secret" is life changing. It was for me and many others, including Charles Stanley.
ReplyDeleteIt is the testimonies of many missionaries and others about the point in their walk when they yielded to, were filled with, recognized the Spirit of the living God in their lives.