When you know where you want to go and what you want to accomplish, you take a look at those who have already done it. You find those who succeeded and set the precedence to find what worked, we learn from them.

You find the keys that unlocked what you are trying to find and live out. We can recognize today that we are in need of something, in need of transformation personally, boldness, unity, serving those who are in need, and alignment with one another under a common goal that doing something powerful. We can see that our community could use something they don’t even know is available to them.

We can see that our lives and our ministry need to do more than just coming and being but lives need to be changed, hope needs to be found, and something powerful needs to happen.

These are the things that the New Testament church needed too.

What happened to the disciples, the church, and how did they have such a rapid impact on Jerusalem and really the entire world at that time.

We’ve covered

• Promise
• Power
• People

PARTNERSHIP

Nothing that we will do or can do to make a difference today, can be done outside of our partnership with the Holy Spirit and with each other. Our effectiveness and impact on the lives around us will never occur based on what we can do ourselves, in our own strength, and in our own understanding. This is a partnership, this requires unity, and when those come together, the impact can change cities, nations, and our own community.

1. PARTNERSHIP IN PRAYER

Acts 4:23-31
23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. 24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—25 you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying,
‘Why were the nations so angry?
Why did they waste their time with futile plans?
26 The kings of the earth prepared for battle;
the rulers gathered together
against the Lord
and against his Messiah.’
27 “In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. 28 But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will. 29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. 30 Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.

They prayed His promises - They turned back to His Word and what He had already spoke before. They weren’t praying new ideas or promises that hadn’t ever been spoken. They knew the promises, they knew the Word and they stood on those promises as they prayed.

So many times when we pray we are looking for something new, some new idea or revelation, but if will determine to just get into His book that is full of promises, then our prayers can be aligned with His Word and promises. Partnership with His promises in prayer will always brings results because it’s something He has already done and is doing.

They prayed for boldness instead of removal - Notice that their prayers weren’t to remove them from the persecution or trials but to give them boldness in the midst of them.

You will be shocked at how the Holy Spirit wants to strengthen you in the middle of your trial. Instead of praying for removal, let’s pray for boldness, endurance, and strength, and watch Him partner with you.

They prayed for signs and wonders - If you haven’t noticed, this is a constant theme throughout the New Testament church.

They understood that impacting unbelievers required the Power of the Holy Spirit to be at the forefront of everything they did.

Jesus had promised them greater things and they were standing on that promise.

2. PARTNERSHIP IN POSSESSIONS

Acts 4:32-37
32 All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. 33 The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. 34 There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them 35 and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.
36 For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. 37 He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.

They were unified in mission - the purpose behind the community of believers in Acts was clear, to share Jesus. They “were of one heart and mind”.

They shared the gospel of Jesus and the compassion of Jesus by giving to those in need out of what they all brought together.

They were all in with all they had - it wasn’t about the houses, the land, or material things they sold but the attitude they had to give up everything in order to further the message of Jesus.

• They were all in, no matter what it cost them and they we all in together, unified so that no one was without.

3. PARTNERSHIP IN POWER

Acts 5:12-16
12 The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them. 14 Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women. 15 As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. 16 Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.

So many times we just wait for power to show up. Whether we think it or not, we expect power to come from and through someone else, it could never be us. Yes, Peter walked in power and was a leader in this movement, however, power was not just reserved to Peter and the apostles, miracles were being done through the church (not the building, the people).

The Holy Spirit desires to be in partnership with you, He wants to do miracles not just in you but through you.

Have you ever considered that miracles aren’t going to happen unless believers step up to pray for them, and partner with the Holy Spirit to allow the power to go through us as lives are changed and doubt is erased?

• Doubt in Jesus, doubt in His promises, doubt in His Word are immediately erased when His power is evident through miraculous signs and wonders.

Testimony:
Pastor John Lindell from James River Church shared this testimony last night.
GOD performed a creative miracle last night at our Joplin campus:
Krissy Thompson was shot 3 times in 2015 by her husband and was in a coma for 2 months.

• Her injuries included the need to have 3 toes amputated.
• When guest speaker, Pastor Bill Johnson, asked if anyone needed a creative miracle, Krissy responded that she had 3 toes amputated and Kelli, who serves on the prayer team, told her that the Lord wanted to grow her toes back tonight!
• Kelli began to command, in the name of Jesus, the toes to grow, bone to form and blood to flow – she also anointed every area where the toes had been amputated and could feel a pulse begin in those areas. The color began to change from gray to skin tone.
• All of the sudden Krissy said, “Are you kidding me!?” and they saw the toes begin to grow.
• Several other prayer team members joined in to pray with Kelli.
• Bone began to form where there was none before.
• As the ladies prayed for Krissy over the next 30 minutes, all 3 toes grew and were even longer than her original pinky toe she already had! Then a nail began to form on her toe and she got feeling back in all 3 toes!
• This morning all 3 toes are normal size.
• Kelli (the lady who prayed) is married to a medical doctor who today examined Krissy’s toes.

The power is that real and that tangible. The Holy Spirit longs to partner with you and flow through you as you pray for miracles.

It is critical that we know and understand that for the church to thrive and have the impact we are supposed to have as the church, partnership is required. He is asking us to partnership with Him through prayer, our possessions, and in His power.

When we pray His promises, our possessions become His (his all along but our perspective changes), and His power becomes ours. That’s the deal, that’s the partnership equation. That’s an equation that I want to be a part of.

When you know where you want to go and what you want to accomplish, you take a look at those who have already done it. You find those who succeeded and set a precedence to find what worked, we learn from them. You find the keys that unlocked what you are trying to find and live out.

We can recognize today that we are in need of something, in need of transformation personally, boldness, unity, serving those who are in need, and alignment with one another under a common goal that doing something powerful. We can see that our community could use something they don’t even know is available to them. We can see that our lives and our ministry need to do more than just coming and being, but lives need to be changed, hope needs to be found, and something powerful needs to happen.

These are the things that the New Testament church needed too.

Over the next several weeks, we are going to looks at what happened to the believers once Jesus died, rose and went to be with the Father in Heaven. What happened to the disciples, the church, and how did they have such a rapid impact on Jerusalem and really the entire world at that time?

POWER

We understand that Jesus promised us something that we needed to remember, receive and continually pray for and pursue. There is something more for us.

• That more is power, not just power to have more but power to impact, make a difference, lead others into hope, show Jesus, and see the world around us completely transformed.

ACTS 2:1-21
On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
5 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.
7 They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! 9 Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” 12 They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other.
13 But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, “They’re just drunk, that’s all!”
Peter Preaches to the Crowd
14 Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. 15 These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. 16 No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel:
17 ‘In the last days,’ God says,
‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit
even on my servants—men and women alike—
and they will prophesy.
19 And I will cause wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below—
blood and fire and clouds of smoke.
20 The sun will become dark,
and the moon will turn blood red
before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives.
21 But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.’

1. POWER TO BURN

One thing we don’t always think about in this is the disciples were immediately empowered to see the need for Jesus.

They had obviously walked with Jesus and saw how He interacted with people and that people had a need to believe Jesus was the Son of God and came to free them from their sin.

• Disciples who had been wondering when Jesus would set up His earthly rule were now more concerned with those that didn’t know Jesus.

Remember, the Holy Spirit’s role is to point mankind to Jesus, causing us to be captivated by Him, pursue Him, and see our need for Him. Once the outpouring of the Holy Spirit came, the disciples immediately burned with a desire to see the lost come to know Jesus. They understood the need of every person.

When the Holy Spirit comes upon us and we need that daily, we begin to see the needs of mankind through the lens of Jesus and that every single person is in need of Him. At times this burning for the lost will become overwhelming.

• Many of given up their lives to be missionaries and go into ministry because this need and burning is so great.
• Peter who had denied Christ because of persecution was now preaching the gospel with thousands of people coming to believe in Jesus.

2. POWER TO WITNESS

Acts 1:8
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

A witness isn’t just someone who sees something but one who is willing to tell what they saw. A witness is someone who is willing to sit on the stand and testify about what they have seen, heard, and experienced.

The Holy Spirit gives us the boldness and tenacity to sit on any stand, be in any conversation, and go anywhere to tell people about the gospel of Jesus.

• About what He taught
• Miracles they had seen
• Testify about their experience of freedom is

It is our responsibility to be witnesses, Jesus even says that we will receive power and we will be His witnesses. This wasn’t a one or the other kind of thing but a both/and statement. One causes us to do the other.

Have we shared Jesus with people? How long has it been? Who needs Jesus?

This is our calling, every believer! There is always a green light to be a witness and share Jesus with those that don’t know Him.

3. POWER IN GIFTS

Acts 2:22-24
22 “People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. 23 But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. 24 But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.

Acts 2:42-43
42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.

Peter and John - Healing the crippled Beggar

Acts 3:1-1
Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. 2 As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money.
4 Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. 6 But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”
7 Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. 8 He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.
9 All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. 10 When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded! 11 They all rushed out in amazement to Solomon’s Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John.

We have been given power to operate in these gifts just like they were, the Holy Spirit gives us these gifts and the boldness to step out using them to point people to Jesus. These gifts are not for show or just because but I believe that miracles & signs are meant to always cause people to stand in awe and wonder of Jesus.

Now we like the fruit of the Spirit in Galations 5:22-26
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

Those are vital and we need to let the Holy Spirit develop these in us but these are more comfortable for us than these gifts of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11(ESV)
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

For some reason, many believe these gifts died with the apostles but we still need the fruit.

The fruit of the Spirit are indicators of our personal transformation which will impact others but the gifts of the Spirit are all about others and pointing people to Jesus. We’ve been given the same weapons, the same power, and the same ability to help as the disciples and we are to live them out in the same way, telling people everywhere about Jesus and confirming our testimony with miracles & power.

The church must begin to desire and operate in these gifts so that we can be better witnesses to what Jesus did, is doing, and desires to do.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5
3 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. 4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

My prayer today and I’m asking you to consider and pray that each of us would have a burning desire to share Jesus with those who are far from Him.

Our world needs a church that is passionate and burns with a longing to see every person saved, we can’t choose for them but we can tell them, show them and be witnesses to everything God is doing.

Power to Burn, to witness, and then to desire the gifts, the weapons we’ve been given to see the world transformed. The gifts that scream the name of Jesus and point the attention of people to a Savior who died and rose for them.

Over the past few days there have been a couple of very specific words that I felt led to share. These aren't long and drawn out but words of encouragement to help make this journey each of us are on more personal and filled with hope. Hope is available to us because of what Jesus has done and continues to do in and through His people. At times, it can be difficult to see and grasp what Hope looks like or feels like. Hope is tangible, it's something you can grasp especially if you haven't had any for a while. Jesus changes our lives spiritually but also every other aspect of our lives is transformed if we allow Him in to be Lord over all.

Here are a couple posts that I felt belonged here and I'm sure more will be added down the road. I believe and have seen that Hope is only found in Jesus. It starts with Him and only Him. As we give our lives to Jesus and follow Him, He used us to be hope starters for others in our lives that need Jesus. Hope starts, thrives, and multiplies as we hunger for and pursue Him. It becomes contagious for those around us and they experience hope because we didn't settle for life on our own terms but His.
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HOPE IN PAIN. This is heavy on my heart this morning. Pain could be a circumstance you are walking through, could be some sin you’ve been trying to walk away from, it could be a secret you are holding on to, unforgiveness or an offense robbing you of joy and peace, or even something else.

Hope isn’t in your relationships and it’s not found in what you’ve done to escape or feel better in the past.  Hope is found in a moment of allowing Jesus to be your one pursuit and desire. Hope is being captivated by the forgiver of sin, the one who restores freedom and heals the broken heart. Hope is allowing His presence to rest on you in the middle of pain and chaos.
 
Turn to Jesus, let Hope flood your heart and mind as you trust Him. Allow yourself to be captivated by Jesus…right now!

HOPE IN LISTENING! Over the past several weeks I've seen and heard a few people say that God or the Holy Spirit is really speaking or God is moving now more than ever. I understand what is trying to be said. However, that brings a message that He is starting and stopping or is limiting our access to Him. This isn't even close to accurate. The reason we are seeing individual encounters or a corporate outpouring, revival, awakening, or whatever you use to describe it; is because we are finally hungry and desperate enough to listen and be aware of what He is doing or wanting to do.

Hope is possible because He is always available and not in limited quantities. His love for you, forgiveness, restoration, and anything else He wants to pour out for us is always 100% available, and fully accessible for those willing to sacrifice our own agendas and desires for His.

Our hunger and desperation determine our encounter with Him. Your hope will rise when you will shut out everything else and listen to Him speak and be ready for Him to pour it. Hope rises in the moments you'll listen, hunger, and thirst for all He has, and all He has, is always available without restriction if we will just go after it.

When you know where you want to go and what you want to accomplish, you take a look at those who have already done it. You find those who succeeded and set a precedence to find what worked, we learn from them. You find the keys that unlocked what you are trying to find and live out.

We can recognize today that we are in need of something, in need of transformation personally, boldness, unity, serving those who are in need, and alignment with one another under a common goal that doing something powerful. We can see that our community could use something they don’t even know is available to them. We can see that our lives and our ministry need to do more than just coming and being, but lives need to be changed, hope needs to be found, and something powerful needs to happen.

These are the things that the New Testament church needed too.

Over the next serveral weeks, we are going to looks at what happened to the believers once Jesus died, rose and went to be with the Father in Heaven. What happened to the disciples, the church, and how did they have such a rapid impact on Jerusalem and really the entire world at that time?

PROMISE

Over the last couple of weeks, we have looked at and experienced the Holy Spirit and our need for Him. This was a promise from Jesus to the believers that the Father was going to send something to them and that they needed to wait.

The Holy Spirit with us, in us, upon us, and leads us.

Prior to this though, there was a promise. A promise from Jesus to each and every one of us.

Think about what took place leading up to the promise. Try to process what it would have been like to walk with Jesus for 3 years of ministry seeing so many things happen, powerful encounters.

• Jesus taught about the Kingdom of Heaven
• Jesus taught about internal transformation leading to external transformation
• Jesus healed the sick
• Jesus showed grace to those in sin and gave them a way out of that sin
• Jesus brought the dead back to life
• Jesus fed the hungry and freed the oppressed
• Jesus gave identity to those who were outcasts and sight to the blind 
• Jesus provided salvation because our works and efforts never could

What they must have seen in a 3yr span was mind-blowing. Things happened daily that would have caused them to see Him in power and exercising compassion for others in ways they had never seen before.

So, we look at all Jesus did and accomplished, and that would seem like enough, but we have to remember that it was just the beginning, there was a promise for more.

Can you imagine that, MORE?

JOHN 14:12-21, 25-29 (NLT)
12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!
15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

v.25-29
25 I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.
27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. 28 Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. 29 I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.

1. REMEMBER THE PROMISE

ACTS 1:4-5
4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

After all Jesus had done and taught, it is hard to believe that there is more.

We just spent the last several weeks getting to know the Holy Spirit and the why behind the Holy Spirit but as the church and followers of Jesus we must constantly remember the promise of the Holy Spirit and our need for the promise every single day.

So many times we give our lives to Jesus, and start going to church, but then we put on cruise control and just stay in our lane. If we start to think about what is ahead, we start to get uncomfortable and begin to question whether we are ready for it. We begin to doubt our ability to accomplish anything for God because of our own limitations or struggles. However, the promise is from Jesus and it's available to each of us.

The disciples weren’t the ones to determine the promise or when it was received, it was the Father who was sending it in His time and His way.

• We often try to reformat His promise to be our design and that is not the way it works.

If there is more, if there is greater, if there is power, if there is a promise, if there is something that will transform everything within us and around us; I’m pretty sure that is something we need to remember and hunger for.

Jesus didn’t just tell them to remember what He had promised but to go wait for it, and get ready to receive it.

2. RECEIVE THE PROMISE

ACTS 1:6-9
6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”
7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9 After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him.

It isn't uncommon for believers to look for a promise that was never there because we think it should look one way but His promise is His design, not ours. The disciples continued to have a hope that Jesus would set up an earthly kingdom when Jesus wants to empower us to bring His kingdom to earth. When we keep looking for His promise that He said to pursue and receive it in faith because He said it, we can’t help but receive it.

Receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit comes from hunger and passion to receive what Jesus had promised.

It’s not about receiving a gift from the church, the Pastor, or someone else in your life. It’s about receiving a gift that was promised from Jesus, the Savior of the world, the hope of all the world.

• From the one who did all the miracles, taught about compassion, exemplified the Father in word and action, and the one who promised the Holy Spirit and that He would empower us to do even greater things than He accomplished.

Are you up for receiving that kind of Gift? I am

It’s not a gift I can give you or convince you to receive, you have to want it, pursue it, wait for it, persevere for it, and then keep receiving it day after day.

This is what made the church, the church. They received the promise and then they gave what they had, power, healing, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and even stuff.

3. CONTINUALLY PURSUE THE PROMISE

ACTS 1:14-16
14 They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.
15 During this time, when about 120 believers were together in one place, Peter stood up and addressed them. 16 “Brothers,” he said, “the Scriptures had to be fulfilled concerning Judas, who guided those who arrested Jesus. This was predicted long ago by the Holy Spirit, speaking through King David.

Yes, they were constantly united in prayer while they waited for the gift to come but if you keep reading in Acts and what happened in the weeks and months to come, this was a pattern that didn’t stop. As soon as the Holy Spirit showed up in power, it caused them to hunger for more and they continually met together in prayer and worship.

We have forgotten what it means to persevere, to fight, to stay, to stick it out, to remain and that could be the very reason we don’t receive the promises God has for our lives. Continually or constantly in prayer requires us to be committed and prioritize pursue Him no matter what comes. Persevering isn't always comfortable or convenient but the outcome will change everything. Believers who learn to fight for it, stick with it, and remain in His presence will begin to walk out greater things.

He gave them a command and they followed, they were constantly united in prayer.

• REMEMBER YOUR PROMISE, FIRST THE HOLY SPIRIT, BUT ALSO WHAT HE HAS SPOKEN OVER YOUR LIFE
• RECEIVE YOUR PROMISE, HOLY SPIRIT
• CONTINUALLY PURSUE YOUR PROMISE - 

Written by: Karen Keating

My life began with music.  One of my very first memories was my Mother singing The Lord’s Prayer over my sisters and me, every night, once we were in bed. So I guess, even before I knew anything about anything, I was being ‘watched over’.

When Mike and I decided to take on Cascade Inn, and use it as our charter lodging, while still keeping it open to the public, I very often found my stress level out of control; I needed some soothing. That came in the form of long, fast paced, intense “power walks” that became a routine- and they Always rounded around the AG church, which of course, I knew nothing about…other than that it , yes, “IT” (Ha!) kept drawing me back because of …the music.  I would hear ‘someone’ (Heather, naturally!) singing each Sunday morning and I loved it so much that I eventually wandered in to see what was happening inside. But before anything could actually happen on that front, I had my Salvation come through us losing our home (Devastating -I was certain we’d be living out on the streets!!) in Cascade and having NO PLACE to live. I will Never forget though, standing outside on our deck, looking out over the water at Mt. Edgecumbe and just finally, ‘giving it up to Him’; letting go of all my doubt and just Knowing He’d find us …something, somehow.  The Peace that washed over me was indescribable!

Jesus, through one miracle after another, led us to our home that we moved into EXACTLY ONE  day before the day we were going to literally be kicked out of Cascade! Mike had never even seen the place as he’d been sick the entire time I’d been searching. It was unbelievable! The tremendous weight of Not Knowing what was going to happen to us was lifted and I had ‘let go’, putting my complete Trust in Him. I re-committed my life to Him at the wonder of His perfect timing of provision in finding us our home!

That’s when I began my initial talk with Pastor Ryan telling him that my very best friend in the world, that shared my musical history and shared my life as a now long-distance friend, had always ‘had something’, I felt, that I wanted but I didn’t know what it was! Jesus was gently drawing me into a place to know Him, by my love of music, my love of my friend, and an open ear from within His church. It was ... IS my place of ‘sanctuary’.

I felt drawn to be baptized …not ‘sprinkled on’ as I’d once been, eons ago in the Presbyterian church in my college years, but Truly ‘washed and cleansed’. On January 22, 2017 I was Baptized by Pastor Ryan. It was a highly emotional time…I didn’t ‘know’ many church people yet and when I expected something to happen…? Nothing did! I was Wet, Cold, and pleased but somewhat disappointed. I never expected what happened later that night, to happen!

I started this ‘testimony’ with my heart being wrapped in music…ALL my life, music, SINGING, defined me! The simple notes of a harmony done to perfection, just thrilled me inside. I did my fair share in concerts, professional performances, and such, but didn’t even truly comprehend Who I was singing about, when singing something as majestic as ‘Handel’s Messiah’ at Christmas-time!  Eventually, when ‘life’ took over, my singing dwindled..it became …lost. Consequently, my actual ability to sing; my joy, what had been my high point in every day, shut down!

When I relaxed into a hot bath the evening of my baptism, I’d brought my iPad, with music playing , and not one thought of singing along, just …relaxing. But when I did relax, all of the sudden it just burst out of me-SONG…My voice, singing, loudly, up the scale and down, and it was effortless!!! I was so ecstatic I couldn’t contain myself! I KNEW something “spiritual” had happened! I mean, I had my Voice back! I Had to share this and ended up calling Pastor and going on and on and ON, in a message about how I could’ sing again’!!! ..crying and sobbing with absolute Joy! Now I sing to HIM! Such a Blessing!

Gods unbelievable Grace is never to be understood, just accepted. To some, singing isn’t even on their radar..to me? It was …is still…everything! I needed to ‘lose it to find it’…. And give all Glory to Him!

Now in September of 2022, my miracle neck healing occurred! (Previous "Testimony Tuesday" Blog post) God took Years of utter pain and turned it into comfort, cries of ‘Why this agony?’, into a sense of Gratefulness. I was once again Completely and without merit, GIVEN His Grace! HOW do you thank a God of such wonder and compassion?

I have been and AM, blessed, in every day. “Jesus, the one true Gift of a lifetime”.

Just a few years back, the one-hundredth anniversary of the Azusa Street Revival was celebrated. Few events in the history of Christendom have impacted and influenced the world as much as the Azusa Street Revival. This revival was much more than an event— it was the beginning of a spiritual revolution that began in the lives of a few and now numbers over six hundred million.

In the summer of 1906, the Apostolic Faith Mission on Azusa Street in Los Angeles (later called the Azusa Street Mission), erupted into a Spirit-filled revival, different in scope and fervor from any revival that had happened before. The spiritual intensity for the Azusa Street Revival was “red hot” for more than two years before beginning to cool off. During that time, virtually everyone who was anyone within the emerging Pentecostal Movement felt its impact. People traveled hundreds and thousands of miles to see firsthand what was going on. Like any major move of God, some rejoiced, some were curious, some were skeptical, and some were critical. (Just like the Day of Pentecost) One thing is sure, the Azusa Street Mission quickly became the “Grand Central Station” of global Pentecostalism. Most all Pentecostal fellowships have roots at Azusa.

Heritage is great . . . but it is not enough.

Every generation needs its own Pentecost, an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit does not have to conform to the exact pattern of the Azusa Street Revival. But I am hungry for a “shock and awe” experience in the context of today’s culture where the presence of God is so real that:

1. people see their need for Him and His holiness (Salvation)
2. Christians recognize their need for power (Baptism in the Holy Spirit)
3. hurting people know there is help (healing)
4. an urgency to reach people becomes overwhelming (missional)

The baptism in the Holy Spirit isn’t a one-time event. We should have a daily encounter that is felt by us and the world around us. What are some of the results of that daily encounter and outpouring in our lives?

I.  THE HOLY SPIRIT HELPS JESUS TO BE SEEN IN US AND THROUGH US
John 16:14 (GNT) “He will give me glory.”

• It’s always been the mission of the Spirit to exalt Jesus. The Holy Spirit has come that we might be deeply impressed with Jesus, and be excited about His work. The Holy Spirit was sent by God to make Christ real to people and to show us who He really is.
• Therefore, the Spirit working through us should do the same—draw people’s attention to Jesus, inviting them to love Him, trust Him, and obey Him.
• Isn’t it amazing how often people claim to be filled with the Spirit, but then will say things to others or post comments on social media that compromise the fruit of the Spirit in their words?

How do we draw people’s attention to Christ?
- Show courtesy
Titus 3:2 (GW) “Believers shouldn’t curse anyone or be quarrelsome, but they should be gentle and show courtesy to everyone.”
1 Peter 2:17 (NLT) “Respect everyone, and love the family of believers."
- Offer Mercy
2 Corinthians 2:7 (TLB) “Now it is time to forgive him and comfort him. Otherwise he may become so bitter and discouraged that he won’t be able to recover.”
Colossians 3:13 (TLB) “Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
- Express sympathy
Colossians 3:12 (GW) “As holy people whom God has chosen and loved, be sympathetic, kind, humble, gentle, and patient.”
- Speak honestly
Proverbs 24:26 (NLT) “An honest answer is like a kiss of friendship.”
Proverbs 28:23 (NLT) “In the end, people appreciate honest criticism far more
than flattery.”

II. THE HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTS US
John 16:8 (NLT) “And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.”

A. The Holy Spirt convicts us in three areas:

• Sin of Unbelief

-The Holy Spirit gives us an awakened sense of sin, particularly the sin of unbelief
in Jesus.

• Righteousness of Jesus

- The Holy Spirit reminds us that it is Christ alone who forgives our sins and
provides righteousness for us.

• Satan Is Defeated

- The judgment or defeat has already been pronounced on Satan.

B. Therefore, the Holy Spirit, working through us, should help us respond to sin quickly, live a more victorious life, and be people of conviction.

C. Conviction is good, but here are some things conviction is not:

1. A guilty conscience. This is a natural feeling experienced by most people.
2. A sense of fear about what is ahead
3. A knowledge of right and wrong

The truth is, if we experience nothing more than a ping on our conscience, some anxiety at the thought of judgment, or an academic awareness of hell, then we have never truly known the conviction of sin. Conviction means, “to convince someone of truth; to reprove; to accuse, refute or cross-examine a witness.”

• To be convicted is to feel the extreme weight and burden of sin.

Isaiah 6:5 (NLT) “Then I said, “ ‘It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.’” [In view of God’s holiness, Isaiah instantly realized his sinfulness.]

• To be convicted is to experience an utter dreadfulness of sin.

Genesis 39:9 (NLT) “No one here has more authority than I do. He [Potiphar] has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.”

• To be convicted is to understand how our sin dishonors God.

Psalms 51:4 (NLT) “Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.”

Conviction is a good thing! Any outpouring of God like the current ones happening on campuses and churches across our nation is marked by repentance because we have an extreme awareness of our sin.

III. THE HOLY SPIRIT GUIDES US
John 16:13 (NIV) But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

1. We are pretty helpless and clueless in mapping out our lives and getting accurate guidance and direction. 

• The Spirit is especially present and active at every crossroads in our lives when we are making vital decisions. 
• His guidance regarding our future is best, because He is already in our future.

2. Therefore, we should give the Holy Spirit a greater capacity to influence decisions regarding our future.
3. God uses three primary means to guide us:

• Primary guidance: The Word

Psalm 119:105 (NIV) “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

• Secondary guidance: The Spirit

John 10:27 (NIV) “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

• Confirming guidance: Life’s circumstances

Psalm 37:23 (NLT) “The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.”

The guidance of the Holy Spirit is in focus in this post and message from Sunday!

4. Some people say, “Let your conscience be your guide.” That is faulty advice because our conscience is not in itself totally trustworthy.

Some people confuse their conscience with the voice of the Holy Spirit. They are not the same. Your conscience is your human perspective of right and wrong.

• The witness of our developing conscience alone is not always sufficient for the guidance we need.
• We need to hear the whisper of the Spirit! After all, the Holy Spirit lives in us to “bear witness” (Romans 8:16) with our spirit, but how?

How can one distinguish their own thoughts, feelings, and impressions from those of the “whisper of the Spirit”?

• The Holy Spirit’s whisper will always agree with Scripture. Any inner impression that conflicts with the Bible needs to be rejected.
• The Holy Spirit’s whisper becomes clear when our will is surrendered to God’s will. Our own desires can mislead us; God’s will won’t!
• The Holy Spirit’s whisper distinguishes itself in times of prayer. Prayer sorts out all the other voices of expectation that you hear.

IV. THE HOLY SPIRIT MANAGES OUR MOODS
Romans 8:6 (NLT) “So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”

1. Moods are contagious, both good and bad.
2. There are times that I wish people were more like Mr. Spock, the character from Star Trek. He always responded to situations from a purely logical perspective, never emotional. But the fact is, God did not create us in the image of Mr. Spock; He created us in His image with emotions—the ability to feel love, joy, happiness, guilt, anger, disappointments, etc. We are emotional people!
3. The real issue (and what generally gets us into trouble) is: How do you handle your emotions? You can either learn to manage your emotions or let your emotions manage you. Although this sounds overly simplistic, the way to manage your emotions is to grow in your relationship with God.

Romans 12:1–2 (NLT) “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Consider these four truths on how to manage your emotions:

• Give your emotions to the control of the Holy Spirit every day.

Romans 6:13 (NLT) “Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.”

• Don’t let anger get out of control.

James 1:20 (NLT) “Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.”

• Let other people (good friends) help you manage your emotions.

Hebrews 3:12–14 (NLT) “Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still ‘today,’ so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.”

• Stay focused on the things you can control, not on the things you can’t control.

Psalm 56:3 (GNT) “When I am afraid, O LORD Almighty, I put my trust in you.”

Our emotions are wired into our fallen nature as well as into our redeemed nature. So, sin and Satan have access to them and will use them to try to manipulate us to hurt ourselves and others.

But remember: “To be controlled by human nature results in death; to be controlled by the Spirit results in life and peace.” Romans 8:6 (GNT)

V. THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVES US AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO GOD’S WORD

1. The early Pentecostals of Azusa Street did not desire experience for experience’s sake. 

• (Like any revival, there were a few minor, misplaced emphases at Azusa.) But overall their quest for a personal encounter with the Lord was within the boundaries of God’s Word.
• Leaders of the Azusa Street Mission believed, “the Spirit does not go where the Word does not permit.” (Quote from George O. Wood, enews.org/Features/What-Azusa-Had-and-We-Need)

2. As people of the Spirit, we must keep God’s Word as the ultimate measuring rod for

all we do.
1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV) “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”

3. Without the Holy Spirit driving us to God’s Word and opening our eyes to its meaning, it can seem like just another book. One mark of Spirit baptism should be a hunger to read and know the Word of God.

According to George Barna, “The Christian church is having such limited discernible impact on American culture. It seems that Christians are more affected by society than society is affected by Christians. Why is that? Perhaps because more than nine out of every ten born-again Christians fail to think like Jesus; they think like the rest of the world, so they naturally behave like the citizens of this world, too. They are not the salt and light that Jesus commands us to be because they lack the personal commitment and depth of faith that makes them truly changed, God-driven beings.”
(George Barna, Think Like Jesus)

A biblical worldview is learning to interpret the realities of life through the filter of Scripture. The result is that we start to think more like Jesus.

4. A Spirit-empowered church will be a Word-based, Word-taught, Word-governing, and Word-influenced church.
5. Even the experiences on the Day of Pentecost were described by Peter as a “Word-associated experience.”

 “This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel . . . ”

VI. THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVES US A PLANNED INTENTION TO BE MISSIONAL

1. The baptism in the Holy Spirit, as understood at the Azusa Street Revival, was not just for personal blessing. Its central purpose was for empowerment! You see, in many Pentecostal circles, people have sought the baptism in the Holy Spirit for the experience itself and not for its purpose.
2. The baptism in the Holy Spirit should help you speak in English (your native language) with clarity to be a witness for Christ.

Acts 1:8 (NIV) “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.”

Missions was not a concept that came about as a result of the Azusa Street Revival; missions was very much a part of the revival. They sent out missionaries right away. From Azusa came an array of missionaries, ministers, and Christian workers. That’s why it is hard for me to think of a church being Pentecostal that isn’t missions-minded and involved in winning people to Christ.

Is it possible that we have redefined the Pentecostal experience into an experience instead of a mission, a lifestyle? Long before words like intentionality, missional, and global were popular, the Holy Spirit was given to the Church to do just that! The Holy Spirit intentionally dwells within us to empower us missionally, so that globally, people can know Christ!

The Holy Spirit lives in us, ministers to us, and works through us. The baptism in the Spirit is a wonderful experience, but it’s only the beginning, not the end. The Baptism opens to us a whole new realm of operating in the life of the Spirit, being led by the Spirit, and ministering in the fruit of the Spirit.

The initial physical evidence of Spirit baptism is speaking in tongues. But that’s just the initial evidence. The Baptism should be further evidenced by:

• Love for God’s Word
• Conviction of sin
• Awareness of His guidance
• Living emotionally healthy lives
• Pointing us to Jesus
• Pushing us out to reach the world

Let’s pray that God would, through His Holy Spirit, help us to live with these enduring evidences of the baptism in the Spirit in our lives. That through us, the hurting will find
healing, the lost will find hope, and the believer may be encouraged.

If You Aren't Praying for Your Spouse, Who Is?
Written by: Brigette Klackring - Marriage & Family Ministry Director

I could probably end the blog post with that rhetorical question and it'd be enough to stir something in your spirit. But, if you need any further nudging, research shows that only 11% of Christian couples pray together daily. That's startling. No wonder the number one issue in marriages is communication, we're not inviting a key player into the conversation. I share all of this in love, not in shame. My prayer is that the marriages of Sitka AG would not be a statistic, but an anomaly, utilizing this powerful tool that the Lord has made available to us.

I'll be the first to admit in our early years of marriage Mick and I stumbled through praying together. I remember awkwardly dancing around who would go first and how to close. However, I look back on those early years fondly because we pushed through and it is now a cornerstone of our marriage.

As we approach our ten year wedding anniversary the practice has made progress and our days are incomplete without coming to the Lord together. I share our story not to boast about our relationship, but to boast about how good God is to supply our marriages with this infinitely giving resource.

So, what benefits can you expect when praying with and for your spouse?
1. An increase in vulnerability which trickles into an increase in trust.
2. Unity in decision making.
3. Space for confession and forgiveness.
4. Understanding your spouse's struggles and concerns, hopes and dreams.

If this isn't something you've done before, simply turn to the bible for inspiration. Here are a few great verses to pray over your spouse.
1. That he/she would trust God's plan over their own: Jeremiah 29:11
2. That the Lord would bless his/her work: Proverbs 22:29
3. That he/she would seek wisdom: James 1:5.
4. Pray over their finances: Luke 16:13
5. Pray over their health: James 5:15
6. Pray for their spiritual growth: Ephesians 3:16-19

A few practical tips.
If you're not quite comfortable praying out loud yet, practice. Pray out loud when you are alone. Pray for your spouse out loud alone. Then pray for your spouse out loud when you're together.

Start with a consistent time. Maybe that's before you each leave for work, blessing each other for the day or before bed, when the day is coming to close. Then, in time, you will also find yourselves praying together amidst the chaos of everyday moments: when you're exhausted from parenting, when the car won't start, when you're in the middle of a disagreement. I assure you stopping in the middle of an argument will change the direction of the conversation. Prayer breeds life-giving words. When you invite God into the conversation He is able to bless it.

It may feel awkward at first, but I promise the risk is worth the reward. If this sparked any questions or you'd like to speak further about how to better integrate prayer into your marriage shoot me an email Brigette@sitkaag.org and we'll figure out a time to connect.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit

This past Sunday we stepped fully into what the Word has to say about the Holy Spirit coming upon us through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. As you read through this post (my notes from Sunday's message) please also go and listen to the message because I do break some of this down a little more, making it more practical and understandable than even what the notes show. We believe our heavenly language (speaking in tongues) is vital for us as believers but even more so, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The gifts of the Spirit are a result of Baptism but not the focus. The gifts are used to point mankind to Jesus but Baptism in the Holy Spirit has always been about filling us with boldness, power, and a passion to reach the lost with the gospel of Jesus.

Have ave seen one of those old westerns where the people, threatened by a blazing building, formed a bucket brigade from the nearest well in order to fight the flames? A more contemporary example would be the lines of people at the collapsed World Trade Center on 9/11 who passed the rubble from person to person as they started clearing the site. Such a tactic may seem primitive, but in some cases it’s still the only safe way to move debris from a fallen building after a disaster.

The key to success in any bucket brigade is a full bucket. If you slosh enough half-full buckets to the front of the line to fight a blaze, you may just lose the building. If you’re delinquent in the amount of rubble you move from a collapsed building, someone trapped underneath might die.

Both the Old and New Testaments are concerned about passing spiritual experience on to succeeding generations. It’s a task that should never be carried out half-heartedly.

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 (NIV) Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

"How can we guard the spiritual deposit that has been entrusted to us? How can we give to our children and grandchildren the truths and experiences with which we were blessed? We must pass on a full bucket.” (George O. Wood, Living in the Spirit, pages 181–182).
 
Every believer needs to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. You and I are a part of the end-time family of God that will be instrumental in seeing the greatest harvest of souls for God’s kingdom.

We can see scripturally that the Holy Spirit comes in us for us, He is with us. However, we can also see in Acts and the New Testament church that He comes upon us for others, so that we can walk in power, boldness, and fire to see our world come to know Jesus.

Matthew 3:11(NLT) 11 “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BAPTIZED IN THE HOLY SPIRIT?
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a spiritual experience following salvation, where a follower of Jesus is immersed or filled with the Holy Spirit.

• In the New Testament, this was a natural experience for those who desired all God had for them.
• At salvation, God puts His Holy Spirit in each believer.

Romans 8:9 (NIV) “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.”
1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV) “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.”

But this experience of the Holy Spirit coming upon you—baptizing you—was so critical to the Early Church, that when they knew a Christian who had been saved, but not yet filled, they sent spiritual leadership to pray for that person.

Acts 8:14–17 (NIV) “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. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.”

The baptism in the Holy Spirit experience is evidenced by a sign called speaking in tongues.

• Praying in the Spirit is a privilege. It’s not something I “have” to do; it is a privilege.
• When people are baptized in the Holy Spirit, they begin to worship the Lord in a heavenly language.
• Why is “speaking in tongues” the evidence? While we don’t know for sure, one thought is that the tongue is the most unruly member of the body (James 3:5–8). So when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, even the most unruly member of our body will show evidence of submission to Christ.

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is something we should be seeking every day.
Ephesians 5:18 (NIV) “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”

Too often we have reduced the baptism in the Holy Spirit to a one-time event, but Paul said, “Keep on being filled with the Spirit.” This word for “filled” means a continual in filling, repeated over and over, not just a one-time occurrence.

Acts 4:31 (NIV) “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.”

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a command, not a suggestion.
Acts 1:4 (NIV) “On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.’ ”

This “gift” is the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew that for us to effectively accomplish the Great Commission (the discipleship of all nations and peoples), we would need supernatural assistance, so He gave us the Holy Spirit.

HOW CAN I EXPERIENCE THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT?
Create an atmosphere of expectation by praising and expressing love to Jesus audibly.

• Those who were first baptized in the Holy Spirit spent time praising God while waiting for the Spirit to be poured out on them.

Luke 24:52–53 (NIV) “Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.”

• When the first-century believers spoke in tongues, other people heard them.

Acts 2:6 (NIV) “When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.”

• From the practical standpoint, it is easier to speak in tongues if we are praising the Lord out loud.

Expect to experience the baptism in the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues.
Luke 11:13 (NIV) “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

• Be willing to stop speaking in English or your native language. You cannot speak two languages at the same time.
• We have to leave the known to receive the unknown.
• Receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit just as you receive any other gift.
• Don’t beg for the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
• Reach out and take the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
• Thank Jesus for the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

I want to take a moment a talk about the practical side of speaking in tongues or a heavenly language.

• First, we do not pursue the Baptism of the Holy Spirit for the tongues, it is a gift of power and boldness to be a witness and help other encounter the love of Jesus.
• Second, I want to encourage you to not be so focused on the outcome that it keeps you from receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The language is a result of the gift.

Here are some practical yet biblical thoughts surrounding this.

• When you hear expressions, words, or syllables forming in your mind, speak them.
• The pattern of Acts 2:4 (GNT) is important for us today. “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.” The same pattern is seen in Acts 19:6.
• The Holy Spirit will not speak for us or force us to speak. We must speak the words ourselves.

“You will never speak if you keep waiting for the Spirit to put you into some kind of trance and do it all for you. It will be your mouth, your tongue, your voice, but His words.” (Doyle Jones, Be Filled with the Spirit, page 53)

“The miracle is not in the speaking but in the words that are spoken.” (Doyle Jones, page 53). In other words, Jesus won’t miraculously make you speak. When you speak, He will allow your spoken language to be tongues.

• You may not hear the words in your mind, but when you speak they will be in your mouth.
• Speak, even if it is only a few syllables.
• Those words are very likely words of praise to God, so go ahead and speak them.
• Fluency will come as you continue to pray in the Spirit. Your vocabulary will grow in this new language.
• Speak, even if it doesn’t sound like a language to you.
• Many languages and dialects don’t sound like languages to us.
• Remember that we can speak in languages “of men or of angels.”

(1 Corinthians 13:1, NIV)

• Being filled with the Spirit is not based on your ability to understand the language.
• Realize that you control the flow of the Spirit through you.

1 Corinthians 14:32 (NIV) “The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets.”

• Continue to pray in the Spirit every day.
• We are built up in our faith when we pray in the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:4 (NIV) “Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.”
Jude 1:20 (NLT) “But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit.”

• Paul, the apostle, testified that he prayed in the Spirit more than others.

1 Corinthians 14:18 (NIV) “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than any of you.”

CONCLUSION

• The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a gift from God for you. When you surrendered your life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit came to live inside you and serves as Christ’s mark of ownership on you.
• If you’re saved, you’ve experienced part of what the Holy Spirit does when He convicts us of sin and turns our attention toward Jesus. But there’s more to the Holy Spirit’s activity than just that.
• Jesus wants to baptize you in the Holy Spirit, to immerse you, come upon you, or flood you with the Spirit. When He does, the Holy Spirit will:

1. Draw you into a daily, ever-growing relationship with Jesus, and
2. Give you incredible power to live as a witness to the life-changing power of Jesus Christ.

The blessing that comes from a life in the Spirit should never be taken for granted. That blessing seems to come with a qualifying condition.

John 14:15–18 (NLT) “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.”

Notice a few things that John reveals about the Holy Spirit living with us.
- You don’t work to receive the Holy Spirit; you welcome Him. You welcome Him through your obedience.
v.15 (NLT) “If you love me, obey my commandments.”

Christ wants us to have the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit
. . . but obedience is the key to receiving.

- You receive an Advocate, not an Assistant, in the Holy Spirit.
What’s the difference? An assistant helps you with your agenda. An advocate instructs and sticks up for you.
John 15:26 (NIV) “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.”

The Advocate speaks truth and testifies about Jesus.

- You have a divine reminder of important information.
John 14:26 (NLT) “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative— that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to help the disciples remember what Jesus had said. He did this so they could record it accurately in Scripture for our benefit. The Spirit still reminds God’s people about His Word and makes it come alive to us.

- You have a godly conviction in regard to sin.
John 16:8 (NLT) “And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.”
 
The Holy Spirit, working as our Advocate, gives us power, love, and perspective.

THE SPIRIT ENERGIZES YOU WITH POWER
There are a lot of people who are anxious about the future. But the psalms encourage us.

Psalm 27:1 (NLT) “The LORD is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? he LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?”

But the Holy Spirit brings hope, power, and confidence in the midst of uncertainty.
God speaks through ideas from the Holy Spirit. 

• He gives you thoughts. 
• He gives you suggestions. 
• He puts impressions in your mind. 

The Holy Spirit will bring God’s truth to your mind and that truth gives you power.
Jesus said in John 14:26 (Phillips) “But the one who is coming to stand by you, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will be your teacher and will bring to your minds all that I have said to you.”

The Holy Spirit speaks directly to your mind. He doesn’t need to speak in an audible voice. He doesn’t need to go through your ears. He goes directly to your mind.
 
When you read, study, and fill your mind with God’s Word, you are storing the truth in your mind, and then the Holy Spirit can bring it to mind at just the right time.

THE HOLY SPIRIT ENRICHES YOU WITH LOVE
Love is a great force in overcoming fear.

The differences between love and fear:

• Love looks for opportunities to give; fear is self-protecting.
• Love causes us to move toward other people; fear causes us to withdraw from others.
• Love is a sign of trust; fear is a sign of doubt.
• Love has lost some of its distinction and true definition in today’s culture. 

What is love? How do you define it?
Affection—takes delight in affirming others.
Friendship—Deep and deeply felt; togetherness; a sense of joy when two people are together. Golf buds or shopping partners.
Eros—A Greek word—a romantic, passionate kind of love; a love between lovers, those who are “in love.
Agape—Highest form of love; gift love. Agape love longs to give what’s best unconditionally and regardless of the cost; selfless; seeking the highest good for the other person! Agape love finds its fullest expression in God’s love toward us. And it’s His desire for us to love each other the same way. It’s the kind of love Paul urged the church in Corinth to have love for one another.

1 Corinthians 13:1–8, 13 (NLT) If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!
v.13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

- The Holy Spirit enriches our hearts with this kind of love for one another.
1 Corinthians 13:1–3 (NLT) “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.”

If you remove love from interpersonal relationships, you remove life. Some people say, “Yeah, but I’m not really the demonstrative type.” Thankfully, that isn’t the attitude God has toward us. He demonstrated His love.

Ephesians 2:4–5 (NIV) “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

Here’s a good strategy for loving others well:

• Accept others for who they are, not who you want them to be.
  • Love shouldn’t break down when the other person doesn’t live up to your expectations.
  • Aren’t you glad God’s love doesn’t break down when you don’t live up to His expectations?
• Be patient with people’s progress.
  • To enjoy people, you need to allow for growth, development, and maturity in their lives.
  • Philippians 1:6 (NIV) “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
• Connect with others when they hurt.
  • There is nothing more comforting than to have someone else to be present when you hurt.
  • Romans 12:15 (NIV) “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”
• Desire what is best for others
  • It’s not about what you can get; it’s what you can give. This is the kind of love Paul had for the Philippians.
  • Philippians 1:8 (NIV) “God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.”
  • I don’t have the capacity to love that way, but God’s Spirit helps me to love.Romans 5:5 (GNT) “This hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God’s gift to us.”
• Erase all offenses.
  • Learn how to let go of the bad things people have done to you. Don’t keep a list of offenses.

THE HOLY SPIRIT ENLIGHTENS YOU WITH A PROPER PERSPECTIVE
The Holy Spirit helps our perspective because His job is to magnify Jesus.

Perspective shapes how we see things. In many ways, it influences our actions, shapes our thinking, and ultimately impacts our life. The Holy Spirit helps you keep life in perspective by bringing the truth of God’s Word to your mind.

If circumstances have you . . .

• Feeling lonely, the Holy Spirit reminds you that God is with you.
  • Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) “For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.’”
• Feeling insecure, the Holy Spirit reminds you that God is your confidence.
  • Psalm 16:8–9 (GNT) “I am always aware of the LORD’s presence; he is near, and nothing can shake me. And so I am thankful and glad, and I feel completely secure.”
  • Isaiah 43:2 (NIV) “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
• Feeling uncertain, the Holy Spirit reminds you that He is your Counselor.
  • Job 13:27 (GNT) “You watch every step I take, and even examine my footprints.”
  • Isaiah 43:2 (NIV) “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
• Feeling depressed, the Holy Spirit reminds you that He is your Comforter.
  • Psalm 34:18 (GNT) “The LORD is near to those who are discouraged; he saves those who have lost all hope.”

If you’re not careful, circumstances can skew your perspective, and you start questioning if God is anywhere near. But like David, you have to remind yourself. . .

Psalm 116:7–10 (GNT) “Be confident, my heart, because the LORD has been good to me. The LORD saved me from death; he stopped my tears and kept me from defeat. And so I walk in the presence of the LORD in the world of the living. I kept on believing, even when I said, ‘I am completely crushed.’”

APPLY IT
Welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives and allow Him to help us in the following areas:

• To energize us with power when we feel we have no strength left.

 “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.”
Psalm 46:1 (NLT)

• To enrich us with love when everyone around us is getting under our skin.

“Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.” 1 John 3:18–20 (NLT)

• To enlighten us with a proper perspective to grasp life.

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)