Daily Bread 2011 - Acts 8
Daily Bread 2011 – Acts 8
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
What Does This Mean?
Normally in the church we teach that people receive the Holy Spirit when they come to faith in Jesus. But in this setting we see that the new believers accepted the word of God and then received the Holy Spirit only after Peter and John came and laid hands on them and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit. We will see other cases in Acts (Acts 10) where the Holy Spirit falls upon people and then they come to faith. As someone has remarked, “Acts is a messy spirituality”.
We see many ways in Scripture in which the Holy Spirit works. The Holy Spirit convicts people of their sin and need for a Savior. The Spirit is received through the laying on hands. The Spirit leads the apostles to speak in tongues so that each person gathered for the feast of Pentecost hears the Gospel in their own native tongue. The Holy Spirit gives Stephen the words to say and speak before His accusers. Later we will learn about the gifts and fruits of the Spirit in Paul’s teachings. Needless to say the Holy Spirit is all over the work of salvation and our coming to faith and the Spirit is all over our keeping in faith and being empowered to life our new lives as believers.
What Does This Mean For Us?
Often when we think of the Holy Spirit, we think of Pentecostals rolling in the aisle and speaking in tongues and it is often not a very positive image. We think that talk of the Holy Spirit is left to “holy rollers” or the really spiritual folks. Yet, we see in the book of Acts that the Spirit is the key to just about everything that happens in the early Church.
As we look to rediscover the potent spirituality and the missional velocity of the early Church, we would do well to look for the Spirit’s help early and often! As we pray for others and ourselves, we should pray for the Holy Spirit to come into our lives and hearts and fill us with God’s gifts and fruits. The Holy Spirit is our greatest ally, so we shouldn’t be afraid of the Spirit. It is the very Spirit of God the Father and God the Son. When is the last time you have asked God to fill you with His Spirit? The apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians to “keep on being filled with the Spirit”. If we are feeling no joy, no peace and no love in our lives, there is a good chance we need it!
Come Holy Spirit fill us with everything we need to be about the Father’s business in telling the world about the Son. Fill our heart and minds with your gifts so we can look and act more like the first Church we read about in Acts! Amen.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
What Does This Mean?
Normally in the church we teach that people receive the Holy Spirit when they come to faith in Jesus. But in this setting we see that the new believers accepted the word of God and then received the Holy Spirit only after Peter and John came and laid hands on them and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit. We will see other cases in Acts (Acts 10) where the Holy Spirit falls upon people and then they come to faith. As someone has remarked, “Acts is a messy spirituality”.
We see many ways in Scripture in which the Holy Spirit works. The Holy Spirit convicts people of their sin and need for a Savior. The Spirit is received through the laying on hands. The Spirit leads the apostles to speak in tongues so that each person gathered for the feast of Pentecost hears the Gospel in their own native tongue. The Holy Spirit gives Stephen the words to say and speak before His accusers. Later we will learn about the gifts and fruits of the Spirit in Paul’s teachings. Needless to say the Holy Spirit is all over the work of salvation and our coming to faith and the Spirit is all over our keeping in faith and being empowered to life our new lives as believers.
What Does This Mean For Us?
Often when we think of the Holy Spirit, we think of Pentecostals rolling in the aisle and speaking in tongues and it is often not a very positive image. We think that talk of the Holy Spirit is left to “holy rollers” or the really spiritual folks. Yet, we see in the book of Acts that the Spirit is the key to just about everything that happens in the early Church.
As we look to rediscover the potent spirituality and the missional velocity of the early Church, we would do well to look for the Spirit’s help early and often! As we pray for others and ourselves, we should pray for the Holy Spirit to come into our lives and hearts and fill us with God’s gifts and fruits. The Holy Spirit is our greatest ally, so we shouldn’t be afraid of the Spirit. It is the very Spirit of God the Father and God the Son. When is the last time you have asked God to fill you with His Spirit? The apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians to “keep on being filled with the Spirit”. If we are feeling no joy, no peace and no love in our lives, there is a good chance we need it!
Come Holy Spirit fill us with everything we need to be about the Father’s business in telling the world about the Son. Fill our heart and minds with your gifts so we can look and act more like the first Church we read about in Acts! Amen.
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