[Anglican Communion 30 July 2020] Topic: The Holy Spirit
TOPIC: The Holy Spirit
READ: Acts 19:1-10 (NKJV)
And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples
he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
When they heard [this,] they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
Now the men were about twelve in all.
And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.
But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.
And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
THE MESSAGE:
The subject of the Holy Spirit has often been a matter of debates over the centuries. However, what is of great importance in our passage today is Paul’s conviction that a Christian cannot do without the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself emphasised the importance of this when He instructed His disciples not to venture anywhere and not try anything until they had been empowered with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5,8). Why did both Jesus and Paul emphasise the necessity of the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit alone has the mandate to cultivate the hearts of men for repentance. As messengers of the Gospel, we all have the responsibility to make the message of God heard, but we do not have the power to convert a soul. Only the Holy Spirit has the power to accomplish that.
The Holy Spirit gives us the boldness and wisdom to proclaim the word of God and to live our lives effectively. Without the Holy Spirit, our human efforts can never achieve the impact required. The reason many of us are not fruitful and effective even as Christians is partly because we ignore the role and place of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. Seek Him daily.
PRAYER: Lord, Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Amen
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