The Promise of Power

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The Promise of Power

Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Acts 1:1 KJV “Jesus began to..teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, … giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.”

Power in a Name

Jesus has given power a name, the Holy Spirit. God the Father they knew, and God the Son they knew, but they had not experienced God the Holy Spirit yet.

Jesus had told them the Holy Spirit would be their personal instructor, pouring into them what they would need, guiding and comforting them.

Power of their Prayers

The eleven disciples had grown to 120 people. This group of 120 people was what we might call God’s nucleus on earth. They got together often to pray. When they met for prayer, they experienced the presence of Jesus spiritually. Prayer was their lifeline to Jesus. He was still their leader. In prayer, they received His instructions about what to do next. As they prayed, God gave them updates. But now, Jesus was directing them from heaven through the Holy Spirit.

Power Holy Spirit

On the day of Pentecost, they met for prayer, in a room located above a bustling street in Jerusalem. The people on the street below were noisy but the disciples were not distracted. Worshiping God together, they were united in thought and purpose.

“Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:2). It sounded like a high-speed wind, but there was no destruction. All at once the room became alive.

Flames of Fire

“There appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them” (Acts 2:3). Flames of fire danced above their heads resembling forked tongues. The fire of the Holy Spirit was present, but only to scorch or burn their hearts. God the Holy Spirit had arrived.

“They were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4)

 

Crowd Bewildered

There was a crowd of devout Jewish men in town for the feast of Pentecost. There were many nations represented in the crowd who gathered for this feast from all the outlying areas from miles around. These Jews who were busying themselves concerning the feast suddenly stopped in their tracks. Suddenly, as if the sound came out of nowhere, “the crowd came together in bewilderment because each one heard their own language in their own native tongue.” Acts 2:6 These languages the visiting Jews understood perfectly. The languages being spoken were their native tongues.

Power of their message

An interesting detail we don’t want to miss is, that foreign-language speakers were all talking about the wonderful works of God (Acts 2:11).

The Holy Spirit gifted 120 people speaking foreign languages they had not learned, with people who understood what they were saying.

Power of a New Beginning- The Church

It seemed God had waited until Pentecost, the next feast after the Passover feast, to send the Holy Spirit so a great many more people would experience what God was doing. A new day had begun. The Holy Spirit birthed the church that day.

Today’s Church?

When we meet to pray together, what happens? Do we expect God to meet with us? Do we consider Him our leader? Are we united in thought and purpose, worshiping Him in oneness?

Holy Spirit Power

The Holy Spirit is the promise of God the Father (Acts 1:4). He is self-effacing, not highlighting Himself. The Holy Spirit testifies of Jesus. He teaches us about the wonderful works of God.

Holy Spirit Power in Us

When we pay attention to the Holy Spirit’s instruction as we read our Bible, we develop an increased sensitivity to the teaching the Holy Spirit gives us. We should also increase in speaking about the wonderful works of God wherever we go.

Prayer for You

May God pour out His Holy Spirit in you today so you will glorify Him in the marketplace of your life.

 

Francesca Battistelli Holy Spirit

Shirley Logsdon

 

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About Shirley Logsdon

I am the only child of Christian parents who wanted me to know God personally as they did. One night during church we watched a movie depicting a family in their home accepting Jesus as their personal Savior. I was nine and realized then my desire to make Jesus my personal Savior. With the full support of my parents, I met with the pastor and prayed to receive Christ. A few years later, several of us around the same age began classes for our confirmation to become church members. The privilege of taking communion was a special time for me. . During my teenage years I was outwardly complacent, but was inwardly rebellious. I developed the nasty habit of disrupting harmony in the household by nitpicking at anything and everything. A preacher came to hold revival services at my dad’s church and nailed me silently with looks. This helped me tremendously. I turned a corner and began to respect and obey my parents in attitude and actions. I survived these years through prayer (mine, my parents and friends). The love and tenacity of my parents and God’s grace got me through these years of upheaval. I readily identify with David the Psalmist when he said in Psalm 25:7, “Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to Thy mercy remember Thou me for Thy goodness’ sake, O LORD.” Because my parents provided a stable home life for me, when I went to college my Christian values remained intact. After completing my education in 1979, I started working. For a while, I worked at temp agencies, then I did odd jobs. I settled down in a secretarial position in 1986 working for a firm specializing in retirement plan administration. In 2007, I started working for a law firm, eventually becoming a knowledge management assistant in their law library, helping to alert attorneys to new business opportunities. I am a productive citizen of my country in large part because my parents prayed for me and made clear by word and example what they expected of me. I am extremely grateful to God for them. John 15:5 is my life verse: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.” I am confronted with this realization every day I live, and it helps keep me on the straight and narrow path. I met my future husband at church. After a few years of our two families getting acquainted, he and I started courting. We married at the church where we met, in the presence of many relatives and friends. We have been married for 29 years. My hobbies are reading, cooking, and canning or freezing what my beloved husband grows in the garden. Also, I thoroughly enjoy writing. While my writing has included poems, most of my writing has been letters to family and friends. I like to share my faith when I write and am fond of adding a Bible verse or two to help focus on the source of our life. Since I am now retired after working 38 years, I can concentrate on keeping up with birthdays. Something else I enjoy is studying the Bible, often with others. Blogging is a new form of writing for me. I am getting my feet wet and I’m beginning to enjoy the experience.

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