To be fully HUMAN — A Daily Reflection

 

“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.  For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’”

 

Right about this time, the disciples were probably dumbfounded and confused.  Jesus had just told them that they were about to be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.  Can you imagine what might have been going through their heads?  Baptized by the Holy Spirit?  Just exactly what was Jesus talking about?  Hadn’t He just given them the Holy Spirit a short time before? (John 20:21-22) All their lives, they had read in the scriptures about the "Spirit of God" coming upon someone, and then that person would be able to do all sorts of things that he had been unable to do before.  But then the Spirit would leave him.  And they were all familiar with water baptism… Jesus had shown them the way, being baptized himself by John the Baptist.  Knowing how that baptism was done, you can imagine the thoughts that spun through their minds as they tried to figure out how a baptism by the Holy Spirit would work.  They were already indwelled by the Holy Spirit, but He wasn’t giving them any clues about this coming event.  Surely this "baptism" was going to be VERY different!  But how?

 

They were correct.  The baptism of the Holy Spirit WAS different from the baptism that they knew… but there was much more to it than just the physical occurrence.  There was much more to it because at Pentecost, for the first time since God created the world, the Holy Spirit was made available to all believers, all the time.  Think about that for a moment… all believers, all the time – for the first time in the history of the world, each believer would have access to the Spirit of God 24/7/365. 

 

Just think about the ramifications of that fact… It is the Holy Spirit that opens a person’s eyes to who Jesus is.  So without the Holy Spirit, no one would be able to recognize Him.  It is through the Holy Spirit that we belong to Jesus (Romans 8:9).  It is through the Holy Spirit that we are adopted as God’s children (Romans 8:14 -17).  It is through the Holy Spirit that we are given power in our new lives.  He is the one who works in us to make us more like Jesus (Galatians 3:3).  He teaches us (1 Corinthians 2:13 ).  He comforts us.  He speaks through us (Acts 1:16 ).  He works miracles through us (Acts 2:4).  He commands us (Acts 11:12 ).  He designates our various ministries (Acts 20:28 ).  He give us the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:15 -16).  He unites us with other born again believers (Ephesians 2:19 -22).

 

I don’t know how many times I’ve seen it happen.  God apparently wants to get a particular point across to a lot of people at the same time… and suddenly, for a week or two, every sermon you hear is on the same subject - all from different ministers AND from different denominations!  Not because that subject is "politically correct" at the moment… but because that subject is what the Holy Spirit is laying on the hearts and minds of Godly men. 

 

Then there’s the committee of 15 people, all of whom are diligently praying that the group will be of one mind, even though they come from diverse backgrounds and differ widely in their views on any number of subjects.  But then that committee comes to unanimous agreement on a subject… no argument, no dissention — just total and complete agreement.  Because each of those people was open to the teaching of the Holy Spirit.

 

Having a problem today?  Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance.  Having trouble understanding a particular part of Scripture?  Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you.  Having difficulty with talking to someone about a touchy subject? Ask the Holy Spirit to speak through you.  Feeling lonely or frightened or confused?  Ask the Holy Spirit to comfort you.  Is there something within you that you feel needs to change in order to be more like Jesus, but no matter how hard you try, you keep falling back into your old ways?  Ask the Holy Spirit to change you.  Call upon the power that God gives you through the Holy Spirit.  Allow Him to dwell in you and work with you and help you each and every day – 24/7/365.