Monday, June 15, 2015

Tap Into The Power Of The Holy Spirit



Acts 2:1-4 -  Seven weeks had gone by since Jesus’ death and resurrection, and the Day of Pentecost had now arrived. As the believers met together that day,  suddenly there was a sound like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them and it filled the house where they were meeting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on their heads. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in languages they didn’t know, for the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

 

The followers had waited 7 weeks.  They met with each other to gain strength….pray for guidance and wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit. It came when they least expected it….. in a dramatic display of sound and visual effects.  A mighty roar…like a great windstorm…then flames settled on their heads that looked to all to be in the shape of a tongue.  Then they all started speaking in languages they did not know as the Holy Spirit filled them all with the power of God.

 

It had a great purpose.  Many Jews from many nations had come to the Festival of Weeks. The apostles only knew Greek and Hebrew…and possibly Aramaic.  But as the Holy Spirit filled them they spoke in the languages of all that had assembled there.  Each person in attendance heard the gospel in the clearest form of his/her language.

 

For some reason…God allowed me to miss a connecting flight on my way home from CA…so I have some layover time in Charlotte NC this morning.  As I wait for a possible standby seat on the earliest flight out…I can hear the roar of the engines of the planes outside the gate where I wait. There are several others around me…of different nationalities around me as a wait…so I can hear them all converse in their native languages. The sun is shining bright through the window where I sit…but that is as close to the scene as I can get in this moment.

 

I am reminded that our world still needs the power the Holy Spirit can give us.  I know that I am depending on it right now to stay calm and not worry about the possibility that  might be hanging out in the airport till 10:00pm tonight….(its only 8:00 am right now). I know my friend who just texted me for prayer needs a huge dose of Holy Spirit to help her stay calm as she deals with some pretty serious health issues that her mom is going through. And I am sure that someone in this airport needs some Holy Spirit for something….possibly something that God will use me to help with as I wait.

 

The Holy Spirit is not limited to giving us new languages to speak in.  It gives us strength…. courage…. boldness….confidence…..self-control…insight….new abilities….authority….just to name a few powers it gives to believers. I am guilty of not remembering to ask God to fill me daily with its power…so I can be the most effective worker for him.  I can just imagine what I could do for him if I tapped into the Holy Spirit’s power more each day.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that you gave us a powerful tool to help us be the best that we can be.  Forgive me for the times that I forget to call on it for help and do things in my own power.  Help me to be more aware of my need to depend on your power…and let you guide me as you did these great new Christians that were the first to experience the power the Holy Spirit has to help us live and do your work.  Amen.

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