Tuesday, April 30, 2019

15. Growing in Prayer – The Learning Tree – (2) Prayer and the Holy Spirit


But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.”  Acts 1:8 (AMP)

As we continue in our discussion of the Holy Spirit, we share these words from Scott G. Bauer author of The Baptism with the Holy Spirit, there are two different works of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life.  (Romans 8:2) “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”  This is the new birth.  It says in John 3:3, “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 

We receive the Holy Spirit upon receiving Christ as our Savior…. new birth…. born again.  According to Scott G. Bauer in The Baptism with the Holy Spirit, there are two different works of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life. 
I continue to quote Scott G. Bauer; “As the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16), Jesus’ instruction to His followers in Luke 11:13 to ‘ask’ for the Holy Spirit and to wait until they received power is pertinent to all believers for all time.  All who believe are to ask and expect God to fill them with His Spirit and to be empowered (Acts1:8) for their mission to serve Him.  This is the fullness of God.

Pentecost is the day of empowerment of the Holy Spirit.  We all need the Holy Spirit empowerment if we fulfill our purpose that God created us.  We confess our sins and receive our salvation the Spirit of life; by the regenerating work in us (Romans 8:11-17).  All we must do is ask God for the power to do our mission.

Zechariah4:6-9, Zerubbabel, the leader of Jewish exiles, returned from Babylon to rebuild the temple.  Great discouragement fell on him and he was told by the prophet:  6 So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. 

God is giving instructions and encouragement that the temple would be rebuilt by His Spirit and it would be done.  The Scripture goes on to say in Zechariah 4:7, 7‘Who are you, O great mountain (what God wants to do through us)? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!  And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’”

Do we try to remove the mountains in our life without the power of the Holy Spirit?  Do we have the faith moved to action believing that we can have that power in us to move the mountains of life?  Remember the scripture Luke 11:13, “13 If you, then, being evil [that is, sinful by nature], know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!”

We have the privilege of prayer to our Heavenly Father and we can ask for the power of the Holy Spirit.  Hallelujah!!


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