There is more to Christianity than just being justified and sanctified. There’s more to Christianity than being happy and clappy, hiding behind four walls of a church. The point of all that, is to worship the Lord our God and be used mightily in His power. And this starts with a desire He has placed in us through His Holy Spirit to be totally and completely sold out to God.

Where is this power today that was manifest in the days of the Book of Acts? Has not our Lord Jesus Christ promised if we ask the Father, He will give us the Holy Spirit? Lets read it, since faith come by hearing and hearing the Word of God, the Word of absolute truth

Luke 11:9-13 So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish. Will he give him a serpent instead of fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!

We skim over this Scripture without stopping and thinking about what He had promised here, “Anyone who asks: receives: He who seeks: finds: And to him who knocks: the door will be opened to him!” And then He teaches us the key to receiving,

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.

All what things? We can have not only the things He mentioned in this chapter: food, clothing, shelter, the basic necessities of life. But also all the promises that is contained here in His Word. This includes the endowment of power by His Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:1 Pursue love, (the Lord Jesus Christ) and desire spiritual Gifts

Why is God not acting in some of His churches and on the streets so obvious as He did in the days of the Book of Acts in the 1 Century? We must take inventory of this, is it because:

1). We are not living holy?
2). Are we not desiring to be endued with the power of the Holy Spirit and be used?
3) Are we ashamed of Jesus Christ our Lord?
4). Do we have our hands to the plow and looking back?
5). Do we love wife, son and daughter and possessions more than God Himself?
6). Are we not asking, seeking and knocking with all our hearts, minds and soul for this endowment of power of the Holy Spirit as promised?

That’s something to think about. The Lord Jesus promised those and still promises today, who-so-ever desires, hungers and thirst after God and desires to be used by Him just like in the days of the Book of Acts will be filled (Matthew 5:6).

Desiring with all your being to be used by God, who will follow Him where ever He goes. He is longing for that kind of a people to step out of the boat and say, “here I am Lord…use me for Your good pleasure. I am devoted to You O Lord, use me as You will!” He is looking for a holy people to use as His instruments of righteousness in public for the Holy Spirit to testifies that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and Lord above all and bring the lost to Himself!

Lets say for example at the community center pool, God giving the ability for us to walk on water. And when people notice and realize that this is for real and not some magic trick or illusion, you’ll get people’s attention real quick. And then the Holy Spirit will speak through you the Gospel message of hope and salvation of Jesus Christ in the hearing of all who are there.

This endowment of power by the Holy Spirit puts in you confidence, knowing you have the gifts of the Holy Spirit as He wills, in operation through you. There is no second guessing or questioning it (1 Corinthians 12). And when we have it, we cannot be sitting on it doing nothing with it. We must go out and preach this Gospel of Jesus Christ as it is written:

Mark 16:15-18 And He (Jesus Christ) said to them (His disciples),“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.

Going out to preach this Gospel coupled with signs, wonders and miracles of God go hand in hand. You cannot have one without the other. The endowment of power of the Holy Spirit will give you this boldness to step out into the mission field (the public places) with absolute authority in Jesus Christ over all unclean things of this world and spirits of satan. Now the Lord is not talking about the baptism of the Holy Spirit here, but the endowment of fire of the Holy Spirit which are two different manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life.

John the Baptist reveals these two manifestations of the Holy Spirit in, Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He (meaning the Lord Jesus Christ) who is coming after me is mightier that I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is according to Acts 2:1-4. An event known as “being born-again” where the Holy Spirit fills you after you have been saved and justified through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in repentance from sinning and written in the Lambs Book of Life (John 3:3-8). This “born-again” baptism with His Holy Spirit is to help us to live holy and pleasing unto Him. Also gives us the spiritual understanding of the Holy Bible (1 Corinthians 2:11-15).

Because without His Holy Spirit you cannot enter Heaven nor can you have a deep spiritual understanding of His Word, for it is spiritually discerned. He is also given to enable us to believe and proclaim without doubt that Jesus Christ is Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3), because again, without the Holy Spirit we cannot do so. And that’s from the very beginning as soon as you and I have made Jesus Christ Lord of our lives.

Acts 2:1-4 When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The day of Pentecost is the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4), but the fire of the Holy Spirit endues you with power from God to operate His gifts just like our Lord Jesus Christ did and we see this in Acts 4:23-31, where they received power to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead and so forth from then on

And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said:

“Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’ “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.

Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”

You see, they asked, prayed and sought with all their hearts to God our Father in corporate prayer, in one mind and in one accord openly for all to hear and agree for boldness in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And then God Most High filled them, being endued by power, the fire of His Holy Spirit. Which means, He gave to them power to witness. He gave absolute authority by Jesus Christ to be used by His Holy Spirit with signs wonders and miracles as He promises (John 14:12-14).

So in result of this kind of in-filling of His Holy Spirit, you know without a shadow of doubt, that God will use you as His instrument of righteousness as described in the Book of Acts of the Holy Spirit. This is the final way to be absolutely effective on earth to expand the Kingdom of God and that is through this holy fire anointing:

1). To witness Jesus Christ
2). Preach the Holy Bible with holy fire and boldness as He stretches out His hand to demonstrate His power in signs, wonders and miracles!
3). To testify that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and there is no other way to the Father and Heaven as He boldly revealed and promised.
4). And proclaim as infallible fact: He is risen and is alive forevermore and He loves, is merciful and willing to save all who comes to repentance.

Hebrews 2:3-4 How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs, wonders and with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

Some Christians today are going out with the wisdom, but without the demonstration of the power of God. Healings and miraculous signs and wonders are not manifest through His disciples in the streets in America like in the days of the book of Acts, and there should be because Jesus Christ promised it! He’s not just talking about the demonstration of living holy. He’s not just talking about the demonstration of love and compassion to those who are un-lovable and inconsiderate as part of the demonstration of the power of God. But also having this anointing from the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Holy Spirit in operation as we minister the Gospel of salvation (1 Corinthians 12).

But first, we must live holy according to His standards which is His Holy Word, and not by our own understanding. If it were not possible to live this life according to His standards, than His teachings on all specific sins would not be in The Holy Bible. Being absolutely and totally sold out to the LORD, and having this attitude, this mind of Christ which is servitude! “Where ever you go LORD, I will follow you!” Having this kind of devoted commitment, coupled with the realization that God can give all His children these gifts from His Holy Spirit in operation as He wills in each of us today, and not just His leaders of the 5-fold ministry.

Being convinced that God can use all His children today just like in the days of the Book of Act then. Those days have not died with the last Apostle in the first century. But you have to be sold out to that kind of faith that God can and will use you and me today just like in days of the Book of Acts. Again, God is still seeking and searching for that kind of a people

Psalm 37:3-5 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

You must also seek the Lord for this kind of in-filling of His Holy Spirit (Matthew 6:33), just like He had taught us that we have to ask the Father for the in-filling fire of His Holy Spirit, as recorded for our living example today in the Book of Acts. To be used by Him! To be effective on this earth for the sole purpose of furthering His glory, His Gospel message of salvation to all who wills to believe and follow after Jesus Christ our Savior, Messiah and Lord. And bring forth the light and Hope upon this entire earth to this hopeless generation.

If you want to talk about Pentecost, I absolutely still believe in Pentecost because I take God at His Word, He cannot lie because He doesn’t know how. I know Pentecost can happen today exactly as described in the Book of Acts and nothing less. But in this Nation we have not seen it yet. Sure we’ve seen revivals here and there. But there is a difference between revival and Pentecost, Amen! So don’t get the 2 confused, for they are 2 separate movement’s of the Holy Spirit. We haven’t truly seen Pentecost according to the Holy Bible because we haven’t been really seeking the Lord for it! We’ve been seeking revival, a great awakening but not Pentecost. The Lord Jesus defines the 2 in this manner. I heard Him say:

Revival: “Is God reviving/resuscitating hope or faith that has died, and is raised back to life to activity.”

Pentecost: “Is being endued with power and gifts of the Holy Spirit for God Almighty’s use. To be effective with visible manifestations and demonstrations of God’s glory, to proclaim His Gospel message of salvation on this entire earth.”

You see, revival and Pentecost are 2 separate movement’s by the Holy Spirit, but they both go hand-in-hand, orchestrated by God our Father Himself. And Pentecost is more than a factual story at a time period in the Book of Act. It is written to remind us of a normal life style we ought to be living in this very day and hour. To remind us that we can have this promise today as God has promised then.

It is the blue print what this church age today is supposed to be in this last human generation, GLORIOUS! POWERFUL! God does not change (Malachi 3:6)! Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). It is His Word! It’s His promise! It’s the life in Jesus Christ and all can have it, if you desire to live for God only and not of self! Seeking to be used as He wills!

Joel 2:28-32 And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams your young men shall see visions. And also my menservants and on my maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days

These are those days marked by Jesus Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension according to His promise (John 16). The Book of Acts tells us that the Holy Spirit came into His disciples who follow Jesus Christ as Lord in order to be an effective witnesses of Jesus Christ, coupled with the anointing of fire of the Holy Spirit as well. And He still operates the same way today.

The Lord Jesus Christ is coming for His bride who, according to His Word is GLORIOUS and POWERFUL, and He cannot lie. Who is the bride of Christ? The church! Glorious means: ‘something or someone who is full of God’s glory.’ Again He is coming for a glorious bride without spot wrinkle or any such blemish of sins, wickedness nor any rebellions at all

Ephesians 5:26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her (the church) with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

This is the time to be seeking and desiring the Lord for this kind of in-filling of His Holy Spirit as promised, not just revival! This is the time to get right with God, and receive not only the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but also the fire of the Holy Spirit as well!

PS. We will be studying the Book of Acts, chapter by chapter;  verse by verse Lord willing in mid May. Till next time: God Bless you, your family and your friends.