Our Scripture verse to memorize this time is Acts 10:38, “How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by [the power of] the devil, for God was with Him.” (Amplified)
This was not just for Jesus or in His time but for us to do as well, in the here and now. He came as a man and had to be baptized with the Holy Spirit first before He could do anything that required God’s intervening power, before He could get results. Same as us. Read Luke 3:21-22. The Holy Spirit is the believer’s key to power. Power is the “ability to get results”. The day you became “born again”, the Holy Spirit was poured into (within) your heart, planting a “power seed” within you (Rom. 5:5). When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you have the same power that Jesus had, the same abilities, efficiency and might! With this power, you become the evidence of the Word and can demonstrate God’s power to others (Acts 1:8).
In Luke 4, the Holy Spirit now begins to take charge of the public ministry of Jesus. In the wilderness the Holy Spirit helped Jesus to resist the Devil’s temptations. When Jesus returned, He returned in the power of the Holy Spirit into Galilee; and news about Him spread through all the surrounding districts (Luke 4:14). This is first stage that the Holy Spirit works in a believer’s life, He draws men to God (like dry bones coming together in Ezekiel 37:7). What happens after this is a reconnection to God (like the flesh & sinews coming together and rejoining the bone in Ezekiel 37:8) = salvation. And finally in Ezekiel 37:9-10 we see that breath and spirit (life and power) are needed in order to make that body come alive = the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Philippians 2:5-8 tells us that Jesus, when He came to this earth, chose to set aside His supernatural ability as God, and come to this earth as a helpless baby. He did this to show you and me that with the empowering of the Holy Spirit, we also could walk this earth as God had intended us to do from the beginning.
Luke 4:18-19 & Acts 10:38 show us what Jesus was able to do because the Holy Spirit had come upon Him. He showed us how to walk in the Spirit… and we are to follow in His footsteps. We need to understand that the same Holy Spirit that empowered Jesus, is here today to anoint us for ministry. What He did, He wants us to do and even greater things!!! That is incredible isn’t it?! But we can’t in our own strength, in our own power, with our own abilities. The Holy Spirit helps you to operate in God’s capacity! The Holy Spirit comes upon you too to make you a living testimony of God’s glory and power!
Ask yourself what would happen in our lives as believers, if we were are as open to the leading and empowering of the Holy Spirit as Jesus was?
Last month when we met we talked about what we need to do to cooperate with the Holy Spirit within. To constantly feed on the Word to grow, being hungry and thirsty after God, to fill our daily lives with prayer, singing songs and praising God (Eph. 5:18-19), fellowshipping with Him and with His body. That the Holy Spirit upon us will produce the 9 gifts of the spirit (1 Cor. 12:4-11).
Last night we ended the lesson talking about the different things we can do that will hinder the Holy Spirit being able to operate in our lives.
1 Thessalonians 5:19 says not to quench (suppress, subdue or stifle) the Holy Spirit. You can grieve, or suppress the Holy Spirit by holding on to bitterness, unforgiveness, rage, anger and evil speaking (slander), anything that stirs up evil desires or lusts; in other words… by refusing to walk in the Love of God (Eph. 4:30-33) we sadden the Holy Spirit.
Refusing to walk in love will block the Holy Spirit. Be kind to others, even when they aren’t kind to you!
Sin and wrong associations will hinder the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. We are told to witness and minister to the unsaved, but we’re not to become their companions or “buddy buddy”, intimate friends, confidant (one whom secrets are are entrusted). Proverbs 13:20 says that a companion (communion, associations) of fools will be a fool. 1 Cor. 15:33 warns us not to be deceived, that bad company corrupts and depraves good character (good morals and manners too). In 2 Cor. 6:14 it says not to become partners with those who reject God (or even inconsistent with your faith). The Message puts it this way, “Does Christ go strolling with the devil?” Another good Scripture verse is found in James 4:4. We are called to be in this world but not of it. We can’t live on both sides of the fence.
So, your homework….. you thought I’d forget eh?! 😉
#1) When did the Holy Spirit come upon Jesus? (Luke 3:21-22)
#2) When did Jesus begin His public miracle working ministry? (Luke 3:21-22)
#3) How do we know that new Christians in the early church received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit? (Acts 2:38-39; 8:15-17, Acts 10:44-47; Acts 19:6)
#4) When did word begin to spread that Jesus was anointed with supernatural power? (Luke 4:14)
#5) Who helped Jesus resist the temptation of Satan in the wilderness? (Luke 4:1)
#6) Do you believe He will help you to resist Satan’s attacks? Why?
Memory Verse: Acts 10:38
(Thanks to the help of Richard Heckman’s step-by-step study for receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, BibleGateway & Dr. C Dollar)
Shannon,
Can a person pray and receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit themselves – without the laying on of hands?
Does everyone, who truly wants to be baptised receive it?
From reading the verses it makes me think that you KNOW for sure that you have receive the Holy Spirit after asking for it. Why would sometimes you ask for it but maybe not receive it? Is it because there is sin in your life or because you want it for the wrong reasons?
Hi Carolyn!
You have to realize first that the Holy Spirit came to reside within you when you became a Christian, but has a two-fold “job” for the lack of a better word. The second part is more of when you’ve decided to push the “activate” button or turn the light switch on (the power). The Holy Spirit is always there “within” you but you do have to pray and ask for the empowerment part to come “upon” you.
If you are saved then the Holy Spirit is within you. To know if one is truly saved, the 9 fruits of the spirit will be evident, Galatians 5:22-23. Another Scripture tells us that others will know us by our love.
I do believe that both, becoming a Christian and receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit can be done in your own home, in your car, on vacation or in church, whether you’re alone or with someone else. It’s a personal moment between you and God and others can’t “help” it along.
I think so often that people get so enamored with the 9 gifts that do come when one is filled with the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-11, the 2nd part of the “job”) that they loose sight of the goal or purpose of the Holy Spirit. These gifts are manifestations that the Holy Spirit is present but it shouldn’t be ones measuring stick whether they’ve been filled or not. I know a lot of people who, because they don’t speak in tongues, feel that they never received the baptism. I think they are focusing on the wrong “sign”.
Acts 1:8 – power to be a witness, with friends, family and strangers alike, from within our hometown, to those in our province/state, to our country and into the rest of the world, through your life and your words. This is the true evidence.
There are things that do hinder the Holy Spirit from working in our lives. The last part of this post talks about it.
I hope that helps, if I can explain it some more let me know. I will post lesson #3 (about the early church) in the New Year.