Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Pentecostal?


Tonight at camp I am going to preach on being filled with the Spirit of God. Peter and the disciples had walked with Jesus for a couple of years, but when He died and ascended to heaven, they were kind of lost. Jesus had promised the Holy Spirit would come and give them power. (Acts 2) They are all in a room, when the Holy Spirit shows up in power and they began to speak in different languages praising God. Peter then preaches with this new empowerment and 3,000 are saved. (Acts 10:44, 19:1-6) are more instances where believers were "filled" and began to speak in other languages. Tongues, were the first physical way to tell if someone had recieved the Holy Spirit. But I think many pentecostals put too much emphasis on just the tongues, when it is sooo much more. Yes, my heavenly language is God praying through me and is very important, but the real reason to be filled with God's Spirit is to share the message of Jesus Christ and to truly live it out. When we stop short and just seek the gift (tongues) and not the giver, we miss out. The Holy Spirit is here to guide us to more truth that is found in Jesus. So, salvation puts God's Spirit in His people, but the baptism of the Holy Spirit helps us bring His Spirit out to reach a dying world.

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