March 1: Come Holy Spirit!

Acts 1:5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

John the Baptist was a powerful preacher who brought the message of repentance to Israel in preparation for the Messiah’s arrival. John was not your normal pastor or evangelist. He spoke the truth without filters and was least interested in being politically correct. He dressed and ate weird, and he probably did not have very many friends. But, when he spoke, the multitudes heard and many of them turned away from their sins (or repented). The sign of their transformation, was getting baptized (immersed) in water. A simple act of going inside the water and coming out symbolized being washed clean of their sins and accepting a new way of life, one that was right in the sight of God Almighty. Yet, it was not sufficient. There was more to come. The baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit up until that time (that is just before Jesus ascended to heaven) was only given to a select few people in the Old Covenant period. Not everyone experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The ones that did however were extraordinary individuals who did mighty things for God. Think King David, Samson, Moses, prophet Samuel, Daniel, Elijah etc. But all that was about to change as Jesus returned to the Father in heaven after rising from the dead. He told his disciples that they were going to be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

The disciples did not know what to expect in regards to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. But they were about to encounter a life changing experience that would launch them into becoming world changers and history makers.

As we embark on this journey through the Acts of the Apostles, let us seek a closer relationship with the Holy Spirit. Anyone who has accomplished anything for God did it through the Holy Spirit. “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.” (Zech 4:6) A Christian’s life is incomplete without the presence of the Holy Spirit. I would go as far as saying that a Christian without the Holy Spirit is not really a Christian. The Holy Spirit is the giver of new life, sent by the Father through His Son, to bring inside of us the very presence of God (John 14:16-18, 26, John 3:5, Rom 8:14). The Holy Spirit is portrayed as a gentle ‘dove-like’ spirit whose feelings can be hurt (Luke 3:22, Eph 4:30).

Take some time to reflect on your relationship with the Holy Spirit. Do you only know of Him, or do you have an intimate connection with Him? Do you know if you are filled with the Holy Spirit or is it something you are still waiting for? Wherever you are in your journey, be encouraged that He, the Holy Spirit, has been sent to this world to help us. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." (John 14:26) So, let us declare this together:

Come Holy Spirit!