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The Baptism With the Holy Spirit

Fictional Narrative

Third in the Series on “The Life of Joey.”

“You shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the Earth” (Acts 1:8).

In the two previous articles on “The Life of Joey,” we visited Joey’s past when he gave his heart to the Lord and was saved. We also were with Joey when he found his way to a victorious walk in his Christian life. We saw how dedicated Joey is in sharing the Gospel. He shares the faith as led by the Holy Spirit with all those he comes across in his daily life. Joey loves the Lord and feels he is a debtor to the Lord for all the Lord has done for him, and a debtor to all those who do not know the Lord or are discouraged in their Christian walk.

In this article, we find Joey searching the scriptures every day and asking the Lord to give him power for service. In his search, Joey sees how the Book of Acts recorded the establishment of the church. He sees how Peter, who had denied the Lord some days previously, stood up before thousands and preached Christ to them. What had changed in Peter that had allowed him to boldly proclaim Christ and boldly state that the nation of Israel had delivered their Messiah to be crucified?

He realizes that the answer is in what the Lord told His Disciples just before His Ascension to Heaven. The Lord gave His Disciples the following command:

“And (Jesus), being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the Promise of the Father, which, said He, you have heard of Me” (Acts 1:4).

Joey realizes that the “Promise of the Father” was the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost which was the beginning of the church. The Lord had promised the coming of the Holy Spirit in His instructions to his disciples just before his crucifixion.

Joey now sees why Peter, who had denied the Lord, could stand up and preach a bold message to thousands resulting in many being saved. This was the anointing of the Holy Spirit given for service. He read the Book of Acts with fresh insight and saw how the power of the Holy Spirit preceeded the Gospel resulting in powerful preaching, healings, and deliverance for many from the powers of darkness. Joey is excited to see that that same power is available for us today.

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit, and they shall prophesy” (Acts 2:17,18)

Joey now understands that the last days started with the Day of Pentecost and continues through our day and the coming Great Tribulation. Joey prayed to the Lord asking Him to Baptize him with the Holy Spirit and the Lord answered his prayer. He received the evidence of the Baptism with the speaking in other tongues.

Joey now sees that the coming of the Holy Spirit was for power to walk out this life in victory and for power for service. It is the duel work of the Holy Spirit. Joey now knows that along with the victory the Holy Spirit gives us over the world, the flesh, and the Devil as we place our faith daily in the finished work of Christ, we can walk in the power of the Holy Spirit for service as we go forth sharing the Gospel.

Joey is still out there each day sharing the Gospel as the Spirit leads. He is so grateful for all the Lord has done for him. He is saved, Baptized with the Holy Spirit, and has victory in his daily life, all due to what Christ accomplished on the Cross. You may run across Joey as you go about your daily business. He gives the Lord all the glory for what the Lord has done in his life. Again, Joey considers himself a debtor to the Lord and to all those who are so in need of the Salvation that the Lord freely gives. Joey remembers his lost state before the Lord reached down in His Mercy and Grace and lifted him up to higher ground. Joey presses forward each day with the call of God on his life and the love of His Savior in his heart. The following, you might say, is Joey’s heart’s cry:

“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3: 4).

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Prayer Changes Things

The Lord wants us to come to Him with all our needs. Prayer requests can be left on the comments page of this website.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers…” (1 Peter 3:12).

The Lord hears our prayers and is faithful to answer.

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

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Tag: holy-spirit

Joey Receives Power From on High

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