THE WORKING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN YOUR LIFE (Part 3) Our response…
Acts 2:12, 37, 40-41, 44, 47 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
[37] Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
[40] And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
[41] Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
[44] And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
[47] Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
1 Thessalonians 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.
Today is the last of this series of devotions on the Holy Spirit. I have no idea why the Lord has put such a heavy burden upon my heart about this subject. The Lord has completely broken me and burdened me over the last few weeks to see the Holy Spirit move TODAY in my life and the church as we see here in our text. The Lord has confirmed down in my soul that HE has not changed and that HE will pour out HIS Spirit upon us and upon whoever will receive HIS Word and surrender all! If we will reflect upon every message that the Lord has given to our pastor in recent weeks, we will see that God is showing us that HE is trying to tell us to GET READY! If we are to get ourselves ready to see God move in this fashion, we only need to look at God’s Word here in this passage. At first, they were in doubt (V.12), then they pondered, “What meaneth this?” They were trying to figure what God was doing. Then they said, “what shall we do?” What is it that God is trying to do in your life and in the church, right now? Praise the Lord, THEIR RESPONSE was….THEY GLADLY RECEIVED his word! They ALL BELIEVED and were together, and had all things in common in (V.44) They did not grieve or quench the Holy Spirit that was trying to move upon their hearts. It was then that Holy Spirit saved around three thousand souls! Hallelujah! The question remains, are we willing receive God’s Word to us? With every fiber of my being I believe God is calling us to a state of spiritual revival like we have never known.
When the Holy Spirit speaks to our inner man to lead us and turn us, we must be sensitive and obedient. We HE speaks, and we move, then HE MOVES! I wish there was a sweeter way to get this message across, a more uplifting way or flowery way to say it, but this is so clearly laid out for us in God’s Word that there is NO other way. God chose this way, HE uses the Holy Spirit and God’s man to preach to us HIS message. It is up to us to hear and listen and respond in complete obedience and in submission to God’s will. It is a turning from our will to do what God is asking of us in our daily lives and when the Lord speaks to our heart during preaching and worship. In our daily lives, HE will speak to us when we are still, and we will be filled by HIS Spirit when we are hand in hand in communion with Jesus. Sin will break that communion with Jesus and there will be no revival.
Christian friend, there will be a reward for obedience and holiness when we bow at the feet of Jesus, and our faith becomes sight! There is also a reward that comes when we get to God’s house and we hear the sound, FEEL THE WIND, and SEE THE FIRE FALL from heaven! When this happens we will never be the same! Our families, our church, our community and our nation will be changed if we see true revival. If we are willing to deny ourselves and our flesh and live in complete obedience to the Holy Spirit, we have God’s Word on it…the heavens will be opened and God’s power will come forth. Our lost loved ones that we have been praying for so long will be saved, the church will be ignited like never before. It will be noised abroad in the community, at your workplace, at the local schools, and the church house will be full! Wayward Christians will come home and be ignited once again to service. People will come from all over just to see, hear and be a part of what ONLY GOD could do! With all that is within me, I ask you this question…will you do what it takes starting today to see revival? Start right now with your first prayer of the day and go from there and don’t look back. Will you be determined to do whatever the Holy Spirit ask of YOU to see revival in your church? It is up to us, we must make a choice of whether it is worth it. Are we willing to pay the price in our daily walk, to walk in holiness and let the Holy Spirit completely change us and change the entire world around us?
Bro. Lawrence Longworth
Isaiah 61:1 “the opening of the prison to them that are bound;”
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