SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/22/2017 11:27 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
Be Filled with the Spirit
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Acts 4:8a
Message of the verses: “Then
Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit,”
It was because Peter
was filled with the Holy Spirit that he was able to face persecution
triumphantly. “And they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving
them utterance (Acts 2:4).” “But Saul,
who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him
(Acts 13:9).”
Jesus has spoken to
His disciples about these kind of situations when He was on earth, and perhaps
Peter and John remember His Words from Luke 12:11-12 “11 “When they bring you
before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about
how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; 12 for
the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."” John MacArthur writes “All Christian ministry
and witness depend on the filling of the Holy Spirit. The passive voice of the verb translated
‘filled’ shows Peter’s yieldedness to the Spirit’s control. He did not become filled by lengthy prayer or
an emotional experience. The filling of the Spirit occurs
when the believer walks in obedience to the Word and the Spirit (cf. Eph. 5:18;
Col. 3:16). Yielding to His control
releases His power in the believer’s life.
“This principle is
foundational to all the rest; yieldedness to the Holy Spirit is the key to
successfully handling persecution.
Because Peter was Spirit-filled, persecution merely drove him closer to
the Lord. Lack of being filled with the
Spirit is the reason the church today has difficulty facing opposition.
“A Spirit-filled,
uncompromising church will be uncomfortable in the world, since it will be a
rebuke to it. It will, however, be a
powerful, victorious church. Peter and John confronted the
world head-on, with a boldness and eloquence that caused their opponents to
marvel (cf. v. 13). They were victorious because
they were Spirit-filled.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: The words that John MacArthur wrote that I
quoted here speak to my heart in that there are probably too many times in my
life that I am too caught up in the things of the world, things like cars, and
other things that fit into that category that I am too concerned for, and
should be concerned about doing what the Lord calls all believer to do, telling
others about Christ, and helping them grow after they become believers.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust that the Lord will use me to tell
others about who He is and what He did for them.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:
“Rachel” (Genesis 29:30).
Today’s Bible question: “Which
book tells of the birth of John the Baptist?”
Answer in our next SD.
9/22/2017 11:58 AM
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