SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/23/2018 9:26 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Spiritual Power
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Acts
10:44-46a
Message of the verses: “44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. 45 All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God.”
This passage kind of reminds me of what happened to
Daniel when in the ninth chapter of his book, while he was praying and asking
the Lord what was going to happen to the nation of Israel that Gabriel came and
interrupted his prayer to give him the answer.
In verse 43 of Acts 10 Peter was preaching and telling Cornelius and his
family how they could be saved, and it must have been at that exact moment that
they all accepted the forgiveness offered to them by the Lord and so “the Holy
Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.” We have mentioned “sign gifts” that happened
to a believer once they became a believer in the early church. One of these sign gifts was that people spoke
in tongues. When the apostles preached
on Pentecost believers began to speak in tongues, then the same with the
Samaritans, and then later on when a group of believers who had only heard of
John the Baptist hear the whole gospel they too began to speak in tongues. Now that the Gentiles became believers they
too began to speak in tongues. Later on
this would not be necessary, but everyone who becomes a believer is given an
effectual call by the Holy Spirit, and once they accept Christ as their Savior
they are baptized in the Holy Spirit at that exact moment as they are taken out
of the world’s system and brought into the body of Christ, the church. Believers are to continually be filled with
the Holy Spirit in order for power to live the Christian life, and they are
also sealed with the Holy Spirit as a down payment from God, a promissory note
from God that they will end up in heaven to be with the Lord forever. New believers do not understand all that happens
to them when they become a believer and so they have to study the Word to
understand all of these things that happen to them. I have to say that it took me many years to
understand all of these truths, but the Lord was and still is patient with me as
He teaches me from His Word each day.
John MacArthur writes “Acts 8 does not establish the norm
for receiving the Spirit. If believers
were always to be saved and then later to receive the Spirit, why did Cornelius
and the others receive the Spirit the moment they were saved? The view of some that they were already saved
and this was simply the occasion of their receiving the Spirit, why did Peter
preach the gospel? Why did he not
instead give them teaching on how to receive the Spirit? The Spirit’s coming required no petition, no
confession, no water baptism, and no laying on of hands. He came as they listened and believed. That is clear from Peter’s inspired testimony
in Acts 11:17 that God had given them the Holy Spirit, ‘after believing in the
Lord Jesus Christ.’
“There can be so such thing as a Christian without the
Holy Spirit, since He is essential to the Christian life. The Holy Spirit grants power to witness (Acts
1:8) and pray (Rom. 8:26). Through His
ministry comes assurance of salvation (Rom. 8:16), since by Him believers are
‘sealed for the day of redemption’ (Eph 4:30; cf. Eph. 1:13). He is the ‘pledge of our inheritance’ (Eph.
1:14) and also our teacher (1 John 2:27).”
As we look at verses 45-46a we see that Peter was amazed
that this happened to the Gentiles. It
is a good thing that Peter brought six brethren from Joppa with him as they too
witnessed what happened to these Gentiles after hearing the message of
salvation.
This passage does not show that speaking in tongues is
normally to be expected with the coming of the Holy Spirit. There are those who believe this today and
have caused a great deal of trouble for believers today. Believers today have the entire Bible and can
read and be taught in good Bible believing churches and so there is no need for
these “sign gifts” to be used any more.
While vacationing in Florida a few years ago my wife and I ended up in a
“Charismatic” church and witnessed people walking barefoot up the isles playing
tambourines and chanting. This went on
for about 45 minutes and then there was a sermon that lasted less than 20
minutes. It was all about feelings.
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: Thirty-nine years
ago today my wife, son and I were on a long journey together. Our son was born 39 years ago today and was
born with a hole in his heart and tightness in a valve. We all went through a lot together with him
as six months later he had the first of two operations on his heart the last
came in early May of 1981 where the Lord used doctors to care for his
heart. God was with us every step of the
way and taught us much as we went through this difficult path. He and his wife now have three children of
their own, the middle one just got baptized last Sunday, and the younger one
has just accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord. God is so good to our family and I am so
thankful for His goodness.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust the Lord that the circle will not be
broken as there is one more grand-child and one daughter to be saved in our
family.
Memory verse: Psalm 143:10 “Teach me to do Your will, for
You are my God; let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “a letter.”
Today’s Bible
question: “Why was Moses not allowed to
go into the land of Canaan?”
Answer in our next SD.
1/23/2018 10:18 AM
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