Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Jesus's exit strategy

ACTS 1:8 NIV
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

ACTS 2:1, 4 NIV
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ... All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

ACTS 2:16-18, 36-38 NIV
... this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:   " 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.   Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. ...
"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah."   When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"   Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the stealth person of the Trinity.  Not much notoriety, especially among the churches in which I was raised.

So, the question remains: Is this Holy Spirit stuff descriptive or prescriptive?  In other words, should every Christ-follower be baptised in the Holy Spirit, and should we all speak in tongues and make miracles?

Tamara made a point last night at Bible study about power and authority.  This resonated with what I read from John Frame about God's three principal Lordship attributes: power, authority, and presence.  Hmm.... if I have God inside me and working through me, then perhaps the net effect would be similar to Jesus.

Heavenly Father, it would be pretty cool if you would show up here with a bang like you did on Pentecost. Then people would have to at least make a decision about whether we are full of God or full of wine.  It would be pretty exciting to be part of something exciting (by definition, I suppose).  What am I really living for? Incremental change by living a quaint, unoffensive lifestyle, or substantial, exponential impact by living a bold, powerful, radical turn-the-world-upside-down God-pouring-through-me-every-minute life?  I would ask you to tell me what im supposed to be doing, but I imagine that you already have, so please help me listen to you and obey.  I love you, and I pray in the name of Jesus.

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