Acts 1:4-5 And, 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, for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

 

Jesus spoke these Words, after He was Resurrected, to some five hundred people that were gathered together. Paul told of this occurrence in his letter to the Corinthians. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:6) Most of the people who saw Jesus that day and heard Him speak these Words were still alive when Paul wrote this to the Corinthians. 

 

In his account of this happening, Luke used the word “commanded.” Jesus commanded the people to not go anywhere but to wait for the Promise of the Father, which was the Holy Spirit. The Greek word for commanded here is paragelia. It means a strict order or to charge someone with a duty. Jesus was not suggesting they stay in Jerusalem, He was commanding them to do so.

 

The people were obviously excited about their Salvation and new life under Grace and free from the Law. They were anxious to go out into the world and share the Gospel of Christ and see more and more people Saved and born again but Jesus commanded them to WAIT!

 

Why wait? Because without the Holy Spirit nothing supernatural would happen. There is no ministry of Jesus Christ without the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit Who draws people. It is the Holy Spirit that works within people through Spiritual Gifts to bring about Healing and Deliverance. Without the Holy Spirit, all you have is a gathering of like-minded people and nothing more.

 

This, my friends, is what we find in most churches today and this is WHY we are studying the Book of Acts. As believers in the shed Blood of Christ on the Cross, we must seek the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit if we want more than just a be-weekly social gathering with our friends.

 

The Presence of the Holy Spirit will….….turn the tide ……..in the church.

 

There’s always more!         Doreen

 

www.bettsministries.org