Thought for the Day

The words of a wise man do not just come from the surface, but rather, out of his very being. Someone with godly wisdom has greater depth than one who is merely intellectual. Out of the godly man's innermost being flows living water, and he can instruct others in the way of life. His words are truly like a "gushing stream whose waters are sparkling, fresh, pure and life-giving." Jesus is the Word that brings life and refreshing to others. We can all be filled with His Holy Spirit. In yielding to Him, we can be His spokesmen through whom He can impart that same life to others. "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified)" (John 7:37-39).

Before the charismatic renewal, there were only a few people in denominational churches who knew about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. God saw the need for this truth to be restored to His church, so He began pouring out His Spirit upon all of His people regardless of their church affiliation. Many received the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:4-8; Acts 2:1-4, 38, 39; Acts 10:44-46) and began "speaking in tongues and praising the Lord."

Peter, addressing the crowd that gathered the first time when the Holy Spirit was poured out, quoted the prophecy of Joel 2:18-32, which foretold that the baptism in the Holy Spirit would be available to all believers in the last days (Acts 2:16-18). The term "last days" refers to the time between Christ's First Advent (His birth) and Second Advent (His return to earth to establish His kingdom). The First Advent has already occurred and He is coming soon to establish His reign. It is obvious that we live in the last days and that the baptism in the Spirit is being poured out today upon all who will receive Him to give them the power to live the overcoming life.

The Lord desires us to enjoy all of His blessings. The baptism of the Spirit should not be a point of contention. Those who have received spiritual gifts must not think less of those who do not know the blessings of Pentecost. Those who have not experienced the baptism in the Spirit must not view those who "speak in tongues" with distaste, especially if they have not sought the Lord regarding this experience. We should not reject something we do not understand. We would have never been saved with this attitude because none of us really understood how salvation worked at the time we received it. We simply repented and received and we were saved. We need to bring new things before God in prayer and prove them against Scripture (1 Thessalonians 5:21). If we bring our questions before God with an open heart, asking Him to show us the truth, He will certainly do so. He will not give us a stone if we ask for bread. If we ask Him for the gift of the Holy Spirit, He will not give us something else (Luke 11:11-13).