Monday, 2 April 2012

FRESH FIRE


READ: ACTS 2:1-4
The place of the Holy Spirit in every believer’s life cannot be overemphasised. Believers take their cue from Lord Jesus, who had to wait for the power of the Holy Ghost before he could proceed with his ministry. Shortly before he ascended to heaven, he told his disciples in Acts 1:8 that they would receive power after the Holy Ghost came on them, which was fulfilled in our reading today.
In the past I thought: once filled, forever filled. But I later discovered that there are several levels of being full of the Holy Ghost and that when filled, and you use your spiritual battery once or twice, you will need to be filled again. You need fresh fire from the Lord on a daily basis to be able to cope with the daily challenges in life and ministry. When the first fire descended in Acts 2:2-4, it changed the history of the church from 120 to 3120 with just a single message by Peter. Similarly, a well-know lame man who sat at the Beautiful Gate was healed and this led to another message that turned the Church from 3120 to 8120 people. What incredible growth!
Today many claim to have been baptised in the Holy Ghost, but they are still afraid to witness Christ to people. Something is fundamentally wrong. Either you have had a counterfeit experience or the Word of God no longer holds true. You are empowered to be able to witness. If you do not do this, you are wasting the Master's investment on your life. Boldness comes with the second fire.
“And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). Having received the first fire, the disciples were filled again. Hence it is possible to be filled every day. With each filling, their power and ministrations moved to higher levels. God wants to release power and grace, sufficiency in all things, holiness and genuine fear of God upon your life. These are hallmarks of fresh fire. Why not go before him today thirsty for a fresh filling with his Spirit?
MEMORIZE: ACTS 4:31 –And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.