Samuel D. High
sdhigh@aristotle.net
-----Original Message-----
From: "Apostle Tom" <pressingon@hotmail.com>
Sent: Mon, 10 Sep 2007 17:11:24 -0500
To: pressingon@hotmail.com
Subject: Morning Manna (Sept. 11); BP: Acts 1:3-8; RBTTY: II Cor. 4; Prov. 10-12
September 11 “In-dwelt and Empowered”
“But you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and
you shall be witnesses unto Me, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in
Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
It is His Presence within us that gives us power and purpose.
The Holy Spirit.
When Jesus gave today’s Manna to His followers, they didn’t really
understand what He was talking about—for they were still in a state of shock
(and somewhat unbelief) over a Resurrected Person talking to them. Most
likely, His closest followers felt like they did that day on the Sea of
Galilee, when He came walking to them in the storm: Troubled and afraid
(Mk. 14:23-26).
Even though He’d “shown Himself alive by many unmistakable proofs
during the 40 days after His resurrection” (Acts 1:3), they still were
thinking in earthly terms: “Lord, will You at this time restore again the
kingdom to Israel?” (v.6).
Oh, dear Pilgrim, why do we find it so hard to believe in simple faith?
Why do we, like them, prefer visible, tangible “evidences” of faith over
“seeing that which is not and calling it so” (Heb. 11:1)?
Even so, our Lord is quite patient (Lam. 3:21-23). And, in our Manna
the Lord redirects their thoughts to what He was about to do in/through
them. Again, they knew nothing about the Holy Spirit. They only knew the
“Spirit of God” had “moved upon the face of the waters” during creation
(Gen. 1:2). And, they knew there were various times in Old Testament days
when His Spirit moved in powerful ways upon various individuals (Gen. 41:38;
Ex. 31:3; 35:31; Num. 24:2; I Sam. 10:10; 11:6; II Chron. 15:1; 24:20; Job
27:3; 33:4; Ez. 11:24).
But, they certainly couldn’t comprehend a “personal,” in-dwelling Holy
Spirit Who’d “come upon them and give them power (Grk. ‘dunamis’—‘miraculous
force, mighty works, supernatural ability, etc.’).” Jesus had told them of
His “Successor”—the “come-alongside Comforter, Who’d convict them of sin,
the need of righteousness and judgment to come and guide them into all
truth” (Jn. 14:16-38; 16:8-13). But, it wouldn’t take long before they’d
experience His coming in a powerful way (Acts 2:1-4).
Nowadays there’s so much confusion about the Holy Spirit. Some folks
focus totally on Him, this third Person of the Trinity. They tend to
emphasize the gifts more than the Giver and ask, “Have you got the Holy
Ghost?” instead of “Has the Holy Ghost got you??” Other groups shy away
from the Holy Spirit, forgetting that He is really Jesus Himself living
within us (“Holy”—Grk. “hagios”—“pure, sacred, set-apart, etc.;”
“Spirit”—Grk. “pneuma”—“breath, life, soul, etc.”).
We should also remember the main purpose of His indwelling Presence is
so we can be “witnesses unto Him” wherever we go. May every part of our
being be filled to overflowing with Jesus today as we tell others what He’s
done for us.
_________________________________________________________________
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