Claiming the Promise

Yesterday was Pentecost Sunday, a day that is so often overlooked in many Protestant churches. I heard a preacher once say, "Bethlehem is God with us. Easter is God for us. Pentecost is God in us.

This event is described in Acts 2, when about 120 believers were gathered. They prayed and asked for the Holy Spirit, and God complied. The Holy Spirit showed up and filled the believers in an amazing way, and not just to a select few. The Spirit doesn't discriminate. There were men and women, servants...all have access to this power.

They asked for the Holy Spirit. This does not happen spontaneously. The people gathered were mature in their faith. They understood what was required of them as Christians, and they carried out their responsibilities (preaching, teaching, praying, living in an honourable way, etc.). When we first become believers the Holy Spirit does come upon us and brings us into the body of believers. However, after we mature in our faith and learn what we've really signed up for, there is a second, powerful infilling of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Nazarenes call this entire sanctification. Other denominations have other names for it. 

This is a very distinct experience. You know when it happens to you! It's not some warm, fuzzy feeling in your soul. It is power and authority and confidence! I remember my sanctification experience. It stays with me. It carries me through the tough times. The Holy Spirit encourages me and calms me. The Holy Spirit creates a fire in my soul. 

So seek the Spirit. Learn about it. Ask God for the Holy Spirit and when you're ready, God will give you what you desire.