Acts 4:8-9<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit,\u00a0said to them: \u201cRulers and elders of the people!\u00a09\u00a0If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed,\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cThen Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit,\u00a0said to them<\/i>\u2026\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cBaptized with the Holy Spirit\u201d or \u201creceived power\u201d, or \u201cfilled with the Holy Spirit\u201d is used six times in book of Acts from Chapter 1 through\u00a0V4-8<\/b>\u00a0(Acts 1:5, 8, 2:4, 17, 33, 4:8<\/b>) and more times after these.\u00a0 Family we have learned that when we are told something once in the Word we better listen.\u00a0 When we are told something twice, we better pay double attention.\u00a0 When we are told something three times it is of the highest importance and we need to focus and consider and act upon what is being said.\u00a0 We need to believe and act.\u00a0 What we are not to do is not believe or act and definitely not, like the doubters at Pentecost (Acts 2:13<\/b>), scoff and make fun of what has happened.\u00a0 We must not let those who doubt, because it seems weird or odd, or doesn\u2019t fit their doctrine, dissuade us from what we are clearly told by the Word.\u00a0 These scriptures are not telling us that someone received the Spirit one time and then a second time, or more.\u00a0 The Apostles received the Holy Spirit from Jesus after the Resurrection but before the Ascension in\u00a0John 20:22<\/b>\u00a0\u201cAnd with that He breathed on them and said, \u201cReceive the Holy Spirit.<\/i>\u201d\u201d In this verse, taken together with the verses surrounding it (V21-23<\/b>), we see that the Apostles received the Holy Spirit and they received authority from the Lord.\u00a0 Family the Lord did not \u201ckind of\u201d give the Apostles the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 They once and for all were given the Holy Spirit and thereby sealed as His (2 Corinthians 1:21<\/b>).\u00a0 The Apostles had no need to be re-given, they had been given it once and never lost it, and will never lose it, for all of eternity.\u00a0 So then, there is no need to be refilled.\u00a0 Also, they have not received a partial portion and then given more and more each time they are \u201cfilled.\u201d\u00a0 Would the Lord give them a partial filling and then tell them something as powerful as \u201cIf you forgive anyone\u2019s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven?<\/i>\u201d (John 20:23<\/b>)\u00a0 That would seem ludicrous!\u00a0 No, the Word is not in these verses saying that they are given the Holy Spirit and then re-given the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 Family we are to daily seek the Lord.\u00a0 Every day we seek a fresh blessing, a new assignment for the day.\u00a0 We want to continuously put ourselves in front of the Lord and, though we know by His Word that we always remain with His love and grace, we want to again be inspired by His love and His direction (Lamentations 3:22-24<\/b>).\u00a0 We look for the blessings to be \u201cnew every morning.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 Family these blessings are about being powered to do specific things in the power of the Spirit to further the glory and spreading of the Gospel.\u00a0 The fillings are empowerings and enablings to do the work that God has called us to do, and to do it with supernatural power from God.\u00a0 We know from the Word that these fillings and receiving of power by the Holy Spirit are always accompanied by Words to speak, miracles and healings that are evidences that God is using a person.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed,<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 It is always amazing how people can deny the truth and hold to a lie no matter how convincing the evidence.\u00a0 I have seen videos of people doing a crime.\u00a0 The video is shown to the perpetrator who denies having done the crime.\u00a0 The person is asked \u201cIs that you?\u201d\u00a0 The person responds that it is.\u00a0 Then the person is asked \u201cIs that you taking a bat to your neighbor\u2019s car?\u201d\u00a0 The person responds \u201cYes it is.\u201d\u00a0 Then they are asked \u201cWhy did you vandalize your neighbor\u2019s car?\u201d\u00a0 The person then will respond \u201cI did not vandalize my neighbor\u2019s car!\u201d\u00a0 Some people, no matter the overwhelming evidence before them, will not admit to, or see, the truth.\u00a0 All that refused Christ as Savior and Lord were doing that then, and those who do it now are acting in the same manner.\u00a0 If all this happened in our day Peter and John may have responded this way \u201cReally?\u00a0 Have you really brought us to court for being kind and healing a person who was lame since birth?\u00a0 You already know from the testimony you have heard from the witnesses who riled you up that the man was healed and that we have said that this man was healed through the power of Jesus and His name.\u00a0 You know this is of God, because only God can do such a miracle.\u00a0 So really, I can\u2019t believe you are helping us to spread the Gospel of Christ by putting us on trial!\u00a0 Incredible!\u201d<\/p>\n
It is amazing that people who are opposing God will do and say things that only glorify God in their attempts to elevate themselves and bring God down.\u00a0 Pharaoh thought he was showing all of Egypt his might and autonomy.\u00a0 All that he ended up doing was showing that God is over all, that God is over the believer and the non-believer.\u00a0 It all shows that God is the One who is in control. It has been said \u201cIf you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.\u201d\u00a0 It is God\u2019s plans that will succeed! (Proverbs 19:21<\/b>) Praise God that our God is exactly who He has said He is and that everything He says will come to pass, just as He plans.\u00a0 Praise God!\u00a0 Isn\u2019t God amazing!\u00a0 Praise God!<\/p>\n
Psalm 150:6<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!<\/i><\/p>\n
Micah 7:7<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
Micah 6:8<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; And what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Acts 4:8-9\u00a0–\u00a0Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit,\u00a0said to them: \u201cRulers and elders of the people!\u00a09\u00a0If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed,\u00a0 \u201cThen Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit,\u00a0said to them\u2026\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cBaptized with the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[82,129,100,2468,94,88,17],"class_list":["post-1386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-acts","tag-corinthians","tag-john","tag-lamentations","tag-micah","tag-proverbs","tag-psalm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1386"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1387,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1386\/revisions\/1387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}