Jesus had mentioned the Holy Spirit several times before His crucifixion. Now He gave His disciples specific instructions about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Acts 1: 4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. …
The power of the Gospel is seen in people’s hearts as they bear the fruit of a transformed life. In the early church, a great persecution drove the believers out of Jerusalem. Instead of stopping the Gospel, it spread it like seeds in the wind. Acts 8:4 But the believers who were scattered preached the Good …
Unfortunately, many modern Christians don’t realize that the festival of Pentecost was put into place 1400 years before Jesus was born. Moses instructed the people to celebrate this festival fifty days after Passover (Lev. 23:15-22). It originally was to celebrate the first wheat harvest, but it also became a reminder of the giving of the …
People were drawn to John the Baptist because they sensed a move of God. Even John’s message about the need for repentance drew people into the wilderness of Judea. Matthew 3:5 People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. 6 And when they confessed …
Why was Jesus baptized by John the Baptist? The incredible story of Jesus’ baptism by John in the River Jordan reveals a God of love who came to earth as a human being and connected with the people He created. If our Savior offered salvation to sinners like us, He needed to identify with the …
What does Paul mean by the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Different streams of Christianity hotly debate this issue. 1 Corinthians 12: 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same …
“Why be baptized” may be a question that you or others may have. Sometimes people have been baptized and wonder why that was so important. In our story, Philip was guided by the Holy Spirit to stand beside the carriage of the treasurer of Ethiopia. The man had gone to Jerusalem to worship and was …