Life Capsule for Today Date: 14th November, 2023
Theme: Power from on High (3)
Memory Verse: Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” NIV
Topic: The baptism of Power
Text: Acts 2:3-4
They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. NIV
Words of the Ministry:
We learnt that the Lord made his disciples a promise to send the comforter immediately after him, he is the Holy Spirit, he was meant to be the new comforter. Yesterday we said the Holy Spirit is called the paraclit or paraclitus and the word is somehow difficult to interpret to English, but theologians use words like helper, comforter, advocate, intercessor, standby to describe him, he was another comforter like Jesus and he was to be in the disciples as life to overcome their spiritual deadness and upon them as power for service to overcome the world. Today we intend to look at what baptism is and the purpose of baptism.
Jesus in Acts 1.8, Jesus told the disciples that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them, the implication of that is better understood when one reads Acts 1.5, we see the Lord calling baptism the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples, so to be endued with power was to be baptized in the Holy Spirit as John did baptize people in water. Baptism therefore means to be covered or endued. In the bible, the word is baptizo, and in those days, the word was used by dyers to describe the art of putting clothe in dye. John said Jesus was to baptize in Holy Spirit and Fire, it meant we are to be dipped in the spirit, covered like in water baptism and rising having the same power like the Spirit. 1 Cor 6.17, Acts 1.5,8. it is a different experience from salvation (Jhn 20.21-22).
The purpose of baptism cannot be overemphasized; I would attempt to highlight a few:
- Jesus was baptized in the Spirit and so must we, he was full of the Holy Spirit as Life but needed it as Power, he was led into the wilderness in Luke 4.1, in vs 14 he returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit and in vs 18, he declared his mission statement with power, the baptism of the Spirit energized him for service.
- The Holy spirit baptism is a further prove of the reality of Christianity, in Jhn 3.2, Nicodemus a Pharisee testified that Jesus was from God because of the miracles, signs and wonders Jesus did through the Holy Spirit. In Luk 7.22, Jesus used miraculous healing and signs as prove to the disciples of John the Baptist that he was the expected messiah.
- Another purpose is because we need another comforter to live in us in this sinful world 2 thim 3.12, Jhn 16.7-11.
- To have an effective irresistible ministry like Jesus and the Apostles, we need the power from on high, the baptism of the Spirit Heb 1.7, Act 2.37-38.
- To be untouchable Act 13.9-12, Jhn 5.33-35.
Bible in One Year: Acts 14-16
For further fellowship send us an email on godmanvideos@gmail.com or visit our youtube channel: @godmanmedia. You can also interact with us by dropping your comments on our facebook page. Our physical meeting, Word feast comes up every Wednesday by 5pm and Prayer Gym every Saturday by 7am while PENIEL comes up once a month, every last Sunday of the month from 4pm to 6.30pm at Suite A10, Ahser Office Complex, beside Living Faith Church, Opposite Hassan Stores, Arab Road, Kubwa Abuja.