Scripture Memorization
Begin memorizing Acts 1:8 “But you shall 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.”
Acts 1:4-5 —On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus did not want His disciples to immediately begin telling others about Him. He told them to wait for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, because He knew the POWER they were to receive was essential for the task ahead of them. In this lesson, you will learn.
BAPTISM means to be immersed or dipped into something.
So that you will not become confused, you need to know that there are several terms which refer to “The Baptism of the Holy Spirit” and that they all mean the same thing.
The Greek word for POWER is “dunamis,” where we get our words “dynamite” and “dynamic.” It is also translated strength, ability, authority, and might. Jesus knows our weaknesses and that we do not have the strength we need to continually follow Him or do things for Him, so He supplies us with the POWER (dunamis) we need. We do not have to do it on our own!
WITNESS–to be a witness, means to testify that something is true. The disciples went out testifying that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God and Savior of the World.
Another aspect of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is that the Holy Spirit wants to give each of us “spiritual gifts’’ or supernatural abilities to EDIFY (build up faith or strengthen) ourselves and other believers. The Bible refers to believers as the “body of Christ.” Jesus is the head and each of us is given a gift (or gifts) that empower us to function as a part of that body.
If you want to know more about the Body of Christ, read Romans 12:4-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:1-31.
The Holy Spirit is like a wall outlet in your house. The power is always there, all you haveto do is plug into it. With the power of the Holy Spirit, your “plug” is sincere faith and obedience to God. When you ASK, believe God will answer your prayer, and you will plug into His power.
In Ephesians 5:18 the Bible commands us to “be filled with the Holy Spirit.” It is better translated, “be continually being filled with the Holy Spirit.” It is not just a one time filling, but we are continually in need of God’s power. To be filled continually with the Holy Spirit, you must abide in Christ (Read John 14:21).
If you have not already been filled with the Holy Spirit or if you need a refill, just pray a simple prayer like this, “Father, my power is not enough. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and give me the power I need. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
In your journal, write out the verse you memorized for lesson 3.