SCRIP-BITS

Acts 1:5.     For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many day hence. 
 
Oh Friends, it’s Friday! Friday June the 1st to boot! Another month has quickly come and gone! But today, instead of only singing ‘TGIF! Thank God it’s Friday!’ the people in my area are also shouting: ‘All praise to our heavenly Father, for He has finally sent some blessed heavenly water upon the earth!’ Yes Friends, some early morning rain has finally fallen around here. Not a whole lot, but all God’s creations; fauna, flora, earth and humans are indeed thankful for it. Thanks too for your prayers, which assuredly help. And for all His LOVING-kindness to undeserving man, let’s give our great God another shout of appreciation nuh! And all God’s people gratefully shouted: ‘Thank You Lord!’ Now since we’re in such a joyful frame of mind (smile) let’s chant our Friday Chant with much enthusiasm. As one voice now: ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.’ Yes mih people, it’s the weekend, and we free from labour, at least outside labour, for two whole, big days. Wow! Please, let’s use that time wisely. Now turning to our Bit: ‘For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many day hence.’ Oh Friends, I know some of you are tired hearing about the Holy Spirit, but please don’t minimize its importance in our lives, because it is the engine of Jesus which works in us, drives us to live for and like Him. If we ignore the power of the Spirit, we’re also ignoring Jesus, and thus not receiving the full benefits of His sacrificial death. In fact, the more you become intimate with the Spirit, the more you become intimate with Jesus, and the better your life will be, for the Spirit was specifically granted to us as Jesus’ divine presence and guide for earthly living. Today I want to point out the importance of the Holy Spirit in the life of one particular early believer – Stephen. We first read about him in Acts 6, where the apostles needed to get away from the everyday hustle and bustle of running a church and become more involved in actually spreading the gospel. In light of this, they chose seven men to look after the church’s administration. Stephen was one of them. ‘And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost…’ (Acts 6:5) At that time Jerusalem was awash with believers and much talk about the gospel, with the Holy Spirit playing a major role. The Good Book says: ‘And Stephen full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. Then there arose certain of the synagogue…disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. (Acts 6:8-10) Note the importance of the Spirit in his preaching. Unable to reason successfully with Stephen, these evil men bribed others to say they had heard him blaspheme, and he was subsequently arrested. A trumped up charge of blasphemy seems to have been the only way to get a believer arrested in those days. But our God moves in such mysterious and amazing ways, that when Stephen was brought before the council, the Good Book says: ‘And all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it has been the face of an angel.’ (Acts 6:15) Then Stephen rose up, and in his defence gave a marvellous speech outlining Jewish history and all it’s subsequent hypocrisy, corruption and atrocities down through the ages. He really lit into the council. (Acts 7:2-53) It’s a must read my people! But then, when the council couldn’t take his withering truth any longer, for ‘they were cut to the heart (furious) and they gnashed on (at) him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord. And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, (as he was) calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.’ (Acts 7:54-60) Oh Friends, that’s the enormous power the Holy Spirit can generate in a believer who is truly filled with it! Let’s pray and ponder today, that all believers will come to know and glorify the Holy Spirit as much as Stephen did, and thus be able to bring others to Christ through his personal testimony. Oh my brethren, it’s obvious that the evil, ungodly rulers of this sinful world cannot handle the power and truth of the gospel that’s preached through the hardworking Holy Spirit, so let’s keep on preaching it nuh! Much LOVE!…believers are only as powerful…as the intimacy they have…with the Holy Spirit…