Acts 8:15-16 IBS

Thursday July 24^th, 2014

Acts 8:15-16 "who, when they has come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus."

            The Jews and Samaritans clash...a lot. John 4:9 says, “Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, ‘How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?’ For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.” Yet when the apostles heard that Samaria had received God, they sent Peter and John to pray for them. I think this is a good example on how we as Christians should respond when someone we don’t really get along with comes to know the Lord. Of course it’s how we should respond, but it’s a good reminder to not only rejoice when they do, but be in prayer for them. Specifically that the Holy Spirit will come upon them. Peter and John are a great example here as to how I would like to be. Before the Holy Spirit can come upon then, a baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus needs to happen.

Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. You usually do that when you first come to the Lord or as you feel led to express that to the world. I believe you can be baptized more than once. Being baptized is between you and the Lord, I feel it’s a renewing of yourself. Before you can receive the Holy Spirit, you must first come to the Lord and renew yourself. You can then be baptized in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is with us always, but only when you accept Christ is when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. What I see in this is that I need to continually renew myself in the Lord and then be filled with the Spirit. I feel repenting can be a huge aspect in renewing myself. I want to be like Jesus.

What is generally seen here is a baptism and then a filling of the Holy Spirit. What I see now in diving deeper is an example on how to humble myself to be able lift those up in prayer who I generally don’t get along with. Also, to renew myself in the Lord in repenting.

Application: There’s a few applications that can apply to this, but one is more for a daily use rather than when someone comes to know the Lord. I can allow myself to be renewed in Him in repenting like I stated earlier. Obviously, repentance should occur often, but I want to be broken when I don’t please Him. In reminding myself to be broken for Him I can write “Break my heart for what breaks Yours” on my hand. That way I can look down and see that I need to do a 180 for Him when I sin.