'While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all. Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. After all this had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must visit Rome also.” He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer. '
Acts 19:1-22
Paul went from synagogue to synagogue and church to church reasoning with leaders and strengthening the disciples. The disciples who believed in Jesus but had not yet receive the Holy Spirit baptism nor even heard of it, would be baptized as Paul laid hands on them and prayed. Once they received this baptism, they were empowered to preach the Word of God with boldness and to use spiritual gifts. It is not by power or might, but by the Spirit of God that we are effective for the Kingdom of God. Whenever we try to do it in our own strength, we will fail. It takes daily surrendering to the Holy Spirit to be victorious and fruitful. We must always be dependent on Him and give Him all the Glory. When we rebuke a demon, it must be done in His power because they know Jesus, but not us and they are not afraid of us. They are afraid of Jesus!!!
Once the people believed in Jesus and received the Holy Spirit, the first thing they did was confess their sins and repent. They forsake all their former idols and gods and burned them in the fire. Repentance and forsaking idols is the most important sign of salvation. In fact, it is the only way God can use us because when we hold on to idols or sin, we grieve the Holy Spirit. I am so thankful for the conviction that the Holy Spirit brings so that we know what we need to change. The first thing He does is remove His peace. I am so glad for that because we want that peace back so much that we are quick to repent. The lack of peace is our motivation!!! I never want to live a day without that peace!!!! Better is one day in His courts than a thousand elsewhere!!
Acts 19:1-22
Acts 19:1-22 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They an | New International Version (NIV) |
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They an
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Paul went from synagogue to synagogue and church to church reasoning with leaders and strengthening the disciples. The disciples who believed in Jesus but had not yet receive the Holy Spirit baptism nor even heard of it, would be baptized as Paul laid hands on them and prayed. Once they received this baptism, they were empowered to preach the Word of God with boldness and to use spiritual gifts. It is not by power or might, but by the Spirit of God that we are effective for the Kingdom of God. Whenever we try to do it in our own strength, we will fail. It takes daily surrendering to the Holy Spirit to be victorious and fruitful. We must always be dependent on Him and give Him all the Glory. When we rebuke a demon, it must be done in His power because they know Jesus, but not us and they are not afraid of us. They are afraid of Jesus!!!
Once the people believed in Jesus and received the Holy Spirit, the first thing they did was confess their sins and repent. They forsake all their former idols and gods and burned them in the fire. Repentance and forsaking idols is the most important sign of salvation. In fact, it is the only way God can use us because when we hold on to idols or sin, we grieve the Holy Spirit. I am so thankful for the conviction that the Holy Spirit brings so that we know what we need to change. The first thing He does is remove His peace. I am so glad for that because we want that peace back so much that we are quick to repent. The lack of peace is our motivation!!! I never want to live a day without that peace!!!! Better is one day in His courts than a thousand elsewhere!!
