Today's Passage - Acts 19:1-7

Acts 19:1-7   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 into 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.   This passage mentioned two types of baptism - John's baptism and the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  John's baptism was a baptism of repentance, which refers to a "turning back", turning away from our sinful ways, and returning back to God.  In fact, this baptism of repentance did not only happen in the New Testament era, it was already there in the Old Testament time. God set up the ritual of sacrifice in the Old Testament times, so that people can repent, turn back to Him. However, repentance by itself is not enough.  We need the energy and motivation for life, and this is the difference between the New Testament and the Old Testament.  Jesus Christ came to this world for us to become the sacrifice for our sins once and for all.  He is our true motivation for life.   The baptism of the Holy Spirit has two meanings.  The first is what is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:13, "For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free - and we were all given the one Spirit to drink."  In other words, when we accept Jesus as our personal Savior, we have individually received the gift of salvation.  However, when the Holy Spirit comes upon, it is like superglue that connects every individual to a body of Christ.  Secondly, the baptism of the Holy Spirit also represents His power.  Acts 11:16 mentions that when Peter preached in the home of Cornelius in Caesarea, he remembered what the Lord has said, "John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."  This indicates that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the experience of Pentecost, in which for the first time, many people spoke in tongues. In fact verse 6 says that When Paul placed his hands on the Corinthians, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. This does not mean that the baptism of the Holy Spirit will always be manifested by speaking in tongues - that is only one phenomenon. However, the Holy Spirit allows us to enter into a life of supernatural power and effective ministry.  May the Spirit of the Lord come upon us, that we may once again be filled with the Holy Spirit!   Pray with Pastor Tong   Lord, may your Spirit move in our midst right now.  Holy Spirit, rain down on us, so that we may turn away from sin and turn back to God.  Unite us as one body and empower us to do your work. We thank you and we pray in the victorious name of Jesus, Amen!    Shekinah Glory - ROLCC Building Expansion Project - Follow the project on Facebook ! Help us to reach our Phase I Target, and witness how God expands His Kingdom on earth!  Click here to donate online.