“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28).
TEXT — Joel 2:28-32
Message
The prophet Joel predicted the outpouring of the Holy Spirit’s power upon all believing flesh for end-time effective, productive service. The prediction came thousands of years before its fulfilment at the upper room in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. The Spirit’s power is not for window dressing. Pentecostal enduement is empowerment for service. While its fulfilment is meant for all flesh, they that bear the vessels of the Lord must be holy. “Depart ye, Depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD” (Isaiah 52:11). God does not discriminate; the old, the young, men and women who meet the condition and are willing to serve the Lord will be endued for service.
On the day of Pentecost, when the Lord fulfilled His promise of the outpouring of the Spirit, the initial evidence of the baptism was speaking in an unknown tongue. The coming of the Holy Spirit is to revive and empower the body of Christ and launch her into a life of unrestrained, fruitful, and growing service for the Master. The apostles were unstoppable—they saturated their world with the gospel of Christ. Persecutions, difficulties, hatred, and imprisonments could not stop them. They had conviction and commitment. They were pure and full of energy. They caused joy in cities and transformation in lives. They healed the sick, cured diseases, and set many captives free. They turned their world upside down for Christ.
Today, many profess to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Still, all they have to show for it is mere speaking in tongues without corresponding power or fire. It is time to seek the Lord until He comes and rains down power upon all sanctified vessels. There is much backsliding and waning zeal in the Church today. Countless souls are heading daily to a hopeless and Christless eternity. God is ready and willing to dispense His Spirit upon all saved and sanctified believers.
We need the Spirit and the accompanying gifts. We may not do much if we are satisfied with just the initial evidence of the baptism. We must press forward in fervent prayers and supplication in faith to receive other gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8-10).
Thought for the day
Nobody ever gets baptized with the Holy Ghost, and with fire and remains under a blanket.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
