Acts Bible Study: The Church began in the Acts of the Apostles with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It’s the story of the birth of the Church, how it was formed, how it developed – and I believe it’s how the Church should be today. I believe we should live as they lived in the Acts of the Apostles, in the same Power of the Holy Spirit – it’s the Power behind my ministry of evangelism. In Joel 2 the prophet speaks of the first rain and the last rain. I believe, and many would agree, this refers to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost when the church began, and now in these last days before Christ returns.
Only the Gospel can change the world
The only thing that can change the world is the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Asked to pastor a church at 18, just three months after starting Bible College, and holding my first Tent Mission a few months later, I have seen the Power of God and miracles of healing from the very beginning of my ministry. After 72 years of ministry, why do I carry on with such passion? It is because I believe that all the Power of God is in the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! (Romans 1.16).
Searching for more of the Holy Spirit
If we believe we are living in the last days, we need the Holy Spirit desperately! The reason I first received the Holy Spirit was because I knew I had to preach the Gospel – with lives changed, souls saved into the Kingdom! I was searching for something which does not come from men, the real power of God. If you want to be effective in ministry, you MUST be filled with the Holy Spirit! There is a danger today that we do not understand the reality of what the baptism in the Holy Spirit means.
The ever increasing Power of God
In the Old Testament there is such a level of faith in the promises of God – strongly revealed right through every part of the Scripture! Read the famous chapter on faith, Hebrews 11, it is referring to the Old Testament, the stories and miracles of the prophets! Look how powerful the miracles in the Old Testament were for those who believed!
Revival and Persecution
Revival and Persecution arrive together. What caused the early Church to expand beyond Jerusalem? How did this Pentecostal Fire 2000 years later, reach you and I? The persecution of the early church caused the greatest missionary revival ever seen. Without this persecution, the early church would’ve stayed in Jerusalem, instead it compelled it to go into all the world.
You need more of the Holy Spirit!
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is life transforming
The Church alive with the Fire of God
We need a Church on Fire! Filled with the Power of God! We need another Pentecost! We need another outpouring of the Holy Spirit! We must declare the Glory, the Majesty and the Power of God – and through this will come salvation! In Acts 2 verse 21, Peter says, 'Whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord, shall be saved!' If we call on the Name of the Lord we shall be delivered from sickness, from sin, from fear… The Church today needs that kind of salvation! The Church is constrained by fear. The Church needs to see the Power of God. Because, whosoever – in the Church – will really call upon the Name of the Lord, they will see the Power of God revealed! O God, open our eyes, give us a vision – and let us see Your Glory, in Jesus’ Name! Amen!
You WILL receive a baptism of Power and Fire
You WILL receive a baptism of Fire and Power! My whole ministry has been about the Fire and Power of the Holy Ghost! I want to talk from Acts 1.8 – this is the beginning for the Church, these are Christ’s last Words before He leaves His disciples and before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. He’s telling them, preparing them, warning them for what is going to happen.
The Power of Revival
We need the FIRE of God to fall afresh on us! We often say of people who are very enthusiastic that they are ‘fiery’! Come on! We need to have some of that FIRE that came on the first Day of Pentecost! Look at Acts 4.33, ‘With GREAT POWER the Apostles witnessed to the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus!’ Look, these men were not educated, nor religious – their ONLY Power and Authority was the Holy Spirit and Jesus! What we need, what I pray for – is a spiritual awakening that will bring back the FIRE AND THE POWER into the Church. We need Jesus and the Power of the Holy Spirit. We need a renewal of this experience in the Church! O God, grant it in Jesus’ Name! Amen!