Our church is going through the book of Acts, now. Here are some things I remember were mentioned:
The affects of the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The power to spread the gospel. God's Spirit speaks to unbelievers, trying to get them to repent. God's Spirit also dwells constantly with those who belong to Him, and guides, and helps them in daily life. And helps give us correct understanding of the scriptures. While unbelievers are unable to understand them correctly, due to the fact that they don't have God's Spirit. God's indwelling Spirit helps give us the power to resist and overcome sin in our lives. And being filled with the Spirit is opposite to that of living after the flesh. The way to be fully filled with God's Spirit, is to be fully surrendered to God in daily life, and to put pleasing God in daily life, as the very top priority in life. And more important to us than any earthly thing. And putting on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6) is important for keeping oneself filled with God's Spirit. It is letting sins remain in our lives and failing to repent of them - that quenches His Spirit in our lives.
Aside from the subject of the book of Acts, and the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost - another subject I remember was taught on, was the importance of raising one's children in the ways of the Lord. And now that I think of it, that connected with the subject of the affect of being baptized in the Spirit. It was explained that all children are "in the flesh" - and so that is why training is so important. They are in the flesh until or unless they eventually become true Christians. It was explained that the greatest fear, Christian parents have, is that any of their children might not choose to follow God, later in life. And the teen-aged years are feared the most, by parents. But regular prayer about one's children, and diligent efforts made throughout their childhoods, to train them in the ways of the Lord - is the best prevention there is against having any of their children eventually turn away from God.
The affects of the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The power to spread the gospel. God's Spirit speaks to unbelievers, trying to get them to repent. God's Spirit also dwells constantly with those who belong to Him, and guides, and helps them in daily life. And helps give us correct understanding of the scriptures. While unbelievers are unable to understand them correctly, due to the fact that they don't have God's Spirit. God's indwelling Spirit helps give us the power to resist and overcome sin in our lives. And being filled with the Spirit is opposite to that of living after the flesh. The way to be fully filled with God's Spirit, is to be fully surrendered to God in daily life, and to put pleasing God in daily life, as the very top priority in life. And more important to us than any earthly thing. And putting on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6) is important for keeping oneself filled with God's Spirit. It is letting sins remain in our lives and failing to repent of them - that quenches His Spirit in our lives.
Aside from the subject of the book of Acts, and the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost - another subject I remember was taught on, was the importance of raising one's children in the ways of the Lord. And now that I think of it, that connected with the subject of the affect of being baptized in the Spirit. It was explained that all children are "in the flesh" - and so that is why training is so important. They are in the flesh until or unless they eventually become true Christians. It was explained that the greatest fear, Christian parents have, is that any of their children might not choose to follow God, later in life. And the teen-aged years are feared the most, by parents. But regular prayer about one's children, and diligent efforts made throughout their childhoods, to train them in the ways of the Lord - is the best prevention there is against having any of their children eventually turn away from God.
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