Hammer on Anvil '

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” (Acts 19:1-2).

It's no secret that the Holy Spirit has been the source of many heated discussions in the church. Tragically, entire denominations have been formed around what people believe or don't believe about Him. And if you happen to attend a church where the third Person of the Godhead is virtually ignored, you may echo the sentiments of the disciples in the Scripture above: "We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

The Bible is quite clear that we need the Holy Spirit if we hope to live as Jesus wants us to live. Remember Peter? Before the Holy Spirit came on him, he was weak and cowardly, ultimately denying Jesus. After the Holy Spirit, he spoke boldly and unapologetically about Jesus to anyone who would listen. He died a martyr's death because he wouldn't stop witnessing about his Lord.

The bottom line is that our lives with the Holy Spirit should look radically different than they did before. For many, though, "new life" in Christ has become formulaic:

• Life before Christ = drinking, smoking, drugs, sex
• Life after Christ = NO drinking, smoking, drugs, sex

We tend to focus on what we DO, but God focuses on who we ARE. Like Peter, we can go from fearful to bold, from powerless to powerful, from self-absorbed to self-crucified. It's not about whether we speak in tongues or not, folks -- it's about our bodies becoming the very temples where the Holy Spirit dwells in power.

Have you shied away from the Holy Spirit simply because you weren't sure what it meant to "receive" Him or be "filled" with Him? Francis Chan addresses this in his book Forgotten God. He has heard people say, "What if I pray for the Holy Spirit and nothing happens?"

It's scary to pray boldly for change or freedom from sin because if nothing happens, then doesn't that mean God failed? Doesn't that mean His Spirit isn't all we've been told He is?
I think the fear of God failing leads us to "cover for God." This means we ask for less, expect less, and are satisfied with less because we are afraid to ask for or expect more.

Chan is absolutely right. We make it so much about ourselves, and how we're going to "look" to other people. Some think they are more spiritual simply because they speak in tongues. Our focus is totally off what God intended when He sent His Spirit -- power to be His witnesses.

I have known people who speak in tongues and were mean-spirited and divisive. I have also been privileged to pray and walk with others whose countenances nearly shone with the Holy Spirit's love and power. May we all desire to be so completely His that we lay aside our preconceived ideas and ask for a fresh infilling of His Spirit today. Then let us "go and make disciples of all nations."