Now that I have shown you from Scripture why Jesus promised His followers that He would not leave them as “orphans” when He returns to heaven to reign at the Right Hand of God the Father as the “new King”. After all, He is going to send God the Spirit Himself to come and live in them to always be with them and to personally guide and teach them as He who is Jesus has done for the past three years.
Jesus also explained to them how God the Spirit will equip and anoint them with the same supernatural gifts of the Spirit that they have seen function in Jesus’ life every day for the past three years.
Therefore, from the beginning, in the early Christian congregation after the outpouring of God the Spirit on God’s people, we see how every believer becomes a witness and instrument in God’s hand.
We see that when a new convert has had a “normal spiritual birth” on that first day or days of their conversion, baptism in water, baptism in the Spirit, according to Acts 2:37 to 39, how from day one they truly become “witnesses” of an invisible God who came to reveal Himself to us in Jesus the Christ’s incarnation, life, crucifixion and resurrection.
Let me show you from Scripture what it looks like practically when believers believe and understand this.
Turn to Acts 3 and read this chapter.
Do you hear and see Peter standing before that lame man who asks him for a little begging coin, and then the following happens:
Peter says to him with certainty of faith: “I have no money; but what I have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”
Then he took the man’s right hand and helped him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones became strong. He jumped up and stood upright, and could walk.”
Yes, I hear some of you saying: Yes, but it was Peter, one of Jesus' twelve disciples, who walked and lived with Jesus for three years!
Yes, I know you want to tell me that this might be true of Peter, but how can we believe that it is also true of "ordinary people" like you and me?
Okay, let me show you an "ordinary person" who God also began to use in such an extraordinarily wonderful way.
Turn to Acts 8 and quickly read this chapter.
Did you at least read Acts 8:5 to 8 and hear how the Holy Spirit began to use an ordinary man, in this case, Philip?
“Now it happened that Philip went down to a city of Samaria and preached Christ. When the people heard Philip and saw the miracles he was doing, they paid close attention to what he said. Unclean spirits came out of many, crying out, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. There was great joy in that city.”
Next time I’ll tell you what it looks like practically if and when believers in our world truly believe this.