Lynne Little Ministries - Higher Realm
This podcast features a wide-ranging concentration of subjects from Christian apologetics, to mankind's relationship with God and His with us, and exploring our roles within the contemporary church as well as society at large. We facilitate open dialogue with straightforward examinations of foundational Christian beliefs. Special focus will include recovering from, and moving forward through, any type of profound loss from the Christian perspective.
Lynne Little Ministries - Higher Realm
The Present-Day Ministry of the Holy Spirit - Part 6 - From Fear to Fire: The Church Empowered
What transformed the frightened disciples hiding in an upper room into bold preachers who turned the world upside down? The answer lies in a profound spiritual encounter that changed everything.
Join Lynne Little in the sixth installment of our revealing series on the Holy Spirit's ministry. We dive deep into the pivotal transition recorded in Acts, examining the remarkable events of Pentecost and their significance for believers today. Lynne carefully unpacks the distinction between the disciples' initial experience when Jesus "breathed on them" and the later dramatic outpouring that equipped them with supernatural power.
The evidence speaks for itself—when ordinary Galileans suddenly spoke languages they'd never learned, when the formerly terrified Peter stood before thousands with inexplicable eloquence, something extraordinary had occurred. Through careful biblical analysis and personal testimony, Lynne reveals why these manifestations weren't confined to ancient history but remain available to hungry hearts today.
You'll discover why many scholars believe there are two distinct experiences with the Holy Spirit described in Scripture, how the baptism in the Holy Spirit differs from salvation, and what evidence accompanied this empowerment throughout the book of Acts. Lynne's own journey with the charismatic renewal offers a relatable window into how this spiritual hunger can transform young believers.
Whether you've been following Christ for decades or are just beginning your spiritual journey, this episode will challenge you to move beyond comfortable, unremarkable Christianity into a life empowered by the same Spirit that revolutionized the early church. Ready to experience more? Listen now and discover how to tap into divine power that transcends human limitations.
You are listening to Higher Realm with Lynne Little. Our program highlights biblical strategies for moving through life's difficulties and finding your path to healing. We tackle issues particular to those who have experienced painful loss in any form. Lynne is the founder and president of Lynne Little Ministries and the author of Missing Lisa: A Parent Grieves and Finding God in Death and Life: A Passage Through Grief. Now here's Lynne.
Lynne:Hello and welcome to Part 6 in our series on the present-day ministry of the Holy Spirit. Last week, we traced the activities of the Holy Spirit through the four Gospels Matthew, Mark, L uke and John. Today, we come to a more controversial discussion about the factors that ushered in the New Covenant, as expressed through the book the Acts of the Apostles. By the end of this series, we might consider renaming the book from the Acts of the Apostles to the Acts of the Holy Spirit. Now, why do I refer to this book as controversial? Simply because interpretations of the different events frequently give rise to stark differences of opinion, and the operative word here is interpretations. Two points are worth mentioning in this context. First, the book is by all means to be taken literally. The four Gospels contain many passages that are meant to be understood literally, but certain sections are explicitly identified as parables. The Book of Acts is different in that it is comprised of eyewitness accounts recorded by Luke the Physician, who, in the writing of it, does not qualify anything as a parable. Instead, the accounts are literal events to be taken at face value. That said, to attempt to disqualify or discount the events as exaggerated tales is to dispute the authenticity of primary source material. The second point addresses the belief that the events described in Acts are rare, unusual, and confined to that time period alone. After studying how the Holy Spirit has worked over time, it is clear that believing that miracles were limited to one historical period is entirely incorrect. The evidence speaks otherwise. That said, as we study, we can all find points of agreement where clearly stated events can be accepted as fact. To get context, we'll begin by reading a portion of Acts, chapter 1, verse 1.
Lynne:"In my former book Theopolis, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven. After giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my father promised, which you have heard me speak about, for John baptized with water. But in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. So wait a minute. Weren't the disciples already given the Holy Spirit? Didn't they move in signs and wonders and mighty deeds while Jesus was still on the earth? So what sort of baptism was Jesus referring to here?
Lynne:It is reasonable to conclude that with this proclamation, Jesus was introducing a new way in which the Holy Spirit would interact with the apostles. Add this to the moment when Jesus, in John 20: 22, breathed on his disciples and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit, and then later told them to wait for the promised Holy Spirit. It seems contradictory at first, doesn't it? But many scholars believe that when Jesus breathed on his disciples, that was the moment when they became born again. This makes sense when we understand that the Spirit is the one who leads men and women to repentance to begin with. Who leads men and women to repentance to begin with? So what were the disciples supposed to tarry for, if not for the purpose of receiving a second or different experience? Recalling the words of Jesus in John 14, 16 and 17 provides a clue. And I will pray to the Father and he will give you another him, for he dwells with you and shall be in you.
Lynne:In past episodes, we discussed the fact that the Holy Spirit rested upon individuals to accomplish specific tasks, but he did not indwell them. The Holy Spirit, by reason of His holy nature, could not live inside unregenerate men and women. So it's important to remember that the disciples were not born-again men while Jesus was with them on the earth. Rather, the Spirit rested upon them for a specific time to perform specific tasks. Jesus first had to be resurrected before the disciples could be born again. When that happened, it paved the way for the Spirit to be given in a fuller measure. John the Baptist prophesied this In Luke 3: 16 I i" I 17, He said, "I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I will the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." And after Jesus was taken to heaven that's exactly what happened. The disciples obeyed his instructions to wait in Jerusalem for someone's appearance. What occurred next made it worth the wait.
Lynne:As Acts, chapter 2, reads: " hen the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. That separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Thus empowered, the believers left the room and proceeded to turn the known world upside down. Acts 2, verses 5 through 13, gives this account.
Lynne:"Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked Aren't all of these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them speaking in our native language? Parthians, medes and Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, judea, cappadocia, pontus and Asia and Asia, phrygia and Pamphylia, egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism, cretans and Arabs. We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues. Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another what does this mean? Others, mocking, said these men are filled with new wine. The observers evidently saw and heard such joy and enthusiasm and what sounded like babbling to some, that it resembled inebriation. Notice that the word sound is mentioned. What sound were they referring to? The Word of God talks about known and unknown languages. Could that be part of the puzzle. Just then, the formerly terrified Peter, one who denied knowing Jesus to a servant girl, the one who hid from the Jewish leaders, the uneducated fisherman. The uneducated fisherman stood up and preached to a crowd of thousands with an impassioned eloquence that defied explanation. What had happened? Power happened. This was definitely something new.
Lynne:Many believers are content to live lives that are unremarkable. Then there are those who long for a deeper experience with God. They're not content to sit on the sidelines and watch others accomplish great things for God. There is a hunger that resides deep within them to draw closer to God, to live higher, above their circumstances and to move to above circles for the Lord. Jesus Christ. That was our attitude, myself my fellow believers in high school. In our zeal, we sought avenues that promised a greater experience in the Lord. This is what drew us to the charismatic renewal and eventually to the baptism in the C harismatic Spirit.
Lynne:That season was a joyful time of discovery in our new lives in Christ... Warm fellowship, tremendous witnessing,, witnessing Bible studies, praying together often and corny private "I found smoking in the Bible what it says in Genesis 24, 64, and when Rebecca saw Isaac, she lifted up her eyes and lighted off a camel or, okay, everybody. Turn to the book of Hezekiah, which of course doesn't exist. In the early stages of our love of knowing God, we ate, drank, slept the scriptures, discovering and sharing. All the funny and interesting and tragic stories within Scriptures wove their way into our interactions and conversations. One friend wakened me early on a Sunday intoning this imprecation from Proverbs as the door turns on its hinges, so does the lazy person on his bed. So does the lazy person on his bed. It wasn't long before such activity earned our group the moniker Jesus Freaks.
Lynne:Our parents were alarmed at what they considered fanaticism. Their concern was misplaced. Other parents' children were experimenting with drugs while we were attending Bible studies. Where was the harm? So what had happened? The members of our group Christ while attending Young Young Life evangelistic meetings. We were transformed by the power of God.
Lynne:But, wanting more, we searched the scriptures, believed what we read in the Book of Acts and sought after and received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Returning to Peter in Acts, chapter 2, for a moment, as he's nearing the end of his sermon, he stated this Jesus has God raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore, being exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured out this, which you now see and hear. The crowd evidently saw something and they heard something, and what they saw and heard brought about a conviction that moved them so deeply. They said, men and brethren, what shall we do? To which Peter replied repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus, for the remission of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, which thousands did. And soon after the signs and wonders began.
Lynne:My personal search for this experience began after reading Acts, chapter 8, where believers received the Spirit through something called the laying on of hands. Beginning in verse 14, it reads, "When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them. They had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
Lynne:Notice that this passage clearly delineates two separate experiences. When a man by the name of Simon the sorcerer saw that the Spirit was given by the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit. What did Simon the sorcerer see and hear? It seems clear that he definitely saw some sort of transfer of power happening from one person to another, so much so that he craved that power for himself and received a rebuke from Peter as a result. He must have observed the effect this transfer had on the recipients. But what did he hear that also made him covet this ability? What was the evidence covet this ability? What was the evidence?
Lynne:Jesus already told us in Mark 16: 17. "And these signs will accompany those who believe In my name. They will cast out demons. They will speak in new tongues. Simon observed a different language, and the New Testament is filled with references to this language. Acts 10.46 reads For they were hearing them speak in tongues and extolling God. Acts 19.6 says and when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.
Lynne:There are many more references, but needless to say, upon hearing this, I knew that that experience was for me. In my youth and naivete I searched until I found someone who could impart this gift. God met me more than halfway and provided the means for me to receive. At the time I was unaware that many can, and many do, receive this gift without the laying on of hands. To become filled with the Spirit is an easy thing and there for the asking, but first must come the born-again experience. Have you been born again by the power of God? Knowing Jesus is a privilege extended to everyone.
Lynne:All it takes is one simple affirmation expressing the belief that Jesus went to the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and then to state our allegiance to him. One prayer does it all. Would you pray with me?
Lynne:. If you prayed that prayer, write to us at lynnelittleministries@ gmailcom. Have a great week.
Lynne:Thank you so much for listening. Lynne Little Ministries is a 501c3 whose mission is to assist those who have suffered loss and to help them discover hope, peace and restoration. For books, resources or to make a tax-deductible donation go to lynnelittleorg.