Day 294 "Evidence of the Holy Spirit"

Passage: Acts 19:1-2a

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?"

Devotion:

Paul is on his third missionary trip, which ends with his return to Jerusalem. He passes through what is present day Turkey and stops in Ephesus where he encounters some disciples and asks the question, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" Isn't that an odd question? What could he have seen in their behavior that would have made him wonder whether they had?

Not long ago I attended a Missions luncheon with my wife Sherry and daughter Amanda. One of the missionaries our church partners with in Mexico was in town to give a presentation of their work. Our Missions Team hosts these events regularly to keep the church body informed of the great work that is being done throughout the world as a result of their financial partnership. Following the presentation my wife (who is part of the leadership team), was busy doing her thing -- answering questions and playing hostess -- while Amanda and I were left to find something to do until she was ready to leave. Much to my surprise and without any encouragement from me, Amanda, who is seven years, old got up and began clearing tables (putting food away and throwing out trash). I was amazed.

A few days later, one of the ladies from our church who observed Amanda working that day, told me that Amanda was full of the Holy Spirit and had been blessed with a true servant's heart. Although my daughter has not been baptized, one thing I know for sure is how much she loves Jesus. It comes through in what she says, how she looks, and especially in what she does -- like serving. In our passage today, perhaps it wasn't what the disciples in Ephesus were doing that made Paul wonder, but what they weren't doing. If someone were to look at your acts, would they wonder not if you believed, but if you had received the Holy Spirit?

Questions to Ponder:

What evidence do you demonstrate of the Holy Spirit's power in your life? What are your acts? The book of the Bible we have been studying is fully entitled "The Acts of the Apostles". In other words, it's what they did after the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost. Have you received the Holy Spirit? Would anyone wonder? Want to know more? We'll continue this story with tomorrow's devotional!