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My brothers
and my sisters I would like to meditate with you today about the theme above,
because we still see some sort of prejudice about the same.
John Wesley, founder of Methodism in the
eighteenth century began this work after the experience he had with the Holy
Spirit in your life. He had difficulty dealing with the name that would give
this experience so profound and powerful in your life and in the lives of
others that have had, are having and will have in the future. Wesley now
called Spiritual Baptism, Baptism with the Holy Spirit and other times of inner testimony of the
spirit. But always recognized that there was a change and that this
experience had a name. For many years only the so-called
"Pentecostal" dealt with it. The historic churches had many
difficulties to work the concept of Baptism with the Holy Spirit. There was
some prejudice about the idea and these churches (Historical) have an
election lagging behind and even spoke about the issue in the
Biblical/Theological point of view. It is natural that not seeking knowledge
about a subject so deep as this people or Churches get lost and without
anyone knowing their real importance in people's lives and communities. I
believe that this has also led the so-called "traditional" to do
various kinds of criticism to "Pentecostal" and it spawned a
distancing of the groups and the mutual insults instead of seeking growth in communion what would have
undoubtedly been a very rich experience. Lived in discomfort. But Wesley in
his time has acted differently. Looking for reading and studying everything
he could on the subject and had with the Moravians (a charismatic group) a
very close relationship and this led him later to embrace the cause defended
by them, namely: the spirit-filled life and the pursuit of Holiness. The
coming of the Holy Spirit over Wesley wasn't something by accident and sudden
even without that he had sought. Wesley sought intensively a life of full
communion with God through the holy spirit that he knew theologically, but
didn't know in practice. Only from the day May 24, 1738 on Aldersgate Street
in an informal meeting headed by a layman Wesley lived intensely the
experience with the Holy Spirit. However the biggest evidence that he now was
really transformed were the lives that accept Christ when they hear his word
filled with the Holy Spirit and fire of God. Nobody could hear Wesley and
carry on regardless. Something was happening. God now spoke really in the
mouth of John Wesley. His sermons are
no longer theoretical and went on to be the voice of God that changed people.
The love which came to feel for souls was lost which cannot be mistaken. All
that Wesley only knew of theoretical form about God and his relationship with
sinners became practical, real, and alive. We Methodists know the Baptism
with the Holy Spirit in this manner. Why still today they called it holy
baptism too.
I praise God because the Methodist Church
rediscovered this great truth and returned to its origins. We cannot accept
that someone wanted to make the open of God as God wants it to be made
without this Sanctifying Baptism. It would be impossible. We can even work
well planned and organized, but the souls will never surrender to Christ and
our speech becomes tiresome and monotonous. We can preach about communion at
all times in our pulpits. But there will be.
true
communion between our people without this baptism with the Holy spirit and
with fire.
What such time has taken our communities for
discussion on the topic and to reject the idea was the evidence of Baptism.
What would be the evidence of receiving the Baptism with the Holy Spirit? The
"Pentecostal" said to be speaking in strange tongues. The
"historical" rejected that thesis. The problem is how to escape the
"traditional" always used the biblical text of 1 Cor. 13 where Paul speaks that could
speak the tongues of men and of angels, but without love would be like the
clanging Bell and would have no value. But Paul is not against the gift of
tongues and against the gift yourself without love. Was what was happening in
the Church of Chorints in those days. That's why Paul regulates the cults in
chapter 14 where it says that in the case of someone speaking in other
tongues that speak two or when many three and one after the other and that
there is an interpreter so that the Church may receive edifying.
Why? Because I was going on a tremendous
disorder. One began to speak in tongues and suddenly everyone was talking
about and the cult was turning around one of the gifts of the spirit. But
nobody can deny that in the Bible there are cases in which the evidence of
the coming of the Holy Spirit has
been speaking in other languages. Let's go to the texts; Acts 19: 1-7. Paul
after passing by the higher regions arrives at Ephesus and encounters a group
of enthusiastic disciples and ask them if they had received the Holy Spirit
when you believed. The who responded; We've never even heard that there is
the Holy Spirit. After that question in that Baptism had been they baptized
and knowing it was the baptism of John Paul explains to the baptized in the
name of the Lord Jesus. After imposing his hands on them and the Holy Spirit
is poured. What happened? Those men were speaking in other languages and to
predict. It's pretty clear here that in this case the evidence was the
languages and prophecies. Go back a bit to Chapter 10 of acts and see the
episode in the Home of Cornelius. See from verse 44 what happens when Peter
is talking about.
The text says that while Peter talked about the
Holy Spirit fell on all that hear the word, for they heard them speaking in
tongues and magnify God. Whereupon Peter orders that are baptized because
they The text says that while Peter talked about the Holy Spirit fell on all
that hear the word, for they heard them speaking in tongues and magnify God.
Whereupon Peter orders that are baptized because they had received the Holy
Spirit with them (of circumcision) that accompanied the Peter. See also the
chapter eight of acts from the verse 14 to 17. The thing was so evident that Simon was envied and wanted to
buy this gift with money, because the two sent imposed hands on people and
they received the Holy Spirit. You ask me: Pastor, but what about the
evidence? I would answer: it was immediate. There was no time for people to
demonstrate with their lives, what had happened. Everything was seen at the
time. This text begins by saying that the brothers Peter and John were sent
to Samaria because the people were receiving the word of God and the
believers were increasing, but the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of
them. They were on a mission to pray for everyone to receive the Holy Spirit.
Brothers like watching it indifferent? Question time that a lot of people it
takes to realize that Biblical truth
Start the new
year thinking firmly in a community full of faith, love and seeking the
Baptism with the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Rev. Jesué
Francisco da Silva.
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