Baptism In The Holy Spirit - Two

Philip and the Ethiopian.

Then the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, “Get up and head south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route.” So he got up and set out. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, that is, the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury, who had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning home. Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, “Go and join up with that chariot.” Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” He replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him. This was the scripture passage he was reading:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opened not his mouth. In (his) humiliation justice was denied him. Who will tell of his posterity? For his life is taken from the earth.”

Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply, “I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this scripture passage, he proclaimed Jesus to him. As they traveled along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, there is water. What is to prevent my being baptized?” Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and he baptized him. When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but continued on his way rejoicing. 

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the holy Spirit.

PRAYER FOR GRACE:

Jesus my Lord, I confess to you and to all the world my need for your presence in my life. I am alone and in darkness without you. I am influenced and controlled by the many forces that surround me. Even though I struggle against them, it is sin that so easily dominates my life. Who can save me but you alone, my Lord and my God. Deliver me from the Evil One. Touch my life with that power which flows from your resurrection. Cause your Holy Spirit to be born in me anew. Prince of Peace and Lord of Glory reign now in my heart. Baptize me with your Holy Spirit and Fire. Raise me up to a New Life in you.

POINTS TO CONSIDER AS YOU PRAY:

• The Ethiopian is a seeker. He has the scripture in his hands, seeking to understand its message for him.
• The Spirit has a plan to answer his search. (Seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened.) 
• Inside each scripture text the voice of the Spirit is speaking to us, showing us how all scripture, when the Spirit is inspiring us, will lead us to Jesus.
• “Do you understand what you are reading?” He replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?”
• Praying scripture is not scripture study, rather it is listening to the Voice of the Spirit speaking to our hearts. (Were not our hearts burning within us as He opened the scriptures to us!)
• Speak Lord, your servant is listening.

COLLOQUY: Dear Lord ..... (here, I express the thoughts of my heart)

REVIEW OF PRAYER:

• Was there a time in your prayer that evoked a change in the way you were feeling?
• Were you able to picture the event in your imagination?
• Did you identify with any particular person in the passage?
• Was there anything in your prayer that touched your heart?
• Can you name the feelings you experienced?
• Did you hear the Spirit, in your mind's ear, speaking to you?
• What areas of your personal life seemed to be coming to mind as you prayed?
• Do you have a desire to return again to this passage and prayer?
• Described what you have learned.
• What questions do you now have following your prayer?

We generally think of Pentecost as that day the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus' disciples gathered in the upper room. But Luke, in his Acts of the Apostles, tells us that, this same outpouring of the Spirit of Pentecost, was experienced by many throughout this whole apostolic  period, as the Spirit worked to bring to life Christ' Church. We might actually sight five Pentecost experiences described by Luke.

1. The day of Pentecost with the disciples in the upper room. (Acts 2:1)
2. The baptism of the Ethiopian by Philip and the Samaritans receiving the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:)
3. The conversion of St Paul. (Acts 9:1)
4. The Gentile Pentecost and the baptism of Cornelius and family. (Acts 10:1)
5. The baptism of the disciples of John the Baptist. (Acts 19:1)

In each of these accounts, we see the effects of the Holy Spirit at work in these people. There is a twofold effect described.

• Conversion and the gift of a living, personal faith in Jesus.
• Gifting and empowering of the soul for a dynamic discipleship in Christ.