Poured Out

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

POURED OUT

Acts 2:17-21

17 "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'  

NIV

Just one more thing about this quote Peter used in his Sermon to the crowd that had gathered because of all the disciples speaking in all those different dialects. Well, maybe a couple of things. First, we who are filled with the Spirit will prophesy. This would mean the Spirit will inspire our words at times. We do believe we can hold back that Spirit, which we are warned not to quench the Spirit. Sometimes it looks as though the church, in general, has done just that so the spirit of man can have more to say than the Spirit of God. Nevertheless, man cannot do what only God can, and someday God is going to reveal his power in a way no one can refute. We may not understand just how the heavens will display blood and fire and billows of smoke, but it is going to happen. The thing is that this is not going to be a local event, such as the storms are today. The whole world from New York to Los Angeles and on to Beijing and around to Moscow and Paris, as well as down under in Sydney, Cape Town, and Rio de Janeiro. Every eye will see this, depending on the time, some will see the sun become dark, no light upon the earth or the moon will turn to blood. Then, whoever is still alive is going to go through the most horrible experiences which are all outlined for us in the vision or revelation of Jesus Christ that was given to John. We have nothing to worry about whatsoever because we have already called on the name of the Lord and we have already been saved. We will witness this coming great and glorious day of the Lord, but we will be looking from a different perspective than all the world who has rejected his name. However, in calling on the name of the Lord, it should also mean the promised Spirit is dwelling within us and that would also mean He will and does manifest His gifts in our lives, which included those Paul lists in this letter to the Corinthians. All these are from the same Spirit and are for the common good. They are a message of wisdom, knowledge, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, discerning between spirits, tongues, Interpretations, and prophecy. We would think if men do not quench the Spirit so that their spirit can have its own way, we would see the power of the Spirit manifested in the children of God today, for the Spirit has not left us, nor has He forsaken us, but He is a gentleman and will not force Himself upon us. We must be willing to submit to every aspect of God, including having the Spirit poured out upon us. So, how do we handle this in this modern church, especially in those denominations which are not what we would consider accepting the doctrine of Pentecostalism? Do we say we believe in the gifts of the Spirit, but just do not allow the Spirit to manifest them? In order words, we believe in the gifts, we just do not practice them. It is puzzling in some sense. Many denominations speak of the power of the Spirit in the believers' life, empowering them and leading them into all truth. They mention the fact the Spirit brings his fruit and gifts to the believer.  What should we do? How do we live according to the truth, if we do not see His fruit or His gifts? It is puzzling. Still, he has been poured out.