Identity Crisis

“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. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy."

(Acts 2:17-18) The prophet Joel mentioned this. (Joel 2:28-32)Before Christ returns, he will empower peopel to speak for Him. This power is from the Holy Spirit . . . giving believers power and boldness beyond human understanding to stand for God and proclaim: "thus sayeth the Lord". The Holy Spirit is not a thing we get when we want it. It is not a phenomenon we feel when a special song is played. The Holy Spirit is a person . . . the third person of God. It was given to us by the Lord when He returned to heaven to help the believer, guide the believer, and convict the believer. (John 14:15-21) Being baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5) is an identification with the Father just as Christ was baptized by John. (John 1:32-34) Jesus saves . . . not baptism, not church attendance, not serving in ministry . . . Yet we have an Identity Crisis today in our life as CHRISTians. We identify with certain preachers. We identify with a particular musical artists or song. We identify with a particular fad or movement.But we can not come to identify with the Savior and all He calls us to as believers. Some things we just cannot get! We cannot identify with the Holy Spirit within us! We cannot agree with Him! We are seeking the Spirit. We are waiting to get the Spirit. We are searching for guidance, answers, peace of mind, and hope. Yet Jesus promised His disciples of just that . . . in the person of the ZHoly Spirit.(John 16:7-15) Once saved, we have the Holy Spirit! We cannot turn it on or off.He is there inside of us . . . desiring to rule in our lives. Will we identify with Him? Are willing to be used and controlled as those who spoke in Acts 2? As the Spirit works within us, our outward actions will draw others to identify with the Savior as well! (Acts 2:36-47)