Acts 2:17-18
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; You sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams, And on My menservants and My maidservants I will pour our My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy."
In Peter's address to the crowd on the day of Pentecost when the Spirit came upon the Church in power, he looks back and proclaims that prophesy of Joel is now fulfilled. The Spirit has been poured out. Not just on the disciples, but on men and women of all ages – all flesh, sons and daughters, old men, those belonging to Christ as menservants and maidservants.
With the coming of the Spirit, the Church becomes the one who prophesy of Jesus Christ as the Spirit gives utterance (see Lesson 72).
We like to say in Texas, "When it rains, it pours." Simply put, even nature doesn't do things half-heartedly in the Great State. We won't even consider it a rain unless the sky turns black, lightning flashes, and the clouds let loose buckets of water upon the earth.
Same with the coming of the Spirit on the Church. Pentecost wasn't just a sprinkling of the Spirit, like a few drops of water stirring up the dust. Just as Joel predicted, this day was a complete out-pouring of God. The coming of the Spirit was felt throughout the entire Church. When God touched the Church with the Spirit, everyone got soaked.
It's the same with our salvation. When a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ, the Lord fully immerses them in the Spirit. If we could see the Spirit, the new believer would be completely wet, with the Spirit poured out on the life of the new convert. It's little wonder the Bible calls this coming of the Spirit a baptism, since God's presence is poured out completely all over us, leaving no part of our lives untouched by the Spirit.
LORD JESUS
Lord, I thank you for the pouring out of your Spirit upon the Church. May I not be one who would take a towel to my life, denying your presence upon me. May all see that I'm immersed in you. Amen.
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