It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples. 2 He said to them, “ Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit .”
Acts 19:1-2 NASU

Have you ever tried a car with a malfunctioning engine?  I will never forget an experience from High School in Washington.  I was living in Kent and had made plans to visit a mall with a friend to pick her up and go shopping at a mall in Federal Way.  My father had purchased a Chevy pick-up that he was letting me use as I was working my way through my final years in High School.

I picked up my friend and started driving down the highway towards the mall which was about 30 minutes away.  I got right on the highway and noticed when I tried to accelerate the car was sputtering a bit.  I remembered that I had just changed the spark plugs on the engine.  The engine was running on 7 plugs instead of 8.  When I got out and reconnected the plug wires everything was fine.  I was able to get back on the highway and drive along.

Many things in our spiritual lives are much like our natural lives as well.  God wants us to know Him and accept the work that He did through the Lord Jesus on the cross (Romans 10:8,9).  However, it does not stop there.  He wants us to have the engine, but He wants it running smoothly.  Receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit is a must for any Christian. According to the Bible, the Holy Spirit is received by the laying on of hands by the leadership of the church (Ie. Other Spirit-filled believers).

When you receive the Holy Spirit, it is like that engine in your car that is running smoothly to power you to the destination.  Without the Holy Spirit you may be able to somehow get to the destination, however it will be tough, slow, and prone to trouble.  That is why the Lord Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit to empower us (Acts 1:8).

Get the gift of the Holy Spirit that God has promised you today! 

Posted on 27 October, 2006