Supporter’s Extra: A Second Blessing!
Friends, I do thank you for your kind donations and support of my work. I love doing this - these devotions and all the music I do - and it's your kindness that enables me to do it. Thank you!
I love Philip, in the book of Acts! Now, remember, he went off to Samaria to do God's work, breaking boundaries by reaching out to the people the Jews so despised. But something interesting happens during his time there. People are brought to faith, but they somehow missed the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Let's read it:
"When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit." (Acts 8:14-17)
What Is the Second Blessing?
This is one of the reasons that we Nazarenes - and a host of other denominations - teach what we call the second blessing. The phrase comes from John Wesley himself, who encouraged people to seek this second blessing… read or listen to this full devotion on my Patreon page here – for a monthly amount of your choice.
Stephen's life was shaped and marked by his love for Jesus, raising the question of what is truly shaping your character today.
When Peter received the Holy Spirit, the fumbling and failures of his earlier years gave way to extraordinary fruit - bold preaching, miraculous healing, and remarkable courage. Examine today what fruit the Spirit has produced in your life, and ask God to fill you afresh.
Peter's cycle of failure and forgiveness was broken when he received the fire of the Holy Spirit - and the same transformation is available to you. Ask God today to fill you afresh with His Spirit's power.
Paul's vision in Romans 6 is breathtaking - a life died to sin and raised again in Christ. Ask yourself today whether you are truly living as a new creation, or still sitting in the old life that Christ came to set you free from.
Oswald Chambers had a passion for holiness. Remember today that the great message of the Bible is that we are called to holiness.
Excessive entertainment and earthly pursuits can rob us of spiritual joy and make us spiritually lethargic. Examine your leisure activities and ask if you could enjoy them with Jesus beside you, then commit to feeding your soul on things that glorify Him.
An extra devotion for my supporters! Amon increased his guilt by continuing in sin, but God's grace is greater than any sin. Come to God in repentant prayer today, leaving behind old ways and finding His sanctifying grace.
God’s grace did more for Manasseh than just forgive him. It transformed him. Do you need to start living for God more purposefully, as a forgiven child?
Circumcision in the Old Testament was more than a ritual - it was a picture of belonging to God, foreshadowing the New Testament reality of heart transformation. Consider today how God's grace goes before our understanding, welcoming us into His family even as children.
God’s offer is not a ‘half-off’ deal. He wants to sanctify the whole of you! Will you submit to Him for this?
God wanted Abraham to physically circumcise the males in his household, but the New Testament teaches us that in Christ, God wants to give us a spiritual circumcision, cutting away our old sinful selves. Have you submitted to Him for this blessing?
Abram compromised, and we all do. But the good news is that God has made a way out of these sinful habits, if we will take it.
Being sanctified doesn’t mean you’ve arrived. It only means you are more free to keep growing.
The most personal song on the new album – celebrating the freedom I found.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is available to every believer - not just the apostles, not just the early church. Ask God today whether you have truly been filled with His Spirit, and seek that fullness if you haven't.