Guido Gardens Online: Bible Studies by The Sower: The Book of Acts

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The Guido Evangelistic Association, Inc.
600 N Lewis St.
PO Box 508
Metter, Georgia 30439

(912) 685-2222
FAX (912) 685-3502

Michael A. Guido, D.D., Director

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FREE BIBLE STUDIES BY THE SOWER

Dr. Guido has been writing and recording messages on the books of the Bible for his 15 minute radio program, "The Sower," for over 40 years. Now, for the first time, they are presented in text form for your enjoyment and edification.

Click on the menu to the left to begin your Bible Study on the Book of Acts with Dr. Guido, one verse at a time, in the order in which they were written and recorded.

The Book of Acts: Message Nine

By Dr. Michael Guido, D.D.

The one thing needful for the Christian and the Church is to be filled with the Holy Ghost. This is brought out clearly in the book of Acts. But to understand it let's think on seven expressions that are used in the Bible to describe the ministry of the Holy Ghost.

The 1^st, "the gift of the Holy Ghost." The Giver is God, and this gift was promised by our Lord when He said, "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever." On the Day of Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus died, this love-gift was given to the Christians. Now, all who are saved have the Spirit, for the Bible says, "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His."

The 2^nd expression is, "sealed with the Holy Spirit." A seal is a sign of possession. It marks the believer as belonging to the Lord, and the Bible says, "The Lord knoweth them that are His." While in the Northwest I saw timber receive the mark of the buyer, and then floated down the river to its destination. Just so, the believer has been bought by the Lord, and He has put His mark on each one. Until we reach our destination, we'll have His protection. Those, says the Bible, who "have not the seal of God," and therefore don't belong to Him, will suffer the judgments of the coming tribulation.

The 3^rd expression is, "the Spirit of God dwelleth in you." The moment you believe and are born again, your body becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within you. Therefore glorify God in your body. Don't disgrace or desecrate the temple of the Spirit which is your body.

The 4^th expression is, "the earnest of the Spirit." An earnest is a foretaste and a pledge...a part of anything given in advance, as security of the rest. In days of old, when an estate was sold, the buyer was brought to it. There he was given a spade full of the best soil, or a handful of the best fruit, or something of that which was to become his own. That ceremony gave the buyer an incontestable right and title to the whole promised property. Now the fact that the Spirit of God is now in the believer is the pledge from God that he'll enjoy all the benefits of the work of Christ, and will be taken home to heaven.

The 5^th expression is, "the anointing of the Spirit." This refers to a special blessing for study and service. The Bible says, "Ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and ye know all things." The word "anointing" means to rub with oil. It's typical of the consecrating power of the Spirit. The consequence of this is a special insight into the Bible. Thus the Spirit illumines, inspires and instructs the believer in the study of the Bible. No one without the Spirit of God will understand the Bible. That's why the Bible says, "The nonspiritual man does not accept into his heart the teachings of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is incapable of knowing them." But there's an anointing for service. The Bible says, "God anointed Jesus..with the Holy Ghost and with power, Who went about doing good." And Jesus Himself said, "The Spirit of the Lord...hath anointed Me to preach the gospel." The wisdom of the Spirit is only possible through the Spirit of Power. As you yield to the Spirit of God, He will enable you to learn the Bible and to live it, to know good and to do good, to study and to speak.

The 6^th expression is, "the baptism of the Spirit." It's written in 1^st Corinthians 12:13, "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body." On the day of Pentecost all believers were, by the baptism of the Spirit, fused into the body of Christ. Since then, every believer has been made a partaker of the baptism.

The 7^th expression, "filled with the Spirit." By the baptism, we're in the Spirit. By the filling, the Spirit is in us. You can't have more of the Spirit, but He can have more of you. Won't you just now be wholly His, and let Him have all there is of you, and let Him fill you? Say to Him -

"Have Thine own way, Lord, Have Thine own way,

Hold o'er my being absolute sway!

Fill with Thy spirit, till all shall see

Christ only always living in me."

copyright 2000 Guido Evangelistic Association

All Scripture verses are quoted from the New King James Version..

Click here to go to the next message in this Sower Scripture Study on the book of Acts.

This series of messages on the books of the Bible were originally written for broadcast on Dr. Guido's radio program, "The Sower." They are collected and reprinted here for your enjoyment and spiritual edification.