Latest / Reflections On The Word With Richard Kay / The Seven Keys To Christian Living—Part 8 | Episode #350 | Encore Episode #021

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The Seven Keys To Christian Living—Part 8 | Episode #350 | Encore Episode #021 · Reflections On The Word With Richard Kay

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  Speaker 1: Welcome to today's edition of Reflection on the Word with
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  Speaker 1: Richard K. I'm Chuck Christie, and today we are asking
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  Speaker 1: you to spend a few moments of your time with
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  Speaker 1: us each day as Richard shares from God's work with notes, quotes,
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  Speaker 1: and stories, along with some of his own personal experiences,
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  Speaker 1: to confirm for you God's great love for us, that
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  Speaker 1: his compassion for us never fails, and that he has
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  Speaker 1: a great faithfulness toward us in every regard. In Lamentations,
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  Speaker 1: Chapter three, verses twenty two and twenty three, we read,
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  Speaker 1: because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed,
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  Speaker 1: for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning.
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  Speaker 1: Great is your faithfulness. Now, if you miss a portion
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  Speaker 1: of today's broadcast or would like to recommend it to
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  Speaker 1: a friend, you can hear this program anytime online at
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  Speaker 1: Talknetwork Radio dot com. Well, now here's Richard with today's reflection.
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  Speaker 2: While he was together with them, he commanded them not
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  Speaker 2: to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father's promise. This,
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  Speaker 2: he said, is what you heard from me. For John
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  Speaker 2: baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the
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  Speaker 2: Holy Spirit not many days from that. Acts one Versus
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  Speaker 2: four and five yesterday was a very formidable day in
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  Speaker 2: the history of the Christian Church. As a matter of fact,
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  Speaker 2: perhaps one of the most formidable of all of the
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  Speaker 2: events that ever has been recorded was actually the event
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  Speaker 2: that took place on the day of Pentecosts. You see,
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  Speaker 2: Pentocaust is actually an annual feast which is set apart
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  Speaker 2: in the Jewish religion, where people from many different backgrounds
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  Speaker 2: will come together and they will hear the word of
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  Speaker 2: the Lord. Now, of course, in this particular instance, there's
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  Speaker 2: quite a bit of history that we can look at.
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  Speaker 2: But one of the most important aspects in our series
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  Speaker 2: of the seven Keys to Christian Living is this sixth
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  Speaker 2: particular key, which is explode in God's power. Now, there
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  Speaker 2: is something more important in the life of a Christian
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  Speaker 2: believer than anything that could be taught according to a
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  Speaker 2: particular message. It has to be an experience. Now, there
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  Speaker 2: are many people today that will debate this, and they
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  Speaker 2: will state that there are things in history that are
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  Speaker 2: over They are actually studying the basis of history and
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  Speaker 2: the Church growth in a way that says this particular
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  Speaker 2: experience was not to be continued. And yet we don't
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  Speaker 2: find anything in scripture that will support that. In fact,
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  Speaker 2: there is a far more supporting evidence for the experience
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  Speaker 2: of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Now, as much
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  Speaker 2: as people would like to be able to debate, we're
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  Speaker 2: not looking at the reason for one person having an
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  Speaker 2: opinion or feeling that this is something that they experience
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  Speaker 2: in perhaps a different way. I'm not stating that this
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  Speaker 2: is something that is going to be an argument for
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  Speaker 2: the church. I'd rather follow just what the Word says.
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  Speaker 2: And the most important part is if we are to
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  Speaker 2: be empowered by God, the purpose is that we are
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  Speaker 2: to be empowered to proclaim the Gospel. You know, it's
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  Speaker 2: an interesting thing that in the passage that we read,
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  Speaker 2: Jesus made a very sound statement. He said, this is
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  Speaker 2: the Father's promise. Now, I would think that this is
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  Speaker 2: an important lesson. It is something that they needed to
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  Speaker 2: know in order to do the work that he had
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  Speaker 2: set them apart to do. When he said that John
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  Speaker 2: had baptized with water, this was a baptism of repentance.
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  Speaker 2: We may recall that when Jesus approached Young the baptizer,
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  Speaker 2: John actually tried not to baptize Jesus. As a matter
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  Speaker 2: of fact, he made a comment that he was in
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  Speaker 2: need of the baptism that Jesus would provide. But Jesus said,
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  Speaker 2: this is to be done now. But he did proclaim
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  Speaker 2: that there was going to be a baptism for all believers,
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  Speaker 2: that would be a baptism in the Holy Spirit. Now,
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  Speaker 2: of course, in proclaiming this, he was still present after
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  Speaker 2: his resurrection. He was with them, and he told those disciples.
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  Speaker 2: And I want to clear up a question. The question
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  Speaker 2: is did he only say this to the eleven remaining
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  Speaker 2: the referred to as apostles, or did he say this
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  Speaker 2: to everyone that was within hearing. You see, he didn't
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  Speaker 2: separate any of it. He simply told them what to do.
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  Speaker 2: And so what did he tell them to do. He
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  Speaker 2: told them that they will receive power when the Holy
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  Speaker 2: Spirit has come on you, and it says, then you
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  Speaker 2: will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria,
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  Speaker 2: and to the ends of the earth. Now, the interesting
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  Speaker 2: thing is they were all told to wait. He even
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  Speaker 2: gave them an instruction. He said, go and carry in Jerusalem. Now,
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  Speaker 2: in Erusalem, this was not a very friendly or inviting environment.
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  Speaker 2: They would definitely be afraid to face those that could
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  Speaker 2: accuse them of being followers of Jesus, the one who
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  Speaker 2: they called the Messiah, And yet they did follow his instruction,
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  Speaker 2: and they gathered together. And they were gathered together in
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  Speaker 2: a area referred to as the Upper Room, now very
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  Speaker 2: similar to a large area in which they could have
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  Speaker 2: gathered for other types of meals or special observances. This
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  Speaker 2: was an area that would hold many people. And we
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  Speaker 2: know that's true because the following scriptures actually do proclaim,
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  Speaker 2: because as we read in the Book of Acts, we
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  Speaker 2: find the event actually described in this manner, beginning in
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  Speaker 2: Acts chapter two, that when the day of Pentecost had arrived,
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  Speaker 2: they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound
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  Speaker 2: like that of a violent, rushing wind came from heaven,
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  Speaker 2: and it filled the whole house where they were staying,
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  Speaker 2: and tongues like flames of fire that were divided, appeared
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  Speaker 2: to them and rested on each one of them. Then
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  Speaker 2: they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began
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  Speaker 2: to speak in different languages as the Spirit gave them
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  Speaker 2: the ability to speak. Now, what was so important in
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  Speaker 2: this waiting in the Upper Room. Well, first of all,
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  Speaker 2: the day of Pentecost had not come, and yet they
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  Speaker 2: were prepared for that Jewish festival. It is called Chivua,
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  Speaker 2: and because that is a time when Jews would come
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  Speaker 2: from all parts within the region so they could once
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  Speaker 2: again hear the reading or the proclamation of the Torah.
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  Speaker 2: Because of this, Jews that were living in Jerusalem, the
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  Speaker 2: scripture says, these were devout men from every nation under heaven.
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  Speaker 2: When this sound, the sound of the rushing wind that
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  Speaker 2: was resting now as tongues of fire on each of
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  Speaker 2: those that were within the room. When this sound occurred,
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  Speaker 2: a crowd came together, and they were confused, because each
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  Speaker 2: one heard these speaking in his own language. They were
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  Speaker 2: stounded and amazed, saying, look, aren't all these who are
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  Speaker 2: speaking Galileans, How is it that each of us can
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  Speaker 2: hear in our own native language. There were Parthians, Medes Elamites,
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  Speaker 2: those who lived in Mesopotamia, in Judea, Cappitosia, Pontus and Asia,
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  Speaker 2: Persia and Pamphilia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Sereni,
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  Speaker 2: visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs.
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  Speaker 2: We hear them speaking the magnificent acts of God in
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  Speaker 2: our own languages. They were all astounded and perplexed, saying
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  Speaker 2: to one another, what could this be? But some sneered
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  Speaker 2: and said, oh, they're just full of new wine. Now,
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  Speaker 2: if it stopped there, then we would be able to
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  Speaker 2: say that this was just a means of calling to
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  Speaker 2: attention all of those who had gathered for the feasts
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  Speaker 2: of what is called Pentacost. And yet there was a
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  Speaker 2: message being proclaimed. This message was heard by every one
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  Speaker 2: of those that were attending the feast. They were there
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  Speaker 2: for the purpose of hearing God's word, but they didn't
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  Speaker 2: expect to hear it in the manner that it came.
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  Speaker 2: You see, they said, aren't these In some versions it
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  Speaker 2: even says simple Galileans, meaning that these were less educated,
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  Speaker 2: They were not the philosophers of the day, and yet
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  Speaker 2: they heard all of these messages given in their own languages.
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  Speaker 2: Now we've just read that there was a multitude of
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  Speaker 2: those people from different places. They all spoke different languages.
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  Speaker 2: In our world today, there are many many languages. In fact,
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  Speaker 2: in some countries there are languages yet not interpreted, And
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  Speaker 2: there are still those that can't even understand the langugeanguage
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  Speaker 2: of their neighbor who might live in a neighboring state
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  Speaker 2: within the same country. That is the same premise that
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  Speaker 2: you find existent in India and in parts of Asia.
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  Speaker 2: It is true still today people need to hear the
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  Speaker 2: word of God in their language. Now I want to
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  Speaker 2: have this very clearly expressed. Remember, this is the key
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  Speaker 2: for the Kingdom of Heaven. It's a key to Christian living.
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  Speaker 2: It's not a key that is set aside for a
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  Speaker 2: specific group who in some way have achieved a hierarchy
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  Speaker 2: or position in the kingdom. This is for all believers.
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  Speaker 2: Now I want to take just a moment so that
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  Speaker 2: we can look at what actually happened. First of all,
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  Speaker 2: let's see what was taking place as Jews gathered from
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  Speaker 2: all of the parts of the region. The first thing
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  Speaker 2: was there were a group of people followers of Jesus
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  Speaker 2: who gathered together under Jesus' own direction that they were
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  Speaker 2: to tarry in Jerusalem until the promise of the Father.
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  Speaker 2: Now here's the thing. How many were there? According to
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  Speaker 2: the actual writing of the scripture, there were one hundred
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  Speaker 2: and twenty in this upper room. Now one hundred and
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  Speaker 2: twenty is certainly more than what Jesus had spoken to
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  Speaker 2: on the shores of Galilee. But he proclaimed that they
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  Speaker 2: should go and tear it because he gave them authority
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  Speaker 2: to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Now,
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  Speaker 2: in this statement, we need to look closely at what
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  Speaker 2: their need was before they could go and proclaim with
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  Speaker 2: power the Gospel. They didn't need more of the teaching
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  Speaker 2: of the Torah. It doesn't mean that they wouldn't study,
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  Speaker 2: but they needed power that would in part the explosion
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  Speaker 2: that would overtake all of the intellect of that day.
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  Speaker 2: They needed Holy Spirit power. And friends, we need Holy
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  Speaker 2: Spirit power today. Why because the Gospel is still being proclaimed.
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  Speaker 2: We are still those ambassadors of Christ proclaiming the wonderful
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  Speaker 2: good news that He has paid the price for sin
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  Speaker 2: because He loves us. Because of that, men, women, children
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  Speaker 2: can hear in their understanding, they are drawn by the
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  Speaker 2: Holy Spirit to here the wonderful word of the Gospel.
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  Speaker 1: Richard will be right back in a moment to wrap up.
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  Speaker 1: But if you've just joined us, you've been listening to
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  Speaker 1: Reflections on the Word with Richard Ka, you can hear
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  Speaker 1: this message in its entirety again online as well as
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  Speaker 1: Richard's entire archive at Talknetwork Radio dot com. We would
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  Speaker 1: like to acknowledge our theme song, how Great is Thy
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  Speaker 1: Faithfulness from the America's twenty five Favorite Hymns album, unless otherwise.
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  Speaker 1: Express scriptures are read from the Holman Christian Standard Bible,
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  Speaker 1: which is published by Homan Bible Publishers in Nashville, Tennessee.
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  Speaker 1: Additional resources used for Reflections on the Word with Richard
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  Speaker 1: Ka include Great Is Thy Faithfulness by Our Daily Bread
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  Speaker 1: and printed by Discovery House Publishers. Again, here is Richard
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  Speaker 1: to wrap up today's message.
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  Speaker 2: And I want to ask every one of our listeners
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  Speaker 2: this question, no matter what your education or particular standing
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  Speaker 2: maybe in society, is it not God's command that we
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  Speaker 2: should be filled with the Holy Spirit. If we are
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  Speaker 2: to be filled with the Holy Spirit, it is continual.
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  Speaker 2: It is not a one time event that stops and
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  Speaker 2: is never repeated. It is also not something that you
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  Speaker 2: don't realize, because when you're empowered to take the Gospel,
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  Speaker 2: you recognize it is not of yourself. This brings glory
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  Speaker 2: to God and proclaims the Kingdom of God is at hand.
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  Speaker 2: And that is today's reflection on the Word.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you, Richard. Join us again tomorrow when we continue
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  Speaker 1: with the next edition of Reflection on the Word with
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  Speaker 1: Richard K. For Richard and the entire team. This is
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  Speaker 1: Chuck Christie saying thanks for listening to this edition of
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  Speaker 1: Reflections on the Word