Jesus promised His Holy Spirit during His earthly ministry. After He died and then rose from the dead, He appeared to His friends, Disciples, and "more than 500 of his followers at one time" (1 Corinthians 15:6). He instructed, "Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift He promised... In just a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:4-5).

The Working

The Spirit of God began working miracles through these simple people. Peter, who had been so frightened by the events surrounding the death of Jesus that he denied ever having known and been friends with Jesus, was suddenly bold enough to address a large crowd. He told them, "God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. Now He is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as He had promised, gave Him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today" (Acts 2:32-33).

Because of the powerful witness, "those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day — about 3,000 in all" (Acts 2:41). Three-thousand new Believers of Jesus in one day -- what a testament to the power of the Spirit!

The Leading

God's provision of the Spirit was not just for those first followers. When someone accepts God's gift of forgiveness of sin and salvation through Jesus Christ, they "will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). The Holy Spirit aids us in turning our lives toward God: "those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit... letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace" (Romans 8:5-6).

As Jesus's followers, we are instructed to take God's message of forgiveness and salvation "to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Like the Apostles, we are not expected to do God's work by ourselves. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit "will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13). So we know we can depend on the Lord to lead us in His work.

Prayer, Care, and Share Jesus

Scripture: Acts 15:28a

It’s clear in the Bible that the apostles (early followers of Jesus) worked and lived in step with the Holy Spirit, and received guidance from Him. Similarly, as we follow Jesus, we should open our hearts to let the Holy Spirit be our Guide.

Just think about some of the things you’ve learned from the Prayer, Care and Share Jesus guide: Asking the blessing of the Lord on people, places and tasks you do daily; Building relationships with people who don’t know Jesus as their Savior; Meeting the needs of people daily by helping, encouraging and/or praying; and Sharing the Good News of Jesus. The foundation of these principles come straight from the Bible. By living out these principles, you are obeying God’s Word.

Live each day asking the Holy Spirit, who is your Helper and Counselor, to make these biblical principles a part of who you are! As your relationship with The Holy Spirit is strengthened through this daily interaction with Him, you will find great joy. Jesus said: "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth."(John 14:16-17). Doing things with your own power, little can happen. But when you work through the power of the Holy Spirit, miracles may happen.

How? First, as a believer of Jesus, you are filled with the Holy Spirit. If in doubt, refresh your knowledge about the Holy Spirit by reading the New Believer's Guide Parts 6-10. Second, don’t stop the work of the Holy Spirit by just doing your own thing (1 Thessalonians 5:19).