Gloria Copeland Standing with You for God’s Master Plan for Your Life
About Gloria Copeland
With a passion for Scripture and a determination, Gloria Copeland has been teaching about the life-changing power of God’s Word for more than 40 years. Read MoreLive Long, Finish Strong
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Gloria Copeland — The Power That WorksPosted on March 3rd, 2010
Learn to continually pray this prayer
from Ephesians 3:14-21 for yourself:
For this cause I bow my knees unto
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
of whom the whole family in heaven
and earth is named, that he would
grant you, according to the riches
of his glory, to be strengthened with
might by his Spirit in the inner man;
that Christ may dwell in your hearts
by faith; that ye, being rooted and
grounded in love, may be able to
comprehend with all saints what is
the breadth, and length, and depth,
and height; and to know the love of
Christ, which passeth knowledge, that
ye might be filled with all the fullness
of God. Now unto him that is able
to do exceeding abundantly above all
that we ask or think, according to the
power that worketh in us, unto him
be glory in the church by Christ Jesus
throughout all ages, world without
end. Amen.
According to the power that worketh in
us! His unlimited ability to work in our lives is
according to the power working in us. God’s
design is that He abide continually inside our
spirits and come upon us in power to carry
out His work.
In the early Church, much of the time,
people were born again and received the
Baptism in the Holy Spirit at the same time.
In Acts 8 however, we can see the two different
experiences. It tells us that Philip in Samaria
preached the things concerning the kingdom
of God and the Name of Jesus. Verse 12 says
they believed, and both men and women were
baptized. These people were believers.
Later, Peter and John came to pray for
them that they might receive the Holy
Ghost. “(For as yet he was fallen upon none
of them: only they were baptized in the name
of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands
on them, and they received the Holy Ghost”
(Acts 8:16-17).
The term “receiving the Holy Ghost” is
also correct in speaking about the Baptism
in the Holy Spirit. Paul asked the men at
Ephesus, “Have ye received the Holy Ghost
since ye believed? And they said unto him,
We have not so much as heard whether there
be any Holy Ghost” (Acts 19:2).
These men had been baptized into John’s
baptism. Paul told them that John said to
believe on Jesus. “When they heard this, they
were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when Paul had laid his hands upon them,
the Holy Ghost came on them; and they
spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Acts
19:5-6). In this instance they were baptized
in water and then Paul laid hands on them to
receive the Holy Ghost.
From these scriptures we can see that the
apostles laid their hands on men who were
already believers, to receive the Holy Spirit.
These scriptures reveal that this enduement of
power called the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is
not the same experience as the new birth. In
these two examples, this enduement of power
came as hands were laid on them.
However, on the Day of Pentecost, at
the house of Cornelius, the Spirit of God fell
upon those present and they began to speak
in other tongues. They received the new birth
and the enduement of power simultaneously.
Gloria Copeland
Gloria Copeland — The Spirit UponPosted on February 17th, 2010
From that moment they were changed.
They were no longer troubled, afraid or sad.
Luke’s account lets us know of the change:
“And it came to pass, while he blessed them,
he was parted from them, and carried up
into heaven. And they worshipped him, and
returned to Jerusalem with great joy: and
were continually in the temple, praising and
blessing God. Amen.” (Luke 24:51-53).
Where there had been sadness, now there
was great joy—a fruit of the spirit. Where
there had been fear and confusion, now there
was continual praise and blessing of God. And
they were obedient. They went to Jerusalem
and waited for the enduement of power from
on high, expecting to receive the promise of
the Father which Jesus spoke of just before
he blessed the disciples and was carried into
heaven: “And, behold, I send the promise of
my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city
of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power
from on high” (Luke 24:49).
The account of this in Acts 1 says:
And, being assembled together with
them, [He] commanded them that
they should not depart from Jerusalem,
but wait for the promise of the Father,
which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
For John truly baptized with water;
but ye shall be baptized with the
Holy Ghost not many days hence….
Ye shall receive power, after that the
Holy Ghost is come upon you: and
ye shall be witnesses unto me both
in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in
Samaria, and unto the uttermost part
of the earth (verses 4-5, 8).
He said they were to be baptized with
the Holy Ghost and receive power! They
had already received the Holy Spirit within.
Now Jesus was instructing them what to
do to receive the power of God upon them.
Acts 10:38 says Jesus was anointed with the
Holy Ghost and power. The disciples were to
receive that same power!
He said in our everyday talk, “Don’t leave
town without it!” This enduement of power
was necessary for them to be able to carry out
the work Jesus set before them. (See Mark
16:15-20; Matthew 28:18-20.) Nothing has
changed. The Body of Christ today is still
under the same mandate.