This quarter, we focus on the baptism with the Holy Spirit in our weekly devotional series. This week's devotional comes from Mark 11 – Luke 1.
I recently returned from our first Mid-Atlantic Kids Camp of the summer with a renewed sense of passion and purpose, because I know our Foursquare movement is poised for great days ahead. Spending time with the kids of our district gave me a healthy glimpse into this upcoming generation of Holy Spirit-empowered children.
There was a grace and an anointing like I have never experienced before with children. Many were baptized with the Holy Spirit, receiving their prayer language, while some were healed of emotional bondage; others said the Lord had spoken to them about their lives and future ministries.
An atmosphere of expectancy grew throughout our week of camp, in much the same way as when Jesus exhorted His disciples. In Mark 11:22-24 Jesus told them to have faith in God and believe in their hearts they would receive what they ask for.
On the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), Peter spoke to the onlookers and told them that after they repented and believed in Jesus, they would be filled with the Holy Spirit. There was no age limit attached to the promise. Peter instructed them: “The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:39, NIV).
The promise of the Holy Spirit is for all who believe.
The children in our camp believed that their Heavenly Father desired to give them the good gift of the Holy Spirit that had been promised to them. With faith and childlike abandon, campers asked their Father to fill them with power from on high.
God responded in an amazing way that will allow them to receive the power to resist temptation, to grow in the gifts of the Spirit and to receive the comfort and counsel that the Holy Spirit provides. An 11-year-old girl with tears streaming down her face exclaimed: “My life has totally changed. I will never be the same!”
As The Foursquare Church continues to be a movement with a message on a mission, children who have had authentic experiences with Holy Spirit baptism will accelerate that mission.
It is an awesome privilege to cultivate a faith-filled atmosphere of expectancy in our churches and camps that allows children to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit—fullness that will change not only their lives, but also the lives of those around them!
By: Lesli Klingenmeier, NextGen director with Foursquare's Mid-Atlantic District
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