Holy Spirit baptism 1 of 4

Amazing Tales of Mr. Wigglesnot
Dry Hoses
Mr. Wigglesnot wanted to make a difference and somehow help the people of his small community. He is very big on passion not so big on smarts. He asked the chief of the Fire Department if he could join the team. The chief was short on help so he agreed to let Mr. Wigglesnot have a go of it. Mr. Wigglesnot went to the library, selected books about fire fighting, even visited the mall and surveyed anyone who would stop and listen on the best fire fighting techniques. The fire chief outlined a training program and tried to teach Mr. Wigglesnot about the fire fighting techniques that work best. Mr. Wigglesnot was not very interested, he was sure he had a grasp of what needed to be done. Mr. Wigglesnot put on the fire fighter uniform and enjoyed calling himself a fire fighter. Sure he had not fought any fires yet, but he felt like he was being a big help already.
Finally, he got his first call. The chief had stepped out of the station and Mr. Wigglesnot was left to take the call alone. He jumps in the truck flips on the siren and speeds to the sight of the fire. His pulse was racing with excitement, thinking through what he was about to do. He was ready, as ready as anyone.
Mr. Wigglesnot pulled the fire truck up to a raging house fire. The sirens are blaring, lights blinking, the truck rushes to a stop. He leaps from the truck all jumping to the task. Within moments the ladders are raised, the hoses are unwound and the Mr. Wigglesnot is busy trying to extinquish the fire. You watch with amazement as the firefighter slaps at the flames with an empty hose. He is working with much fervor, but the flames continue and even increase. Some of the flames are even leaping onto the empty hose. Still, he slaps at the fire, unwilling to relent because of his strong devotion and passion. Unable to stand the insanity any longer, you approach the busy firefighter to address the oversight. “Sir, your hose is not connected.” He continues feverishly and shouts, “I can’t hear you, son, too busy, can’t stop, this fire is getting the best of us.” You begin waving your arms and pointing to the hydrant by the curb, “You need some water coming out the end of that hose, for this battle.” He is beating flames and the flames are beating back in his wearying task. None of his great firefighter training can help without water coming out of the hose. Yet, he will not stop. You shout all the louder now holding the other end of the hose showing the empty connection, “You will never advance without any water; you gotta connect to the source!” He simply shouts back, “It’ll have to wait, I cannot possibly stop now.” Sweat pouring down his face stinging his eyes, his arms and back noticibly weakening, and his hose tattered from the beating; finally, he collapses unto the rungs of his ladder. He cries out, “I can’t do this, its impossible.”
Mr. Wigglesnot is a funny character, and fire fighters never go out this unprepared, but Christians often do. There are a lot of hurting people out there. We run into them everyday. You see them at school, on the playground, and even on your street. You can easily see their pain, passion rising up in these moments, isn’t there something that can be done. During my young years this is exactly what my efforts to help looked like. I was big on passion and though I knew the Lord, I did not know how to effectively minister.
I thought all I needed was the story. I was practically born knowing the story, but the story had not affected my life. I had prayed to receive Christ and looked forward to living forever with him, but all that was for later. I had a gospel story followed by a lot of hard work and failure. I was striving to change the world, but powerless. I am comforted to know that Peter had a similar experience.
Peter had already been through the training and heard the teaching on the night when Christ was crucified. All that great teaching and training faded in a moment of fear as Peter denied Jesus three times. He thought he had the goods, he told Jesus that he would die for him, yet, he feared for his life and denied that he even knew Jesus. Why? The answer seems simple, he lacked power. Following Jesus command, he waits with the others for the promise. What were they waiting for? Power, the power to be witnesses. Then wow, mighty wind, flames of fire, and Peter becomes a different man. This scared little kitten, becomes a bold lion for the kingdom. How does someone turn from denying Christ to save his own skin to boldly proclaiming his name before those who crucified Christ. One event, this event is what we call the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The spirit fell upon them in the upper room and everything changed.
Jesus told the disciples, “Go to Jerusalem and wait. Till you receive power. The disciples had the story and the three years of intensive training, walking with Jesus, but He said they needed something more. These guys knew what they needed to know, but that was not enough. These guys had to be very excited at the knowledge that Jesus was alive, I am sure they wanted to run out and share the good news, but Jesus said wait.
If you could just take that fire fighters hose and connect it to the hydrant for him, he would experience the success that he so fervently seeks. The same is true for you and me, if we charge out to do the work of this kingdom, beating down the flames of the enemy, advancing the kingdom, without the power of the Holy Spirit, we will meet frustration. God has granted His power to do His work; it seems silly to try to work without first connecting to the source.
I knew the gospel story and I was trying to beat the fires of hell back with a dry hose. Without the power of the Holy Spirit our witness is handicapped. We turn Christianity into little more than humanism repackaged, with a better ending.