Dear BMF Brothers & Friends,
I pray this email finds you well. Well enough to be about our Heavenly Fathers business.
This week I was thinking about the first time I was invited to my first fellowship meeting in 1983. Two men from my neighborhood invited me to hear; Joe Donato, a mafia man share his story. This intrigued me, as I was interested in crime stories. To my surprise he spoke briefly of his life in crime, instead he shared how The Holy Spirit helped him to exit the dark life he was living. At the end of his sharing, I went up to Joe and said; I wanted what he spoke of. He asked me what did I want?
I then said; The Holy Spirit! Joe Donato told me to raise my hands and ask God to fill me with The Holy Spirit and his fullness.
That’s exactly when Gods transformative power of the Holy Spirit became a deeply personal and profound experience. The next morning was when I stopped running from God and I began my walk with Jesus.
Here are several ways The Holy Spirit could radically changed your life or someone you know life, like He has mine!
1. • Give you a new found inner peace and joy: The Holy Spirit often brings a sense of inner peace and joy that transcends external circumstances. This profound sense of well-being and contentment will be a life changing for you.
2. • Gods promise of help, guidance and wisdom is available to you. I personally experienced this amazing help immediately along
a new clarity and direction in my life. Being led by the Holy Spirit in my decisions and my actions. This will definitely lead you to more purposeful and fulfilling choices.
3. • The Holy Spirit Himself has impacted my spiritual growth. He fostered a deeper spiritual hunger, with a miraculous understanding the Word of God. Producing spiritual growth and leading to a stronger faith. Holy Spirit has also used the fellowship and spirit filled brothers to mentor and disciple me.
4. •Transformation of Character: The Holy Spirit can work within you to cultivate virtues such as love, patience, kindness, and self-control. This transformation of character will have a significant impact on your relationships and interactions with others. The fruit of this in my life, is a major reason why my wife has been a major supporter of the fellowship for the past 41 years.
5. •Astonishing empowerment for service is yours. A stirring of your faith and then you taking action under this empowerment you will find yourself driven to serve others and make a positive difference in your communities, reflecting the love and compassion of Christ.
6. •Healing and Restoration: The Holy Spirit will bring emotional and spiritual healing, helping to overcome past wounds, forgive, and move forward with a renewed sense of wholeness and purpose.
These are just a few ways the Holy Spirit has radically changed my life and can do for you!
I would enjoy hearing how God has used this fellowship / Holy Spirit to impact your life?
Each person's experience is unique, but the common thread is a profound and positive transformation that impacts all aspects of our lives and families.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is supported by several key passages in the Bible. Here are some scriptures that confirm this important spiritual experience:
1. •Matthew 3:11 - John the Baptist speaks about the coming of the Holy Spirit:
"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
2. • Acts 1:5 - Jesus promises the baptism of the Holy Spirit to His disciples:
"For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
3. •Acts 2:1-4- The day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples:
"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."
4. •Acts 10:44-46 - The Holy Spirit comes upon Gentile believers:
"While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God."
5. •Acts 19:1-6 - Paul lays hands on believers, who then receive the Holy Spirit:
"While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' They answered, 'No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.' So Paul asked, 'Then what baptism did you receive?' 'John’s baptism,' they replied. Paul said, 'John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.' On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied."
6. •1 Corinthians 12:13 - Paul speaks of the unity in the Spirit:
"For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink."
These scriptures together support the reality and significance of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, showing his transformative power and hid role in the lives of believers.
May God our Heavenly Father continue to bless you, and the Holy Spirit HELP you and use you to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to others. Please remember to invite other men to your BMF chapter meetings.
Blessings,
Bill Keith
BMF USA
National President
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