HOLY SPIRIT POWER
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Everyone seems to want power today—political, personal, physical, financial, spiritual…
This quest for power is not new to this generation. We are taught from an early age to admire powerful people.
History is filled with accounts of leaders who led great armies to victories that still affect our world.
Today’s headlines often focus on the “power brokers” of business and politics, while televised sporting events replay the best “power plays” of the day.
Books are written and marketed to help aspiring men and women achieve the power they long for. Yet these kinds of power are only temporary.
The Bible contains numerous references to a kind of power very different from the world’s definition. Jesus instructed His disciples,“…tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, unto ye be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49
).
Unleashed in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost was a power that brought the most far-reaching changes in history. And the impact from that initial outpouring is still being felt around the world today.
This power was given for a specific purpose. Jesus said, “But 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 Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
If the purpose of the Holy Spirit’s outpouring is to help believers be effective in building the Kingdom, it is vital that we understand more about this power. More importantly, we must seek how to be endowed with this power. Everything begins with yielding to the Holy Spirit.
The
apostle Paul provides a wonderful example for us. Known as Saul prior
to his Damascus Road experience, he was a learned man who had studied
the Old Covenant all his life. He sat at the feet of the greatest
teachers and was regarded as a great scholar in his day. He spent hours
studying every “jot” and “tittle,” yet the details and knowledge didn’t
help him see that Jesus was the Messiah. In fact, he fought that
revelation and gained quite a reputation as persecutor of Christians.I love the account in Acts 9,
for it details the transformation of a proud, learned man into a
believer who yields completely to the Holy Spirit. After Saul, soon to
be known as Paul, had an encounter with Jesus and was baptized with the
Holy Ghost:
Immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized…and straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. (Acts 9:18-20)
Saul had spent his life studying the Scriptures, but he had no personal understanding of the knowledge he had gained. But when Ananias laid his hands on him, his natural and spiritual eyes were opened, and he was filled with the Holy Ghost (Acts 9:17).
This infilling of the Holy Spirit helped him know the truth, and
“straightway” he stopped persecuting believers and began preaching the
life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ.
From that point, Saul was a changed man. His name was changed to Paul as he gave his entire life for the purpose of the Gospel. He spoke candidly about his own shortcomings and failings in the faith, but he also blazed a trail for believers to follow as he sought to yield his life to the Holy Spirit.
We have the same challenge today.
Neither
yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but
yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and
your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. (Romans 6:13)
Learning to turn from unrighteousness and begin yielding to righteousness is a lifelong challenge. Just because you receive Jesus Christ as Savior and the Holy Spirit’s infilling, you are not insulated from the world.
In fact, many of our spiritual “mountaintop” experiences are followed by “wilderness” times. It was certainly that way with the Savior:
And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. (Luke 4:1-2)
I believe wilderness times strengthen us and teach us what authority is ours in the realm of the Spirit. When the devil came to tempt Him, Jesus said, “It is written…it is written…it is written…”
When we go through trials, we can only overcome by pointing to the true Authority and using His Word to back up our own authority. As we yield to the Holy Spirit, during both good and difficult times, we learn the importance of spiritual authority.
Yielding to the Spirit also helps us mature. All of us begin as spiritual babies. We want everything right now. We demand answers to our smallest problems and may even question when things don’t go as we think they should. Yet as we yield to the Holy Spirit, we gain a seasoned ability to be led by the Holy Spirit. We recognize God’s timing, realizing it’s a step-by-step process of dying to our own desires and surrendering to the Father’s will.
Jesus said, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink” (John 7:37).How hungry are you to see the power of God at work in your life?
Your level of hunger can be measured by your desire to do what He wants, to seek His guidance, to surrender to His will.
And only then can we be used effectively to impact our world. When we are told in Ephesians 5:18
to “be filled with the Holy Spirit,” it is not merely advice or a
suggestion. It is a direct order from heaven! It is God’s command.
Why?
Our loving Heavenly Father knows that we cannot do all we must do without being empowered by Him. And as we lay down our own plans and yield completely to Him day by day, the Scriptures promise that we will be “endued with power from on high” to “be witnesses …unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
That is my prayer for you today—that you consistently yield to the Holy Spirit so you can be used mightily to reach this generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
We are told, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3 John 2).
God desires for you to be powerful spiritually, of course, and He also desires that you are powerful in every other area of life, including your finances.
How does this happen?
We are promised, “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6).
Today, as you increasingly yield to Him, I am asking you to also move up to a higher level in your seed-faith giving.
God not only wants to bless you financially today and tomorrow, but He also promises to bring prosperity for you to pass it on to your heirs: “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just” (Proverbs 13:22).
It’s time to claim in faith what our Lord has promised to you and your loved ones!
Just remember that you cannot give little and receive much. Every farmer and gardener knows this. The power is in the seed, and the amount of seed determines the results.
Extravagant giving produces an extravagant harvest. So step out in faith and plant a significant seed—whatever amount God places on your heart.
Plant your seed-gift today into the fertile soil of this worldwide ministry as we work together to take the life-saving and miracle-working Gospel of Jesus Christ to hurting and desperate souls around the world.
Claim the promises available to you.
Sow your seed-gift now. Take a step of faith that you’ve never taken before so you can witness a miracle of property and houses that you’ve never experienced before!
Don’t miss this amazing season for you and your family. Do it now!
Expecting God’s unprecedented harvest in your life,
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This quest for power is not new to this generation. We are taught from an early age to admire powerful people.
History is filled with accounts of leaders who led great armies to victories that still affect our world.
Today’s headlines often focus on the “power brokers” of business and politics, while televised sporting events replay the best “power plays” of the day.
Books are written and marketed to help aspiring men and women achieve the power they long for. Yet these kinds of power are only temporary.
The Bible contains numerous references to a kind of power very different from the world’s definition. Jesus instructed His disciples,“…tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, unto ye be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49
).Unleashed in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost was a power that brought the most far-reaching changes in history. And the impact from that initial outpouring is still being felt around the world today.
This power was given for a specific purpose. Jesus said, “But 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 Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8
).Why is the Holy Spirit’s power in your life so crucial?
Jesus was very clear about the reason for the outpouring, yet even today, many people misunderstand the reasons why this power is given by the Holy Spirit. Then and now, the purpose of this awesome gift is to equip believers with the power and authority to be effective in fulfilling the Great Commission.If the purpose of the Holy Spirit’s outpouring is to help believers be effective in building the Kingdom, it is vital that we understand more about this power. More importantly, we must seek how to be endowed with this power. Everything begins with yielding to the Holy Spirit.
Why does a believer need to yield to the Holy Spirit?
The
apostle Paul provides a wonderful example for us. Known as Saul prior
to his Damascus Road experience, he was a learned man who had studied
the Old Covenant all his life. He sat at the feet of the greatest
teachers and was regarded as a great scholar in his day. He spent hours
studying every “jot” and “tittle,” yet the details and knowledge didn’t
help him see that Jesus was the Messiah. In fact, he fought that
revelation and gained quite a reputation as persecutor of Christians.I love the account in Acts 9,
for it details the transformation of a proud, learned man into a
believer who yields completely to the Holy Spirit. After Saul, soon to
be known as Paul, had an encounter with Jesus and was baptized with the
Holy Ghost:Immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized…and straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. (Acts 9:18-20
)Saul had spent his life studying the Scriptures, but he had no personal understanding of the knowledge he had gained. But when Ananias laid his hands on him, his natural and spiritual eyes were opened, and he was filled with the Holy Ghost (Acts 9:17
).
This infilling of the Holy Spirit helped him know the truth, and
“straightway” he stopped persecuting believers and began preaching the
life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ.From that point, Saul was a changed man. His name was changed to Paul as he gave his entire life for the purpose of the Gospel. He spoke candidly about his own shortcomings and failings in the faith, but he also blazed a trail for believers to follow as he sought to yield his life to the Holy Spirit.
We have the same challenge today.
How do you yield to the Holy Spirit?
To be an effective witness, it is important that we discover what yielding to the Holy Spirit truly means. Under divine inspiration, Paul wrote very clear instructions:Neither
yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but
yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and
your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. (Romans 6:13)Learning to turn from unrighteousness and begin yielding to righteousness is a lifelong challenge. Just because you receive Jesus Christ as Savior and the Holy Spirit’s infilling, you are not insulated from the world.
In fact, many of our spiritual “mountaintop” experiences are followed by “wilderness” times. It was certainly that way with the Savior:
And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. (Luke 4:1-2
)I believe wilderness times strengthen us and teach us what authority is ours in the realm of the Spirit. When the devil came to tempt Him, Jesus said, “It is written…it is written…it is written…”
When we go through trials, we can only overcome by pointing to the true Authority and using His Word to back up our own authority. As we yield to the Holy Spirit, during both good and difficult times, we learn the importance of spiritual authority.
Yielding to the Spirit also helps us mature. All of us begin as spiritual babies. We want everything right now. We demand answers to our smallest problems and may even question when things don’t go as we think they should. Yet as we yield to the Holy Spirit, we gain a seasoned ability to be led by the Holy Spirit. We recognize God’s timing, realizing it’s a step-by-step process of dying to our own desires and surrendering to the Father’s will.
Yielding Begins with Hunger and Thirst
Jesus said, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink” (John 7:37).How hungry are you to see the power of God at work in your life?Your level of hunger can be measured by your desire to do what He wants, to seek His guidance, to surrender to His will.
And only then can we be used effectively to impact our world. When we are told in Ephesians 5:18
to “be filled with the Holy Spirit,” it is not merely advice or a
suggestion. It is a direct order from heaven! It is God’s command.Why?
Our loving Heavenly Father knows that we cannot do all we must do without being empowered by Him. And as we lay down our own plans and yield completely to Him day by day, the Scriptures promise that we will be “endued with power from on high” to “be witnesses …unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
That is my prayer for you today—that you consistently yield to the Holy Spirit so you can be used mightily to reach this generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Victorious in Every Area of Your Life
We are told, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3 John 2).God desires for you to be powerful spiritually, of course, and He also desires that you are powerful in every other area of life, including your finances.
How does this happen?
We are promised, “He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6
).Today, as you increasingly yield to Him, I am asking you to also move up to a higher level in your seed-faith giving.
God not only wants to bless you financially today and tomorrow, but He also promises to bring prosperity for you to pass it on to your heirs: “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just” (Proverbs 13:22
).It’s time to claim in faith what our Lord has promised to you and your loved ones!Just remember that you cannot give little and receive much. Every farmer and gardener knows this. The power is in the seed, and the amount of seed determines the results.
Extravagant giving produces an extravagant harvest. So step out in faith and plant a significant seed—whatever amount God places on your heart.
Plant your seed-gift today into the fertile soil of this worldwide ministry as we work together to take the life-saving and miracle-working Gospel of Jesus Christ to hurting and desperate souls around the world.
Claim the promises available to you.
Sow your seed-gift now. Take a step of faith that you’ve never taken before so you can witness a miracle of property and houses that you’ve never experienced before!
Don’t miss this amazing season for you and your family. Do it now!
Expecting God’s unprecedented harvest in your life,
This is your season of prosperity, including an anointing for houses and lands! Sow today with the great expectation of a powerful overflow in your life, and believe it will be multiplied back to you abundantly! Take a significant step of faith by planting a momentous seed-gift to help take the Gospel to the lost and hurting around the world. We know this is an optimistic economic season, but we don’t know how long it will last. Take God at His Word today as you plant your destiny seed!
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