-- This Is That --
This is that . . . Power!
The dictionary describes power as the, “ability to do or act; the capability of doing or accomplishing something”. The world needs power. You need power. We take much for granted when it comes to the simplest forms of power. Consider this, when you walk into a darkened room and light a candle or turn on a switch, light has power to overcome the darkness. An airplane flying in the air has power to overcome the forces of gravity. A small seed planted in the ground has power to break through the crusty earth and grow. As long as your heart is pumping blood through your body you have power over death.
POWERFULLY GOOD OR POWERFULLY BAD
In another example: the atom is so small it cannot be seen and is thought to be harmless, yet it can be made into a bomb so powerful that it can destroy whole cities or it can be used to produce electricity to light those same cities. Yes, we need power in our lives but one that will do good and not evil.
ALL CHRISTIANS NEED
The power of the Holy Spirit was given from God and is the most important use of good power ever known to man yet, it is overlooked by Christians today. The reason is because men in the Christian world have neglected the Word of God and replaced it with rituals, traditions, philosophy, Psychology and programs. That produces a false Christianity but those ideals have become so ingrained that some denominations have persuaded their congregations to believe that the days of the Power of the Holy Spirit have passed away.
But that’s not true. Just as the small flame of a candle will overcome darkness and give light to the natural world, we Christians need power to shed light in the spiritual world as well. Perhaps you are unaware of this great power.
Let me explain further. Let's start from the beginning.
You see, 2000 years ago Jesus Christ came to earth and willingly died for your sins so you could go to Heaven. He died but He didn’t stay dead. Because of God’s supernatural power to raise Him from the dead, Jesus walked away from the tomb He was buried in and went to Heaven where He now sits at the right Hand of His Father, God.
Before He left earth to go to Heaven, Jesus promised His followers that He would not leave them to fight their battles alone. He said He would send SomeOne back as their Helper. His Name is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives the Power that all Christians need in their lives today.
The Bible foretold of the day when the Holy Spirit would come to earth to empower the followers of Jesus. Almost 800 years before Jesus was born, God spoke through His prophet, Joel (Joel 2:28-29) and said, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered."
MEANWHILE . . . 800 YEARS LATER . . .
Before Jesus returned to Heaven He appeared to His disciples (followers) and instructed them to go into all the world to proclaim His message of salvation to everyone. He promised to send His Holy Spirit back to them to give them the power, boldness and authority to do this. Fifty days after Jesus was nailed to a Cross and died, His followers were gathered in a room praying and waiting for the Holy Spirit, as promised by Jesus before returning to Heaven.
As they were praying, suddenly a sound from Heaven was heard like a mighty rushing wind and the sound filled the house where the followers were gathered. Small flames of fire appeared over the heads of each person, including Mary, the mother of Jesus. The flames were evidence of the Power of God. At the same time the fire appeared they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and all began to speak in different languages.
Outside, travelers from various nations were passing by and they heard the followers of Jesus speaking in thier languages and they spoke them with great boldness and authority. At first they laughed, believing the followers had drunk too much wine but one of the followers, Peter, boldly stepped forward and called out to them that they were not drunk with wine and went on to say, “But THIS IS THAT which was spoken by Joel . . . .” and he repeated the words of Joel concerning this power which had descended from Heaven, ending with "and whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered."
3000 "WHOSOEVERS" HEED THE CALL
3000 people believed Peter that day and they all accepted the fact that Jesus died for their sins. They were baptized (or immersed) in water, as an outward sign that they were “dying” to their old sinful nature and putting on the nature of Jesus Christ. A nature of love and forgiveness. (Acts 2:1-42.
ARE YOU A "WHOSOEVER"?
If you would like this love and forgiveness for the sins of your past life, just ask God to forgive you by saying this prayer: “God, I’m sorry for the sins of my past life. Please forgive me. I believe Jesus is Your Son, that He died for me and that He rose from the grave. Help me, Jesus, come into my heart and help me to live an abundant life, just as You would have me live it. Amen.”
Now your past sins are just that . . . in the past. “Passed away” and God remembers them no more. Jesus has taken care of all the details, there is nothing more you, or anyone else can do to add to it. You are beginning a new life, it is just as if you have been born all over again and, you have. This time your new birth has come from Heaven by giving you a new spirit. You can start life afresh but this time you have Jesus to help, guide, walk beside, and sometimes carry you.
You will want to tell others about Jesus, His love and forgiveness. You have the presence of the Holy Spirit living inside you but you also need the POWER of the Holy Spirit, just as Peter and the others did that day so long ago. This power will give you the boldness to speak to others about Jesus, His love for them and the finished work He did on the Cross to save them from Hell. The salvation message of Jesus must still be proclaimed throughout the world and there are still evil forces in the world to prevent it from being done. Sad to say but, some of the strongest forces to prevent the WHOLE message from being told are religious leaders and organised religion. Just as men can be blinded to the love of Jesus, they can also be blinded to the power of the Holy Spirit and will deny that it is still for today.
But I would ask them, what has changed in the spiritual realm since that day in the Upper Room? Has Satan admitted defeat? Is he not yet at work in the hearts and minds of men? Are there not people in the world who have not yet heard the Gospel?
YOU NEED THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
When we repent of our sins and ask Jesus to be Lord of our lives, Jesus comes into us through His Spirit, His Holy Spirit. We become a "temple", a dwelling place for Him. As we walk on a daily basis and seek His guidance He is always there to help. Every Born-Again Believer has this in-dwelling presence. But there is more. Just as a cup can be filled to the brim, it can also be filled to the point of "overflow". That's like the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
You need this "overflow" in the Holy Spirit to give you the boldness, power and authority you will need to overcome those evil forces that are still in the world today. Ask for it now. If you have said the above prayer and asked forgiveness of your sins then you can also ask the Holy Spirit to fill you to His “overflowing” with power and authority over evil and demonic forces.
Say this prayer, “Jesus, please baptize me in Your Holy Spirit to give me boldness, power and authority over the Devil and evil forces in this world. I ask for it and receive it just as I receive salvation, by faith in You and Your Word. Thank you. Amen”
CONGRATULATIONS
That’s all. You have salvation through Jesus and now you have the power through the Holy Spirit and the authority over evil when you pray in the Name of Jesus.
Now, stop whatever you are doing, get alone somewhere and begin to thank God for His salvation through His Son, Jesus. You may begin to speak a language you don’t understand but don’t be alarmed. It's the gift of God to empower you. The Holy Spirit will never force you to speak in this new language because you accept, and speak, it by faith. This new language may be used to speak directly to God in prayers that only He understands.
Now tell others about Jesus and the Power of the Holy Spirit. Don’t let anyone try to tell you that miracles, signs and wonders ended and they are not for today. Here is the reason why: salvation is still needed by all men. So, if salvation is for us today then the same power that was needed in Peter’s day to proclaim the salvation message is needed even more in these times. So if you have received salvation, you are now a new creation, you are "Born-Again". Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit just as you received salvation and go tell others about Jesus . . . . with boldness and power!
Please Note: To anyone who would say that the days of Pentecost are over, before you email your opinion be sure to include Book, chapter and verse as proof. God bless.
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Power can produce good or bad results. For example, a few drops of rain on a hot summer day can be a nice cooling shower but, when multiplied by millions, they have the power to produce a raging flood.
THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
