“On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave
them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father
promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John
baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with
the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus remained with the disciples for
over a month after the resurrection. He taught them about the Kingdom and provided
indisputable evidence that He had risen from the dead.
This inspired the disciples and
gave them courage to go out and preach the Word. But Jesus said “not yet” … you cannot succeed
without The Holy Spirit.
It wasn’t enough that they had
known and followed Jesus for years. It didn’t matter that they had heard His
sermons, traveled with Him and closely examined His teaching. Jesus said wait…you
need more. The battle you will face is
not against flesh and blood. It is a spiritual battle and you will need divine authority.
Jesus knew that the Holy Spirit would
transform them…He would give them power… changing them from a fearful group of followers
into courageous messengers filled with the Spirit of God.
What about you? Do you work inside your qualifications, and
abilities…or do you rely on the power of the Spirit of God inside you?
We have allowed the world to make
us timid about the supernatural power that indwells us. We’ve become uncomfortable discussing the
third member of the Trinity, and seldom consider His power when we make our plans.
But the truth is Christianity is
not a self-help program. We are not
offering good advice. We are offering
redemption and rebirth through the supernatural power of God.
Unlike the disciples, you don’t
have to wait. The Gift arrived on the day of Pentecost and you were sealed with
the Spirit the day you believed (Eph 1:13). Stop pushing the car and start the
engine… Spread your wings, and realize that if you trust Him…The Spirit will infuse
your life here on earth with the Power of the Great I am.
“…whatever the
Holy Spirit was at the first, He is that now, for as God, He remains forever
the same-whatever He did then He is able to do still, for His power is by no
means diminished.”
-
Charles Spurgeon
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