Online Reporter
GREETINGS beloved nation, in the name of Jesus Christ. Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
In these last days we are living in, we need the restoration of the power of the Spirit of God in the church, in order for the gospel to be fully preached. It’s so sad if in the church, we speak about the power of the living God and that power is not seen in us and is not demonstrated. This is mostly because we have ignored the power of the Spirit of God as individuals and as the body of Christ.
Ladies and gentlemen, we cannot continue to ignore the Holy Spirit if we want to see results in our lives, in our families, in our ministries and in our communities.
In this end time we are living in, we cannot make it without the Holy Spirit if we are to fully preach the gospel before the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To fully preach the gospel, it is the manifestation of the power of God, commanding strange results in the lives of the saints, that will compel the heathen and everyone around to recognise that there is a God — God in the midst of His people — who is not only present but indeed mighty.
One thing I have realised is that many believers know how to pray, fast and read the Word of God, but they do not have a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. In fact, many believers do not have an understanding of (i) the person of the Holy Spirit and (ii) the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Understanding the person and the ministry of the Holy Spirit and how to relate with Him is very important for us to fulfil our God-given mandate here on earth.
There are some things we need to understand as believers about creating a relationship with the Holy Spirit:
(a) Intimacy with the Holy Spirit. Every relationship requires communication and intimacy grows when we have special times together. Spending time and communicating with the Holy Spirit will lead to greater intimacy. It is good to be engaged in ministry work and church programmes, but once we neglect having an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit, we will not be able to fully preach the gospel.
(b) Brokenness. The Holy Spirit only relates with people from a standpoint of brokenness and contriteness. You never truly walk with the Holy Spirit until you are willing to be broken—not just once, but continually. Brokenness in your daily life is crucial. Nothing attracts the Spirit of the Lord more than brokenness and contriteness in a person’s life.
(c) Obedience to the voice and instructions of the Holy Spirit. Without obedience, there cannot be intimacy with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is an extension of the will of the Father, through Christ, and it is He who reveals the mind of God to us.
1 Corinthians 2:10–11 says, “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.”
Understanding the ministry of the Holy Spirit is also important in the life of a believer. First and foremost, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, shows us that none of us can live up to the righteousness of Jesus and reveals to us the judgment coming to those who die without a Saviour (John 16:8–11). As we repent, confess our sins and receive the gift of salvation, the Holy Spirit regenerates our dead inner human spirit, which then becomes sensitive to the spiritual things of God (John 3:1–16; Acts 2:38).
The ministry of the Holy Spirit involves many other important aspects, but I want to focus on one particular aspect—the power of the Spirit of God. As I mentioned last week, we need the power of the Spirit of God to be manifested in our lives in these end times.
The Bible tells us in Luke 24:49, “Behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” Jesus was speaking to His disciples about the promise of the Holy Spirit —that they should tarry in Jerusalem until they are clothed with the Holy Spirit. Some versions say they should be clothed with the Holy Spirit.
This means the disciples needed to be clothed with the power of the Holy Spirit so they could accomplish the greater works, as stated in John 14:12, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
Acts 1:8 further states, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere — in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”
To effectively preach the gospel, the disciples needed the power of the Holy Spirit — and so do we as believers. Zechariah 4:6 reminds us, “It is not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord.
We cannot do anything with our own strength, but only by the power of the Spirit of God.
The Bible also tells us in Acts 10:38 that, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Jesus had to be anointed with the Holy Spirit and power to carry out His ministry — what more us as believers.
Luke 10:19 says, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” We have been given the power to do the works Jesus did — greater works.
But without the power of the Holy Spirit, we cannot do these greater works. And without a relationship with the Holy Spirit, we cannot manifest this power or fully preach the gospel to all four corners of the world.
I would like to invite you to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour — believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that He is the Lord and Saviour and you shall be saved.
May God bless you all. Amen.
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Bongani Ndlovu