marble nkomo
GREETINGS, beloved nation, in the name of Jesus Christ. Acts 1:8 says, “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, so that the gospel may be fully preached.
It is so sad if, in the church, we speak about the power of the living God and that power is not seen in us and 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 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 do so, it requires the manifestation of the power of God — commanding extraordinary results in the lives of the saints — that will compel the heathen and everyone around us to recognise that there is a God, that God is in the midst of His people and that He is not only present but 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 lack understanding about (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 fulfilling our God-given mandate here on earth.
There are some key aspects to understand as believers about developing a relationship with the Holy Spirit:
(a) Intimacy with the Holy Spirit. Every relationship requires communication and intimacy grows through special times together. Spending time and communicating with the Holy Spirit will lead to greater intimacy.
While it is good to do ministry work and participate in church programmes, neglecting a personal, intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit will hinder our ability 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 daily life attracts the Spirit of the Lord more than anything else.
(c) Obedience to the voice and instructions of the Holy Spirit. Without obedience, there can be no real 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. 11 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 vital 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 the judgment that is 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 spirit, making us sensitive to spiritual things (John 3:1-16; Acts 2:38).
The ministry of the Holy Spirit encompasses many vital aspects, but I want to focus on one particular: 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. Luke 24:49 tells us, “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 wait in Jerusalem until they were clothed with power from above. Other versions say “clothed with the Holy Spirit.”
This means the disciples needed to be clothed with the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish greater works, as Jesus said 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 affirms, “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, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord.” We cannot accomplish anything by our own strength but only through the power of God’s Spirit.
The Bible further states in Acts 10:38, “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 needed to be anointed with the Holy Spirit and power to carry out His ministry —what more for 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 too have been given that same power to do the works Jesus did — indeed, greater works.
But without the power of the Holy Spirit, we cannot perform these works and without a relationship with Him, we cannot manifest this power or fully preach the gospel worldwide.
I invite you now to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour, by believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth that He is Lord. You shall be saved.
May God bless you all. Amen.
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Bongani Ndlovu