Online Reporter
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 can be fully preached. It is so sad if, in the church, we speak about the power of the living God, yet that power is not seen or demonstrated in us.
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, families, ministries and communities. In this end-time season, we cannot succeed without the Holy Spirit in order to fully preach the gospel before the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Preaching the gospel in its fullness requires the manifestation of the power of God—strange results in the lives of the saints—that will compel the heathen and everyone around to recognize that there is a God, that God is in the midst of
His people and that He is not only present but indeed mighty.
One thing I have realized is that many believers know how to pray, fast and read the Word of God, but they lack a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. In fact, many do not understand (i) the person of the Holy Spirit or (ii) the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Understanding both the person and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, as well as how to relate to Him, is vital for fulfilling our God-given mandate here on earth.
There are some key aspects believers need to understand about building a relationship with the Holy Spirit:
a) Intimacy with the Holy Spirit: Every relationship requires communication and intimacy grows when we spend quality time together. Communicating with the Holy Spirit will lead to greater intimacy. It is good to be involved in ministry work and church programs, but neglecting an 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.
(c) Obedience to the Voice and Instructions of the Holy Spirit: Without obedience, there can be no intimacy with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is an extension of the Father’s will, through Christ, revealing God’s mind 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 crucial for believers. Primarily, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, shows us that none of us can live up to Jesus’ righteousness and reveals the judgment coming to those who die without a Saviour (John 16:8-11).
As we repent, confess our sins and receive salvation, the Holy Spirit regenerates our dead inner human spirit, making us sensitive to spiritual things (John 3:1-16; Acts 2:38). The ministry of the Holy Spirit encompasses many aspects, but I want to focus on one key aspect: the power of the Spirit of God.
As I mentioned last week, we need the power of the Spirit of God to manifest 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 instructing His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were clothed with the Holy Spirit.
Other versions say they were to be “clothed” with the Holy Spirit. This means the disciples needed to be empowered by 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. 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 the spirit of God.
The bible tells us in Acts 10:38 that, “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 Holy Spirit and with power to carry out his ministry, what more of us as believers.
In Luke 10:19 the bible 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 the power to do the works that Jesus did, greater works. But without the power of Holy Spirit we cannot do the greater works and without a relationship with the Holy Spirit, we cannot manifest this power and fully preach the gospel in all four corners of the world.
I would like to invite you to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour, by believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth that he is your Lord and Saviour and you shall be saved.
May God bless you all. Amen.
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Bongani Ndlovu