06 19 08 Unleash the Power!

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and ye shall be witnesses to Me in both Jerusalem, and in all Judea and in all Samaria,and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
(Acts1:8 NKJV)

Moses witnessed IT in a burning bush; held IT’S power in his hand through his staff as IT swallowed up snakes, parted the seas, and brought water from a rock. The Jewish people saw IT in a cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. David received IT’S power in battle, in times of loneliness, and even in his deepest guilt and sin. Jesus’ disciples were told to gather together and wait for IT. IT has raised the dead, healed the sick, made the blind see, and IT calls sinners to the saving knowledge of the Savior.

What is IT? Well, IT’S not for sale on the internet. IT’S not something we can get at Wal-Mart. IT’S not found at a garage sale. In fact IT’S not for sale at all. IT’S free and IT gives anyone who applies all the power he or she could ever imagine possessing. IT’S the person of the Holy Spirit of God, given to the believer upon acknowledging his sinful nature and trusting Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord. It’s the only way to receive IT and there is only One who gives IT. IT’S powerful, peaceful, personal, and patient. IT’S kind and considerate. IT’S loving and forgiving. IT’S God alive and working within every believer…if we give it control.

So why do so many believers not use IT? It is a matter of will; God’s will against the will of our old sin nature. The devil would like every Christian to walk around thinking we have all the answers and all the power on our own. Many of us are guilty of this. We forget God in the small everyday things. Oh sure, we call on the power of the Holy Spirit when a child is ill, when we’re facing financial challenges, or when a relationship is going south. But if we don’t know how to use IT’S power in the little everyday things, we won’t be able to properly use it when we too stressed to even think in times of emergencies. We’ll automatically act in our flesh, and then scramble to ask God to pick up the pieces. To UNLEASH THE POWER of the Holy Spirit, it takes practice…I’m talking about practice…in the day-to-day things we face. I mean deliberate practice!

Whether it’s a parent struggling with a teenage son, a husband attempting to work out relational issues with his wife, or the challenging task of honoring God in the workplace, we must realize that each temptation or challenge we face, we are able to face it with the power of Christ living within us. We can do as Christ would do! UNLEASH THE POWER; minute-by-minute, hour-by–hour, day-by-day. Practice then becomes habit, which becomes a lifestyle. Would to God, that every believer has a lifestyle and a testimony of living under the power, the control of the Holy Spirit! How much more Kingdom work would be accomplished?