09 Empowered for witness

EMPOWERED FOR WITNESS, WORKS, AND WONDERS
By: Billy Wilson

In April 1906, as a physical earthquake was occurring in San Francisco, a spiritual earthquake was happening in Los Angeles. The ensuing Azusa revival launched the Pentecostal/Charismatic renewal around the world.

What began as a handful of people now encompasses more than 600 million Spirit-filled believers around the world. What caused this wind of the Spirit to spread so rapidly? Is it possible to personally experience that same supernatural empowerment to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, demonstrate the works of God, and experience signs and wonders?

The Holy Spirit is the effectual person of the Trinity—He executes the desire and plan of the Godhead. He is a doer, and we know Him mostly by what He does. The activity of the Spirit was present in the Genesis creation account. As the Word was spoken by the Father, the wind of the Spirit was breathing, or hovering, over the earth. Thousands of years later, Jesus’ departing words to His disciples promised transformational power for witness when the Holy Spirit came upon them.
acts 2:32
After the once-fearful Peter powerfully witnessed of the life-giving Messiah, Jesus Christ, thousands were converted to The Way. Immediately, the newly formed church began to exhibit the wonderful works of God. By the end of Acts chapter 2, the church was supplying the needs of the poor, caring for widows, adopting slaves, reaching out to the young, lifting up the oppressed, and responding to natural crises. In addition, people brought their sick and those tormented by evil spirits and all of them were healed (Acts 5:12, 15–16).
1 cor.12:8
Embracing the gift of the Holy Spirit will not only give you dynamic words for witness, but will release within you the creative, life-giving agent of empowerment for service. Your life as usual will be radically transformed as God begins to open doors for the performance of signs and wonders through you.

What is the Holy Spirit saying to me?

ACTIVATION

Reflect for a few moments on the awesome, creative power of God through the Holy Spirit and thank Him that this same power can operate in your life.

Witnessing is simply sharing what you have experienced in your life. When was the last time you witnessed to someone about the transforming power of the Holy Spirit you have received?

Make a personal commitment to Christ to share the Good News with one individual this week.

08 Hope and the Holy Spirit

HOPE AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
By: Alton Garrison

Faith and hope are similar but distinctly different. In addition to the measure of faith, Romans 10:17 (ESV) declares that faith can grow through the educational process of “hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Faith is more educational  hope is more emotional. Faith is related to miracles; hope is more about morale.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12 ESV

as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations"—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, "So shall your offspring be."
Romans 4:17‭-‬18 ESV

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Romans 15:4 ESV

Hope is a favorable, confident, happy anticipation of good things to come. Hopeful people are happy, generous, and positive. Hopeless people are negative, bitter, discouraged, and defeated.

Satan’s attack is more against our hope than against our faith. It is easier for him to discourage us emotionally than to defeat us Scripturally. Anyone who has experienced loss, sickness, tragedy, or pain will often hear Satan’s lie: “If God really loved you, why would He allow that to happen to you?”

When we lose our wealth, we are hindered. When we lose our health, we are handicapped. But when we lose our hope, we are emotionally paralyzed. When we look at our health, finances, relationships, family situations, or joblessness and all looks hopeless, we must not give up.

What is the Holy Spirit saying to me?

ACTIVATION

Recognize that God is your source of hope.

Believe you have not lost your faith.
roman 10:17

Write in your journal the emotions destroying your hope. Release those to God and let Him recharge the hope in you.

07 The Spirit upon you

“WITH”–– Or “IN” And “UPON”
By: Jack Hayford

Here is a lesson Jesus taught His followers about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a resident counselor. The Greek word here is interesting: parakletos––“para” (beside), “kletos” (call)––one who is called alongside to help. There isn’t a single thing needed in the Christian life that He isn’t there to provide.

even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
 John 14:17 ESV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
 Acts 1:8

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
 2 Peter 1:3‭-‬4 ESV

Note the difference in the prepositions that are found in the passages before us today. Jesus said the Spirit was “with” them, but later would be “in” them and “upon” them. I take these prepositions to mean that the Holy Spirit was “with” them prior to Pentecost. Prior to Pentecost their lives lacked character and consistency. They cast out devils, but on other occasions they seemed to be somewhat influenced by them.

Simon Peter is a case in point (Matthew 16:23). The disciples were loud in their assertions of loyalty, and loud in their blunderings and misunderstanding. The Spirit was most certainly “with” them––helping, encouraging, and revealing––but He was most certainly not “in” them or “upon” them. When the Spirit came “in” and “upon” them at a later date, then their fitful living became faithful living, and their erratic loyalty became everlasting loyalty.

Today in the lives of many Christians, the Holy Spirit seems to be working on the outside rather than on the inside. Actually, of course, the Holy Spirit is resident “in” every Christian, but He wants more than just to be resident––He wants also to be president! How is it in your life and experience? Is the Spirit a passing guest or a permanent guest?

What is the Holy Spirit saying to me?

ACTIVATION

Think about the ways the Holy Spirit comes alongside you to help you.

Think about what it means to have the Holy Spirit living inside you, and what it means for the Holy Spirit to “come upon” you.

Thank God for the power and life that He gives you through His Holy Spirit.