We are told that it’s “not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6). Most believers say, “We want God’s power!” But do we truly understand what we are saying or where His power comes from? Would it have changed your life? Let me explain this way: If you had been living two centuries ago and had been one of the people who walked with Jesus in the flesh, watched Him work miracles, heard His voice echoing over the hills as He spoke to the multitudes, heard Him speak intimately with His followers, listened to His teaching beside the shores of Galilee, and watched Him feed 5,000 with a few loaves and fish—would it have changed your life? If you had been standing there as Jesus walked into the tomb, you heard Him speak, and watched as Lazarus walked out alive—would it have changed your life? If you had been there on the Mount of Transfiguration and saw the cloud of glory come down over you, watching the face of Jesus shine as never before, hearing the voice of Almighty God say, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” (Matthew 17:5)—would it have changed your life? What if I said the answer is no? The disciples walked with Jesus for upwards of three years, yet they all walked away from Him when He was arrested, tried, and crucified. They quickly reverted to life as it was before they began following Christ. How quickly they forsook Him! They saw the miracles, thought He was the Messiah, saw Him raise the dead…yet when He was killed, they seemingly had little faith in His own resurrection. External Jesus—Internal Jesus Knowing Jesus externally, in the flesh, did not change His earthly followers. The external Jesus must become the internal Jesus, and only then will your life change. He told us: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:7-8). When our Lord Jesus walked on earth, no one asked Him, “What must I do to be saved?” It was because no one was convicted of sin since the Holy Spirit had not yet come. What made the difference for the disciples between the time they fled from Jesus and returned to change the known world? How could the same multitudes wave palm branches, welcoming Jesus to Jerusalem, then shout “Crucify Him!” shortly afterward? And how could those same people be part of the crowd who gathered in the Upper Room when the power fell on them on the Day of Pentecost? The external Jesus, God in the flesh, became the internal Jesus, God in the Spirit! The Holy Spirit Until the Comforter came, there were limits. Jesus willingly came to earth, took human form—a blood-and-flesh body. He spoke in parables to followers who struggled to understand eternal truth. Our Lord Jesus said, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come” (John 16:12-13). The Holy Spirit was Jesus without limits! Just before He ascended into heaven, our risen Lord said, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). That prophecy was fulfilled in Acts 2. Suddenly, the disciples who had fled and doubted were filled with power. The truth they had learned at the feet of Jesus was transformed into life-changing revelation. Where once they had run away, they were willing to go to the ends of the earth to preach His Gospel and even give their lives for Him! The external Jesus became the internal, unlimited Jesus! Now we are living during the season when God the Holy Spirit, and only God the Holy Spirit, is the one on this planet. God the Father is not here, and God the Son is not here, for we are told that the Father is in heaven and the Son is at His right hand. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is now the active agent of the Godhead. It is only through Him and only by His power that we can serve God. Even when God the Father or God the Son were on earth, it was the Holy Spirit who empowered men and women. That was His sovereignty. The believer’s life depends on the power of the Holy Spirit The Lord is our pattern for total dependence upon the Holy Spirit, and the Lord promised that we would receive the same Holy Spirit that had empowered Him: In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) —John 7:37-39 He is our limitless resource! Consider John 7:38: “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” “Out of his belly” refers to your innermost being. The Holy Spirit is your limitless resource, an everlasting fountain. All you will ever need will be completely fulfilled and satisfied by the Holy Spirit—every longing and every desire in your life. According to John 14:15-18, the Holy Spirit is our Parakletos—our Counselor, Comforter, and Helper! And He is with us forever. Without the Holy Spirit, we would be as orphans with no one to care for us. But with Him, we have full provision! And since that day when the Holy Spirit came, as promised by our Lord Jesus, He has been and still is the personal, resident representative of the Godhead on earth. Without Him, we are powerless. I see so many Christians today dying on the vine. Too many young people are so dry spiritually. Only the Holy Spirit can bring life and unlimited power! Without the Holy Spirit, we are sunk. We cannot fight sin without Him. But with the Holy Spirit, we have full provision. Without the Holy Spirit in control, people will continue to live in sin, making excuses for their behavior. If we lack anything, it is because we have not received the Holy Spirit in His fullness, nor are we being led by Him. That can change today through these seven steps, given in God’s Word: We must repent and be baptized (Acts 2:37-38). We must ask God (Luke 11:9-10,13). Be thirsty (John 7:37-39). Come to Jesus (John 7:37). Drink (John 7:37). Yield (Romans 6:13). Present our bodies (Romans 12:1). Today, as in the first century, the Christian life depends upon the unlimited power of God. Only with the Holy Spirit will you succeed. And I pray, even now, that you will receive His fullness, in Jesus’ name. Amen! My prayer for you I believe that the remainder of 2013 will be a supernatural season of unlimited power and that God’s blessings will literally overtake you! Let me mention that we are nearing the finish line on our matching-gift challenge. Today, I’m asking you to help me turn $2.5 million into $5 million. The anointing for biblical abundance is being released, and I want you to be part of what God is doing. Prayerfully ask Him what you should plant today, then sow your most generous financial seed so multitudes can hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As you do, remember our Father’s glorious promise to give you seed and multiply that seed as you sow it. I am eager to hear from you very soon, and I pray that your gift will bring multitudes of lost souls to the cross. At the same time, I pray that your seed-gift will be multiplied into a vast harvest of financial blessings in your own life, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ! Also, be sure to send me your testimony of God’s miracle provision and use it to inspire and encourage others. I can’t wait to read your praise report! For we know it is “not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6). Together with you in the service of our precious Lord Jesus,
Posted on: Thu, 18 Jul 2013 00:35:50 +0000
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