Daily Archives: August 1, 2014

Weekly Devotional By His Power

Weekly Devotional 8-4-14 By His Power

Jesus, just before ascending into heaven, told His disciples they would receive power to take His message into the world of lost men (Acts 1:8). Fifty days later the Holy Spirit came upon them and they began praising God in tongues (languages) other than their own (Acts 2:1-4). Word spread quickly about what was happening and a large multitude of Jews were drawn to this phenomenon. To their amazement they each heard and understood what the disciples (approximately 120 of them) were saying. In their perplexity and amazement they wondered among themselves what all this meant. Others claimed that the disciples had had too much to drink and were babbling in their drunken state.

However, Peter testified that what had just occurred was a fulfillment of what Joel had prophesied eight hundred plus years earlier. Relating that prophecy Peter said, “17And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy 19I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. 21And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved” (Acts 2:17-21 NKJV).

This was not the actual fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel, but Peter believing that it was, called the multitude to repentance and told them that their deliverance was to be found in Jesus whom they had, by wicked hands, crucified. Peter’s message was so powerful and convincing that 3,000 of the multitude believed and identified themselves with Jesus death, burial and resurrection. However, from the text we soon realize that it was the Holy Spirit that convinced and convicted the 3,000 of their sin, their need of spiritual cleansing, and that it was only Jesus who could provide that cleansing.

This is something that we Christians of today must remember. No matter how elegantly a preacher might deliver a sermon or how sophisticated we might witness to someone, nothing can or will be spiritually affected unless the Holy Spirit speaks in and through the sermon, or the witness. We must remember that a preacher’s sermon or a personal witness cannot be heard by a spiritually dead ear no matter how elegantly or sophisticated either might be delivered.

This should humble the preacher and it should humble a witness. The salvation of a soul is a spiritual matter and mere words cannot bring a soul to spiritual life. Jesus said that a person must be reborn spiritually before he can understand or enter the kingdom of heaven. And, He said, this cannot happen until the Holy Spirit births spiritual life in that person. (See John 3:1-8).

It was in humility and the power of the Holy Spirit that Peter delivered the sermon of Acts chapter 2 and three thousand souls were brought to spiritual life (vs. 41). In the following weeks, the Lord added to the church daily those who were to be saved (2:42-47).

What would happen in our churches today (generally speaking) if sermons were truly delivered in the power of the Holy Spirit and our witness was the Holy Spirit’s witness and not our own?

Lord, help us to be completely void of self and surrendered to the Holy Spirit. Fill us Lord with your authority and power. This should be the cry of all us.

stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The Work of God on Behalf of Man

www.gbchurch.us

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