Power

What the church needs today is power.  And I don’t mean a powerful speaker or a powerful preacher or a powerful program or teacher.  These can be all learned things and people’s personalities.  I am talking about the power that will change people’s lives.  

We learn about what the church should be like and what the church should be doing but what we need to hear about is how it will be accomplished. We can be taught about how the church should function and what it should accomplish and we have heard about it many times, and that is important, but I think we need to start from the beginning.  

What is the main ingredient that will empower the church to accomplish all these things?  We need the Lord to be exalted and the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Word says in Psalms 127:1, “Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain.”  I know this is talking about marriages and family life, but it also includes everything else that we try to accomplish in the spiritual realm, which includes the church.  Anything we endeavor to do in life will never fully meet its highest potential without the Lord and the power of the Holy Spirit.

How did the church get its start?  How did the church survive all these years and how did it accomplish all that has been accomplished?  It was because of the out powering and power of the Holy Spirit on those that who were baptized with the Holy Spirit.  The baptism of the Holy Spirit made all the difference.  Jesus emphasized how important it was for the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father, read it for yourself in Acts 1:4-5, “Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, ‘Which,’ He said, ‘you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’”  It also says this in verse 8, “but you will 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.” 

Why was this so important to them?   They could never accomplish what they were called to do without being baptized and empowered by the Holy Ghost!  If this wasn’t very crucial to their ministry then why would Jesus command these men to tarry and wait for this promise?  Jesus knew them well and knew how fleshly they acted at times, lacking boldness and how fearful they were.  Jesus knew that, not only these disciples would need power but, all of us who would believe their message, all down through the years, would need this empowering of the Holy Spirit in each of our lives as well.  

The baptism of the Holy Spirit used to be taught quite often but as of late it isn’t talked about much.  My feelings are that if the people in Jesus’ day needed to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, when the church started, so does everyone that claims to be a born-again believer today need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.  Like Pastor Piedmonte used to preach, you can still go to heaven without being baptized in the Holy Spirit, but why not go first class.  I think that every preacher should emphasize and preach about the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  If the early church needed it, so do we.

In Acts 19:1-7 it says this, “It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples.  He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’  And they said to him, ‘No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.’  And he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’   And they said, ‘Into John’s baptism.’  Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.  And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.  There were in all about twelve men.”                    

They must have been believers and what about the speaking in tongues, many people claim to be born-again but have never spoken in other tongues.  The Word says they spoke with tongues and prophesied.  Also in Acts 10:43-48 it says this, “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.  While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.  All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.  For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God.  Then Peter answered, ‘Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?’  And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.”

The church wasn’t perfect after this happened but it was very much needed and it is needed just as much today and it should be taught.  Something to think about, God bless and have a great day!!