Are You Plugged in to God's Power Source?

The Holy Spirit - the Church's Power Source!

Once we become born again (have repented from our sin and have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour of our lives) and are baptised, there is a ‘power’ that God makes available to us in order for us to become effective ministers within His Kingdom and to fulfil His purpose in our lives and for us to be conformed more and more into His image. 

We have all been predestined to do the works that God has prepared for us to do, but we need to be moving in the power of the Holy Spirit in order to do them.

 In Romans 8, Paul calls this ‘Life in the Spirit.’

Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Let’s have a look at what happened with Jesus just before he began his ministry amongst us.

Matthew 3:13-17 (NIV)

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

So, here Jesus is baptised in order to fulfil all righteousness (verse 15) and we see that he was filled with the Holy Spirit (the descending dove) and this was pleasing to God.

Directly after his baptism Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil and by the Word of God the ‘tempter’ was defeated – this was Jesus moving in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 4:10-11

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

It was directly after this battle with Satan that Jesus began his Spirit filled ministry to the people!

Luke 4:14

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.

Here we see that Jesus was connected into the power of the Holy Spirit in order to fulfil his predestined ministry on earth. This is the example that the Church needs to embrace both individually and corporately to be effective ministers in the world and overcomers of the world.

The Bible commands us to be imitators of Christ, this means in every respect. We as his followers and as His Church needs to follow His example and be fully connected to and filled with the Holy Spirit in order to live victorious lives and be effective ministers to a dying world!

Just as a country is connected into a power grid in order to run effectively so the Church needs to be connected into God’s power grid to run effectively and to become effective ministers in Jesus’ name.

In the above picture we see God's power grid of the Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – one God, three persons. It is from this power grid that the life of a Christian should be run! The Church, both as individual people and as a corporate entity, are able to connect into God’s power grid by plugging in to the power of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 24:49 (AMP)

 Listen carefully: I am sending the Promise of My Father [the Holy Spirit] upon you; but you are to remain in the city [of Jerusalem] until you are clothed (fully equipped) with power from on high.”

Acts 1:8 (AMP)

But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.”

Luke 24:49 tells us that  before we do anything we need to wait to be clothed with power from on high - Just as Jesus was when the Holy Spirit descended upon like a dove, and just as the disciples were at Pentecost when they were energised by the Holy Spirit by what looked like tongues of flame. 

This is what happens when we wait and get plugged in to His power!

Acts 2:1-4 (NIV)

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

We receive power from on high, we speak the Word, boldly, miracles, signs and wonders follow us wherever we go and the Lord adds to the number of those being saved!

God dearly longs us to receive the free gift of the Holy Spirit - the more we ask to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit, the more effective we will become in our lives of service to Him. Only in this way will His will and purpose for our lives be fulfilled!

 If you, then, being evil [that is, sinful by nature], know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!”

All we have to do is to keep asking Him to continually fill us!

Ephesians 5:18 (AMP)

 Do not get drunk with wine, for that is wickedness (corruption, stupidity), but be filled with the [Holy] Spirit and constantly guided by Him.

How do we plug in to the Holy Spirit both as individuals and corporately as an entire congregation?

With loving (agape) devotion to:

• God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• and to His Word.
• and to each other.
• and by believing in Jesus.
• and by continually asking God to fill us with the Holy Spirit just as Jesus did.

Matt 22:37-39

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’

Acts 2:42

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

1 John 4:20

Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.

1 Cor 13:1-3

If I don’t have love: I am a clanging cymbal; I am nothing; I gain nothing!

Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Romans 8:5-8 (NIV)

5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

Romans 8:12-14

12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

Are you plugged in to the Holy Spirit?

Is your congregation plugged in to the Holy Spirit?

Do you live according to the flesh or according to the Spirit?

John 6:63 (AMP)

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh conveys no benefit [it is of no account]. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life [providing eternal life]. 

Do you need to make changes in your life to be conformed to the image of Christ?

Jesus has so much he wants to reveal to us and this he does through the Holy Spirit. As his disciples we are only able to glorify the name of Jesus when we are plugged in to the Holy Spirit and walking in obedience to His Word!

John 16:12-15 (NIV)

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

Our Christian walk should be one of life in the Spirit, when we walk in conjunction with the Holy Spirit we walk not according to the dictates of the flesh, which is sin!

Galatians 5:16-18

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Prayer

Father in Heaven

I pray that you would continually fill me with your Holy Spirit and keep me always plugged in to your power source so that in all I do and say I will be a blessing to the Church and others and that my actions and speech will always bring glory, honour and praise to Jesus. Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory honour and praise!

Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading the article is no substitute for you reading and studying the Bible for yourself. I am flawed - the Bible is not!