A POWER CUT
17th Jul 2019
A glance over towards the blank digital clock in the middle of the night revealed that we had a power cut. As morning arrived, my first task was to discover why? A visit to the trip switch gave me the answer, and with one flick, power was restored. We don’t get far without electricity, and we won’t get far without the power of the Holy Spirit
The last instructions from Jesus in Luke 24 and Acts 1 were, “….but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” and “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…” He knew that it was impossible for the disciples to live their lives without the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. So why do we try and live out of our own human resources?
This message runs right through the New Testament. The disciples obeyed the words of Jesus and waited for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Once filled they went out in this power and saw amazing things. The cripple at the Beautiful Gate was healed. The people wanted to know how, Peter said, “Why do you stare at us as if by our own power and godliness we made this man walk?” It wasn't us it was the power of the Holy Spirit.
Persecution arrived and they were under pressure to retreat and hide. But No! It was back to prayer, Acts 4:31 says, “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”
Paul recognised it as a missing ingredient in the life of the Ephesians when he asked, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19:2) but also needed to be part of their daily worshipping lives, when he instructed them, “…be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs….always giving thanks to God.” (Ephesians 5:18-20)
You can no more live without the power of the Holy Spirit, than you can without your electricity supply!
by Charles Sibthorpe
