Messages
The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Believer
THE HOLY SPIRIT - YOUR SOURCE OF POWER
What happens when you think of witnessing? Do you cringe at the thought of
getting your mouth unglued and telling some stranger ( or even worse, a coworker
or classmate) about Jesus? Or maybe you think of some step-by-step speech you
give someone, which works fine until someone says something that's not on your
script.
It's no wonder Jesus knew He needed to leave the disciples with the power
they would need to effectively tell others about God's plan of salvation. That's
why Acts 1:8 says, "You will receive power when the
Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (NIV).
How does that sound for help? Not only does God want you to tell others about
Jesus, He also makes it possible for you to do so. With His power, you don't
have to cringe at the mention of witnessing.
THE HOLY SPIRIT - YOUR SOURCE FOR THE WORD.
When many people look at the Bible, they feel lost as you may have felt trying
to read Greek. Contemporary translations can make reading the Bible easier, but
they can't provide the illumination the Holy Spirit can.
John 16:13 (NIV) says , "When He, the Spirit of truth,
comes, He will guide you into all truth." That doesn't mean God is
doing away with teachers, but it does mean the Holy Spirit will help you
understand the Word.
The Holy Spirit does more than simply help you understand the Word, however.
He shows you how the Bible speaks to you. As you're reading the Word, He may
suddenly drop a thought in your mind that says, "That's you!" Sometimes He
encourages you for good effort, and at other times, He may show you something in
your life that needs repair. Regardless of what the Holy Spirit shows you, you
can be confident He will bring the Word to life for you.
THE HOLY SPIRIT - YOUR HELP IN TIME OF NEED
The gun sounds, the final lap begins. Each runner reaches back for whatever
reserve he has left. Some runners reach their limit, find nothing more to race
with, and fall back. Other runners suddenly had a new rush of strength and power
ahead of the pack.
Sometimes Christians reach a point where it seems they have nothing left to
serve God with. But, unlike the runner who falls back, a fresh source of
encouragement and strength is only a prayer away.
"[The Church] was strengthened; and encouraged by the
Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of God." (Acts
9:31, NIV).
