When I make the 30 mile trip to Church, I am often frustrated by slow drivers. They have powerful cars, with big engines, and all the performance accessories to safely drive much faster than they do. Sometimes several slow drivers will occupy both lanes and keep others from passing them. Loop 1604 was engineered to safely handle high volumes of cars moving at the posted speed limits and I can’t understand why those drivers won’t increase their speed!
Maybe they don’t want to go faster? They could be happy, just leisurely taking their time and ours. It could be they are afraid to drive faster, not realizing they are creating a more hazardous situation by their slow speed. I don’t ask for much, just get up to and maintain the speed limit. For whatever the reason, even they have the power; they choose not to use it.
That is similar to the power of the HOLY SPIRIT. Jesus said “ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me” (Acts 1:8 KJV). That means we can have the power to be witnesses with the HOLY SPIRIT. So why aren’t more people using that power? Are they happy going through life with less power? That means they are weak and can’t be the witness that JESUS wants them to be.
The HOLY SPIRIT is much more than power to help us witness to others. JESUS said “the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26 KJV). He will teach us and help us remember! That is the power of wisdom, knowledge and understanding from the greatest source! Why would anyone not want more of that?
For some reason the power of the HOLY SPIRIT has been labeled as strange or weird. Some Christians are limited by what they have been taught by others, who don’t accept the power of the HOLY SPIRIT. They didn’t search the Bible for themselves, or they let someone explain away the scriptures about the power of the HOLY SPIRIT. That sounds like the work of someone who wants to “steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10 KJV) us and our faith.
So who is resisting the power of the HOLY SPIRIT? It’s that highly educated, religious leader, who won’t accept the moving of the HOLY SPIRIT. He won’t submit himself to GOD and that limits what GOD can do through him. He doesn’t want to be like “that bunch” which he has mocked and ridiculed. He wants to keep his comfortable religion and his dignified followers. He might lose it all if he lets down his guard and is filled with the SPIRIT. JESUS says “woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in” (Mat 23:13 KJV). I can’t understand why they won’t accept the power which is available.
Paul asked his disciples “Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? …when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Acts 19:2 and 6 KJV). JESUS wants us to have the power of the HOLY SPIRIT for our benefit and to do His work. So why don’t you ask Him for it?
Wayne Lance