Serving in the Power of the Holy Spirit

The power of the Holy Spirit is one of those subjects that people in many parachurch or non-denominational organizations tend to avoid, often because of the extremism found in some sections of Christianity and their teaching on the Holy Spirit. Emotional upheaval and radical manifestations have caused many evangelicals to shy away from the balanced teaching of Scripture on this crucial subject.

But we must never forget that even the Lord Jesus Christ—God in flesh and the perfect, sinless Savior—had to be anointed with the Holy Spirit before starting His ministry on earth. His powerful ministry was not just something granted to Him by virtue of the fact that He was the Son of God.
It was by the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus:
  • Healed the sick
  • Gave sight to the blind
  • Made the lame walk
  • Raised the dead
  • Preached the kingdom’s arrival
And it was for this same reason that Jesus “commanded [His disciples] . . . to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me . . . You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth’ ” (Acts 1:4, 8).

Serving in the Power of the Holy Spirit - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia
A Believer's Eastern Church congregation looks to serve the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit. for more on the BEC, click image.

Not too long before leaving them with this instruction, Jesus had come to these disciples and passed a torch on to them, saying, “Go and make disciples . . . in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit . . . teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20). But at that point, the disciples were probably feeling pretty timid and unsure of their ability to carry out His commission.

For three years they had walked with Jesus, sharing in the joy and thrill of His ministry. They stood beside Him as He touched the blind man’s eyes and rejoiced in amazement as sight came to him.
But now things were different…
  • Jesus had been accused of the scandalous crime of blasphemy and crucified
  • They had fled in fear
  • Peter had denied the Lord
  • They had lost all hope to the point that they were returning to their fishing boats.
And now Jesus is telling them to go into all the world and do all the things He had done while with them?

How impossible this task was! The disciples probably responded, “Jesus, we understand what You are saying, but physically You have been with us all these years. Now You say You are going back to the Father. How are we going to do this work without You?”

The answer? It wasn’t going to be without Him.

The Necessity of the Spirit

On the day of Pentecost, He sent the Holy Spirit, the One who would now lead them and give them the power to carry on the ministry. Indeed, the Lord knew they would never be able to do what He asked in their own power.

The same is true for us today. The power of the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary.

Why? The work to be done is not in the realm of flesh and blood alone. Our task is supernatural. And it is only by the Spirit’s power that we can accomplish what our Lord and Savior left for us to do, no matter how great or small. I am afraid that much of the work done today in the name of serving God is nothing but a work of the flesh, a struggle to perform supernatural work by mere human effort.

We need men and women who serve in the power of the holy spirit - KP Yohannan - Gospel for Asia

Even More Today

My brothers and sisters, today we are faced with the same kind of difficult circumstances the early Church faced. The question is: with all the obstacles and struggles and scandals we face, how on earth are we going to be able to fulfill the call the Lord has given us?

The answer, once again, is only by the power of the Holy Spirit!
  • We need men and women “full of the Spirit and wisdom” (see Acts 6:3), who will do the works of God that would otherwise be impossible if not for this power made available to us!
  • We need men and women recognized by heaven and who cause hell to tremble by the authority and the power they walk in because of the Holy Spirit!
  • We need men and women filled with the Holy Spirit and walking with spiritual discernment, by faith and not by sight.
We desperately need men and women who not only understand doctrine, theory and teaching on the Holy Spirit, but who experience the reality of the Holy Spirit and His fullness in their daily lives and ministries!

As we prepare to celebrate Pentecost on May 20, 2018, let us take time to think on these things and “stir up the gift of God” that is in us (2 Timothy 1:6).

Seek the Holy Spirit. Is your life and ministry daily empowered by the gift of God within you, the same Spirit who raised Christ Jesus from the dead? If not, please cry out to God for this power for the sake of a world He loves.


Dr. KP Yohannan, founder and director of Gospel for Asia, has written more than 200 books, including Revolution in World Missions, an international bestseller with more than 4 million copies in print. His Road to Reality radio program airs on more than 200 outlets worldwide. He and his wife, Gisela, have two grown children, Daniel and Sarah, who both serve the Lord with their families.

Gospel for Asia has been serving the “least of these” in Asia since its beginning in 1979, often in places where no one else is serving. GFA supports national workers who are serving as the hands and feet of Christ by ministering to people’s needs so they can understand the love of God for them for the first time. GFA is engaged in dozens of projects, such as caring for poor children, slum dwellers and widows and orphans; providing clean water by funding wells; supporting medical missions; and meeting the needs of those in leprosy colonies. Through GFA’s Bridge of Hope Program, tens of thousands of children are being rescued from the generational curses of poverty and hopelessness.

=====

Click here, to read more articles on Patheos by Dr. KP Yohannan Metropolitan.

Go here to know more about Dr. KP Yohannan: Flickr | KPYohannan.org | GoodReads | Radio | Amazon

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Our Attitude Towards Suffering

Image
In 2 Timothy 2:3, the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, “Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” Everyone, at some point or another, faces suffering, the soldier especially. However, it is not so much what we suffer, but how we suffer that matters. The way our heart responds to suffering is crucial, because by it we will either advance or become stagnant. To suffer like a good soldier is to willingly endure all for the sake of the call. To suffer like a bad soldier is to grumble when difficult situations and hardship arise. Instead of throwing our lives into what God has called us to, we can try to hold on to our lives, wanting to get away with as little suffering as possible, paying as little price as possible. We have forgotten that we are under the orders of our Master and that we willingly gave up our lives. Christ’s Example of Suffering Christ lived with the expectation of suffering. Throughout the Gospels, He repeatedly referred to
Read more

What Is the Poverty Cycle?

Image
The question, “What is the poverty cycle, or cycle of poverty?” is one that must be answered to address and end poverty across the globe. Put simply, the term refers to the trend where the vicious effects of poverty and deprivation pass from one generation to the next, with no seeming way out. [1] Someone born into poverty has fewer opportunities than their wealthier peers. They must focus on survival above all, leaving little room for anything else. One illness can wipe out a family’s savings, but the unclean water sources and lack of protection available to them invite sickness. Walking to retrieve water can be time-consuming yet must be a daily priority, and many children must work alongside their parents for the family to afford food. Thus, school is often a far-off dream. Having had few opportunities to acquire skills, the kids grow up to repeat the cycle of poverty with their own children. This story was all too familiar for Nalah. His father worked in the tea fields, trying to e
Read more

In Which 10/40 Window Countries Does GFA Work?

Image
GFA World has ministries in over twenty nations, many of which are in the 10/40 window. Countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal are largely poor and desperate for the Gospel, and GFA is working to address these problems. Bangladesh is a lush, green landscape marred by brutal poverty, corruption and unrelenting natural disasters. Though it was once among the wealthiest areas of South Asia, it is now one of the poorest, with over a third of the population living below the poverty line. [1] About 387 people groups, adding up to 155 million people, call Bangladesh home. Of that number, only one percent is considered Christian. [2] Compounding the nation’s issues are a low literacy rate—just over 50 percent—and persecution of the few Christians who live there. [3] The island nation of Sri Lanka is world-famous for its tea. Its sandy beaches and lagoons make it a popular tourist destination; however, this beautiful land is scarred by years of internal strife and natural disaster. A
Read more