Clothed with Power

Welcome to the intense podcast entitled handling for Wednesday, December 15.

As you might feel a little overwhelming right now, let everywhere facing the believer and remember that you are close to town.

Learn more about the strength God provides through his Spirit opens up. As you heard people refer to the power of the Holy Spirit. What do we mean by the power of the Holy Spirit. When you begin to understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit. All that God's promised about him, you begin to understand how very important it is that you and I are able to understand adequately what the Bible means what it refers to the power of the Holy Spirit. So if you turn to Luke chapter 24 I want us to look at a passage here when Jesus promised this power to his apostles knowledge of them, but also to us and what is happening to give you little background he has already been resurrected from the dead, he's down to the seaside eating fish with them and having finished their meal. He begins in verse 44, like this. He says now he said to them, these are my words which I spoke to you while I was still with you that all things which are written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets of the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and he said to them, thus it is written that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things and then verse 49, and behold, look, he said, I am sending forth the promise of my Father upon you, but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. That's interesting when you and I begin to look at some of the ministries of the Holy Spirit, we begin to see why the power of the Holy Spirit is so very important when you think you're just a moment of the ministries of the Holy Spirit.

That is what is his work in and among the believer, because God said here in this political chapter that before the apostles were to go out and begin witnessing the Scripture says they were to wait to Tara to sit down in the city of Jerusalem until they were endued anointed Claude with power from on high.

Well, when you begin looking at what the Scripture says about the Holy Spirit. First of all, the Holy Spirit is the one who enlightens our minds and helps us to be able to understand any portion of Scripture in first grade. In chapter 2 beginning in verse 10. That's what Paul discusses in the Bible says the Holy Spirit is the one who brings about conviction in our life. In John chapter 16 verse eight. He's the one who convicts us of our need of salvation. The Bible says he is the one who brings about the regenerating work whereby our spirit did to the things of God and dead in trespasses and sins, we become alive through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, thereby coming to indwell us. That is part of his work. He baptizes as the Bible says into into the body of Christ in verse reduce chapter 12 Jesus referred to that John the Baptist reported that and it is stated in first grade.

In chapter 12 that all of us who believe, as have been baptized into the body of Christ. The Bible says part of the work of the Holy Spirit is to seal laws as children of God under the day of redemption. Making as his now and forever.

The work of the Holy Spirit is found in one of the names given to him as comforter owners helper someone who lives on the inside of us, enabling us helping us and comforting us. One of the primary works of the Holy Spirit is to delegate and to manifest the gifts of the spirit as is recorded in first grade. In chapter 12.

Look at that for a moment, because it may be one that you not quite familiar with in the 12 chapter he says in verse seven, but to each one is given the manifestation the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good that is speaking of the gifts and then he says in verse 11 but one in the same spirit, the Holy Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually. Just as he will.

So that's just a little bit of the work in the ministry of the Holy Spirit. I think about this for moment, one of the key questions is this what is and who is this power available to has God limited this to the apostles of the New Testament as he limited this for example to preachers and evangelist musicians and missionaries or is it available to other people about tell you my friend. It is available to every person who is willing to serve the living God, and who is willing to meet the requirements given to us in the Scripture is not limited to a small segment of God's people. All of us have available to us. Listen, that added dimension that is the power of the Holy Spirit functioning and working and releasing and giving dynamic energy, dynamic strength, dynamic wisdom, dynamic perception in our life in order to carry out what God is required of us now. What is the purpose of the God whom we know releasing this dynamic energy and strength in and through us simply this. We are ill-equipped and in adequate to do the work of God without let me show you how God has made that so clear in the Scriptures twice. Here he says in Luke 24 and in acts one but sit down, wait, tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until now. He had already said to them, in John chapter 20. The Bible says, he breathed upon them and said receive either spirit and in John chapter 7 he said out of their lives out of their inmost being with flow, the spirit of government for like rivers of living water.

Something dynamic was about to happen to them. But he said to them, you wait until you have been filled, baptized with the Holy Spirit. But it's interesting he said that about someone else in a different way.

Look, if you will, in Luke chapter 3. You recall the beginning of Christ's ministry.

What's going on here in the beginning of his ministry.

In verse 22. He says on the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus.

He's being baptized now and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like it, and a voice came out of heaven, thou art my beloved son in whom all in the I am well pleased.

The Holy Spirit descending all right turnover to chapter 4 verse one. The Scripture says and Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led about the Spirit in the wilderness verse 14 of the same chapter temptations over and Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the spirit and news about him spread through all the surrounding districts so he comes in the synagogue. Now the Sabbath and verse 18 says that he begins reading the Scripture the spirit of the Lord is upon me, he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord before Jesus began his ministry the Holy Spirit came upon him in a special and unique fashion.

Here is my most beautiful verses to verses that you will find concerning the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of anyone listen to how he describes it. Romans 15 verse 18 Paul says, for I will not presume to speak of anything I listen to how he says it, I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed in the power of signs and wonders in the power of the Holy Spirit. Now the disciples and apostles were not reticent because they had walked with Paul the apostle was not ready until the spirit of God came upon it. You recall struck down the Damascus Road. Ananias came to and laid his hands upon them. Scripture says the scales fell from his eyes. The Holy Spirit came upon and he was baptized and Paul says what Christ did through him in the power of the Holy Spirit. Why did he tell them to wait because they were inadequate.

The reason you will not need the power of the Holy Spirit is because we are in adequate within ourselves to carry out the work of God because you see the work that God has called all of us to do whatever your ministry is is a supernatural work is not to be done in your ability.

It is to be done in the power the dynamic energy and the strength and the wisdom and the enablement and the added potential that God has given to you as a child of God and from a behavioral warning here anytime you and I hear anything that is not consistent with the teachings of Scripture.

I can tell you the Holy Spirit has not anointed regardless of what it may be anytime we see any kind of action of function going on that is inconsistent with the teaching of Scripture. It is not the power of the Holy Spirit. There are people today who have abilities psychologically to persuade the influence to convince the reveal and to surface all kinds of information that have absolutely nothing to do with the power of the Holy Spirit and some of those people send behind pulpits and claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit but inconsistent in their doctrine inconsistent in the way they carry on God's work. So he says the spirit of God is given for specific reason and is always given in keeping with a ministry that God has given to us to carry out if you look in your Bible just what you'll find you'll find that every single time the power of the Holy Spirit is mentioned. References to the anointing the doom of the power of God is always for service.

It is never for satisfaction and contentment. He see that so many people who have potential than themselves. And then here is this added dynamic supernatural potential and they mentioned that God is willing to add to your life if you are willing to serve him. All these excuses about you can't serve God and you don't feel capable and you don't feel adequate and you can do all of those are to no avail. When you realize what the Bible says that God has been willing to do to fill you and enable you and place within you. The presence of one who assumes all responsibility for convicting and giving you wisdom and directing you in teaching you and empowering your life and your witness. That leaves us without excuse. So let's ask the question what must I do, humanly speaking, in order not to get not for God to send down but in order for the Holy Spirit who is ordered living within the to release through me. That dynamic energy that added dimension and touch of God in my life.

What must transpire in order for the release of this energy this spring. This wisdom is knowledge is understanding this added dimension.

What must happen all right. So Jeff is now number one. The first is this a conviction of my inadequacy, a conviction of my inadequacy, not just the feeling miss it.

Sometimes we feel adequate.

Sometimes we don't. If you want the Holy Spirit to release his power in and through your life and whatever God is called to do.

There must be a did a willful conviction on your part. God, I cannot do this, apart from the power of the Holy Spirit in my life that is Lord, if you don't search through this body in this mindless will upon your dynamic your strength, your energy, your wisdom if you don't add your potential to my life. It will get done personally.

Conviction of air inadequacy.

Secondly, purity of life. I didn't say perfection, but purity I mean by that. A clean life confession and repentance of sin.

When sin comes in your life, confess it right then and there, deal with it at that moment that the power of God may continually flow in your life because you see sin short-circuits the power flow when there is willful, deliberate sin in your life. It short-circuits the power of God because you see, God isn't going to release through his Holy Spirit in your life. Listen, he is not going to release in your life. His dynamic power when there is hostility and anger and bitterness and unforgiveness and sensuality when there is carelessness and recklessness about the things of God.

God isn't going to release his power. So what is he that there's a short circuit.

There is a power blackout and here you are walking in the spirit God is failed you and the power of God is flowing through your life and out of neglect, carelessness, laughing sin, the creep in your life you come back to the next time that God requires you do that another another opportunity of service you start doing the same thing. All of a sudden, nobody else may ever know. But you know there is some thing missing what's missing is that added dimension that added thrust that added streak that added dynamic in your life that when you share your faith with someone, it just little falls as it is in a rainstorm that there's nothing there. Somehow the words just sort of come out but that's all you see you can serve God without the power the Holy Spirit. You can do it in your strength in your energy and with your gifts that God is given minus the Holy Spirit's power and more than likely, depending upon where you are and what you doing you can get by convincing people persuade them will be very impressed and you will be honored and praised my friend.

God knows the difference and I believe anyone who is ever experience the power of the Holy Spirit. Released in the life they know the difference when he is there releasing it, and when the power of the spirit is not released in the light.

They know the different number three prayer.

I do not know of a single person that I have ever met in whose life the power of the Holy Spirit was evident, who was not a praying person you see if I have a conviction of my inadequacy. I'm going to be a praying person. If I have a conviction got. I can't. He's the first one on the hotel and I'm gonna keep on telling, so conviction of my inadequacy is essential purity of purpose purity of life and thirdly, praying number for believing believing that God will do what he promised to do for sure that he's given me a supernatural work to do a piece called you to do something and required of you. God assumes the responsibility of enabling you in his strength and power and energy to get it done. So we must believe in him do what he said this is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears as we know this is his will, and if he hears as we know that we have the petitioner we desired of him. So we asking and we believe that is we appropriate for ourselves the release of the Holy Spirit has nothing to do necessarily what feeling am I going to do. You will feel different at times, but you cannot base it on feeling you base it on the truth of the promise of the word of God.

You ask what the will of the father is he will give you that which is promised in his will, and we are to appropriate and to live out that which he's promised. But there's one other thing I must have a conviction of my inadequacy. I must be pure in my heart and life praying and asking, believing and expecting. But then, last of all, I must be engaged in service, the person who is not going to become engaged in some form of service some form of ministry when it's at home, or wherever it may be you just going to do your thing and that's it. I will tell you, you will never experience the flow of the power of the living God in your life through the Holy Spirit search the Scriptures. It is always identified with service you think about this for a moment, God has offered to every single one of us to release within us a supernatural power that we cannot fully ever describe but experience for every single person who is willing having been convinced of their inadequacy who is willing to serve him in any form or fashion. You know that means you don't ever have to do anything in the flesh, you don't ever have to do anything in your strength and energy. And when we do we falter and we fall, but we don't have to. All of us believe we can be filled. The spirit he said we could.

Don't be drunk with wannabe feel the spirit EE being filled continuously filled with the Holy Spirit of God before that is overflowing in our life every time you and I have a responsibility of ministry in any form whether the one person, a few of many we have the privilege the right and authority to claim the Holy Spirit's release of his supernatural dynamic inner genetic potential in our life in order that missing in order that what we do through the power of the spirit may glorify and honor God and never ourselves. If the work is going to be lasting and have an eternal consequence that it must be done in the power of the Holy Spirit. Now wonder how many of you have never experienced the power of the Holy Spirit in your life but you just go along thinking will you not have talents of the bill does not.

Guess that's the rent due in no you have somebody on the inside of you who is at a moments notice, willing and ready to release that dimension in your life if you are willing to meet the required. I think about if you going to live your life and you going to serve the Lord in one not given your best and how you give it your best. Reaching the maximum of your potential. Depending upon and resting in our of the Holy Spirit to do that work three. Thank you for listening to close with and how it if you like to know more about Charles Stanley in touch ministries that night and had started writing this podcast is a presentation in touch ministries Atlanta, Georgia