Living Boldly for Christ: Daily Reflections on Faith, Prayer & Spiritual Life by David Hathaway
When I received the Holy Spirit, everything changed. From that moment, I understood that I was called to live and minister in the same way we see Peter, Paul, John, Philip, and the other apostles living and ministering in the Book of Acts. The work of God cannot be accomplished in human strength. We need the power of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 20.24 says: “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; if only I can finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given to me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”
What a powerful statement. Paul considered his own life nothing compared with finishing the race and completing the task God had given him. All the suffering, all the hardship, and all his personal desires were secondary to that one purpose.
If you are a believer, you too are called to be a witness, just as Peter, John, and the other disciples were. As Acts 10:39 reminds us, we are witnesses to what Jesus has done. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God still transforms lives today, and He invites every believer to testify to His saving grace and His mighty power.
Looking back over my life, I can see how the Lord has ordered my steps. He has given me specific instructions and sent me to particular places. The evidence lies in what followed. My first overland journey to Jerusalem opened my eyes to the suffering of the underground Church behind the Iron Curtain. From that point onwards, at every stage of my life, I was acting under the Lord's direction. Time and again, God did exactly what He had promised.
What happened on the Day of Pentecost was not a one-time event. Again and again, throughout the later chapters of the Acts of the Apostles, we read of people receiving the Holy Spirit. Each time, there was a remarkable transformation. They were filled with a new dynamic power, and it became unmistakably clear that the Holy Spirit had changed their lives.
Just as the disciples saw Him ascend into heaven, those who are alive when He returns will see Him come again in the same visible and glorious way. Until that day, the Church has a mission: to continue the work of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit, faithfully witnessing to Him until He comes again.
When we receive the Holy Spirit, we receive power from God, and that power is meant to be demonstrated. What I sense today is that much of the Church is not living in that power or demonstrating it to the world. So, I would ask: if you have received the Holy Spirit, what difference has it made in your life?
We need the power of the Holy Spirit to see miracles! There are nine gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12: – three vocal gifts, speaking with tongues, the interpretation of tongues, and prophecy – three intellectual gifts, the word of knowledge, the word of wisdom, and the discerning of spirits – three practical gifts, the gifts of healing, the working of miracles and the gift of faith. The gift of faith is NOT an intellectual gift! If you see faith as only an intellectual gift, you will never see its power. It is a practical gift; it’s the one I ask for – more than any other gift!
God had to reduce Gideon’s army to only 300. Why? Because God can only use willing, obedient, committed people who will make His glory the first priority. God needs the right men and women in order to do what He wants, to bring glory to His Name, to bring deliverance to nations, to build His church – He’s looking everywhere, to find those through whom He can direct all His power, and energy into saving sinners.
God has always had a clear plan and strategy in everything He does. From creation to salvation, nothing has happened in heaven or earth without the foreknowledge of God. An important part of the strategy which God has for today is that He wants to show that His power is not just in heaven, but also demonstrated very powerfully on earth.
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