The outpouring of the Holy Spirit recorded in Acts chapter 2 came upon the 120 believers, but there is no question that God's purpose was for the Holy Spirit to come upon all who believe.
God honours obedience
All were healed
Pentecost was only a beginning
What happened on the Day of Pentecost can and should happen today. It was not a one-time event that ended with the first disciples; rather, it was the beginning of the Spirit-empowered life of the Church throughout this age. The evidence, demonstration, and confirmation of who Jesus is continues through the work of the Holy Spirit in His people.
Transformed and empowered by the Holy Spirit
From Pentecost to the Second Coming
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.
The last instruction of Jesus
In Acts 1, Jesus spoke to a group of ordinary, imperfect men – including Peter, who had denied Him only weeks before. Yet Jesus made them an extraordinary promise: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you." In other words, the Holy Spirit would transform their lives and empower them to fulfil the ministry He was entrusting to them.
The key to the Power of Jesus
The Power of the Resurrection
The power of our faith is rooted in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We do not speak enough about the resurrection. At Communion we remember His death and celebrate His resurrection. At Easter we proclaim His victory over the grave. But the heart of the Gospel is this: God raised Jesus from the dead! Everything we believe, everything we preach, and everything we hope for rests upon that glorious truth.
The Power of Personal Testimony
In the Church, we need to return to the power of personal testimony. There is too much religious preaching and not enough declaring what the Lord has done in our own lives. People need to hear the evidence of God's transforming power. In my own ministry, I make it a priority to share testimonies of all that God has done.
Declare the Word of God with boldness
In Acts 4, the religious leaders were astonished by two things: first, the miracle that had taken place; and second, the boldness of Peter and John. It is time for us to stand with that same boldness and declare the truth we know. The leaders recognised that these ordinary men had been with Jesus – and that made all the difference.
The Power of the Holy Spirit
Living in the Power of the Holy Spirit
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?
Healed by the Authority of God's Word
The most important chapter in the Bible on healing
He never said, "Come Back"
The first time I began major evangelism in Siberia in 1994, I took four hundred co-evangelists and spent three months there, 16,000 km away from home. We didn’t have enough money when we went, I had just enough for one-way tickets. Some asked me where were the return tickets, and I told them, in the Gospels Jesus said ‘Go’ many times – He never once said, ‘Come back!’ But God did provide – we came back – by faith!
We need the Power of the Holy Spirit
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!
The Gift of Faith
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!
Declared to be the Son of God with Power
Formal Christianity has totally moved away from the miraculous, and the moment that you do, you’ve lost the purpose of our Christian faith and its power. If there were no miracles in the life of Jesus – the virgin birth, the resurrection and the miracles of His ministry – then He is no different from any other so-called god or prophet.
