Ephesians 3:20
New Living Translation
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Acts 1:8
New Living Translation
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Corrie ten Boom: She was a humble watchmaker in the Netherlands until she was arrested along with her family for hiding Jews during World War II. She was thrown into Ravensbrück (pronounced RAW-vins-brook), one of the most brutal Nazi concentration camps. There, she faced starvation, sickness, and death all around her. Instead of giving up, she clung to the power of the Holy Ghost! She smuggled a Bible past the guards that she hid in her dress and then led secret Bible studies in the barracks. Through the Holy Spirit, she brought hope to women who had no hope, and joy to those in despair. When she was miraculously released due to a clerical error, she then spent the rest of her life preaching about the power of forgiveness, even forgiving one of the very guards who tormented her. That’s the power of the Holy Spirit at work!
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: a German pastor, could have stayed silent in the face of Hitler’s evil, but the Holy Spirit gave him courage to preach righteousness and truth. He didn’t just talk about faith, he lived it, even becoming part of a movement to resist the Nazi regime. He was imprisoned and eventually executed, but do you know what he did while awaiting death? He ministered to other prisoners, prayed for his enemies, and wrote words that still inspire believers today! The world thought they silenced him, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, his message lives on!
Richard Wurmbrand: a Romanian pastor, was arrested while under communist rule and endured 14 years of brutal torture. He was beaten, starved, and locked in solitary confinement. The goal was to break him and make him deny Jesus; however, the Holy Spirit inside him was greater than the forces against him! While locked away in a dark cell, he composed sermons in his mind, he whispered prayers for his torturers, and he remained full of the joy of the Lord despite unimaginable pain. When he was finally released, he founded The Voice of the Martyrs, a ministry that supports persecuted Christians to this day. That is the effectiveness of the Holy Spirit in a believer!
Gladys Aylward: She was a young British woman, who felt called by God to be a missionary to China. Despite her calling, she was rejected by every missionary board. She was told she wasn’t educated enough and wasn’t qualified enough; but when God calls you, man’s rejection cannot stop you! She used her own money to travel to China, learned the language, and began sharing the gospel. Then when war broke out, this small woman who was barely five feet tall led 100 orphans on a dangerous trek over mountains to escape enemy forces. With no food, no protection, and no way forward, she trusted in the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and He made a way! She saved those children and went on to become one of China’s most beloved missionaries. Tell me that’s not the power of God!
Louis Zamperini: He was an Olympic runner turned WWII airman, who survived a plane crash and drifted for 47 days at sea. He had to fight off sharks, starvation, and enemy fire. He was eventually captured by the Japanese and tortured in a P.O.W. camp. After the war, he came home full of bitterness, anger, and PTSD, but one night, he walked into a Billy Graham crusade, and the Holy Spirit broke every chain in his life! He gave his life to Jesus, and the hatred that had consumed him was replaced with supernatural forgiveness. He even went back to Japan to personally forgive his former captors. Only the Holy Spirit can transform a heart like that!
“God is working
I. IF GOD SAID “IT”, HE HAS A PLAN TO FULFILL “IT”.
2 Timothy 3:16
New King James Version
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for [a]instruction in righteousness,
Over 40 different authors, spanning 1,500 years, wrote its 66 books, and yet it carries one
2 Peter 1:20-21
New King James Version
20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private [a]interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but [b]holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:35
New International Version
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God.
Philippians 1:6
New International Version
6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
If God said it, He will do it! If He spoke it, He will accomplish it! The Holy Spirit is the
II. REMAIN FILLED, BECAUSE LIFE CAN DRAIN YOU.
Acts 16:25
New International Version
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
Philippians 2:17
New International Version
17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.
Life may
“be filled with the
III. LET THE COMFORTER BE YOUR PILOT.
Exodus 13:21
New International Version
21 By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.
Colossians 3:15
New International Version
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
When you are walking in God’s will, the Holy Spirit will give you an inner calm, an
IV. ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO BE YOUR PROTECTION.
Genesis 3:1-5
New Living Translation
3 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”… 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
Negative, fearful, anxious, or condemning thoughts are NOT from the Holy Spirit! They come from a
Philippians 4:8 reminds us that the thoughts from God are “true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, excellent, and worthy of praise.”
Romans 8:6 declares, “The mind
“I