
Under the Influence
By Don Vess
Romans 8:13-14 (AMP)
“…if you live according to the [dictates of] the flesh, you will surely die. But if through the power of the [Holy] Spirit you are [habitually] putting to death [making extinct, deadening] the [evil] deeds prompted by the body, you shall [really and genuinely] live forever. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”
Led (Webster’s Dictionary): The act or
On the Day of Pentecost, when God poured out His Spirit on the church, there was such a commotion that everyone was questioning what was happening. The disciples were clearly “under the
Acts 2:7-21 (NKJV)
“…they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.’ 12 So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘Whatever could this mean?’ 13 Others mocking said, ‘They are full of new wine.’
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, ‘Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour (9 o’clock) of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants,
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in heaven above
And signs in the earth beneath:
Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
21 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”’”
Influence:
As a verb – To affect or alter by indirect or intangible means; to have an
As a noun – Refers to the power to change or affect someone or something, especially the power to cause changes without directly forcing them to happen. Influence can also refer to a person or thing that affects someone or something in an important way.
We all have influence, whether
“Your influence is either negative or positive, but never neutral.” — Henrietta Mears
In 1979, the Detective Book Club published Dertie Denham’s novel The Man Who Lost His Shadow. Of course, in the physical sense, we never lose our shadows. In the spiritual sense, everyone also casts a shadow. Everyone has influence, either for good or for bad.
Matthew 28:19
Jesus commissioned us:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Jesus promised that we would always be “under His influence.” He would “
Luke 24:49
Jesus told His disciples, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued (under the influence of) power from on high.”
Jesus told His followers who had assembled to witness His ascension to the Father:
“But you shall
The
The word influence has its origins in Italy. Long ago, people blamed the stars for things that happened on earth, hence the saying, “It is written in the stars.” They even believed that some diseases were caused by the influence of the stars. The word was later used for a disease that became epidemic, spreading throughout much of Europe and claiming many lives. When the disease spread to the American colonies, the word influenza entered the English language.
The Gospel has spread throughout the world because of the
God calls us, as the church, to be Holy-Ghost Super
The Word of God is life to the believer but death to the domain of the enemy.
1 John 3:8 — For this reason the Son of God was manifested: to destroy—to undo, outdo, and overdo—everything the devil has done.
Acts 8:1-4 (NKJV)
Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time, a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him. 3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. 4 Therefore, those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the Word—being an influence for the Kingdom of God.
They were under the influence of the Holy Spirit and were being an influence for the
This is what happens when we stay under the influence and continually
Oswald Chambers said,
“It is the most natural thing to be like the person you live with the most. Therefore, live the most with Jesus.”
Paul said of the Christians in Rome:
Romans 1:8 — “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the world.”
They were being an influence for God. I pray that we, as a church, will have the same influence in our community. That the Gospel will spread because of our love for Christ and for each other.
Let’s cast a long shadow. Let the “Holy Ghost Influenza” invade every part of our society!
Invitation:
What is the difference-maker in a believer in Jesus? The influence of the Holy Spirit inside of you! Would you like to be filled with the Holy Spirit today? COME!