17th May 2013
"The Power of Reproduction
in the Pentecostal Blessing"
"But YE SHALL RECEIVE POWER (Greek: dunamis: dynamite; dynamic; dynamo: the power to generate and convert), AFTER THAT THE HOLY GHOST IS COME UPON YOU: and YE SHALL BE WITNESSES (Greek: martus: martyrs) UNTO ME both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth". Jesus, Acts 1:8 KJV (Capitals are mine for emphasis)
"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT". Ephesians 5:18 KJV (Capitals are mine for emphasis)
WHY SECOND-GUESS GOD?
Being filled with the Holy Spirit is an absolute necessity, especially in today's world. It is not an option; but a command. If you want to know where a person is in his walk with the Lord, introduce the biblical concept of being filled with the Spirit. When there is resistance, followed by an argument, and minimizing the initial physical evidence of being baptized in the Spirit, it is an immediate red flag which reveals where that person is in his relationship with God. That conclusion may sound judgmental, but in reality it is not. It is saying to the Almighty, "I am self-sufficient. I do not need anything else. Salvation is an end in itself". Why second-guess God when He has provided power to live an overcoming life in a generation where the powers of hell and darkness have been unleashed as in no other?
THE "DYNAMITE" OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The power of the Pentecostal blessing Jesus promised believers is accelerated in its definition when we study the Greek word used here--"dunamis". From it we derive English words such as "dynamite", "dynamic", and "dynamo". Dynamite implies an inherent quality which is an explosive with the ability to bring down old buildings, and to destroy that which stands in the way of progress. Demons cannot be cast out without the power of the Holy Spirit. Why waste time and energy fighting the Holy Spirit, when it should be directed in fighting our common enemy--Satan? To refuse this God-originated and ordained experience is like traveling across the countryside in a horse-drawn buggy instead of a jet-liner.
THE "DYNAMIC" AND "DYNAMO" OF THE SPIRIT
The "dynamic" of the Holy Spirit is the ability to lift us out of ourselves into a new dimension in God. It causes our relationship with Jesus to not be hum-drum and boring. It brings a new intimacy with our Lord not known before. It is not difficult to differentiate between a preacher who is Spirit-filled and one who is not. The Spirit-filled one is dynamic. "Dynamo" is the characteristic of generating water in a river and converting it into electricity. Niagara Falls on the border of New York, USA, and Ontario, Canada, is an awesome sight. But, when the water of the Niagara River is generated into electricity, it dispels darkness for millions of people. It is not now just beautiful to look at, but becomes a practical blessing. The dynamo of the Holy Spirit is the power to convert the experience of the baptism in the Spirit to winning new souls into the kingdom of God.
"WITNESSING": "DEAD TO SELF AND ALIVE UNTO GOD"
Why are we to be "witnesses unto Jesus"? The word "witness" and "martyr" come from the same Greek root word, "martus". The next statement may be shocking to some, but the real "witness" is the person who has "become a martyr"--"dying to self"--"a living dead person". Dead to self and alive unto God. Witnessing is not just passing out gospel tracts and presenting the four spiritual laws to unbelievers. It is the world seeing the difference in us, and wanting what we have. It is like a magnet which draws them to us; not because of us, but the Jesus they see in us. Our spiritual energy does not come from alcohol--"be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess"--but being filled with the Person of the Spirit; not being drunk with spirits. Sunday is "Pentecost Sunday". May it not just be a time of looking back at an historical event, 50 days after the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, but a living reality in this present time.
