'One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village in Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem were sitting there. The power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick.' (Luke 5:17) But on another day, when he went to his own hometown, 'he could not do any miracles there ...' (Mark 6:5) since the power of the Lord was not present, probably because the Spirit was grieved by their stubborn refusal to believe (Vs 6). Even Jesus couldn't do anything when the Spirit, who is the source of God's power, was not present! The disciples eventually understood why Jesus insisted that they wait for the Spirit before they launch into the world! And when they did, just a handful of people could exert such widespread influence! They took the entire Roman world by storm because the wind of the Spirit was blowing through them! The 'Acts of the Apostles' should have been rightly titled the 'Acts of the Holy Spirit' because the fresh air of heaven blows gustily through those pages! Luke mentions the Holy Spirit 57 times in the book of Acts. Resurrection power was at display for all to see and believe! Paul called it the 'eternal power' in Romans 1:20, the 'all-surpassing power' in 2 Corinthians 4:7 and the 'incomparable power' in Ephesians 1:19 but none of these superlatives can fully describe this indescribable power! God's awesome power was first witnessed by the Angels during the creation of the world (Job 38:7), then by his disciples with the resurrection of Christ and will be witnessed by the world during judgement. Moreover, the power of God will again be at display when God creates a new earth and a new heaven! Hallelujah!
The Gospel is not only a 'message of wisdom' but also a 'message of power'. And the Spirit is the power behind the Gospel. What Jesus said to the Apostles, is still applicable to us! "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses ..." (Acts 1:8) And so they did with great power! 'With great power the Apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.' (Acts 4:33) The Spirit of power still desires to continue his Acts in this age. Amen
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