The Real Thing Gives Power

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be My witnesses. Acts 1:8 (NASB)

Pastor Sam admonished us in his teaching about fasting to “seek the real and passionate part of God.” Seeking the “real” is not for the faint of heart. God is a jealous God and He desires all and not part of us. When we set out to seek the real, it will quickly become a quest, an appeal or petition for more of God. Our quest will find us in prayer when others are distracted and worried. This quest will send us into our prayer closet after everyone has gone to sleep or before others rise for the day. Our daily search will find praise on our lips when life seems hopeless and things are difficult. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13 (NASB)

Acts chapter 1 tells us about the promise of the Holy Spirit and Jesus’ ascension. Jesus commanded them to stay in Jerusalem until they had received the gift of the Holy Spirit. There were 500 that witnessed Jesus taken up into a cloud. Can you imagine!? Standing on a hillside watching Jesus escorted into heaven by 2 white-robed men! You are watching this miraculous sight and suddenly you can no longer see him. Then the 2 men say, “why are you standing here staring into heaven?” You are stunned, speechless and they are telling you that someday Jesus will return from heaven in the say way. You are excited! He is coming back for you! He has told you power awaits you in Jerusalem, something about baptizing in the Holy Spirit. Slowly the crowd begins to leave. Excitement, fear, reality, belief and worry is spreading among the people. Only 120 went to Jerusalem to wait. 380 of the 500 people that witnessed this miraculous sight went home. What group would you have been in? What group are you in now? For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.

1 Corinthians 4:20 (NASB)

The 120 desired more of God. They believed He was coming back and that He had something for them if they would wait. So…they waited. And power they received! Peter preached the salvation message and his words “pierced their hearts”. 3,000 were saved. How did Peter’s words pierce their hearts? Because of the power of the Holy Spirit! They saw many saved, others were miraculously healed because they sought the real and passionate part of God. He desires all to be saved. He took stripes on His back for our healing. Seek “the real” during this fast because the real thing gives power.

Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you. Luke 10:19 (NASB)

These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast our demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. Mark 16:17-18 (NASB)

Bible Reading: Acts 2:1-41