PRESENT POWER

Luke 24:44-49

One night the meeting place of a small and inactive group of Christians caught on fire. The blaze lit up the sky and attracted a crowd. A member of the church saw the town skeptic standing among the spectators and said to him, "I never saw you come near this church before." "No," replied the man, "but I never saw this church on fire before." The church faces a challenge today, but the power to meet it is not found in fine buildings or efficient programs. Only the Holy Spirit can enable believers to implement the Savior’s command.

The coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost marked the formation of the church. On that day, the risen Christ provided the power needed to propagate the gospel. Believers who formed the church were to be witnesses of Christ in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. The indwelling Spirit became the dynamic force to carry out the task of going into all the world. Pentecost doesn’t need to be repeated, because the indwelling Holy Spirit has never left. He is the Spirit of power, and He works through Christians who are yielded to Him. The apostles witnessed with "with great power" (Acts 4:33). This power is still present and available today.

May Thy quickening power we feel—human doubts and weakness heal; May Thy presence, like a fire, burn within—our zeal inspire.