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THE COMFORTER HAS COME

Never the less I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (John 16:7)

The Holy Spirit takes everything Jesus has done for you and makes it real to you. Mark Hankins

Before Jesus went to the cross and ascended to heaven, He spent a lot of time teaching about the Holy Ghost. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is described in John 16:7-15 The Amplified Bible gives these words to describe the work of the Comforter: Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby. 

The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth and show you things to come. He will show, declare, and transmit the things of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ to you. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would move in you and dwell in you. He will bring you into close fellowship with the Father and the Lord Jesus.

The Holy Spirit takes everything Jesus has done for you and makes it real to you.  He is the power and presence of the risen and triumphant Christ in you!

Confession: The Holy Spirit will guide me into all truth. He is the power and presence of the risen and triumphant Christ in me!

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CRANK THE CHAINSAW

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. (Acts 1:8)

The Holy Spirit is a genius. If you will listen to Him, He will make you look smart! B.B. Hankins

There is a funny story about a country boy who cut trees for a living. He heard of a new piece of equipment that was supposed to make work a lot easier and faster called a chainsaw. He bought one from the store because the man said he could cut up to 30 trees a day with this new chainsaw. After using it for a few days, he took it back to the store and complained that he was only able to cut 2 or 3 trees a day.  The store manager took the chainsaw from him and pulled the starter rope. With a loud noise, the chainsaw started. That country boy jumped back, startled by the noise, and said, “What’s that?” Being as ignorant as he was, he had never cranked the engine!

Many people struggle in the work of the Lord because they have never been filled with the Holy Spirit. He is the power that enables us in every area of life. We must give the Holy Spirit His proper place everyday.

Confession: Greater is He that is in me that he that is in this world.(1 John 4:4) I choose to give the Holy Spirit His proper place every day. Thank God for the Holy Spirit!

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RESURRECTION POWER

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)

The power that God used to raise Christ from the dead dissolved, melted, and liquidated the works of the devil.  Mark Hankins

Jesus came to redeem us primarily through His death and resurrection. The power of Christ’s resurrection is destructive — not to us, but to the works of the enemy. The word destroy is luo, which means to loose, break, or undo. Jesus rose from the dead to undo all that Satan had done in man through the fall. Jesus put an end to the works of the devil by first bearing those works in Himself as our substitute in His death, and then rising again free from them all.

In 2 Peter 3:10-12, the word luo was translated “melt” and “dissolved.”  When we take this definition back to 1 John 3:8, we get an interesting insight into Christ’s destruction of the works of the devil. “Now the Son of God came to the earth with the express purpose of liquidating the devil’s activities.” (Phillips Translation)

God made Jesus to bear and become all that was wrong with us in spirit, soul, and body and then vaporized it with the power of His resurrection!

Confession: Jesus was my substitute! Because of His death and resurrection, I am free from the works of Satan! (John 8:36)

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MORE THAN ENOUGH POWER

And how very great is his power at work in us who believe. This power is the same as the mighty strength which he used when he raised Christ from death and seated him at his right side in the heavenly world. (Ephesians 1:19-20 Good News Bible)

Christ’s resurrection was more than a triumph over rigor mortis; it was a triumph over all the forces that held us in bondage!  Mark Hankins

Paul used four different words for power in an attempt to describe what great power was released in the resurrection of Christ:

dunamis= dynamite; ability

  energia= energy; operative power in exercise

kratos= manifested strength

ischuos= an endowment of strength

Paul said this power, power, power, power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead is not just great but exceeding great. Paul said that this power is great beyond measure — surpassing power — more than enough power.

Confession: The same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead is at work in me! This power is overwhelmingly great, incomparably great, immeasurable and unlimited! “And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working working of His mighty power.” (Ephesians 1:19)

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THE EXCEEDING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER

And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power. (Ephesians 1:19NKJV)

The power that raised Christ from the dead made Him supremely triumphant over hell and all its hosts! -Mark Hankins

The resurrection of Christ was evidently the greatest display of omnipotence ever set forth, surpassing even that of creation. Paul prayed that we would get a revelation of the power that was released in the resurrection of Christ.

When God raised the body of Jesus, the material substance of His body changed so dramatically that from that time on that Jesus had no difficulty walking through solid walls. Somehow the very structure of the atoms of his body was altered.  This took tremendous power — even more power than God used to create matter in the beginning.

This is what Paul had in mind in his prayer for the Church. Not just the power that was loosed in His body in His triumph over physical death, but also the power that was unleashed spiritually in His triumph over hell and all its forces! That is the power that is at work in us now!

Confession: Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.  (Ephesians 3:20)

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