THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS REAL!
While addressing His disciples, Jesus Christ said: ”But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth”(Acts 1:8).
Above is a highly valued biblical passage for it rightly portrays the Holy Spirit as He should. He is the driving force behind all committed Christians and if truth be told, it is doubtful if we can achieve anything meaningful without Him. That’s why Jesus Christ laid emphasis on the need for the Holy Spirit to replace Him on earth (John 16:7) so as to make our lives easy to deal with.
The Holy Spirit made His debut in history on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) and He assists humanity in many ways. For example, He guides us into all truth and tells us things to come (John 16:13). He also helps, teaches and reminds us all things (John 14:26). Besides, He is instrumental to our being able to speak with new tongues (Acts 2:4). A lot of people received the Holy Spirit via the laying of hands (Acts 8:17) but it worth’s being mentioned here, that the disciples received Him when Jesus breathed on them (John 20:22).
When the Holy Spirit descends on an individual, He confers on him or her immense power to carry out great exploits (Acts 1:8). Sadly, many people do not fall for this truth. To them, there is nothing exceptional about the Holy Spirit or at best, He is a mystery which has no role to play in today’s world therefore, He should be ignored. Well, I disagree with such people and I want to prove them wrong by demonstrating that the Holy Spirit is undeniably real, powerful and relevant in this era. I will give some examples, out of the several things, that He is capable of assisting us to do and I will support each example, with a suitable testimony. They are:
1. Witnessing to People
Witnessing to people and winning souls for Christ are wise and rewarding activities that every committed Christians should engage in (Proverbs 11:30, Daniel 12:3). But this can only be possible with the power of the Holy Spirit. No wonder, my earliest Pastor made sure that we got baptised in the Holy Spirit on time. And immediately afterwards, we were filled with immense power to boldly witness to everyone in sight and nothing could stop us (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit also stirred us to witness to people through Drama Ministration, Christian Journalism, Televangelism, Preaching, Teaching, Youth Mentoring and the Care of the Elderly among others. Meanwhile, these were activities that most of us were too busy, too indifferent and probably too ‘posh’ to go into ab-initio. But with the help of the Holy Spirit, we embraced and utilized them effectively to lead many souls to Christ. You too can achieve a similar feat and even more, through the power of the Holy Spirit. But you have to seek Him first.
2. Healing the Sick
While on earth, Jesus Christ healed the sick with the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:38) and He wants us to do same in this age as well (Mark 16:15-18). As a Medical Doctor and a Christian, I can boldly attest to the fact yes; we care but it is God that heals and He does so through the Holy Spirit. In fact, it is only the Holy Spirit that makes improbable healing probable. I will now narrate a testimony to back this notion up.
Around 1.30 am one day, a three and a half year old boy was rushed to us in Benin City, Nigeria with Severe Malaria Fever and Severe Anaemia (his blood level was dangerously low and incompatible with life). He was in the throes of death when he came in and as part of our treatment plan, he was to have urgent blood transfusion otherwise, by our estimation, he would die in a jiffy. Sadly, we had no blood in our hospital to transfuse him with and his parents were too poor to go elsewhere for treatment. His condition soon got rapidly worse and the only thing we could do, was to watch and pray and rely on the Holy Spirit to keep him alive as we had by then, done all we possibly could. Miraculously, he stabilized after a while even though, his condition was still very critical. And at 8 am (i.e. over 6 hours of being with us), when the morning shift commenced, some of us pooled resources together and got him properly treated and he recovered fully in a short time. Please remember that we earlier estimated that he would die in a bit without blood transfusion but, the power of the Holy Spirit kept him alive. Approximately two years later, I ran into his mum and she practically dragged me to where he was; smartly dressed in his spotless school uniform, ready to go to school. The power of the Holy Spirit sure healed him. This power is still available for use to heal the sick and you can have it if you wish in Jesus name. Amen.
3. Speaking in Tongue
The Holy Spirit confers on people, the ability to speak in tongues (Acts 2:1-4) and with this, they can by-pass the meddlesomeness of the Devil and his agents and talk directly to God (1 Corinthians 14:2). Speaking in tongue is also an excellent tool for self-edification (1 Corinthians 14:4) so, it is very vital.
When I was in the University, I attended a Christian revival uninvited with a friend and our main mission was to distract the attendees. We heckled the speakers as they mounted the pulpit and generally disrupted the event as much as we could. But to our amazement, nobody paid any significant attention to or got angry with us. At a point, the guest minister asked those who were interested in being baptized in the Holy Spirit to come out and a sizeable part of the congregation headed his call. We didn’t! Next, he spoke in a ‘foreign but funny’ language for what looked like eternity to us and then shouted ‘receive the Holy Spirit in Jesus name’. Immediately, many people, including distinguished university dons, astute administrators, top-notch professionals, students et al; people who undoubtedly, are not idiots, fell down and spoke in all manners of languages. We later learnt that they actually spoke in tongues and we were hugely amazed.
One morning, not long after I gave my life to Christ, I knelt down in my room and asked the Holy Spirit to give me the power to speak in tongue and He did. Since then, I have been speaking directly to God and winning wars with Him in charge and predictably, no one, not even the Devil, can come between us. You too can speak in tongue, talk directly to God and win your wars without outside interference. But you need the Holy Spirit to empower you for this purpose to start with.
4. Prophesying
Being able to prophesy is another invaluable asset that all forward looking Christians should covet (1 Corinthians 14:39) and God is willing to endow us with the power of the Holy Spirit to do so (Joel 2:28).
A powerful establishment once owed me a sizeable amount of money and they consistently and arrogantly refused to pay me for about two years. So, I had no choice than to report them to God! Then one day, in the course of our Morning Prayer meeting, our Deacon, full of the power of the Holy Spirit, prophesied that my money would be paid very shortly and I believed him. Meanwhile, I had never discussed this problem with him at any time before then. Anyway, I got a phone call from the establishment later that day, and the caller advised me to represent my bill for immediate settlement. I complied with his advice and I was settled in full within a week.
This same power is still available for use for your benefit and that of others and you can have it if you wish, in Jesus name. But you need to have the Holy Spirit in your life to begin with.
Friend, we have so far read some testimonies to highlight what the Holy Spirit is capable of doing and to prove that His power is real. And as you may have noticed, this power is a must have for all self-respecting Christians. It is my prayer that you will seek, retain and make a very good use it in Jesus name. Amen. But before then, you have to do certain things first.
First, you must give your life to Christ i.e., you must be born again if you haven’t yet. When this is sorted out, you must seek to be filled with the Power of the Holy Spirit. For this, you may wish to ask your Pastor or any of his or her representatives to help you. And once you have it (i.e. the power of the Holy Spirit), you will be armed fittingly to witness to people boldly and win their souls Christ. You will also have the liberty to heal the sick, speak in tongues and prophesy in the name of the Lord. Furthermore, it will stir you up to respect, love and care for other people and they will know that indeed, you are a child of the most high God (Matthew 7:16) and they will be happy to follow you all the way to Christ and to Heaven. Finally, God will reward you abundantly (Matthew 25:21) and your joy will be full in Jesus name. Amen.
Jesus is Lord!
c Adedayo Stoney Adegbulu, 2011
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Healing, Holy Spirit, Miracle, Power, Power of the Holy Spirit, Prophecy, Prophesy, Prophesying, soul winning
THE BATTLE IS GOD’S
On the 4th of December 2002, I went to the High Commission of a major European country in Lagos, Nigeria to book an appointment for visa interview; my wife was with me. Ordinary, such event shouldn’t be a big deal but it usually was in our setting because of the hassles involved.
In the past, applicants went to the High Commission in person to book their visa interview appointments and that meant going there to join the usually long and riotous queues formed daily. In order to lessen their burden therefore, many of them arrived at the place sometimes as early as 2.00 am. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to guarantee their being attended to at the end of the day. Please permit me to mention here that most of the subsequent visa interviews that took place weeks or months after appointments were given ended up in disappointment.
In any case, we got to the High Commission around 10.00 am because of my earlier commitments and as expected, we met thousands of disorderly people on queues; sweating, yelling, cursing, pushing and fighting. And the Nigerian security men on duty that day made the situation even worse as they were more interested in brutalizing people rather than maintaining law and order. All above and more discouraged me seriously and I opted to return to my base after all, I knew I could remain in Nigeria, excel and help people get well. That was my thinking but God’s was different (Isaiah 55:8). He wanted me out!
So as we were going back to our car, 2 Chronicles 20:15 flashed through my mind. It says: ‘’…Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s’’. Instantly, I knew God was ready to fight my visa ‘battle’ for me and this stirred us to turn back and I approached the cruellest security officer in sight. I told him my mission and asked him to act on it. Immediately, there was great silence all around as everybody waited for him to deal with me ruthlessly. Anyway, he only looked at me menacingly and shouted ‘’who are you by the way?’’ and I introduced myself to him calmly mindful of the enormous power at our disposal (1 John 4:4).
Soon, his contorted face relaxed and he ordered his men to open the massive gates for us to come in. Then he held my hand gingerly and led us into a vast waiting room where he introduced us to his colleagues as his ‘special friends’ and asked them to assist us. And in next to no time, a young, amiable official of the High Commission attended to us. To begin with, he perused my papers and said they were very good therefore; I needed no further visa interview-that was an unimaginable occurrence. Then, he told me to pay the required visa fees to the cashier and I did. Guess what? I was issued a visa in less than 3 hours from the time we arrived at the place; a feat that took most people several weeks, months or even years to accomplish. God fought and won my (His) battle spectacularly and those who heard the story were amazed and they gave glory to Him (Psalm 126:1).
Friend, I have gone this far to let you know that you needn’t fear your battles or fight them by yourself any longer. Please, hand them over to God in prayer today; they are His anyway and He will make mincemeat of them. He did it for me and many other people in the past and He’ll do it for you too in Jesus name. Amen. Remember that He is mighty in battle (Psalm 24:8)!
Jesus is Lord!
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Don't give up, God the battle Chief, Hope, Miracle
Driven into the Wilderness for a Miracle
Luke 8:26-39 narrates the story of a mad man in the country of the Gadarenes. He was a wild man who lived in the tombs. And on many occasions, he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles; these he broke with ease. In fact, nobody could control him except a demon that eventually drove him into the wilderness which by the way is a harsh and unproductive terrain where miracles are rare. It was there that Jesus met and delivered him from his torment.
A couple of lessons can be adduced from the account above. Let us consider some them today. They are:
1. Our carefully crafted and well laid out plans may go wrong without warning. Many of us have some carefully crafted and well laid out plans. This is a sensible step to take but life situations might upset their implementation without warning. The man, like others in his time, may have had some carefully crafted and well laid out plans only for him to end up in the wilderness with a twisted mind. Joseph had a dazzling vision concerning his future (Genesis 37:5-10) but guess what? He ended up in jail (Genesis 39:20). There are other biblical examples of people whose carefully crafted and well laid out plans went awry at some point. Are you in a similar position at the moment? If you are then, hold your peace because your situation is perfectly under control.
2. It is okay to draw attention to our plights if we have to. There is nothing wrong in drawing people’s attention to our plights if we have to. But we shouldn’t put our trust completely in them because of the dangers associated with doing so (Micah 7:5-6). Thank goodness that the man was not in a first-rate frame of mind so he couldn’t have been able to draw people’s attention to his plight positively not to talk of putting his trust in them completely but he was lucky enough to draw Jesus Christ’s attention to himself. Maybe your plans have somehow gone awry and you are now in a fix; it is okay to seek help from sensible people but more importantly, seek help from Jesus Christ.
3. Enduring deliverance is within reach. The man drew Jesus Christ’s attention to himself and in return, he got a matchless deliverance. Today, enduring deliverance awaits you too but you have to approach Jesus Christ first. He (Jesus Christ) supported this claim in Matthew 11:28 when he said: ‘’Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’’.
4. It is profitable to stick to the body of Christ. The man did not forsake Jesus Christ instead; he went back to him and begged that he might be with him. He later went all over his city to testify to the power of Jesus Christ in his life. He must have realized very quickly that it would be hard for him to survive on his own (John 15:5) and that the sky was his limit if he belonged to the body of Christ. Hebrews 10:24-25 encourage this line of action and in Leviticus 26:8, God amplified one of the attendant benefits of doing so by saying: ‘’Five of you shall chase a hundred and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; …’’. This clearly shows that there is power in number-a peculiarity of the body of Christ. This power is available to heal the sick, set the captive free, give hope to the hopeless, offer comfort to the broken hearted, provide boost to decimated businesses and careers etc. Avail yourself of this power today by sticking to the body of Christ and you will not be disappointed.
Friend, have you reached your limit concerning an ongoing maybe ugly situation? Do you think you have been driven into a ‘‘wilderness’’ situation already? If you think so, then ask Jesus Christ to come to your aid and he will in a good time. However, you must be ready to continue with him afterward. May the good Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace now and forever in Jesus name. Amen.
Jesus is Lord!
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Miracle, Wilderness
Focus on God; Have a Miracle
We shall be looking at 1 Samuel 1:1-20 which captures the plight of Hannah in her quest for a baby after a long spell of childlessness in this write up. This is a popular account from which a couple of points can be deduced. We shall consider some of them in this write up.
1. Tribulations are an unavoidable part of this world. Hannah experienced great tribulations in her quest for a child. Her plight sadly exemplifies what many childless women go through especially in societies where childlessness is frowned at. They are regularly despised, degraded, provoked, oppressed and ultimately side lined. They may even be ejected from their matrimonial homes or killed if care is not taken. However, childlessness is not the only tribulation on earth. There are many others and they come in different shapes and sizes. Be happy though, because whatever yours may be is not unrecognized or undefeatable by Jesus Christ. This we can confirm in John 16:33 where he said: ‘’…. In this world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world’’.
2. You must be sincerely tired of your current unacceptable situation before you can have a release from it. Hannah was sincerely tired of her state of childlessness and that was the reason why she went to Shiloh to seek the face of God for an acceptable solution in the first place. In the same vein, you must be sincerely tired of your current, perhaps, excruciating situation before you can have a release from it. And the good news is that reprieve is possible and readily available through Jesus Christ. This he confirmed in Matthew 11:28 when he said: Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Involve Jesus Christ in your unwelcome situation today and you will have a release from it ultimately.
3. Always keep calm in the face of provocation. Whenever you are provoked, please keep calm and refrain from behaving rashly. Peninah provoked Hannah sore but she kept her cool. Prophet Eli even called her a drunk yet, she did not complain. In the end, the man of God prophesied unto her that she would have a son within one year and it came to pass. If she had behaved rashly in the face of provocation, she would have probably missed her long awaited miracle. This bring to fore what Apostle Paul pontificated in Ephesians 4:31. That is: ‘’let bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice’’.
4. Expressing genuine and enduring love is always beneficial. Elkanah expressed genuine and enduring love to Hannah his wife throughout her ordeals and his action proved very soothing and helpful to her. This is an excellent example that we must endeavor to emulate. If you want your condition to change for good then, consider expressing genuine and enduring love towards others. It is the wish of Jesus Christ that we should do so (Matthew 22:37-40). Please remember that love ‘’bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:7).
5. It is rewarding to make a vow to God. If you have been trying to grapple with an issue for a long time without success, perhaps it is time for you to make a vow to God concerning it. Hannah did and she had a baby boy. Jacob also did and the Lord kept him till he returned to his father’s house (Genesis 28:10-22). What about Jephthah? He made a vow to God and he conquered the Ammonites without much ado (Judges 11: 29-33). If you make a vow to God concerning your heartfelt desires, they shall surely come to pass, possibly more quickly. You can vow to use your money, talents, position, clout etc to the glory of God. However, you must ensure that you redeem your vow to avoid infuriating him (Deuteronomy 23:21).
6. Be focused on God; your miracle is on the way. Immediately Eli made his pronouncement on Hannah she believed him, changed her countenance, became happy, ate her food, and the next day, she joined others to worship the Lord. That is, she focused on God and her miracle came to pass. If you act in the same vein, God will be attracted to you (Psalm 22:3) and your miracle will not elude you (2 Corinthians 3:17).
Let me reiterate here that you cannot easily receive any meaningful miracle from God if you haven’t accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and savior. If you haven’t then, do so today because tomorrow may be too late. It is my heartfelt prayer that the points highlighted above will guide you into your enduring miracle in Jesus name. Amen.
Jesus is Lord!
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Focus, God, Miracle
MY TESTIMONY!
I want to share a testimony with you today. And I am doing this to the glory of God and in fulfilment of a pledge that I made to him in 1992. My wife and I got married in October 1991 and since then, we couldn’t have a baby. Of course, we consulted many doctors but none of them could help us. Therefore, we made up our minds to wait on the Lord whom we know has the ultimate power to turn the situation around. The period of waiting was long, arduous and to a large extent punishing. In the process, we experienced several frustrating moments including societal isolation which is a common phenomenon in our culture. Some people derided us openly and some even questioned the worth of our faith in the Lord. We were definitely rattled but not broken because God assured us time and again that it is our right to have children (Psalm 127:3). He also told us that He would grant our request at the most auspicious time when His name would be glorified globally and at no cost to us and we believed him. I am happy to inform you that he fulfilled this promise on the 23rd of July 2007. He gave us a baby boy whose names are Enioluwa (God’s own person) Oluwagbohunmi (God heard my voice) Samuel Adegbulu and His name was indeed glorified globally. Praise the name of the Lord. Hallelujah! Amen.
A morale boosting article for you!
I read the article below recently and I find it appropriate to reproduce it here to boost the morale of those who are trusting God for eye-catching miracles. If you are one of them, I have good news for you! Your victory is around the corner. As a matter of fact, God is willing to accede to your request but you must be prepared to trust him completely and to show a high level of patience. Happy reading!
Title:-Don’t give up!
Bible reference: – 2 Kings 4:8-37
The Bible speaks of a ‘great woman’ who lived in Shunem. God gave her a son when she couldn’t have one. Then suddenly in his twenties he dies. So she picks him up, puts him on a horse and carries him back to Elisha, whom God had used to announce his birth in the first place. Imagine what her neighbours must have thought as she passed by. ‘It’s over, bury him!’ But not her. She refused to stop and get the opinions of faithless people, or discuss her situation with those who were unqualified to help…This woman believed that if God started it, he could finish it. If he made it, he could fix it. And how does her story end? Elisha stretches his body out on top of the dead boy’s body and his corpse gets warm. Now that’s good, but this lad needs more than just warmth; he needs new life. So Elisha stretches out on top of him again. This time the boy sneezes seven times and comes to life. What’s the lesson here for you? No matter how bad things look stay on top of the situation! Keep believing God. Walk the floor and pray all night if you have to, but don’t give up. Keep standing on the Word. Your dream may not be fully alive yet, but it’s getting warm. Things are improving. God is moving. Your answer is on the way; don’t give up until it arrives!
-Culled from the Word for Today of 01.08.2007.
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My final thoughts!
There are many things that I would have loved to pass across to those who are trusting God for their own children and/or other issues of value to them but I cannot at the moment because of time and space constraints. However, I will base my final thoughts on Habakkuk 2:3. It reads:
‘’For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry’’.
Friend, I urge you to continue trusting God irrespective of what you may be going through at the moment. He is willing and able to meet you at the deepest point of your needs but in his own time (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Please keep trusting him and be rest assured that you will never be put to shame in Jesus name (Joel 2:26). Amen.
**Please feel free to forward this mail to those who are trusting God for stunning miracles. Remember that he gave us and many people out there victory over our individual concerns therefore; I am positive that he will give them victory too in Jesus name. Please encourage them!
Jesus is Lord!
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Miracle, Testimony
Stretch Forth Your Hand
We are going to look at Mark 3:1-5 for today’s write up. Jesus entered the synagogue, saw a man with a withered hand and healed him despite opposition.
As you know, a withered hand is a useless, non-functioning hand. Therefore, you may not be far from the truth if you conclude that the man’s life must have been greatly hampered by his handicapping condition.
Figuratively speaking, a withered hand can be anything that makes a man’s life taxing and unexciting. For example, ill health, poverty, lack of focus, lack of any meaningful progress, unfruitfulness, debt, joblessness, fear, destructive habits, broken home, irresponsible spouse, wayward children, ill luck, lack of assistance and so on are some examples of figurative withered hands. If you are free from them, I congratulate you warmly. But if are not, then you need assistance, you need healing and you need freedom. The good news is that divine help is not far away from you.
The man with the withered hand was fortunate enough to encounter Jesus Christ and he received his healing and freedom promptly. This same Jesus is still alive and active-He has not changed. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever and He is asking you to step forward i.e. boldly break loose from those situations that are restricting you (Verse 3), stretch out your hand i.e. expose the cause(s) of the pain and sorrow in your life to Him (verse 5) and receive your healing and freedom; all opposition not withstanding. Listen friend, I strongly urge you to make use of this golden opportunity today; prayerfully do all He asked you to do and I assure you that your life will never remain the same again.
Finally, let me commit you into God’s able hands as I wish you a month of ultimate freedom. Go into it with full assurance that your expectations will not be dashed.
Jesus is Lord!
Categories: Mind of Christ Tags: Freedom, Help, Help from Above, Miracle