Do you desire to be a witness for the Lord? Do you want your life to be a light that points people to Jesus? Know that God will help you fulfill those desires when you live by the power of the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus was on the earth, just before He ascended to Heaven, He promised His disciples, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me” (Acts 1:8, NKJV). After the ascension of Jesus, God filled the early church members with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. They immediately began to serve with a new boldness, and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
This began a ministry of the church that still continues today. We will see God add to the church as we minister by the power of the Holy Spirit. But we don’t depend on our own power, ability, or strength; we have supernatural help from Heaven.
You see, Jesus told His disciples that when the Holy Spirit came upon them, they would be “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49, NIV). Think about that; we are clothed with power when the Holy Spirit is upon us!
When I think about being clothed with power, I recall the account in the Bible about the prophets Elijah and Elisha. Elijah was a mighty man of God who performed many miracles for the Lord’s glory. He mentored another minister named Elisha, and Elisha let it be known that he desired a double portion of the spirit that was on Elijah.
At the end of Elijah’s life, he was taken up into Heaven in a whirlwind, and the mantle he had been wearing fell to the ground. Elisha picked up Elijah’s mantle and carried it with him. When he came to a river, he remembered a time in which he had seen Elijah use his mantle to strike the river, and the water had divided so that he could cross on dry ground. Likewise, Elisha took Elijah’s mantle and struck the water, and it again divided so that he could walk on dry land.
That was the first miracle recorded under the ministry of Elisha. He went on to perform many more, double the amount of those performed in Elijah’s ministry. Indeed, his desire for a double portion was fulfilled.
Similar to the way Elisha carried Elijah’s mantle, we as the church members of today carry the mantle of Jesus in the Holy Spirit. Indeed, we are clothed with power from on high. While we marvel at the works performed in the ministry of Jesus, we can do even greater works. Jesus declared, “He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father” (John 14:12, NKJV).
Yes, we have a supernatural power available to us, and we should never take this lightly or take it for granted. We shouldn’t forget that we’re not on our own. We’re not limited to human reasoning or natural capabilities. We have power from on high!
When we face an obstacle, let’s not just stand there holding the mantle of Jesus. Let’s put our faith into action by following His lead and taking bold steps of obedience. Live by the power of the Holy Spirit, and you will be a powerful witness for the Lord!
Reflections 