Power from God
Power from God
Luke 11:13 “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” NIV Bible
Extra Reading: Luke 11: 1-13
God will not deny us His Spirit to enable us to win people to Christ. People need to be brought to Jesus Christ and not to particular views of Christianity. Winning people to the Lord is the main object. Writing people’s names on a church membership roll is not soul-winning. The conversion of the soul, the transformation of the life is soul-winning. That can be done only by the power of the Holy Spirit. Nothing else! Excitement and high emotional reaction are not to be mistaken for soul-winning. It is true that there is fervor that accompanies the moving of the Holy Spirit, yet the object is not the fervour but the moving of the Holy Spirit. Man’s nature must be changed, not merely the emotions stirred. Soul-winning is not the building of churches, seminaries, or the raising of funds and budgets. Priority is given by God to the preaching and teaching of the Gospel that men may hear, believe, and be saved. In our day, the Word foretells, “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.” (Revelation 3:17) NIV Bible.
We need the power of God. We dare not attempt the winning of souls of men with limited human resources. This is the work of God! Before God will work, He insists we see our need of Him. There must be a searching of our hearts. We live in a day where people who claimed are saved have only a head knowledge of God. There is no change of life, no reality, no new birth. It is not surprising that many of them have their local churches where they used to fellowship. The Scriptures state, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14) NIV Bible. The tragedy of these people is they seek out other “almost” Christians who like them are dead, with form but no power. The promise of the Lord in Deuteronomy 4:29 and Jeremiah 29:13 is that when you seek God with all your heart and all your soul, you will find Him! There must be that “life or death” seeking of the Lord at any cost.
Where the early Christians were faced with bodily harm and physical violence, the Christians of today fight the lethargy of poisoned doubts and dead faith. Yet the source of victory is the same-the Holy Spirit! He is given and sent in answer to prayer. Shortly after Pentecost the disciples prayed for power (Acts 4:23-31). The Apostles reported harsh treatment and threats by the chief priest and elders. This forced all the disciples to cry to God. They “lifted up their voice with one accord.” That unity of desire is absolutely necessary to claim Matthew 18:19: “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven.” These disciples were together in agreement in mind, in faith, in longing and hope.
Prayer: Father God, exhort us to seek you earnestly. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen!
Rev. Samuel N. Modise 
