Power From on High

I would like to begin this afternoon, basically where Mr. Slocum left off. On the day of Pentecost, 1982 years ago, a miraculous event occurred. God's Holy Spirit was poured out on a group of 120 believers that had gathered together in one place and with one accord. And, brethren, we know the story very well. This event that we have recorded for us in Acts, Chapter 2, it marked the beginning of the New Testament Church. It marked the strong beginning of that spiritual body of Jesus Christ. God's Holy Spirit was made available beginning on that day in a way that was much larger, was much more accessible than it had been at any time previous to that day of Pentecost. The Almighty God, up to that point, had only given His Holy Spirit to a few select individuals down through time. But on the day of Pentecost, 31 AD, things were different. Now, the giving of the Holy Spirit was not a completely unexpected event. Perhaps the manner in which it took place was a bit of a surprise to those that were gathered together. But Jesus Christ had, in fact, indicated and told His disciples that the coming of the Holy Spirit would be something that they could expect. Let's begin this afternoon and over in Acts chapter 1, beginning in verse 4. We'll see Christ's words to His disciples at this point, with His following, of course, Christ's crucifixion and His resurrection. In Acts chapter 1 and beginning in verse 4, it says, "...and being assembled together with them, Christ commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which He said, You have heard from Me. For John truly baptized with water, but You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? And He said to them, It is not for you to know times or seasons, which the Father has put in His own authority, but You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and to all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." So here we have this time frame. It's 10 days before the day of Pentecost. Christ told His disciples that the Holy Spirit would come. In fact, He expressed to them the fact that it was a promise from the Father. And as we heard in the first message, God fulfills His Word. He fulfills His promises. So this was a guarantee to happen. The Holy Spirit would come, surely. Now those disciples were told that the Spirit they would receive would be a Spirit of power. Now the Gospel account of Luke reiterates the concept that the Holy Spirit is a Spirit of power, that it would come on them shortly. If you'll follow me over, please, to Luke chapter 24. Luke chapter 24, beginning in verse 44.

Again, Jesus Christ to His disciples, Luke 24 verse 44. It says, Then He said to them, These are the works which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and the prophets and the Psalms concerning me. And He opened their understanding that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then He said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day. And that repentance or remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. He says, And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you, but carry in the city of Jerusalem, and to you are endued with power from on high. So what we see is that the gift of the Holy Spirit, which they would receive on that day of Pentecost, that gift of the Holy Spirit, which you and I have received today as well, is power from on high. It is power from the Almighty God. This afternoon, brethren, in my message, I'd like to examine that power. I'd like to first look at why it is that we need the power of the Holy Spirit, and then I would like to look at a few points that explain to us what, in fact, the Holy Spirit does in our lives. In the title of my message, I've taken from Luke chapter 24, and it is power from on high. Power from on high. So let's begin briefly by looking at why it is we need the gift of God's Holy Spirit in our lives. Because we can ask the question, why is it necessary? Why do we even need it to have this special relationship with God? Let's begin over in Jeremiah chapter 10.

Jeremiah chapter 10 verse 23, again, we're answering that question. Why do we need the gift of the Holy Spirit? I think it's laid out for us very clearly, very simply. Jeremiah 10 verse 23 says, O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself. It's not in man who walks to direct his own steps. So basically what Jeremiah is saying is that it's not possible for mankind, on their own, to find the right way, to find the way of truth. It's not possible that the carnal man would walk in the way of God. I think we all understand that carnal man left to his own devices can't walk in that way. He can't discover the path that God would have out there before him. It takes a little more than just the man. It takes the workings and the presence of God in their life. So on one hand, you have the carnal man unable to walk in the way of God, and yet you have on the other hand the fact that the purpose of our creation is to be part of the family of God. It's to take on the nature and the character of God, ultimately to be made into the image of God, the Father, and Jesus Christ. So what we see are these two polar opposites, and what we find is that we need God's Holy Spirit to direct our steps, because left to our own devices, brethren, you and I are carnal beings. To go to Isaiah 55, verse 8, we see this concept reiterated.

Isaiah 55, verse 8. Here Isaiah conveying the words of God. In Isaiah 55, verse 8 says, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. So again, on our own, we can't comprehend the ways of God. We can't comprehend His thoughts, His plan, that destiny that He would have for us. Those are things that are high above us in our carnal state, but I think we understand that we're not to remain in that condition. We're not to remain ignorant to the thoughts and the ways of God. In fact, we're told in Philippians chapter 2 and verse 5 to let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. So there's a transformation that has to take place. There's a dramatic change that has to take place in your and my life, brother. What that means is that the thoughts and the ways of the carnal man can be improved on. They can be improved on. They can be changed from the fleshly perspective and moved over into the godly perspective. Of course, that's what our goal, in fact, is. Again, that doesn't happen under our own power. That doesn't happen without the power from on high at work in our lives, working with us, helping us to walk through that transformation from the flesh to the spiritual.

Now, that being said, what specifically does the power of God's Holy Spirit do for us in our lives? We've seen very clearly, although briefly, that we need it. It's essential to a change taking place within us. But how does it help us? What does it do for us specifically? I think we got a good glimpse into that recently with the sermon Mr. Antion gave. I think we were all hooked up during the GCE, the sermon on the Sabbath. Mr. Antion gave a number of points of what the Holy Spirit does for us. In fact, he encouraged us to continue to dig, continue to develop more points in which the Holy Spirit works in our lives. Basically, what I've done today, I have four main points that I'd like for us to consider what the power from on high does in our lives. If we have time, I have a few very briefly condensed points as well. But point number one is the power of God's Holy Spirit leads us to repentance. The power of God's Holy Spirit leads us to repentance. Let's turn to Romans, the second chapter. Romans chapter 2. It'll be breaking into the middle of thought here of an apostle Paul. Romans chapter 2, beginning in verse 4.

It says, Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance and long suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? God in his mercy by the gift of his Holy Spirit leads us to repentance. Repentance begins with the understanding and the recognition of just what is sin, what is sin and how it impacts our lives. It leads into the realization that we have to turn and go the other way and change behavior. That's what repentance is. It's essentially a change of direction from wrong to right. God's Holy Spirit leads us to see the need for repentance. It helps us to seek after God's mercy and God's forgiveness.

It is important we understand that that's not something that happens only after baptism. It's not something that happens only once you've received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In fact, that's how God begins to work with us. As he extends the Holy Spirit to work with someone and to draw someone to him, they then begin to become enlightened as to what areas of their life they need to change, how it is that they've lived contrary to the way of God. The power of the Holy Spirit helps to compel them with the desire to turn and change. It helps to give them belief in God. As we heard in the message today, where does that belief come from? That deep, abiding trust and confidence that God will fulfill what he's promised? Well, it comes by God's Spirit, guiding and leading and living in our lives. Because, as we can find in other places, the Spirit of God is witness to all the things God has done. It is the power of God and it gives us confidence in God our Father.

That Holy Spirit aids in bringing us to that point. It opens our eyes to see sin for what it is, which is active rebellion against God. And that's the condition we don't want to be in. Now, repentance is the gift of the Holy Spirit of God. And I don't know if we always think of it in that way. I don't know if we always process repentance as a gift. But the fact is, it is a gift. Because once God leads us to understand the need we have to change our life and the need we have for forgiveness, then we've made major leaps forward in taking on the nature of God and coming that much closer to salvation in which he is promised. So repentance is the gift of God through his Holy Spirit. Let's go to John 6, next, verse 7. John 16, verse 7. Here's the words of Jesus Christ. He says, Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send him to you. And I think we all understand the Holy Spirit is not a person. This is the power of God. Continuing on in verse 8, it says, It will convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Of sin because they do not believe in me. Of righteousness because I go to my father and you see me no more. Of judgment because the ruler of this world is judged. So the Holy Spirit is a convicting agent. It's a convicting agent of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. And an important element to repentance is recognizing what those three things are. It's recognizing sin for what it is and how it affects us. It's recognizing the righteousness of God in that character that we strive for. And it recognizes the need for us to judge righteous judgments, to make those changes in our life, turn and go the other direction. When we have God's Holy Spirit in us, we shouldn't have to spend a lot of time wondering what is sin and what is not. We shouldn't have to ask ourselves, necessarily, how do I respond in this situation or do I not respond? The Spirit of God leads us and opens our eyes to see very clearly what is right and what is wrong, what is truth, what is falsehood, what is righteousness and what is sin. A couple of years ago, my employee and I were driving around in the work truck and he received a phone call from his girlfriend. His girlfriend was very actively involved in a church group in Spokane in the community there. She had just gone to the bank and she'd cast her paycheck for the week. She called him up and she said, Guess what? I counted my money and there was an extra hundred dollars. Then it stuck to the back of the other hundred dollar bill. The teller had counted it out and not realized what she'd done. She was kind of excited about it. He turned to me and said, Paul, what do you do when the bank gives you too much money? I said, well, you take it back. It seemed pretty obvious. So he said to her, well, Paul says you need to take it back.

She said, well, you know, I've left the bank already. It's been a busy day.

She counted it out. It's her fault. I said, well, look, here's the deal. They're going to reconcile her till at the end of the day. They're going to discover it's a hundred dollars short. So that teller is either going to get in trouble or she's going to have to pay that money back herself. It's not her money. She needs to take it back. Well, Paul says you need to take it back. Well, you know, it's after closing now, Friday afternoon and this, that, and the other thing. And, you know, it's kind of one excuse after the other. She really didn't want to take it back. And I said, all right, why don't you tell her to take that hundred dollar bill and use it as a bookmark in her Bible? He said, you want me to tell her that? And I said, yes, tell her that. And so, he said, Paul says to use it as a bookmark in your Bible. And there was silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds. And she said, I'll take it back first thing Monday. But, brethren, the fact is the Holy Spirit compels us to see what is right, what is wrong, what is sin, what is righteousness, what is good and proper judgment. We need those things in our life. If we have God's Holy Spirit, we should be convicted of those things and they will lead us to live righteously before God. Now, the second point I have that's very closely related to the first point is that God's Spirit is a spirit of truth and it leads us to truth. God's Spirit is a spirit of truth and it leads us to truth. John 15, page back or so, John 15, verse 26.

Here again, Jesus Christ speaking. He says, But when the Helper comes, which I send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth which proceeds from the Father, it will testify of me. So the Spirit of God is called a Spirit of truth. Well, what kind of truth we might ask? Well, it's the truth of God, the absolute truth of God. You see, the danger we face as Christians is that you and I live in a very postmodern society. We live in a world where truth does not perceive that as a constant standard. Truth is not an absolute. Society says that, you know, truth is not an absolute and if it is, you can't know it. And basically what we see around us is the attitude of, well, what you believe is true to you is not necessarily truth to me. You can have your opinion of truth and I can have my opinion of truth and, you know, it really doesn't matter. That's a postmodern philosophy. I think we see it around us everywhere. It's in the government, it's in schools, it's even in churches. Postmodernism has led to such things as multiculturalism, the concept that no culture or no way of doing things is any better than in the other culture. You know, the gods that one culture may worship is not necessarily any better than another. The way one brings up their family or treats their spouse is no better than any other and you can't judge a person on how they worship their god or how they conduct their lives. That's a concept of multiculturalism. Postmodernism has also brought us tolerance. Tolerance, which means everyone's opinion or way of doing things is just as valid as another. You have no right to judge anybody else for the way that they're doing something. We hear it preached to us, I think, from every corner of society and on many fronts. The problem is that these perspectives are not based in absolute truth.

Again, we live in a world where truth is essentially in the eye of the beholder. You've heard the phrase that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Well, nowadays truth is in the eye of the beholder. What I hold as true to me is truth from my perspective. You're free to have your own truth. But the fact is, as God's people, we're called to live our lives based on the truth of God. God's truth is absolute. In John 1717, Christ was praying to the Father before his death. I'll quote it for you. He prayed to the Father, sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. So he was asking God to set his people apart from the rest of the world by the standard of the truth, by the standard of God's absolute truth.

God's word is truth. Truth that would dwell in us is accomplished by the Holy Spirit of truth working with us and being prevalent in our lives. Now, the problem we have to be on constant guard against in the Church of God even is this postmodern concept creeping in the door. Because brethren, it can be very easy. It can be easy for us to say, well, you know what? You're entitled to your interpretation of Scripture and I'm entitled to mine. You're entitled to your form of the truth of God and I'm entitled to mine. God's truth is truth. It's absolute truth and there is one truth of God. And the Spirit that God gives us is a Spirit of truth and it helps us to recognize the truth when we see it. It helps us to recognize the truth when we see it. John 16 and verse 13. John 16, 13, still speaking of the Holy Spirit, says, However, when he the Spirit of truth has come, it will guide you into all truth, though it will not speak on its own authority, but whatever it hears it will speak, it will tell you the things to come. So God's Spirit guides us into truth. And it helps us to recognize the truth when we see it and to understand the truth and even to be able to ascertain what is truth and what is falsehood. It comes by the power of God's Holy Spirit. Brethren, when we're grounded in the truth of God, then we're going to have a right and proper relationship with God. You see, if you're grounded on a false truth, if you're grounded on false teaching, that very much will distort the quality and the genuineness of the relationship that you can have with God. John 4, verse 24, says, God is Spirit, and those who worship Him, let's worship Him in Spirit and truth. And so the Holy Spirit guides and it leads us into that spiritual relationship of God and with God that is based on truth. Truth must be the basis of our relationship with God. Point number three of the power from on high. The power of the Holy Spirit reveals to us the things of God. The power of the Holy Spirit reveals to us the things of God. Let's go to 1 Corinthians, chapter 2. 1 Corinthians, chapter 2, verse 9. Here's the Apostle Paul writing.

He says, But as it is written, eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. Now the carnal mind, again, on its own, doesn't have the power to discern the things of God. The carnal mind can't see those things which are spiritually discerned, those things from God on a spiritual level. Continuing on in verse 10, it says, But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yet the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the Spirit of man, which is in Him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. So if you're a human, if you're a man, you're going to know all about being human and carnal. You're not going to know all about the things of God unless you possess that Spirit of God. Verse 12, Now we have received not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to Him, nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. So God's Spirit gives us the ability to lies above our physical limitations, gives us the ability to experience and understand the spiritual. Right now, the vast majority of humanity in the world around us is in the dark, when it comes to spiritual matters of God. They're in the dark. They haven't had this revealed to them. They haven't received the gift of the Holy Spirit. So we come on a slight number of individuals at this time. Brethren, it's a blessing that you and I have received it, that we have had our mind open to the truth. I would caution us and encourage us not to underestimate that power, not to take it for granted, not to let it become dormant in your life. We need to stir up the Spirit of God and use it, because God's offering us life eternal through His Spirit. It's only through the Holy Spirit that we'll even have the capacity to understand and respond to these things. It really is a wonderful blessing. 2 Corinthians chapter 4 contains some important words for us to consider. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, beginning in verse 16. We're looking at how the Spirit of God reveals the things of God. 2 Corinthians 4 verse 16.

Here Paul writes, and he says, Therefore we do not lose heart, even though the outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is for but a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we do not look at the things which are seen, that are the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. So again, it's through this process, it's through the gift and the power of the Holy Spirit, that God allows us to see those eternal things of God. He allows us to see those things that the carnal man can't see. He allows us to see the plan of salvation. He allows us to see the meaning and the importance of the Holy Days. How many people have we ever tried to explain the plan of God to, and the Holy Days to, and their eyes just roll back in their head and glaze over, because the understanding isn't there. It takes God's Spirit to open the mind, to be able to see and to understand these things. It allows us to see how God's working things out in our life to bring us to eternal glory. We have to have a vision that goes beyond physical. We have to have spiritual vision. Now, in verse 17, Paul talks about our light affliction. And he's saying that our trials are working for good in our lives. And essentially saying if we're responding correctly, these trials are developing godly character in us.

Yet, rather than it's a struggle, not to come to the point where we begrudge the trial. Even with God's Holy Spirit, we struggle and we work, and sometimes the trial can seem to be almost more than we can bear. But we have God's Spirit to see the purpose. We have God's Spirit to see that even though He may not have given us that affliction, we see that He is watching. He wants to see how we respond. God's Spirit shows us that there is purpose and things that we can grow in, even in the midst of adversity. We need spiritual eyes to see those things.

My fourth point is that the power of the Holy Spirit allows us to know and practice the love of God. The power of God's Spirit allows us to know and practice the love of God. You see, God is a being of love. Love encompasses who He is. It encompasses all that He does. When God pours out His blessing on us, it's because He loves us. When He chases us, when He corrects us, it's because He loves us. Everything that God has done in our life is based on the love of God.

I'll quote from John 3.16. We all know it. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. That's the unconditional love that God has, not only for us, but for all of humanity. All of humanity. You know, we're here this weekend. Tomorrow we'll be observing the Feast of Firstfruits. And we'll see very clearly the understanding that God has called us out at this time, opened our mind, shed into our mind the understanding of His purpose and what He's doing in our life.

And we are first-roots of the harvest. But we understand that love doesn't only apply to us. God has a plan of salvation for the entire world, for all of mankind. This is our day of salvation. The rest of the world will have their day, but God does those things in love.

Again, can we comprehend that love? Can we have the love of God towards one another? What takes the Spirit of God in us to have that godly level of love towards one another? Can we have the level of love that God has to the world around us? You know, we can get so caught up in looking at the world and the condition and the sin that people are living in, and we can almost cross that line into not only just hating the sin, but hating the sinner.

But God so loved the world in their sins that He sent His only Son so that they could be brought out of their sins. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. It's the love that God extended, even when we were in our sins, can we extend that same love to the world around us and see the potential that God has for the world around us? Let's say, brethren, it does indeed take the Spirit of God working in our lives.

Romans 5, beginning in verse 1, it says, Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, whom through Him we also have access by faith into His grace, in which we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Verse 3, and not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, perseverance character, and character, and character, hope.

Now, hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit that was given to us. It says the love of God has been poured out in our hearts. But why? To what end? Well, so that we can learn to love one another, love the world, and to love God in the same manner and by the same spirit in which He shows His love to us.

It's a very important factor of our calling. And, brethren, if we do, in fact, have God's spirit, that love should be evident. It should be evident in the way that we treat one another, in the way that we build and strengthen and encourage one another in our relationships.

It should be evident in the way in which we even serve and care for our fellow man in the world around us. If we have the Holy Spirit of God, the love of God should be evident in our lives.

Ephesians chapter 3. Ephesians 3, beginning in verse 14, says, For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of this glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit and the inner man.

That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width, length, depth, and height, to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Again, God is love. The love of Christ, it says, surpasses knowledge. It surpasses the knowledge of this age, of the carnal man, but it doesn't surpass the knowledge of people of God that would have His Spirit.

I certainly hope it would not. Rather than if we're allowing ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit, these things should be stirred up in us. I would dare say there's a difference between having the Holy Spirit and being led by the Holy Spirit, because we can have the Holy Spirit, but it could be neglected in our life. It could be simply a dim spark in our life, as opposed to a raging fire that wells up within us and causes us to go out and live according to God's calling.

We need to be people who are led by the Spirit, responding to the Spirit of God, and using those gifts that He does give us through His Holy Spirit. Galatians 5 verse 22, probably come to this Scripture more than once on this weekend, Galatians 5 verse 22, fruits of the Spirit.

And here it says that the fruit of the Spirit is love, it's joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such there is no law. You know, there's law against sin. There's law against the things that we as human people can do and contrary to God, but there is no law against love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There's no law against that because that is the mind and the nature of God. And if we're expressing those things, we're expressing the fruits of the Spirit actively working and growing in our life. I think it's interesting to note that love here is the first of the fruits. And I would submit to you that if we have the love of God in our life, then all the other fruits of the Spirit will be evident in us as well. If we have the love of God, all these things will be produced in us. I do believe we're running short on time today, so let me give you a few brief points with one Scripture. The power of God's Holy Spirit rather than gives us mental stability. Let's go to 2 Timothy 1.

2 Timothy 1 beginning in verse 6.

Paul writing the Timothy, and he says, Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. A sound mind is a mind of self-discipline. It's a mind of self-control. A sound mind is a mind of good judgment. It has the mental ability to comprehend and to reason and to properly apply the spiritual things of God. Our God's Spirit gives us that mental stability.

Additionally, the power of the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us. Romans 8 verse 26.

Romans 8 verse 26 It says, Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses, who do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now he who searches the heart knows the mind of the Spirit, what the Spirit is, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. The Holy Spirit in us helps us to express those things to God that we can't even fully express on our own. Probably the best way I can relate to that is when a prayer request comes out that is exceptionally heartbreaking. I announced it in Spokane a number of months ago. We received the prayer request from Emily Bishop, who is suffering with cancer. She's 12 years old, a very rare form of leukemia, and I announced for us to pray for her. We received a prayer update this last week that she's had to stop her chemotherapy because of the heart condition now that's developed and her heart is functioning at like 29 percent. She's in extreme pain. It's a very difficult situation, and so prayers are asked to go out for Emily Bishop. In my mind, when I pray for someone like that, I cry out to God. I pray for God's mercy, and yet inside me there's a yearning, there's a desire to express my feelings to God in a way that I can't even put in the woods. This is how I consider the Holy Spirit offering up to God those things that we don't even have the ability to give utterance of ourselves. We just cry out to God, and He can know our heart. He can know what it is that we're bringing before Him. So the power of the Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance the things of God, but it also brings to God the things that we have within us. I'd like to conclude by just reading you off a listing of some other things that the power of God's Spirit does in us, and I'll go through these rather quickly. You may not be able to write them all down, but you can see me later if you'd like. But if you wanted to do a Bible study, there is scriptural support for every one of these things. The power of God's Holy Spirit brings unity to the body. It brings unity to the body, because when we're of one mind and one spirit, and we're utilizing that spirit, there will be unity. The power of God's Holy Spirit brings reconciliation. It makes us bold in word and deed. You remember the Apostle Peter, he denied Christ three times, and then we see following Pentecost, he preached boldly, and he went out to be a very, very powerful apostle for Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit makes us bold in word and deed. The Holy Spirit comforts. The power of the Holy Spirit strengthens. It encourages. It works in us to will and view God's good pleasure. The power of the Holy Spirit helps us to overcome. It gives us divine inspiration. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of wisdom. It's the spirit of revelation, and it's the spirit that renews us. God imparts to His people spiritual gifts through the power of the Holy Spirit. The purpose of those spiritual gifts is for the edification of the body, as well as doing the work of God. Brethren, as we observe the Feast of the First Fruits tomorrow, as we walk through that day, as we go forward from that point, let's never take lightly the gift of God's Holy Spirit in us. Don't ever take it for granted. Don't neglect it. Don't quench it. Let's stir it up. It is, in fact, the power from high on high at work in our lives today.