Stay on Mission – 28th May 2017

3 – The Holy Spirit is ‘the power of God’ in us.

John 16:7

But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

Ever since I first became a Christian I have been told that God gives us the power to do things that we cannot do alone. What has amazed me is that churches are full of people who have heard numerous sermons on this, say that this is what we believe and yet seem to live in very little expectation of God doing ‘Supernatural things through us.

Some years ago I was in St Petersburg, Russia, speaking at a conference.  During lunch on the final day I sat with a young couple who had travelled from the other side of Russia to be at the conference, it had taken them three days to get there!  I asked them to tell me a little about themselves and the ministry that they were involved in.  I was astounded as they told me that since they had come to faith and began planting a church there had not been one day that had passed when somebody hadn’t threatened to take their lives because they were Christians and trying to reach others with the gospel.  They were frequently attacked, had windows broken in their home and very unpleasant and dangerous items were constantly put through their letterbox.

As they shared these things I asked them how they were able to survive in such difficult circumstances.  The answer they gave came out so naturally, they simply said:  “Jesus is with us and His power, inside of us, is far greater than anything that the world can throw at us”.

Where you live it is very likely that the challenges you face to Join Jesus in His Mission and make Him known are not as extreme as those faced by this young couple from Russia.  However, your challenges can feel just as real!

As you consider engaging in conversations with people about Jesus this week, ask Him to enable you to depend upon His power in you, rather than trying to trust in you own ability or courage and end up saying nothing!