Power From on High-What it is and How to Receive it

Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

What is the ONE GREATEST THING which will help Christians triumph in this life?

Acts 2:38-39 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. [pneuma hagion] 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Isn't God still calling men and women today? I think so! If His calling is still available to people today, then His promise of the holy spirit is still available.

Why doesn’t every Christian manifest power from on high?

1. They have never heard of it.
2. They do not believe it is still available.
3. They do believe it is available, but they differ greatly as to how to receive it andwhat to do with it.

Power from on high is still available, and we will go to the Bible to see how to receive it, and what to do with it.

Power from on high is the gift from the Giver, God.

Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Many Christians believe that at the time of the new birth they receive the gift of holy spirit, and that they have forgiveness of sins, and eternal life. They believe that there is nothing more available. If that was all we got with salvation, that would be wonderful. However, there is something more. There is a lot more!

Acts 8:14-18 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received [dechomai] the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive [lambano] the Holy Ghost: 16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received [lambano ] the Holy Ghost. 18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given…

The Greek language (from which our modern translations were taken) is very specific. When it comes to the word "receive", we have just that one one word to describe what we mean. However, the Greeks have many more words that mean "to receive", and they mean receive in different ways. Here are two examples from this passage in Acts 8...

dechomai =to receive
Meaning: 1) to take with the hand 1a) to take hold of, take up 2) to take up, receive. This is a subjective reception.

lambano= to receive
Meaning: 1) to take 1a) to take with the hand, lay hold of, any person or thing in order to use it.

I like to compare receiving holy spirit to getting a free new car in your garage.When you get saved (Romans 10: 9, 10) you receive holy spirit. It's in there! You have received--dechomai--your new car, er, spirit. Then when you take it out for a drive you receive--lambano--your new car. You use it. Wouldn't you like to know how to use holy spirit?

If I put the car of your dreams in your garage with unlimited gasoline, oil, insurance, maintenance, and mileage, would you drive it, or just let it sit there? Would you complain that you can't get to work, or school, or to the grocery store? If you did, you would get no sympathy from me! So it is with many Christians. They are defeated in many areas of their lives, but they won't take the car out of the garage and drive.

Which brings up another point. Satan, our adversary wants you to think that all this died with the Apostles, or that you aren't good enough to us it. You see, he knows that when you start using that car, he is going to wind up with tire treads all over his body. He doesn't want tire treads all over his body, so is has worked very hard to bury this information.

What is power from on high? It is spiritual power from the true God. It is called many different things in the Bible, and the names suggest the characteristics it has...

Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

John 14:16-18 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Comforter= parakletos {par-ak'-lay-tos}
Meaning: 1) summoned, called to one's side, esp. called to one's aid 1a) one who pleads another's cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate.

John 16:7-15 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate [parakletos] with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

Acts 1:4,5 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power [dunamis], after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Power= dunamis
Meaning: 1) strength power, ability 1a) inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth 1b) power for performing miracles

Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Romans 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption [to be placed as a son], whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Ephesians 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

Acts 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

Matthew 3:11-12 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Acts 2:1-4 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

You have received power from on high if you have confessed with your mouth that Jesus is your lord, and you believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead. Now you can start driving your car, and you can leave tire tracks on Satan's body.

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