“But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world” (Acts 1:8).
Jesus understood the importance of being filled with the power of the Spirit. In fact, His ministry on earth began after the Holy Spirit descended upon Him after He was baptized in the Jordan River.
In Luke 4:18-19, He explained the role of the Holy Spirit in His life when he said, “the Lord’s Spirit has come to me, because he has chosen me to tell the good news to the poor. The Lord has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free everyone who suffers, and to say, ‘This is the year the Lord has chosen.'”
It is no wonder, then, that Jesus gave clear direction to the disciples that they should wait and receive the power of the Holy Spirit before they went out as His witnesses. Look what happened to Peter: Just a few days earlier he denied Jesus three times, but after the Holy Spirit came upon him he was different. He was out in the street preaching (Acts 2). From Peters first sermon 3,000 people were saved!
Are you lacking power to be a witness? Perhaps you are not relying on the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says that if you ask for the Holy Spirit you will not be given a stone (Matt 7:7-12). You will be given the Holy Spirit if you ask for it.
You may feel like Peter right now, denying Jesus at every opportunity but the truth of the matter is God can still make an amazing witness out of you (Eph. 3:20). Stop looking at your track record. Ask God for the power of the Holy Spirit to reign supreme in your life and trust in His ability to change you. God’s heart desire is to demonstrate His power through you on the earth.
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Ron Luce was the co-founder and president of Teen Mania Ministries from 1986-2015. Ron and his wife Katie dreamed to raise young people who would change the world.
Ron received his bachelor's degree in Psychology and Theology from Oral Roberts University and his master's in Counseling Psychology from the University of Tulsa, along with an honorary doctorate from Jerry Falwell of Liberty University. He is a sought-after speaker who has traveled to more than 60 countries and has made numerous media appearances, such as Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family radio broadcast, CNN, The O'Reilly Factor, ABC Nightline, The 700 Club, Trinity Broadcasting Network, and the Sean Hannity Show. Ron has also written 35 books for teens, youth pastors, and parents and continues to speak at leaders' conferences helping parents and pastors understand the plight of today's youth and showing them how all of us can be part of the solution.
Ron and Katie currently live in Garden Valley, Texas, with their son Cameron. They have two daughters, Hannah and Charity.