October 4, 2026
Preached at Faith Chapel COGOP, Ellijay, Georgia
Holy Spirit Power Part 2
As I’ve been looking at some of the emphasis we, the church, have been putting on certain teachings I want to add to last month’s message regarding receiving the baptism in the Holy Ghost to produce POWER moving through us.
Acts 1:8 says: But ye shall receive power, 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.
It should be every day of the year that we celebrate and give honor to the coming of the Holy Spirit to live in and through the life of the believer.
We should celebrate His coming just for the simple fact that without Him we could never be saved. Scripture says, no man comes to the father except the Spirit draws him.
I don't have one bit of animosity toward any person or organization that doesn't believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, or doesn't believe in miracles or signs and wonders, or the operation and the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit.
I do have a feeling of sadness for them, because they are missing such a great dimension of Fellowship and Ministry and Power that is available to them.
Now, I am also not insinuating that someone does not have the Holy Spirit, because they have not been baptized with the evidence of speaking in other tongues.
It is clearly revealed in the scriptures that the only way an individual can be born again is to be regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit. So, we know that the new life, and the new birth of the believer can only happen through the power of the Holy Spirit.
But there is so much more beyond the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus met the woman at the well, He spoke to her of a well of Living Water, and He said that well of Living Water would be within her, and it would spring up into everlasting life.
That is salvation. Salvation puts a well within us that ministers to our personal life, that we can draw from personally. Isaiah calls it the wells of salvation.
But there is another level beyond salvation from sin and a personal well, for personal benefit.
There is what Jesus said would be a river, or I should actually say rivers plural, of Living Waters that would flow out of the innermost being of the spirit filled believer. Because the truth is this... if you take the Holy Spirit out of the Gospel, there is no gospel.
Remember gospel means good news. But if you take the Holy Spirit and His ministry and His operation out of the Gospel there is no good news.
If you take the Holy Spirit out of the Bible there's no creation, no Prophets and there's no prophecy, because all Prophets prophesied by the Holy Spirit, and their prophecies were inspired by the Holy spirit.
If you take the Holy Spirit out of the Bible no one ever gets saved, because no one can come to the father except the Spirit draws him.
And if you take the Holy Spirit out of the Bible no one could ever be saved, because the only way Jesus could raise from the grave was by the power of the Holy Spirit.
And if there's no Holy Spirit, then Jesus didn't rise from the dead, and if Jesus didn't raise from the dead, no one is saved from their sins.
And if there's no Holy Spirit, there's no anointing, and if there's no anointing, there's no power to destroy the yokes of the devil, because it's the anointing that destroys the yoke; according to Isaiah 10:27
And if you take the Holy Spirit out of the Bible, there's no power to cast out Devils or heal the sick.
If you take the Holy Spirit out of the Bible, it's just another book.
If you take the Holy Spirit out of the Bible there's no conviction of sin, and there's no revelation, because He is the spirit of revelation.
And if you take the Holy Spirit out of the Bible there's no such thing as faith, and without faith it's impossible to please God.
If you take the Holy Spirit out of the Bible, you have to erase the dividing and crossing of the Red Sea.
And you have to put the water back in the rock, and you have put the walls of Jericho back up, and you have to put the 3 Hebrew boys back in the furnace where they are burned to a crisp, and Daniel back in the Lion’s den where he becomes a midnight snack.
Are you seeing what I'm saying? Every miracle that has ever happened, whether Old Testament or New Testament, has been the work and the operation of the Holy Spirit.
If you take the Holy Spirit out of the Bible, you have to give the leper back his leprosy, and the seeing man his blindness, and the walking man his lameness.
And you have to give Mary Magdalene her 7 devils back.
You have to take the stars out of the sky, because the Bible says... By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and the host of them by the breath of His mouth Ps 33:6 The breath of God is the Holy Spirit.
If you take the Holy Spirit out of the Bible ... You have to give back every sickness and disease that Jesus healed, and every devil that He cast out, because the Bible tells us clearly that the way Jesus healed the sick, and cast out devils, and cleansed the lepers and raised the dead was because He was anointed by the Holy Spirit.
Luke 4:18 -19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach Deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set it Liberty them that are bruised. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
And then Acts 10:38 says, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with him.
I don't know what all that means to you, but to me it means... I need the Holy Spirit for POWE
And it means that I want the Holy Spirit. I want His presence and I want His power. I want that anointing upon my life.
When Jesus spoke these last words to His disciples, He knew He was leaving planet earth, and He knew these disciples, and all disciples to come, needed the same power that He had, and He knew the power source in His life was the Holy Spirit. That's why He told them, "tarry until ye be endued with power from on high".
But we have to understand that when we talk about the Holy Spirit, we are not just speaking of a power or a force or energy, but we are speaking about a person who has power.
And the more intimate our fellowship with Him becomes, the more of His power He will share with us.
A life filled with the Holy Spirit is marked by deep love for His person, a hunger for His presence, a dependence on His power, the experience of His benefits, and the manifestation of His transforming work.
Every believer needs to cultivate a deep love for the Holy Spirit as a person, honoring His presence, yielding to His voice, and delighting in His fellowship. Emerging oneself with Him.
Our text says, Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, 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.
What kind of power? Power to witness, power to testify, power to cast out devils and destroy the works of the devil, power of the Gifts of the Spirit, miracles signs and wonders.
This is what we should be contending for every day. It's not a life reserved only for super Christians, as a matter of fact it really is basic Christianity 101.
The book of Acts is a record of the birth of the New Testament Church; we should have grown up at least a little bit in 2,000 years.
But it won't happen automatically, you have to get hungry for it, and you have to reach for it, press for it, pursue, and chase after it.
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.
This was given for the benefit of every born-again believer. If you have been saved by the blood of Jesus, you should be pursuing the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
The first thing the apostle Paul asked new believers was... Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?
That question should be asked in every church... Have you received the Holy Ghost since you got saved, since you believed on Jesus to save you from your sins?
They said... We have never heard of such a thing as the Holy Ghost, and Paul laid his hands on them, and the Holy Ghost came upon them, and they spoke with other tongues and prophesied.
The Bible says the promise of this baptism is for you, and your children and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Acts 2:39
This is not a one trip to the altar lifetime fix-all, but this is an invitation to go deeper with the Holy Spirit. Deeper in relationship so we can go higher with Him in manifestation of His power and glory.
My life changed forever the day I was baptized in the Holy Ghost and spoke with other tongues, but it has been a life of learning how to cultivate and nurture a relationship with Him so that He can move through me to others.
This Holy Spirit baptism is exactly what it sounds like. It is going under in the river of God's presence and yielding and submitting to His power in your life. And letting Him fill you until it overflows in tongues of glory and demonstrated power.
I don't know where you're at on the scale of spiritual life and power, but I can tell you this... The Holy Spirit will put you at 10 or over.
Tarry ye in Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.
Jesus said: you will receive power from on high. First God wants to touch us with His power, then He wants to fill us with His power. Then He wants us to become channels that His power flows through, and vessels that carry the anointing of His presence and His power.
And this power doesn't come just to touch you, He comes to live in you, and flow through you.
Every blood washed born again child of God needs the Holy Ghost. You say pastor I already received the Holy Ghost and I speak in tongues already. Great, now you need more.
It doesn't matter how much you have; you need more. More power, more glory, more anointing, more grace, more love, more wisdom, more mercy.
Power from on high! Life In the power of the Holy Spirit.
A Spirit filled life produces fruit. You say oh yes, the fruit of the Spirit... love joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.
Yes, but there's also other fruit of a Spirit filled life.
There's signs and wonders, and miracles, and gifts of the Spirit, there's healing and deliverance, and a trail of lives touched by the power of God.
The Bible says in Mark 16:17-18 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; [18] They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Signs will follow the believers who have received power from on high.
Signs will follow believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit.
Signs will follow those who are on fire for God.
The only way to get the fire of God is to have a relationship with God. Not a long-distance relationship, but one of connection and companionship. Then He will manifest Himself to us and through us.
Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
If I were to ask you today... how many want to have a more effective Christian Life?
If I were to ask how many want to have more power in your life as a Christian?
If I were to ask how many want to see more manifestation of the power of God in your life?
If I were to ask how many want to lay your hands on the sick and see them recover?
If I were to ask how many want to know that when you tell the devil to get out, he has to go?
If I were to ask these questions today, how many would say by an uplifted hand, you're talking to me?
Well, I am asking you these questions today, and while I am asking these questions of you, I am also asking them of myself.
I can't speak for everyone, but I can certainly speak for myself I want the full measure, full manifestation, of the power of God that is available to me.
In other words, if God has revealed it in the Bible to me, I want it.
Something that stirs me, and concerns me, and should concern all of us, is when we look in the Bible and we see such a great disparity, from what God describes as the normal Christian Life, in comparison and contrast to what we call the normal Christian Life.
When I look in the Bible, I see as the normal Christian Life... Healing the Sick, cleansing the lepers, and casting out devils.
In the Bible I see as the normal Christian Life, setting the captives free, opening blinded eyes, unstopping deaf ears, Yokes being destroyed, bondages, habits and addictions, and evil desires being destroyed, and prisoners being set free.
Now I know this is reaching out there a little bit, but I have to ask, isn't that what you see in the Bible when you read it?
Isn't that what it says? Am I being true to the scriptures when I say these things? Just because the scriptures challenge us, and they show us where we are falling short, doesn't mean that we should ignore them, or that we should set them aside as unreachable, and unattainable.
On the contrary... It should stir us up. It should fire us up. It should challenge us. It should convict us. It should make us want to reach, and stretch, and get a hold of what belongs to us.
What would make us settle for less than God's best?
Why would we settle for less Joy?
For less peace?
For less prosperity?
For less power?
Paul talked about a life that was ever reaching, ever stretching, ever pressing. Never satisfied.
To many believers that is a strange concept, because so many have become comfortable, and adjusted, and satisfied right where they are.
One of the greatest operations of the word of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit, is to stir up within the hearts of God's people, a passion, a hunger, a thirst, and the desire to go farther, to rise higher, to dive deeper, and to experience the power and the glory of God in ever-increasing fashion.
One of the saddest things that can ever happen to a saint, or body of believers, is to reach the level of comfort, and to become satisfied and adjusted.
Satisfied is a dangerous place, because it's right next door to being petrified. I never want to live in the land of satisfied.
Thankful, grateful, appreciative, yes, a thousand times yes. I can never fully express my thankfulness and my gratitude, and my appreciation for what God has done in my life. For where God has brought me from. And for where God has put me, I am so thankful.
But I am not satisfied. As a matter of fact, I have within my heart, and within my soul a divine dissatisfaction, that has been planted there by the Holy Spirit.
If you allow the Holy Spirit to have His way in your life, He will always plant within your spirit, and within your soul, a divine dissatisfaction. A pressing, a hunger, a passion, and the desire to see more, and to be more.
Not a single one of us have reached the full measure of our potential.
Not a single one of us have stepped into the fullness of our purpose.
Not a single one of us has plumbed the depths of the glory and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Church, we have to turn from things that are not pleasing to God and please Him! We have to push the plate back and fall upon our face and seek the Lord until the answer comes.
Little five minute lay me down to sleep prayers is not enough. Praying five, ten, or fifteen minutes or just whenever you get a chance is not enough. We must spend time with the Lord, quality time with Him.
He must come first and foremost in our lives. He desires a people who will worship Him, He desires a people who will be willing to spend time with Him, doing what He wants.
This world around us is looking at us, wondering what in the world we are going to do next. The power and Spirit of the Lord must be moving in our midst, and when the fire really falls, they will come!
They will come bringing their sick, they will come bringing their needs and problems, because they will know that here is where the Lord will meet them and His people will have the power to help them.
Being endued with power from on high is not optional for the believer; it is a promise and a necessity. The Holy Spirit equips, empowers, and transforms every believer to fulfil God’s purpose with boldness, wisdom, and supernatural authority.
Commit to seeking the Holy Spirit earnestly, wait faithfully, and allow His power to flow through you. As you yield to His guidance, your life, your ministry, and influence will bear the mark of heaven’s power.
Let me give you some prayer points.
1. Father, fill me with the Holy Spirit and endue me with power from on high in Jesus’ name.
2. Lord, grant me patience and obedience as I wait for Your divine empowerment in Jesus’ name.
3. Holy Spirit, come and guide me into all truth in Jesus’ name.
4. Father, empower me to boldly testify of Your goodness in Jesus’ name.
5. Lord, manifest Your supernatural power through my life in Jesus’ name.
6. Father, release spiritual gifts in my life for service and edification in Jesus’ name.
7. Lord, transform my life from glory to glory by Your Spirit in Jesus’ name.
8. Holy Spirit, grant me wisdom, understanding, and divine insight in Jesus’ name.
9. Father, let Your power break every limitation in my life in Jesus’ name.
10. Lord, make me a vessel of Your kingdom’s impact in every sphere I enter, in Jesus’ name.
Amen and Amen!