God is proactively working a strategy to bring the power of heaven to earth so people can live in the new era of freedom and power that Jesus announced. No more, ‘I wish, but I can’t.’
The Bible is one long coherent story. Near the beginning, God initiates a master plan to bless and heal the world by bringing heaven’s power to earth through the descendants of Abraham (Genesis 12:3). Jesus takes that plan to a new level. He personally brings heaven’s power to earth. It is as if the power is inside him and he is radiating it. It changes people and it does miracles.
But then the story of the Bible has a problem. What happens to the power when Jesus leaves? Does it go with him? Are humans right where they were before, doing the best they can? How are they supposed to obey Jesus and copy him if he is not around to radiate his power into them like he used to?
Power Season celebrates the answer to that question. On Pentecost Day, Jesus sent his own Spirit, his own life and power, from heaven down into his followers on earth proving that Jesus and his power were still present though he himself was not visible. Later examples in the book of Acts show that he could do it again any time and anywhere he chose. Through his Spirit, Jesus is still around. There never needs to be a spiritual power shortage again.
God’s strategy for our era is to channel his power to earth through all who have the Spirit of the risen Jesus living in them. We tell everybody else where the power comes from and how to get it.
When reinforcements arrive in a battle, there is always a huge sense of relief and joy. The arriving troops turn the tide, and the battle that was going to be lost is won. Afterwards the rescued ones can’t thank the reinforcements enough for arriving when they did.
The arrival of the Holy Spirit of Jesus in his original followers in Jerusalem on Pentecost Day was like that. The Spirit brought the power that the followers needed in order to convince the world that their message was true—Jesus really was alive again. He was and always will be the power centre of history.
Once the Spirit of Jesus gets hold of us, the power of Jesus comes too. We can do things we could not do on our own. Life gets exhilarating. How will our desires shift? Who will Jesus help through us? Is a miracle coming somewhere? Jesus is full of surprises.
Even before the surprises come, we realise that the first effect of the power of the Spirit is to lift a huge weight off our shoulders. Success doesn’t depend on us anymore. Never again will we feel like losers, hopelessly trapped and powerless. We are surfing a super-wave of power that no one can stop.
Our part is simple (though not easy). All we have to do is keep letting the power of Jesus do whatever he wants it to do in us or through us.
The more his power works, the more amazed and grateful we get. And when other people notice the evidence that something unusual is going on in us or through us, we point them straight to the power source, King Jesus.
They can ask for his power just like we did. They invite Jesus to send his Spirit into them to go to work on them from the inside out, doing whatever Jesus wants and assigning them their niche in his global campaign for an empowered world.
That is basically what the Power Season is all about. It is like calling for back-up in a situation that is getting out of our control, except that in this case we aren’t merely hoping Jesus will send help quickly. We are realising he already sent it by his Spirit. So we welcome the Spirit.
We see ourselves as walking evidence of Jesus’ power for good, calling the world to embrace this power. We live in alignment with God’s intentions when he sent the Spirit of Jesus down into his original followers on Pentecost Day.
Jesus made his Power Promise to his followers, ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ (Acts 1:8).
When we receive the Holy Spirit of Christ in us we become walking evidence of God’s power for good, we demonstrate that Jesus’ promise is coming true in us. We are participating in the new era of freedom and power that Jesus launched. We are empowered by his Spirit to play our assigned role as a member of his campaign team.
His power is meant for everybody, but not everybody knows that yet. People are living as best they can without knowing where the power of Jesus comes from, how it works, and how they can get it. If we know that power, our cause in life is to help everybody discover it.
If you don’t know that power but you do want a better world, please realise that is why God sent the power through the Messiah—for the good of the world. Why not invite his power to work through you instead of contributing only what you can manage by your own power? Why not get on board with his plan instead of trying to work some other plan?