[Ominous Music ]
[explosion sound]
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They call them
nature's mightiest forces.
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Powerful, violent, beautiful.
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[loud rushing wind sound]
From Vesuvius to Krakatoa,
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from Mt. Pelee in
Martinique in the Caribbean
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to Mt. St. Helens,
these maverick mountains
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have altered the
shape of the earth.
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They have made a
mockery of human achievement
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and they have disrupted,
without warning, the predictable
00:00:37.00\00:00:41.50
patterns of normal life.
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[Ominous Music]
Perhaps the 1883 eruption
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of Krakatoa, a small,
volcanic island in Indonesia,
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between Java and
Sumatra, is the most famous
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of them all.
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Or perhaps that's Mt. Vesuvius
and its destruction of the roman
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city of Pompeii
in the year 79 AD.
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The force of Krakatoa's eruption
is estimated to have equaled
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that of 30 hydrogen bombs.
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The explosion was
heard 3,000 miles away
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in Madagascar.
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Tidal waves over 100 feet
tall devastated nearby islands
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and raced thousands of
miles across neighboring oceans.
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Islands more than 100 miles
away were hit by fiery boulders
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weighing 50 pounds or more.
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The cloud of ash deposited
by the eruption in the earth's
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atmosphere was seen in
cities throughout the world
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and did not
disappear for many months.
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[Ominous Music] Human
devices of various sorts
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have at times been found capable
of stopping or at least slowing
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the forces of nature.
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Man-made levies can at times
stall or mitigate the impact
00:02:06.16\00:02:09.73
of floods.
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Sea walls can blunt
the impact of a Tsunami.
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Storm shelters can offer
a measure of protection from
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hurricanes or tornadoes.
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But nothing has ever been found
capable of stopping a lava flow
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or impeding an ash
cloud from a volcano.
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In places like
Hawaii, even military bombs
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have been used to halt or
redirect the flow of magma
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during a volcanic
eruption, but to no avail.
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I am in Costa Rica, a
Central American country
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with a population of more
than 4 million, wedged between
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Nicaragua and Panama.
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Costa Rica is beautiful.
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It is known for its rain forests
and its amazing biodiversity.
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Costa Rica draws bird watchers
from all over the world.
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Even though Costa Rica is
smaller than West Virginia,
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it has more bird
species than the United States
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and Canada combined.
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But Costa Rica sits on
the Pacific Ring of Fire.
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The area circling the Pacific
Ocean characterized by seismic
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activity and volcanoes.
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If you start in New
Zealand and work your way up,
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you will see that there is
a continuous ring of volcanoes
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that goes up from New
Zealand to Papua New Guinea,
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then on to Indonesia
through the Philippines
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to Japan, on to
Russia and down from Alaska
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through the West
Coast of both Canada
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and the United States
and into Central America.
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And the Volcano Express makes
a stop right here in Costa Rica.
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There are six volcanoes in
Costa Rica which have erupted
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in the last 70 years.
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Poas Volcano National Park
is only 30 miles from San Jose,
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Costa Rica's capital.
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It erupted just a few years ago
and still gives evidence that it
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can't be entirely
trusted and anyone who has seen
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a volcano erupt knows just how
powerful these things can be.
00:04:08.83\00:04:13.73
The eruption of Mt. St. Helens
in Washington State in 1981
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was 1600 times more powerful
than the atomic bomb dropped
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on Hiroshima in WWII.
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Fifty-seven people were killed.
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Hundreds of square miles of land
were devastated and the mountain
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lost 1300 feet in height.
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Now that's powerful.
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But it isn't the most
powerful force you'll ever
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have to deal with.
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There is something much
more powerful than a volcano.
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Perhaps there's no better
illustration than a volcano
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[volcano breathing and
huffing] of the agenda-altering,
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life-transforming
impact [volcano spitting]
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of the power of
God's Holy Spirit.
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Today we are going to consider
the extent and the potential
00:05:00.40\00:05:05.40
of Holy Spirit power.
00:05:05.40\00:05:08.13
[Intro Music] It has
stood the test of time,
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God's book, the Bible,
00:05:21.83\00:05:25.36
still relevant in
today's complex world.
00:05:26.63\00:05:30.20
It Is Written,
sharing hope around the globe.
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Thanks for joining me
today on It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw and I
am at the Aranal volcano,
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one of Costa
Rica's many volcanoes
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and until recently,
a very active volcano.
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Very early in the
Bible we read about the power
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of the Holy Spirit.
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In the creation
story, Genesis 1:2,
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the Bible says, "And the Spirit
of the Lord moved upon the face
00:06:06.10\00:06:10.30
of the waters."
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The Old Testament
narrative talks often about
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the Holy Spirit.
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Samson, the
strongest man who ever lived.
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King Saul, Israel's first King.
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Both of these men received
the power of the Holy Spirit
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at pivotal times in their lives.
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David, who was rent with anguish
over his sin with Bathsheba,
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plead with God in Psalm 51.
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This is what he said: "Cast
me not away from thy presence
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and take not thy
Holy Spirit from me."
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And here is what Isaiah quoted
by Jesus of Nazareth in Luke 4:
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"The Spirit of the Lord is upon
me because he has anointed me
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to preach good
tidings unto the meek.
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He has sent me to bind up
the brokenhearted, to proclaim
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liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison
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to them that are bound."
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The Old Testament speaks
not only about the existence
00:07:01.73\00:07:04.60
of the Holy Spirit,
but also about the power
00:07:04.60\00:07:07.93
of the Holy Spirit.
00:07:07.93\00:07:09.73
So, it is rather
remarkable that when we get over
00:07:09.73\00:07:12.03
to the New Testament,
and we find Paul speaking
00:07:12.03\00:07:15.00
to certain believers at Ephesus,
that he had this exchange.
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He asked them whether they
had received the Holy Spirit
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and they responded to
him in Acts 19:2 by saying,
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"We have not even heard
that there is a Holy Spirit."
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Incredibly, they had somehow
missed this very important
00:07:31.16\00:07:34.73
biblical teaching.
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Now when we look through
the Bible, we discover that
00:07:36.66\00:07:39.50
the work of the Holy
Spirit has at least four
00:07:39.50\00:07:42.20
distinct functions.
00:07:42.20\00:07:44.26
One is guiding into truth.
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Jesus spoke of this in
John 16:13, when he said
00:07:47.56\00:07:51.43
"howbeit when He, the Spirit
of Truth is coming, He will
00:07:51.43\00:07:55.93
guide you into all truth."
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This means that in order
for the Holy Spirit to change
00:07:58.86\00:08:01.66
us we must first
see our true condition
00:08:01.66\00:08:05.60
and the Bible makes it clear
that the Holy Spirit helps us
00:08:05.60\00:08:09.03
to understand our true condition
through the law of God.
00:08:09.03\00:08:13.00
Paul said in
Romans 3:20, "By the law
00:08:13.00\00:08:16.73
is the knowledge of sin."
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And Galatians 3:24 says,
"the law was our schoolmaster
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to bring us to Christ that
we might be justified by faith.
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The Spirit of God helps us
to see what we are really like
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in relation to
the holiness of God.
00:08:31.70\00:08:35.16
Another work of the Holy Spirit
is to bring conviction of sin
00:08:35.16\00:08:38.90
and righteousness.
00:08:38.90\00:08:41.10
Jesus was speaking in John
16:8 when he said that the Holy
00:08:41.10\00:08:45.23
Spirit would reprove the world
of sin and of righteousness
00:08:45.23\00:08:50.83
and of judgment.
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You see, it's not enough
for us just to be convinced
00:08:52.56\00:08:55.46
of what is truth.
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What God wants is for his
people to be convicted of their
00:08:56.56\00:09:00.73
need to grow in the
grace of God and that too
00:09:00.73\00:09:04.93
is the work of the Holy Spirit.
00:09:04.93\00:09:06.96
The Holy Spirit provide
us with power for obedience.
00:09:06.96\00:09:11.50
Once we have accepted
the conviction brought by
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the Holy Spirit
regarding the need for change
00:09:14.73\00:09:17.60
in our lives, the Holy
Spirit gives us the ability
00:09:17.60\00:09:21.40
to obey God.
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Now, the man with a drinking
problem probably knows that he
00:09:23.40\00:09:26.40
has a drinking problem.
00:09:26.40\00:09:27.83
Knowledge is not his problem.
00:09:27.83\00:09:29.83
But, his problem is:
Where does he find the strength,
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the ability to be able
to put down the bottle.
00:09:33.33\00:09:36.20
Most people who lose
their temper know they
00:09:36.20\00:09:38.46
shouldn't lose their temper.
00:09:38.46\00:09:40.00
This is not a
question of knowledge.
00:09:40.00\00:09:42.00
The question is how does
one find the power to break
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that cycle of
frustration and eruption?
00:09:46.13\00:09:49.86
This is where the Holy
Spirit's power comes in.
00:09:49.86\00:09:53.00
Now this is Paul, writing to
the church in Rome, "For what
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the law could not do in that
it was weak through the flesh,
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God, sending his own son in
the likeness of sinful flesh
00:10:00.36\00:10:04.26
and for sin condemned
sin in the flesh, that
00:10:04.26\00:10:08.30
the
righteousness of the law might
00:10:08.30\00:10:10.30
be fulfilled in us who
walk not after the flesh,
00:10:10.30\00:10:14.56
but after the Spirit."
00:10:14.56\00:10:15.56
Romans 8:3, 4.
00:10:15.56\00:10:16.93
Paul says this
later in the same chapter.
00:10:16.93\00:10:19.23
"For if ye live after
the flesh, ye shall die.
00:10:19.23\00:10:23.00
But if ye through the Spirit do
mortify the deeds of the body,
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ye shall live." Romans 8:13.
00:10:26.63\00:10:29.66
I want you to notice this.
00:10:29.66\00:10:31.90
The Bible promises you that
you don't need to stay stuck in
00:10:31.90\00:10:36.56
the sin that breaks your
heart and causes guilt and shame
00:10:36.56\00:10:40.20
and causes pain to others.
00:10:40.20\00:10:43.36
God promises you the Holy
Spirit so that the righteousness
00:10:43.36\00:10:47.46
of God can be
fulfilled in your life.
00:10:47.46\00:10:51.36
It's through the Holy
Spirit's power that the works
00:10:51.36\00:10:54.73
of the flesh are set aside.
00:10:54.73\00:10:57.56
Tragically, a lot of people
go their entire lives without
00:10:57.56\00:11:01.40
learning this profound
spiritual truth and that is
00:11:01.40\00:11:05.36
the Holy Spirit has the
ability to give a person
00:11:05.36\00:11:08.50
the power over themselves.
00:11:08.50\00:11:11.23
I never how clear this
came to me one day when a friend
00:11:11.23\00:11:14.00
of mine said, "John, I have
learned that the Holy Spirit
00:11:14.00\00:11:18.10
is more powerful than self."
00:11:18.10\00:11:21.00
That realization absolutely
changed that man's life.
00:11:21.00\00:11:25.13
You see, a person with a
dirty mind might not realize
00:11:25.13\00:11:28.43
but the Holy Spirit has
the ability to take that life
00:11:28.43\00:11:31.43
and remake that mind so
that from this moment on,
00:11:31.43\00:11:35.30
it's habitually pure and clean.
00:11:35.30\00:11:39.13
Another work of the Holy
Spirit is to give us power
00:11:39.13\00:11:42.43
for witnessing.
00:11:42.43\00:11:43.43
It is important
for us to understand.
00:11:43.43\00:11:46.33
In fact, it is
vital for us to understand
00:11:46.33\00:11:48.86
that the ability to share
Jesus with others comes to us
00:11:48.86\00:11:52.56
through the Holy Spirit.
00:11:52.56\00:11:55.10
Now, this is what the
Bible says in Acts 2:1.
00:11:55.10\00:11:58.36
It's the Jewish
feast of Pentecost.
00:11:58.36\00:12:01.00
The Bible says, "And
when the Day of Pentecost
00:12:01.00\00:12:04.03
was fully come, they
(that's the believers) were all
00:12:04.03\00:12:07.70
with one accord in one place.
00:12:07.70\00:12:11.53
Jesus had prayed for this kind
of unity among his followers
00:12:11.53\00:12:14.60
prior to his
suffering and death.
00:12:14.60\00:12:17.20
In John 17, we read these
words: "That they all may be one
00:12:17.20\00:12:23.40
as Thou Father art
in me and I in Thee.
00:12:23.40\00:12:27.16
That they also may be one in us.
00:12:27.16\00:12:30.83
That the world may
believe that Thou has sent me."
00:12:30.83\00:12:36.16
But notice something.
00:12:36.16\00:12:37.63
Before Jesus had prayed
for unity, he said this.
00:12:37.63\00:12:42.36
"Sanctify them
through thy truth.
00:12:42.36\00:12:44.80
Thy word is truth.
00:12:44.80\00:12:47.20
And for their sakes, I sanctify
myself that they also might be
00:12:47.20\00:12:52.26
sanctified through the truth.
00:12:52.26\00:12:54.20
In other words, sanctification
through God's word of truth
00:12:54.20\00:12:58.63
is necessary before
true Christian unity
00:12:58.63\00:13:02.23
can take place.
00:13:02.23\00:13:03.90
You see, Jesus did not
die simply so that we could be
00:13:03.90\00:13:06.83
forgiven of our sins,
as important as that is.
00:13:06.83\00:13:10.26
In addition to forgiveness,
Jesus died so that we
00:13:10.26\00:13:13.93
could be changed.
00:13:13.93\00:13:15.96
He didn't die so we could stay
stuck in our sins, but so we
00:13:15.96\00:13:19.73
could experience
transformation through the power
00:13:19.73\00:13:23.46
of the Holy Spirit.
00:13:23.46\00:13:24.56
Now that's power.
00:13:24.56\00:13:25.73
It's a kind of a power that many
people have never experienced.
00:13:25.73\00:13:30.06
It's the sort of power
that far too many people
00:13:30.06\00:13:33.20
can't even imagine.
00:13:33.20\00:13:35.03
Jesus, through the Holy
Spirit accomplishes this work
00:13:35.03\00:13:38.66
in the lives of those
who believe in him and when
00:13:38.66\00:13:42.13
this work is done,
we'll see the type of mass
00:13:42.13\00:13:44.90
conversion that was
experienced at Pentecost.
00:13:44.90\00:13:48.63
Peter made it clear in the Book
of Acts that powerful witnessing
00:13:48.63\00:13:52.16
is given to those who
have received the Holy Spirit
00:13:52.16\00:13:55.40
for obedience and we are
his witnesses of these things
00:13:55.40\00:13:59.86
and so is the Holy Ghost
whom God hath given to them
00:13:59.86\00:14:03.63
that obey him.
00:14:03.63\00:14:05.36
It's a liberating Biblical
truth that when God gives
00:14:05.36\00:14:08.96
the gift of the Holy
Spirit, the Spirit of God brings
00:14:08.96\00:14:12.53
transformational power
into the life of a believer.
00:14:12.53\00:14:17.26
I'll be back with
more in just a moment.
00:14:17.26\00:14:20.26
In Matthew 4:4 the Word of God
says, "It is written, man shall
00:14:21.83\00:14:25.90
not live by bread alone but
by every word that proceeds from
00:14:25.90\00:14:30.00
the mouth of God.
00:14:30.00\00:14:30.93
Every Word is a one minute
Bible-based daily devotional
00:14:30.93\00:14:34.56
presented by pastor
John Bradshaw and designed
00:14:34.56\00:14:38.23
especially for
busy people like you.
00:14:38.23\00:14:39.90
Look for Every Word on selected
networks or watch it on-line
00:14:39.90\00:14:43.30
everyday on our
website, itiswritten.com.
00:14:43.30\00:14:47.26
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:14:47.26\00:14:49.10
Watch Every Word.
00:14:49.10\00:14:50.53
You'll be glad you did.
00:14:50.53\00:14:52.10
Here's a sample.
00:14:52.10\00:14:54.73
[Music] It's easy to trust God
00:14:56.96\00:15:04.10
when it's a nice warm day
and all is well and you find
00:15:04.10\00:15:06.43
a parking place right
where you want one and people
00:15:06.43\00:15:09.00
are smiling...
00:15:09.00\00:15:10.00
But when things
are falling apart...?
00:15:10.00\00:15:12.06
Then it can be different.
00:15:12.06\00:15:13.70
What happens when a tornado
not only destroys a town,
00:15:13.70\00:15:16.16
but it destroys YOUR town?
00:15:16.16\00:15:17.96
Or YOUR home?
00:15:17.96\00:15:19.13
Tragedy
'usually' strikes others.
00:15:19.13\00:15:21.76
What happens if it strikes you?
00:15:21.76\00:15:24.30
Even the children of the most
faithful believers get cancer,
00:15:24.30\00:15:26.93
even faithful
believers get Alzheimer's.
00:15:26.93\00:15:29.80
Job was faithful and he
suffed terribly, but he was
00:15:29.80\00:15:32.66
able to say in Job
13:15, "Though He slay me,
00:15:32.66\00:15:37.30
yet will I trust Him."
00:15:37.30\00:15:38.80
There's the key.
00:15:38.80\00:15:39.80
There's no question God exists
and that He is good and loving.
00:15:39.80\00:15:42.63
But we don't always understand
what He permits, or why.
00:15:42.63\00:15:45.43
But if you can TRUST Him
today, He'll get you through
00:15:45.43\00:15:48.30
life's dark times.
00:15:48.30\00:15:50.46
I'm John Bradshaw
for It Is Written.
00:15:50.46\00:15:52.46
Let's live today by Every Word.
00:15:52.46\00:15:55.80
It is written is
dedicated to sharing the gospel
00:15:55.80\00:15:58.36
around the world.
00:15:58.36\00:15:59.50
To discover more about
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00:15:59.50\00:16:02.00
to visit our
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00:16:02.00\00:16:04.53
and browse the dozens of
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00:16:04.53\00:16:08.00
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00:16:08.00\00:16:09.00
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00:16:09.00\00:16:11.23
Visit our website:
itiswritten.com today.
00:16:11.23\00:16:14.33
Thanks for joining me
today on It Is Written.
00:16:16.90\00:16:19.16
Today, the power
of the Holy Spirit.
00:16:19.16\00:16:22.26
I'd like to take a
moment to consider with you
00:16:22.26\00:16:24.33
what the Holy Spirit
did in the lives of Jesus'
00:16:24.33\00:16:28.06
disciples.
00:16:28.06\00:16:29.06
It's a remarkable story.
00:16:29.06\00:16:31.10
This once motley band of
tax collectors and fishermen
00:16:31.10\00:16:35.80
and malcontents, many of
them from less than savory
00:16:35.80\00:16:39.46
backgrounds, they
gather together in a small room
00:16:39.46\00:16:42.90
up above
Jerusalem's crowded streets.
00:16:42.90\00:16:46.03
Just a few days have
passed since their Lord
00:16:46.03\00:16:48.50
was taken to heaven.
00:16:48.50\00:16:50.06
Just a few weeks have passed
since they were in that same
00:16:50.06\00:16:53.53
place eating with
Jesus just before he died.
00:16:53.53\00:16:57.66
But what a difference
those few weeks have made.
00:16:57.66\00:17:01.30
What a difference between those
who are leaders now and those
00:17:01.30\00:17:04.96
who wanted to be leaders then.
00:17:04.96\00:17:07.86
Now 11 of the 12 looked just
the same as they looked those
00:17:07.86\00:17:11.23
few weeks ago but their joy
and their tone and their spirit
00:17:11.23\00:17:17.40
are radically different.
00:17:17.40\00:17:19.43
The strife for position,
the craving for authority
00:17:19.43\00:17:23.23
and revenge and the suspicion
of each other's motives
00:17:23.23\00:17:26.46
are all gone.
00:17:26.46\00:17:28.66
In the place of
discontent and power grabbing,
00:17:28.66\00:17:31.60
there is
heartfelt confession of sin.
00:17:31.60\00:17:34.40
Songs of praise and testimonies
of deliverance are now heard.
00:17:34.40\00:17:39.46
You see, the prayer
of their master for their
00:17:39.46\00:17:41.86
sanctification has been answered
and what could have done this?
00:17:41.86\00:17:47.13
What could have brought
about this kind of change
00:17:47.13\00:17:49.56
in transformation
of the disciples lives?
00:17:49.56\00:17:52.13
Just one thing: The
power of the Holy Spirit.
00:17:52.13\00:17:55.86
Acts 2:2 says, "and suddenly
there came a sound from heaven
00:17:55.86\00:18:00.66
as of a rushing, mighty
wind and it filled all the house
00:18:00.66\00:18:04.56
where they were sitting.
00:18:04.56\00:18:06.40
And we know the
rest of the story.
00:18:06.40\00:18:08.40
Apart from the bodily
resurrection of Jesus,
00:18:08.40\00:18:10.70
what happens next is the
most glorious narrative in the
00:18:10.70\00:18:14.90
history of the Christian church.
00:18:14.90\00:18:16.90
Thousands were
converted in a day.
00:18:16.90\00:18:19.60
Miracles were wrought.
00:18:19.60\00:18:21.03
Generous gifts were
brought into the treasury.
00:18:21.03\00:18:23.26
The needs of the
less fortunate were met.
00:18:23.26\00:18:26.90
And the world has
never been the same since.
00:18:26.90\00:18:30.03
[Music]
00:18:30.03\00:18:32.26
The Holy Spirit brings a
revival into a person's life
00:18:54.96\00:18:58.90
that produces dramatic,
radical change in that person's
00:18:58.90\00:19:03.76
thinking and even lifestyle.
00:19:03.76\00:19:06.00
Yes, it can be
difficult for a human heart
00:19:06.00\00:19:09.10
to give up or let go of
long, cherished sins and ideas.
00:19:09.10\00:19:13.60
Old habits really do die hard.
00:19:13.60\00:19:15.90
But this is what the Holy Spirit
can do in a person's life.
00:19:15.90\00:19:20.00
Now, it's good, very good,
that the Holy Spirit produces
00:19:20.00\00:19:23.33
passionate worship
and growing churches.
00:19:23.33\00:19:26.13
But even better is
that the Holy Spirit focuses
00:19:26.13\00:19:30.26
the attention of a believer
in Jesus onto the Word of God.
00:19:30.26\00:19:34.76
It brings conviction and
victory and that is real power,
00:19:34.76\00:19:40.80
more powerful than the
volcanoes of Costa Rica.
00:19:40.80\00:19:48.93
The Holy Spirit of the Bible
takes robber, like John Bunyan,
00:19:48.93\00:19:53.13
and turns him into a
passionate communicator
00:19:53.13\00:19:55.33
of the Redemption Story.
00:19:55.33\00:19:57.23
The Holy Spirit takes a cruel
slave trader like John Newton
00:19:57.23\00:20:01.23
and transforms him into
an advocate for human justice
00:20:01.23\00:20:04.16
and the abolition
of the slave trade.
00:20:04.16\00:20:06.83
Whenever a smoker is
given the power by God to break
00:20:06.83\00:20:11.03
that habit, whenever an
addict is set free from whatever
00:20:11.03\00:20:14.40
it is that binds him or her,
whenever a racist is given love
00:20:14.40\00:20:19.80
for those he or she
used to despise, it's then
00:20:19.80\00:20:22.90
that we see the power
of the Holy Spirit at work.
00:20:22.90\00:20:25.83
The Bible isn't like
so many other ancient
00:20:25.83\00:20:29.66
historical accounts.
00:20:29.66\00:20:30.60
The Bible tells us
about the faults of some of
00:20:30.60\00:20:34.40
the heroes of the Bible.
00:20:34.40\00:20:35.50
In fact, it tells us about some
of their most grievous mistakes.
00:20:35.50\00:20:39.53
It talks about Moses and
how Moses, raised in privilege
00:20:39.53\00:20:43.70
under the blessing of God, flew
into a rage and murdered a man.
00:20:43.70\00:20:48.56
But then it talks about how God
lead Moses into Midian and how
00:20:48.56\00:20:53.16
Moses submitted to the gentle
discipline of the Holy Spirit.
00:20:53.16\00:20:56.60
God was then able to use this
great man of God to lead his
00:20:56.60\00:20:59.93
people out of Egypt and
on towards the promised land.
00:20:59.93\00:21:04.66
The Bible talks to us about
King David once called a man
00:21:04.66\00:21:07.63
after God's own heart.
00:21:07.63\00:21:09.33
But this same David committed
adultery and then murder.
00:21:09.33\00:21:12.63
But then, David was transformed
by the Holy Spirit of God
00:21:12.63\00:21:18.73
and became the sort of
man that God could use again.
00:21:18.73\00:21:22.63
And we read about
the disciples of Jesus.
00:21:22.63\00:21:24.63
These men, with their faults,
their tempers, their jealousy,
00:21:24.63\00:21:28.10
their rivalry, their
desire for greatness.
00:21:28.10\00:21:31.86
But about how they were
transformed by the Holy Spirit
00:21:31.86\00:21:35.53
and became
champions for their master.
00:21:35.53\00:21:39.43
Most people associate volcanoes
with the power to destroy.
00:21:39.43\00:21:43.26
But inherent in that
destructive power is the power
00:21:43.26\00:21:47.86
to create anew.
00:21:47.86\00:21:50.83
If you've seen volcanic soil,
they you know that volcanic soil
00:21:50.83\00:21:54.30
is some of the richest
soil that you can possibly find.
00:21:54.30\00:21:57.90
A lava flow devastates
everything in its path
00:21:57.90\00:22:01.33
but out of that devastation
ultimately springs new life
00:22:01.33\00:22:05.90
that grows lush and rich.
00:22:05.90\00:22:08.93
It's a great metaphor for
the work of the Holy Spirit.
00:22:08.93\00:22:12.73
Just like a volcano
consumes everything in its path,
00:22:12.73\00:22:16.06
just like a volcano will
take the hardest rocks and turn
00:22:16.06\00:22:19.13
them into liquid,
the Holy Spirit is able
00:22:19.13\00:22:22.00
to take our heart of stone
and melt it and make it into
00:22:22.00\00:22:25.43
something that we could
never make it ourselves.
00:22:25.43\00:22:29.30
And when the work
of the volcano is done,
00:22:29.30\00:22:31.90
vegetation appears.
00:22:31.90\00:22:33.33
When the work of the Holy Spirit
is done, where once it seemed
00:22:33.33\00:22:37.13
bleak and devastated,
now there is new life.
00:22:37.13\00:22:40.73
Now there is a new
person made through the power
00:22:40.73\00:22:44.36
of the Holy Spirit.
00:22:44.36\00:22:46.83
You know, so many people
come to the place in their lives
00:22:46.83\00:22:49.06
where they say, "after all I've
done, after all of the mistakes
00:22:49.06\00:22:52.26
I've made, after all of
the mess ups, how can God
00:22:52.26\00:22:56.83
even have any use for me now?
00:22:56.83\00:22:59.06
People look at their
sins, very real sins.
00:22:59.06\00:23:01.46
They look at their mistakes,
their egregious errors, the way
00:23:01.46\00:23:06.60
they have treated other people
and the way they have let down
00:23:06.60\00:23:09.33
not only God, but
those that they love.
00:23:09.33\00:23:13.06
And they say surely
now, there is no hope for me.
00:23:13.06\00:23:17.43
Well, I want to
tell you something.
00:23:17.43\00:23:19.43
There is hope because
the Holy Spirit gives hope.
00:23:19.43\00:23:23.40
The Holy Spirit is the answer.
00:23:23.40\00:23:27.30
What a sinner needs is power,
forgiving power and cleansing
00:23:27.30\00:23:31.80
power.
00:23:31.80\00:23:32.80
And we receive that
through the Holy Spirit.
00:23:32.80\00:23:35.33
And we receive the Holy
Spirit through the Word of God.
00:23:35.33\00:23:39.03
In fact, Jesus
said in Luke 11:12 -
00:23:39.03\00:23:41.66
"If you then, being evil,
know how to give good gifts
00:23:41.66\00:23:45.73
to your children, how much
more will your heavenly Father
00:23:45.73\00:23:49.90
give the Holy
Spirit to them that ask.
00:23:49.90\00:23:53.73
So all we need to do is ask.
00:23:53.73\00:23:57.40
And elsewhere, Jesus said
"Ask and you shall receive.
00:23:57.40\00:24:02.33
When we ask for the Holy Spirit
of God, we know the Holy Spirit
00:24:02.33\00:24:05.60
is given.
00:24:05.60\00:24:06.93
And when the Spirit of God
comes into our life, we become
00:24:06.93\00:24:10.13
the recipients of or
the channels of the same
00:24:10.13\00:24:14.23
power that brought
the world into existence.
00:24:14.23\00:24:17.53
Remember in the Psalms,
"for He spake and it was done.
00:24:17.53\00:24:20.63
He commanded and it stood fast."
00:24:20.63\00:24:23.16
The Holy Spirit brings
into your life creation power.
00:24:23.16\00:24:27.06
In fact, in the case of a
sinner, re-creation power.
00:24:27.06\00:24:31.36
You can
experience that power now.
00:24:31.36\00:24:34.10
You can claim the promise
of the Holy Spirit of God
00:24:34.10\00:24:37.40
as yours.
00:24:37.40\00:24:38.70
And know that because he
has promised, God will give you
00:24:38.70\00:24:42.80
the Holy Spirit of God.
00:24:42.80\00:24:45.66
Just like volcanoes
around the world, when they
00:24:45.66\00:24:49.16
are unleashed,
they are unstoppable.
00:24:49.16\00:24:52.93
The Holy Spirit
brings that same power
00:24:52.93\00:24:55.00
but in an
infinitely greater measure.
00:24:55.00\00:24:57.20
When the Holy Spirit
is unleashed in your life,
00:24:57.20\00:25:01.03
you will experience
truly the power of God.
00:25:01.03\00:25:05.40
Promises of Power is
our free offer for today.
00:25:07.50\00:25:10.86
This book by Pastor
John Bradshaw is a collection
00:25:10.86\00:25:13.90
of the most powerful
promises found in the Bible.
00:25:13.90\00:25:16.96
Just call 1.800.253.3000
and ask for Promises of Power.
00:25:16.96\00:25:22.43
There's no cost or obligation.
00:25:22.43\00:25:24.50
It's absolutely free.
00:25:24.50\00:25:25.50
You can call 24 hours a day.
00:25:25.50\00:25:27.43
If the line is
busy, please keep trying.
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You may also request
Promises of Power by writing to
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It Is Written, Box O,
Thousand Oaks, California 91359
00:25:33.50\00:25:38.66
and we will mail a copy to
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00:25:38.66\00:25:42.33
Please note this free
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00:25:42.33\00:25:44.90
on hand.
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For immediate access, you
can download a free electronic
00:25:45.90\00:25:49.53
version of the book Promises
of Power from our website,
00:25:49.53\00:25:54.16
itiswritten.com.
00:25:54.16\00:25:55.16
It Is Written is a faith-based
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00:25:55.16\00:25:57.30
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Thank you for your letters
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00:26:09.36\00:26:11.86
Our toll-free number is
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00:26:11.86\00:26:17.13
address is itiswritten.com.
00:26:17.13\00:26:20.13
I'd like to pray with you right
now and rather than asking God
00:26:22.43\00:26:25.66
to give us his Holy Spirit,
let's thank him because he has
00:26:25.66\00:26:29.30
given us the
greatest of all gifts.
00:26:29.30\00:26:32.53
Let's pray.
00:26:32.53\00:26:33.66
Our father in heaven, I
thank you today that you gave us
00:26:33.66\00:26:39.53
Jesus who lived, and died,
and resurrected and is now in
00:26:39.53\00:26:44.00
heaven
interceding in our behalf.
00:26:44.00\00:26:46.53
And I thank you that he is
represented in this world by
00:26:46.53\00:26:49.10
the Holy Spirit.
00:26:49.10\00:26:52.30
The transforming powerful,
enabling gracious Holy Spirit
00:26:52.30\00:26:57.80
of God.
00:26:57.80\00:26:59.40
Thank you for giving us
this gift, for forgiving us,
00:26:59.86\00:27:02.96
cleansing us and keeping
us through the great power
00:27:02.96\00:27:09.16
of the Holy Spirit of God.
00:27:09.16\00:27:11.76
We thank you today.
00:27:11.76\00:27:13.36
We claim that promise you have
promised to give so we claim
00:27:13.36\00:27:16.40
that promise.
00:27:16.40\00:27:17.96
We pray in Jesus' name, amen.
00:27:17.96\00:27:22.20
From the Aranal volcano in
Costa Rica, thanks for joining
00:27:40.76\00:27:45.00
me today.
00:27:45.00\00:27:46.20
I look forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:46.20\00:27:47.70
Until then,
remember it is written,
00:27:47.70\00:27:49.76
man shall not live by
bread alone but by every word
00:27:49.76\00:27:54.56
that proceeds
from the mouth of God.
00:27:54.56\00:27:58.96