[ominous music ] [explosion sound] 00:00:02.33\00:00:07.14 They call them nature's mightiest forces. 00:00:07.14\00:00:12.84 Powerful, violent, beautiful. [loud rushing wind sound] 00:00:12.84\00:00:19.48 From Vesuvius to Krakatoa, from Mt. Pelee in Martinique 00:00:19.48\00:00:26.79 in the Caribbean to Mt. St. Helens, 00:00:26.79\00:00:30.29 these maverick mountains have altered the shape 00:00:30.29\00:00:33.63 of the earth. They have made a mockery 00:00:33.63\00:00:36.50 of human achievement and they have disrupted, 00:00:36.50\00:00:39.53 without warning, the predictable patterns of normal life. 00:00:39.53\00:00:44.21 [Ominous Music] Perhaps the 1883 eruption 00:00:44.91\00:00:52.75 of Krakatoa, a small, volcanic island in Indonesia, 00:00:52.75\00:00:56.72 between Java and Sumatra, is the most famous 00:00:56.72\00:01:00.26 of them all. Or perhaps that's Mt. Vesuvius 00:01:00.26\00:01:03.99 and its destruction of the roman city of Pompeii in 00:01:03.99\00:01:07.20 the year 79 AD. The force of Krakatoa's eruption 00:01:07.20\00:01:12.77 is estimated to have equaled that of 30 hydrogen bombs. 00:01:12.77\00:01:17.04 The explosion was heard 3,000 miles away 00:01:17.04\00:01:21.01 in Madagascar. Tidal waves over 100 feet tall 00:01:21.01\00:01:24.98 devastated nearby islands and raced thousands of miles 00:01:24.98\00:01:28.88 across neighboring oceans. Islands more than 100 miles away 00:01:28.88\00:01:33.59 were hit by fiery boulders weighing 50 pounds or more. 00:01:33.59\00:01:39.19 The cloud of ash deposited by the eruption in the earth's 00:01:39.19\00:01:42.03 atmosphere was seen in cities throughout the world 00:01:42.03\00:01:46.90 and did not disappear for many months. 00:01:46.90\00:01:52.57 [Ominous Music] Human devices of various sorts 00:01:53.68\00:01:59.78 have at times been found capable of stopping or at least slowing 00:01:59.78\00:02:04.45 the forces of nature. Man-made levies can at times 00:02:04.45\00:02:08.22 stall or mitigate the impact of floods. 00:02:08.22\00:02:11.99 Sea walls can blunt the impact of a Tsunami. 00:02:11.99\00:02:15.13 Storm shelters can offer a measure of protection from 00:02:15.13\00:02:18.27 hurricanes or tornadoes. But nothing has ever been found 00:02:18.27\00:02:22.67 capable of stopping a lava flow or impeding an ash cloud 00:02:22.67\00:02:27.91 from a volcano. In places like Hawaii, 00:02:27.91\00:02:31.61 even military bombs have been used to halt 00:02:31.61\00:02:34.28 or redirect the flow of magma during a volcanic eruption, 00:02:34.28\00:02:38.39 but to no avail. I am in Costa Rica, 00:02:38.39\00:02:43.22 a Central American country with a population of more 00:02:43.22\00:02:45.66 than 4 million, wedged between Nicaragua and Panama. 00:02:45.66\00:02:50.13 Costa Rica is beautiful. It is known for its rain forests 00:02:50.13\00:02:54.54 and its amazing biodiversity. Costa Rica draws bird watchers 00:02:54.54\00:02:58.87 from all over the world. Even though Costa Rica 00:02:58.87\00:03:01.84 is smaller than West Virginia, it has more bird species 00:03:01.84\00:03:05.61 than the United States and Canada combined. 00:03:05.61\00:03:09.28 But Costa Rica sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire. 00:03:09.28\00:03:13.52 The area circling the Pacific Ocean characterized by seismic 00:03:13.52\00:03:17.46 activity and volcanoes. If you start in New Zealand 00:03:17.46\00:03:22.06 and work your way up, you will see that there is 00:03:22.06\00:03:25.07 a continuous ring of volcanoes that goes up from New Zealand 00:03:25.07\00:03:28.14 to Papua New Guinea, then on to Indonesia 00:03:28.14\00:03:31.74 through the Philippines to Japan, on to Russia 00:03:31.74\00:03:36.44 and down from Alaska through the West Coast 00:03:36.44\00:03:38.95 of both Canada and the United States 00:03:38.95\00:03:40.95 and into Central America. And the Volcano Express makes 00:03:40.95\00:03:45.09 a stop right here in Costa Rica. There are six volcanoes 00:03:45.09\00:03:49.99 in Costa Rica which have erupted in the last 70 years. 00:03:49.99\00:03:54.83 Poas Volcano National Park is only 30 miles from San Jose, 00:03:54.83\00:03:59.37 Costa Rica's capital. It erupted just a few years ago 00:03:59.37\00:04:03.64 and still gives evidence that it can't be entirely trusted 00:04:03.64\00:04:08.54 and anyone who has seen a volcano erupt knows just how 00:04:08.54\00:04:12.01 powerful these things can be. The eruption of Mt. St. Helens 00:04:12.01\00:04:16.08 in Washington State in 1981 was 1600 times more powerful 00:04:16.08\00:04:22.16 than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in WWII. 00:04:22.16\00:04:27.03 Fifty-seven people were killed. Hundreds of square miles of land 00:04:27.03\00:04:31.13 were devastated and the mountain lost 1300 feet in height. 00:04:31.13\00:04:35.67 Now that's powerful. But it isn't the most powerful 00:04:35.67\00:04:41.84 force you'll ever have to deal with. 00:04:41.84\00:04:44.31 There is something much more powerful than a volcano. 00:04:44.31\00:04:48.82 Perhaps there's no better illustration than a volcano 00:04:48.82\00:04:51.79 [volcano breathing and huffing] of the agenda-altering, 00:04:51.79\00:04:54.86 life-transforming impact [volcano spitting] 00:04:54.86\00:04:57.46 of the power of God's Holy Spirit. 00:04:57.46\00:05:01.16 Today we are going to consider the extent and the potential 00:05:01.16\00:05:06.17 of Holy Spirit power. 00:05:06.17\00:05:08.84 [Intro Music] It has stood the test of time, 00:05:11.41\00:05:20.95 God's book, the Bible, 00:05:22.62\00:05:26.09 still relevant in today's complex world. 00:05:27.42\00:05:30.99 It Is Written, sharing hope around the globe. 00:05:32.46\00:05:40.77 Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written. 00:05:48.44\00:05:50.68 I'm John Bradshaw and I am at the Aranal volcano, 00:05:50.68\00:05:54.38 one of Costa Rica's many volcanoes 00:05:54.38\00:05:55.82 and until recently, a very active volcano. 00:05:55.82\00:05:59.85 Very early in the Bible we read about the power 00:05:59.85\00:06:02.72 of the Holy Spirit. In the creation story, 00:06:02.72\00:06:05.26 Genesis 1:2, the Bible says, "And the Spirit 00:06:05.26\00:06:08.90 of the Lord moved upon the face of the waters." 00:06:08.90\00:06:12.50 The Old Testament narrative talks often about 00:06:12.50\00:06:15.00 the Holy Spirit. Samson, the strongest man 00:06:15.00\00:06:18.37 who ever lived. King Saul, Israel's first King. 00:06:18.37\00:06:21.54 Both of these men received the power of the Holy Spirit 00:06:21.54\00:06:25.78 at pivotal times in their lives. David, who was rent with anguish 00:06:25.78\00:06:32.09 over his sin with Bathsheba, plead with God in Psalm 51. 00:06:32.09\00:06:36.79 This is what he said: "Cast me not away from thy presence 00:06:36.79\00:06:40.46 and take not thy Holy Spirit from me." 00:06:40.46\00:06:43.80 And here is what Isaiah quoted by Jesus of Nazareth in Luke 4: 00:06:43.80\00:06:48.80 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me 00:06:48.80\00:06:52.21 to preach good tidings unto the meek. 00:06:52.21\00:06:54.58 He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim 00:06:54.58\00:06:57.65 liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison 00:06:57.65\00:07:00.65 to them that are bound." The Old Testament speaks not 00:07:00.65\00:07:04.05 only about the existence of the Holy Spirit, but also 00:07:04.05\00:07:07.36 about the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:07:07.36\00:07:10.66 So, it is rather remarkable that when we get over 00:07:10.66\00:07:12.96 to the New Testament, and we find Paul speaking 00:07:12.96\00:07:15.90 to certain believers at Ephesus, that he had this exchange. 00:07:15.90\00:07:19.93 He asked them whether they had received the Holy Spirit 00:07:19.93\00:07:23.77 and they responded to him in Acts 19:2 by saying, 00:07:23.77\00:07:27.74 "We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." 00:07:27.74\00:07:32.15 Incredibly, they had somehow missed this very important 00:07:32.15\00:07:35.72 biblical teaching. Now when we look through 00:07:35.72\00:07:38.65 the Bible, we discover that the work of the Holy Spirit 00:07:38.65\00:07:41.86 has at least four distinct functions. 00:07:41.86\00:07:45.26 One is guiding into truth. Jesus spoke of this 00:07:45.26\00:07:49.53 in John 16:13, when he said "howbeit when He, the Spirit 00:07:49.53\00:07:54.84 of Truth is coming, He will guide you into all truth." 00:07:54.84\00:07:59.84 This means that in order for the Holy Spirit to change 00:07:59.84\00:08:02.64 us we must first see our true condition 00:08:02.64\00:08:06.58 and the Bible makes it clear that the Holy Spirit helps us 00:08:06.58\00:08:10.02 to understand our true condition through the law of God. 00:08:10.02\00:08:13.99 Paul said in Romans 3:20, "By the law 00:08:13.99\00:08:17.73 is the knowledge of sin." And Galatians 3:24 says, 00:08:17.73\00:08:21.63 "the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ that we 00:08:21.63\00:08:26.03 might be justified by faith. The Spirit of God helps us to 00:08:26.03\00:08:30.71 see what we are really like in relation to the holiness 00:08:30.71\00:08:34.44 of God. Another work of the Holy Spirit 00:08:34.44\00:08:37.51 is to bring conviction of sin and righteousness. 00:08:37.51\00:08:42.08 Jesus was speaking in John 16:8 when he said that the Holy 00:08:42.08\00:08:46.22 Spirit would reprove the world of sin and of righteousness 00:08:46.22\00:08:51.83 and of judgment. You see, it's not enough for us 00:08:51.83\00:08:55.33 just to be convinced of what is truth. 00:08:55.33\00:08:57.53 What God wants is for his people to be convicted of their 00:08:57.53\00:09:01.70 need to grow in the grace of God and that too 00:09:01.70\00:09:05.91 is the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit provide us 00:09:05.91\00:09:09.84 with power for obedience. Once we have accepted 00:09:09.84\00:09:14.32 the conviction brought by the Holy Spirit regarding 00:09:14.32\00:09:17.39 the need for change in our lives, the Holy Spirit 00:09:17.39\00:09:21.09 gives us the ability to obey God. 00:09:21.09\00:09:24.39 Now, the man with a drinking problem probably knows that he 00:09:24.39\00:09:27.40 has a drinking problem. Knowledge is not his problem. 00:09:27.40\00:09:30.80 But, his problem is: Where does he find the strength, 00:09:30.80\00:09:34.37 the ability to be able to put down the bottle. 00:09:34.37\00:09:37.24 Most people who lose their temper know they 00:09:37.24\00:09:39.51 shouldn't lose their temper. This is not a question 00:09:39.51\00:09:42.04 of knowledge. The question is how does one 00:09:42.04\00:09:45.38 find the power to break that cycle of frustration 00:09:45.38\00:09:49.35 and eruption? This is where the Holy Spirit's 00:09:49.35\00:09:52.79 power comes in. Now this is Paul, writing to 00:09:52.79\00:09:55.46 the church in Rome, "For what the law could not do in that it 00:09:55.46\00:09:59.39 was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own son in 00:09:59.39\00:10:03.30 the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin 00:10:03.30\00:10:07.84 in the flesh, that the righteousness 00:10:07.84\00:10:10.34 of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk 00:10:10.34\00:10:13.54 not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." 00:10:13.54\00:10:16.61 Romans 8:3, 4. Paul says this later 00:10:16.61\00:10:19.28 in the same chapter. "For if ye live after the flesh, 00:10:19.28\00:10:22.52 ye shall die. But if ye through the Spirit do 00:10:22.52\00:10:25.32 mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." Romans 8:13. 00:10:25.32\00:10:30.73 I want you to notice this. The Bible promises you that you 00:10:30.73\00:10:35.46 don't need to stay stuck in the sin that breaks your heart 00:10:35.46\00:10:39.63 and causes guilt and shame and causes pain to others. 00:10:39.63\00:10:44.47 God promises you the Holy Spirit so that the righteousness 00:10:44.47\00:10:48.58 of God can be fulfilled in your life. 00:10:48.58\00:10:52.48 It's through the Holy Spirit's power that the works 00:10:52.48\00:10:55.85 of the flesh are set aside. Tragically, a lot of people go 00:10:55.85\00:11:00.66 their entire lives without learning this profound 00:11:00.66\00:11:04.06 spiritual truth and that is the Holy Spirit has the ability 00:11:04.06\00:11:08.53 to give a person the power over themselves. 00:11:08.53\00:11:12.33 I never how clear this came to me one day when a friend 00:11:12.33\00:11:15.10 of mine said, "John, I have learned that the Holy Spirit 00:11:15.10\00:11:19.21 is more powerful than self." That realization absolutely 00:11:19.21\00:11:24.35 changed that man's life. You see, a person with a dirty 00:11:24.35\00:11:27.68 mind might not realize but the Holy Spirit has 00:11:27.68\00:11:30.69 the ability to take that life and remake that mind so that 00:11:30.69\00:11:35.02 from this moment on, it's habitually pure and clean. 00:11:35.02\00:11:40.33 Another work of the Holy Spirit is to give us power 00:11:40.33\00:11:43.60 for witnessing. It is important for us 00:11:43.60\00:11:46.47 to understand. In fact, it is vital for us 00:11:46.47\00:11:49.04 to understand that the ability to share Jesus 00:11:49.04\00:11:51.97 with others comes to us through the Holy Spirit. 00:11:51.97\00:11:56.28 Now, this is what the Bible says in Acts 2:1. 00:11:56.28\00:11:59.55 It's the Jewish feast of Pentecost. 00:11:59.55\00:12:02.18 The Bible says, "And when the Day of Pentecost 00:12:02.18\00:12:05.22 was fully come, they (that's the believers) were all 00:12:05.22\00:12:08.89 with one accord in one place. Jesus had prayed for this kind 00:12:08.89\00:12:14.40 of unity among his followers prior to his suffering 00:12:14.40\00:12:17.37 and death. In John 17, we read these words: 00:12:17.37\00:12:21.94 "That they all may be one as Thou Father art in me 00:12:21.94\00:12:27.01 and I in Thee. That they also may 00:12:27.01\00:12:30.61 be one in us. That the world may believe 00:12:30.61\00:12:34.22 that Thou has sent me." But notice something. 00:12:34.22\00:12:38.89 Before Jesus had prayed for unity, he said this. 00:12:38.89\00:12:43.63 "Sanctify them through thy truth. 00:12:43.63\00:12:46.06 Thy word is truth. And for their sakes, I sanctify 00:12:46.06\00:12:50.33 myself that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 00:12:50.33\00:12:55.44 In other words, sanctification through God's word of truth 00:12:55.44\00:12:59.87 is necessary before true Christian unity 00:12:59.87\00:13:03.48 can take place. You see, Jesus did not die 00:13:03.48\00:13:06.88 simply so that we could be forgiven of our sins, 00:13:06.88\00:13:09.22 as important as that is. In addition to forgiveness, 00:13:09.22\00:13:13.39 Jesus died so that we could be changed. 00:13:13.39\00:13:17.23 He didn't die so we could stay stuck in our sins, but so we 00:13:17.23\00:13:20.96 could experience transformation through the power 00:13:20.96\00:13:24.70 of the Holy Spirit. Now that's power. 00:13:24.70\00:13:26.97 It's a kind of a power that many people have never experienced. 00:13:26.97\00:13:31.31 It's the sort of power that far too many people 00:13:31.31\00:13:34.51 can't even imagine. Jesus, through the Holy Spirit 00:13:34.51\00:13:38.48 accomplishes this work in the lives of those 00:13:38.48\00:13:41.02 who believe in him and when this work is done, 00:13:41.02\00:13:44.75 we'll see the type of mass conversion that was experienced 00:13:44.75\00:13:48.09 at Pentecost. Peter made it clear in the Book 00:13:48.09\00:13:51.13 of Acts that powerful witnessing is given to those who have 00:13:51.13\00:13:55.23 received the Holy Spirit for obedience and we are 00:13:55.23\00:13:59.30 his witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Ghost whom 00:13:59.30\00:14:03.41 God hath given to them that obey him. 00:14:03.41\00:14:06.68 It's a liberating Biblical truth that when God gives 00:14:06.68\00:14:10.28 the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God brings 00:14:10.28\00:14:13.85 transformational power into the life of a believer. 00:14:13.85\00:14:18.59 I'll be back with more in just a moment. 00:14:18.59\00:14:21.52 The disciples grew up learning about their Father, 00:14:21.79\00:14:24.59 God. One day, they met His Son, 00:14:24.59\00:14:27.40 Jesus, and their lives were changed forever. 00:14:27.40\00:14:31.17 After Jesus' death and resurrection, He instructed them 00:14:31.17\00:14:33.64 to wait for a gift--the gift of the Holy Spirit. 00:14:33.64\00:14:37.94 They did! And history was forever altered. 00:14:37.94\00:14:41.84 Now you and I need this gift too, today! 00:14:41.84\00:14:45.38 But how do we take hold of it? To learn more, request your FREE 00:14:45.38\00:14:49.08 copy of the booklet, "The Gift of the Spirit." 00:14:49.08\00:14:52.69 Simply call is (800) 253-3000. If the line is busy, please try 00:14:52.69\00:14:57.83 again, or write to: It Is Written, P.O. Box 6, 00:14:57.83\00:15:02.30 Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401. 00:15:02.30\00:15:06.03 We'll mail a free copy to your home in North America. 00:15:06.03\00:15:08.80 That toll-free number again is, (800) 253-3000, and our website 00:15:08.80\00:15:14.24 address is ItIsWritten.com. 00:15:14.24\00:15:18.78 [Music] Every Word is a one minute 00:15:20.08\00:15:22.02 Bible-based daily devotional presented by pastor 00:15:22.02\00:15:24.79 John Bradshaw and designed especially for busy people 00:15:24.79\00:15:27.69 like you. Look for Every Word on selected 00:15:27.69\00:15:30.73 networks or watch it on-line everyday on our website, 00:15:30.73\00:15:33.93 itiswritten.com. [Music] 00:15:33.93\00:15:41.04 In the 1960s the Rolling Stones sang that "you can't always get 00:15:44.97\00:15:48.44 what you want". Perhaps they should have sang 00:15:48.44\00:15:50.75 that you shouldn't always get what you want. 00:15:50.75\00:15:53.21 Israel wanted to be like the other nations and have a king. 00:15:53.21\00:15:56.02 1 Samuel 8:22, "The Lord said to Samuel, "Heed their voice, and 00:15:56.02\00:16:00.56 make them a king." Sometimes God allows us to have 00:16:00.56\00:16:04.23 what we want even when it isn't in our best interest. 00:16:04.23\00:16:06.83 Which means that getting what you want is not necessarily 00:16:06.83\00:16:09.10 evidence of the blessing of God. For Israel a monarchy turned out 00:16:09.10\00:16:12.87 to be an absolute curse - such was the succession of 00:16:12.87\00:16:16.24 corrupt kings. It's right to ask God for what 00:16:16.24\00:16:19.21 you want, but what do you do? Be sure you pray for God's 00:16:19.21\00:16:23.11 will to be done. If you listen when you pray, 00:16:23.11\00:16:25.81 you'll hear God telling you what He thinks is best. 00:16:25.81\00:16:28.72 And if you pray for THAT - you can't possibly go wrong. 00:16:28.72\00:16:31.99 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. 00:16:31.99\00:16:34.32 Let's live today by Every Word. 00:16:34.32\00:16:36.99 Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written. 00:16:39.53\00:16:41.76 Today, the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:16:41.76\00:16:44.87 I'd like to take a moment to consider with you 00:16:44.87\00:16:46.94 what the Holy Spirit did in the lives of Jesus' 00:16:46.94\00:16:50.67 disciples. It's a remarkable story. 00:16:50.67\00:16:53.71 This once motley band of tax collectors and fishermen 00:16:53.71\00:16:58.41 and malcontents, many of them from less than savory 00:16:58.41\00:17:02.15 backgrounds, they gather together in a small room 00:17:02.15\00:17:05.59 up above Jerusalem's crowded streets. 00:17:05.59\00:17:08.72 Just a few days have passed since their Lord 00:17:08.72\00:17:11.19 was taken to heaven. Just a few weeks have passed 00:17:11.19\00:17:14.73 since they were in that same place eating with Jesus 00:17:14.73\00:17:18.13 just before he died. But what a difference those few 00:17:18.13\00:17:22.54 weeks have made. What a difference between those 00:17:22.54\00:17:25.34 who are leaders now and those who wanted to be leaders then. 00:17:25.34\00:17:30.48 Now 11 of the 12 looked just the same as they looked those 00:17:30.48\00:17:33.92 few weeks ago but their joy and their tone and their spirit 00:17:33.92\00:17:40.09 are radically different. The strife for position, 00:17:40.09\00:17:44.23 the craving for authority and revenge and the suspicion 00:17:44.23\00:17:47.96 of each other's motives are all gone. 00:17:47.96\00:17:51.33 In the place of discontent and power grabbing, 00:17:51.33\00:17:54.27 there is heartfelt confession of sin. 00:17:54.27\00:17:57.07 Songs of praise and testimonies of deliverance are now heard. 00:17:57.07\00:18:02.21 You see, the prayer of their master for their 00:18:02.21\00:18:04.61 sanctification has been answered and what could have done this? 00:18:04.61\00:18:09.88 What could have brought about this kind of change 00:18:09.88\00:18:12.32 in transformation of the disciples lives? 00:18:12.32\00:18:14.89 Just one thing: The power of the Holy Spirit. 00:18:14.89\00:18:18.63 Acts 2:2 says, "and suddenly there came a sound from heaven 00:18:18.63\00:18:23.33 as of a rushing, mighty wind and it filled all the house 00:18:23.33\00:18:27.24 where they were sitting. And we know the rest 00:18:27.24\00:18:30.07 of the story. Apart from the bodily 00:18:30.07\00:18:32.07 resurrection of Jesus, what happens next is the most 00:18:32.07\00:18:35.51 glorious narrative in the history of the Christian church. 00:18:35.51\00:18:39.58 Thousands were converted in a day. 00:18:39.58\00:18:42.28 Miracles were wrought. Generous gifts were brought 00:18:42.28\00:18:44.95 into the treasury. The needs of the less fortunate 00:18:44.95\00:18:47.86 were met. And the world has never been 00:18:47.86\00:18:51.69 the same since. [Music] 00:18:51.69\00:18:54.86 The Holy Spirit brings a revival into a person's life 00:19:17.72\00:19:21.66 that produces dramatic, radical change in that person's 00:19:21.66\00:19:26.46 thinking and even lifestyle. Yes, it can be difficult 00:19:26.46\00:19:30.77 for a human heart to give up or let go of long, 00:19:30.77\00:19:34.44 cherished sins and ideas. Old habits really do die hard. 00:19:34.44\00:19:38.64 But this is what the Holy Spirit can do in a person's life. 00:19:38.64\00:19:42.74 Now, it's good, very good, that the Holy Spirit produces 00:19:42.74\00:19:46.08 passionate worship and growing churches. 00:19:46.08\00:19:48.88 But even better is that the Holy Spirit focuses 00:19:48.88\00:19:53.02 the attention of a believer in Jesus onto the Word of God. 00:19:53.02\00:19:57.53 It brings conviction and victory and that is real power, 00:19:57.53\00:20:03.53 more powerful than the volcanoes of Costa Rica. 00:20:03.53\00:20:11.67 The Holy Spirit of the Bible takes robber, like John Bunyan, 00:20:11.67\00:20:15.88 and turns him into a passionate communicator 00:20:15.88\00:20:18.08 of the Redemption Story. The Holy Spirit takes a cruel 00:20:18.08\00:20:21.55 slave trader like John Newton and transforms him into 00:20:21.55\00:20:25.29 an advocate for human justice and the abolition 00:20:25.29\00:20:27.92 of the slave trade. Whenever a smoker is given 00:20:27.92\00:20:31.49 the power by God to break that habit, whenever an addict 00:20:31.49\00:20:35.90 is set free from whatever it is that binds him or her, 00:20:35.90\00:20:38.97 whenever a racist is given love for those he or she 00:20:38.97\00:20:43.61 used to despise, it's then that we see the power 00:20:43.61\00:20:47.44 of the Holy Spirit at work. The Bible isn't like so many 00:20:47.44\00:20:51.48 other ancient historical accounts. 00:20:51.48\00:20:53.42 The Bible tells us about the faults of some of 00:20:53.42\00:20:57.22 the heroes of the Bible. In fact, it tells us about some 00:20:57.22\00:21:00.42 of their most grievous mistakes. It talks about Moses and how 00:21:00.42\00:21:04.66 Moses, raised in privilege under the blessing of God, flew 00:21:04.66\00:21:09.00 into a rage and murdered a man. But then it talks about how God 00:21:09.00\00:21:14.24 lead Moses into Midian and how Moses submitted to the gentle 00:21:14.24\00:21:17.54 discipline of the Holy Spirit. God was then able to use this 00:21:17.54\00:21:20.81 great man of God to lead his people out of Egypt and on 00:21:20.81\00:21:25.25 towards the promised land. The Bible talks to us about 00:21:25.25\00:21:28.58 King David once called a man after God's own heart. 00:21:28.58\00:21:32.22 But this same David committed adultery and then murder. 00:21:32.22\00:21:35.52 But then, David was transformed by the Holy Spirit of God 00:21:35.52\00:21:41.60 and became the sort of man that God could use again. 00:21:41.60\00:21:45.50 And we read about the disciples of Jesus. 00:21:45.50\00:21:47.50 These men, with their faults, their tempers, their jealousy, 00:21:47.50\00:21:50.97 their rivalry, their desire for greatness. 00:21:50.97\00:21:54.74 But about how they were transformed by the Holy Spirit 00:21:54.74\00:21:58.41 and became champions for their master. 00:21:58.41\00:22:02.38 Most people associate volcanoes with the power to destroy. 00:22:02.38\00:22:06.22 But inherent in that destructive power is the power 00:22:06.22\00:22:10.83 to create anew. If you've seen volcanic soil, 00:22:10.83\00:22:15.23 they you know that volcanic soil is some of the richest soil 00:22:15.23\00:22:18.50 that you can possibly find. A lava flow devastates 00:22:18.50\00:22:23.10 everything in its path but out of that devastation 00:22:23.10\00:22:26.11 ultimately springs new life that grows lush and rich. 00:22:26.11\00:22:31.81 It's a great metaphor for the work of the Holy Spirit. 00:22:31.81\00:22:35.68 Just like a volcano consumes everything in its path, 00:22:35.68\00:22:39.02 just like a volcano will take the hardest rocks and turn 00:22:39.02\00:22:42.09 them into liquid, the Holy Spirit is able 00:22:42.09\00:22:44.96 to take our heart of stone and melt it and make it into 00:22:44.96\00:22:48.36 something that we could never make it ourselves. 00:22:48.36\00:22:52.23 And when the work of the volcano is done, 00:22:52.23\00:22:54.84 vegetation appears. When the work of the Holy Spirit 00:22:54.84\00:22:58.27 is done, where once it seemed bleak and devastated, 00:22:58.27\00:23:01.88 now there is new life. Now there is a new person made 00:23:01.88\00:23:06.28 through the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:23:06.28\00:23:09.85 You know, so many people come to the place in their lives 00:23:09.85\00:23:12.09 where they say, "after all I've done, after all of the mistakes 00:23:12.09\00:23:15.29 I've made, after all of the mess ups, how can God 00:23:15.29\00:23:19.86 even have any use for me now? 00:23:19.86\00:23:22.06 People look at their sins, very real sins. 00:23:22.06\00:23:24.40 They look at their mistakes, their egregious errors, the way 00:23:24.40\00:23:29.54 they have treated other people and the way they have let down 00:23:29.54\00:23:32.34 not only God, but those that they love. 00:23:32.34\00:23:36.08 And they say surely now, there is no hope for me. 00:23:36.08\00:23:40.45 Well, I want to tell you something. 00:23:40.45\00:23:42.45 There is hope because the Holy Spirit gives hope. 00:23:42.45\00:23:46.42 The Holy Spirit is the answer. What a sinner needs is power, 00:23:46.42\00:23:52.76 forgiving power and cleansing power. 00:23:52.76\00:23:55.80 And we receive that through the Holy Spirit. 00:23:55.80\00:23:58.33 And we receive the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. 00:23:58.33\00:24:02.10 In fact, Jesus said in Luke 11:12 - 00:24:02.10\00:24:04.74 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts 00:24:04.74\00:24:08.81 to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father 00:24:08.81\00:24:12.98 give the Holy Spirit to them that ask. 00:24:12.98\00:24:16.82 So all we need to do is ask. And elsewhere, Jesus said 00:24:16.82\00:24:21.79 "Ask and you shall receive. When we ask for the Holy Spirit 00:24:21.79\00:24:27.20 of God, we know the Holy Spirit is given. 00:24:27.20\00:24:29.93 And when the Spirit of God comes into our life, we become 00:24:29.93\00:24:33.20 the recipients of or the channels of the same 00:24:33.20\00:24:37.31 power that brought the world into existence. 00:24:37.31\00:24:40.61 Remember in the Psalms, "for He spake and it was done. 00:24:40.61\00:24:43.71 He commanded and it stood fast." The Holy Spirit brings into 00:24:43.71\00:24:47.75 your life creation power. In fact, in the case of a 00:24:47.75\00:24:51.52 sinner, re-creation power. You can experience 00:24:51.52\00:24:56.19 that power now. You can claim the promise 00:24:56.19\00:24:58.89 of the Holy Spirit of God as yours. 00:24:58.89\00:25:01.83 And know that because he has promised, God will give you 00:25:01.83\00:25:05.93 the Holy Spirit of God. Just like volcanoes around 00:25:05.93\00:25:11.31 the world, when they are unleashed, 00:25:11.31\00:25:13.64 they are unstoppable. The Holy Spirit brings 00:25:13.64\00:25:17.15 that same power but in an infinitely 00:25:17.15\00:25:19.35 greater measure. When the Holy Spirit 00:25:19.35\00:25:21.65 is unleashed in your life, you will experience truly 00:25:21.65\00:25:26.25 the power of God. 00:25:26.25\00:25:28.42 [Music] The gift of the Holy Spirit. 00:25:30.23\00:25:32.66 How do we take hold of it? To learn more, request your FREE 00:25:32.66\00:25:36.73 copy of the booklet, "The Gift of the Spirit." 00:25:36.73\00:25:40.00 Simply call (800) 253-3000. If the line is busy, 00:25:40.00\00:25:44.61 please try again, or write to: It Is Written, P.O. Box 6, 00:25:44.61\00:25:49.64 Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401, 00:25:49.64\00:25:53.28 and we'll mail a free copy to your home in North America. 00:25:53.28\00:25:56.18 It Is Written is a faith-based ministry and your support 00:25:56.18\00:25:59.82 makes it possible for us to share God's good news 00:25:59.82\00:26:02.29 with the world. Your tax-deductible gift can be 00:26:02.29\00:26:05.53 sent to the address on your screen, or through our website, 00:26:05.53\00:26:08.36 ItIsWritten.com. Thank you for your continued 00:26:08.36\00:26:11.70 prayerful support. Again our toll-free number is 00:26:11.70\00:26:15.00 1 (800) 253-3000 , and our web address is 00:26:15.00\00:26:19.04 ItIsWritten.com. 00:26:19.04\00:26:22.48 [music] I'd like to pray with you right 00:26:23.35\00:26:25.38 now and rather than asking God to give us his Holy Spirit, 00:26:25.38\00:26:29.78 let's thank him because he has given us the greatest 00:26:29.78\00:26:32.62 of all gifts. Let's pray. 00:26:32.62\00:26:35.56 Our father in heaven, I thank you today that you gave us 00:26:35.56\00:26:40.30 Jesus who lived, and died, and resurrected and is now in 00:26:40.30\00:26:46.17 heaven interceding in our behalf. 00:26:46.17\00:26:48.60 And I thank you that he is represented in this world by 00:26:48.60\00:26:51.91 the Holy Spirit. The transforming powerful, 00:26:51.91\00:26:56.61 enabling gracious Holy Spirit of God. 00:26:56.61\00:27:01.32 Thank you for giving us this gift, for forgiving us, 00:27:01.32\00:27:04.52 cleansing us and keeping us through the great power 00:27:04.52\00:27:10.86 of the Holy Spirit of God. We thank you today. 00:27:10.86\00:27:14.86 We claim that promise you have promised to give so we claim 00:27:14.86\00:27:18.10 that promise. We pray in Jesus' name, amen. 00:27:18.10\00:27:24.04 From the Aranal volcano in Costa Rica, thanks for joining 00:27:42.22\00:27:46.80 me today. I look forward to seeing you 00:27:46.80\00:27:48.66 again next time. Until then, 00:27:48.66\00:27:50.53 remember it is written, man shall not live by bread 00:27:50.53\00:27:54.10 alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth 00:27:54.10\00:27:58.04 of God. 00:27:58.04\00:28:00.58