Christ Calls His Church to Power - by Jim Tharp

‘But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. And when they had entered, they went into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.’ (Acts 1:8-14)

The first chapter of the book of Acts is a call to the followers of Jesus to prepare for receiving the power of the Holy Spirit, which is to come upon those who will prepare for their baptism with the Holy Spirit. He wants them to know that it will be a time of waiting in prevailing prayer. Realizing their human weaknesses, Jesus instructs them that they are not to begin spreading His Gospel message until they are empowered to do so.

Jesus had been the perfect model for preparing His followers to spread His Gospel to the ends of the earth. John the Baptist introduced Jesus to the gathered crowds along the Jordan River, and at Jesus’ request, he baptized Him so that He could identify with sinners who were repenting and being baptized. Jesus Himself was filled with the Holy Spirit, even as He arose from the water. The Sinless Son of God, who had incarnately become the Son of Man, realized that He in His human role would need the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish His mission. John the Baptist had told the crowds: “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11)
   

Several symbols are used for the Holy Spirit throughout the Bible to help us understand what He wants to do in and for and through us as His witnesses. But no symbol is more striking than that of fire! Jesus said, “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Luke 12:49) Following His resurrection, He commanded His disciples and other followers to go back into Jerusalem and prepare for receiving the Holy Spirit. “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.” (Acts 2:1-6)
The first century believers were called upon to prevail in prayer for the fullness of the Holy Spirit to give birth to the church; certainly the twenty-first century church desperately needs to prevail in prayer for fresh fillings of the Holy Spirit to be revived. What the Apostle Paul warned of concerning the condition of the church in these last days calls for our special attention; so let us consider this prophecy as recorded in II Timothy 3:1-5: “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. . . .”

Over the last 30 years of my 74 years of ministry I have been convinced that, given the weakening of the American Church and the wickedness of our United States of America, we have only one hope of being prepared for the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And, our Bible makes it clear what that is. It is found in II Chronicles 7:14. God is calling: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

God is not counting on the politicians, educators, or social workers to bring America out of our spiritual darkness. He is calling on His people, who are called by His name—professing Christians. Millions of Christians throughout our 50 states are members of a church. It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit will give us an ear to hear His urgent call to awaken. We must allow Him to search our hearts, convict us of our sins, and give us a hunger for a meaningful prayer life and fellowship with Christ.

When we, His people, have been cleansed from sin and restored, it will be time to plead for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit of power. We can then pray to pass the greatest spiritual awakening that the church has ever known!

We have the promise that if we meet God’s conditions for revival, He will hear from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land! My prayer is that millions of professing Christians will have a miraculous awakening with the hunger to come out of their deadness, come alive in Christ, and begin pleading for a fresh filling of the Spirit. This could be the fiery baptism with the Holy Spirit that would revive the Church and reach the lost world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Please, my Christian brothers and sisters, pray with me that this will come to pass before it is too late!

Closing prayer: “Our Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name, I plead for millions of hungry Christian believers to cry out to You to make them strong with a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit to empower them for prayer and fasting to see the greatest spiritual awakening in all the history of Your Church! Help us realize that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but we come against the rulers of this present darkness. Help us put on the full armor of God and pray in the power of the Spirit. Please, Lord, get us back to the Upper Room to pray as victoriously as those 120 who prayed until the winds of the Spirit blew in the fire of Your glory that gave the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Please, give us an outpouring of the Holy Spirit at this late hour that will prepare both the church and the world for the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Note: All scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible.