During the depression ... a man named Yates ...... owned a sheep ranch.
Mr. Yates wasn't able to make enough on his ranching operation to pay the principal and interest on the mortgage, ... so he was in danger ... of losing his property.
With little money for clothes or food, ... his family ... was barely able to survive.
Day after day, .... as he grazed his sheep over those rolling West Texas hills, ... he was no doubt greatly troubled .... about how he would pay ... the bills.
Then a seismographic crew from an oil company ...... came into the area ... and informed him ... there might be oil on his land.
They asked permission to drill a wildcat well, .... and he signed ... a lease contract.
At 1,115 feet they struck ... a huge oil reserve.
The first well ... came in at ... 80,000 barrels a day.
Many subsequent wells ... were more than twice ... as large.
In fact, ... 30 years after the discovery, .... a test of one of the wells .... showed it still had a potential flow of 125,000 barrels of oil a day.
And Mr. Yates owned it all.
The day he purchased the ranch land ... he had received all the oil and mineral rights.
Yet, he had been living on relief.
A multimillionaire living in poverty.
The problem?
He didn't know the oil was there ... even though he owned it.
He was not aware of ... the miracle .... that laid within ... his own property.
Many Christians live in spiritual poverty.
They do not know the wealth that lies within them.
The do not tap into the knowledge and gifts of the Holy Spirit; ... they ignore their birthright.
SOURCE: Untapped Spiritual Resources, by Greg Asimakoupoulos, Naperville, Illinois. Citation: Bill Bright, "How to Be Filled with the Spirit" (Campus Crusade publication)]
They ignore the Miracle within.
Many times ... people look upon God's handiwork ....... and only see the outside manifestations... "Never" ... the miracle ... that lays within.
Whether it is ... the miracle ... of the birth of a new baby ... or the miracle ... of the birth ... of a new Christian.
There are many ... who see only ... the outside framework ... and miss ... the miracle .... that lays within.
God's word tells us ... that something very exceptional ... lies within ... each Believing Christian.
When we obey Jesus ...... by repenting of our sins and being buried in Christian Baptism .... we have the promise ... that we shall receive... the "Gift of the Holy Spirit."
Dr. Luke informs us in Acts...... BIBLE "Repent ... and be baptized, ... every one of you, .... And you will receive ... the gift of the Holy Spirit." END (Acts 2:38)
The Gift ... that Miracle ...... that lays within .... our very being.
In fact, ... in Paul's letter to the Ephesians ... we are told ... that God's Holy Spirit ... is a mark ... of God's ownership .... of us.
Hear Paul's words: BIBLE "Having believed, ... you were marked in him ... with a seal, ... the promised Holy Spirit" END (Ephesians 1:13)
Now, ... There are those who believe ... that the Holy Spirit ... is some kind of inanimate object.
These people accept the idea ... that God's Holy Spirit can live within us, ...... but they do not think .... that the Spirit .... does very much.
Thus ... they miss out ... on the miracle ... of what the Holy Spirit can mean .... and give .... to each one of us.
Christ clearly states the importance of the Holy Spirit ... to each believer:
Hear our Lord's words to us: BIBLE "It is for your good ... that I am going away. ... Unless I go away, ... the Counselor ... (the Holy Spirit) ... will not come to you; ... but if I go, ... I will send him ... to you.... When he comes, ... he will convict the world of guilt ... in regard to sin." END (John 16:7)
Jesus is saying .... that when He left, .... He would send His Spirit in His place. ..... His power within us.
The Holy Spirit, ... The Miracle that lays Within, ... does many things:
He helps us to understand the deep things of God's Word.
He helps us in our prayers ...... guides us ... teaches us .... and empowers us ... for ministry ... with spiritual, ... supernatural gifts.
But perhaps the most intriguing thing the Holy Spirit was sent to do ... is implied in Acts 1:8.
BIBLE "But you will receive power ... when the Holy Spirit comes on you; ... and you will be my witnesses ... in Jerusalem, ... and in all Judea ... and Samaria, ... and to the ends ... of the earth." END (Acts 1:8)
Notice the text says .... First ... that they would receive the Holy Spirit ...... and Then ... they would be ... his witnesses.
The Holy Spirit came First ....... then witnessing.
Many of these people had been with Jesus ... through His entire ministry.
They had been disciples of our Lord, .... sat at His feet ...... absorbed His teachings ...... Gone out into the surrounding cities to proclaim the Good News.
That the Kingdom of God ... was at hand.
Yet ... Acts 1:8 implies ... that they would become witnesses .... after they received ... the Holy Spirit.
Why should they have to wait?
Why not just begin witnessing ... right then and there?
Well, ... they could have started... but they would have lacked the power ... to be an ... effective witness.
In other words, ... they could have started to witness without the Holy Spirit, ... but it would not have had ... the same power.
Have you ever felt frustrated ... in witnessing?
People do not seem ... to want to listen.
They politely put us off.
They have other things to do.
It can be Frustrating... extremely frustrating. (Pause)
And at times ... we probably feel ... it would be so much easier ... if we could be like Lucy ... in the old Peanuts cartoon:
Lucy says to Charlie Brown, "I would have made a great evangelist."
Charlie Brown answers, ... "Is that so?"
She says, ... "Yes, ... I convinced that boy in front of me in school ... that my religion ... is better than his religion."
Charlie Brown asked, ..."Well, how did you do that?"
Lucy answers, ... "I hit him over the head ... with my lunch box."
(SermonCentral.com. Contributed by: Jeff Strite.) (Pause)
Now that may be a tempting way to witness. ... But I'm sure not real successful.
I am convinced ... that part of our frustration in witnessing ... can come from not understanding the pivotal role that the Holy Spirit, ......That the Miracle Within, ......can play ... when sharing ... our faith.
Jesus said it this way BIBLE "It is for your good that I am going away.... Unless I go away, ... the Counselor ... will not come to you; ... but if I go, ... I will send him to you. ... When he comes, ... He will convict the world ... of guilt in regard to sin, ... and righteousness, ... and judgment" END (John 16:7-8)
One of the primary responsibilities of God's Spirit .... is Convicting people of their sin, ......of their need for righteousness ... and the reality ... of the impending judgment.
In other words, .... Beloved; ... you and I ... do not have to convict people .... with regard to salvation.
That is ... the Holy Spirit's job.
We are... to witnesses.
In a court room, ... there is a judge, ... a prosecutor, ... a defense attorney, ... a defendant, ... And witnesses.
A witness ... gives his or her testimony?
Do the witnesses prosecute the defendant? NO!
Do the witnesses convict the defendant? ... NO!
Witnesses .......... Witness... and they do their best ... to give honest ... and true testimony.
Why? ... Because they realize ... that the verdict ... may hinge ... on how well ... they witness.
But their only job ...... is to witness ... to testify.
Convicting People of their sins ...... of the need of righteousness ... and the closeness of judgment ... is the Holy Spirit's responsibility.
Not Ours... Hear me ... Not Ours............Praise God!
But that does not mean our testimony ... isn't important.
Without our testimony, ...... without our witness ....... the world would not know ... the Good News.
As it is written, "'How beautiful are the feet of them who ...... bring ... Good News!'"
Notice the implication here. ......Unless someone witnesses the Good News, ...... people cannot hear.
If they do not hear, ... they cannot believe....... if they do not believe ... they cannot call ....... And if they do not call ...... they will not ... be saved.
Our witness ......is part of ... the Good News.
This is of such value To God ... that He regards even the feet of those who witness ... as beautiful.
Paul realized how much he needed God's Spirit to be successful: BIBLE "I came to you in weakness and fear, ... and with much trembling. ... My message and my preaching ... were not with wise and persuasive words, ... but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, ... so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, ... but on God's power." END (1 Corinthians 2:3-5)
The Holy Spirit can help guide us ... He guides us to people we should meet with .... talk with.... And pray for.
The Holy Spirit can give us the opportunity to witness .... by word ... and by action. (Pause)
I recently read a story ... purported to be true.... though unproven ... about A missionary on furlough .... while visiting his home church.
True or a parable ... it speaks to yielding ourselves.... To The leading ... of the Holy Spirit.
The Missionary stated .... "While serving at a small field hospital in Africa, ... every two weeks ... I traveled by bicycle ... through the jungle ... to a nearby city ... for supplies.
It was a journey of two days ... and required camping overnight ... at the halfway point.
On one of these journeys, .... I planned to collect money from a bank, .... purchase medicine ...... as well as other needed supplies.
Upon arriving at the city, ... I saw two men fighting, ... and one ... was seriously injured.
I treated his injuries .... and told him about Jesus Christ.
I then traveled the two days, ... and arrived back at the missionary hospital ... without incident.
A few weeks later ... I repeated my journey.
When I arrived back at the city, ... I was approached by ... the young man ... I had treated.
He told me ... that he knew I carried money and medicines.
He said ... "Some friends and I followed you into the jungle, .... knowing you would camp overnight.
We planned to kill you ... and take your money ... and the drugs.
But just as we were about to jump your camp, .... we saw ... that you were surrounded by ... 26 armed guards!"
At this I laughed .... and told him ... that I certainly was all alone out in that jungle campsite that night.
But the young man pressed the point, saying, ... "No Sir, ... I was not the only person... to see the guards. My five friends also saw them, .... we all counted them.
It was because of those 26 armed guards ... that we were afraid ... and left you alone."
At this point in his message, .... a man in the audience jumped to his feet and interrupted the missionary ... and asked the exact day that incident happened.
The missionary told him .... and the man excitedly told This story:
"On the night of your incident in Africa, ... it was morning here, .... and I was preparing to play golf.
I was about to tee off ... when I felt the urge to pray for you.
In fact, ... the urging of the Holy Spirit was So Strong, ... I left the golf course and immediately ... and I called other men to meet me at the church ... to pray for you.
"If you were here with me that day to pray ... please stand up?"
The men who met together to pray ... stood up.
The missionary wasn't really concerned with who they were but he wept as he counted their number .... That's right.... there were 26! (SermonCentral.com. Contributed by: Richard Crow.) (Pause)
Are you in tune with the Holy Spirit?
Do you yield ...to his will?
Do you know His voice?
Do you act on it?
Prayer such A simple action ...... yet it made a difference ... as no Sunday sermon ... could ever do.
Are you willing to be an arm of comfort?
Are you ready to be that light ...in the darkness?
We need to die to self ... and be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
If you do, ... you will be a blessing ....and in turn ....be blessed.
Blessed ... to be a blessing!
Has the presence ... and the power of the Holy Spirit ... been absent in your life?
Do you need to be refreshed?
Are you ready to be refreshed?
If you allow the Holy Spirit to guide you, ... you will be filled with power, ... filled with boldness ... and be over comers.
Beloved .... Let us empty ourselves...... this day .... and be filled ... refreshed a new .... with the Holy Spirit ...... the Miracle .... Within.
Amen and Amen!
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