Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001275
00:01 [Ominous Music ] [explosion sound]
00:06 They call them nature's mightiest forces. 00:12 Powerful, violent, beautiful. 00:15 [loud rushing wind sound] From Vesuvius to Krakatoa, 00:22 from Mt. Pelee in Martinique in the Caribbean 00:27 to Mt. St. Helens, these maverick mountains 00:31 have altered the shape of the earth. 00:34 They have made a mockery of human achievement 00:37 and they have disrupted, without warning, the predictable 00:41 patterns of normal life. 00:44 [Ominous Music] Perhaps the 1883 eruption 00:52 of Krakatoa, a small, volcanic island in Indonesia, 00:56 between Java and Sumatra, is the most famous 00:59 of them all. 01:00 Or perhaps that's Mt. Vesuvius and its destruction of the roman 01:05 city of Pompeii in the year 79 AD. 01:08 The force of Krakatoa's eruption is estimated to have equaled 01:13 that of 30 hydrogen bombs. 01:16 The explosion was heard 3,000 miles away 01:20 in Madagascar. 01:22 Tidal waves over 100 feet tall devastated nearby islands 01:26 and raced thousands of miles across neighboring oceans. 01:30 Islands more than 100 miles away were hit by fiery boulders 01:35 weighing 50 pounds or more. 01:38 The cloud of ash deposited by the eruption in the earth's 01:41 atmosphere was seen in cities throughout the world 01:46 and did not disappear for many months. 01:53 [Ominous Music] Human devices of various sorts 01:59 have at times been found capable of stopping or at least slowing 02:03 the forces of nature. 02:06 Man-made levies can at times stall or mitigate the impact 02:09 of floods. 02:11 Sea walls can blunt the impact of a Tsunami. 02:14 Storm shelters can offer a measure of protection from 02:17 hurricanes or tornadoes. 02:20 But nothing has ever been found capable of stopping a lava flow 02:25 or impeding an ash cloud from a volcano. 02:28 In places like Hawaii, even military bombs 02:32 have been used to halt or redirect the flow of magma 02:35 during a volcanic eruption, but to no avail. 02:41 I am in Costa Rica, a Central American country 02:43 with a population of more than 4 million, wedged between 02:47 Nicaragua and Panama. 02:49 Costa Rica is beautiful. 02:51 It is known for its rain forests and its amazing biodiversity. 02:56 Costa Rica draws bird watchers from all over the world. 03:00 Even though Costa Rica is smaller than West Virginia, 03:03 it has more bird species than the United States 03:06 and Canada combined. 03:08 But Costa Rica sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire. 03:12 The area circling the Pacific Ocean characterized by seismic 03:16 activity and volcanoes. 03:18 If you start in New Zealand and work your way up, 03:23 you will see that there is a continuous ring of volcanoes 03:26 that goes up from New Zealand to Papua New Guinea, 03:29 then on to Indonesia through the Philippines 03:32 to Japan, on to Russia and down from Alaska 03:37 through the West Coast of both Canada 03:39 and the United States and into Central America. 03:41 And the Volcano Express makes a stop right here in Costa Rica. 03:47 There are six volcanoes in Costa Rica which have erupted 03:51 in the last 70 years. 03:54 Poas Volcano National Park is only 30 miles from San Jose, 03:58 Costa Rica's capital. 03:59 It erupted just a few years ago and still gives evidence that it 04:05 can't be entirely trusted and anyone who has seen 04:08 a volcano erupt knows just how powerful these things can be. 04:13 The eruption of Mt. St. Helens in Washington State in 1981 04:18 was 1600 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped 04:24 on Hiroshima in WWII. 04:26 Fifty-seven people were killed. 04:28 Hundreds of square miles of land were devastated and the mountain 04:32 lost 1300 feet in height. 04:34 Now that's powerful. 04:38 But it isn't the most powerful force you'll ever 04:42 have to deal with. 04:43 There is something much more powerful than a volcano. 04:48 Perhaps there's no better illustration than a volcano 04:51 [volcano breathing and huffing] of the agenda-altering, 04:54 life-transforming impact [volcano spitting] 04:56 of the power of God's Holy Spirit. 05:00 Today we are going to consider the extent and the potential 05:05 of Holy Spirit power. 05:06 [Intro Music] 05:16 It has stood the test of time, God's book, the Bible, 05:25 still relevant in today's complex world. 05:34 It Is Written, sharing hope around the globe. 05:47 Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written. 05:49 I'm John Bradshaw and I am at the Aranal volcano, 05:52 one of Costa Rica's many volcanoes 05:55 and until recently, a very active volcano. 05:59 Very early in the Bible we read about the power 06:01 of the Holy Spirit. 06:03 In the creation story, Genesis 1:2, 06:06 the Bible says, "And the Spirit of the Lord moved upon the face 06:10 of the waters." 06:11 The Old Testament narrative talks often about 06:14 the Holy Spirit. 06:15 Samson, the strongest man who ever lived. 06:18 King Saul, Israel's first King. 06:20 Both of these men received the power of the Holy Spirit 06:24 at pivotal times in their lives. 06:28 David, who was rent with anguish over his sin with Bathsheba, 06:33 plead with God in Psalm 51. 06:35 This is what he said: "Cast me not away from thy presence 06:39 and take not thy Holy Spirit from me." 06:42 And here is what Isaiah quoted by Jesus of Nazareth in Luke 4: 06:47 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me 06:51 to preach good tidings unto the meek. 06:53 He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim 06:56 liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison 06:59 to them that are bound." 07:01 The Old Testament speaks not only about the existence 07:04 of the Holy Spirit, but also about the power 07:07 of the Holy Spirit. 07:09 So, it is rather remarkable that when we get over 07:12 to the New Testament, and we find Paul speaking 07:15 to certain believers at Ephesus, that he had this exchange. 07:19 He asked them whether they had received the Holy Spirit 07:22 and they responded to him in Acts 19:2 by saying, 07:26 "We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." 07:31 Incredibly, they had somehow missed this very important 07:34 biblical teaching. 07:36 Now when we look through the Bible, we discover that 07:39 the work of the Holy Spirit has at least four 07:42 distinct functions. 07:44 One is guiding into truth. 07:47 Jesus spoke of this in John 16:13, when he said 07:51 "howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth is coming, He will 07:55 guide you into all truth." 07:58 This means that in order for the Holy Spirit to change 08:01 us we must first see our true condition 08:05 and the Bible makes it clear that the Holy Spirit helps us 08:09 to understand our true condition through the law of God. 08:13 Paul said in Romans 3:20, "By the law 08:16 is the knowledge of sin." 08:18 And Galatians 3:24 says, "the law was our schoolmaster 08:23 to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. 08:28 The Spirit of God helps us to see what we are really like 08:31 in relation to the holiness of God. 08:35 Another work of the Holy Spirit is to bring conviction of sin 08:38 and righteousness. 08:41 Jesus was speaking in John 16:8 when he said that the Holy 08:45 Spirit would reprove the world of sin and of righteousness 08:50 and of judgment. 08:52 You see, it's not enough for us just to be convinced 08:55 of what is truth. 08:56 What God wants is for his people to be convicted of their 09:00 need to grow in the grace of God and that too 09:04 is the work of the Holy Spirit. 09:07 The Holy Spirit provide us with power for obedience. 09:11 Once we have accepted the conviction brought by 09:14 the Holy Spirit regarding the need for change 09:17 in our lives, the Holy Spirit gives us the ability 09:21 to obey God. 09:23 Now, the man with a drinking problem probably knows that he 09:26 has a drinking problem. 09:27 Knowledge is not his problem. 09:29 But, his problem is: Where does he find the strength, 09:33 the ability to be able to put down the bottle. 09:36 Most people who lose their temper know they 09:38 shouldn't lose their temper. 09:40 This is not a question of knowledge. 09:42 The question is how does one find the power to break 09:46 that cycle of frustration and eruption? 09:49 This is where the Holy Spirit's power comes in. 09:53 Now this is Paul, writing to the church in Rome, "For what 09:56 the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, 10:00 God, sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh 10:04 and for sin condemned sin in the flesh, that 10:08 the righteousness of the law might 10:10 be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, 10:14 but after the Spirit." 10:15 Romans 8:3, 4. 10:16 Paul says this later in the same chapter. 10:19 "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die. 10:23 But if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, 10:26 ye shall live." Romans 8:13. 10:29 I want you to notice this. 10:31 The Bible promises you that you don't need to stay stuck in 10:36 the sin that breaks your heart and causes guilt and shame 10:40 and causes pain to others. 10:43 God promises you the Holy Spirit so that the righteousness 10:47 of God can be fulfilled in your life. 10:51 It's through the Holy Spirit's power that the works 10:54 of the flesh are set aside. 10:57 Tragically, a lot of people go their entire lives without 11:01 learning this profound spiritual truth and that is 11:05 the Holy Spirit has the ability to give a person 11:08 the power over themselves. 11:11 I never how clear this came to me one day when a friend 11:14 of mine said, "John, I have learned that the Holy Spirit 11:18 is more powerful than self." 11:21 That realization absolutely changed that man's life. 11:25 You see, a person with a dirty mind might not realize 11:28 but the Holy Spirit has the ability to take that life 11:31 and remake that mind so that from this moment on, 11:35 it's habitually pure and clean. 11:39 Another work of the Holy Spirit is to give us power 11:42 for witnessing. 11:43 It is important for us to understand. 11:46 In fact, it is vital for us to understand 11:48 that the ability to share Jesus with others comes to us 11:52 through the Holy Spirit. 11:55 Now, this is what the Bible says in Acts 2:1. 11:58 It's the Jewish feast of Pentecost. 12:01 The Bible says, "And when the Day of Pentecost 12:04 was fully come, they (that's the believers) were all 12:07 with one accord in one place. 12:11 Jesus had prayed for this kind of unity among his followers 12:14 prior to his suffering and death. 12:17 In John 17, we read these words: "That they all may be one 12:23 as Thou Father art in me and I in Thee. 12:27 That they also may be one in us. 12:30 That the world may believe that Thou has sent me." 12:36 But notice something. 12:37 Before Jesus had prayed for unity, he said this. 12:42 "Sanctify them through thy truth. 12:44 Thy word is truth. 12:47 And for their sakes, I sanctify myself that they also might be 12:52 sanctified through the truth. 12:54 In other words, sanctification through God's word of truth 12:58 is necessary before true Christian unity 13:02 can take place. 13:03 You see, Jesus did not die simply so that we could be 13:06 forgiven of our sins, as important as that is. 13:10 In addition to forgiveness, Jesus died so that we 13:13 could be changed. 13:16 He didn't die so we could stay stuck in our sins, but so we 13:19 could experience transformation through the power 13:23 of the Holy Spirit. 13:24 Now that's power. 13:25 It's a kind of a power that many people have never experienced. 13:30 It's the sort of power that far too many people 13:33 can't even imagine. 13:35 Jesus, through the Holy Spirit accomplishes this work 13:38 in the lives of those who believe in him and when 13:42 this work is done, we'll see the type of mass 13:44 conversion that was experienced at Pentecost. 13:48 Peter made it clear in the Book of Acts that powerful witnessing 13:52 is given to those who have received the Holy Spirit 13:55 for obedience and we are his witnesses of these things 13:59 and so is the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them 14:03 that obey him. 14:05 It's a liberating Biblical truth that when God gives 14:09 the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God brings 14:12 transformational power into the life of a believer. 14:17 I'll be back with more in just a moment. 14:21 In Matthew 4:4 the Word of God says, "It is written, man shall 14:25 not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from 14:30 the mouth of God. 14:30 Every Word is a one minute Bible-based daily devotional 14:34 presented by pastor John Bradshaw and designed 14:38 especially for busy people like you. 14:39 Look for Every Word on selected networks or watch it on-line 14:43 everyday on our website, itiswritten.com. 14:47 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 14:49 Watch Every Word. 14:50 You'll be glad you did. 14:52 Here's a sample. 14:57 [Music] It's easy to trust God 15:04 when it's a nice warm day and all is well and you find 15:06 a parking place right where you want one and people 15:09 are smiling... 15:10 But when things are falling apart...? 15:12 Then it can be different. 15:13 What happens when a tornado not only destroys a town, 15:16 but it destroys YOUR town? 15:18 Or YOUR home? 15:19 Tragedy 'usually' strikes others. 15:21 What happens if it strikes you? 15:24 Even the children of the most faithful believers get cancer, 15:26 even faithful believers get Alzheimer's. 15:29 Job was faithful and he suffered terribly, but he was 15:32 able to say in Job 13:15, "Though He slay me, 15:37 yet will I trust Him." 15:38 There's the key. 15:39 There's no question God exists and that He is good and loving. 15:42 But we don't always understand what He permits, or why. 15:45 But if you can TRUST Him today, He'll get you through 15:48 life's dark times. 15:50 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. 15:52 Let's live today by Every Word. 15:55 It is written is dedicated to sharing the gospel 15:58 around the world. 15:59 To discover more about It Is Written, I invite you 16:02 to visit our website, itiswritten.com, 16:04 and browse the dozens of pages that describe what we do 16:08 and how we do it. 16:09 Let's get to know each other better. 16:11 Visit our website: itiswritten.com today. 16:16 Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written. 16:19 Today, the power of the Holy Spirit. 16:22 I'd like to take a moment to consider with you 16:24 what the Holy Spirit did in the lives of Jesus' 16:28 disciples. 16:29 It's a remarkable story. 16:31 This once motley band of tax collectors and fishermen 16:35 and malcontents, many of them from less than savory 16:39 backgrounds, they gather together in a small room 16:42 up above Jerusalem's crowded streets. 16:46 Just a few days have passed since their Lord 16:48 was taken to heaven. 16:50 Just a few weeks have passed since they were in that same 16:53 place eating with Jesus just before he died. 16:57 But what a difference those few weeks have made. 17:01 What a difference between those who are leaders now and those 17:05 who wanted to be leaders then. 17:07 Now 11 of the 12 looked just the same as they looked those 17:11 few weeks ago but their joy and their tone and their spirit 17:17 are radically different. 17:19 The strife for position, the craving for authority 17:23 and revenge and the suspicion of each other's motives 17:26 are all gone. 17:28 In the place of discontent and power grabbing, 17:31 there is heartfelt confession of sin. 17:34 Songs of praise and testimonies of deliverance are now heard. 17:39 You see, the prayer of their master for their 17:41 sanctification has been answered and what could have done this? 17:47 What could have brought about this kind of change 17:49 in transformation of the disciples lives? 17:52 Just one thing: The power of the Holy Spirit. 17:55 Acts 2:2 says, "and suddenly there came a sound from heaven 18:00 as of a rushing, mighty wind and it filled all the house 18:04 where they were sitting. 18:06 And we know the rest of the story. 18:08 Apart from the bodily resurrection of Jesus, 18:10 what happens next is the most glorious narrative in the 18:14 history of the Christian church. 18:16 Thousands were converted in a day. 18:19 Miracles were wrought. 18:21 Generous gifts were brought into the treasury. 18:23 The needs of the less fortunate were met. 18:26 And the world has never been the same since. 18:30 [Music] 18:55 The Holy Spirit brings a revival into a person's life 18:58 that produces dramatic, radical change in that person's 19:03 thinking and even lifestyle. 19:06 Yes, it can be difficult for a human heart 19:09 to give up or let go of long, cherished sins and ideas. 19:13 Old habits really do die hard. 19:15 But this is what the Holy Spirit can do in a person's life. 19:20 Now, it's good, very good, that the Holy Spirit produces 19:23 passionate worship and growing churches. 19:26 But even better is that the Holy Spirit focuses 19:30 the attention of a believer in Jesus onto the Word of God. 19:34 It brings conviction and victory and that is real power, 19:40 more powerful than the volcanoes of Costa Rica. 19:48 The Holy Spirit of the Bible takes robber, like John Bunyan, 19:53 and turns him into a passionate communicator 19:55 of the Redemption Story. 19:57 The Holy Spirit takes a cruel slave trader like John Newton 20:01 and transforms him into an advocate for human justice 20:04 and the abolition of the slave trade. 20:06 Whenever a smoker is given the power by God to break 20:11 that habit, whenever an addict is set free from whatever 20:14 it is that binds him or her, whenever a racist is given love 20:19 for those he or she used to despise, it's then 20:22 that we see the power of the Holy Spirit at work. 20:25 The Bible isn't like so many other ancient 20:29 historical accounts. 20:30 The Bible tells us about the faults of some of 20:34 the heroes of the Bible. 20:35 In fact, it tells us about some of their most grievous mistakes. 20:39 It talks about Moses and how Moses, raised in privilege 20:43 under the blessing of God, flew into a rage and murdered a man. 20:48 But then it talks about how God lead Moses into Midian and how 20:53 Moses submitted to the gentle discipline of the Holy Spirit. 20:56 God was then able to use this great man of God to lead his 20:59 people out of Egypt and on towards the promised land. 21:04 The Bible talks to us about King David once called a man 21:07 after God's own heart. 21:09 But this same David committed adultery and then murder. 21:12 But then, David was transformed by the Holy Spirit of God 21:18 and became the sort of man that God could use again. 21:22 And we read about the disciples of Jesus. 21:24 These men, with their faults, their tempers, their jealousy, 21:28 their rivalry, their desire for greatness. 21:31 But about how they were transformed by the Holy Spirit 21:35 and became champions for their master. 21:39 Most people associate volcanoes with the power to destroy. 21:43 But inherent in that destructive power is the power 21:47 to create anew. 21:50 If you've seen volcanic soil, they you know that volcanic soil 21:54 is some of the richest soil that you can possibly find. 21:57 A lava flow devastates everything in its path 22:01 but out of that devastation ultimately springs new life 22:05 that grows lush and rich. 22:08 It's a great metaphor for the work of the Holy Spirit. 22:12 Just like a volcano consumes everything in its path, 22:16 just like a volcano will take the hardest rocks and turn 22:19 them into liquid, the Holy Spirit is able 22:22 to take our heart of stone and melt it and make it into 22:25 something that we could never make it ourselves. 22:29 And when the work of the volcano is done, 22:31 vegetation appears. 22:33 When the work of the Holy Spirit is done, where once it seemed 22:37 bleak and devastated, now there is new life. 22:40 Now there is a new person made through the power 22:44 of the Holy Spirit. 22:46 You know, so many people come to the place in their lives 22:49 where they say, "after all I've done, after all of the mistakes 22:52 I've made, after all of the mess ups, how can God 22:56 even have any use for me now? 22:59 People look at their sins, very real sins. 23:01 They look at their mistakes, their egregious errors, the way 23:06 they have treated other people and the way they have let down 23:09 not only God, but those that they love. 23:13 And they say surely now, there is no hope for me. 23:17 Well, I want to tell you something. 23:19 There is hope because the Holy Spirit gives hope. 23:23 The Holy Spirit is the answer. 23:27 What a sinner needs is power, forgiving power and cleansing 23:31 power. 23:32 And we receive that through the Holy Spirit. 23:35 And we receive the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. 23:39 In fact, Jesus said in Luke 11:12 - 23:41 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts 23:45 to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father 23:49 give the Holy Spirit to them that ask. 23:53 So all we need to do is ask. 23:57 And elsewhere, Jesus said "Ask and you shall receive. 24:02 When we ask for the Holy Spirit of God, we know the Holy Spirit 24:05 is given. 24:06 And when the Spirit of God comes into our life, we become 24:10 the recipients of or the channels of the same 24:14 power that brought the world into existence. 24:17 Remember in the Psalms, "for He spake and it was done. 24:20 He commanded and it stood fast." 24:23 The Holy Spirit brings into your life creation power. 24:27 In fact, in the case of a sinner, re-creation power. 24:31 You can experience that power now. 24:34 You can claim the promise of the Holy Spirit of God 24:37 as yours. 24:38 And know that because he has promised, God will give you 24:42 the Holy Spirit of God. 24:45 Just like volcanoes around the world, when they 24:49 are unleashed, they are unstoppable. 24:52 The Holy Spirit brings that same power 24:55 but in an infinitely greater measure. 24:57 When the Holy Spirit is unleashed in your life, 25:01 you will experience truly the power of God. 25:07 Promises of Power is our free offer for today. 25:10 This book by Pastor John Bradshaw is a collection 25:13 of the most powerful promises found in the Bible. 25:17 Just call 1.800.253.3000 and ask for Promises of Power. 25:22 There's no cost or obligation. 25:24 It's absolutely free. 25:25 You can call 24 hours a day. 25:27 If the line is busy, please keep trying. 25:30 You may also request Promises of Power by writing to 25:33 It Is Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks, California 91359 25:38 and we will mail a copy to your address in North America. 25:42 Please note this free book is limited to the supply 25:44 on hand. 25:45 For immediate access, you can download a free electronic 25:49 version of the book Promises of Power from our website, 25:54 itiswritten.com. 25:55 It Is Written is a faith-based ministry made possible 25:57 by viewers like you. 25:59 If you wish to help the worldwide outreach of I 26:01 t Is Written, your tax deductible gift may be sent 26:04 to the same address or you can make a gift on-line 26:06 at itiswritten.com. 26:09 Thank you for your letters and your continued support. 26:11 Our toll-free number is 1.800.253.3000 and our web 26:17 address is itiswritten.com. 26:22 I'd like to pray with you right now and rather than asking God 26:25 to give us his Holy Spirit, let's thank him because he has 26:29 given us the greatest of all gifts. 26:32 Let's pray. 26:33 Our father in heaven, I thank you today that you gave us 26:39 Jesus who lived, and died, and resurrected and is now in 26:44 heaven interceding in our behalf. 26:46 And I thank you that he is represented in this world by 26:49 the Holy Spirit. 26:52 The transforming powerful, enabling gracious Holy Spirit 26:57 of God. 26:59 Thank you for giving us this gift, for forgiving us, 27:03 cleansing us and keeping us through the great power 27:09 of the Holy Spirit of God. 27:11 We thank you today. 27:13 We claim that promise you have promised to give so we claim 27:16 that promise. 27:18 We pray in Jesus' name, amen. 27:40 From the Aranal volcano in Costa Rica, thanks for joining 27:45 me today. 27:46 I look forward to seeing you again next time. 27:47 Until then, remember it is written, 27:49 man shall not live by bread alone but by every word 27:54 that proceeds from the mouth of God. |
Revised 2015-02-06