It Is Written

The Power of God

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: John Bradshaw

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Series Code: IIW

Program Code: IIW001345


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.
05:10 [Intro Music] It has stood the test of time,
05:21 God's book, the Bible,
05:26 still relevant in today's complex world.
05:31 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,
05:53 one of Costa Rica's many volcanoes
05:54 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.
09:06 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.
13:15 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
14:08 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.
14:56 [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?
15:17 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 suffed 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
17:04 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]
18:54 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.
25:16 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
26:03 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,
27:02 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.
27:17 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.


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Revised 2015-02-05