Luke 24:49 (The Message) What comes next is very important: I am sending what my Father promised to you so stay here in the city until He arrives, until you’re equipped with power from on high.
From fireworks in the sky, to powerful stage performances, to powerful people in the business arena, humanity is fascinated with power. But the kind of power that Jesus directed His disciples toward was something altogether different. They were not to begin preaching, teaching, or spreading the word about Jesus until they had received Holy Spirit empowerment. God’s work must be done God’s way with God’s enablement. Even at our best, human ingenuity is inadequate for effecting the kind of transformation that only the Holy Spirit provides (see Luke 4:18). We can engage our talents and gifts and be moved with compassion for the lost, forgotten, and disenfranchised peoples of the world; but only Christ’s power can set people free from sin, bring wholeness and healing, and adjust their trajectory toward Heaven. Invite the Holy Spirit to empower you daily. “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit” says the Lord (Zech. 4:6).