Power from On High

"..Power from on high"










It was about 6:30 a.m. yesterday when our power went out. I turned on my (battery powered) public service radio scanner and heard the county fire trucks dispatched to put out a brush fire near where we live. As I continued to listen, I heard them report that a power line was down and a transformer had blown. Apparently the 20 deg. temperatures had caused some sort of failure. In any event, our house was totally quiet. The heat pump/fan wasn’t running and there was no light except from our flashlights. Obviously no electrically powered device was working, including our well pump, so therefore we didn’t have any water either. I lit our gas logs and we kept the living room at 70 deg. Around 9:30 a.m. the power was restored, and things were back to normal.

I had been thinking about this topic for a while. This power outage motivated me to get going and write it. The topic concerns the analogy of the Holy Spirit compared to electrical power. Let’s look at the promise Jesus gave his disciples, just before He ascended back to heaven, concerning the coming of the Holy Spirit:

“I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49).

”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.”(Acts 1:8).

Let me begin the analogy here. The disciples had been with Jesus for a few years. They had seen him do many miracles. They had heard His teachings. They were now ready to become instruments of the propagation of the Gospel, and do God’s work on the earth. In an analogous fashion, they were like God’s appliances. They were ready to do God’s work, but the power had not come into them yet. Of course, the Holy Spirit did come, on the day we celebrate as Pentecost, and they were indeed given this divine power source, the Holy Spirit.

Today, this flow of power from the Holy Spirit manifests itself in different Christians by different ways. One believer has a mission, or gift, to do God’s work in one area, and others have different missions. However, they all receive their power from one source. Isn’t it true that a refrigerator has a different mission than a toaster? They both receive power from the same source though, don’t they?

Electrical power is essential for the devices in your home to work. Even the ones with batteries will only work a short time without being plugged in to the source. The Holy Spirit works very similarly in the life of the Christian. You might have some power on your own but you must remain plugged in to be powered for any length of time. Without power, your home appliance will eventually cease to accomplish what it was designed to do. The Christian who ceases to be filled with the Holy Spirit will respond in a similar way.

OK, so we can’t see this Holy Spirit. How do we know it exists? That’s an easy question to answer. Jesus answered it himself:

”The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8).

The Spirit can’t be seen with the eye, but you can see His manifestations in those who are Spirit-filled, so you know He is present. Just like you can’t see electricity but you know it is there. Even if you could not feel the shock of an electrical current in a wire, the power would still be detectable by what actions are performed by an electrical appliance, when it is powered. The manifestations of the Holy Spirit are clearly listed in Galatians 5:22-23.

The challenge for the Christian today is to stay plugged in to the power from on high, just as it was for the disciples who became Apostles of Jesus Christ. How do we do that? Daily prayer, Bible reading, and doing the Lord’s work as He leads will keep you “powered up”.

The really good news is that His power will never stop being available. As "His appliances" however, it is our choice to remain plugged in or not. What do you say,  we choose to plug in to this power from on high?


Of course, all of this applies to the Christian- one who has been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. That’s where it has to begin. You must first accept God’s free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ and then believe and live in Him. Then you will be “powered up” for eternity.

Blessings!
George