Read Acts 1:4-8
Do you sometimes feel inadequate to live the Christian life? Feel like you don’t measure up?
If you do, then you are where God wants you to be, because you have discovered a vital truth: No one has the power in him- or herself to live a holy life. But there is someone who can help us, when we feel this way,
—the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus gave His disciples the task of preaching the gospel to the entire world, they had absolutely no ability to carry it out. Remember 7 of the 12 disciples were fishermen who had no idea about teaching or preaching.
That’s why He told them to wait until the Holy Spirit came. In the same way, if we hope to accomplish what God desires in our life, we need to live with full dependence on the Holy Spirit.
When the Holy Spirits divine energy and authority is released in us, only then can we fulfill the mandate Jesus gave us in Matthew 28 verse 18-20. Only then will we have the strength power and wisdom we need to carry out our mission.
When the Holy Spirit lives in us we can trust him and not rely on our own strength. We may at times feel tired and stressed out, but knowing the Spirit is there to help us will brings us comfort and rest.
We may still face huge obstacles in our lives but we won’t face them alone.
When we do God’s work by His strength, in His way, and with His wisdom, we’ll be blessed no matter what goes on around us.
Walking in the Spirit doesn’t mean life will be easy—but we never have to walk through it alone, because our Helper is always with us.
The Holy Spirit gives strength and power to stand firm in trials and temptations.
Ephesians 3: 16-20
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Just like as the roots of a tree go deep in the earth and hold a tree steady in a storm, in the same way may the Holy Spirit fills you with God’s power and gives you the strength to stand firm in our Christian faith when trials and temptations come your way.
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ALLIANCE HISTORY AND THOUGHT
The Great West Mission
In 1920 under the leadership of Rev John H. Woodward, the Christian and Missionary Alliance, then based out of New York, felt an over whelming desire to begin the Gospel to western Canada. So with limited support the Bible school sent missionary students by train to Edmonton and Calgary. Once they arrived each student was given enough money to buy a horse, harness and a blanket. They were then sent out to specific areas to begin to bring the gospel, lodging and food was to be found en route. At the end of summer usually later September students returned to school with great stories but with limited success. The Alliance realize to reach such a vast area they would need to find a way to cover more territory in a quicker way. Thus the Alliance Gospel Car was created. More on this next week.
