It seems that everybody wants power; and most will do anything they have to do to get it. The human spirit is powerful; a lot of people don’t know that. Not only is it powerful, but it is also eternal. We can accomplish a lot of things, on our own; we were made that way.

We can do a lot of good with what we have, or we can do a lot of damage with what we are. We can run over everyone we meet and take everything we can get from them; or, we can go out of our way to help as many people as we can and try to make a difference in this world. We were given that choice.

It depends on what kind of power, we are looking for. Some can be bought with money; another can be obtained from position or even inheritance. All kinds of power, was present and available, before those people sat to wait, in that upper room. But none of it, compared to the Holy Spirit of God; and it still doesn’t.

The realm of the Spirit, cannot be purchased with Earth’s coins; all of the silver and gold that is amassed, can’t buy even one whiff of it. People have tried to buy it; they did in the apostles time. I suspect, that there are those even today, that would do the same, if they possibly could.

Those in that upper room, had been promised power. Let’s remember, that some of those people, had already seen that power operate. Jesus had given them power to cast out devils and to heal the sick; they knew what could be done with it. But every person was promised, even us, that they would receive Power, after that the Holy Ghost came upon them.

I think we need to understand, they themselves, did not have that Power. It was the Holy Ghost who came upon them, that was the true source of what they had been given. The more Holy Ghost we have in us, the more power we have to use. You might say, the level of the Spirit, determines the outcome.

Paul wrote in one place, that He had lost everything, to get what He had. He told Timothy, to be a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel, according to the power of God.

It would never enter some of our minds, that the more afflictions we encounter for the sake of the gospel, the more powerful we would become. Many don’t want to know that so much of the suffering we go through, is to make us more powerful in the Spirit. The truth is, some of us do know that; we were taught many years ago, that if we truly wanted to reign with Him, we would have to suffer with Him. Our people, did not want to suffer. Oh, we did at first, but many fell by the way; it just cost too much.

God knows our heart. He chose some of us, a long time ago. He already knew, what we could take, and what we couldn’t.

Some of us, are holding on to promises that were made long before we even got here. If we think about it, it is going to take some Real power to stand against some things in this final day.

No half-spirited person, will be able to confront what is already rising up now. Suffering for the right reason, brings power; and it always did. Self-power, will not stand against the forces of darkness we see billowing around us today.

No one wants to be tried in the fire; that is a human reality. But God knew, there would be a host of His, that would, in the end, be glad they were.

The power of the Spirit, will have the last say.

Robert Blackburn