Sunday, 16th November 2014
Rev. Daniel Poon
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 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.” After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. (Acts 1:7-9)
Before Jesus left the earth, He gave us a gift – the Holy Spirit to help us continue His work. But how does the Holy Spirit help us? Rev Daniel shared with us that the Holy Spirit can help us to overcome: FEAR, DESIRE, HARDSHIP, LIMITATION and DEVIL’S AUTHORITY.
1. To Overcome Fear (Proverbs 24:10 & 2 Timothy 1:7)
Fear makes us miss out on important things. God does not want us to live in fear, instead, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). God has already given us the ability to solve the problems, what we do is not to walk the short-cut, but to face our fear, and see how God makes it so little for us!
2. To Overcome Desire (Romans 7:24,18b & Romans 8:1-2)
Desires bring our eyes away from God and into this world. How much time do we spend each day with God and with this world? We can all name some things that keep us busy instead of reading the Bible or praying. It says in the Book of Romans that even Apostle Paul had desires that he could not reject! We should not let our desires take control over us, but give our desires to God and let Him deal with it!
3. To Overcome Hardship
Jesus never promised an easy life, but the He sent Holy Spirit to help us go through each day. We need to work hard in order to receive fruits, and God can help us going through this process. Rev Daniel shared with us THREE ways how the Holy Spirit help us to overcome hardship:
a)Holy Spirit strengthens us (Ephesians 3:16) – God strengthens us from inside to outside, even our head might tell us to give us, God can always show us a way out!
b) Holy Spirit gives us Words – through the Bible, God will give us encouragement and guidance
c) Holy Spirit shows us Glory (Romans 8:18) – work with Holy Spirit, and we shall see God’s Glory with us wherever we go!
4. To Overcome Limitations
There are three main things that limit us from receiving God’s blessings: TRADITION, EXPERIENCE and LOGIC. All we have learnt, have experienced and have assumed will all fade away one day. Only God is the forever God, and in Him there is not limitations! So today, let go and let God; see what amazing things He can do that opens up a whole new world!
5. To Overcome Devil’s Authority (Acts 13:10-12)
This world belongs to the Devil, and we will always be tempted or tricked by the Devil, as long as we live on this earth. But the Holy Spirit can help us identifying these temptations, and making the right decisions each day. Yes, the Devil has authority over the world we live in, but God has also given His people the authority to overcome. So today, take God’s authority, proclaim His power and win the battle against the Devil of the world!