RUSHING MIGHTY WIND

RUSHING MIGHTY WIND

Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Recently, on a Sunday morning before church service, I was worshipping and praying in the Spirit listening to The Lord in preparation for the service. I felt the unmistakeable presence of The Lord come upon me and heard the distinct words, “like a rushing mighty wind”. That wind is what made the early church special, the supernatural element which is rare in today’s world of professional church. As church started and the glory of The Lord filled the house, I again began to reflect on those words,”like a rushing mighty wind”. As I began to preach that Sunday, The Lord also reminded me of another Sunday morning twenty years ago when that wind filled our congregation. We entered into a season of unprecedented power for us. Like Jesus said, you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. Here is something R. T. Kendall said about that power in his book Holy Fire.

“There came a demonstration of supernatural power—that which defied a natural explanation. Mind you, not a high level of faith was needed for what they heard, saw, and felt. It was heard by their ears, seen with their eyes, and felt in their bodies. Although Jesus said the kingdom of God would not be visible (meaning an earthly government), ironically the initial evidences of the Holy Spirit were physical! The first sensation was hearing. Suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a “mighty rushing wind.” The 120 disciples sitting (not standing, not kneeling) inside the house were given power to hear and see and feel what was unprecedented in Israel’s history. They looked at one another and saw “tongues of fire” resting upon each one’s head! It was a visible display of holy fire. This came with being “filled with the Holy Spirit.” They began to speak “in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1–4, ESV)…..I don’t believe they were prepared for this. They were enabled to do this as the Spirit gave them “utterance.” They didn’t work it up. The tongues on the Day of Pentecost were recognizable languages. The multitude that had gathered heard each one speaking “in his own language” (Acts 2:6).”

The power of God is shockingly real. I have been pinned to the floor by this power, given unusual ability to preach and prophesy, seen many physical healings, multiple deliverances from demonic activity, and felt and experienced various physical displays of a His power. The contemporary church is in great need of this power. Without it, our testimony is not that much different from the rest of the world. With His power, alcoholics and substance abusers are free, those driven and controlled by sexual sin are cleansed and made whole, those struggling with depression are helped; yep, we need the rushing mighty wind.