Christ’s return in the Spirit at Pentecost transformed cowards into people of power with unshaken courage and unwearied love, like their Lord before them. We have only to think of the infant church, that group of poor and humble men and women gathered in the upper room, and think how it grew into a great tree, spreading its leaves into all the world for the healing of nations.

We remember all the heroes, saints, and martyrs from that day to this; men and women whose greatness of achievement would have been impossible unless our Lord lived in them in the power of his Spirit. And still the church, Jesus’ body in the world, lives on. It suffers persecution, but the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church and it becomes only stronger.

The story of Jesus the Christ and Acts of the Apostles was just the beginning of the Age of the Holy Spirit. Today new chapters are being written as people all over the world receive the Light of Life and his presence radiates through their lives. With the Spirit’s indwelling, miracles, signs, and wonders have not ceased. He continues to raise up all those of faith who are ready to do his will, and is just as eager to impart his power to us as he was through his apostles and all those early Christians.

God has given each one of us gifts that work with the Spirit’s power. To co-create with God is our destiny. Creative thinking is a way of life, no matter what our talents are. It is endless as God is endless!

Activate Your Gifts

With the Spirit’s anointing, believers can use all their gifts for those “greater works” which Jesus promised to his disciples at the Last Supper. Evangelists, pastors, teachers, artists, writers, and musicians with courage to speak out against evil will provide spiritual and moral leadership. Others will have ability to envision new things, the wisdom to offer intelligent counsel, insight into God’s Word, gifts of healing, miraculous power for great deeds, gifts and discernment of prophecies, power in prayer, and much more.

Let Christians proclaim the Gospel, and they enter a world where all things are changed by the Spirit’s power. Believers may find astonishing wisdom on their lips, or see doors fling open that others said could never be opened. They will find themselves doing things for the Lord they thought they could never do. They will see hard-hearted and rugged people weep before their words, and find themselves in the midst of miracle situations. A new glory fills their souls; they have entered into the highest calling!

Call to Action

We must take advantage of this remarkable time of human history in the Age of the Holy Spirit. Such a thing has never happened before this age, nor will it happen afterwards. This is a truly unique period in the plan of God, and you and I are privileged to be a part of it.

Peter and Paul set the standard of what miracles, and also what hardships, we can expect when moving in the Spirit’s power—and what great legacies we can leave to those who follow us.

I believe God is empowering a whole new generation for this end time. New talented leaders (young Peters and Pauls), filled with the Spirit and faith, will emerge from them to lead the church, ignite the fire of Pentecost and once again show forth the Light of Life to the darkened world. You may be one of those whom God has called who will carry the banner for the next generation. We all have the opportunity to participate in it.

Have the faith to think creatively and put your gifts into action. Access that power now—go and he will go with you! When you do, people will know Jesus by faith, the blind will see him, the deaf will hear his voice, the lame will walk with him, and all who are “born from above” will live with him forever. Nothing can be more wonderful than that!

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or peril, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus Our Lord.” —Apostle Paul