(written one year ago; Shared at Hope City centre)
Good day church, how you all? As introduced, my name is Logan, I’m from Caleb 1. Today I want to share with you, on how baptism of the Holy Spirit has empowered me to step out of my boundaries and how it has transformed my life.
Before receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I was a very timid person, I was joyless and I was very powerless when it came to making decisions in my life.
My story starts 6 years before this. Picture a family, closely knitted together, going to church every Sunday, wearing our best attire. And in school the kids would take part in athletics team, they had good grades and scholarships to private schools. This was my family. I was very confident in myself and my abilities, I wasn't lacking anything.
Then a turn of events took place, my mother had cancer and there was no cure for it. The cancer had spread throughout the body by now, she was operated upon but it failed. My mother past away. My world was shattered. My mother meant a lot to me and she was now gone. She was my source of encouragement and a rock that I can depend upon. From that moment, my life started to crumble. This was when I left God and began to rely on my self. It was difficult years ahead, strings of events transpired and the result was I lost confidence in others and eventually myself, I lost hope. My own abilities weren't enough to survive.
As I came to this church, I began reading the 24 lessons and taking part in CDS classes. One of them was on baptism of the Holy Spirit. Initially I thought I couldn't receive the Holy Spirit because I thought the HS only came out on Pentecost day as was a fireball. But from my readings, my understanding and amazement on what the Holy Spirit can do increased. I read the Holy Spirit can do this, really? It does that, wow. Then seeing brothers and sisters in church being led by the spirit, I said to myself, I want some of that. The following Sunday, my care group was praying for another member to receive the holy spirit and I happened to be standing around, so I was called to the group, and hands were laid upon me and prayed for. I was filled with the HS that day and begun speaking in tongues. I believe it is not an accident that I was there, but that my God wants to give me this precious gift that I can know Him better.
As I continue to use my new gift until this day, I can see one of the signs that the holy spirit is working within me, is when he began to restore my life, my emotions, my thought patterns, my character. From the gloomy days came joy, from my closed up heart to loving heart. He has revealed parts of his plans for me, giving me confidence to make decisions in my life that are in line with his plans. I believe I can not make these changes and decisions on my own, but from the power of the Holy Spirit. I still miss my mother, but now God is the rock that I hold onto.
I heard a great analogy recently, when the power of the Holy Spirit is activated in you, it's like the sport button in the new BMW series 5 pushed on. On the cruise mode, its ok, quite smooth ride, bit of bumps here and there but when the sport button is pushed, wow, it gives you the boost, the power and the confidence to do great things. It brings me out of my comfort zones and gives me the strength to overcome situations that I would have said no or stop at. For example, going on missions to share the gospel, I am not really a person who would walk up to a stranger and start talking. It’s quite frightening actually. Then the HS begun to nurture my talents and heart to function in church and outside, and at this moment to stand in front of the church to testify on empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
I want to share a verse to encourage you that the HS will empower you to great things for God. In Acts 1:8 "But you will receive the power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witness in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth"
I believe the filling of the Holy Spirit will propel me further in Gods ministry and in my life career in the future. As a leaving note, if you want something to change in your life, your situation, your character, your faith. And if you want the empowerment from the HS to do great things for God. Ask for the Holy Spirit to be filled in you. Ask and it will be given. Amen.
