Holy Spirit Power Within You
Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. [John 15:5].
QUOTE: Few people during their lifetime come anywhere near exhausting the resources dwelling within them. There are deep wells of strength that are never used (Richard E. Byrd).
There is a power in each believer that most people hardly use or recognize. This power does not come from the world, from yourself, or from anyone, or anywhere else. The power is so great that it’s almost incomprehensible to fully understand.
NOTE: there are more details in podcast, this is just an outline
Think about this: if you are a believer, you have Jesus, God Almighty residing inside in YOU, and you also have the Holy Spirit. Every believer has been given everything needed to accomplish whatever it is that God has created us to do.
So, what stops us from being all that God created us to be? Look in the mirror, that beautiful human being is stopping YOU. We stop ourselves by repeating untrue statements such as: I’m no one special, I’m retired, I’m only supposed to be doing this, I couldn’t do that, I’m not pretty enough, I’m not smart enough, I’m too old, I’m blah, blah, blah. My dear girlfriends, those are lies that have seeped into your head and I’m sorry they are not from God, so guess where they are from?
I’d like to dig deeper into the Scriptures about the vine and the branches because these Scriptures will clearly show you the power that resides within you. I love these verses because it gives a great picture analogy of our lives with and without God.
It starts with the very first verse of John 15: Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches.
Jesus is talking about his relationship with the Father. A point to consider here is even Jesus was connected to the vine [God] for His power. As we go through these verses, think of yourself as the branch and recognize the importance of the connections of the branch [us] with the vine [Jesus]. Jesus is our ONLY connection to God’s power.
He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more [John 15:2].
I have found there is a honeymoon stage when you first become a believer. At first everything seems great and perfect, but if we let him/allow Him our gardener who is the Holy Spirit will start painfully pruning us. He will show us things that we need to change and tweak, so that the power can actually flow through us. He will literally have us cut things out of our lives and he will continue to prune us daily so that we become fruitful and more like him.
The problem is when we don’t allow the pruning then the power stops. Pruning is essential in gardening and is also essential for the Holy Spirit to be fully present in our lives. As painful as it is, we need to remember pruning produces better and more bountiful fruit.
As in the main Scripture mentioned above, if we remain connected to the vine, we will live and bear fruit. If we cut ourselves off from the vine we will die and literally cannot do anything. This is the symbolism that shows us exactly where the power within us comes from, sorry it’s NOT from self. If we choose to stay connected to Jesus who is the vine every single day and not stray, we will have power, fruit, and life. If we think we can do better without Jesus as a lone branch and choose to cut ourselves from the vine, we need to remember what is clearly stated here: we can do nothing without him. Think about it these two questions: how can a branch survive without its vine and how can we do better without Jesus in our lives?
If we choose to remain with him, we will continue to have the Holy Spirit power within us. This goes back to how important our Holy Appointment is. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. Now, please note this isn’t a Burger King drive-through and you don’t get everything you ask for just because you are a believer. There is a bit more to this and remember to take Scripture in its full context and not just pick and choose what is warm and fuzzy based on your personal wants and desires!
When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. [John 15:8]
Everyone has been called in different ways to bear fruit. Bearing fruit means using the gifts and talents that God has given us and using His power to serve Him and others to our fullest potential. Personally, I think if we are not doing that, we are not within his will, and this will bring frustration, depression, disappointment, boredom and a myriad of other non-stellar things.
HOLY SPIRIT POWER WITHIN YOU: We were created to fulfill a God given vision and a divine purpose. The source of power to accomplish this or anything comes from the Holy Spirit. Please note this is a daily lifelong process, so don’t think you are going to be wonder woman overnight, sorry not happening!!
So once again give yourself grace when you stumble, reconnect to that power, and keep on keeping on. Oh, I want to add one more verse to wrap this up: Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit [Ephesians 5:18]
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DAILY ACTION STEP
Say to yourself out loud
I AM WHO GOD SAYS I AM
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FRIENDLY REMINDER: Take out your journal and write down your thoughts, takeaways, and progress for this week!
TAKEAWAY GEMS
- If we choose to cut ourselves off from God, we will lose all power.
- Stay connected to Jesus and we will have the power to do what we are called to do.
- We have incredible Holy Spirit power within us (You Are Who God Says You Are).
- By staying close to God, the fruit of the Holy Spirit shows up in our life.
- Without God we can do nothing; that pretty much sums up everything!
QUESTIONS TO THINK ON
- Is there a specific action you can take to stay connected to this power?
- Are there some things you are doing to cut off the power?
- What are some “pruning seasons” you have had that caused you to change?
ACTION STEP POWER LIST: list out all of your wonderful skills, gifts, and talents that you have been given to serve others with. There should be at least twenty to twenty-five things on your list!!! 😊
DAILY SCRIPTURES
DAY 1: Each time he said, my grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. [2 Corinthians 12:9]
DAY 2: We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. [2 Corinthians 4:7]
DAY 3: Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. [Ephesians 3:20]
DAY 4: I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. [John 15:1-4]
DAY 5: Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. [John 15:5-8]
DAY 6: You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other. [John 15:16-17]
DAY 7: Jesus looked at them intently and said, humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible. [Matthew 19:26]