I started preaching as a boy aged 13, nothing happened, nobody repented – and my father said, “You NEED the Holy Spirit.” When I received the Holy Spirit, it transformed me! I became a preacher and an evangelist in the school where I was. I told the boys the truth, that without Christ you go to hell. That there’s only one way into Heaven – through Jesus. Jesus said you must be born again. There’s no other way! Saved by the Power of the Blood! That’s the truth. Good works don’t save you, being ‘good’ doesn’t save you. We’re not born ‘good’. The Bible says ALL have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. Repent and be baptised in the Name of Jesus – that’s the Gospel I preach, that’s the way into the Kingdom. Two of the boys in my class went on to become preachers. I hadn’t been to Bible College – but I had received the Power of the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel!

In the synagogue in Capernaum, v33, there was a man with an unclean spirit, a devil, which cried out, “You are Jesus of Nazareth! Have You come to destroy us? I know You are the Holy One of God!” (Even devils know who Jesus is – even though the people in Nazareth didn’t know or recognise Him for who He really is.) Jesus commands the evil spirit to come out of the man, and the devil came out of him and hurt him not. The people in Capernaum were amazed, “What Word is this, for with Authority and Power He commands unclean spirits and they come out!”

Jesus left the synagogue and went to Peter’s house where He healed Peter’s mother-in-law. By the end of the day the people who’d been in the synagogue brought all their sick family and friends to Him and He laid hands on every one of them and ALL were healed.

I want you to understand that when we have the Anointing and Power of the Holy Spirit, when the Spirit of the Lord is on us, we have Authority. The reason I was able to do all those crazy things in the former Soviet Union under communism is because I have Authority – from the Holy Spirit! Even the hardened communists, my biggest opponents recognised the Authority that I had. We are Christ’s Ambassadors; in His Name we have ALL the Authority of HIS Kingdom through the Power of the Holy Spirit. Use it!

God takes the reluctant hero and commands HIM to do the impossible! This experience Moses had with God was so powerful, he could not refuse to obey! If only our encounters with God were as powerful and life-changing as this man’s was! BUT after God commanded Moses, He warned him that Pharaoh would NOT listen to him and would NOT release Israel! What a shock! The only preparation for Moses was that he had met with God in the fire. Now he has a job he doesn’t want – and God says, Pharaoh will NOT do what you ask! God actually says, I will MAKE him refuse you! This is an amazing story – it changed my life! And it can change YOUR life!

The only qualifications Moses had were the fire and the command of God! And with those two things the whole life of Moses – and the nation – were transformed!

In Nazareth, v22, the people were intrigued by Jesus, but they knew Him, he grew up in there, with them. Isn’t this Joseph’s son? And they became so indignant, they tried to throw Him off the cliff on which the town was built! But of course, He passed through the midst of them and carried on His way down to Capernaum, v32, where again, they were intrigued and astonished at His doctrine – BECAUSE HIS WORD WAS WITH POWER!

There was an evidence of Power in His ministry! In Nazareth they rejected Him, yes, but He came into Galilee ‘in the Power of the Spirit’. He read from Isaiah, saying, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me because He has anointed Me!” Thank God for the Anointing and thank God for the Power of the Holy Spirit! If you want to be effective in ministry – I want to encourage you – you NEED the Anointing and Power of the Spirit!

I started preaching as a boy aged 13, nothing happened, nobody repented – and my father said, “You NEED the Holy Spirit.” When I received the Holy Spirit, it transformed me! I became a preacher and an evangelist in the school where I was. I told the boys the truth, that without Christ you go to hell. That there’s only one way into Heaven – through Jesus. Jesus said you must be born again. There’s no other way! Saved by the Power of the Blood! That’s the truth. Good works don’t save you, being ‘good’ doesn’t save you. We’re not born ‘good’. The Bible says ALL have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. Repent and be baptised in the Name of Jesus – that’s the Gospel I preach, that’s the way into the Kingdom. Two of the boys in my class went on to become preachers. I hadn’t been to Bible College – but I had received the Power of the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel!