Gabe’s humorous account of his embarrassing ordeal in a swimming race back at school in Zimbabwe, was a fitting example of the ghost stories that haunt us. The aim of his powerful message was to dispel the narrative that plays in our heads that we try to ignore. It’s those ghost stories from the past that come to mock us, expose us and fill us with shame and embarrassment, which are often destructive and not always so funny to remember. These memories that we can’t get over, that replay constantly in our thoughts come to haunt us, like ghosts, and keeps us from living in the reality of now.
In Acts 1:8 we hear of another ghost that is also life-changing. It is God’s Holy Ghost or Spirit who anoints us and gives us power. We receive this power as a gift, when He comes upon us or in us, with no terms and conditions attached.
This power comes to us for us for the following 2 reasons: –
1) Power to know Him
We receive power so we can know Jesus. Not just to know about God, but this power helps us to fully experience Him in a close relationship. We aren’t called just to believe in God but to have an intimate, fruitful connection and experience of Him. The phrases to ‘know’ or ‘acknowledge’ God in the Bible comes from the Hebrew word Yada, which means to know, see and experience Him. Without fully knowing God, we cannot be or do anything.
KNOW, BE, DO
Christianity is based on this order, unlike all other religions. John 14:15 is both an invitation and a command to love Jesus, know Him and obey Him. When you love someone, showing it is a natural byproduct. Loving someone enough to fully know them changes your desires and responses. God wants us to know Him, to seek Him, pursue Him and to love Him with all of our hearts – Not only to have a relationship with us, but in 1 Corinthians 2:9 we see that it gives us a pipeline to our inheritance as His child, His blessings and rewards from Heaven, NOW, and not just for when we die. Gabe reminded us of that famous story of the man who saved up for a trip to America on a boat, but then stayed in his cabin and ate crackers, not realising that the fare was an all-inclusive trip to all the food and benefits! Many Christians are living like that, missing out and settling for the vehicle of getting us to heaven, but without any of the power for the now.
2) Power to Show Him
Ephesians 1:19-20 tells us that the Dunamis (dynamite) Power of God is in us who believe. The same power that raised Jesus from death, is with us and in us, which gives us more authority in this City than the Mayor. We have the power like the Ghost Busters to help others rid themselves of their ghosts. We need to stop focusing on our weaknesses, and to step up with power and boldness to pray for others, trusting God for answering prayer and change lives, even in the greatest of strongholds. We have the power to change diagnoses and hearts when we take part in the Mission of God. Looking back at Covid, our greatest fear should not be death, but sin and hell and not knowing Jesus! Be reminded that we don’t play the fiddle when the Titanic is going down. We need to plunge into the waves of Mission, again and again, until everyone is saved. We must not miss the heartbeat of Jesus, which is to know God and show Him to others. John 20 finishes with the crucifixion of Jesus where the disciples cowered behind locked doors, but Jesus appeared to them like a Ghost. His last words to them were, Peace be with you, He is
Sending them and for them to Receive the Holy Spirit as a gift.
You receive the Holy Ghost’s power when you believe and love God. You cannot earn it or need to do anything to get it. It is like your cell phone that gets additional benefits when you upgrade the software. We have the power in us to do great things, but we need to rise up and lean into what God wants to do in and through us. We can walk in the power of God, with a new ghost story, as we rekindle the flame in our hearts to awaken and know God.