Chapter 3
Using what you have
So you know that the Lord has called you to serve Him. You know He has anointed you. But you want to know where to start in your ministry and how to see that anointing grow. You may wonder why not everyone who is indwelt by the same Holy Spirit see amazing things happening in their lives.
The points I am going to make in this chapter are so simple that you will wonder why you have been wasting your time up until now. The Bible says in Acts 10:38: ... God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power and he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil because God was with him.
God anointed Jesus Christ of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and power. Now let me ask you: have you been baptized with the Holy Spirit? If so, is the Holy Spirit that you received the same Holy Spirit that the Lord Jesus received?
What happened after God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power? Did He just put His feet up and sip a cool drink in an air-conditioned room from that day onwards? No! Pay close attention to what we are told Jesus did after being anointed. The answer lies in verse 38:
"He went around doing good."
It is wonderful to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost but the important thing is what you do next! So many of us were filled with the Holy Spirit years ago, spoke in tongues, had goosebumps, clapped and danced for joy ... then did nothing!
There is a Biblical principle here which is a very bitter pill to swallow. Use what you have, otherwise you will lose what you have.
Are you one of those people who have what I call "white horse syndrome"? You are waiting for Jesus to come to you in person on a white horse and tell you to go and preach the gospel. "When I see and hear that, then I Will go and preach. I've been waiting for 15 years, but nothing has happened yet," you complain.
My friend, I can guarantee that if you haven't started doing what is already written for you in the Word of God, you won't do it even if God comes and "zaps" you personally.
If you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ and received the Holy Spirit a long time ago, but have done nothing about it, that's the reason why you don't see miracles happening in your life.
In the Bible story of the prophet Elijah, we are told that his assistant Elisha, knew the day had come for Elijah to go to heaven and so he followed him. (2 Kings 2:2-6)
Elijah said to Elisha: "Stay here; the LORD had sent me to Bethel." But Elisha said: "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you". So they both went down to Bethel... Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; Elisha, the LORD has sent me to Jericho." And he replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you". So they went to Jericho... Then Elijah said to him "Stay here, the LORD has sent me to Jordan." And he replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So the two of them walked on.
The chapter goes on to tell how Elijah rolled up his cloak and struck the water of the river Jordan with it. The water parted, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. Then the Jordan closed again. Finally Elijah asked Elisha:
" Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?" "Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit," Elisha replied. "You have asked a difficult thing," Elijah said, "yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours -otherwise not." As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel." And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart. He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. (2 Kings 2:9-13.)
Notice that Elisha didn't then go and sit on the bank of the Jordan wailing loudly: "Oh! You have gone and left me like an orphan! Now who's going to part the Jordan for me? Oh God, send Gabriel! Send Michael! Send some angel and let them part the Jordan for me. I don't have a boat. My master left me and went away without a thought as to how I was supposed to cross back over the river. Oh God, please come dow
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