THE HOLY GHOST THE EMPOWERMENT OF GODS PEOPLE

The Reverend Mary talks about the Holy Ghost and its empowerment for God's people. She emphasizes forgiveness and the need to forgive others as Jesus has forgiven us. She reflects on Jesus' time on earth and the power he possessed, and encourages believers to understand and embrace the power of the Holy Ghost within them. She mentions the disciples' lack of understanding and shares scriptures about the disciples receiving the Holy Ghost. She emphasizes the need for faith, prayer, and standing for righteousness. She concludes by reminding listeners that the same God who empowered the disciples is still with us today. Hello people of God. Hello folks. This is Reverend Mary coming to you in the holy name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior from Along The Way Ministries. Today I want to talk about the Holy Ghost, that all-consuming fire that has been sent down from God in heavenly places from his mighty throne to us. The Holy Ghost, the empowerment of God's people in Jesus' name. Father God, Lord thank you for not holding our sins against us on this day. Thank you for granting us a second chance. Thank you today for forgiveness. And Father God, may we learn to forgive others just as Jesus Christ has forgiven us prayerfully in Jesus' name. Okay folks, the empowerment of God's people, the all-consuming fire that we call the Holy Ghost. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord. Do you know that while Jesus was on earth, his people, his disciples, had nothing to fear? You know, despite the enemy's constant efforts to destroy human life, while Jesus walked among us, his fellow man, to the world, the earth as we know it, had to be a better place. Had to be. Just think about the people. Satan and his flunkies had to be shaken. They had to be shaken in their boots. You know, I can't imagine him not being afraid. Jesus Christ, the son of the living God, his divine perfect spirit walking the earth, living and breathing the very air that we breathe, casting out demons, giving sight to the blind, raising folks to life, praise the Lord, feeding the multitude, bringing hope to many. He forgives and he saves. Everywhere his feet touches, the ground was holy. Hmm. You know, as I think about this scripture, you know, talking about the disciples, when they got hungry, they went into that corn field and was eating corn. I bet you that was some of the best tasting corn they ever ate because Jesus was with them. That was wonderful. Can you imagine him walking past a garden and the garden started flourishing? Praise the Lord. I can see that. And if he touched it, oh my goodness, can you see that? But yet, you know, it took a while for the disciples to realize what they had and who Jesus is. Luke, the 19th chapter, the 9th, the 9th chapter says that Jesus sent messengers to Samaria to tell them to prepare for Jesus because he was on the way to the village of Samaritans. And, you know, they didn't receive him because Jesus was going to Jerusalem. And, you know, the Samaritans and the Jews, you know, they were supposed to be like archenemies, you know. And the Bible says that in the 5th, in the 51st verse to the 56th verse, and when his disciples James and John saw this, they said to the Lord, Will thou, will thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and destroy them, even as Elias did? But he turned and rebuked them and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are. All right, that's what we have to think of with these people. These people were empowered. They were walking with God. Oh my God, and God was instilling himself, manifesting himself all the time, all the while. He also, though, reminded them, the Son of Man, the Son of Man, excuse me, the Son of Man has not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. Well, after Jesus said that, they moved on. People of God, this is what I want you to understand, absorb this truth. Ye know not what manner of spirit you are. Folks, we're empowered. You are empowered. The Holy Ghost is your constant companion. God is always with you. Jesus made that perfectly clear in Jesus' name. You can call those things that are not, that do not exist, as though they are, praise the Lord, by faith. Faith, don't forget, faith is the key. You can set yourself free, stress free, worriation, bad health. Do not worry about these things that you have no control over. Give them to Jesus. He took all that evil treatment so that on this day, you can say, no weapon formed against me shall prosper because greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world. Hallelujah, praise God. By his stripes I am healed. Mind, body, soul, and spirit, do not hesitate to use your sword. It has the power to cut evil to pieces in the name of Jesus. How is this possible? Promises, people. Promises from God. Remember Jesus said, for the Son of Man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. We receive the Holy Ghost at the time we are saved. The holy water is a symbol of cleansing of the body. Go down into the water just like Jesus, praise the Lord. When you surrender to him, you are baptized in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Ghost has come without delay. Who can stop the mighty hand of God? Glory, hallelujah. There came a time, folks, when Jesus had that talk with his disciples about the coming of the Holy Ghost and his departing. He had to leave the world in order for the Holy Spirit to come. He had a hard time with his people seeing things, you know, seeing things as they should. But for them, that could not have been easy. They had grown accustomed to having the king of kings right by their side. But the world, the earth was about to encounter the greatest change that we would ever experience. You know, Jesus fought for us. He died for us. He lives for us. Now we live because he lives, praise the Lord. We live. You know, he told his disciples, wait on the Holy Ghost. When I am back with my father, he will come. Their work was truly just beginning. They were destined to carry on. They were destined to carry on. Thank God. People, if you don't know what you got, come on, got to believe it and truly receive it. It's got to be absorbed. It's got to be grasped. Use it to change this world in Jesus' name. The enemy wants you to think that he is ruling something when in fact God is in control. If you don't think that God knows what he's doing, if you don't think God got a grip on it, Lord have mercy. If you don't think God got a grip on this and will end this, then you don't know God. You got to have faith. Don't you know that nothing can stop God's plan for us? Don't you know that God is in control? That is why the world is still here. You know, there are people who still need salvation. People who need to know who Jesus is and how great his love for us all is and that there is hope, there is deliverance. God is not walking to and through on this earth any longer, people. His spirit is in us. So you got to, what am I trying to say? So you got to go to the altar, take the oil, oh take the oil, the holy oil, take the holy oil, get with the elders, lay your hands on the sick and the afflicted and by faith they will be healed. There are so many means of communication these days. Use them to the glory of God. Tell somebody about the blessings, about the miracles that God has done in your life. Tell them about the power of prayer. Change the things. Change the things. Prayer changes things. Prayer changes things, people. Faith and hope and mercy and grace, compassion and love will see you through. God said, so these are the things that he loves because they emanate from him unto you. Rebuke the enemy in Jesus' name. That name is powerful. We have got to stand for righteousness, the holiness. We are the body of Christ. We are the difference. I will say it again, we are the difference. Listen to this because the same God that commanded these things 2,000 years ago is the same God that we serve today, praise the Lord, hallelujah, and love. He's the same God that we adore. He has not changed and he never will. He is righteous, holy, and perfect. He don't have to change. We need change. Amen? Not God. We need to be glad, rejoice. We need to be overjoyed that there is something solid, stable, holy in our lives, brothers and sisters. Glory, hallelujah. We are fortunate. Listen, Acts 1, verse 4-8, and being assembled together with them, commanded that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which said he, ye have heard for John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. He's on the way, folks. He's on the way, okay. When they were therefore were to come together, they asked for him saying, Lord, will thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, it's not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has put in his own power, but ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come. Thank you, Jesus. Upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem and into all Judea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. And you know, that truth is still real right today, people. You know, some of the disciples were assembled on the day of Pentecost with people from many nations and God empowered them to be able to communicate in their own language and still understand one another. Well, the power of the Holy Ghost was on them. John 20, 19 through 31. See, that was another time when the disciples received the Holy Ghost. This time, all were present except Thomas. You know, I love this scripture. It just makes me feel so hopeful and strengthens my faith. Makes you just fall in love with Jesus all over again. This was after the resurrection, people, and I'm going to read that scripture. John 20, 19 through 31. The Word of God now for the people of God. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, when the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst and said unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Praise the Lord. Make no mistake about it, it was him in the flesh. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you. As my Father hath sent me, even to send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost. Whosoever sins he remit, they are remitted unto them. And whosoever sins he retain, they are retained. But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my fingers into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again, the disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, Peace be unto you. Oh, nobody had to open the door and let him in. Praise the Lord. Then said he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God, Jesus said unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen me, and yet have believed. Glory, hallelujah. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, you might have life through his name. Praise God. Thank you, Jesus. You are so kind. Praise the Lord. That's a wonderful, wonderful, uplifting scripture. I love it. I can't read it enough. I can't hear it enough. And this was after the resurrection, people. I want to make that known. This was after the resurrection. He decided to stop by on his way home. Hallelujah. Jesus decided to stop by on his way home. Glory to God. Romans 12, 19. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I shall repay, saith the Lord. That means to get out of God's way and let him bless you. Let him take your things like that. And we have the heart of Christ. What the enemy intends for evil, God will use for good for us. What the enemy intends for evil, God will use for good. As for you, you meant evil, but again, but against me. But God meant it unto good, to bring the past as it is this day, to save much people alive. Beautiful scripture. You see, the enemy has no power over righteousness, no power over God's love for us. Hallelujah. Amen. If you want an agreement with me wherever you are and you're listening, say amen. Sometimes trouble comes, you know. It hits you so hard you just don't know how much more you can stand. Your back is against the wall. The way does not look clear. You don't know who your real friends are. Sometimes you even feel deserted by your family. Take a lesson from the prodigal son. Look up. Lift your head up to the sky. Your father is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is God. He did not leave you. You left You left him. Humble yourself before him. Cry out to him. Even though trouble sometimes comes suddenly. You might even experience sudden fear. Shake it off. Come on, shake it off. Shake off the chains. Get yourself together. Shake it off. The Holy Ghost is always with you. Take it to the Lord in prayer in the name of Jesus. It might look like a monster to you, but the Lord is a giant killer. Walls may be unmovable for you, but the Lord brought down the walls of Jericho. He uses people to show forth his power. The way before you looks dark. You know, Duke Energy can turn your electricity off and on, but God is the greater power. God is greatness beyond measure. Hallelujah. He can change night into day, darkness into eternal light, because that's who he is. Thank you, Jesus. Praise the Lord. Exercise your faith. Be of good courage and ask and you shall receive. Knock and it shall be open. Seek and you shall find. You know, you did not receive because you did not ask. Remember, you decided to find a way yourself. That's no good. I personally know that that is no good. Don't hurt yourself. God doesn't deal in foolishness, but he will deliver you from sickness. He will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory. You are so loved. Don't be lazy. Get up. May the one true God of all creation rest, rule, and abide with you henceforth from now until forever. In Jesus' holy name, be loved and be blessed until we meet right here again. God's love be with you.