The Holy Spirit / The Miracle Within

During the depression ... a man named Yates ...... owned a sheep ranch.

Mr. Yates wasn't able to make enough on his ranching operation to pay the principal and interest on the mortgage, ... so he was in danger ... of losing his property.

With little money for clothes or food, ... his family ... was barely able to survive.

Day after day, .... as he grazed his sheep over those rolling West Texas hills, ... he was no doubt greatly troubled .... about how he would pay ... the bills.

Then a seismographic crew from an oil company ...... came into the area ... and informed him ... there might be oil on his land.

They asked permission to drill a wildcat well, .... and he signed ... a lease contract.

At 1,115 feet they struck ... a huge oil reserve.

The first well ... came in at ... 80,000 barrels a day.

Many subsequent wells ... were more than twice ... as large.

In fact, ... 30 years after the discovery, .... a test of one of the wells .... showed it still had a potential flow of 125,000 barrels of oil a day.

And Mr. Yates owned it all.

The day he purchased the ranch land ... he had received all the oil and mineral rights.

Yet, he had been living on relief.

A multimillionaire living in poverty.

The problem?

He didn't know the oil was there ... even though he owned it.

He was not aware of ... the miracle .... that laid within ... his own property.

Many Christians live in spiritual poverty.

They do not know the wealth that lies within them.

The do not tap into the knowledge and gifts of the Holy Spirit; ... they ignore their birthright.

SOURCE: Untapped Spiritual Resources, by Greg Asimakoupoulos, Naperville, Illinois. Citation: Bill Bright, "How to Be Filled with the Spirit" (Campus Crusade publication)]

They ignore the Miracle within.

Many times ... people look upon God's handiwork ....... and only see the outside manifestations... "Never" ... the miracle ... that lays within.

Whether it is ... the miracle ... of the birth of a new baby ... or the miracle ... of the birth ... of a new Christian.

There are many ... who see only ... the outside framework ... and miss ... the miracle .... that lays within.

God's word tells us ... that something very exceptional ... lies within ... each Believing Christian.

When we obey Jesus ...... by repenting of our sins and being buried in Christian Baptism .... we have the promise ... that we shall receive... the "Gift of the Holy Spirit."

Dr. Luke informs us in Acts...... BIBLE "Repent ... and be baptized, ... every one of you, .... And you will receive ... the gift of the Holy Spirit." END (Acts 2:38)

The Gift ... that Miracle ...... that lays within .... our very being.

In fact, ... in Paul's letter to the Ephesians ... we are told ... that God's Holy Spirit ... is a mark ... of God's ownership .... of us.

Hear Paul's words: BIBLE "Having believed, ... you were marked in him ... with a seal, ... the promised Holy Spirit" END (Ephesians 1:13)

Now, ... There are those who believe ... that the Holy Spirit ... is some kind of inanimate object.

These people accept the idea ... that God's Holy Spirit can live within us, ...... but they do not think .... that the Spirit .... does very much.

Thus ... they miss out ... on the miracle ... of what the Holy Spirit can mean .... and give .... to each one of us.

Christ clearly states the importance of the Holy Spirit ... to each believer:

Hear our Lord's words to us: BIBLE "It is for your good ... that I am going away. ... Unless I go away, ... the Counselor ... (the Holy Spirit) ... will not come to you; ... but if I go, ... I will send him ... to you.... When he comes, ... he will convict the world of guilt ... in regard to sin." END (John 16:7)

Jesus is saying .... that when He left, .... He would send His Spirit in His place. ..... His power within us.

The Holy Spirit, ... The Miracle that lays Within, ... does many things:

He helps us to understand the deep things of God's Word.

He helps us in our prayers ...... guides us ... teaches us .... and empowers us ... for ministry ... with spiritual, ... supernatural gifts.

But perhaps the most intriguing thing the Holy Spirit was sent to do ... is implied in Acts 1:8.

BIBLE "But you will receive power ... when the Holy Spirit comes on you; ... and you will be my witnesses ... in Jerusalem, ... and in all Judea ... and Samaria, ... and to the ends ... of the earth." END (Acts 1:8)