We need Power for the harvest. Every time we see our Lord Jesus speak on the harvest he took into cognizance the need for power. Thrice he related the harvest with Power. Matthew 9:35–10:1-5, Luke 10:1-2; Luke 10:17-19, Acts 1:7-8. In Matthew 9:35 :10:1-5 he envisioned the Apostles after an extensive ministerial tour of cities and villages. He pointed them to the plenty harvest. He then gave them power over unclean spirits. Attempting to go into the harvest without power is like going to farm without a machete, cutlass, hoe or tractor, nothing much will be accomplished.
It is important here to state that the need for power is progressive. Peter was among those who received power in this passage. But spiritual power by its nature wanes with use and time. So there is always the need to recharge. Towards the end of the ministry of Jesus Peter was already wobbling. First he was begging to sleep in the place of prayer. Then his loss of passion for the things of God made him to go back to his fishing profession. So in John 20:22 Jesus breathed on him and said receive ye the Holy Spirit. This breath of fresh power enabled him to lead the apostolic team in the intense prayer that gave birth to the first Pentecostal revival. Power is not only needed for revival, power is needed for spiritual advancement.
As challenges and responsibility increases in the harvest, the need for power also increases. So we see our Lord Jesus informing them in Acts 1:8 that they will receive power after the Holy Spirit is come upon them. In Acts 2:4 this promise was fulfilled. A mighty rushing wind of power enveloped the Apostles and disciples, this enabled them to sweep in a harvest of 3,000 souls into the kingdom. Again in Acts 4:30 The Apostles were drenched again with power after a session of intense prayer. The need for Power rose with danger. One of the tragedies of some people in the Pentecostal movement is the thinking that once you speak in tongues, you have no need for fresh infilling. Peter and the early apostle spoke in tongues but they experienced new dose of power from time to time.
Apart from the apostolic team, the seventy received power from Jesus in increasing dimension. To them Jesus said behold I give you power above all the powers of the enemy, that was after they returned and testified that demons were subject to them in the name of Jesus. First they received the power that made demons subject to them in Jesus name, subsequently they received power above all the powers of the enemy.
The Power to cast out demons is the basic power every one going into the harvest field must receive. Many people in the harvest field are harassed by forces of darkness and unclean spirits. Even if they are brought to the church they will remain resistant to change if these spirits are not dealt with. In Mark 1: 21-29 we see a man in the synagogue impervious to the teaching of the word by the Lord Jesus himself. It was not until the evil spirit was uprooted from his life that he was harvested. As Paul put it “if our gospel is hidden, it is hidden to those who are perishing whom the god of this world have blinded the minds of those who do not believe” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)
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