Our Power Source, How the Holy Spirit Empowers Us to Live for Jesus

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Our Power Source

How the Holy Spirit Empowers Us to Live for Jesus

By Pastor Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

https://www.brooklyntabernacle.org/our-power-source/

One day my wife ordered a beautiful lamp.

I’m not very handy, but I could get [the lamp] /out of the box.

I got [it all] [set up] and thought, “I can’t wait /to see how this works!”

I turned [it] on, and—nothing happened.

I checked [everything] out.

The bulb looked good.

The shade was perfect.

Then I noticed something: I had forgotten to plug it in!

With no power, even [the best lamp /in the world] isn’t very helpful.

That’s true in life.

When a person is sick or in a terrible accident—they can want [to do a lot of things], but they have no power.

We can lack power /spiritually too.

For Christians, [power in the New Testament] is related /to one person: the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus told [His disciples] [that He was leaving [this world], He said a very odd thing:

“It is for your good [that I am going away].

Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come /to you;

but if I go, I will send [him] /to you” (John 16:7, NIV).

* Unless = if not

Some translations have “Helper” or “Comforter” instead of “Advocate.”

The word means [to come alongside someone /to give assistance].

That’s the Holy Spirit!

The disciples felt /badly /about it, because Jesus had been their teacher for three and a half years.

I’m sure () they were saying, “No, no, no, it’s not good [that You go]!”

But Jesus said, “Unless I go, I can’t send the Holy Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit is the most overlooked topic in Christendom.

So who is He?

In the mystery of the Godhead,

we have one God /revealed to us in the personhood of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

You don’t comprehend that?

Neither do I!

No one truly does. But the Holy Spirit is God, just as much as the Father is God and Jesus is God.

The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Christ. Jesus Christ is now seated /at the right hand of the Father,

but growing up, I would hear [people] [say],

“Oh, I feel [Jesus] /in this place,” or “Did you accept [Jesus] /in your heart?”

How can Jesus be in our hearts /if He’s seated /in heaven?

Because when we repent and put [our faith] /in Jesus, God sends [the Holy Spirit] /into our hearts.

That’s [what it means to be born again].

Through the Holy Spirit, we have [Christ] [living /inside us].

That’s why Jesus said, “It’s better for you [that I go].”

He’d been with the disciples physically, but here’s [what the disciples found out]:

this didn’t stop their weakness.

When Jesus was arrested, they all fled.

They had no power. Jesus was unable to give [them] [the power () He planned to give them]

/until He died /on the cross, paid [the price for our sins], and went back /to heaven.

Then He could send [the invisible Holy Spirit] /to us.

The Bible says /in Romans 8:9,

“If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong /to Christ” (NIV).

“Oh, no,” some say, “I’m a member of First Baptist,” or “First Methodist,” or “Brooklyn Tabernacle.”

But that means zero.

{What makes [us] [Christians]} is that God has come /to dwell inside us, through faith in Christ.

The Holy Spirit resides /in every believer, empowering us.

The Bible says that this is better than having a physical Jesus on earth.

I don’t know [how many Christians really believe that]!

But Jesus said, “No, you need Me inside you, changing you /from the inside out.”

* "from the inside out" : in such a way that the inner surface becomes the outer. 2. : to a thorough degree. 완전히

That’s the power of the Holy Spirit.

To live victoriously, to be what God wants [us] [to be],

we need the power of God /through the Holy Spirit /to be operational in our lives.

We need [to be, as it were, plugged in].

* "As it were" is an idiom that means "so to speak" or "in a manner of speaking". 말하자면

Why don’t we open our hearts /in a new way to the Holy Spirit today?

Prayer

Holy Spirit, thank You for giving us the power () we need /each day. Come and teach [us] [who You are].

As we read the Word, give [us] [revelation],

so we can learn Your ways, Your gifts, Your fruit, how important You are to our lives.

If this encouraged you, you can receive Pastor Cymbala’s weekly blog post /by email here.

For More Encouragement

• Listen to the full message by Pastor Jim Cymbala: “Power Source: The Person of Holy Spirit”
• Enjoy other resources to help you draw closer to God: “The Spirit of God” and Spirit Rising: Tapping into the Power of the Holy Spirit by Jim Cymbala
• Visit Pastor Cymbala’s Facebook page