Our soul winning passage from the Word of God today is Acts 1:8 which reads: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

Our soul winning quote today is from Bill Hybels and Mark Mittelberg: "I'm convinced more than ever that the absolute highest value in personal evangelism is staying attuned to and cooperate with the Holy Spirit."

Our soul winning devotional is part 24 of our series titled "What Evangelism Is" from Dave Earley and David Wheeler.

Evangelism is Cooperating With the Holy Spirit, Part 1

Anytime a person gives his or her life to Jesus Christ, it is never a solo operation. There are always at least three persons involved: (1) the nonbeliever hears the Gospel and receives Jesus by faith and repentance, (2) the person who shares the Gospel with the nonbeliever, and (2) the Holy Spirit who applies the Gospel to the understanding of the nonbeliever.

The key to being effective in evangelism is simply learning to cooperate with what the Holy Spirit is already doing and saying to the person we are trying to reach.

Meet the most important person in your spiritual life, the Holy Spirit.
Some churches talk a great deal about the Holy Spirit. Others rarely do. While the Bible does speak more often about God the Son and God the Father, it also has much to say about God the Holy Spirit. Let me give you a quick overview:

The Holy Spirit is God. The Bible teaches the tri-unity of God. Historically, Christians have believed in one God who expresses Himself in three persons. These three persons are God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All three are equally God.

When the Bible refers to the Holy Spirit, He is described as having attributes that are only found in God. The Holy Spirit is everywhere present. He is all-knowing. He is all-powerful. He is eternal. He is holy. Beyond that the Holy Spirit is frequently referred to as God. He is equated with the Father and the Son.

The Holy Spirit is a person. Some have mistakenly referred to the Holy Spirit as an "it." This could not be more inaccurate. The Holy Spirit is every bit as much a person as is God the Father or God the Son. He has intellect, emotion, and will. He has creativity. He has love. Beyond that He is referred to with a personal pronoun.

The Holy Spirit is not a ghost who will scare the nonbeliever. He is not an impersonal force that will zap the nonbeliever. He is a person who will lovingly pursue the nonbeliever and speak to his or her heart.

In our next broadcast, we will continue to look at why evangelism is cooperating with the Holy Spirit.