David Hathaway

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit recorded in Acts chapter 2 came upon the 120 believers, but there is no question that God's purpose was for the Holy Spirit to come upon all who believe.
As Christians, we need a personal testimony and a powerful witness – that is the strength of our preaching.
In many churches today, we have deacons who are not ordained to preach but are appointed to serve and support the ministry. Yet one detail in Acts has always stood out to me: although these men were not leading the spiritual ministry, they were still required to be full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom.
Stephen was chosen as one of these deacons, described as a man "full of faith and the Holy Spirit." But he did far more than administrative work. By Acts 6:8 we read that, "full of faith and power," he performed great wonders and miracles among the people.
It is clear that these deacons were not merely serving practical needs. They were ministering in the power of the Holy Spirit - praying for the sick, seeing miracles, and demonstrating the same supernatural power that was at work through the apostles.
For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk   

The Holy Spirit is essential for us to fulfil the work of God. We cannot do it in our own strength. I could not do what I do without the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit knows the truth, and He inspires, guides, and motivates us. God does not call us to do something without knowing our limitations. He knows what we are capable of and what we are not. And when He calls us to something, it is because either He has already given us the ability, or He will provide the strength we need to accomplish it.
Stephen is a powerful example of this. He was chosen as one of the deacons, a man who was "full of faith and of the Holy Ghost." Yet his ministry was far more than practical administration. Acts 6:8 tells us that, "full of faith and power, he did great wonders and miracles among the people." The Holy Spirit enabled him to do what he could never have done in his own strength.
The Scriptures are clear that God honoured Jesus because of His complete obedience – even obedience unto death. Jesus submitted fully to the will of His Father, and because of that obedience, God exalted Him.
The same principle applies to us. When we obey God, trust Him, and follow His calling, He will honour us and give us the grace and strength to accomplish His purposes.
For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

In Matt 10.1 Jesus calls the Twelve and sends them out, giving THEM the POWER to cast out unclean spirits and to heal all manner of sickness and disease. 
People don’t understand what distinguishes Christianity from any other religion – it’s GOD’S POWER given to men! The whole message of the Gospel, the whole message of the New Testament is POWER! It’s not prophecy, that’s the message of the Old Testament. The message of the New Testament is POWER. God’s Power. Jesus gave the Twelve Power. Now, they hadn’t yet received the Holy Spirit, but they had received Power.
It traces back to John the Baptist, who prophesied of Jesus, that the One who is coming will have more Power than me. We see from the beginning of His ministry, Jesus has POWER from God to forgive sin and to heal the sick. In Matt 10.1 He commissions His disciples – in preparation for when He’s gone. The final message of Jesus to the disciples, after the crucifixion, after the resurrection, when His ministry is finished, is this in Acts 1.8, “You will receive POWER, after the Holy Spirit is come on you and you will be My witnesses to the ends of the earth…”
When John was in prison, Jesus took over. When Jesus ascended to Heaven, the disciples took over. John the Baptist said, Jesus will be greater than I; Jesus said, the same works that I do, you will do and greater. Where is that greater power today?
I grew up in the early days of the Pentecostal revival in Britain. All my life I’ve sensed that there’s more POWER than even the great ministers I grew up with had. I received the Holy Spirit when I was still 14, I’ve seen great miracles in my ministry since I was 20, but I’ve never been satisfied. Aged 94 I still want MORE. I want to live like Jesus intended us to live. How about you?
To watch the YouTube version https://youtu.be/FCOHmh5KDDk 
For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

God’s power does not diminish or grow weaker. Yet, sadly, the attitude of much of the Church is that it does. Many people say, “You can’t expect the same miracles to happen today as happened in the days of the Bible. Things were different then.”
But no – God has not changed. His power has not decreased. In fact, we are living in the age of the Holy Spirit, and God’s power available to us today is greater than ever.
At the end of Acts 5:16, we find this remarkable statement: “They were all healed.” This is one of those rare moments in Scripture where we see every person receiving healing. We see this in the ministry of Jesus, although even in His own hometown of Nazareth, unbelief prevented many from receiving what God wanted to do. But here, the fear of God was upon the people because of the undeniable demonstration of His power, and they all received healing.
Then Peter declares: “We are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God has given to them that obey Him.”
I love this because it reminds us of a fundamental truth: the Holy Spirit is essential for us to fulfil the work of God. We cannot do it in our own strength. I could not do what I do without the Holy Spirit.
It is the Holy Spirit who empowers us, enables us, and equips us to be witnesses of Jesus Christ and to demonstrate the reality of God’s Kingdom.
For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

Jesus’ first message is “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand” – repentance and the Kingdom! Repent – because the Kingdom of God is coming! Jesus calls the first of His disciples – now miracles yet – and they follow Him. And He goes all about Galilee, teaching, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, healing all manner of sickness and disease among the people! 4:23! 
He’s preaching in a country overrun by foreign empires for hundreds of years – they’re used to being ruled by the Greeks, they’re used to being ruled by the Romans – but Jesus is preaching a totally different kind of kingdom!
Seeing the multitudes, Jesus goes up the mountain and begins to teach them, Chs 5,6 &7. He’s on that mountain a long time! It’s not until Ch 8 that He comes down – still followed by great multitudes, and from here on, Matthew records a whole series of miracles, including the miracle of the sinking ship in 8:23 where Jesus calms the storm and the disciples marvel, “What kind of a man is this that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” John the Baptist saw many come for repentance but never saw this kind of miracle – this is what he prophesied when he said, after him there will come someone more powerful than him! And here He is! Jesus!
We now come to Matt 9:1ff, where they bring a man to Jesus, paralysed and lying on a bed. You know the story: Jesus says to the sick man, “Your sins are forgiven you.” John the Baptist never could say that, because, as the religious leaders knew, no man can forgive sin, only God. So now, to prove that He, the Son of man, has POWER ON EARTH TO FORGIVE SIN – Jesus healed the man, saying, “Get up and go home!” The paralysed man did exactly that, picked up his bed and went – and the crowds that saw it marvelled and glorified God that He had given such POWER unto men!!!
To watch the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/3EdSiKNqOyg 
For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

What happened on the Day of Pentecost can and should happen today. It was not a one-time event that ended with the first disciples; rather, it was the beginning of the Spirit-empowered life of the Church throughout this age. The evidence, demonstration, and confirmation of who Jesus is continues through the work of the Holy Spirit in His people.
Although we were not physically present to witness the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, we too are called to be His witnesses. We have the testimony of the apostles, who declared that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died and rose again for the forgiveness of sins. And today, we have the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to carry that same witness to the world.
If you have experienced your own personal Pentecost, that is not the end – it is only the beginning. The fire and power of the Holy Spirit are meant to continue increasing in our lives as we become more effective witnesses for Christ.
The Book of Acts is the only book of the Bible that appears unfinished because the story of the Spirit-empowered Church is still being written. We are called to live in that same reality today – to see the power of God demonstrated, to witness His works among us, and to continue the ministry that began in the early Church.
Everything we read about in Acts should be reflected in the Church today: a people filled with the Holy Spirit, proclaiming Jesus, walking in His power, and demonstrating the reality of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus was saying, "When the Holy Spirit comes, everything will change. You who have no power in yourselves will be transformed by the same Holy Spirit who empowered Me, and you will continue the works that I have begun."
In Acts 2:3-4, we read that tongues of fire appeared and rested on each of the 120 believers. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
The miracle was not simply that they spoke in other languages. They were declaring the mighty works of God, bearing witness to His power and greatness through the enabling of the Holy Spirit.
This outpouring of the Holy Spirit marked the birth of the Church's Spirit-empowered ministry. It was God's visible demonstration of His power at work in His people – a ministry that continues throughout this age until Christ returns.

If you want healing in your body, first you must receive healing in your soul. Jesus says to you today, "Child of mine, your sin is forgiven, be made whole, go in peace", then the healing will flow into your heart and body. 
Let this be your heart's prayer: 'Oh God, be a Father to me. Take away my pain. Your precious blood has cleansed me, healing my body, filling my soul, making me whole, touching my spirit, healing my mind. Come and touch my spirit, help me to see You again. Healing my heart, restoring my dreams, lifting me up to face life again. Thank You Jesus.'
'Holy Spirit Move Me Now' used by kind permission of Vinesong.
For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk

Jesus was saying, "When the Holy Spirit comes, everything will change. You who have no power in yourselves will be transformed by the same Holy Spirit who empowered Me, and you will continue the work I began."
Then, in Acts 1:10-11, while the disciples were watching as Jesus ascended into heaven, two men stood beside them and said:
"Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven."
These words give us a clear picture of Christ's return. Just as the disciples saw Him ascend into heaven, those who are alive when He returns will see Him come again in the same visible and glorious way.
Until that day, the Church has a mission: to continue the work of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit, faithfully witnessing to Him until He comes again.

When Jesus was born, He laid aside the privileges of heaven and chose to live as a man on earth. It was not until after His baptism in the Jordan River, when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove, that He was anointed and empowered for His earthly ministry.
In Acts 1, Jesus spoke to a group of ordinary, imperfect men – including Peter, who had denied Him only weeks before. Yet Jesus made them an extraordinary promise: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you." In other words, the Holy Spirit would transform their lives and empower them to fulfil the ministry He was entrusting to them.
After He had spoken these words, while they watched, Jesus was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
These were among His final instructions to His disciples. He told them to wait in Jerusalem because everything would change when the Holy Spirit came. They would no longer rely on their own strength or abilities. Instead, they would receive the power of the Holy Spirit, enabling them to become His witnesses to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

I’m seeing the Bible quite differently these days – it’s coming into a new perspective and I’m seeing things even at my age that I’ve never seen before. I’ seeing something in Matthew, that is so significant for the Church today. It’s challenging me, and I hope it challenges you, to examine exactly what we actually believe – and do!
In Matt 3:11 we find John the Baptist preaching repentance in the wilderness. It’s the beginning of his ministry. He says to the crowds, 3:11, “I baptise you with water for repentance, but He that is coming after me is more powerful than I… He will baptise you with the Holy Ghost and Fire!”
Then in Matt 3:13ff, Jesus comes from Galilee to be baptised in the Jordan by John. As He comes up out of the water, the Holy Spirit comes down on Him and a Voice from Heaven announces, “This is My Beloved Son.” 
But Jesus does not commence His ministry straightaway; it struck me that, at this point, John is still the minister, the evangelist, not Jesus, and Jesus is led by the Spirit out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Matt 4:1. 
But then, by 4:12, Jesus hears that John has been put in prison, his ministry is ended, his work done. Jesus recognises this, leaves Nazareth where He grew up and moves to Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee, so that prophecy would be fulfilled that ‘the people by the sea that were in darkness have seen a great light’. And immediately, 4:17, Jesus starts His ministry and begins to preach – in POWER.
To watch the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/1qsrqV9MP5k
For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

One of the most important things Jesus ever said was: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
In His final words to the disciples, Jesus placed the emphasis on them becoming God's witnesses, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Five years ago, during one of my prayer walks, I was seeking God and asked the Holy Spirit, "You know Jesus better than any of us. What was the key to the power that Jesus had?"
As I prayed, the Holy Spirit brought Scripture to life in a fresh way. It became clear to me that when Jesus was born, He willingly laid aside the glory, power, and privileges of heaven to live as a man on earth. It was not until after His baptism in the Jordan River, when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove, that He was publicly anointed and empowered for His earthly ministry.
From that moment, His ministry was marked by the power of the Holy Spirit. He preached with authority, healed the sick, cast out demons, performed miracles, and revealed the Kingdom of God wherever He went.

The early Church grew up in the firm expectation of the near return of Christ. The fact that He’s delayed for 2000 years doesn’t diminish the power of the promise nor the power of the message that Jesus gave, “Go preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils. Freely you have received, freely give.” Jesus said, “Give! You don’t have to provide the money, or take extra coats, shoes or anything… What I tell you in darkness, speak in light… And don’t fear those who can kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but fear Him, who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matt 10:7ff,26ff. Jesus is offering a Gospel that changes men.
I’ll never forget the simplicity of this Gospel when I was invited to preach in a high-security prison in Siberia in 1994. They allowed 30 minutes for worship, then I was to speak. The commanding officer told me, “200 of these men are serial murderers, 400 are serious sex offenders, the other 800 men are criminals of every kind. I beat them, I shoot them. What can your God do to change these men?” He could only offer brutality, no change. But Jesus brings life! I called on the Lord to tell me what to say. I preached love and forgiveness, a Gospel of change and power. The world today talks about violence, brutality, punishment. But I called on those men to repent. When I had finished, all 1,400 men were on their knees, and the guards with them too – crying out for God’s forgiveness! The miracle was so great, 140 of those men, when they were released, became pastors and evangelists, and 30 years later, they’re still working, still preaching Christ in the prisons in the Far East of Russia!
Christian, preach the Gospel. God offers a message of hope, of love, of power to forgive sin, power to heal the sick. You see, God gives us Power! Jesus today has more Power on earth, more Authority, than any ruler or emperor! His Power is not to coerce and control, not to punish and destroy, but to bring healing and salvation of both body and soul. Reach out to Jesus! The Power is in His Gospel!
Watch the YouTube version: https://youtu.be/cvkPaIfTqqM 
For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk 

The power of our faith is rooted in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We do not speak enough about the resurrection. At Communion we remember His death and celebrate His resurrection. At Easter we proclaim His victory over the grave. But the heart of the Gospel is this: God raised Jesus from the dead! Everything we believe, everything we preach, and everything we hope for rests upon that glorious truth.
So how should we respond to such a great salvation?
We cannot hold anything back from the Lord. We cannot deceive Him or offer Him only part of our lives. In Christian service, we are not forced to surrender ourselves to God. But when we choose to follow Him, our response should be free, willing, and wholehearted, withholding nothing.
The Lord called me when I was just fifteen years old. He did not first call me to be an evangelist or a pastor; He called me to give Him everything. That has been the pattern of my life. I have sought to hold nothing back from the Lord, but to pour out my life before Him in loving obedience.
If you make a promise to God, keep it. As believers, we trust the Lord to keep every promise He has made to us. In the same way, we should be faithful in keeping the promises we make to Him. A life fully surrendered is the only fitting response to a risen Saviour who gave everything for us.

In the Church, we need to return to the power of personal testimony. There is too much religious preaching and not enough declaring what the Lord has done in our own lives. People need to hear the evidence of God's transforming power. In my own ministry, I make it a priority to share testimonies of all that God has done.
In my own life, I have twice been healed of cancer, and yet here I am in my nineties with more energy than many people much younger than me. My life is a living testimony to God’s power and faithfulness. It is this kind of practical, personal witness that the world needs to hear.
In Acts 4 we read, “With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.” That verse presents a powerful challenge to us in ministry today. As I reflect on it, I see three vital keys:
1, The power of the evidence – God confirmed the message through miracles; 2, The Gospel was preached in the Name of Jesus, not through religion or religious ceremony; 3, Above all, the power of their witness flowed from the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The risen Lord was the source of everything they proclaimed and everything they experienced.
That same risen Christ is alive today, and He still calls His Church to be witnesses who proclaim His name with boldness and demonstrate His power.

I want you to know who God really is, how great He is! When I was in my prison cell, I got to a point when I couldn't pray, I tried to praise Him, but my teeth were clenched because of my suffering and pain. Suddenly my heart opened and a miracle happened: it was as if Heaven had opened, the cell was filled with a brilliant light, all the angels of Heaven seemed to crowd into that cell, and I began to praise and worship the Lord. I got to my feet and began to run around that cell singing, "Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee, how great Thou art!" The glory of God filled my heart, changing me, the sadness and pain were gone! I was locked in a prison cell, yet I was in the presence of God, experiencing something greater than I had ever known before.
'Worship the Lord' and 'Thank You Lord' used by kind permission of Vinesong.
For more information on the Ministry of David Hathaway https://www.eurovision.org.uk