History of the Holy Spirit Booklet

This excerpt begins with Bill Bright, the co-founder of Cru®, sharing how the Holy Spirit booklet was created. You will find editor’s notes in brackets.

The Power of the Holy Spirit

While practical training in witnessing is important, there is a far more essential component to successful outreach: being filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Vonette [Bill Bright’s wife and co-founder of Cru] and I have always been aware that we can do nothing for God in our own power; in fact, if we are not fully yielded to Him and His guidance, we could actually do His cause more harm than good.

Early in my Christian walk, I sought for many years to understand the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. I had on numerous occasions enjoyed wonderful fellowship with the Lord and even had several experiences when I knew the Holy Spirit had touched my life and used me. Yet I knew nothing of how to live under His control. Hungry for all that God had for me, and longing to be a man of God whatever the cost, I made a special study of the Person and work of the Holy Spirit. My search included not only God’s Word but nearly every book I could find on the subject.

I discovered that our Lord Jesus Christ said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses. . .” (Acts 1:8). I realized from the very beginning that we needed power from God, through His Holy Spirit, every waking moment to live lives pleasing to Him and to be effective witnesses for Him. Paul wrote, “The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). Why, then, were more Christians not experiencing true joy in their lives? Why were [many] struggling with anxiety, impatience, a lack of love, and the desires of the flesh?

As a result of my study, I became convinced that in order for Christians to be effective, bold witnesses for Christ, and thus help fulfill the Great Commission in this generation, they need to understand who the Holy Spirit is and how to appropriate and walk in His power every moment of every day.  [. . .] I began speaking about this, and we began to incorporate the ministry of the Holy Spirit into our ongoing training. However, it was not until late one night in Newport Beach, California, that the concept came together in a way that would revolutionize the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ [now known as Cru in the U.S.], as well as the lives of countless individuals in the coming years. Dan Fuller invited Vonette and me to spend a few days in the beach home of his parents, Dr. Charles and Mrs. Grace Fuller. Dr. Fuller conducted a world-famous radio program, “The Old-Fashioned Revival Hour,” and was the founder of Fuller Theological Seminary. Vonette and I were both very tired. Our schedules had been extremely busy and crowded with no vacation for several years, and we could think of nothing more inviting than having a few days to sleep, lie in the sun and swim in the Pacific Ocean.

The midnight hour had come and gone by the time we arrived and unpacked. Sometime near 1:00 a.m. we wearily climbed into bed, fully expecting to be asleep by the time our heads hit the pillows.

But God had other plans — as He so often does. As I turned over to go to sleep, my mind was suddenly flooded with the wonderful truths I had been reading about the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian. I tried to fall asleep but could not. Finally, all that I had been studying and speaking about was becoming clearer and more practical to me than ever. Fearful that I might forget these thoughts if I did not write them down, I got up to look for pencil and paper. There was no paper! Among our clothing, I located several shirt boards, the kind laundries use to wrap cleaned-and-pressed shirts, so I began writing on them. After filling the shirt boards, I found some brown wrapping paper and continued to write furiously. The result was “You Shall Receive Power,” an article explaining in [common language] the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian.

The essence of this article became another foundational cornerstone to the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, something we emphasize in our ongoing training in evangelism, discipleship and Christian living. The material has been incorporated in our popular Bible study course, Ten Basic Steps Toward Christian Maturity, and the Transferable Concepts series — brief, self-contained studies on key components of an abundant Christian life. I have also written two books, The Holy Spirit: Key to Supernatural Living and The Secret: Learning to Draw upon the Purpose, Power, and Guidance of God’s Holy Spirit. I recommend them to anyone who would like to better understand how to appropriate daily the power of the Holy Spirit.

We later condensed the material into a brief presentation the same size as the Four Spiritual Laws booklet and titled it Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit-Filled Life? This booklet has [been] used all over the world to help lead [. . .] Christians into an abundant and fulfilling life in the Spirit.

The moment-by-moment ministry of the Holy Spirit is something that we continue to strongly emphasize among our staff. It is only as we go forth in His power, and under His guidance and control, that we can truly see the fruit of the harvest to which God has called us.

Watch Vonnette Bright, co-founder of Cru, share about the history of the Holy Spirit booklet. 
 

Today: 

The “Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit-Filled Life?” booklet — now titled, “Satisfied?” — was first published in 1966 and has been used around the globe since. Each year, Cru Store sells approximately 25,000 copies. 

Where can you find the Holy Spirit booklet? 

• You can view an online version of “Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit-Filled Life?” on cru.org.

• You can view both versions for free in the GodTools app.

• You can also purchase copies of both “Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit-Filled Life” and “Satisfied?” in the Cru Store. 

Next Steps

• If you would like to continue learning about the Holy Spirit, consider reading “How to Know and Understand the Holy Spirit.” 

• Celebrate the 75th anniversary of Cru with us. Check out cru.org/75 for a free prayer challenge, to share your story and get connected. There, you can also purchase the book once it is released.