Wednesdays Words
POWER
Acts 1:8 “But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere-- in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Power - dunamis (doo'-nam-is); force (literally or figuratively); specially, miraculous power (usually by implication, a miracle itself
“The ability or strength to perform an activity or deed. Power is sometimes used with the word authority. If power suggests physical strength, authority suggests a moral right or privilege. One can have power to perform a task but not authority to do it. Jesus Christ had both power and authority and He bestowed these upon His followers. (from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)
What is “power”? By the worlds standards power is measured by our ability to influence those around us; maybe by our position, our charisma, our intelligence or our finances.
Engineers will describe power as the ability to do work and influence something or someone. We use electric power to turn motors and power lights; our engines use mechanical power to move our vehicles and farmers have often used horsepower to plow ground or operate other equipment.
The Christian has power as well. This power is not based on our abilities, our energy or our wisdom. The Christians power is God based, God controlled and God released.
Our power is released by God through our faith in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.
We have been told by God that we have enough power to move mountains. Matthew 17:20 “You didn't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”
The truth is that Jesus told us we would do even greater things than He did while He was on this earth. John 14:12-14 “The truth is, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, because the work of the Son brings glory to the Father. Yes, ask anything in my name, and I will do it!”
Why is there not any mountains being moved today? Why don’t we see God doing mighty things anymore? Is He somehow weaker? Or maybe just not willing to help us anymore? No, God has not changed, He is the same God today as He was in the beginning. He cannot change, but we can and have.
The truth is that we don’t believe He is able.. We lack the simple small faith to believe that God is indeed the Great I AM of all creation. We have come to know a god that we can manage and control; we placed our god in a small box and place limits on what he can do. You are following a god of the world, a false god.
This is not the One True God. This is not our great King of kings and Lord of lords. Our God created the universe, this planet and you and He is not bound by anything you can think of. It is your lack of faith that limits God’s power in your life, and your life alone.
Moses had to BELIEVE that God was indeed Sovereign Lord before he led Israel out of captivity. It took a very real faith to believe that 300 men could defeat over 100,000 or that marching and playing trumpets could bring down the mighty walls of Jericho. It take a very real faith to see God’s power poured out on your family and real change to occur or on your community to see peoples lives eternally changed.
Are you experiencing the Power of God in your life? In your church? Why or more to the point, why not?