CHRIST - The Power of God

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
(2Co 12:9)

For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
(1Th 1:5)

What does the word “power” mean in the scriptures? Jesus Christ spoke with power in the synagogues, Luke 4:32; Paul said the gospel was the power of God, Romans 1:16.

The following is a study on the usage of the word and reveals that the individual who is indwelt with the Holy Spirit is imbued with God’s power on this earth.

What IS God’s power, BUT Christ? It is He who died for us that was given all power and dominion in heaven and on earth. As many as receive Jesus, are given the power to become the sons of God.

We have the power of Christ in our lives, and thereby have dominion over sin. We overcome the world in Christ, and thus, we understand what Paul means, when he says that we are more than conquerors. Warriors set for the battle against the powers of the air, we fight against the spiritual wickedness in high places that would have us returned to their sinful kingdom. In Christ, we are filled with the power and authority of God, in Words of Truth AND in demonstration of the power of the Spirit through revelations, prophecy and miracles. We may ask Him anything, and He will do it.

If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Joh 14:14

For it is God which worketh in you
both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Php 2:13

We also have power with God as was granted to Jacob after he wrestled with the angel.

And he said, Thy name shall be called no more
Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou
power with God and with men,
and hast prevailed.
Gen 32:28

Jacob’s faithfulness in clinging to the “angel of the Lord,” resulted in the blessing of God. It was here that Jacob was given his new name, Israel, who then became the father of a great nation whereby he had power with God. Jacob prevailed over his enemies and walked and talked with God Almighty. The Lord’s hand was upon his life and Jacob died in peace.

In order to receive this “Jacob anointing” in our lives, we must cling to Christ, who IS the power of God. Christians are given Christ the King (God’s power) to lead them into green pastures, the peaceful dwelling places that exist only in His Kingdom. The Power of God Christ, is the victor in heaven, and we are His armies following Him as he puts down His enemies (who are also OUR enemies) and leads us to the springs of eternal life.

We must keep our eyes fastened upon the Power of God Christ, and by this yielding to His Spirit, we are granted the same power as was given by the Father to the Son. Jesus revealed to His disciples that they would do “greater works,” after He was to depart.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me,
the works that I do shall he do also;
and greater works than these shall he do;
because I go unto my Father.
Joh 14:12

Jesus Christ had power with men. His words and actions were able to convert even the most hardened hearts. His demonstration of the power of God was revealed in his numerous miracles and He was able to silence unbelievers with a word. Jesus was able to know the thoughts and intents of the their hearts and reveal truths that were hidden from the foundation of the world to those who had ears to hear. (Humble hearts). His words of judgment fell upon the Pharisees and Scribes who rejected Him, such that they had the Lord crucified. Multitudes of the children of Israel followed this amazing Messiah until His death and continued on in the faith, whereby our Church grew to this very day.

The power of God rules over the power of darkness, satan’s kingdom, which is filled with spiritual drunkeness, false doctrine, sins of the flesh, and every form of rebellion known to mankind. The heads of these demons are crushed by His power working in us, as we follow the Lamb wherever He goes. (Gen 3:15)

In our covenant of Grace and Truth with Christ, we are washed clean from our sins, and are taught to overcome them. We agree with the gospel, His Word, which we entered into at conversion. We covenant with God to hate and resist evil, to love the good and to live by His Word with His Power.

For sin shall not have dominion over you:
for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Rom 6:14

The power of God, which is the Spirit of Christ in us, reveals our sin and brings the remedy (the Word) to our remembrance. When we act upon the guidance and instruction of the Spirit, we overcome our enemies, as did Joshua and the children of Israel, prevailing against the giants in the land. Joshua was a type of Christ leading the children of Israel to their inheritance, the land, but in our case, eternal life. Israel witnessed God’s power in situations that would have appeared hopeless. His power was available to them, as long as they followed Him. However, when they rebelled against Him, Israel was overcome by their enemies.

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you

an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day;
lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
For we are made partakers of Christ,
if we hold the beginning of our confidence
stedfast unto the end; While it is said,

to day if ye will hear his voice,
harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Heb 3:12-15

I

In the Power of God Christ, sin no longer has dominion over us and we walk in heavenly places in Him. However, forsaking the covenant of Grace and Truth in Christ, which is apostasy, and returning to the world and it’s wickedness, causes us to be cast out of His presence. Unless there is repentance, we will no longer have Power with God over our enemies (sin), with God, (His protection) or with men. Cain received the mark of God’s rejection because of his rebellion and refusal to repent. He was cast out of God’s presence/power/covering and became a vagabond (wanderer) in the earth. Remembering the earth is ruled by another god, we know that Cain came under his power.

Finally, the Power of God is revealed when Christ defeated death in His bodily resurrection. This power of God through the resurrection of mankind will be fulfilled at the Last Trump, when the dead in Christ shall rise first, and those who are alive, will be caught up to meet Him in the air. The wicked too will be raised, but to everlasting contempt.

And declared to be the Son of God with power,
according to the spirit of holiness,
by the resurrection from the dead:
Rom 1:4

And God hath both raised up the Lord,
and will also raise up us by his own power.
1Co 6:14

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection,
and the fellowship of his sufferings,
being made conformable unto his death;
Php 3:10

Hold fast saints, to the hope that is before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher and POWER of God unto salvation.

Morning Manna
Patti White
June 24, 2008

SEEKING CONFIRMATION

An Examination of Doubt

When the men were come unto him, they said,
John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying,
Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities, and of evil spirits;
and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
Then Jesus answering said unto them,
Go your way, and tell John
what things ye have seen and heard;
how that the blind see, the lame walk,
the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear,
the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.
Luk 7:20-22

Jesus never leaves us in the dark. He is the Word from heaven that reveals truths to all who open the door to Him.

One wonders of the prophet John as he languishes in prison. Was he contemplating his death? Did he fulfill his mission? Were these his thoughts and questions? Despite the glory revealed in Jesus Christ, which glory John was eyewitness to, he still sought confirmation as to whether Jesus was indeed the Messiah.

How often we know the truth of a matter, but doubt it. God has given us assurances in many things, but often we seek affirmation from Him. Although we walk by faith, and not by sight, we must resist the trappings of the carnal mind which will always cause us to question and doubt. We doubt God when we seek carnal remedies to spiritual issues. This is sin. The scriptures tell us that whatever is not of faith IS sin. Giving heed to doubt will break the peace that exists in the Spirit and bind us.

Let us be mindful when the spirit of doubt comes upon us and remember the one who opposed truth in the Garden:

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field
which the LORD God had made.
And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said,
Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Gen 3:1

Satan’s attempt to deceive Eve began with a question. Did God really say this? He then twisted the truth of the Word of God into a lie causing confusion in the Woman. This confusion caused her to remove her focus from the WORD and to look upon an object. As she contemplated the beauty of the tree, lust was conceived and it finally brought forth sin.

Eve’s fall from Eden resulted when she gave the fruit to Adam and all humankind would now be born into the fallen world in a fallen nature. Satan succeeded in corrupting what God had created as GOOD.

The coming of John the Baptist was prophesied thousands of years before the birth of Christ. He was the one chosen to manifest the Messiah to the nation of Israel. This great mission would be given only to him alone, but John was not alone. John went forth in the spirit and power of Elijah. He was filled with the Spirit from the womb, and was set apart as a Nazarite all of his life. He lived in the wilderness and clearly heard the voice of the Almighty. The preaching of John the Baptist pierced hearts and caused many to come to repentance. He was the Elijah to come and yet, despite the manifestation of the Spirit in his life, John still must experience trials of his faith. “…Shall we look for another?” Luke 7:20

The Word says that He has chosen us in Him from the foundation of the world. It further says that we are the Temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells within us. The Holy Spirit leads us and guides us into all truth and while we do not have the mission of John, we are still called to be witnesses of Christ. God has sent the Spirit (as a dove) to fall upon us, to empower His Church to proclaim the works of God and redemption found in Christ. We stand on this truth, as did John. The gates of hell cannot prevail against it.

Man does not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. If God has revealed a truth to us, why do we sometimes behave as Eve and look elsewhere? Our faith must be stretched, purified, refined, and perfected to a glorious, shimmering gold, but this process takes time. We succeed, but we also fail. We do not become the perfection in Christ we seek without suffering for it, but as John was not alone, neither are we. The Kingdom of God is within and thereby we are empowered during these trials to overcome and to grow, from glory to glory.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,
from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the LORD,
which made heaven and earth.
Psa 121:1-2

We grow from glory to glory by casting all of our cares upon Him, through repentance, by casting down imaginations and by belief in every Word of God. When the spirit of doubt falls upon us, (and it will), our first defense is to cry out to God who will bring the truth to our memory.

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost,
whom the Father will send in my name,
he shall teach you all things,
and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto you.
Joh 14:26

The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, and we must resist carnal remedies, as we have learned in the story of Eve. Reasoning must never be mixed with imagination. We must seek Christ’s face only in all things. This is the Way. It is the state of the overcomer, and is only accomplished in Christ.

John the Baptist understood this well. The disciples carried his question to the One who could ease his mind. Our Lord’s response to John was simple. He gave John the WORD.

Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way,
and tell John what things ye have seen and heard;
how that the blind see, the lame walk,
the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear,
the dead are raised,
to the poor the gospel is preached.
Luk 7:22

The Messiah was the one to bring the healing to His people, as was prophesied, and as the prophet John knew well. The Baptist received revelation of the scriptures from the Holy One, as he prepared for his mission in the wilderness.

John knew, as we do, that Christ would:

Open the eyes of the blind:

To open the blind eyes,
to bring out the prisoners from the prison,
and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
Isa 42:7

Heal the lame:

Then shall the lame man leap as an hart,
and the tongue of the dumb sing:
for in the wilderness shall waters break out,
and streams in the desert.
Isa 35:6

Cleanse the lepers:

For I will restore health unto thee,
and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD;
because they called thee an Outcast, saying,
This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.
Jer 30:17

The deaf hear:

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Isa 35:5

The Dead raised:

Thy dead men shall live,
together with my dead body shall they arise.
Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust:
for thy dew is as the dew of herbs,
and the earth shall cast out the dead.
Isa 26:19

The Gospel is preached:

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me;
because the LORD hath anointed me
to preach good tidings unto the meek;
he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Isa 61:1

Jesus never rejects a seeking heart. He will not respond to us with confusion, or doubt, but rather, with the WORD. That truth will be imparted to us with clarity and simplicity, as was His response to John.

But we all, with open face
beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord,
are changed into the same image from glory to glory,
even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
2Co 3:18

Grace and Truth are rooted in Christ. He is the Source of all knowledge and must be the one we fix our gaze upon. When we cast all of our cares upon Him, He will erase all doubt, fear and confusion. His Breath is our life and His truth is found in His Word.

When the spirit of doubt comes that says, “Shall we look for another?” (or, shall we look upon anything other than Jesus in ANY matter?) the Word says we have an unction with the Holy One. We must stand on the Rock, for Jesus Christ alone is our salvation and He alone restoreth our souls.

Morning Manna
Patti White
6/23/08