“For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 2:2-5 NLT
There are two powers at work in the lives of believers – their own power and the “power of God”. Of course, that puts us well above the prowess of worldly unbelieving people who only have access to their own power, about which they boast and apply worldly ways. But just imagine it once again; that power within us by the Holy Spirit is the “power of God” and it is insurmountable. Ephesians 3:20, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think“. Unlike with our human own capabilities, there is no limit to the “power of God”.
Anyone reading the Old Testament will be aware of the “power of God”. Just consider God’s mighty acts as He extracted the Hebrew slaves from Pharaoh’s clutches. About how He fed upwards of two million people for forty years with a food totally complete with all the nutrition needed for life. That’s a lot of packed lunches! About how He stopped the rotation of the earth for a while (Joshua 10:13) so that Israel’s enemies could be defeated. About how he packed a boat with a pair of every living thing so that evil and wickedness could be destroyed with a flood. There are so many more details of God’s exploits, and no self-respecting Jew or Christian will ever deny the “power of God”. David was aware of God’s power and he wrote, “God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!” (Psalm 68:35).
The Gospel of Mark records Jesus’ instructions to His disciples just prior to His ascension into Heaven. “And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone” (Mark 16:15). But Jesus wasn’t suggesting a powerless message, even if it was presented “using clever and persuasive speeches” as would have been the norm in the Corinthian culture. In Mark, Jesus went on to say “These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed”. And the very last verse in Mark reads, “And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs“. So when Paul wrote that he preached a “plain” word, it was followed with some powerful miraculous signs that confirmed the truth of what he had said.
This was also the case with the other early Apostles. A few days ago we considered the healing of the lame beggar in the gate of the Temple by Peter and John – Acts 3:6, “But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!””. Now that’s the “power of God” because there was no human power that could have achieved that, and there never has been any since, even with all the technological and medical achievements we expect today. But here’s the thing, the power of man would have made some crutches or artificial limbs, or if that wasn’t possible, the NHS would have provided a wheelchair tailor made for the beggar, and the state would have supplied benefits so that he didn’t have to beg. But the one thing that the power of man couldn’t do was recorded in Acts 3:7-8, “Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them“. Now that’s the “power of God”! And we also note that all this took place before the preaching of the Word, which followed soon afterwards because if we read further in the account, we notice that a crowd had gathered. There is of course no mystery in that. A miraculous sign such as the healing of the lame man that had just been observed would have had a dramatic impact in those days, as it would today. And we see the result over the page in Acts 4:4, “But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of men who believed now totalled about 5,000“. It was the “power of God” at work that saw three thousand men saved after Peter’s Pentecost speech (Acts 2:41) and a further two thousand after the healing of the lame man. Of course, it begs the question as to why such dramatic numbers are not achieved after the preaching of the Message of the Cross today, and it can only be because the wrong power is at work. The power of man can present a good “clever and persuasive” message, but it is only the “power of God” that will confirm the word with signs following.
The “power of God” is available to empower the lives of believers, something Isaiah was aware of. He wrote, “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:29-31). And this is true because we pilgrims have experienced that power in our own lives, as we go about our daily business. It lifts our heads, it raises our moods, it provides for our needs and so on. The list is endless. And if we look back over our lives we see the “power of God” at work in one situation after another. God’s power is at work in the lives of His children, day after day, to the extent that we tend to get a bit blasé, taking Him for granted. But what about the exploits of God in miraculous signs and wonders? Should we not expect that as well?
Some denominations and movements believe that God’s miracles died away with the early Apostles, but that is not my experience. My own daughter was healed of a life threatening illness and even the medics who treated her had to concede that this was a miracle, as was recorded on her medical notes. I believe the “power of God” is still present today for those who believe. There is the episode recorded in Mark 9 of the father who had a demon-possessed son. He said to Jesus, “Have mercy on us and help us, if You can”. We read Jesus’ reply in the next verse, ““What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”” (Mark 9:23-24). Perhaps we pilgrims need to believe what Jesus said, that “Anything is possible if a person believes”.
We mustn’t listen to the enemy and anyone else, who deny that the “power of God” exists anymore. Instead we must continue to share the Gospel with those around us, always sensitive to the power within us, the Holy Spirit, who can and will do amazing things.
Dear Heavenly Father. Your power is limitless and we pray for more power in our lives, to do great things both in our lives and the lives of those around us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 