UNDERSTANDING THE POWER OF GOD

“Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not UNDERSTAND the Scriptures or the POWER OF GOD” – Mark 12:24 (NASV).

It is essential that we UNDERSTAND both the Scriptures and the POWER of GOD, if we are not to fall into errors. This is a dynamic duo that must always go together. If we understand one but not the other, we may be falling short of all that God wants us to have in Christ. There are Churches whose pastors are proficient in Bible knowledge, yet the real Power of God is lacking or not operating in their midst. Understanding Scriptures is very imperative, as they are our safety net against which to test all things: “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Perhaps the lack of understanding of God’s Power is the reason for the dwindling demonstration of His Power in many Christian circles, contrary to the testimony of Scriptures.

God has purposed to exhibit His Power through His people, in gatherings of believers, as a major tool in evangelism, and in our individual lives as well. The Lord is awakening His people, and creating in us a deep hunger to experience His Power. As we ask Him, the Holy Spirit will teach our hearts to better understand His Power.

First, we must understand how the Power of God was with Jesus: “Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them” (Lk.5:17). As Jesus was teaching, the Power of the Lord was present to heal. For Him to perform healing, it was necessary that the Power of God be present. If that was necessary for Jesus, how much more important it is for us! It could be futile to try to perform when the Power of God is simply not present. There were times when Jesus was so engulfed with the Power of God that He could sense when some of that power went out from Him: “And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for POWER WENT OUT FROM HIM and healed them all” (Lk.6:19).

Another example of what happens when God’s Power is present was the healing of the woman with the issue of blood: “And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” (Mk.5:30). Whenever the Power of God was present, people “were all amazed at the majesty of God”; they “marvelled at all the things which Jesus did” (Lk.9:43). Again, “Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out” (Lk.4:36). Jesus had the Power of God on Him, and He was not selfish with it. He acknowledged that it was there and He used it! Power does no good at all unless it is used!

Second, we must understand that Jesus gave the disciples Power. Not only did He have Power with Him, He also had the ability and authority to share this Power with other people, without it diminishing in essence:

•  “And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He GAVE them POWER over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease” (Mt.10:1).
• “And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and GAVE them POWER over unclean spirits” (Mk.6:7)

Not only did He give incredible Power to the twelve, but then He extended this gift to the seventy (Lk.10:1; 17-20).

Jesus thereafter promised and released God’s Power to all who believe (Lk.24:49; Acts 1:8). Today, that same Power is available to be demonstrated by every believer (Lk.10:19; Mk.16:17-18). Beloved, how evident is God’s Power in your life?