March 9, 2006 – TURN ON THE POWER!
My dear ones, it is up to us to turn on the power! Yes, God is the giver of that power, but you must throw the switch. How do you do that? You must first switch yourself from the reality of living a worldly life to the reality of living your entire life through the spirit of God. In other words, do not pattern your life after the world and its thinking, but seek the mind of God in all things – big or small! Expect and desire God to intervene when you are about to make a decision, for you may be thinking wrong or headed in the wrong direction. When you live your life to the will of God instead of your own, then every moment of your life is yielded to Him and the power will fall. Psalms 24: 3 Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. 5 He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior. Psalms 24:6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Selah
Is every moment of your life lived to please God? Is your first priority to walk in the presence of God and keep His commandments? Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. If you take inventory of your affections, you’ll find many worthless prizes. You must rid yourself of those empty and useless enterprises, and make room in your heart for Jesus Christ to be Lord of your life. The more room you make for God in your heart, the more God’s power is loosed in your life. 1Chronicles 29:11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.
Do you truly seek to know His will? Do you believe that He alone can work everything out for your good? Your answers to these questions are all important! Isaiah 26:12 LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us. Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. When you are persuaded in your heart that God is with you in your darkest hour, then your faith and trust will bring forth a glorious work of God. When you are bowed down with trials and tests, which you feel you cannot bear, but still believe God will work it all out for your good, you have loosed God’s power of miraculous change. Matthew 17:20 I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” If you see and believe that God is in everything that happens to you (good or bad), then you know that you have given God charge of your life. Belief and trust in Him gives God the power to take each of our lives and design them after His perfect plan. When we give our lives over to the care and oversight of God we have thrown the switch to power! God chooses for us His highest and best but it is up to us to choose His life over ours. Remember, everything is by “faith.” The scripture says: Matthew 9:29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you.” God can do immeasurably more than we can ask or think, but His power is measured to us according to our faith.
The scripture says: Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, Ephesians 3:21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. The world has been taken over by the unbelievers and the body of Christ is wavering and not taking the critical stands necessary for God’s glory. We cry, “Where is your power?” And, the Lord responds, “YOU HAVE NOT BECAUSE YOU ASK NOT. MY CHILDREN BELIEVE MY POWER IS A TOY. MY POWER IS USED FOR MY GLORY ALONE AND IS GIVEN TO THOSE THAT SEEK MY RIGHTEOUSNESS AND GLORY.”
When we seek Christ and seek to be like Him, He will fill our lives with His power to carry out His will for us. Acts 3:12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or Godliness we had made this man walk? Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 1Corinthians 4:19 But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 1Corinthians 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. We cannot do His work and His will apart from His power within us. His glory is manifested through us and the way we live our lives. We need power to overcome the enemy of our souls and power to live victoriously. If our pathway is dark then the only place to go is to Christ. He alone can bring light into our lives. Matthew 6:23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! Psalms 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? When we turn totally to Christ He will be our “life and light.” Isaiah 60:1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. He triumphed over darkness with His light and He sent the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth. John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. The Holy Spirit is our internal guide, who will approve or convict us of our attitudes and decisions. He is the still, small voice in our hearts that speaks to us and leads us towards God’s will for our lives. We will never know the life God wants us to live, apart from knowing Christ and asking Him to live within us.
Let Christ have “his way” with you and He will be the light of your life – your hope of glory. ~God Is Light 1John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. John 1:4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. Turn on the switch! Seek Christ with all your heart and in all your ways and allow God to work His power through you. Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.