From Weakness to Power

Weekly Devotion Feb 12, 2015

From weakness to Power

“I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." (Luke 24:48-49)

Have you ever wondered why  the believers since the ascension of Jesus Christ have preached the Gospel powerfully, all over the world even though logically the Gospel message is really offensive and has a bloody message?  The good news tells of this seemingly unknown Jesus of Nazareth that suffered, died and shed his blood as a criminal. The message is foolish and a stumbling block.  “The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness…” (Message Bible, 1 Corinthians 18). In fact Islam totally rejects the message that Jesus was crucified.   When the disciples of Jesus started preaching about Jesus, they were jeered, stoned, imprisoned and even killed.  It was never an attractive message and it is not even today.

Jesus knew that. Jesus willingly suffered and died as a sacrifice for the sin of the world.  This was the message that his disciples were to preach. But Jesus also promised his disciples “power from on high”. The Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit of Christ, The Spirit of God that would empower the disciples. This power burned in the hearts of the disciples that exploded in the whole world.  The Apostle Paul, could not have achieved his mission if he did not have this power. He says:  “I was unsure of how to go about this, and felt totally inadequate—I was scared to death, if you want the truth of it—and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else. But the Message came through anyway. God’s Spirit and God’s power did it…” (  2 Corinthians 2:3-5 The Message Bible ) .

Are you afraid to share the Gospel since you believed? Do you find yourself inadequate, scared to death?  If you have asked Jesus to come into your heart, you can ask God to empower you with his Spirit. Do not buy into the theory that if I have Jesus, I have it all. I earnestly urge you to ask and trust his Word to fill you with power from on high. There is a Pentecost for everyone though you might not hear the “wind” or see the tongues of fire.  There is a filling of the Holy Spirit and re-filling over and over “… This comes with prayer and total surrender to Him. how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"(Luke 111:13).

God Credited us with righteousness

God credited us with righteousness

Romans 4:25

“He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”

All the troubles of the world point us to the fact that there is something gone wrong with the human race.  I get the sickening feeling when I watch the news everyday . In fact even the heavens and the earth is shaken by what mankind are up to. There seems to be no purpose on earth except the purpose to survive. Just wide open your eyes, view the world. Mankind are running after meaninglessness and nothingness. They are powerless , and trapped by the evil forces out of which there is no escape.  There is  no peace or safety around. Mankind are slaves of their own doing. I have met hundreds of people in my life that has only trouble, sufferings, heartbreaks , pain and sickness. Families are destroyed, heart breaks and hurting people all around. Happiness is a temporary thing and is so momentary as though it’s never there. Suicides, Euthanasia, violence , murders, and abortions are signs in the world of mankind that has given up on their own mankind. Have we wondered why all this is happening in the world? Our sins. Until we come to accept the fact that all of us have fallen short of the Glory of God and need to come back to God, we can never find meaning , purpose and peace in our life. God laid my sins on Jesus when he died . Jesus was my substitute, that he died in my stead, and that he arose because God had obtained justification for me the moment I received Eternal life and became God’s child. Before I had met Christ , I was hurting, sick in my mind, slave of sin, feeling guilty and in fear . I was ruled by Satan and possessed by demons. His power controlled me . Then I accepted Jesus and believed that he died for  me and was raised to life for my justification. That simple trust in that fact redeemed me from Satan, and delivered me from darkness and sickness.

"Blessed are they

whose transgressions are forgiven,

whose sins are covered.

 Blessed is the man

whose sin the Lord will never count against him." ( Romans 4:7-8)