WE HAVE POWER! POWER to HIS PEOPLE!

2 Corinthians 10:³For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. ⁴For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

Just in case you are just joining us, this is the last installment ( I think) of this blog, and while we possess many powers beyond our own comprehension today's is no different.  Yes we are flesh but GOD didn't leave us defenseless here to live a totally mild manored existence.  He equipped us with the power to destroy strongholds, the ability to break away from those things that have or had us captive.  WHY?  Because there is a WAR going on, Ephesians makes this clear that it is not against flesh, but rather the dark spirits, and Paul even reminds the Church of Corinth that this power is very evident!   Also we are reminded that Christ gave us the power to tread over scorpions and snakes....so as you approach today, everyday remember that we empowered by CHRIST to actually do greater things, but we have to submit to His Word, and be in His will to experience this in it's fullness.   This is why certain people can just stop drinking or smoking "cold turkey" but yet struggle in their faith. 

Let us RUN to be included in a community of Christ followers (church, small group, etc) so that we are not alone in this battle and that we may link arms with others, and their giftedness to ensure ourselves VICTORY over the powers of DARKNESS!  It begins with LOVING GOD, and LOVING PEOPLE this is the greatest of POWERS & unlocks the others! BE BLESSED! LGLP 

The POWER of YOUR TONGUE?

^{Proverbs 18:20}A man's [moral] self shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; and with the consequence of his words he must be satisfied [whether good or evil]. ²¹Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].
 
Featured today is Banshee, a member of the Xmen that has the remarkable ability due to the strength of his superhumanly powerful lungs, throat, and vocal cords could produce a sonic scream for various effects, which range from flying, exploding or imploding objects, piercing objects, and he could even injure himself.  Today's scripture is a Proverb which are moreso common sense statements that should be used to help us live sensible lives.  This speaks specifically though regarding the power in our very mouths, much like this SuperHero.   Essentially our tongues are powerful enough to speak life into people, or death.  If you don't believe me....think about why you are who you are and where you are right now.  Who encouraged you to____________________ or who discouraged your from______________?    Think about the effects of a verbally abusive relationship, contrary to a coach who loves the kids and tirelessly poured words into them, to which they are now a professional athlete.
 
Much like Banshee, our words our tongue even has the ability to cause harm to ourselves.  If you are married/divorced you know exactly what I'm talking about.  Think of all the hopeful politicians that because of something they said (right, wrong or indifferent) that it costed them the nomination.  The power of the tongue is a gift from GOD, which HE demonstrated the beauty of it, in Genesis.  If you turn to the first two chapters you read that GOD spoke and then it was.  Now we don't have same power to that extent, but on a much smaller scale....we have the ability to encourage ourselves (speak to ourselves and even others) to do things beyond our wildest imaginations.
 

 

 

 

 

 

YOUR CHALLENGE TODAY, focus...and try to speak LIFE into EVERY PERSON you meet, and who knows the fruit that will be produced by you speaking the TRUTH in LOVE, but I do know this...it will be GOOD FRUIT! LGLP

The Power to Hurt (Each Other)

Eccl.8:9  All this I observed as I tried my best to understand all that's going on in this world. As long as men and women have the power to hurt each other, this is the way it is.

For over  a week now I've been speaking about the powers we have, and many of them in a positive light, but today, I can't continue without recognizing that we too have the ability to do evil, and we do....for many of us daily, simply because we are innately selfish.    I began hinting toward this yesterday, but today I will take it head on.   Take a moment to think about YESTERDAY; who did you hurt?  Ask yourself was that your intent; or did it really just happen?  I am sure when you are finished and you strip it of all the excuses or rationlizations (RATIONAL LIES) you are left with SELFISHNESS.   We are quicker to point our fingers at CEOs and Polititcians for our country and economy, but what about you?    YOU BOUGHT that HOUSE you can't afford.   You purchased all that stuff....cause you wanted (you can't even LIE and said you needed all of it) it.   The reason for THIS POWER began in the garden and the weed of selfishness has continued to grow in each one of us since Eve & Adam chose to disobey GOD.

My challenge to you, watch HOW YOU HANDLE GOD's people (that's EVERYONE) today, and be sensitive, alert, and careful that you don't mishandle someone today because of your SELFISHNESS.  See if you can actually abstain from using the POWER TO HURT.  LGLP

The POWER to HELP (to do GOOD)

PROVERBS 3:²⁷ Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them.²⁸ If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say, “Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.”

I've now been at Calvary five years (in February 2012)  and I must admit that coming there I was a selfish Christian, and honestly  that innnate human character trait rears its ugly head from time to time, but GOD does and has enabled me and many others at this wonderful place of worship to think about & serve the surrounding communities.   Truthfully speaking on the norm we get up in the a.m. thinking about our coffee, our work, our schedules, our.......you name it, and this is not the heart & mind of Christ.    Calvary began an event called SERVE DAY (pictured above are some folks taking part in such a day) where we have hundreds of projects that people have wrote in about, or has come to attention that could use the heart and hands of people who have a desire to HELP (Do Good).    But here's the phenomenal thing...while this EVENT occurs once a year, you are not held to waiting till that day comes to SERVE.  Nope, you can cut your neighbors lawn when you cut your own.   You can drag in their trash cans, when you drag yours in.  If you see a need......according to the scripture.... you don't have to have an invitation......all you need is a heart.

Are you JESUS to your neighbors?  At work, at the fast food restaraunt, in general? Do you look for opportunities to bless those in need?  GOD has given each of us the POWER to DO GOOD, to help those in need.....the question is are you going to be a SELFISH SUPERHERO or WILL YOU ACTUALLY PUT ON the IMAGE OF CHRIST!

The POWER to HEAL (others)

Acts 4:30 "Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus Christ."

So we find Peter and John being brought before the council for having healed a crippled man, and asked " How is this possible?"  There response found in the 4th Chapter of Acts, is basically through the power of JESUS CHRIST!  Here is the pic of Elixir the Xmen mutant who's general ability was to supernaturally correct anything genetically or medically wrong in the body of any person he touched.   I 'm sure many of you have heard of, seen, or maybe even experienced a miraculous healing, I'm talking about the ones that medicine could only write it off as a miracle.  I personally have the priviledge of seeing a few, and knowing a few walking miracles.   My son Tre (Raymond) is a miracle as we were told Cherilyn couldn't have another baby.   Jake Gregory was counted for death or a vegetable, and now.......well let's just say she's running around and enjoy some vegetables from time to time. 

The POWER to HEAL is a power we should all possess.   NO I'm not saying we should all be laying hands on people and expecting cancer to go away (while that would be great) God's desire is that we'd be healers of relationships, of broken homes & hearts.   That we'd be the TRUE AGENTS of change in a hurting dying world, by EXPOSING those living in darkness to HIS WORD, HIS LOVE, and HIS POWER!  Remember Ephesians tells us....He can do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think, ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKS in US!

BE The ELIXIR today, the one .....ingredient that makes your job, your home, your community, your marriage a better place simply because of the POWER OF CHRIST working in, and through you!  LGLP

THE POWER OF SELF CONTROL

1 Peter 1:⁵ In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, ⁶ and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, ⁷ and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.    

Of all the Justice League superheros, Atom is the only one that has total control of his entire body.   He in the comics has been able to shrink himself to be able to into the bloodstream of Superman to heal and issue, as well as been able to magnify himself big enough or strong enough to punch through a wall.  But what does ATOM have to do with us as believers?  Simply this....ATOM was able to be all things to all people simply due to his abilities...and the question for you is.....ARE YOU DO YOU EVEN ATTEMPT TO BE  all things to all people in hopes of winning more for CHRIST (1Cor.9)?   Our scripture context is in regards to the FACT that GOD has provided us with the abilities needed to live a GODLY LIFE (and our response to HIS GIFT to us) if we would supplement our faith with........................                     

                               KNOWLEDGE WITH SELF CONTROL

                              SELF CONTROL WITH PATIENCE ENDURANCE

                              PATIENCE ENDURACE WITH GODLINESS

                              GODLINESS WITH BROTHERLY AFFECTION

                               BROTHERLY AFFECTION WITH LOVE FOR EVERYONE

See the end result is that we'd have LOVE FOR EVERYONE!   Just in case you didn't know EVERYONE includes your boss, your co-workers, your neighbors (all of them), the homeless, the sick, the bad kid on your block, the drug dealer, the drug addict, the drunk, the pedifile and if you truly LOVE EVERYONE your LOVE will MOVE YOU to DO something...even if that something is praying eanestly.......SO  I WONDER WHAT THE CHALLENGE IS TODAY???????????  LGLP

THE POWER OF LIGHT

2 Corinthians 4:7
We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

The moment we realize that we live in darkness, and long for that LIGHT....and we throught the power of the Holy Spirit accept the LIGHT, we then become children of the LIGHT!  It then becomes our responsibility to let our LIGHTS SO SHINE THAT MEN/WOMEN/CHILDREN may see our good works and Glorify Him!   As Paul was writing to the Corinthian church, he wanted to remind them that since they've accepted Christ and His LIGHT lives in our hearts and dwells in our bodies that since we are like jars of clay containing this power...it's not of our own abilities that we conjure up...but rather OUR POWER IS FROM GOD!   Green Lantern took an oath that said

...and I shall shed my light over dark evil.

For the dark things cannot stand the light,

The light of the Green Lantern!

Which when you look at it reminds us of  JESUS reminding us that WE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD (Luke 5:14) and that darkness will not overcome the LIGHT (John 1:5).  We are also reminded that it is our responsibility to keep THIS LIGHT shining (Luke 11:35) and to know that we will come upon trials in this life and that when we do...we are to draw our encouragement from this same POWERFUL LIGHT!  (10:31-37).

SO my challenge to you is since the WORD says we are a candle on a hill...many of you work or live in places that you personally feel are places of darkness...and my problem with that is.....LIGHT always overcomes darkness...no matter how small or powerful of a light....it overcomes!   Green Lantern's abilities beyond the ring were his ability to imagine something and it manifest through the power of the LIGHT within the ring he wore.......I DARE YOU TO IMAGINE how to let your LIGHT SO SHINE at work and in your community that people will be drawn to you, but ultimately to GOD!  LGLP

 

The (SUPER) Power of LOVE

Ephesians 3:19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

If I ever had a crush on a SuperHero it was Wonder Woman.  She was not only beautiful to look at, she was a woman that in the comic book realm was just everything.  She was super smart, gifted in hand to hand combat, very strong, had religious convictions and lived her life on principles based off of her spirituality.   So much so here's a quote regarding her very character: 

" However, though well-versed in—and seemingly designed for—the art of warfare, Wonder Woman is, in truth, a pacifist who utilizes these gifts as a means to bring humanity a message of peace and hope " 

  Who else does that sound like......JESUS.  He was the ULTIMATE WARRIOR but a pacifist who utilized the POWER OF LOVE to sacrifice His very life to bring the message of peace & hope to the lost.    Paul even mentions (in 1Corinthians 13) that while we may be gifted in many arenas....if we don't have LOVE we have noting.  You know you are filled with such power, when you are able to LOVE YOUR ENEMIES and DO GOOD to THEM THAT CURSE YOU (LUKE 6:26-28). 

So my challenge for you today (SUPER) friends is to pray that it is THIS LOVE that fills you today so that you may reflect the peace and hope that CHRIST your savior offers to a dying world.  Do without fear and according to 2 Timothy 1:7  For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.  NOW IN HIS POWER GO!  LGLP

THE PURPOSE of the POWER

ACTS 7:20    “At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child.  For three months he was cared for by his family.

Before you ask....no this is not a picture of Moses as a baby, but rather it is a picture of infantile superman being held up by his father Jarrel before being put into a pod, that would later find itself in a corn field in rural Illinois.   Moses when he was born his FATHER GOD, knew that He had great plans in store for Moses, similar to Jarrel knowing that his son would land in orbit of the yellow sun, which means he'd have unique abilities that would serve him well.     Minutes into the actual movie....you find the toddler version of Superman lifting up a pick up truck and his adopted parents feeling the scripture that " this was no ordinary child."

Believe it or not I've echoed the same words regarding my own children when I've had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of how GOD has uniquely equipped them.  BUT WHY?  Why is one child extremely fast, and another extremely compassionate?  Or one child athletically gifted, while the other is academically gifted?  Moses fetes (the 10 Plagues, parting the Red Sea, delivering God's people, water from a rock, etc) were never about him....they were all so that GOD would be GLORIFIED.  Simply put our powers/gifts are so that HE MAY BE GLORIFIED!    WE ARE ALL GIFTED, some have multiple gifts ( Superman could not just fly, but had superior strength, he could blow and things could freeze, he had laser beam eyes, and was very fast) and some have a few...but at the end of the day...it's about IS HE BEING GLORIFIED through your giftedness....and is the world a better place because of you? 

SUPERMAN's powers were only actualized while in the presence of the YELLOW SUN.   Don't know or haven't discovered your powers?  GET IN THE PRESENCE OF THE SON!  LGLP

POWER to GO

Matthew 28:   ¹⁸Jesus approached and, ^[a]breaking the silence, said to them, All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. ¹⁹Go then.......

So, Christ risen came to His disciples to show Himself as the no longer crucified but the ressurected, and not just ressurected but with power & authority.   He then commissioned them to GO!  Can you imagine what is had to be like being there?  Seeing Christ, your mentor, your friend, in Glorious power and might....how encouraging and awesome it had to be?  I mean just days ago you thought it was over....you saw Him bleeding, agonizing in pain, and even dying.  And you're left wondering how can I, how can we GO on to do what He's taught us...but NOW!

SO maybe you weren't there, maybe you have no idea what it must've felt like......but if you've come to know that the tomb is empty....and that He is in fact risen, with all power, and that He's commanded/commissioned His disciples to GO....then you have to know it is IN HIS POWER that you CAN!  YOU CAN WHAT?   This week we will talk about what SUPER POWERS you have been entrusted with to fulfill the WILL OF GOD.  If you aren't particuarly fond of MONDAYs.....and are wondering how in the world will you make it.......remember He's given you POWER TO GO in His POWER...that's how.    Believe it or not.....we'll even look at this scriptural knowledge through the lenses of fictious Comic book super hereos....so prepare for an ADVENTUROUS WEEK in CHRIST!  LGLP