“For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” Matthew 6:13
Dear Ones:
When the Lord Jesus spoke to His disciples concerning the “promise of the Father,” which would be the outpouring of the Spirit, which began on the day of Pentecost, it was specific in that He declared: “But you shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit is come upon you.” (Acts. 1:8) When Joel spoke of the outpouring of the Spirit, which was confirmed by the preaching of Peter, it was manifested primarily by power, the power of God given to men, to BE witnesses, Christ’s witnesses unto the uttermost part of the earth. Why was the issue of power so very important, even essential, to the commitment and accomplishment of the Great Commission, the spreading of the word of God throughout the world. Basically, it was because of two reasons. The first concerned the limitations of men, specifically of believers, to accomplish a task, a work, that God ALONE could do. Secondly, there was the issue of spiritual opposition, the very antagonism to the message of the Gospel, and the consequent testimony of God before men. On the one hand, there had to be power to overcome the weaknesses of men, and their limitations to accomplish such a monumental task. On the other, there had to be a greater power operating in the hearts of the believers to overcome the enemy of souls, an enemy who would seek to hinder, and destroy, the advancement of the kingdom of God. The promise of the Lord Jesus concerning the overcoming power of the church, with regard to the resistance of the enemy, is so very clearly depicted by His words: “…and the gates of hell shall NOT prevail against it. (the church).” (Matt. 16:18) But, what about the individual believer? Does the promise that was destined for the body of Christ as a whole, apply to every member of it?
We know that on the day of Pentecost, there was the manifestation of the outpouring of the Spirit upon every individual in the upper room. We know also, that in the writings of Paul to the Corinthian church, we find him declaring: “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal (…all concerned.) (1 Cor. 12:7) It is only as there is the “manifestation” of the Spirit of God in the individual, that there will be the fullness of the power of God in the church. This too was seen by the unity of the brethren on the day of Pentecost. However, after Pentecost, and practically speaking, how is the individual believer to be empowered by this very Spirit of Pentecost? How is this power from heaven itself, from the very throne of God, to be known and lived?
The first essential thing is to have a vision, a true and balanced, spiritual perspective of the power of God toward every believer. Paul, in the first of two great prayers for the believers in Ephesus, prayed: “…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, would give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him:…that you might know…what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His power, which He wrought in Christ.” (3:17,18,19,20) It is in the knowledge of the blessing of power in Christ, given by the Spirit, that the believer is given the truth, the means by which to believe God, for it to become operational in his life.
Secondly, Paul prays to the Father, “…that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.” (3:16,17) On the one hand, there needs to be the grasping of the truth concerning the power of God in Christ, available to us. On the other hand, there must be the prayer, according to the will of God, for faith to be strengthened to believe God for the fullness of the Spirit.
Dear Father, anoint our eyes to see the panorama of Thy power available to us, and strengthen us to believe You for it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad