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The Power of God |
Dear Brethren,
Do we limit God? Is it possible to limit God,
who is all-powerful? As Creator of the universe, He developed the
awesome plan to create the physical world, and brought it into being.
We, as very limited human beings, are also the product of His creative
effort. Is it possible, as small and weak as we are, to have the
potential to limit God’s power?
We in God’s Church are very blessed. We have the privilege of
understanding God’s wonderful plan of salvation. We have also been
given the privilege of having a personal relationship with Him. We know
that we can speak directly to Him! He lives in us. "Know ye not
that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in
you?" (1Corinthians 3:16)
God the Father and Jesus literally make their home in each obedient
Christian. Jesus said, "If a man love me, he will keep my words:
and my Father will love him, and we
will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
(John 14:23)
God intends to have a dynamic, two-way, relationship with us. When God,
after calling us and opening our minds, came into our lives, He never
intended to become a “silent-partner.” "You are the temple of the
living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them;
and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (2Corinthians 6:16)
Brethren, there is no limit to the power God will work through us. We,
however, are the limiting factor. God intentionally limits His
power in our lives to the extent that we reciprocate. Many of
us are long-time Church members, and as such, we are sometimes prone
to relying on our longevity in God’s Church as our assurance that we are
close to God. We, then, wrongly reason that God considers our long
tenure in the Church to be sufficient proof of our desire to have a
relationship with Him.
Our Faith is there - we only need to exercise it! Through our years in
the Church, we have seen many miracles in our own lives as well as in
other people’s. We know what God is capable of doing, and we look to
Him to do it. "Our faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but
in the power of God. (1Corinthians 2:5)
Are we drawing God into our lives daily, and with warmth and
excitement? If not, we are limiting God. He draws near to us
as we draw near to Him. If we treat Him with only fleeting or superficial
contact, He will not take an active role in our lives. His power in our
lives is dependent on our efforts. That is how He, in His great wisdom,
has designed it to be. If our relationship with Him is not as close as
it should be, it is up to us to correct it.
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Sermon: |
"Speaking in Tongues" |
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