God is All Powerful

 

God is omnipresent (he is everywhere), he is omniscient (he is all knowing) and he is omnipotent (he is all powerful). He cares about our daily lives and loves us more than can be imagined by man. It is difficult to understand how one can deny God. He is seen in all things everyday. Science cannot figure out what keeps humans breathing. They have it within their power to preserve life. Nevertheless, it is not within their power to breathe life into a corpse. Neither is it within their power to create life. Creation is left for All-Powerful God himself.

I know a man who one day decided he was going to be an atheist. He no longer believed in God. He said he no longer believed in an all powerful God who was in control of the universe. However, one day he had an encounter with his mortality. There was a catastrophe in his life. At that moment he decided that there is a God. Even though he was not willing to recognize his god as Jesus, he did recognize that there is a power that he cannot control. At that point he decided he was now an agnostic. He proclaims there is a God, but not one who cares about him in a personal way.

What one places value on in a life quickly fades as one sees a loved one lying in a casket or in one who learns of their own terminal disease. Nevertheless, the power of God lasts beyond the grave and takes us to eternity. The power that is offered to those who will accept it will open up their life to a new love that cannot be explained, nor duplicated. Even so, the power of God cannot be experienced by merely believing in a “higher power” or “force of the universe.” The power of God can only be experienced through the Son, Jesus Christ.

This power is the power of the Holy Spirit who was given by God through the sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus said that he must go so he can send a comforter. That comforter is the Holy Spirit. Many religions recognize a power greater than their own. However, they fail to understand the significance of the power for which they are searching. Earthly man is seeking temporary powers that will fill the void in his or her life for but a fleeting moment. In America, the most common god sought after is materialism and/or money. One seeks for the creature comforts that are sure to ease the pain of their suffering and fill the void in one’s life. If one could talk to Marilyn, Elvis, or Michael Jackson one would find out that material possessions will fill nothing. In fact, in each of the three examples, it created a larger chasm in their soul rather than filling it. When what they were seeking came to them, the void soon returned stronger than ever. That is because the power they were seeking was only temporary and did not completely fill their heart nor confirm what the meaning of life was.

Once one finds out that the meaning of one’s life is to live for God and give him glory, one finds that nothing else is important. We are created to glorify God. Granted, to an unbelieving world which thinks that their existence is all about them, this seems like a boring life. However, when one experiences the life that God has for them, one begins to understand the rapture of the Christian life. Nevertheless, one cannot experience the fullness of Christ without the power of Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit is what makes a Christian able to live the over-coming life of the Christian faith. Jesus says in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus overcame the world through the power of the Holy Spirit who now resides in us. How can I make such a claim? All theologians know that the Holy Spirit is subordinate to Jesus. However, one cannot forget that the three are one. In fact, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. Paul said in Romans 8:9-11:

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 

In this passage Paul uses the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Jesus and the Holy Spirit synonymously.   Quite possibly one might say they do not understand the Holy Spirit. I submit, he is not to be understood but embraced. His power cannot be harnessed or limited by the understanding or the power of man. However, he may choose to limit his power to any individual who denies his power. God seeks to work through man, but he will not force himself. He is a patient God who wants all to come to him of their own accord.   

So why is America sinking deeper in sin and degradation? It is multifaceted, but simplistic in nature. America has embraced every religion that has been purported to it. As we have accepted the huddled masses, we have accepted their apostasy as well. God warned Israel not to intermarry. It had nothing to do with the race of the people interjected into the nation. It had nothing to do with being a pure race. It had everything to do with the probability that Israel would accept every god that was introduced to it through such a union. There are many examples of said apostasy in the Bible. Apostasy is merely an abandoning of the faith. Israel forsook God and turned to worthless idols. Israel’s biggest sin was the turning away from God to other gods. Solomon is an excellent example. He had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. 1 Kings 11:9 says, “The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’S command.”  

As we go through this book together you must pray to understand what God is trying to tell you. Of course, the assumption of prayer is that you are a believer. If, however, you are simply trying to come to a conclusion about the truth about God, it is my prayer that you will have a better understanding of the power that is given to those who believe in Christ.