In The Power Of God, Not You

Brother Clendennen properly noted that God told him that we cannot make God bigger than He is. God had allowed me to see in the past that He is pervasive, everywhere, and that He stretched out the heavens, meaning to me that the universe was in God and that God had His hands on the heavens, stretching it. But recently God showed me that even in this “I” (any time “I” gets involved it seems to be negative) had limited Him;

Isaiah 48:13 Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.

My spirit rejoiced with the thought that God stretched the heavens with only one hand! My testimony was that God was twice as big as “I” previously thought! Then God led me to consider that the word “span” has nothing to do with stretching out. A span is the unit of measure of a hand width as we have come to know it! The heavens, or universe are in the hand of God! With the “ed” on the end, it means God’s right hand spanned, or reached beyond, the heavens! After some months, upon being led to check the Hebrew word in the Strong’s, 2946, it was found that the full meaning includes to flatten out or extend; scientists have told us the universe is relatively flat looking, and elongated! It also means dandling on the palms, which means the universe does not reach to the full width of God’s hand, but only His palm! Upon finishing the original revelation, God led me to consider the closing statement; … when I call unto them, they stand up together. By His voice the heavens would stand up together! God could call them to dance if He wanted! This scripture should bring you to further consider the power of Almighty God! God has been leading to study and prepare to write about His power, but His power is so immense we can never comprehend a speck of it, so we will narrow our scope to the power of God in you.

Let us first consider the great need to study the power of God. The apostle Paul noted that his words and preaching were in the power of God;

I Corinthians 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

There are many ministers today preaching man’s wisdom, and multitudes are flocking to hear them; Paul notes that the preaching of man’s wisdom can be … enticing. But any individual man’s wisdom is not much higher, or his thoughts or ways much higher, than any other mans. The word tells us (Isaiah 55:6 – 12) that God’s ways and thoughts are as far as the heavens are above the earth higher than ours, and His words will meet our needs and change our existence. If this alone is not enough to convince you of the need to consider God’s power, realize that the above verse ends with a colon, and consider the verse that follows it;

I Corinthians 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Our faith must stand in the power of God! Faith that is not based in the power of God will leave you in unbelief! The prophet Isaiah wrote of the results of this incomplete faith;

Isaiah 29:13, 14 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.

Faith that is based in the wisdom and understanding of men will perish, or be hid. Are you drawing near to God, honoring Him with your praise and worship, but your heart is far from Him? Do you still love the things of the world? Was the fear of God taught to you by men? The wisdom of men also results in the sin of pride. If you experienced true, full salvation you know that feeling of weights and burdens being lifted off, or the cleanness that you felt. That is not possible with men, but only in the power of God! We need more of Jesus! Repent and ask: God will begin to again establish you in Him.

Due to working late one night, instead of leaving the alarm set at 4, it was reset to 6. Waking several times between 4 and 6, the last at 5:51, arising quickly at 6 was easy. While walking downstairs to get in the Word, pondering why the frequent waking, Deep calleth unto deep … was given to me. Since a page of notes had been started on seeking Him in the morning, knowing about that calling in the morning was important;

Psalms 42:7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.

Deep, in this scripture, is number 8415 in the Strong’s; an abyss (as a surging mass of water); the deep (the main sea, or the subterranean water supply). Calleth, number 7121, means to call out (properly address by name). Noise, number 6963, means to call aloud; a voice or sound. Waterspouts, number 6794, is the only use of the word in the Bible. It’s definition said it was from an unused root perhaps meaning to be hollow; a culvert. Oh, to be empty or hollow for His use! So we spiritually have ‘the living waters call to the living waters by the noise of the fountain of life through empty vessels’! A list of scriptures on the fountain of life or living waters was started, but the song “God Walks the Dark Hills” kept rolling through my head. It is not in scripture, but looking up dark mountains humbled me;

Jeremiah 13:15 – 17 Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive.

There is nothing for us to be proud about, but it is only in Him that we can be His voice; Give glory to the Lord your God … Will you refuse and have Him withdraw from you, and weep for your pride? Jesus is the light, and without Him our feet will stumble in darkness. Our ability and sufficiency is only in Him (II Corinthians 3:5). Have you failed in this walk and allowed pride to enter? God is merciful, and will restore if we repent and return to Him;

Jeremiah 15:19 Therefore thus saith the Lord, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.

If you are an obedient, empty vessel, deep calleth unto deep through you, and by the fountain of life you are His voice calling unto the lost and dying! It is nothing of us, but we are to be humble, empty, obedient, vessels speaking as God leads, and drawing lost souls to also become that same voice through another humble, empty conduit.

As an aside, in the physical flood it says the fountains of the great deep were broken up; when God opens the fountains of the spiritual deep through empty vessels, deep calleth unto deep, and we will see great revival and the flood of righteousness God spoke through Brother Buckner about. It is only the power of God that can provide this blessing!

Continuing to look at how the power of God works in individuals consider this; a plant provides sustenance and strength to its branches; without the plant the branch could wither and die. Jesus used this physical example for the spiritual need to abide in, and rely on, Him;

John 15:4 – 7 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

If you abide fully in the vine, the power will flow through you, and you will be fruitful. When Jesus says If … my words abide in you, He is not speaking of the words resting in the mind, or intellect, or wisdom of man, which can result in pride, but the abiding is in the vine, in the Lord Jesus Christ within us. Consider what Jesus said to the seventy;

Luke 10:17 – 20 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

Many miss in these scriptures that Jesus is speaking to them of pride, that caused Satan to fall from heaven. Jesus tells them that He gives the power, it has nothing to do with us individually. It is not of you, by you, or in you physically, but only through you spiritually as an empty vessel or conduit. Our rejoicing must be in the giver of the power, not in the power itself. It is not in the words or actions, but in our abiding in Jesus, and His words abiding in us (John 15:7 above). As in deep calleth unto deep above, there is nothing that is just in us, but in the power that works through us. That is what Paul is speaking of in the following verse;

I Corinthians 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

If we allow our understanding to remain in word only, we rest on man’s wisdom, and cannot gain a full and complete understanding of the kingdom. We must understand that our knowledge of the kingdom cannot rest in the carnality of the wisdom of man, but must be in the power of God. Scripture plainly tells us that the kingdom is not in the carnal, but in the Spirit;

Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

If you do not have the righteousness, and peace, and joy you desire, realize you must find it in the Spirit. Perhaps Paul expounds it best in the following scripture;

I Thessalonians 1:5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

In the Spirit, and in the power of God, there will be a noticeable difference in man that is not possible in the carnal. This change is noted scripturally in Jesus after He returned from being tempted;

Luke 4:13, 14 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

By the power of the Spirit there is a difference seen in Jesus that results in a fame of Him. This anointing and working of the Spirit and power is further noted in Acts;

Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

The church today has languished in the wisdom of man for so long that they are not hearing, or perceiving, or receiving the knowledge of the power of God. Where will your faith stand? If it is not in the power of God, your attempts to give Him glory will be inadequate. Break the flesh; yield completely to God and the Spirit, and the power of God will show in and through you, and will glorify Him.