To those who hate long Blogs, this may not be the best one to have in your favorite places.
Have you ever found yourself wanting... Wanting, thinking about or desiring a position of importance prestige or POWER. I found myself doing just that the other day. I wont tell you what it was, however I can tell you that this desire for power was certainly not of God. That is to say, The desire or thoughts I had in no way glorified the Kingdom of God. And lets get it strait, I am not referring to lust I am referring to Power. I believe the two are very separate. And although part of my desire was for religious reasons, my heart was entirely wrong, even though in the end it would benefit the Kingdom. I don’t feel that power in and of itself is evil or sinful, however the heart that carries the power also carries a great responsibility to do what God desires.
This got me thinking, what does the Bible have to say about POWER. In the KJV the word POWER is used 260 times throughout the Old and New Testament. 260 times! Paul’s letters to the Churches alone account for 57 mentions of the word. Revelation, 32 times. So I decided to read each passage and categorize the use of the word. I basically came up with 7 categories as to why and how the word is used in the text. But first I must encourage anyone and everyone to journey the way I did, deep in the scriptures, to get a better understanding of ancient writings about things and situations that still occur today. We are so much a part of God’s plan. I feel that God used something that was black in my heart, that was not pure and turned it into a Godly opportunity to study the scriptures closer and deeper than I ever had. There are far more examples than just the ones I give below for each of the Categories. I am basically just trying to give you a taste.
1. GODS POWER - This is basically stating the obvious, but never the less it’s the most important category. I found more references to Gods Power than any other in the Bible
Isaiah 40:26 - Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these [things], that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that [he is] strong in power; not one faileth.
Jeremiah 10:12 - He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.
Romans 13:1 - Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
These obviously only name a few however Gods true power is evident in every crevice of the Bible.
2. EVIL POWER - This category finds mentions of Satan and his promise of power as well as earthly evils:
Luke 4:6 - And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
Luke 22:53 - When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.
2 Thessalonians 2:9 - Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders
3. POWER TAKEN AWAY BY GOD - Power of Earthly abilities, physics and possessions taken by God
Daniel 3:27 - And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
Zechariah 9:4 - Behold, the Lord will cast her out, and he will smite her power in the sea; and she shall be devoured with fire.
Ezekiel 30:6 - Thus saith the LORD; They also that uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down: from the tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord GOD.
4. POWER GIVEN BY GOD - People or situations blessed with the Power of God by God
Luke 9:1 - When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases
Matthew 10:1
Ecclesiastes 5:19
I teeter back and forth with free will power from POWER GIVEN BY GOD and the next Category
5. MISC POWER - This is basically simple uses of the word such as power of decision and some free will.
Romans 9:21 - Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?1 Corinthians 7:37 - Nevertheless he that standeth steadfast, in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.
1 Corinthians 9:4-6 - Have we not power to eat and to drink?
9:5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
9:6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?
6. AUTHORITATIVE POWER - Governmental powers
Luke 20:20 - And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.
John 19:10 - Pilate saith unto him, "Speaketh thou not unto me? Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?"
7. LACK OF POWER - We have no power, if not given to us by God
John 19:11 - Jesus answered, "You would have no power at all against me, unless it were given to you from above. Therefore he who delivered me to you has greater sin."
There you have it. There was a particular part of scripture that really threw me for a loop though regarding classification . It comes in ACTS 8:9-25 The story of Simon the Sorcerer. It is interesting to note that an entire group of people were fooled by the sorcery of Simon, they even held him in high regard as one with Divine power. The David Blaine of his time right…Specifically, this is the one and only time in the Bible (That I have read anyway… How do you like the disclaimer) that someone specific desires a power he does not posses. The power of God. Simon sought the power of God. He literally asks for it. He goes so far as to offer Peter money in exchange for the power of God. Even IF his intentions were originally good, it became very apparent that Simon saw the power of God at work and was jealous of the people who were empowered by God to use it. He had to have it. His sinful heart got the best of him. Of course Peter calls him on it telling him to repent, stating (NIV) “for I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
I was Simon. I am Simon.
There are words spoken by Paul, relating that basically he must walk humbly with the power of God. He recognizes the power given to him by God and does not want to abuse it. I believe the most powerful scripture written about POWER, isn’t about the use of power. I believe it’s about the preservation of power. It states this; 1 Corinthians 9:18 -“What is my reward then? [Verily] that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel“. That could be a prayer and a proclamation.
I know that God knows how to handle power. We on the other hand do not. Continuously in the Bible where power is not blessed by God it turns evil. When will we learn our lesson. We still honestly believe that we can come to power with something that is not blessed by God as if we “earned” it ourselves. We seek it for self worth and prestige. It is a lie and we deceive ourselves into believing that we will do good with our self made power, not of God. Paul speaks such truths about the Power of God. Power given by God and with a prayerful heart breeds Gods glory. 2 Corinthians 13:10 - “Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction“. That is the power to build up, not tear down.
In ending I want to say that the power of a gift from God is probably the most abused of all. We must be careful what we wish for and think about WHOSE house are we truly glorifying. Power is not evil. It is a tool that should be used to glorify Gods Kingdom, not our own.
