* Power From On High

And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working 

with them, and confirming the Word with signs following. 

(Mark 16:20)

The purpose of the power given to us that believe through the Holy Spirit was first promised to the disciples to enable them to witness:

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.  Acts 1:8

The disciples were given specific instructions to wait until they had received power from ‘on high’:

And, behold , I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. Luke 24:49

Spiritual power that does not come from ‘on high’ through the holy spirit of God  is not spiritually directed.  Not to say that all other power is bad or evil, but spiritually speaking, we need the power of the Holy Spirit in operation in our life in order to fulfill our purpose in God.

Power that is undirected can be dangerous. The power of a mighty river can be channeled for good purposes. It can bring water to farmers. Great ships can sail upon its waters. In most societies it is used to produce powerful energy in the form of electricity.  But that same river, if undirected, can flood its banks and cause great damage. It can ruin crops and land, destroy homes, and take lives. It is the same river. It is the same power. The river is a positive force when directed for proper purposes, and destructive when it is not.

Spiritual power used for wrong purposes is as dangerous as a mighty river flooding out of control. For this reason it is important to understand the Scriptural purposes for spiritual power.

There are many types of power operating in the world today. People use this power for various purposes:

√  Intellectual power is used to make great inventions, literary and musical creations, and to establish educational institutions.

√  Physical power results in great fame in the world of athletic competition.

√  Religious power creates great denominations and religious cults.

√  Political power is used to take leadership of organizations, tribes, villages, cities, states, provinces and entire nations.

√  Financial power creates profitable businesses, corporations, and great financial empires.

√  Military power is used both to defend and gain territories.

√  The power of energy serves man in many ways ranging from a simple fire for warmth to electricity serving an entire city.

But none of these are Biblical purposes for the power given to us by God.

Dating back to biblical times, you can read of the misappropriation of power.  On one occasion when Jesus was teaching His disciples about leadership, He said:

But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.  But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;  And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:   (Matthew 20:25-27)

Jesus was teaching His followers an important principle which can be applied to many other areas of life besides leadership. The word "Gentiles" is used to identify people and nations apart from God. Jesus explained that the Kingdom of God operates on principles completely different from those of the world.

This same principle is true in relation to the subject of power. Worldly purposes for power are not the purposes for power in the Kingdom of God.  Power is used for selfish purposes in the world. In the Kingdom of God, it is to be used for unselfish purposes to advance the Kingdom.

Some people abuse religious power and use it to create great religious and denominational movements. They use it to create financial kingdoms and gain personal popularity. But these are not Scriptural purposes for spiritual power nor is it spiritual power authorized by God. They are abusers of the true purposes for which Jesus delegated authority to believers. The Scribes and Pharisees of New Testament times are examples of the abuse of ‘spiritual’ power. Jesus said:

Woe unto you, Pharisees! For you love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.  (Luke 11:43-44)

The scribes and Pharisees were powerful religious leaders. They used this power for personal gain. They took the best seats in the synagogues. They commanded special greetings in the marketplace. They also used their power to control people:

But woe unto you scribes, and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men; for ye neither go in yourselves neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. (Matthew 23:13)

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte (new convert), and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of Hell than yourselves. (Matthew 23:15)

The Pharisees made a great show of outward spiritual power, but used it for personal gain:

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayer; therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. (Matthew 23:14)

They had religious power, but they did not have true spiritual power. Jesus said they were like unmarked graves, so dead and powerless that people walked over them unawares.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.  (Luke 11:44)

Power from on high is God directed and not subjected to the selfish nature of man.  It is this power that causes us to walk upright before God and do those things in the spirit world that we could never do in our own strength!  Spiritual power from God allows for miraculous manifestations of the glory of God!

Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6

(Biblical Studies)

10/3/13
12/14/14
02/27/16

04/28/20