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Posts Tagged ‘power of God’

It is no wonder that the non-believing world rejects the life-changing message of the gospel–the power of God to change a person, to break a chain of addiction, to break a life pattern of infidelity, to remove fear and anxiety, to heal a broken heart, a broken life . . . they see us, the chosen, the ones testifying of the power of God, but we show ourselves to be powerless.

We run like dogs to our vomit. We return to our addictions. We continue our patterns of infidelity, of anxiety. We seek that which God has taken from us. We pick our idols back up.

The non-believer sees this as a weakness of our God. But nothing could be farther from the truth.

Sometimes by our choices and our conduct, we make God out to be a liar.

But God cannot lie.

▸ If the Son makes you free, then you are unquestionably free. John 8:36 (Amplified)

▸ Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (Amplified)

▸ It is vain for you to rise early, to retire late, to eat the bread of anxious labors—for He gives [blessings] to His beloved even in his sleep. Psalm 127:2 (Amplified)

Believe God and be a true witness.

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He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.  So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.  When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.”  Luke 5:3-10

What do you observe from the passage?

• What is Simon’s attitude when Jesus asks him to launch the boat?
• What is his reaction when they catch so many fish?
• What causes his change in attitude?

When confronted with evidence of God’s power, we cannot but notice our inadequacy, our humanity.  Like Peter, we may have fished the same lake for 20 years, so we humor the “novice” who asks us to put out nets in way past the best hour to fish and then find that we knew nothing of what we thought was our field of expertise.  That’s how it is when God shows up.  All our best efforts, our worldly wisdom, our expertise are nothing more than a vapor.

Jesus’ last words to them are words of hope, words that speak to their future not their failures.  Thank you Jesus that You always see us in terms of our future (with You) and not our failures.

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