“Then he called his twelve disciples together and gave them power” (Luke
9:1).
Jesus gave his disciples power not because they were ambitious but because they
were his. Belonging to Christ is a non-negotiable to receiving his power. Power
is birthed out of belonging. Belonging brings real power.
So many Christians lead powerless lives—having habitual sin practices, a poor
testimony, a weak spiritual life; lacking a fervent, radical prayer life and any
answers to their prayers.
Do you feel powerless? This one short verse is loaded with words of power:
“Called”—meaning, in essence, not our own agenda, direction, self-will or
resource of power.
“Disciples”—those who abandon all to follow the life, teaching and
direction of the teacher.
“Together”—that power is not to be contained in singular vessels but
expressed in community, in work toward kingdom purposes.
“Gave”—showing we can do nothing unless Jesus gives us power to do it.
“Power”—it is not what we desire, work for or strive after, but comes
only and exclusively through His giving it. We never outgrow this part of our
history as Christians. Every follower of Jesus is commanded to wait until we
are endued with (given) power from on high.
Are you lacking power? There is no other way to obtain it than to have it given
to you by the One you belong to. Jesus has power to give to those who are
totally and fully His.
Don’t strive for power. Desire to belong—fully, passionately, humbly,
ambitiously, to the One your heart yearns for. Then power will come to you
beyond what you can imagination.
Here is the behavior of the blameless believer, according to the Apostle Paul:
1. To be blameless is to have no deceit of any kind. “For our exhortation did
not come from deceit or uncleanness, nor was it in guile” (1 Thessalonians
2:3). A blameless Christian is one without any deceit in his heart. Paul was
saying, “I was not a fraud, preaching one thing to you and yet living
another. My behavior was an open book!”
2. To be blameless is to touch nothing unclean. “For our exhortation did not
come from . . . uncleanness” (1 Thessalonians 2:3).
Paul’s emphasis here is on sensuality or lust. He is saying, “Not an
unclean word came out of my mouth. My conversation was pure, coming forth from
a clean heart.” Paul had his body under control. No fleshly passion drove
him—no spirit of lust or fornication possessed his mind. He was a free man!
A believer who tells dirty jokes, makes sexual innuendoes, or has roving eyes
is someone whose heart has not yet been cleansed! God says, “If you are going
to walk blameless before Me, you must have clean ears, a clean heart and a clean
tongue!”
3. To be blameless is to be without error. “Our exhortation did not come from
deceit” (verse 3).
The Christian without error or guile is not trying to be clever, crafty or
manipulative. He has no hidden agenda and is totally open and honest. Paul
said, “I did not manipulate you into the kingdom of God nor did I use clever
words or try to play on your feelings. I gave the gospel to you straight!”
Paul never played word games; he never used psychology to get people to like
him. Paul said, “But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother
cherishes her own children” (2:7). But when sin came in, he rebuked it with
thunder out of heaven! He did not desire or need approval of any man, yet he
loved people with all his heart. “For neither at any time did we use
flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness—God is witness.
Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others” (verses 5-6).
Paul was always mindful that God was watching him and checking his motives. He
abstained from “every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22) and lived as if
Jesus were coming within the hour!
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Contacts
Mailing address.
Calvary Celebration Church Int.
P.O Box, 56091,00200,
Nairobi, Kenya E Africa.
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