God Of The Bible People

In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul reports that the Lord said;“My power is made perfect in weakness.” The Lord uses those who tackle something bigger than themselves. The David and Goliath syndrome distinguishes God-of-the-Bible people. There are plenty of very religious people, who are to the point of fanaticism; but true God people seem plugged into a Divine power point. “The eyes of the Lord roam through the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are committed to him.” 2 Chron. 16:9 - God’s chosen vessels? But God never talks about making big people or using them. Scripture gives Goliath and his brothers, Saul, Samson, and the Anakims a bad press. Simon the sorcerer impressed the Samaritans as “The great man of power.” Acts 8:10. Peter rebuked Simon and left him a very frightened magician. Jesus called his disciples His little ones and said, “Fear not little flock, it is thy father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom." He sent them out as “sheep among wolves.” He doesn’t turn pigmies into Goliaths. He can use pigmies if they are “new creatures in Christ Jesus.” “Not many mighty”… Paul warned us. Super- humans? “Ye shall be as gods?” Offers abound. The power of positive thinking; mind power, yoga. The Gospel is an immediate resource. In Christ we are girded with the power of God. Paul told the Colossians (1:28-29) “We proclaim him ...To this end I labour, struggling with all HIS energy, which so powerfully works in me.” Up persons in a down world. People talk of searching for God. Do they know what He is like? He makes impossible demands. He recruits heroes for Faith Land where the last is first; nobodies become somebodies, what they never thought they could be. In no way are His impossibilities re-acting the Exodus or Elijah’s spectacular, supernatural displays. Paul turned to other incredible marvels in 1 Cor. 4:7. “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed to show this all-surpassing power from God.” 1 Cor. 4:7 “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you IN ALL PATIENCE ...”. When I became a Christian I did what I could. But being a Christian is the art of the impossible, not the possible. Jesus said, “You will receive power ... and be MY witnesses,” that is, witnesses to what He made them; not just to a doctrinal formula. The Sermon on the Mount was heard by multitudes including foreigners, telling even them “Love your enemies. Be ye perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect that you may be sons of your Father in heaven”. David said, “By my God I leap over a wall.” In Faith Land, we vault over our personal limitations.

God Revealed In His Servants

Peter never set a strolling foot on sea billows again, but he walked through life more surefooted because of that occasion. I love this truth and I want to explore it a bit more so I can explain my own story. I noticed one extraordinary thing. It was Peter, not Jesus that figured prominently in this miracle. He walked to Jesus -- not Jesus to him. Think of what it means. What Peter did showed what Jesus could do! If we do no more than what we can, it doesn’t demonstrate Jesus. But doing what He enables us to do; excel, rise above the limits of ourselves, which guides people’s eyes to Jesus. Our Christian call is to be what shows HE is! “We are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works,” that is; good works of the kind which show we are His workmanship. If we were not His workmanship, we could not do them. Christ’s test of whether we belong to Him was: “What do ye more than others?” Now, God enables us to do the extra special, because He looks for us to do it. Normally, we all look to Him by sitting back and waiting for Him to perform. But, He does nothing without us. Turn over a few pages of the Bible. Gideon demanded of God; “Where are all the mighty wonders?” God’s reply was to send Gideon to produce them! God wanted Gideon to display God’s wonders. Trying to be ‘great’ ourselves, makes us useless. His commands exceed our capacity, so as to stretch our capacity. God revealed Himself IN His servants. They were active; not passive. Abraham obeyed God and became an example; not of obedience, but of God blessing everyone. Joseph is a great example. He obeyed God and demonstrated that God has the last word in our lives. Look at Moses. It wasn’t mount Sinai that best revealed God, but Moses, armed with a shepherd’s crook; pitted against the greatest military power on earth. Moses said “Who am I?” The Lord replied saying who He was. “I am the Lord”. Exodus 3:11 and 4:14. It didn’t matter who Moses was. God chose David because, He said, “ he will do everything I want him to do.” Acts 13:22 Isaiah was ordinary and had ‘unclean lips’ -- possibly foul language. He overheard God saying “Whom shall we send? Who will go for us?” and answered, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:9) He didn’t even ask what God wanted, and didn’t know whether he could do it. It didn’t matter. When God sends us, He fits us. Jeremiah said, “I am only a child”. But God replied; "Do not say I am only child." Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a brazen wall to stand against the whole land, kings, officials, priests and people.” Jeremiah 1: 6,7,16. Christ told Philip to feed 5000 where there was no bakery. God chooses those who get out of the boat when He says, “Come!”