Hebrews 4:12-14 (NLT)
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.
Conversation is a powerful tool. It can influence others. It has the power to unite and/or divide. The potential of every word that we speak as people empowered by God should never be dismissed as casual conversation or useless banter. The Bible tells us that even idle words will be heard, considered and evaluated by the Lord in judgment. It would be in our best interest to think about what we are saying and its relevance. But truthfully once we leave our prayer closet going on and on about what we want and desire, do we ever really consider the potential of what we are saying? I don’t think so. Just spend about ten minutes scanning Facebook statuses or the endless tweets shared throughout the day. It would seem that we leave godly conversation and faithful words in that closet for tomorrow same time and same place. If as believers, we desire God’s Power and Authority to manifest in our life, then we must open our life to God’s Word. We must commit our time to reading it, studying it, committing it to memory, thinking about it until we understand it and apply it to our everyday life. God’s Power is not for our personal use or satisfaction but for the salvation of the world.
God’s Word is alive and powerful. It is sharper than a sword that penetrates the heart of man dividing soul and spirit. The soul represents our God man and the spirit can represent our flesh. God’s Word allows us to discern our thoughts and actions according to God’s Truth which is His Power. Without truth, God is false or a lie. We must know our innermost thoughts and intentions towards God to know our final destination. Salvation that does not result in a separation of soul and spirit on the inside will never fulfill its destiny. The Word of God allows us to see our weakness because of sin and submit our life to Jesus Christ which hardly implies the inner power and strength of humanity but points to the Truth that is the Power and Authority of God in Jesus Christ. To have the Power and Authority of God in our life, we must first understand how important it is to know the Word of God and speak it until it changes the atmosphere of our life.
John 1:1-5 (NLT)
In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it.
The Word represents Jesus Christ. Now this may be a hard concept to understand and evaluate from a human perspective and that is why God allowed and Christ provided His Spirit to live on the inside of man. It was clear throughout the Old Testament’s history that man has trouble knowing, understanding and obeying God. Our ignorance does not make God’s Word irrelevant in our life. Consider this, if I come to an intersection without a clue of the significance of the traffic light, I could easily die because of a lack of knowledge. How? Well, if I step off the curb into oncoming traffic because I was unaware that a green light allows them to go – I am in dangerous trouble that could cost me my life. Maybe you are thinking no way – everyone knows green means “go”. Not necessarily. Our ignorance of God’s Word can have the very same impact in life. The truth has the power to save a person’s life. A few years ago, I was painting a bathroom in our house. Because it was a tight space, I needed assistance holding a paint canister. I asked my son who is our logical child to come help me. As I was painting, he began reading the label. He said, “Mom, did you know that using this is illegal in California because it may cause cancer?” I jokingly replied, “Well, we are not in California.” When the same kid was diagnosed with cancer, we were in the hospital when he said, “Hey Mom, just so you know I don’t think I got cancer from your paint…” and began laughing. Sometimes laughter is the best medicine. But the truth is many people read the warning label on tobacco products, they hear the commercials about its risks, see the horrifying posters in doctor’s offices and still continue the nasty habit while being treated for cancer never taking the word to heart and empowering their life. To know and understand the Power and Authority of Jesus Christ and His Ability to save and empower our life requires knowing, understanding and applying His Word to our life! “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) So Jesus Christ became a living example of God’s Word so humanity would come to know and understand the truth about God including his Power and Authority.
Psalm 119:160-165 (NLT)
The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever. Powerful people harass me without cause, but my heart trembles only at your word. I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure. I hate and abhor all falsehood, but I love your instructions. I will praise you seven times a day because all your regulations are just. Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble.
By accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, simple logic implies that we accept the Word of God as truth and make it the basis of our faith. Not so fast, when did people become logical and not emotional. If the very essence of God’s Word is Jesus, then His Word should be the foundation of our faith and change the way we live including our words. God’s Word should soften our heart and change our mind about the way we live and how we interact with others. Our relationship with God is compared to a marriage. In marriage, we submit to one another in love and trust. Most people do not love God that way. They desire salvation but not the life that comes with it. Uncomfortable with commitment, they choose ignorance of God’s Word which means that they can never fully now the power and authority of Jesus Christ who is the Word. Do you rejoice in the Promises of God? Or complain because you never seem to catch a break? Do you hate lies, gossip and falsehoods? Most people have little interest in the truth preferring sensationalism and drama in life. Do you want to know God’s Instruction? If so, how much time do you spend reading and studying God’s Word each day? No time means zero interest. Do you praise God with your words verbally at least seven times a day? Is your life in constant turmoil? The Truth is that those who love God’s Way and are determined to have it live in peace as a result of the foundation built by faith and trust in His Word – Jesus Christ.
Luke 10:18-20 (NLT)
“Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”
If Jesus Christ has given us authority and power over the enemy and we can walk among snakes and scorpions crushing them but never being injured, why is there no power to even get along in the church among believers today? When was the last time you experienced an encounter with God that left you weak kneed and trembling in His Presence? Have you ever seen anybody healed? Have you ever watched someone give their life to Jesus and grow into a might oak of righteousness before your very eyes? Most people will never see the power and authority of God activated in their life through Jesus Christ because they do not know the Word at all. “You should keep asking each other, ‘What is the LORD’s answer?’ or ‘What is the LORD saying?’ But stop using this phrase, ‘prophecy from the LORD.’ For people are using it to give authority to their own ideas, turning upside down the words of our God, the living God, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.” (Jeremiah 23:35-36) Have we somehow mixed up the Voice of God with the conversation of others? If I do not know you firsthand, I must rely on the account of others. But if I know you intimately, I can judge one’s testimony regarding you based on personal knowledge. We must get to know Jesus Christ (the Word) intimately to experience the power and authority that He has promised.
I Thessalonians 1:4-5 (NLT)
We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you.
Every believer has the power and authority of Jesus Christ hidden away on the inside of them. God has planted Eternity in the heart of mankind. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) The Truth of God’s Word is its power because it has the ability to stand over all other thoughts and philosophies of this world because it is based on the existence of the Lord and His Omnipotence and Sovereign Dominion. Our power comes from accepting this Truth (2 Corinthians 2:17) and basing our life on it. Living for this world is careless and reckless behavior that will surely lead to death. Our words have the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21) because we are created in the Image of God. It does not become accessible to us in our separation from the Lord by sin, but becomes our inheritance through salvation. Power without authority is dangerous because it can be misused. The Word of God is our authority and every aspect of our life should be measured by the standards set forth by the Word lived by the earthly example of Jesus Christ. It is the foundation of our faith and life which releases the Lord’s Promised Power and Authority in our life. We must use our mouth to speak the Word of God so our heart will respond to it as well as convincing our mind of its truth if we ever want an encounter with God and to live in His Presence. We must be a living conversation with His Word to walk His Way and have His Will! The Holy Spirit is the empowerment of His Authority in our life. He leads us in truth to appropriately demonstrate God’s Power and give good testimony to others in life by the way we live, react and respond to God’s Word. Our words should hold the power of Jesus Christ if we truly are believers. (Luke 4:36)
Do you lack the Power of God in your life? Are your troubles overtaking you today? Be encouraged. The Word of God is available to change your life, heal your broken heart and make you the new creation that He promised. It all starts with the Word of God. But don’t stop at just meeting Jesus Christ, get to know Him. His Character is fully displayed in the written Word of God. His Love is revealed through intimacy as He speaks His Word into your heart and mind through His Spirit. The Lord wants you to know His Word it is the foundation where faith is formed that becomes trust leading to confident hope that will change your ability to communicate the Gospel to others. You will see miracles. You will experience God. Your life will become a love affair with Jesus as His Power and Authority is released in your life. If you get to know His Word, you will find yourself there and no one will ever change your mind again. You will see your potential. You will know your purpose. You will live in perfect peace! Engage in a living conversation with Jesus Christ and you will have all these things!
James 1:21-25 (NLT)
So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
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