Christian Living

Power within You

by Thomas Kirkpatrick
05/24/22
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"He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.'" (Acts 1:7-8). The Day of Pentecost is often referred to as the birth of the Church of Jesus Christ. I have always thought of Pentecost as the day. His church was revealed. I am okay with the previous and will not pick with the latter. The disciples of Jesus, along with about one-hundred-two others, were waiting for the promise of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had promised them the eve of His crucifixion. They may have been patiently waiting or suffering a little anxiety about what would happen when they received the Holy Spirit.

I imagine the moment as a distant sound of leaves dancing in the breeze and a quick rush of window curtains "And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance." (Acts 2:2-4)

Our Constitution is the document of our government to abide by. Over the years, the law of the Constitution has been amended by the opinions of the people. In itself, that is not a bad thing. The Constitution was designed to grow with the needs of the people. The problem is our society has declined in our moral standard. I believe the only moral standard for humanity is the Word of God, which is the uniqueness of our Constitution. As a forefather of our nation, John Adams wrote these true words. "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." Many have abandoned the higher standard for their own, and we’ve legalized immoral behaviors.

As societies worldwide have gone, so has the Church of Jesus Christ. Many churches have abandoned the apostolic teaching of the scriptures to accommodate the desires of the human heart. The heart is fractured by sin, broken, and unable to desire a relationship with its Creator. The heart has become lustful of the flesh, pleasing the eyes seeking after the pleasures of the world. Humanity has become boastful of wealth and positions achieved. Church members have become selfish and desire messages that please them and their wants and forsaken the sound doctrine of the Apostles of Christ. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

Churches have become more about the entertainment of the flock, programs that make church amusing and fun, and prosperity promises in the bible to provide false security. When Jesus walked amongst humanity two-thousand years ago, He visited His Father’s house twice in Jerusalem. He was appalled by the activity of buying and selling for profit-taking from the poor. No longer was His Temple a house of prayer, a house of His Word for training in the way people should go. The Jewish people were to be a priesthood living righteous lives to show how humanity was supposed to live. No longer were they faithful people trusting in God alone, but selfish people filled with pride in how good they were. "And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who were selling doves." (Matthew 21:12)

When Jesus was in Caesarea, He asked His disciples who the people were saying He was. They answered some thought He was John the Baptist, and others said, Elijah. Then Jesus asked who they thought He was, and Peter replied. "Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.'" (Matthew 16:16-18)

Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of the living God. Jesus said Peter’s testimony of that truth is what He would build His church on. We read in John 1:1 the Apostle’s testimony of that truth, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." God’s Word was before the beginning, before creation, before the world, and before humanity. Before the creation, there was only one word, God’s Word. God’s Word did not come from man, and it did not come from any thought of man, knowledge of man, or wisdom of man. None in humanity has perfect knowledge or wisdom, as all knowledge and wisdom came from God the Creator. "For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding." (Proverbs 2:6). People say men wrote the bible, and that is true, but they wrote what the Holy Spirit inspired them to write. "But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (2 Peter 1:20-21)

On Pentecost, the church exploded by the thousands from the Apostle’s preaching. It continued to grow, and by the time of Paul’s teaching, the known world had heard the Gospel of Jesus. There were no social media, no tech improvements to place the Word on screens or transmitted to multitudes far and wide. No amplified instruments to sing Hymns and Psalms’. By word of mouth, people heard the testimonies of the church living and teaching the gospel message of Jesus Christ. The church did not meet in fancy cathedrals or auditoriums but gathered where they were and listened to the truth of God’s Word, convicting them of their sinful ways. Now near two thousand years later, the church is alive, faltering because they have forsaken the sound apostolic doctrine.

Some churches of the day have become like the gathering places of the world, presenting exciting entertainment activities that please the worldly desires of their earthly hearts of humanity. I find it sad that forty-six years ago, I went into a South Georgia bar and was captured by a barstool Baptist preaching the Word of God. He reminded me to repent and go back to where I was three years prior, pick up my cross, and follow Jesus. A bar stool Baptist who had heard the Word from the Apostle Paul. "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction." (2 Timothy 4:1-2)

The purpose of the church is not only for Christian fellowship with Jesus but of the body "Equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ." (Ephesians 4:12) The church body is to "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction." The church is to be the message of Jesus for the world to see and hear that they may be drawn to Him by our lifting up His name. We have the light of Christ who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6) that all may find their Creator through Him. The church cannot hide behind the walls of a building. The church is to go out into a darkened world and be the light of God. "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)

When we trust our Savior and have faith in His Word, we cannot fear the worldly. We do not go alone. We follow Him into the fire with complete confidence, as He has placed the power within us. "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come." (John 16:13)

The possibilities are never impossible with God, as He is able. "Jesus said to them, 'With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'" (Matthew 19:26). All our prayers to empower our ministry for Him will be answered at the right time. "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son." (John 14:13) As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, all mighty works are possible through the faith He has given us. "And Jesus said to him, 'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes.'" (Mark 9:23)

The good work He has called us to do has been prepared beforehand to walk forward victoriously. (Ephesians 2:10). Jesus is the author of our faith, author of His Word, equipped us through His Church, and empowered us by His Spirit. "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Thomas N Kirkpatrick

First Baptist Church of Durant February 28, 2022