Demonstration Please

You know there seems to be one thing lacking in the church as a whole today. We have great teachers and preachers throughout the world who know how to share the gospel and make it easy for us to understand. We have wonderful music that ranges from heavy metal to the Psalms that cover any individual’s personal preferences about music. Some churches have recording label quality musicians and singers. We have programs to reach every age group and area of the population from prison ministry to newborn babies. The church is a working functioning part of the culture we live in and if you ask most people that go to church they are fine with what happens and are satisfied with current situation. But you know with all we have to offer we are still missing the mark. Why do so many people lack a lifesaving relationship with Jesus Christ let alone even attend church. There is as simple fact that we are missing in our desire to reach the lost we are forget that the church was not built on the power of people but on the dependence of the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds those at Corinth of this and it’s for us today also. We read about it in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5;

1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (ESV)

In our churches today even with all the wonderful things available to us we often lack this one important and critical part of the ministry and relationship with Christ and that is the Demonstration of His power through a moving of the Holy Spirit. When lives are changed and people are healed God is glorified and people begin to seek after Him and the power that is found in a relationship with Him. What the church needs is not another great preacher but anointed spirit filled believers who when they pray and lay hands on the sick people are made well. The world needs to see that when people suffer with depression and other mental illnesses that the Holy Spirit drives out the demons that possess their minds and torment their bodies. That was Paul’s real gift as he preached he relied on the power of the Holy Spirit to demonstrate the truth that He preached.

If we desire be used by God to it requires we get to know Him better and learn to trust Him in all that we do. It requires we spend time in prayer and in reading and applying His word to our lives. As we grow closer to Him and learn to trust Him in the small things we are more willing to trust Him with the bigger issues in life. This promise is found in Matthew 25:21as part of the Parable of the Talents;

“21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Matthew 25:21 (ESV”) I want to challenge you to begin by trusting God and the promises found in His word more each day and as you trust in Him more you will begin to experience the power that comes from that relationship and in the end you will be used by him to grow and demonstrate the power of God in our world today. Like all great and wonderful things what you put into them is what you will get out of them. Have a blessed day as you walk in the light of God’s Word.