"For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face."
Psalm 11:7 (NASB)
Psalm 11:7 (NASB)
When I first found this passage, I thought the turtle Crush from Finding Nemo would have been the best candidate to read this aloud for others to hear. Ok, so there might be a little more "Righteous"s added for effect, but I digress. Think about the strength of that last part. "The upright will behold His face" is not something that is thrown around lightly. In order to even see his face, we must be upright. Simple, right? I have always known that the sheer power of looking at God can age or kill you. Just ask Moses when we are in Heaven!
I think as Christians, we all seem to have a problem with His overwhelming power. In one hand, none can fathom His reigning power, and the beauty of grace. But, unfortunately, the church over hundreds of years has made Jesus a meek and mild man who loved everyone. While this is true, they seem to overlook the amazing power that he had.
The question that comes up then is why do we have this problem?
In the beginning of Christianity, the power of God would have never been questioned. Well at least by other Christians. In Acts, Peter calls out the onlookers in a hardcore way for even thinking that this power was his own; as if it hadn't come from above. When Peter is beginning to rail on them he asks in verse 12 "Why do you gaze at us as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk?" The answer is simple, all who have the Holy Spirit within have this power. It wasn't Peter who allowed the beggar to walk, but God's power and glory through Peter. I find this not only powerful, but beautiful.
I'm going to throw this in the air: too many Christians have been handed a God that is love, but with no power. In doing so, they sell themselves short thinking that God only gave the apostles this power; that the Holy Spirit that dwells within me is completely different than the one that dwelt within them.
How can this be so? Especially when this is the same God that talked to them, that talks to you and me. I feel that God's power is yearning to be unleashed, but we refrain because we don't believe that we have it. This is not only saddening, but disheartedning. If you believe that God doesn't heal the sick and the weak through the Holy Spirit, I highly suggest you watch The Finger of God, a movie where a humble Christian seeks the Power of God and finds it in the most humble places. This movie gives the doubter a chance to see miracles happen in front of their very eyes.
But when the prescence and power of God is so evident with these miracles, I really struggled with God's ability to move with Christians that don't use the gifts of the Spirit. But when I read 1 Corinthians chapter 12, I was calmed by realizing that these gifts (however evident to others) are given by the same spirit that dwells within me, and that all parts are essential for the church's body.
Where I am certain that God moves through the laying of hands and through prayer, others may not be and I am not judging you. However, just ask yourself how amazing would it be if God used you like He did the Apostles and that through God you helped heal many and preached the word to many. Does not your spirit get excited? It is my belief that God created you to get excited for Him, for His power, and for His returning glory.
We have this power, my friends. For "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" Romans 8:32 (NIV)
May your heart soar with His love today, may you seek Him, and may you embrace His power that He has given so graciously to you. I love you all with every depth of my soul.
I think as Christians, we all seem to have a problem with His overwhelming power. In one hand, none can fathom His reigning power, and the beauty of grace. But, unfortunately, the church over hundreds of years has made Jesus a meek and mild man who loved everyone. While this is true, they seem to overlook the amazing power that he had.
The question that comes up then is why do we have this problem?
In the beginning of Christianity, the power of God would have never been questioned. Well at least by other Christians. In Acts, Peter calls out the onlookers in a hardcore way for even thinking that this power was his own; as if it hadn't come from above. When Peter is beginning to rail on them he asks in verse 12 "Why do you gaze at us as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk?" The answer is simple, all who have the Holy Spirit within have this power. It wasn't Peter who allowed the beggar to walk, but God's power and glory through Peter. I find this not only powerful, but beautiful.
I'm going to throw this in the air: too many Christians have been handed a God that is love, but with no power. In doing so, they sell themselves short thinking that God only gave the apostles this power; that the Holy Spirit that dwells within me is completely different than the one that dwelt within them.
How can this be so? Especially when this is the same God that talked to them, that talks to you and me. I feel that God's power is yearning to be unleashed, but we refrain because we don't believe that we have it. This is not only saddening, but disheartedning. If you believe that God doesn't heal the sick and the weak through the Holy Spirit, I highly suggest you watch The Finger of God, a movie where a humble Christian seeks the Power of God and finds it in the most humble places. This movie gives the doubter a chance to see miracles happen in front of their very eyes.
But when the prescence and power of God is so evident with these miracles, I really struggled with God's ability to move with Christians that don't use the gifts of the Spirit. But when I read 1 Corinthians chapter 12, I was calmed by realizing that these gifts (however evident to others) are given by the same spirit that dwells within me, and that all parts are essential for the church's body.
Where I am certain that God moves through the laying of hands and through prayer, others may not be and I am not judging you. However, just ask yourself how amazing would it be if God used you like He did the Apostles and that through God you helped heal many and preached the word to many. Does not your spirit get excited? It is my belief that God created you to get excited for Him, for His power, and for His returning glory.
We have this power, my friends. For "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" Romans 8:32 (NIV)
May your heart soar with His love today, may you seek Him, and may you embrace His power that He has given so graciously to you. I love you all with every depth of my soul.
1 Thoughts on my thoughts:
I think it's worth pointing out that we, on our own and of our own works, cannot possibly be upright. The bible says "for it was counted to him as righteousness" (about Abraham), and it is God that counts us righteous, not anyone else (including ourselves). Therefore, those who see God's face are those he has deemed righteous through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Simple enough, but sometimes "Christians" get the idea that we can see God if we're just "good enough" or are "righteous enough", but we'll never be righteous enough because everything we are and have to offer is "filthy rags".
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