The other night, the power went out and I happen to be deep in a dream. I don’t recall what the dream was about, but I do know that when God woke me up, it was to the words THE POWER IS OUT.
As I slowly opened my eyes, blinking to clear the haze, I realized it was after 1 AM and the power was indeed gone. Puzzled, I said, “Ok, God why, did you feel the need to wake me up to tell me that there is no power? I don't need to be awake for this.” He said no more.
Rather than turning over and going back to sleep once I realize there was no power, I simply decided that since I was up, I might as well pray, read some scripture, or give God praise and worship.
I quietly began to pray and realized I let God off the hook too fast. I asked Him again, “Why did you tell me there was no power and then wake me.” I asked this three more times and gave up. Maybe He just wanted me to wake up to show me that there was no power.
So as I continued to pray, I reminded God He hadn’t given me a topic to write about for this week. “What is it that you want me to write about?”
My strongest and clearest words from God come in the wee hours of the night, when the house and most people throughout the territory are sleeping. I’m normally half awake, half asleep, but honestly, I can never tell if I am awake or asleep. I simply ‘wake up’ after hearing a message as clear as day and ponder over it before jotting it down.
This night wasn’t any different. In between a drift and praying, I kept hearing the words feeble Christians. Feeble Christians. Feeble Christians. He said those two words three times. I simply said, “OK, God, is that what you want me to write about.” He quickly replied, “Yes. I want you to write about feeble Christians.” The kids began to wake and my moment alone with Daddy was over.
I eventually drifted back to sleep, only to wake several more times throughout the night because there was still no power, it was hot, and if matters couldn’t get any better, I had a child sleeping at the foot of my bed and I couldn’t stretch out. My body felt like I was a bag of bones ‘smushed’ (yes, smushed) down into a small bag. I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE!
Each time I woke up, I would recite the words ‘feeble Christian’ because I didn't write it down. I didn't make a voice note. I didn't create a note in my phone. I told myself I would remember. (Note: you never remember what you think you will remember when you get a word from God. Just write it down, make a voice note, or a note in your phone immediately. When you wake up in the morning, 9 times out of 10, it will be gone and you will regret not jotting it down.)
And sure enough, when I woke up the next morning it was gone. It was only during a conversation with a friend of mine that I recalled what I thought was what God told me, which was feeble minded Christians. After doing a 1700 word entry titled ‘Skinny Backed Christians’, I sent it to my husband and a friend for comments and review. This is when God told me that is not what He told me to write about.
Head cocked to the side like ‘HUH’, he continued, “I gave you two words not three. I did not tell you feeble minded Christians, I told you feeble Christians.” The light bulb went off in my head: the power is out…feeble Christians…the power is out…feeble Christians. AHA!!!
If we look up the word feeble it basically means weak which is the exact opposite of power, or strong. Another word I recalled hearing after the words feeble Christians is the word authority.
I began to realize what it is that God was telling me: the power has gone out; the Christians have become feeble by not using their authority. Christians have both power and authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8 (NIV)
Power in this usage is the Greek word dunamis (doo'-nam-is). It means power, might, strength; opposite of feeble. It’s BIG. It’s not weak. It’s strong and mighty.
Power and authority was granted to humans in the beginning of time. When God created Adam and Eve, he gave them dominion, sovereignty, authority over everything in the Earth. They had control and might over every creature. Everything was to be subdued by them. This power is in effect with or without the Holy Spirit.
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Genesis 1:28 (KJV)
Subdue and dominion mentioned from the beginning of time can easily be related to authority (exousia) as it is only through the Holy Spirit we have dunamis power, the authority to call on the power of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Holy Spirit was not yet available.
Authority used below is the Greek word exousia (ex-oo-see'-ah) meaning authority over the power. This word has to do with influence over, or to force something, as in control over. It is the action power. It is used to call on the dunamis power of the Holy Spirit.
And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Matthew 10:1 (KJV)
Dunamis is the reaction to the action of exousia. In other words, exousia is the authoritative power (action) that causes a reaction power, dunamis, to manifest. When we apply authority to the power we are given, then mountains MUST MOVE. Walls MUST FALL. Giants ARE DEFEATED.
The Twelve had their own personal issues, but Jesus equipped them with authority to do and perform just as He did and performed. This means they were able to use their exousia power to call on the dunamis power before the Holy Spirit was sent (due after His crucifixion). How awesome is that!!!!!
Let’s just look at one more example of the use of the power of the Holy Spirit before the Holy Spirit came. In Mark 5 (and other gospels), there was a woman with an issue of blood. She pushed her way through the mass of people who surrounded Jesus and gently reached out and touched the hem of his garment. And immediately, Jesus said felt power (dunamis) leave him. But how did this happen? The crucifixion hadn’t happened yet. The Holy Spirit was not sent yet. Somehow the lady was able to use the exousia to call on the dunamis power and it made her whole!
We have been granted power and authority since the beginning of the world. Through the Holy Spirit, we have the authority to call on the power of the Holy Spirit to perform magnificent ‘super’-natural events just as Jesus has. We don’t have to stalk Jesus and secretly touch Him for deliverance or healing. We can simply open our mouths and speak it with the authority we have been delegated through Christ Jesus.
With all of this power that God has given us, why is it that the ‘power is out’?
Always,
Keiyia JOYet George
The power to heal and set people free has been freely given to us once we receive the Holy Spirit. Wouldn’t it be great to simply lay your hand on someone and broken bones are fixed? Headaches are gone? Demons expelled? Don’t let your power go out. Comment below and recommit to use the power and authority granted to you as a believer of Christ and a human on earth.
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