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I used to wonder why we
believers didn't see more of the power of God operating among us than we
do. With what we know about faith and the Word, it seemed to me signs
and wonders and miracles should be happening all the time.
So, one day I asked, "Lord, why isn't the power of God turned up to a higher volume in the Church?"
Do you know what He said? He told me we weren't walking in enough love yet.
God
wants us to have power. But first, He has to be sure we'll use that
power in love. He wants to know that we won't take it and mix it with
judgment and criticism and blast people out of the water.
Kenneth, He said, I
can't afford to back your words with supernatural power in a church
service on Sunday morning and then have you get on the freeway that
night and lash out at someone because he pulled over into your lane.
You'd blow him off the highway. I can't leave the power of Almighty God
at a high volume in the mouth of an unmerciful fool.
Then He
reminded me of a time I took my son, John, hunting. He was just a little
guy at the time, barely big enough to keep his gun from knocking him on
his back every time he'd pull the trigger. I was teaching him how to
shoot, and he was coming along pretty well.
That day we were
walking along out at Gloria's grandparents' farm and John spotted one of
the biggest tarantula spiders I'd ever seen. It was clinging to the
wall of the barn. When John saw that spider, he took aim. He was going
to blow that bug away.
If I hadn't stopped him, he would have too.
And it wouldn't have dawned on him until it was all over that he was
going to blow a hole in the barn at the same time. From my grown-up
perspective, I could see that would be foolishness. He couldn't. He was
looking through the eyes of a child.
Do you want God to put a
shotgun of spiritual power in your hand, so you can blow the works of
the devil to kingdom come? Then focus on love. Pursue it. Practice it.
Study it. Grow up in it. Then you'll see the power of God operating
through you.
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