Power Encounters

Miracles! They excite us, fascinate us, don't they? The record of the Church's first decades, written down for us by Luke in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, is compelling reading! The world was changed by a few people who were full of the Spirit of God, who occasionally raised the dead and often healed the sick. These intrepid men and women constantly preached the Good News of Jesus, finding both acceptance and rejection. In between the miracles and conversions, there are stories of conflicts, the stuff of humanity. Christians who were of differing ethnicity -Jews and Greeks- fought over fair distribution of food to their needy people. There were intense struggles over doctrines of grace and the role of the Jewish Law in the Believers' lives which led to a major church council and a compromise. (Acts 15) Paul and his friend, Barnabas, had a fight over a kid named Mark, about whether he was trustworthy enough to take along on a missions trip and it became so sharp, they parted company. I write of these things because we have the tendency to romanticize Acts, thinking that the Church in that era was a kind of heaven on earth with miracles happening everyday. Not so, however....

There is one constant throughout the story. It is the Spirit-inspired faith that these Believers had in God's ability to work in their world! They believed He is a God of power and that He is presently active! Do we?

There is a humorous story found in Acts 12 about people who prayed somewhat faithlessly. Peter was imprisoned, scheduled for trial for preaching about Jesus. Believers gathered at the home of Mary, Mark's mother, to pray. While they prayed, an angel appeared in the prison and led Peter out to the street, through locked gates and past watching guards. Knowing that Believers gathered there, Peter went to that house. The Bible says, "When he knocked on the door to the courtyard, a young woman named Rhoda came to see who it was. But when she recognized his voice—Peter’s voice!—she was so excited and eager to tell everyone Peter was there that she forgot to open the door and left him standing in the street. But they wouldn’t believe her, dismissing her, dismissing her report. “You’re crazy,” they said. She stuck by her story, insisting. They still wouldn’t believe her and said, “It must be his angel.” All this time poor Peter was standing out in the street, knocking away. Finally they opened up and saw him—and went wild!" (Acts 12:13-16, The Message)

Do you ever pray that way - your mouth saying one thing, but your mind thinking another? Take heart! Jesus says we don't need perfect faith to see the release of God's power. But, faith is important. Without it, we don't 'see' what God is doing, nor what He wants to do. If we desire to see power encounters where sin and evil are defeated and the goodness of God is released through Jesus Christ, we must let the Word lay a foundation of faith that asks boldly!

Miracles happen everyday, all around us. Do we see them? Do we have 'spiritual eyes' that perceive God at work?

Believer, pray confidently! Yes, let God be God. Ask great things of Him. Pray for people you know to enter the Kingdom. Pray for those who struggle with sin to become holy. Pray for God's will to be done, for His kingdom to come. Listen to your prayers and learn to pray 'deeply' moving past the "Lord, bless me, my wife, my kids, my friends - Amen" kind of prayers. Watch too for prayers that are focused exclusively on 'creature comforts.' Yes, we are taught to pray for our 'daily bread,' but let's also ask for spiritual food, for transformation of hearts - ours and others.

And -"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and he will do it." (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, NIV)