God's Power or just all talk?

[CeileDe]

1 Corinthians 4:18-21 (NLT)
[SUP]18 [/SUP] Some of you have become arrogant, thinking I will not visit you again.
[SUP]19 [/SUP] But I will come—and soon—if the Lord lets me, and then I’ll find out whether these arrogant people just give pretentious speeches or whether they really have God’s power.
[SUP]20 [/SUP] For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.
[SUP]21 [/SUP] Which do you choose? Should I come with a rod to punish you, or should I come with love and a gentle spirit?


I was reading 1 Corinthians this morning after skimming through the forums. Do we Christians just talk a lot of talk or do we truly have God's power? So what is God's power? I think we can all agree with it being filled with the HS, at least I think we all can.

The verses before the ones I posted Paul talks about how his dedication to Christ makes him look like a fool to the world.


1 Corinthians 4:10-13 (NLT)
[SUP]10 [/SUP] Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honored, but we are ridiculed.
[SUP]11 [/SUP] Even now we go hungry and thirsty, and we don’t have enough clothes to keep warm. We are often beaten and have no home.
[SUP]12 [/SUP] We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living. We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us.
[SUP]13 [/SUP] We appeal gently when evil things are said about us. Yet we are treated like the world’s garbage, like everybody’s trash—right up to the present moment.

Is the power of God being able to withstand the ridicule of others? Is it being able to fight the good fight even though others laugh at us or persecute us in other ways? It is easy to live for the Lord when all the conditions are perfect. Do we have God's power to push through the tough times as well?

I think as Christians we sometimes focus on God's power as being able to accomplish miraculous things such as healing, gifts of the spirit, etc.... If we truly have God's power flowing through us should we not be able to withstand the hardships as well? If we have been spirit filled, even though we are being tested and our lives look like they are falling apart, shouldn't we still be able to function as Christians and each day looks like the previous or the next? We still give the Glory to God and praise Him no matter what we are going through.

Reading this hit home with me this morning so I'm not condemning anyone on this forum. I'm just sharing what God is telling me. Sitting here I can truly say that I let the world get to me instead of allowing God's power to flow through me to resist the day to day challenges. I am all talk about my Christian lifestyle and when the hardship comes I feel my life is turned upside down and I don't put my faith in God that He can handle anything. I need to walk in God's power like the Apostles did and praise God when the days are brighter than other days and praise God when I am beaten down by the world around me. I need to remember that my fight isn't worldly but spiritual and I can only fight it in spirit. God Bless

 

[oldethennew]

Ceile,

you are an amazing person, and so sensitive, and yes, if we have truly received the Holy Spirit,
there is absolutely nothing that can defeat us, though we may become weak, through our weakness
our Saviour always makes us stronger than we were before, thus our growth in Christ will continue
until the end of our lives and beyond...yes, we must always walk and rely in the power we have received through the
Holy Spirit and God's Holy Word...

Faith and Trust and complete surrender are such valuable keys to opening up ourselves to the
receiving the power of God's Love for us and in us...

 

[Stephen63]

Sometimes I think we go thru things because God is trying to show us we're doing more talking than walking.

 

[Blain]

Celie I found your reflection to be very enlightening and also moving. I can understand how some talk as a believer but don't walk the talk on the other hand perhaps they are still babes in heart and God is working in them. I have seen God's power in my own life not all the miracles and word of power kind of thing but I have seen how deeply he changed me and molded my heart I used to be a very self centered unloving arrogant and rude person love was perhaps what I lacked the most as a person but thanks to father and his wisdom power( and a great deal of patience lol) love is now what he has blessed me the most with.

The path we have chosen while each of our paths are unique in many ways requires God's power in order to be able to walk it, storms will come the enemy will attack us in any way he can as he knows our weaknesses and fires of life will without a doubt come to us. I had a dream once in which I was on my knees and being beaten by the enemy in all kinds of ways all kinds of whispers of doubt and all kinds of lies to not just beat me down but keep me down I recall that in the midst of this as I was nearly destroyed a gentle voice said to me arise I said to the voice I cannot I have not the power nor the strength and the voice again said arise but with power and suddenly in the midst of all the enemies taunting lies and attacks I waas filled with power and my eyes were as fire.

I am not sure why this dream was given to me or the meaning of it exactly but I always remember this dream when I feel weak and when I am about to break from the storms of life

 

[prove-all]

Jeremiah 27:5 (KJV)

I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground,
by my great power and by my outstretched arm,
and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.


Ecclesiastes 8:8 (KJV)

There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit;
neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge
in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

 

[vic1980]

Romans 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined [to] [be] conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

The Bible actually states that the person who is already saved will be "predestined [to] [be] conformed to the image of His Son," in the Bible process described as sanctification.

God is good , and His truth are so wonderful

 

[lastofall]

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;" (Romans 1:16)

"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18)

"..no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." (1 Corinthians 12:3)