Power is… well, a powerful thing. It can help do great things in the right hands, but it also can do awful things in the wrong hands. Looking at recent events, Osama Bin Laden is a great example of what happens when power is placed in the wrong hands. Bin Laden’s reign of terror lasted two decades; blood was shed in numerous places, people mourned the death of their loved ones, and they screamed for justice that seemed would never come. Then we have someone like Mother Teresa, someone who was cautious and careful with the power that was given to her, knowing it could be dangerous if not used properly. Here was a woman that used that power to minister to the poor, the sick, the orphaned and the dying, who because of her love, mercy and grace was able to bless others while spreading the love of Christ. Mother Teresa is known around the world to this day because of her choice in how she used the power given to her and praised for all she has done.

We as a nation tend to define power in so many ways: by the amount of money someone has, their status in society, the position they hold in their career. We define power as being in control. But how often do we relate ‘Power’ to God? So often we skim over this concept and yet we have proof time and time again of Jesus’ power in God’s Word.

Here we have a man that was born under circumstances in which His mother was publicly perceived as an adulterous woman. That if Joseph and the community wished, could have had Mary stoned to death. He was born into a family that was not of great wealth; a boy that grew up like every other kid. And yet it is this same boy that had the power to heal the blind, heal the lepers, raise the dead, and speak with an authority that held a Power no one had ever seen or heard of before. Here was a man that had the power to forgive your sins.

It is this same man that spoke life into everything that we spat on, beat on, publicly humiliated and killed in a slow and murderous death. And it is this same man-whom we killed that three days later took His life back up again after He had freely placed it down in order for you and I to bridge the gap that was between God and us.

We get a small glimpse of God’s power up on the Mount of Olives. Here we have a man who was feared by the Sanhedrin in such a way that they plotted to take Jesus prisoner in the middle of the night. To arrest Him in a place that no lingering eyes other than His disciples and the guards would see. Here was Jesus who never showed anything but love to these people, never gave them a reason that He would be violent, and yet He was feared enough that a mob of soldiers- 600 - were ordered to go to the Mount of Olives with Judas to arrest Him.

It was in the mist of His arrest that the true power of God is shown. The fact that Jesus was feared enough to bring a mob of the best soldiers out to arrest Him, tells us just how much power the Sanhedrin already believed He had, but what happened during the arrest puts the power they knew about to shame. A lot of us miss this in scripture because the accounts of what happened that night are in 4 different books: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. However if we dive into two of the four accounts, we capture what many miss.

John 18:3-6

3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.
4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”
5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.
“I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

Upon Jesus saying “I AM” the soldiers fell to the ground….think about this… When Jesus used His true name and said “I AM” it was then just a small glimpse of Christ’s power was revealed. Men who were trained, strong, ready for the unexpected had fallen-600 of them- all at once.

But this wasn’t the only thing that happened in this moment. If we look at another account, we see something more. A boy…

Mark 14:51

51 A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, 52 he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.

Most would miss what is happening here; after all we would just assume this boy had just followed Christ. However, if we do a quick google search we find out that the Mount of Olives is in actuality a cemetery, one that is still used even today for Jews.

So who was this boy? It doesn’t say, but what we can derive from the way this boy is dressed, from the location of this place, that the boy had not followed Christ and His disciples to this place, but that this was the boys resting place. It was this boys burial ground. In the same moment that Christ said “I AM” 600 soldiers fell to the ground and a boy was raised from the dead.

Talk about power.

Labels: Christ, Disciples, God, Jesus, Mother Teresa, Osama, Power

Psalm 27:14

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

Wait. Be Patient. Stop... Just. Wait.

We live in a society of "I want it now" - a place where patience isn't understood. The magnitude of Patience and importance of it is beyond our understanding and yet our society continues to tell us that if we can't afford it there are easy payment plans so we can get it now because we deserve to have it now. We teach ourselves through this to be impatient in everything- in traffic, at work, at the airport, in lines and soon we find ourselves saying we don't want to wait on God because we know better than He does. We are impatient people, ones who tell others everyday by our actions alone that we know better than them. That we can handle things better, and yet continue to convince ourselves that we are still patient.

But what do we do when God tells us to wait? Do we obediently obey or do we plow through the course as if we were in a race? It's normally the later isn't it? We tell God that we don't want to wait on Him, that we know better than He does. How arrogant we are to tell the God of the Universe, who was there before even the beginning of time that we know better than He! We have to remind ourselves daily that patience is not only important in our day to day walk with God. But God will call us to wait for a reason; which normally is to help us to grow.

Reflecting back on the Psalm it shows just how impatient we are, the word "wait" is spotted twice in this verse, and it's most certainly not because we obediently obey all the time. Impatience has plagued us since the beginning of time; Eve was impatient to wait to speak to God and instead allowed a serpent to convince her she would be like God with one bite from the Tree of Life. After all, Eve had it right didn't she? Because clearly the tree that had been there from the beginning would not last another day! If impatience hadn't plagued Eve perhaps she would never have been tricked to eat from the tree that God had forbid of. Our impatience continues through the old and new of the Bible and every impatient thought comes with fear. Fear of waiting and allowing the opportunity that you believe in is going to pass you by. But, if we completely and wholly trust that God knows best, that He will take care of all our needs we should not have fear. We should be content patiently waiting for God's movement in our lives so we may grow in relationship with others as well as Him.

We so often want to move forward before God wants us to and by doing so we eliminate Him from the experience. We choose our own will for our life instead of allowing Him to show us His will for our life. Instead of choosing our own will, using our own strength let's wait patiently on the movement of God so it is His strength we are using, it is His will that is being done, it is Him who is making the impact and not us as sinners.

I challenge you to wait patiently for His will instead of going after what we think is best. I pray and challenge you that you will not tell God through actions you know better than He and pray that God will give you the ears to hear what His will for your life is. I pray that God will give you the eyes to see where He is moving so you may join Him in His work. Let's not allow impatience to pull us from our relationship with Christ but "wait for the Lord; be strong", be brave, and be courageous in Him.

Psalm 27

1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked advance against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.

4 One thing I ask from the LORD,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the LORD.

7 Hear my voice when I call, LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, LORD, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.

13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

Labels: Christ, God, Lord, Patience, Psalm