Power

There is something more powerful than earthly power...it is confidence in agreement with God. You could call it faith...but faith is really choosing to be confident because I agree with God.


Psalms 119:42-45 So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, For I trust in Your word. And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, For I have hoped in Your ordinances. So shall I keep Your law continually, Forever and ever. And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts.


Agreeing with God is truly more powerful than power, position, wealth, or popularity. The world does not readily see it, but it is plain throughout world history. Earthly power is fatally flawed. The saying "absolute power corrupts absolutely" is true. We see this openly displayed in every fallen empire from Greece to Rome, Great Britain...every evil dictator that promised the world a better social arrangement or a more just society...Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Castro...absolute concentrated earthly power always ends the same way: oppression, death, starvation, and perversion.


There is only one who is capable of wielding absolute power. There is only one Man who has positively demonstrated that He will not be corrupted by absolute power...it is Jesus! Jesus had all the power and laid it down definitively for love. Because of this perplexing and amazing act of obedience, Jesus has been elevated, as a man forever (yet fully God, choosing always to live in the constraints of a man) to a position of having the name above every other name:


John 1:1, 3, 5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.


Philippians 2:5-11 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges ; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.


By willingly laying it down for love, Jesus has PROVEN He is trustworthy, as a man, with absolute power. Because of this, God has given Jesus the full administration of power (called authority), in partnership with the Father, over creation:


1 Corinthians 15:23-28 But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back. After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.” (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.) Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere.


But, this is an even more amazing truth: He has invited everyone who would choose the job, to share in the administration of His absolute power. The administration of power is called "authority." To share in Jesus' administration of power, we have to agree with Him, by our words and choices, that the way He lived, and what He taught, were really right!


Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”


So this is the choice before each one of us: put confidence in the flawed earthly power that everyone else trusts in, which will bother no one, because most of the world is swimming this direction...OR put our confidence in true un-corrupted power, which looks extreme to the world, because we make risky choices trusting in an invisible man!


Everyone gets what they want in the end. Because of love, free will is necessary. Jesus REFUSES to violate free will. Choosing to trust Jesus for salvation is NOT the same as agreeing with Him choice by choice about who really has the power! I can choose faith in Him or I can put my trust in what world says is effective, responsible, and good. This requires faith either way! Putting my money in a 401k, or my time into my career takes as much faith as giving my money away, or investing my time in bringing others into agreement with Jesus' coming world government. The real question is what is my faith in.


Most Christians believe in a diverse spiritual investment strategy...evenly distributing their time and money between faith in earthly power and covering their bets on Jesus' power, too. It is so common, many believe this is what the Bible says. This is NOT what the Bible says....this is NOT what Jesus says to do.


Jesus says the most amazing thing. He says basically this: "I REALLY own administration over ALL the power...the earthly power men THINK they control, AND the true power I openly demonstrate my administration over in the answering prayers. If you invest FULLY...place all of your trust fully....put all your weight...your time, money, and emotion...in agreeing with me, you will get everything the world is striving to control AND you will share in a high position in MY government forever."


Matthew 6:25-33 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.


Most Christians have earthly "plans", and then they also have their "faith." An earthly plan is really another form of faith, it is just faith in something other than Jesus. To lay down all of my power...my strength...whether it is a little or a lot...as well as to put all of my faith on Jesus...no plan B...is to choose complete confidence in true un-corrupted power. This is called "overcoming" by Jesus. Overcoming doesn't mean I have a perfect record of obedience, it just means I have come into full agreement with Jesus about who really owns the power, and am trying more and more, growing in strength, to make choices that reflect that. This is living like Jesus lives. If I live LIKE Jesus lives, I will live WHERE Jesus lives, in the seat of great authority:

Revelation 3:15-22 “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”