Tag: Power of God

Categories
Bible Preaching

Go In Power

Stephen Kuntzman | July 27, 2025 | 7:00 PM

1 Corinthians 2:1-5, “(1) And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.  (2)  For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.  (3)  And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.  (4)  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:  (5)  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

The Lord is seeking people who will press into Him: (12)  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. (13)  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, (14)  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.[1]

Daniel 11:32, “…but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”

Albert Barnes says, “The word exploits…is supplied by the translators, but not improperly. The meaning is, that they would show great prowess, and perform illustrious deeds in battle.”

<you have held back and been held back long enough>

When you visit Jerusalem they will take you to:

  • The site of the Last Supper in the Upper Room
  • The Mount of Olives
  • Gethsemane
  • You’ll see the Eastern Gate
  • They’ll take you to Caiaphas’ Palace ans you’ll see the prison and pit they Jesus in there.
  • You’ll pass by Pilate’s Hall
  • You’ll see Golgotha and the probable area where our Lord was crucified
  • Just a little over a 100 yards you’ll see the empty tomb
  • They’ll take you to the Pool of Siloam
  • You’ll walk up the pilgrimage road from Siloam in the City of David up to the Temple walls
  • They’ll take you through a tunnel and when you exit you’ll be at the western wall of the temple
  • Just around the corner of the temple you’ll walk along the southern wall of the temple, you’ll see mikvah pools in front of the steps southern wall.
  • As you walk up the steps to the southern gate – the gate beautiful – you find an elevated area many call “the upper room,” and this is where the Holy Ghost was poured out on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2.
  • It’s where they waited…

Acts 1:8 – they had to wait, we don’t. We have the power, it’s already been poured out: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”[2]

Hab 1:5, “Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.”

So easy to look outside yourself, but the power or God is in you.

[1] Philippians 3:12-14

[2] Acts 1:8

Categories
Bible Preaching

The Church and the Old Time Power of God -Bishop James A. Johnson

Categories
Bible Preaching

What Shall We Do?

Apostolic Life Cathedral | Sept. 29, 2024 | 10:00 AM

Acts 2:37-39

(37)  Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

(38)  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

(39)  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Three Responses to Conviction:

  1. Ignore it
  2. Kill the messenger
  3. What shall we do?

The Ark of the Covenant, where the Glory of God was manifest:

  • Had become a legend of mythical status by 63 BC when the Roman general Pompey the Great conquered Jerusalem.
  • It is said that he entered the Temple, looked around, entered the Holy of Holies, touched nothing and left.
  • History records that he said he didn’t understand what the big deal was, it was just an empty room.
  • The Ark was gone.
  • It disappeared about the time the Babylonians conquered the Jews in 586 BC.
  • Perhaps, Jeremiah hid it in Mt. Nebo. Nevertheless, it was gone.

Empty ritual, dead formalism, right doctrine, BUT…

No Power! – No Presence! – No Glory!

Without the Holy Spirit we are helpless

We need to learn to get back to waiting – “wait in Jerusalem until”

Turn your face to God

Receive His Power – Linger in Presence – Seek His Glory

Are you curious and hungry?

John 3:1-8

(1)  There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

(2)  The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

(3)  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

(4)  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

(5)  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

(6)  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

(7)  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

(8)  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Luke 24:45-49

(45)  Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

(46)  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

(47)  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

(48)  And ye are witnesses of these things.

(49)  And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Acts 2:1-4

(1)  And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

(2)  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

(3)  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

(4)  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Two responses:

  1. Go on as usual with ritual, habit and going through the motions
  2. Fall on your face and seek God’s Presence, Glory and Power

Categories
Bible Teaching

12 Stones

Apostolic Life Cathedral | 5/26/2024 | 10:00 AM

Text: Joshua 4:1-9

(1)  And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,

(2)  Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,

(3)  And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.

(4)  Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:

(5)  And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:

(6)  That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?

(7)  Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.

(8)  And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the LORD spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.

(9)  And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day.

A Memorial of Twelve Stones[1]:

Memorials are extremely important in our society, so that we will remember our heritage and the sacrifices we and others have made to make them possible.

Importance of spiritual memorials for our personal lives and for the church.

A Memorial for Israel, Joshua 4:1-8

  1. Commanded by God.
  2. Fulfilled by Joshua and the people.
  3. Twelve stones from Jordan.

What about the Twelve Stones?

  1. Represented all the people (twelve tribes), verse 2.
  2. Participation by the people, verse 3.
  3. Related to the miracle, verse 3.
  4. Permanence because of the durability and number of the stones.

The Purpose of the Memorial, Joshua 4:20-24

  1. A reminder that God is the one who performed the miracle of deliverance.
  2. Just as He did for previous generations.
  3. A sign to future generations.
  4. A sign to other nations of the power of God.
  5. So that Israel would fear—honor, respect—the Lord forever.

What about it?

  1. We need memorials in our lives. Example: our family’s testimony of conversion.
  2. We need visible memorials that every family and church member participates in.
  3. Not a dead memorial, but a living one, for the same reasons as in Joshua 4.
  4. Heartfelt and demonstrative worship.
  5. Personal and group prayer, including the prayer closet, the prayer room, and the altar.
  6. Praying in the Holy Ghost – Speaking in tongues.
  7. Visible standards of holiness.
  8. Personal witness.
  9. Of course, a memorial is no good without the continuing reality of a transformed life.

Continue shoring up the memorials in your life.

[1] Source: italicized parts – Bernard, David K. (2004). Preaching the Apostolic Faith. p. 83.