power

Power is the ability to act. Life in it's essence is absolute spirit, to come into the knowledge of this truth is to come into the secret of power, and to enter into the secret place of living spirit. Once we realize that this universal and unlimited power of spirit is at the crux of all existence and of ourselves also, then we have obtained the key to the universal principle "the kingdom of God is within you." The only way that we can limit this power is in the way we think, spiritual power comes through faith in the source of the power. If we think that we are weak, we will be weak, if we tap into that source of power with a pure heart, we can be strong. We have the power to enter into the abundant life, we have the deliverance over sin and our surroundings and the thought of power produces power.

Sorcery is the inverted use of spiritual power. Power can also be misused for control and manipulation. Authorities excercise power and authority over us. Whenever the word power is mentioned, somebody sooner or later will refer to the classical statement of Lord Acton "Power corrupts, etc." In fact the correct quotation is: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." The corruption of power is not in the power, but in ourselves. And yet, what is this power which men live by and to a significant degree live for? Power is the very essence, the dynamo of life. It is the power of the heart pumping blood and sustaining life in the body. It could be an organized body sent to destroy or it could be the body of Christ moving in spiritual power and authority of the King of Kings to save an unbelieving world. It is in the power of active citizen participation pulsing upward, providing a unified strength for a common goal to. The power of the brain can create man's most glorious achievements, and develop perspectives and insights into the nature of life- opening horizons previously beyond the imagination. It can also serve to tear them down.

There are ways that we can use collective power to organize and effect change. Saul Alinsky taught that "In an organization, you organize on a mass power basis. I'm saying to you that you organize for the only reason that organizations have ever come into being, and that reason is to generate power. When I use the word "power:, I use it strictly as it is defined by Webster: as the ability to act."
Ferguson: "Yet clearly power - which derives from the Latin potere, "to be able" - is energy. Without power there is no movement... Eventually, anyone concerned with the transformation of the individual must engage in social action."

And then there is Holy Ghost power. Emerson wrote "Let the powers be well directed, directed by love, and they would everywhere be greeted with joy and honor. Jesus said 'You shall receive power.'" Our true power is in the heavenlies. We do not war with flesh and blood but against the powers at war in the universe that govern the heart of man. This power comes with authority.

Leadership and power in the New Testament is never conferred to Christians except through the leadership of Jesus. The Lord Jeshua is always the leader of these early Christians and for any of them to think otherwise would be tantamount to blasphemy in usurping the spiritual authority of leadership from the Son of God. This is the proper authority, Jesus taught with power and authority, He had authority over demons but when confronted with granting that authority to His disciples, He had this to say:

Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant. Matthew 20:25
Let me emphasize that once again It shall not be so among you. Jesus' teaching on authority does not seem to matter to those that would come to us with the power of false authority to Lord it over us and take charge. That does not mean that Jesus did not give us authority because He did. Jesus gave the disciples power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases, the seventy returned with a witness to that authority. Authority is power and Jesus said that all power is given unto Him in heaven and in earth. He shares this power with us and has given us power and authority over sickness, demons, forgiveness of sins, binding and loosing, unclean spirits, power to tread on serpents and scorpions, power to witness, to have this power is to have authority over them. Paul and the other disciples had this authority but never abused it like many pastors and pretended apostles do today but was made perfect in weakness, they were weak in Jesus and it was the power and authority of God that made them strong so that they could be examples to us.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Eph 6:12
Jesus does share His authority with us but it is derived authority and not assumed. It is His authority and comes with power but not lordship, only Jesus is Lord. We as His body share as the authority of Jesus but it is together against the spiritual wickedness, preaching against ungodliness, not authority over each other. The greatest apostles are the greatest servants, there is no pecking order or chain of command because there is no command outside of Jesus, we must stand shoulder to shoulder. There should never have been the separation of clergy and laity for that is the nicolaitan system which God hates. We are all priests and kings but we are to relinquish our crowns before Jesus' throne. Prophets who would like to take authority and speak as if they are the truth are false Christs and cannot understand that there is no spiritual authority of prophets outside of the spirit of prophecy, we are to bear witness to each other, not to any power that we have on our own. It is so easy to see through the false authority of man.
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