A lot of times when I think about powerful people, I think
of high-ranking politicians, wealthy businessmen, and popular celebrities. But did
you know that each and every one of us is powerful? Act 1:8 says: “But you will
receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my
witnesses, telling people about me everywhere--in Jerusalem ,
throughout Judea, in Samaria ,
and to the ends of the earth.” It’s that simple, if you have the Holy Spirit
within you, you have POWER.
Today, we read about some followers of Jesus who knew that
they had power. Saul and Barnabas were on a mission to teach Governor Sergius
Paulus about God. But they were confronted by Bar-Jesus aka Elymas, the sorcerer,
as he attempted to dissuade the Governor from believing. As I imagine it,
Bar-Jesus was the little devil in the Governor’s ear, planting seeds of doubt,
while Saul and Barnabas were the little angels, urging him to believe.
Although confronted by a sorcerer that was allowing himself
to be used by the Devil, Saul and Barnabas knew that their God was bigger. They
knew that because of the Holy Spirit within them, they had POWER.
The passage reads:
9Saul, also known as Paul, was
filled with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye. 10 Then
he said, “You son of the devil, full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and
enemy of all that is good! Will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord? 11 Watch
now, for the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be
struck blind. You will not see the sunlight for some time.” Instantly mist and
darkness came over the man’s eyes, and he began groping around begging for
someone to take his hand and lead him. 12 (Act 13:9-12)
Saul explicitly called out the sorcerer, and because of his
belief and the power of God vested in him, everything he said happened. The man
instantly went blind!
The part of the story that I found most important is in
verse 13: “When the governor saw what had happened, he became a believer, for
he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.” Because Paul wasn't afraid
to exert the power of God within him, the governor also became a believer. I've found that most of the time, people appreciate not only when we talk about God and say we are “Christians,”
but when we walk in our Christianity.
When we walk in the power of God and are not afraid to show it, our peers take
notice. Don’t be afraid to LIVE OUT LOUD and walk unafraid in the POWER of GOD!
“For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors.” Deuteronomy 4:31
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