Quest for Supernatural Power – I want this POWER!
In our just concluded conference in Suleja with
Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, a pregnant woman went wild on the last day
crying, “I want this power!” All through the four days of the conference there
was open demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit but it was on the last
evening that I discussed on the need for the power of the Holy Spirit in the
life of every believer. To say the least, she took me by surprise because her
husband and she have been close to me for the period of the conference. In fact,
they took over my feeding from my host pastor and they were the ones that
brought me to the venue of the program in their car that evening I even feel
that all along that lady had been praying that somehow God will see her heart
and allow the Holy Spirit flow through me and over to her thirsty soul.
By the last day of the program she perhaps feared
that this was not to be, hence her cry, “I want this power!”
Permit me to add this few words to her cry, “Lord, You
can’t do this to me. You know how desperate I am for the power of the Holy
Spirit You have been pouring out through Your servant. Lord, he is concluding
his assignment in our city and I still don’t have this power. Lord, I want this
power badly. And you just must let me have it”.
Her cry is not different from that of Simon the sorcerer;
yes, the man most preachers have painted in bad light for his hunger for divine
power -
When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the
apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. "Let
me have this power, too," he exclaimed, "so that when I lay my hands
on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!" Acts 8:18-19 NLT
I bet that if I asked this woman for anything she
could afford for this power, she would give it. Such was her hunger for power
that she cared less about her pregnant state as she wept, mourned and rolled as
if she lost her husband to the cold hands of death her darling husband was not
left out in this quest as he sat in a corner with his youngest baby in hand
drenched in the tears that flowed freely from his cheeks.
It is at this point of quest that some money-monger
preachers ask people to pay some money and buy some special things to receive
supernatural power. A pastor in Port Harcourt told how he paid $10,000 to a
great bishop so that he can receive the power for church growth. There are
those eat some things and carry out rigorous exercises that they may receive
power. There also those who have been lured into secret societies in their hunger
for God’s power.
I totally condemn all other practices that are
different from receiving the power of the Holy Spirit through faith in a
biblical prescribed process but I cannot fell to appreciate the genuine hunger
in the heart of Simon the sorcerer and the woman in Suleja. I believe4 that the
Holy Spirit see things the same way because at a time I observed that she became
quiet and as she stood up from where she was lying, I knew she got what she
wanted.
The problem with my generation of ministers is that
many of us look for the things the POWER can give not the power. That could be
the only reason why some are ready to do anything, even things they know very
well that the Holy Spirit will never permit them to do.
Some years back, a witch-doctor in a community close
to where I live in Port Harcourt got five pastors arrested by the police
because they refused to pay him for the “power” he gave them to make their
churches grow. Let’s ignore the question of why the police did not first arrest
the witch-doctor and concentrate on why would one preaching from the bible go
to satan for power. I am witness to the fact that these evil men always boast
that all the great servants of God go to them for power. I have said before,
that this is same as saying that God is dead, because if God were alive He will
empower His servants. And He did, does and will do in the future.
When people can’t lay hand on this POWER they resort
to some things which the Apostles said they never wanted.
My message and my preaching were not with wise and
persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your
faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power 1 Cor 2:4-5 NIV
1. Words
of Wisdom – Some claim that they arte not called to demonstrate healing power
but just to “TALK”.
2. Persuasive
Words – This is where the motivational speakers come in
3. Carefully
invented stories – This is where those who died went to heaven and hellfire and
then returned come in. They try to manipulate people through fear to repent.
We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we
told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were
eyewitnesses of his majesty 2 Peter 1:16 NIV
Sorry to say, these are factors we use today, in the
place of demonstration of genuine power of the Holy Spirit.
Yet, let me say here, nothing can take the place of
the real power of God
(To be continued)
Emma your brother @PNUR
