THE POWER WENT OUT by Larry W Peebles October 11, 2019 19.35
We were advised the power would go out. My wife and I were nearing the end of a 10 day mission trip to Kenya, and had returned to the capital city for our last stop–a large pastors’ conference to be held on a university campus. During that conference, we stayed at an older safari-type hotel near the university and convenient to a huge game preserve adjacent to the city. When we arrived, we were given a schedule of planned power outages. This was ten years ago. The infrastructure situation may have improved by now, but at that time the demand for electricity far outstripped the supply. The only way to manage the shortfall was to plan rolling black-outs across the city. At certain times of the day and night, different areas would experience the lack of power for several hours. Most of the black-outs affecting our hotel were planned to occur during the day when we were attending the conference. There was only one planned for the evening hours while we would be staying at the hotel. For that night, we had to manage our evening so that we returned to the hotel, showered and were ready for bed with flashlights nearby before the outage. We fared well, although I remember feeling insecure sleeping in total darkness. By morning, we not only had light, but the hotel kitchen was ready to prepare breakfast.
We experience power outages in almost every developing foreign country where we travel for ministry. Most are unplanned. We find ourselves grateful for the power when we have it, and accustomed to the times we do not. As I think of our American society, I realize how dependent we have become upon the power of electricity to run computers, transportation, industry and households. We are very vulnerable without it. The United States has spent countless billions of dollars to build generator plants, dams and distribution networks so that power is available everywhere it is needed. It is not a stretch to say our lives depend on this power. Hospitals and other critical services now have a back-up supply if the primary supply of power were to fail.
Mark 5: 25-30 tells of a sick woman who was in need of power to cure a health problem described as an “issue of blood.” She had the condition for years, and had depleted her resources on doctors who had not been able to help. In fact, it had only gotten worse. Jesus was in her area, and in spite of her “unclean” condition, she knew if she could just get close enough to touch His garment, He would have in effect touched her, and she would be healed. She pressed close enough to touch His garment, and what happened next is remarkable. The Passion Translation says- “Jesus knew at once that someone had touched Him, for He felt the power that always surged around Him had passed through Him
[gone out]for someone to be healed” (v. 30). The Greek word for that power is exousia, which means authority, dominion, supernatural power. Jesus walked in that kind of power, and knew when it left His body. The woman also knew she had drawn on the power, for when it left His body and went into hers, she was healed.
Jesus sent out His twelve disciples with a measure of that same power. Luke 9:1-2- “Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power (Gr.-dynamis-dynamite) and authority (Gr.-exousia) over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”
The Holy Spirit, which came upon Jesus without limitation at His baptism (Matthew 3:13-17), was operating through the man/God Jesus as the source of unlimited supernatural power. Jesus was the tangible source of this incredible power and authority which defies description using the common language of man. It is not like anything we have seen or heard, yet in controlled amounts, people experienced it then and still do today. The twelve disciples were the first part of His distribution system so that the power could go out.
We know that Jesus died on the cross for the forgiveness of the sins of all mankind. He rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven. When He left the earth, He promised the Holy Spirit as a gift to all who believed in Him. The Holy Spirit would come as the power of God that went out to help us, comfort us, teach us, and guide us into all truth. The story continues in the Book of Acts.
Acts 1:1-5, 8-“The former account I [Luke] made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And being assembled together with them, He commanded them to not depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise from the Father which He said ‘you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now’…But you shall receive power [Gr.-dynamis] when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The disciples were to be completely filled with the Holy Spirit as Jesus had been filled at His baptism. The Holy Spirit would not only come upon them, He would dwell in them. Jesus knew He could not start His public ministry without the Holy Spirit, and neither could the disciples. The Spirit would be their power source to preach boldly, heal effectively, avoid temptation, outflank the opposition, suffer graciously, travel tirelessly, love unconditionally, and die willingly. They were not to leave home without it. They were instructed to wait in Jerusalem until that happened.
Acts 2:1-4– “When the Day of Pentecost [the Jewish Feast of Weeks-wheat harvest, 50 days after the Passover] had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly, there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” The Promise was fulfilled, the power went out, and Peter preached boldly that day. Three thousand were added to the faith. But it was not a one-time event.
Acts 4:1-31– Peter and John were arrested for teaching about Jesus, healing the people by miracles (a man lamed from birth), and converting thousands to the faith. They were questioned and threatened by the Sanhedrin, the religious rulers. They went back to their companions and reported. Reading from verse 29 they prayed- “Now Lord, look on their threats, and grant to your servants that with all boldness they may speak your words, by stretching out Your hands to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy servant Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” To do, and to continue to do the works of Jesus, they needed more of the Holy Spirit. Jesus described the Holy Spirit as living water. We receive it for the benefits listed above, for strength and refreshing, but it is intended to be poured out to His children. “Out of your belly will flow rivers of living water”- John 7:38. They received more of the Holy Spirit simply by praying and asking. We can do the same in order that the supply of power does not run out. We simply become part of the distribution system, a conduit to receive the Holy Spirit and pass it on to others as we minister in the name of Jesus.
My wife and I rely heavily upon the Holy Spirit when we minister in foreign countries, because we do not know the people, we do not know the language, and we do not know their specific need. We simply lay hands on them and pray that they would receive a touch from the Holy Spirit, who does know their need. We have seen Him move mightily to meet their needs, deliver them from demons, and heal their bodies. We have seen people shake, cry, and be unable to stand in the presence of His power. When His power goes out, things change. My prayer is that we will ask the Holy Spirit to touch us and fill us in a tangible way so that we experience the very real love of God and realize how close He is to us. He knows our name, and He lives in us. His great power is available to help us and change us so that we can do the same works Jesus did and more.
