God's Withholding......

I want you all to please bear with me while I think out loud and share my thoughts on this subject. Over the years I have struggled with a lot of different things about the impact of Christianity in America. I have to be honest. I have seen a lot of benevolance and a lot of dedication. I have a hard time questioning the motives of others because my own motives have been askew many times. The thing that I struggle with the most is the lack of power in the church. By that I mean, God's power. Where is it? I have never been convinced about a lot the claims that God did this or God did that but I kept quiet because I knew that my opinion would be considered blasphemy to all those performing miracles in the name of God. I have wondered about myself sometimes. I have ridiculed myself over some of this and kind of dismissed my thoughts as a lack of faith or a lack of experience.

This past week I have been mulling over the scripture about the faith of the centurion. The Bible says that he was a man under authority and that he understood authority. The centurion approached Jesus with a request to heal his paralyzed servant. He looked at Jesus as one who had the authority to cause things to happen. He recognized the fact that Jesus was operating under someone's authority. Obviously we know that Jesus was under His Father's authority. The scripture says that Jesus was "astonished" at the centurions understanding of his authority and Jesus acknowledged to the centurion that he had not found his kind of faith in all of Israel. This story is in Matthew 8.

This particular story brings clarity to my mind as to why and how any of us do or do not see God's power when we pray or minister to others. I have had some experience operating under God's authority and believe me things really happen when God does them. I've also experienced the opposite. I have felt that God was a million miles away when I have made my request. I have come to this conclusion that at least some of the problems with the loss of power comes from operating on our own and without God. We don't understand or we refuse to come under God's authority and therefore we don't have the faith nor the power. There are numerous stories in the Bible of God withdrawing and withholding from rebellious self-serving generations. There have been times that He has even given them over to be consumed by their own lust and self-serving ways.

I believe that God's real power is yet to be seen. I don't deny that it is not happening now but I have a feeling that there is a whole lot more to come when we come under real authority. God will not be mocked in this way. He witholds from our self-serving ways. He blesses in spite of us at times because of His wonderful grace but it has become clear to me after years of trial and error that God is withholding much of that power and we are all suffering because we are not benefiting from all that He has for us.

Authority is a touchy issue with Jesus.

Matthew 21:23-27

Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?"

Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John's baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?"

They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' But if we say, 'From men'—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet."

So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Then he said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.