Power - God's, Ours and the Evil One - Part 1

So as we begin this topic of power - God’s, Ours and the Evil One, let us take a moment to surrender and receive. As you listen be blessed, empowered and transformed in Jesus name.

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Transcript

00:00 Intro music and voice over.

Welcome to jesus loves the world podcast. For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name! 

00:21 Speaker

Throughout the history of humanity there has been a continual striving for power. The motivation for power can be complex and is unique for each person. However it is usually interwoven with satisfying one’s own needs, wants and desires.

This is in vast contrast with how the Almighty, that is the most powerful one, uses His power. Throughout God’s love story the Bible there are many references to what God does with His power. 

So as we begin this topic of power - God’s, Ours and the Evil One, let us take a moment to surrender and receive.

Our Father in heaven, we place into your hands our preconceived ideas and needs, wants and desires. As we surrender these to you, may we receive from you ears to listen to what you are saying through your word to us today. Take us deeper into your heart, in Jesus name amen.

The first recorded instance where God is referred to as the Almighty is in the book of Genesis. It is the context of God appearing to Abram and making a covenant with him. So let us read about God’s covenant making power.

Genesis 17:1-9 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” And God said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 

The LORD, that is the Eternal One appeared to Abram. It is not described in what form that the LORD appeared to Abram, as the appearance of the Eternal One is not the most significant aspect of this encounter. As awesome as that is, it is what the Eternal One said that is the most powerful. For when the Eternal One speaks it is so.  

The Eternal One announces to Abram who He is. He states, ‘I am Almighty God.’ That is the most powerful one, the supreme deity. There is nothing or no one above Almighty God. He is the one who in the beginning spoke light into the darkness and life into the void. The Almighty God is the creator of heaven and earth and all things good. He is the one who can create something out of nothing for He is the most powerful.

He is the Almighty who is the God of everywhere and everything. Yet He makes Himself intimate and personal and speaks directly to individuals, people groups and nations. In this encounter with Abram, His words speak of who He is for Abram’s benefit. Empowering Abram  to believe and receive all that the Almighty God has to give. That is all of Himself in a covenant of love. 

A covenant being a relationship of respect and honour, intimacy and love, promise and faithfulness. An eternal covenant of identity and value. A covenant that can never die. For it is initiated and sustained by the covenant making and covenant keeping power of the LORD God Almighty. 

He is the one who has initiated the relationship with Abram. Abram simply needs to be willing. Be wiling to say, yes LORD yes, as you speak it LORD let it be so. The good news for Abram was that he said yes to the Almighty God and entered into a covenant relationship with Him. Knowing that when the LORD speaks it is so. 

The second recorded instance when the LORD is referred to as the Almighty is with the descendant of Abram who became Abraham. His name was Isaac. In referring to God as the Almighty, Isaac testified of the covenant he too chose to enter into with the LORD God Almighty. Testifying that the Almighty initiated the covenant and sustained it. He simply was willing and said yes to God and worshipped only Him. So just like his father Abraham, Isaac is testifying of the power of God Almighty, this time to his descendant Jacob. 

Genesis 28:3-4 “May God Almighty bless you, And make you fruitful and multiply you, That you may be an assembly of peoples; And give you the blessing of Abraham, To you and your descendants with you, That you may inherit the land In which you are a stranger, Which God gave to Abraham.”

Again the description of God as the Almighty is the context of His covenant making and covenant keeping power. The nature of the Almighty is evident in how He uses His ultimate power. For the Almighty only uses His power for the benefit of others. For that is His nature. 

He is selfless and loving, gentle and kind, faithful and true. The Almighty empowers us to be able to believe and receive all that He gives. He gives all of Himself.

The third time the LORD is referred to as God Almighty is when Jacob encountered God personally. The situation was this. 

Jacob had betrayed his own brother and deceived his father Isaac. He ran away from the blame and shame. As he was on the run, Jacob encountered God and personally received the Almighty as his God. From that moment as time passed, God and Jacob journeyed together in a covenant of respect and honour, intimacy and love, promise and faithfulness. 

Throughout the years Jacob would have other encounters with the Almighty God. It was in his 6th recorded encounter that the next reference of the Almighty God occurs. As with the two previous references, it is in the context of God’s covenant power and relationship of promise. 

Genesis 35:10-15 And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.” So He called his name Israel. Also God said to him: “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land.” Then God went up from him in the place where He talked with him. So Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it. And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him, Bethel.

Again the Eternal One refers to Himself as God Almighty. He speaks light and life into Jacob and reminds him that He is the most powerful one. Being the Almighty when He speaks it is so. 

The Almighty God not only blesses Jacob with His presence, but also reminds him that He is the most powerful one who fulfils His promises. For He is a covenant initiating and covenant fulfilling God, who has the power to do just that. 

In all these first three recorded instances of God being referred to as the Almighty, they are in the context of a personal and intimate covenant relationship. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all made the choice to worship only the LORD, God Almighty and enter into an eternal covenant relationship with Him. 

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The LORD God Almighty makes His power known and uses His power for the benefit of others. He is a covenant making and covenant keeping God. For that is His nature.

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As the LORD is the all powerful one, He chooses to use His power only for the benefit of others. To reveal Himself to every individual in ways they can understand, so that everyone has the right to choose and is without excuse. The Apostle Paul centuries after Abraham,Isaac and Jacob also received this revelation of the LORD God Almighty.

Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

Both the Old and New Testament reveals the divine, covenant nature and power of the Eternal One. In Paul’s second letter to those dwelling in Corinth and Achaia at the time of writing, he quotes Old Testament scriptures revealing how the invisible power of God is intricately linked with His covenant relationship with all who are willing.   

2 Corinthians 6:16-18 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.”

The LORD Almighty fulfils all His promises and agreements He has made. To all who have received Him, He makes His home in each one, intimately and personally. The spirit of the living God dwells within and amongst each one. The LORD Almighty makes us clean and as we are His dwelling place, we are holy. With His perfect divine nature He is a good Father who gives all of Himself for us. 

In Jesus the Almighty gives all of Himself. Having received Jesus, received God we are the sons and daughters of the living God. For He gives all who have received Him, His right and authority to be His children. Having received Him and His right to rule and reign, we are His witnesses to a lost and dying world. 

This word that has been translated as Almighty in this scripture means the Eternal One who is infinite in power and has unlimited authority, The only other times that this Greek word that has been translated as Almighty is used in the New Testament is in the book of the Revelation of Jesus. 

First by the resurrected Jesus introducing Himself in the context of who He is, what He has done and will do as He appeared to the Apostle John. 

Revelation 1:4-8 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

The Eternal One, the Beginning and End only uses His power for the benefit of every individual throughout the ages. For that is His nature. In His power and authority, He gives to us His grace and peace. That is His goodwill and loving kindness, His pleasure and delight in being in a covenant relationship together in Him.

Jesus is the faithful witness, the one who has defeated death, gives all of His selfless love, washed us clean, set us free, made us kings and priests to His God and Father. He is coming back and will judge and eliminate evil for He is faithful and true. He did it all for us.

For The LORD God Almighty makes His power known and uses His power for the benefit of others. He is a covenant making and covenant keeping God. For that is His nature.

19:40 Outro music and voice over. 

For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name!