Our text gives a classic definition of preaching. It is the manifestation of God’s word. Preaching is not the manifestation of a man’s oratory or humour. It is not the clever ability of man to hold people spellbound. It is giving out the very word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit.
It wasn’t the power of Jesus that made the devils tremble; it was His holiness that they found unsettling. A choice to walk in personal holiness will command such victory over the forces of Satan and his devils.
The world cannot be won by our rhetoric. Our miracles may be nothing more than side attractions. What will captivate the world is love and oneness, the type that is alien to their community. Let us therefore strive for the bond of unity among believers, for this is the seal of perfection.
Finally, we see perspective coming to light again when she wrote: “I could not have written thousands of hymns if I had been hindered by the distractions of seeing all the interesting and beautiful objects that would have been presented to my notice.’’
“God’s work is not gender sensitive.”
-Simeon Afolabi, B&W, HIGHER HEIGHTS, FEB 7, 2023
Life in Christ is expected to be devoted to good deeds. Indeed, our deeds become all the more altruistic when it is to people we don’t know or those who are not in position to pay us back.
That experience and others brought him to salvation in Christ through faith. He went on to become one of the major reformers in the Christendom. Stories like this are inspirational, a reminder of what God can do through us if we let go of our fears.
What then is it about prayer? It is the channel established by God for spiritual battles. Our weapons of war are not physical; but they are mighty when we channel them through prayer to God. We gain purity in prayer; and power for exploits is the reward of such devotion.
In our text, we see the secret of Jesus’ powerful ministry. It was made possible by the Spirit of holiness. The more we subject ourselves to the Spirit to help us develop personal holiness, the more our chances of walking in God’s power.
Paul declared that we are ambassadors of Christ. We should do what He would have done if He was physically present. Wherever we find ourselves, we must never forget that we are planted there for a reason. That reason is to be worthy representatives of Christ and His kingdom
