Cornerstone

Acts 19:8-20

I stood looking at the large colorful poster on the store front. My emotions were mixed. My thoughts struggled with what I saw and read. On the poster was a picture of heavily muscled men. They wore little clothing. Their pose displayed confidence and strength. Around them were the various implements of weight lifting. My eyes dropped to the bottom of the poster and I read about this “Power Team.” They were going to be leading a service in a neighboring church. In this evangelistic service they promised to tear huge telephone books in half with their hands. They would strike a stack of cement blocks with their forearms and bust them in two. They would lift more weight than would seem humanly possible. They would give their testimony. I turned away from the poster musing. Why do we settle for what man can do? Why are we so amazed at the display of human strength when we can have so much more? Jesus promised that if we only obey Him that we could be the recipients of spiritual power that would dazzle the strongest he-man alive. So much rests upon our desire and our reaction. Why are our churches dry and spiritually weak? Why do we quake when the devil causes a stir in our community? We either do not believe God’s promise of power or we desire to continue to flirt with the world so much that we can never receive what God wishes to give to His people.

Dr. Gayle Woods

Acts 10:44-48

Power. Raw Power. As a boy I stood on the banks of Roaring River fishing for trout. It was severely cold. I watched the beautiful rainbow trout as they tried to determine if they wanted to strike my line. As I looked into the crystal clear water I had no idea the river came from a powerful source. Far upstream is a natural spring from which surges 22 million gallons of water every day. Does the weather matter? Does it have to be warm to have that kind of result? No. The water bubbles up out of the spring unhampered by what is going on all around. We could say that a very similar occurrence can be expected when the Holy Spirit settles in on a group of holy people seeking to be stirred in their spirit. He comes in power. Jesus promised this to us when he said, ABut ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.@ (Acts 1:8a) This can be ours if we but determine to avail ourselves. Do you want revival for someone else? Do you want revival for your church? Until you hunger and thirst after a revival of spiritual intimacy with the Savior in your own life you will not experience the possibility of His power.

Dr. Gayle Woods