All Things Are Possible With God
{ So Why Limit Ourselves? }
Not to suggest that we ourselves, are God, of course. . . or that we’re even wielding the power of The Almighty solely within ourselves, or at our own discretion.
{Just to clarify, dear reader ~} The question that I’ve posed above is entirely predicated upon two crucial prerequisites. Those being~ That we’re first and foremost in tune with The Holy Spirit; and second, that we’re genuinely following His lead in whatever endeavor He may have for us. So as I pose the question, “Why limit ourselves?”, what I mean to challenge us with is this: “If God Himself is enabling and empowering us to do seemingly miraculous things for Him, why balk at the notion?”
I’m sure that many Christians get hung up on whether they’re worthy and able of being utilized by The Lord in order to to accomplish great and miraculous things… or that they can even be forgiven and/or cleansed of their past sins, in order that they be made eligible for such tasks. But, that’s pretty ridiculous.
After all, isn’t it the same portion of grace and forgiveness that we’re all counting on from The Almighty to work through us— as that required to get us out of going to Hell in the first place?!? It is. So let me cut the suspense, and get to the bottom line for everyone.
The answer is No. None of us are naturally “worthy” of God’s favor, or of having God love on us for that matter, or of salvation, or of forgiving us for whatever great transgressions we may be guilty of in order that we might ‘assist’ God in any way. We’re not worthy. Of any of it. But then, there’s God and His Grace. Which are MORE than sufficient. Verse! : From I John 1:9in the NASB: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Now, I know I’m just repeating what we already know. Yet perhaps we all need reminding from time to time. Or, maybe we need to recall that God’s loving mercies are simply vast.
I mean, what’s the very worst thing that comes to mind when we reflect upon our sins? Is it stealing something of notable value? Of rape? Or murder? Well, not to make light of any of these, but (I assure you, dear reader), we’re covered for all said transgressions… yes, even rape and murder. Ya know, I have a number of female friends that have had abortions, (and for some bizarre reason, the girl’s names usually start with vowels). I also have a number of male friends that have arranged such killings. And it seems to be quite a hurdle for most of us to believe that God would and/or could ever forgive such an act. Possibly because it’s just so sad that an innocent baby involved? I dunno. Well, not to make light of murder, {which is what abortion is}, but The Good Lord does indeed love us, and can forgive whatever He wishes. He’s God. Sovereign. So, provided that we’re truly repentant of heart, and we confess to Him whatever we’ve done, there’s mercy for us. Just don’t forget to pray for other sins we’ve committed that are equally bad. . . like fornicating in the first place, amen? There are lessons abounding by the day, dear reader.
Of course, it isn’t always a specific sin that’s hindering our connection with God, unless we count ‘doubting’ itself as a sin. Because although we may not even be worthy of God’s attention, we need to be open to God choosing us for service. Why? Because we often times focus on our lack of greatness, rather than giving honor to God’s greatness. Or His Sovereignty to do as He deems best. We listen to the devil tell us that we can’t be used for righteousness. Then, we doubt Our Father when He calls us to righteous service. We second guess The Lord of All, and that’s beyond messed up. In fact, it’s downright insulting to Him. And here we are back in the Garden of Eden, where Eve started screwing everything up. . . and here we are with Moses, who didn’t feel that he was the right man for the job that The Lord called him to. . . and here we are with Zechariah, who doubted the message that The Angel Gabriel brought for him, (that he and his wife Sarah would soon be parents in their old age). Remember? It’s a good lesson from history, which we’ll be certain to address in The Addendums.
Funny thing though ~ In the midst of a time when many miracles were about to be performed, {including Jesus being born to a virgin}, some simply embraced those impending miracles, whereas some simply could not. The Angel Gabriel told Mary that “all things are possible with God”. And I think that most Christians would have taken the angel at His word without a second though, just as Mary did, but. . .
If you’d care to read the entire conversation, you should check out Luke Chapter 1, verses 26- 38. A compelling situation, to be sure.
So I ask you, dear reader~ Why should we get so hung up on our own supposed limitations, as we’re living for God?
We do acknowledge that ours is The Same Living God that Gabriel spoke of then, amen? And that He is still active today, yes? Then why do so many Christians shy away from embracing whatever The Holy Spirit may empower us with? I’m kinda thinking that many of us maybe look at “biblical times” as a wondrous era that simply ran it’s course. And now? Welllll, we may take notice of a few exceptional events, causing us to consider God’s hand in things, but it’s not the same.
I ask you, dear reader, “Why is that?!?”
Parting The Red Sea! Turning Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt! Having Samson bring down the house! Jesus turning water into fine wine! Jesus causing the blind to see! Jesus raising the dead back to life! Jesus, Himself, coming back to life! And Peter, though he totally tanked on the whole walking- on- water thing came back in the Book of Acts to do AMAZING things! Remember that time Peter called that Ananias dude out on his wickedness and had him drop dead?!? People were taken aback in their response like “WHOA!”, and understandably so. Then, Peter delivered the same fate unto the man’s wife for her shady dealings toward God. Ha ! (We all know she deserved it though.)
Mind you, these were not cheeseball magic tricks like one might indulge in a Vegas night act. Nor ‘tricks’ performed for the entertainment of others. These were incredible events, shared by God through men, that other men might take notice, and believe in The Lord and be saved. [AND, that after being ‘saved’, would follow through with whatever The Lord had for them to do, AMEN?] As we’ve mentioned before~ Paul experienced the miraculous for himself, then went on to convey miraculous works from God unto others. In Philippians 4: 12 he states, “I can do everything through Him that gives me strength.” That word ‘everything’ is all conclusive. {Think I meant to use the word ‘inclusive’? Nah.}
So what’s happened since those days? Did The Lord simply shut off the flow of the miraculous? Or did He stop producing the sort of people who might conduct His great works? I don’t believe so.
Although The Almighty may allot a greater measure of faith to some than others, I dare say that its still up to His followers to pursue their full potential in Him. We have that responsibility. We’re obliged. So what’s the hold-up? Is it laziness? Or some other form of disinterest that keeps us from fulfilling our calling? I’m going to say that most of the time, the answer is ‘no’. That is, I wanna say ‘no’. Any genuine Christian yearns for the opportunity to serve. Personally, I’m thinkin’ that it’s merely a matter of the fettered mindset we’re in. And in trying to be more specific~ Stagnant? Dormant? Are these the proper adjectives I’m looking for?
You know~ my dad and I have occasionally watched these shows exhibiting people living off in their foreign lands, in the very crappiest of circumstances. Now, whether they’re dwelling in towns or deep in some jungle, they’re usually wearing the same dirty clothes day after day. And they live in their funky huts, without jacuzzis, consuming miniscule portions of porridge, and watching the kids play with twigs out on dirt trails for entertainment. And I remember once asking my pops, “Why don’t those people just start walking, and get the hell outta there?!?” (As almost anywhere else would be an improvement in circumstance, right?) To which, my dad replied something like, “Maybe its just what they’re used to, and they don’t know any better.” To which I then replied, “Hmmm, maybe you’re on to something there, man.” Then, I recall how we pensively ate our chili dogs with shredded cheese and a few dashes of Tapatio, and considered ourselves as fortunate.
Well, I realize that most of us are probably doing better than porridge or even chili dogs in our everyday existence, but I know you can make this connection in what I’m trying to convey. Dear reader, I’m proposing that we may just be catatonic, when it comes to neglecting the ‘supernatural’ aspects of our faith. And it may just be an unintentional compromise that we’re not considering anything further than the tangible in today’s church. What say you? Are we catatonic? Or clueless in our faith?
‘Cause if such is the case, I say it’s time we arise. Now. At this very moment, the time is right to commune with God in a very spiritual, supernatural way. . .
It’s time for every one of us to reach out to The Holy Spirit Himself, Who dwells in each one of us truly belonging to God. And I would emphatically encourage you to do so, dear reader, just as we’re all encouraged to do in God’s Word. Not that anyone has to do so-called “miraculous” feats or mind-blowing events in order to serve God… but why not embrace everything that God has for us~ ~ ~ whatever that may be?
It may not be long. Maybe next year, or in the year 2024AD, that we have an opportunity to experience some wilder things. Big, BIG signs in the tangible world. . . extraordinary details in the spiritual realms flowing in ~ ~ ~
Dreams. Visions. Angels appearing to men once again, with messages and missions from The Almighty. ALL things are possible with God.
[ Dear reader, RIGHT NOW would be the ideal time for you to get on up and go look intently into a mirror. Yes. Now. And be sure to take your time once you get there to envision whatever The Lord may have in store for you. ]
I reiterate, dear reader, that it may not be long, so~ We need to be aware. We need to be mindful. And, we need to constantly be on the ready to be utilized by God in ANY capacity He calls us to, without a doubt.
Plus, I suppose this would be a fine opportunity for me to remind us of God’s Sovereignty once again. For not only is The Lord in command over nations and peoples, but over the very laws of time, and space, and science (for example), including gravity, and the weather, and the tides of the oceans, and life and death, and anything else we may feel is beyond our control. Therefore~ since God has power and control over everything, and is willing to empower us over such things, {including demons or the devil himself}, as He sees fit. . . why should we ever limit ourselves?!? For in doing so, we may inadvertently be second-guessing God’s ability to utilize us in any capacity. And furthermore, only be stunting our level of faith ourselves, and subsequently, our ability to fully serve Him. Talk about some great ways of shooting oneself in the foot! (Not to mention that we may possibly be angering and/or disappointing God as well. Wouldn’t you concur?) Good 🙂 I’ve got yet another boring short story for you here ~
If I remember correctly, our convo occurred in my buddy’s kitchen one evening. He was making some spinach salad concoction for his wife out of strawberries and cheese, if you can picture it. Can’t rightly recall whether it was Parmesan or feta, but it sucked nevertheless. Yeah, I tried it. And it tasted like butthole. Anyhoo~ we got to chatting about some missionary who was joining up last minute with a team going to Europe (as in Germany, Poland, and probably the Czech Republic). My friend made some comment that the missionary who was tagging along last minute should have signed on for the trip earlier, thereby giving him more time to prepare for the venture, and to possibly learn some key foreign phrases. To which I countered with something like, “Sure, ideally, but hey~ If The Lord is leading him to go, he should go regardless. God can always give him the necessary words, if need be.” To which my friend expressed that the guy couldn’t just pop off Scripture or whatever without studying the languages first. To which I said, “What?!? You’re kidding me, right?!?” (Or something very similar 🙂 Couldn’t believe that my pal was so short-sighted when it came to God’s works. ‘Course God can speak German or Polish through someone who has never spoken those tongues before! Remember Pentecost?!? Right! Besides, we’re talkin’ GOD here! As in, all things are possible with God. I mean, He created the Earth and everything surrounding in just six days. . . So how’s anyone going to tell me that He can’t endow some dude with flawless Deutsch on the spot?!? You bet your glockenspiel He can! C’mon!
Now just to put a cherry on top of this story, I visited a close relative just a few days later, sharing the aforementioned conversation. Her response? Something like, “Well, of course God can do things like that. He’s done it before.” To which, I was nodding, “Right! And if The Lord wants us to suddenly be able to play concertos on the piano, or fly like Superman, for that matter. . . ” She breaks in, shaking her head, “Whoa whoa whoa, let’s not get crazy, kiddo” Ummm, WHAT?!? ;^p I’m thinking aloud, “So now God can give someone the instant ability to speak German, but not to fly?!?” Oh. Okay 🙂
I’m just wondering ~ In limiting our mindsets, is it that we’re selling ourselves short, or not appreciating God’s greatness? ‘Cause neither one is good, though some would certainly dub the latter as being worse.
Now, just for the record, I’m not saying that any of us should rush to tie an old blanket around our necks and leap from any rooftop like, “Well, Mateo said we could fly, so here goes nothing.” That’s crazy talk. ( But if you DO decide to do that against my advice, make sure you holler Geranimooooo! in a goofy voice~ ~ ~
all the way down. That’d be morbidly hilarious ;^D
[ Just Kidding. Don’t jump. ]
[ Unless God actually tells you to. ]
To clarify and recap once again though~ Whenever we doubt in our potential to do the incredible things that The Lord calls on us to do, we’re actually doubting in God’s sovereignty to use us to accomplish said feats. But, in order to qualify for such service in the first place, dear reader, we can’t be second guessing. One truly has to be in tune with The Lord, called to certain details by God Himself, and empowered by The Holy Spirit, without a doubt. And did I mention deliberate and purposeful in following God all the while? Facts.
That’s when God Almighty is most likely to do truly incredible things through any one of us. And that’s when we’ll truly be living an incredible life for Him.
“I am The Lord’s servant,” Mary answered {the angel}. “May it be to me as you have said.”