Today in the church we run around the world saying we have the power and we can do all of these great things for God. Well that is not what Jesus said.  In the Gospels time and time again Jesus kept saying I have no power and I can do nothing of Myself.

I wonder why Jesus who was the Son of God, who did have all power in heaven, on earth, and below the earth say, He did not have any power?  We run around quoting scriptures like, ”But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”  (Acts 1:8) or ”Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:19-20), and so many more often trying to convince ourselves we have the power, but in reality we are powerless. Our words and actions lack the  power of God because today we have missed the heart of Jesus’ power source. Paul confidently knew his power sources when he boldly told the church at Thessalonica, “For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.” (1 Thessalonians 1:5) Paul knew his words were energized by the Holy Spirit of God Almighty, this is why things happened when he spoke.  This is why Paul could receive so much of God’s revelation to write almost two-thirds of the New Testament and why God had to temper him with a thorn in the flesh so that he would not exalt himself. My friend God honors His words and if we endure God’s dealings and judgments (like Paul) in our lives we too can have the revelation Paul had.  God did not love Paul any more than He does us. God is not a respecter of persons, but He does honor and highly exalt those who honor Him and delights in giving His children, those who desire Him, His hidden treasures and the secrets things.
       Now do not think being powerless is totally a bad thing it is not.  Thinking we have the power and not having it is presumption a very dangerous place in God.  But, understanding our need for God and seeing we are powerless is really a good thing; if we learn, through experiencing God’s dealings and judgments in our lives, where our power really comes from. Jesus knew He was powerless and now could do all things.  Nothing was impossible for Him, because He was powerless.  Strange how things happen when we see we can do nothing to change the situations or circumstances in our lives. The Father knew the Son and could trust Him with His power. (Please allow this thought to sink in for a moment)  Why do we not move in the power of God?  Maybe the Father knows some all to well not to trust them with His power.  Remember just because something is written in the Bible does not make it ours. We claim and stand on verses in the Bible, but our hands and lives are empty, why?  God does not give us His things just because we ask, oh no.  Any earthly loving father does not give his children things just because they ask. They must do the things the father wants the children to do before they receive. If a father just gives to his children unconditionally he does not really love his children because he has not taught them about life and becoming a mature adult.  Our salvation is unconditional, but still for us to be able to receive salvation we must do some things. “If we confess (agree what God is staying about us is true) our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  (1John 1:9) And “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”  (Romans 10:9-10)  For us to be saved we must confess and believe, but confession and believing is not enough, we must repent.  Jesus taught, “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: (or to flow in the opposite direction) for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  (Matthew 4:17) If we do not confess our sins and repent of our actions and deeds we cannot be saved. So too with our heavenly Father there is an approval and qualifying process we must endure to be able to receive God’s things.  My friend there is a price a cost we will pay to know God’s power. There is nothing free in God, everything we get from God will cost us something and the more we get from God the more it will cost us until finally there is nothing left of us. If we have no power God will have to strengthen us if He wants us to do something for Him. Yes, there is a price a cost we will pay to know God’s power. And there is a cost a different price we will pay to know God’s presence. And my friend if we desire to know God’s person it will cost us everything, but that is God’s goal in our lives, to get us to the place where we desire to decrease so He can increase.  This will take the power of God in our lives to happen.              
       Jesus knew He had no power and could do nothing of Himself.  There are three areas I would like to briefly look at that reveals the heart of Jesus in this area. The first area is Jesus never vindicated Himself. The word “vindicate” means; free from blame, guilt, suspicion, to show to be true or right; justify.  Jesus was free from blame because He always did the will of the Father. It was not Jesus but the Father doing things through Him.  Jesus tells us today, “Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.”  (John 5:19) and “I can of mine own self do nothing:  (have no power of my own) as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”  (John 5:30) It is no wonder Jesus did so many wonderful and mighty things for the Father (as the Father wants us to do) He knew He had no power and had to totally depend on the Father. The second area is Jesus never justified Himself. Even before Pilate He never made excuses for Himself nor did He threaten Pilate’s life, He just kept His mouth shut until it was time to speak words of life and represent His Father.  “Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.” (John 8:28) Did you know when we justify ourselves before people we make them our judge? The Godly place is to keep our mouth in the dust until God tells us to speak and then only say what God wants us to say.  Moses (and I also) learned this lesson the hard way.  And the third area is Jesus never tried saving Himself. Jesus knew He was to die for the sin of mankind. This was His purpose and the Father’s plan for His earthly life. All of the miracles and the like came out from the goodness of the Father’s heart.  Jesus knew He had to lose His life so that He and many (even us) could find real life, the life of God which is so much more than having our sins forgiven.  “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26If any man serve me, let him follow me (into the death of our physical life and more important our selfish self-life); and where I am, there shall also my servant be:  if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.”  (John 12:24-26)  
       The secret of Jesus’ power and success was not He was the Son of God oh no my friend.  Please do not think because the Father was well pleased of the Son (Matthew 3:17) He gave to the Son all power and authority. The Bible is very clear why the Father gave the Son all power and authority, “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.  9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:” (Philippians 2:7-9) Jesus’ secret of His success was His ability to humble himself and become obedient.  He “made himself of no reputation,” A man who knows he has no power will never have problems with humbleness. Jesus was never concerned what other people thought and said about Him. Jesus was only concerned what the Father thought and said about Him. We (I include myself here) today need to be more concerned about what the Father thinks and says about us than what our friends think and say about us. We will not be concerned about what others think and say if we can maintain a servant’s heart like Jesus.  It was easy for the Father to give Jesus His goods, Jesus always did and said what the Father wanted Him to do and say.  Jesus taught the disciples, “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.” (Matthew 25:14) I wonder where Jesus learned “who called his own servant and delivered unto them his goods.” Jesus was the servant and it was His Father’s goods He received, because Jesus knew two important thoughts in being a servant; a servant carries only his master’s message and a servant acts within His master’s authority.  If we desire to be a servant of God we too must keep these two thoughts.  Too many Christians today travel the world carrying their own message and acting within their own authority.  I have seen it, worse yet I have done it at times. Please believe me when I say I know what I am talking about. We must carry only the simplistic message of the Bible in our hearts and share it with people and must act only in the authority God has given us.  Remember, the sign of God’s authority is not miracles, sign, and wonders, but revelation.  How much revelation do we possess of God?  The answer will define how much of God’s power we possess. Brethren let us confess our sins and repent of our waywardness. We have no power, unless like Jesus the Father gives it to us, and are dependant on Him, our family, and our brothers and sisters in Christ for all things.  This dependence always leads to God projection of devotion. Let us humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, take on only His message and move only in His authority, for if we do we will have the power.