RELATE! EMAGAZINE: April 2003

Brought to you by PURSUING THE TRUTH MINISTRIES

WHAT'S NEW

Pursuing the Truth Ministries Church has arrived. God is great! Praise the Lord for the beginning of Pursuing the Truth Ministries Church. We held our first service on April 13th. I must admit that this whole thing happened fairly quickly (within a month and a half or so). However, it has been in the makings for many years. I know from experience that when God says move that we should move. Sometimes it may seem quick, sudden, or hasty, but when God says go then you go. Of course in order to do that effectively you would have had to have been ready. So being ready at all times is important in order to move when God gives the command..

Pursuing the Truth also had another workshop on April 12th. It was "How To Study The Bible" and it was a great success. I was blessed and the people said that they learned from the workshop. As a matter of fact we will most likely have another workshop next month since this was so successful.

BIBLE STUDY: The Power of God

By William R. Cunningham
(This is an excerpt from the study, "The Power of God: His Holy Spirit")

POWER IDENTIFIED

What is power technically? The dictionary defines the word power as follows: The ability or capacity to act or perform effectively; Strength or force exerted or capable of being exerted: might; The ability or official capacity to exercise control over others; A person, group, or nation having great influence or control over others. The rate at which work is performed.

We are familiar with power by the use of the words horsepower and watts. Horsepower is the measure of the rate of mechanical work and the watt is the measure of the rate of electrical work. We know intuitively that the higher the wattage or horsepower the more power is involved. Likewise, if we apply these terms to the physical realm we would say that a person has more power than another does if he or she is able to do more work (exert a greater force) than someone else with less power. His or her ability to do or act (perform a task: work) is greater than someone else with less power. We also use the terms power and strength interchangeably in this context.

Something very amazing happens when we apply the above principle to the realm of the spirit. Power is measured by the ability to act or perform. Since there are no physical objects in the spirit realm we cannot associate power with motion of objects or electricity or the physical strength of an individual. The concept of power is intangible in this realm. It is very similar to power defined as influence in the dictionary definition above. We cannot talk about God's ability to lift 300 pounds with his bare hands since he is not physical. We can only talk about his ability to get the 300 pounds lifted. We can only talk about His ability to perform a task. God's power spans all realms of existence: Spirit, Intellectual, and physical. This touches on the realm of God's infinity (no limits or bounds), which we will discuss later in this study. Now let's examine the Bible for insight into the power of God.

The word power is used in two senses in the Bible:

1. The ABILITY to act (Luke 1:35; 5:17)
2. The AUTHORITY to act (Acts 5:4; Romans 9:21).
   

POWER AS AUTHORITY - JESUS' NAME

Let me introduce the term "In Jesus' name" at this time. This term is actually another type of power or authority. Many of us end our prayers with this phrase but do you really know what it means? For example let's look at the following scripture.

(John 14:13-14 NIV) And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. {14} You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

The word name here comes from the Greek word onoma that means authority. It is similar to someone saying, "Stop in the name of the law!" We would say, "Stop in the name of Jesus!" The Bible says,

(Matthew 28:18 KJV) And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

The word power in this verse is referring to Jesus' authority and not necessarily his ability, though he had total ability also. Jesus has given us the authority to use his name (authority given to him by God). There are many other spiritual principles that are involved that govern the usage of this authority however; which means that we cannot just do what we want.

WHAT IS THIS POWER OF GOD?

The power of God can be defined as the absolute and infinite ability and authority that reside within God the Father and to whom he extends it. We know that Jesus Christ possessed the power of God and his authority from reading the scriptures. We must note that an extension of God's power is governed by God's will and not by the recipient of such power. For example, the Bible says:

(Acts 10:38) "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him."

From this scripture we see that Jesus Christ was anointed with two things: the Holy Spirit and power. According to this verse it appears that the Holy Spirit and the power of God are two different things else Paul would have said that Jesus of Nazareth was anointed with the Holy Spirit and that would have been all. However, he says that he was anointed with power in addition to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a person and not a force, ability, strength, etc. He has identity. We will discuss the Holy Spirit in more detail later in this study.

The recipient of the power of God in this case was Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus possessed the ability and authority of God the Father. We also know that Jesus did the will of the Father. He did not do whatever he wanted to do (See John 4:34, 5:30, 6:38).

What do we know about Jesus Christ and his empowerment? We know that he was sanctified (set apart for God's work) and he was empowered with the abilities of God to do good by teaching with authority, healing the sick, and casting out evil spirits. Note that Jesus did no miracles until he was anointed with the Holy Spirit (See Matthew 3:17, 12:18).

THE RESULTS OF POWER

Let's discuss the results of this power by first examining a statement that Jesus Christ made. Consider the following scripture.

(Mark 16:15-18 KJV) And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. {16} He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. {17} And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; {18} They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

What does this scripture have to do with the power of God? Much! Without the power of God in operation, the signs would not follow. It is because of the power of God that is working through us that we are able to lay hands on the sick and they recover. The same is true for the other signs. There is no power within our human spirit alone that could cause any of these things to occur. It is not by our faith in God and the power of God operating that these things are possible.

The word preach comes from the Greek word kerusso that means to herald (as a public crier), especially. Divine truth (the gospel): --preach, proclaim, publish. The word Gospel comes from the Greek word euaggelion, which means a good message. I think a look at the word gospel will be helpful for us at this point.

THE GOSPEL

Let's discuss the word gospel for a moment because it will be very important to your understanding of God's power in salvation. Read the following article on the etymology of the word gospel.

The word gospel originates from the Hebrew word Bisar (basar). Bisar means to proclaim victory in battle and it stems from the position of the Hebrews that it was because of God's divine interaction that they were victorious in battle (See 2 Samuel 4:10). From about 300 B.C. until after the time of Christ many Greek speaking Jews translated their Hebrew Bible into Greek. The word that was used to translate Bisar was euangelizesthai that had a meaning very similar to basar. However about the time the New Testament was written euangelizesthai had evolved into a different meaning. It simply meant, "to proclaim." A noun form of the verb euangelizesthai was formed: euaggelion. The noun euaggelion was used by Christians to describe the good news of Jesus.

The earliest English translations of the Bible used the Anglo-Saxon word godspell to translate the noun euaggelion. Godspell meant "the story about a god" and was used because the story about Jesus Christ was Good News (a good message). Later as English developed the word Godspell was shortened to Gospel and the original Anglo-Saxon meaning was lost with this change.

Now since euaggelion was specific to the good news of Jesus Christ, some translators used other words to translate the word basar in the Old Testament to avoid the confusion that may occur by references to Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. Therefore, they used other words to distinguish the good news of Jesus Christ and the good news promised by the prophets. These translators often use glad tidings or an equivalent for the Hebrew basar.

The word gospel is therefore more than just good news. The word gospel refers to the deliverance that God has already effected by his power and will. God has already delivered us and we proclaim this deliverance, which is through Jesus Christ, to the world. The story (good news) about Jesus Christ describes the deliverance that God has provided for us. The gospel reveals the power of God in action through Jesus' birth (born of a virgin by the Holy Spirit), resurrection (raised from the dead by the power of God), and his ascension (back to the Father).

A scripture definition of the gospel is given in 1 Corinthians 15:1-3.

(1 Corinthians 15:1-8 KJV) Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; {2} By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. {3} For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; {4} And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: {5} And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: {6} After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. {7} After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. {8} And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

Paul also said:

(Romans 1:16 KJV) "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

The Gospel, according to Paul, is the power of God. Recalling our previous discussion of the word gospel, we see that the gospel is really the story about Jesus Christ. This includes how he was born of a virgin, died on the cross for us, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven to the Father. None of these could have happened without the power of God. The story about Jesus Christ demonstrates and reveals the power of God. The story about Jesus is therefore the power of God.

THE SPIRIT OF GOD AND POWER

Consider the following scriptures.

(Matthew 10:1 NIV) "He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness."
The King James Version of the Bible uses the word power instead of authority in the above scripture.

And,

(John 20:21-22 NIV) "Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." {22} And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."

Jesus' unique action in breathing on those present and imparting to them the Holy Spirit was probably for their spiritual quickening in preparation for their full endowment with the Spirit in power at Pentecost (Acts 2:1 - 4). We do know that the disciples were not endued with power until Pentecost.
In the former scripture we see that the disciples were given the authority to perform. In the latter verse the disciples received the Holy Spirit in anticipation until they were endued with power from on high. It is important to note that there is no reason to believe that the disciples did not receive the Holy Spirit at this point. We see again a distinction between the power (ability) of God and the Holy Spirit. When, therefore, did the disciples get power (Greek dunamis)? Let's look at what the Bible says for some insight.

(Luke 24:49 NIV) "I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.""

The promise of the Father must have been the Holy Spirit if we consider the context of this scripture. There are two things that this scripture implies. It implies that what the Father promised had not come and it implies that they will receive power from on high. The word endued means to clothe, have put on. The word power in this verse comes from the Greek word dunamis, which means force; specifically miraculous, power: --ability, strength.
Let's look at what happened at Pentecost for more clues.

(Acts 2:2-4 KJV) And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. {3} And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. {4} And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Look at the word filled in verse 2 and in verse 4. It may be surprising to you but those are really different words. The word filled in verse 2 comes from the Greek word pleroo (pronounced play-ro'-o) which means to make replete (filled to satisfaction), that is (literally) to cram (a net), level up (a hollow), fill with something. The word filled in verse 4 comes from the Greek word Pletho (pronounced play'-tho) which means to "fill" (literally or figuratively [saturate, permeate, inspire]); specifically to fulfill (time): --accomplish, furnish.

Let's look at verse four from the Amplified Bible:

"And they were filled - diffused throughout their souls -- with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other (different, foreign) languages, as the Spirit kept giving them clear and loud expression (in each tongue in appropriate words)." - Amplified

So you see that the sound from heaven filled the house in the sense that the sound was heard throughout the entire house. We also notice that the disciples were diffused or permeated in their souls with the Holy Spirit. Their souls were diffused with (permeated by) the Spirit of God for the purpose of spreading the gospel. This event is when the disciples were, what we call, baptized in the Holy Spirit. However, it was more than a baptism, that is an immersion. They were diffused with the Spirit of God in addition to being clothed or immersed in the Spirit of God.

The Holy Spirit is part of the Godhead called the Trinity and he originates from God himself. Therefore, the Holy Spirit has all of the infinite abilities that God has. Since the Holy Spirit quickens (makes alive) our spirit, then we can say that we receive the power of God when we receive the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is the power of God for all practical purposes. Let's reveal more about the Holy Spirit for the sake of a clearer understanding of who he is and what he does. A discussion of the Trinity doctrine will be most helpful here, however it is beyond the scope of this study.

TWO KINGDOMS

By William R. Cunningham

Have you ever had the experience of someone just not having a clue as to what you are trying to say? Have you ever tried to explain something to someone and he or she just didn't get it? Well, you should remember that others might not operate by the same principles that you operate. Some people live by very different protocols then you do and they just won't see things the way that you do. This is important to remember because it could help you avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and possibly to help you resolve perceived conflicts. Consider the following scripture.

John 3:3 (NKJV) Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

This is an illustration of what I am presenting to you now. There are two kingdoms that Christians are aware of. There is the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of this world. A kingdom is a realm over which someone rules. It also refers to the realm of a specific protocol, if I can call it that. For example, you might have heard the term, "animal kingdom." Well that is the kingdom in which animals operate. The Kingdom of God is where God's Way is the mode of operation. The Kingdom of the World is the realm in which worldly protocols or ways govern. So we see in the above scripture that unless you are born again you won't see or comprehend the Kingdom of God, i.e., God's way of doing things. You just won't get it. The things of God will seem foolish to you.

The same applies to us in many situations. Sometimes two people operate under two very different set of rules or protocol. Conflict can arise if one offends the other by doing something that is deemed offensive in the other's mode of operation (Kingdom) but not his. The other person defends himself because he is offended and the offender doesn't seem to care. Well actually, the offender has no idea that he has offended the other person and his seemingly apathetic posture is merely an expression of that ignorance. Now if the offended would inform the offender of his offense then they could recognize their respective Kingdoms and resolve the issue. For example, in Jeff's world to say "bug off" simply means to "leave me alone." In Jay's Kingdom that term might have a completely different connotation. It might mean, "You are a worthless bug and like a bug I don't want you near me." Now Jay is hurt and offended because Jeff called him worthless. Jay has a choice to make. Either he confronts Jeff about the offense and resolve his pain or he holds onto resentment and decides to have nothing to do with Jeff anymore. I'm sure that you can see that the later solution would be not only unjust but very senseless. How would Jeff know that He offended Jay unless Jay told him. If someone would tell Jeff to bug off then Jeff might just smile and tell the other person to euphemistically shut up. Do you see?

Another great example of two Kingdoms of operation is the general mode of operation of men and women. One of the greatest problems in marriage or men and women relationships is that we don't understand each other. No. Men are not from mars and women are not from Venus. We simply operate differently in many cases. Therefore, the husband does something that offends the wife and he has no idea why she is so angry at him. She becomes spiteful and bitter towards him and he doesn't have a clue of what he did wrong. Sooner or later he might get tired of her behavior and put up his own defenses and the situation escalates from there. Jesus taught us to resolve conflicts quickly (See Matthew 5:25). The problem could have been quickly resolved if she told him that she was offended and why. Now he would at least know that for future interaction.

This situation is very prevalent in church life. One church has its set of rules and another church has their set of rules. Your head could spin if you had to keep up with all of the rules. Women are not allowed to wear pants in this church and men are not allowed to wear short sleeved shirts in that church and so on. It boggles the mind that each church has their own way of doing things. What's more disturbing is that these church ways tend to Supersede the way of God. It is easy to break a rule in any given church and become condemned. It is easy to offend a church and become judged. However, this should not be the case. We should all strive to share God's Kingdom to the world.

So remember the next time someone is about to bite your head off and you have no idea why, that you probably did something that you think of as minor whereas in their system or kingdom it is a major issue.

MARRIAGE CORNER: TOGETHERNESS

I have talked about this many times in the past. However, it still remains one of the top priorities in a marriage relationship. From togetherness, which is fueled by the commitment, the couple can enjoy a wonderful and loving life together. Without togetherness, the couple might merely function together to get things done in the business called, "The house." Let me give you my definition of togetherness.

Togetherness is when two people are one and share life together. They share in the experiences of the other, which include the joys and pains. They live life as if they were one being. They participate in what the other is doing and really care about the other person. They are involved in each other's life. They are really together in life and not merely as a functional unit. They are together in spirit and soul in addition to body. They are joined as they walk the road of life with each other.

We are used to the functional family concept. However, a functional family does not have to be together. A husband who does his thing and a wife who does her thing might still be able to function very effectively as a family unit in that the bills get paid, the house is cleaned, the children are clothed, etc. However, functionality will not resolve relationship issues. Functioning together will not fill the void that each may develop. Functioning together will not meet each other's needs. So a functional family is not necessarily a family that is together. A husband and wife that can get the job done are not necessarily together.

How does a couple become "together?" Well how do you become together with anyone, your best friend for example. You spend time with the person and you actively begin to share life with the other person. The other person becomes a part of your life. How much time do you spend with your spouse? I'm not talking about sitting down and just talking with each other, though that is important too. I'm talking about really being involved with what the other person is doing. For example, the husband could be with his wife when she wants to paint the living room or work in the garden. Ideally he would help. Likewise, the wife could be with the husband and participate in his cooking dinner or working on a broken faucet. They are really together and not just in word. They are really sharing life together.

Sex is no different. The husband and the wife could enjoy great sex with each other but be worlds apart in the togetherness department. As a matter of fact, it is possible for a married couple to have a horrible marital relationship but have good (satisfying) sex with each other. So a good sex life does not equate to togetherness. Only if you are together are you really together. Nothing can substitute for the real thing.

In short, married couples should learn to be together. If God almighty put you together then you should be together. Stop doing your own thing and get involved with your spouse. Stop pursuing your own goals and try to be involved with your spouse so that you can fulfill the purpose of the union anyway. We talked last month about the wife submitting to the purpose of the union. Therefore, be together and both husband and wife submit to the purpose of the union, the marriage. Be together and enjoy life together. Be in harmony. What a beautiful thing.

THIS ISSUE'S QUESTION

What is the difference between a pastor and an elder according to the Apostle Paul?

You can submit your answer to question@pursuingthetruth.org if you would like.

God bless you all!