Doctrine of the Angelic Conflict, part 59 – The essence of God – Omnipotence (miracles). John 2:1-11; Luk 5:12-16; 17-26; 7:1-10; 8:22-25; 26-39; Joh 4:46-54.

Title: Doctrine of the Angelic Conflict, part 59 - The essence of God - Omnipotence (miracles). John 2:1-11; LUK 5:12-16; 17-26; 7:1-10; 8:22-25; 26-39; JOH 4:46-54.      

 

“Huge ratings for the miniseries The Bible confounds Hollywood.”

 

Prayer - Theresa and Pat and Mary Hugill

 

J. Omnipotence: God possesses unlimited power and is always in control. All opposition to Him will fail.

 

So there is a surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.

 

“power” - du,namij[dunamis - noun] = power, might, ability, or force.

 

119 uses in the NT. Hundreds of uses in the Septuagint - dunamis is equated with 26 Hebrew terms.

 

It is used for the power of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as well as the gospel and the cross and it has been graciously given to the saints.

 

God’s opposition has some power, but are not strong enough to undo anything that God does. Power only succumbs to greater power and then only reluctantly.

 

His miracles were a manifestation of the power of God.

 

MAT 11:20 Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles [dunamis] were done, because they did not repent.

 

I can’t perform miracles [mighty works] as Jesus did but you can be the result of many miracles, i.e. regenerated, learning to love, laying down your life, genuine humility, happiness, peace, etc.

 

4. Water to wine. God’s power can fill your body with great prosperity, love, and patience, JOH 2:1-11.

 

JOH 2:1 And on the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there;

 

JOH 2:2 and Jesus also was invited, and His disciples, to the wedding.

 

JOH 2:3 And when the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."

 

She is either suggesting that they leave or that He work a miracle now. Jesus will give her a gentle rebuke because it is not time for Him to leave because He is not there for the wine, but to reveal Himself. If she is suggesting that Jesus perform a miracle the rebuke would mean that creatures do not tell God when to do miracles, for He will do so in His perfect timing. Sometimes we want all the happiness and peace and love that comes with further spiritual growth, but these things may be reserved for a later time because we still lack faith in certain areas, even if it’s just a little later.

 

JOH 2:4 And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what do I have to do with you [or, “what is this between you and me]? My hour has not yet come." 

 

“My hour has not yet come” - Jesus is on a heavenly timetable. God’s power can give you the patience to wait on God’s timing.

 

ROM 8:22-25

 All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it's not only around us; it's within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We're also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy. (THE MESSAGE)

 

ISA 64:4

For from of old they have not heard nor perceived by ear,

Neither has the eye seen a God besides Thee,

Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.

 

Paul quotes this and under his authority as apostle he changes one very significant word.

 

1 Cor 2:9

but just as it is written,

"Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,

And which have not entered the heart of man,

All that God has prepared for those who love Him."

 

If you love Him you will wait for Him. Love is not selfish, therefore divine love can wait. Jesus didn’t rush to the cross at the beginning of His ministry in order to get it over with. And, after all both love and patience are a part of the fruit of the Spirit.

 

Making you and I patient is a miracle. Now that she remembers her patience her attitude makes a wonderful change.

 

JOH 2:5 His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."

 

JOH 2:6 Now there were six stone waterpots [representing the body of man - 2Co 4] set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each.

 

JOH 2:7 Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim.

 

JOH 2:8 And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the headwaiter." And they took it to him.

 

JOH 2:9 And when the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom,

 

JOH 2:10 and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first, and when men have drunk freely [intoxicated], then that which is poorer; you have kept the good wine until now."

 

JOH 2:11 This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

 

The water turned to wine is representative of the word of God turned to virtue love in your heart.

 

5. Cleansing of the leper. God’s power can reverse the trend of degeneracy in a believer’s life, LUK 5:12-16.

 

No hope as an unbeliever except for the power of the Gospel, now the believer has the power of God poured out in his heart so that a completely new trend can take place - being conformed into the image of His Son. 

 

This is the function of Christ, now at the right hand of God, in conquering His enemies, even through sheep like us.

 

LUK 5:12 And it came about that while He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man full of leprosy [not just a little, but an enormous bacterial contamination]; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."

 

He believes it and so he realizes the deliverance and cleanliness. The attitude of God can’t do this or that and that I will never conquer this or that through His power is telling God what His boundaries are. Interestingly some people are healed by Him without them asking, so God may heal anyway, but if faith doesn’t come in eventually to appropriate God’s power then we’ll be right back to the vomit, so to speak.

 

LUK 5:13 And He stretched out His hand, and touched him [He doesn’t have to touch Him - Christ makes His relationship to the sinner personal and also makes it clear that the healing power comes directly from Him], saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately the leprosy left him.

 

LUK 5:14 And He ordered him to tell no one, "But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, just as Moses commanded, for a testimony to them." 

 

LUK 5:15 But the news about Him was spreading even farther, and great multitudes were gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses.

 

LUK 5:16 But He Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.

 

Since lepers were outcasts in leper colonies due to the contagious nature of leprosy [it is not as contagious as they thought, in fact 95% of the population is immune to it] this miracle also reveals our cleanliness that enables us to now become a part of society again, but not just any society, but fellowship, devotion, and brotherly love in the RFOG.

 

6. Healing of Centurions servant. God’s power in you will bless those around you be association, LUK 7:1-10.

 

LUK 7:1 When He had completed all His discourse in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum.

 

LUK 7:2 And a certain centurion's slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die.

 

LUK 7:3 And when he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders asking Him to come and save the life of his slave.

 

LUK 7:4 And when they had come to Jesus, they earnestly entreated Him, saying, "He is worthy for You to grant this to him;

 

LUK 7:5 for he loves our nation, and it was he who built us our synagogue."

 

LUK 7:6 Now Jesus started on His way with them; and when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof;

 

LUK 7:7 for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

 

LUK 7:8 "For I, too, am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes; and to another, 'Come!' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it."

 

BD gives us respect, honor, humility, and faith towards our Lord. These are a part of the power of God.

 

LUK 7:9 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude that was following Him, "I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith." 

 

LUK 7:10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health [blessed by association with the power of the Centurion].

 

7. Healing of the nobleman’s son. God’s power can only come by means of faith and not rationalism or empiricism, JOH 4:46-54.

 

JOH 4:46 He came therefore again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain royal official, whose son was sick at Capernaum.

 

JOH 4:47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him, and was requesting Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death.

 

JOH 4:48 Jesus therefore said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe." 

 

God’s power can only be appropriated by faith in the word, in the promises, in the plan, in the empowering ministry of God the Holy Spirit. Take worry for example. If I worry about finances I would not worry if I just won a whole lot of money, but that’s not God’s power, but rather an overt miracle. Seeing is not believing, knowing who God is and the capability is believing.

 

What God is interested in are the invisible miracles of the heart.

 

I lose my worry because I have faith in logistical grace support.

 

JOH 4:49 The royal official said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies."

 

JOH 4:50 Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he started off.

 

Now he has faith in the command from Jesus and power is manifested. This does not mean that if you have a sick child that your faith will heal them, but your faith will bring peace to you. That is truly a miracle and a healing of a sick heart, so to speak.

 

JOH 4:51 And as he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living.

 

JOH 4:52 So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. They said therefore to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."

 

JOH 4:53 So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives"; and he himself believed, and his whole household.

 

JOH 4:54 This is again a second sign that Jesus performed, when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

 

8. Stilling of the storm. The power of God can bring peace to your heart when circumstances of your life go crazy, LUK 8:22-25.

 

LUK 8:22 Now it came about on one of those days, that He and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, "Let us go over to the other side of the lake." And they launched out.

 

LUK 8:23 But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended upon the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger.

 

LUK 8:24 And they came to Him and woke Him up, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And being aroused, He rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.

 

Matt - save us Lord, we are perishing. Mark - Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing.

 

LUK 8:25 And He said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?"

 

Until a believer can answer that question for himself he will be searching for his faith. Faith equals power.

 

9. Healing of the Gerasenes demoniac(s). God’s power gives us power over demonic lies who/which harass us at every turn. They must obey Him, therefore His mind has power over them and their lies, LUK 8:26-39.

 

Matthew’s account has two demon possessed men, but most likely one of them did all the talking. 

 

LUK 8:26 And they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.

 

LUK 8:27 And when He had come out onto the land, He was met by a certain man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs.

 

LUK 8:28 And seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, "What do I have to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me."

 

Just like the demon in Luk 4; they know who He is and who God is, but they do not believe Him to be a deliverer, for they have rejected God’s offer of reconciliation.

 

LUK 8:29 For He had been commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard; and yet he would burst his fetters and be driven by the demon into the desert.

 

LUK 8:30 And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. [a Roman legion could have up to 6000 men]

 

LUK 8:31 And they were entreating Him not to command them to depart into the abyss.

 

LUK 8:32 Now there was a herd of many swine [2000 - MAR 5:13] feeding there on the mountain; and the demons entreated Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission.

 

LUK 8:33 And the demons came out from the man and entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned.

 

LUK 8:34 And when the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and out in the country.

 

They are out 2000 pigs. If Jews were the owners it was against the Mosaic Law and therefore they reap what they sow. If Gentiles owned them then the Jews living there should have been glad to be rid of such a nuisance. In any case the deliverance of a man’s life and the fact that now he won’t be a nuisance to them anymore should be worth it. However, the people become afraid and they want Jesus to leave. We must come to understand that some people just don’t get it and they never will. It doesn’t mean to stop revealing or to lose hope, but just the basic principle of don’t be shocked.