S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

We often hear about the power of God, of His greatness and how we can rely on it to get us through difficult trials such as a job loss, a sticky divorce, bankruptcy, hateful persecutions, suffering...

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July 01 2013 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Tim Darden Retired from corporate America

I have found that when God wanted to a work through people in the Bible that He would bring them to the crossroads of "crisis and belief" that requires faith and action. Consider when God called Moses or Noah with His plan for their life. At the burning bush, Moses had to decide if he trusted God enough to do something he knew he could not do. Also, can you imagine the faith it took for Noah to work many, many years building an ark when it had never rained before in the history of the earth? If we trust and follow through with His instruction, then we know for certain it was Him and not me who did the work. Thereby we know that we had an encounter with Him and we praise His name for doing what He said He would do (because we cannot claim the credit). It's all about faith, trust, and being obedient to his leading, not my desires

March 17 2018 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Danny Hickman Supporter Believer in The Gospel Of Jesus Christ

This is a great question. There are a few ways to interpret this question. "CAN we rely on God's power?" A simple "yes we can," can be proven on almost every page of the scriptures. "HOW are we able to HANG ON to God's promise to supply His power in our time of need," is how I'm understanding the question. 

Abraham and Sarah, far beyond "child bearing" age, has a son born to them. He was 100 years old and she was ninety when the child was born. This was done for them, but it was the beginning of a plan that God had for the good of the whole world. 

God appeared to Abram when he was 75 years old and called Abram into His service (Genesis 12): "Go forth from your country, and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." (Gn 12: 2,3) This is a promise to supply supernatural power. Did He do it? Yes.. Was it done without what we would call a hitch? NO. 

Abram and his entourage set out for the land of Caanan heading for the Negev. Because of a famine in the land, they go down to Egypt. The king takes Sarai, Abram's wife into his harem. God steps in. Abram and Lot, his nephew, separate (Gn 13). Lot moves to Sodom, Abram settles in Hebron. War breaks out in Sodom and Lot is taken captive. Abram rescues Lot (Gn 14). 

Time is passing and no baby. God appears to Abram again and repeats the terms of their covenant. God is going to supply all the power needed for Abram and his wife Sarai to become the patriarch and matriarch of a great nation that will be a blessing to the whole world. Still no pregnancy. 

Then Sarai comes up with the idea to stop waiting for this seemingly impossible promise to come to pass that God has made to them. Abram will have a son by Sarai's hand maid, Hagar. Abram agrees and Ishmael is born to Abram when he is 86 years old (Gn 16:16). 11 years have gone by.

Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, God appeared to him...Gn 17:1.
God has waited 13 years this time between visits. He reaffirms the covenant and changes Abram's name to Abraham. God also ordains circumcision as the sign of the covenant between Himself and the people He is in covenant with. Lastly, He changes Sarai's name to Sarah. God promises to bless Abraham's son Ishmael and make him the father of twelve princes. Listen to this: "But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year." (God actually named the boy and told them when he would be born, and then He left (Gn 17: 21,22). 

Genesis 18: Isaac's birth is promised... AGAIN... 
God tells Abraham He's going to destroy Sodom for her sinfulness. Abraham intercedes for Sodom. God destroys Sodom, but He rescues Lot and his family before destroying the place. Abraham leaves the Negev and sojourns in the land of Gerar. Abimelech, king of Gerar takes Sarah to be one of his wives. God speaks to Abimelech in a night dream and calls him "a dead man" because of Sarah. Abraham and Sarah had lied to Abimelech and said that they were brother and sister. 

Abimelech not only restores Sarah to Abraham, he also "took sheep and oxen and male and female servants, and gave them to Abraham" (Gn 20:14). Additionally, he gave Abraham a thousand pieces of silver. 

Gn 21:1,2 - Then the LORD took note of Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had promised. So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.

Step one of the plan to BE A BLESSING has just been implemented and twenty five years have gone by. The promise is for them to be blessed by BEING a blessing. 

Can we rely on God's power to be available to us to help us to BE a blessing to others? If yes, HOW? By trusting in what God has said, and waiting for Him.

March 07 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report