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POWER TO BUILD

Romans:

11 And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as [d]pastors and teachers,

Have you ever thought about how the Lord will use you? We ask ourselves, “Will I ever be ready? I’m not a spiritual giant like those men and women who are on TV and Radio. They sound like they fully understand everything in God’s word. Can it ever be used by God so I can make a difference? Believe me, I myself have had those same thoughts many times over the last 50 years.

Those gifts mentioned above in Romans 4:11 were given to every Christian at their spiritual birth. How can I say that? Understand this: when Jesus said He would abide with us, He meant that He, the God of heaven, resides in us. We are His new creation, which He blessed with salvation at the cross. His truth is this: when He made His residence in us, all that is in Him is in us, His beloved. And for what purpose?

12 for the equipping of the [e]saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the [f]knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature [g]which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

Again, I want to address your concerns and fears of being unfit for duty that floods your heart and mind. That thought is a smoke screen from Satan to dissuade you from stepping out in faith.

Please read carefully the next portion of an actual instance of a young Christian couple, spiritually young, only two years after salvation.

On a Saturday night in 1974, they received a call from friends living in Harbison Canyon, San Diego County. The call was frantic, and the husband was distraught and crying. He wanted the couple to hurry over to their house 14 miles away. The urgency moved the young couple to quickly jump in their car and make the trip to the canyon. Once they arrived, they waved in and sat. The friend picked up the phone and made a quick call, and five minutes later, there was a knock at the door. The neighbor entered with his wife and a little bundle in her arms. In the next five minutes, the couple blurted out their story. She had given birth to a little girl. However, the doctors said that the child is not expected to live more than a few days. What he said next nearly destroyed the couple. The child was not fully formed, and that was because of the extreme problems she was not going to live long. Her heart was backwards and upside down. She didn’t have ears, had undeveloped eyes, and several other difficulties that I will not reveal. Believe me, the situation was grim. The doctors asked them what they wanted to do. They chose to take her home, love her, and let her pass in their arms. And they did.

The couple asked if the mom and dad wanted them to pray for the child. Yes, that was a good idea; that's the only hope we have. So, with that said, they got a blanket, spread it out on the floor, got some vegetable oil, and set the child on it. They removed all the clothing, carefully and gently, because she was fragile. The young man anointed the baby on every part of her body that was a problem. They prayed fervently, tears streaming down their faces. A couple of hours later, they set off for home.

Sunday afternoon, after brunch, they got another urgent call. The couple from the canyon again asked if they would make the trip. Upon arriving, everyone was crying —not with sadness, but with joy. Confused, they asked what happened. The child's mother said that early that morning, she heard the child crying, and that was the very first time she had cried. Upon unwrapping her, she discovered that the child was whole and beautiful, a beautiful pink color. God had healed her completely.

After the excitement had settled, they were instructed to take the child back to the same doctor for a full examination. Also, to get the prior report and the new report to hold as evidence of God’s great love and attention to his children's prayers.

The miracle above is not a story; it really happened, and I know it as a living fact. That young couple, only two years old in the Lord, was my wife Conny and me.

Yes, God is all-powerful and always in control. Because he gave us gifts, let it be known that those gifts are put into motion by the Holy Spirit of promise that resides within us to do the work and fulfill the plan of God and He does that work through His vessels of perfection by His love. You are perfect because He is perfect. You are righteous because He is righteous. Everything in Christ is in you because He resides in you. When God looks at us, He sees Christ because you are in Christ.

I received a call 23 years after that prayer session, and I was told that the child, all grown up, healthy, and with three children of her own. What a blessing!

I love the following scripture because it reveals everything that I have written here today.

James 5:16 ….The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

It is not my righteousness that this scripture is talking about, but Christ's Righteousness that we are clothed in.