Explosive Power

Years ago, when we lived in Mexico, we were attending a team gathering in Guadalajara. We were there to do some learning from some of our missions team who had been serving in Mexico for decades and had done some amazing work among the Mexican people.

It’s been a long time since this took place but from what I can remember, we were driving from their home to a place where we were going to do some house church stuff and on the way, we came upon a taco truck that was engulfed in flames!

Like anyone in the moment, it totally took us by surprise and we stopped in our tracks, middle of the road, staring at this sight, wondering what to do. We had just turned down the road where this truck was on fire and had little choice but to back up and get away from it.

People were screaming on the street cautioning people to get away, as far as they could, because just in front of the trailer was a huge 100 gallon propane tank that was ready to blow at any minute.

This experience was terrifying to say the least, and we were able to get away from it without trouble. I don’t think anyone else was hurt in the process either, but my heart goes out to all those lost tacos.

A moment of silence…

When I read through Acts 2 and the first experience with the Spirit of God since Jesus had promised his coming, my mind races back to this explosive situation. To me, the work of the Spirit of God is an experience with explosive power.

When I hear the work of the Spirit it’s in either one of two frames.

1) The still small voice.
It’s undeniable that God works and moves in stillness. The voice of God that we hear today predominantly comes through whispers. It comes through clarity of the Word of God and the inner sense of the Spirit’s prompting or movement. Honestly, it’s because of this right here that so many people don’t follow the leading of the Spirit. Because they have not listened, they have not read and they are not speaking the same language of the Spirit of God.

2) Explosive Power. We cannot underestimate the reality that at times God works with clear and demonstrable power. In Acts 2, his entrance took their breath away and was undeniable, irresistible and incredibly powerful.

I, like so many other Christ followers, would love to see and experience that same thing today. In fact, every time I’ve preached through Acts 2, I’ve prayed in advance that God would demonstrate that same power through that time of preaching.

Now, never once have the doors of the place burst open and the wind whip through the building and tongues of fire hover above each person, but what I have seen is a demonstrate power that is exploding inside of me that I have to choose to follow.

One such occasion I wrote about here. To me, it was an undeniable experience of something God was exploding through me that I had to allow to take place. Had I not followed the inner prompting of the Spirit of God, that situation would have died.

Could the future of that man been changed because I neglected to follow the explosive power of God?

We can only speculate, but thankfully, we’ll never know, because I chose to follow.

Here’s what I know.

When we choose to follow the power of the Spirit, it’s going to lead us into something we don’t fully understand.
It’s going to direct us to something we may not be completely comfortable with.

Now don’t misinterpret me here. I’m not saying the Spirit of God is going to direct you into lunacy or stupidity. He’s going to direct you to do, say or act in a way that demonstrates a Biblical truth.

If it cannot be matched up to a Biblical truth, it’s not from the Lord and you should avoid it.

But if it does line up with the Bible, that it is from the Lord and you must follow it.

One of the reasons so many Christ followers lives look and feel empty and bleak today is because they are not allowing the power because they are not listening to the voice.

Listen, your life is going to be better when you choose to listen and follow through.

You and I, we were not made to be able to navigate through the complexities of what this life offers without a greater power and that power is clearly the Spirit of God.

But more than this, it’s not simply navigating life, it’s also about accomplishing the God-ordained purpose for your life and that comes through the Explosive Power of the Spirit of God running through your life.

When this comes down to your life personally, is your parenting Spirit-Filled Parenting?

Is your marriage Spirit-Directed?

Your interactions with the people around you, are the Spirit-Powerful?

Can you imagine how much different all the things and relationships in your life will look if everyone of them was Spirit-Powerful?

Maybe it’s time to pray about that and just ask the Lord to show you where you need to let the Spirit lead.

Originally published on https://kevinelworth.live