What if...

What if we're more powerful than we think we are?

What if the Holy Spirit prayer in Colossians 1:11 was actually answered? That we may be strengthened with all power?

What exactly would ALL POWER look like?

Dunamis
First, let's look at the Greek word for 'power' in this passage.

It is dunamis...strength, power, ability, the power for performing miracles. The power and influence which belong to riches and wealth, the power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts. It is INHERENT POWER residing in a thing by virtue OF ITS NATURE!

We have died and Christ now live within us...in fact, according to John 14, Jesus, the Father AND the Holy Spirit now reside, or abide, in us!

And that's where the power comes from! I was crucified with Christ and now, HE LIVES IN ME!!

And I am strengthened with ALL POWER!

Consider Colossians 1:9-12...

'For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

'Strengthened with ALL POWER, according to HIS GLORIOUS MIGHT, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.'

A Holy Spirit prayer, prayed forth in the earth for us through Paul. I'm pretty sure He gets His prayers answered!

Filled Up
What about Ephesians 3? It's a little longer, but WOW!!! What if He got this prayer answered? For us?

'For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be STRENGTHENED WITH POWER through His Spirit in the inner man,

'so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to KNOW the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may BE FILLED UP TO ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD.

'Now to Him who is able to do FAR MORE ABUNDANTLY BEYOND ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK, according to the POWER that works within us, to HIM be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.' [Ephesians 3:14-21]

Check this out...we were crucified with Jesus, buried through baptism and raised up to sit with Him in heavenly places. [Colossians 2, Ephesians 2]

We are ONE SPIRIT with the Lord, and the Trinity abides within us. We DIED...and now Christ lives in us!

And They brought Their power when They came in! Not just some kind of spiritual hitchhikers, but in FULLNESS...

'For IN HIM ALL THE FULLNESS OF DEITY DWELLS IN BODILY FORM, and IN HIM YOU HAVE BEEN MADE COMPLETE...' [Colossians 2:9,10]

Sorry for shouting.

Now consider this...

'God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these LAST DAYS has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed HEIR OF ALL THINGS, through whom also He made the world. [ref John 1]

'And He is the radiance of His glory and the EXACT representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the WORD OF HIS POWER.' [Hebrews 1:1-3]

Not the power of His word...just the POWER of His WORD.

Hallelujah!

What Am I Saying?
It looks like, from the Word, that we are filled up to all the fullness of God AND His power...

If we are strengthened with ALL POWER, and the Word says that we are, that would have to include the power that created and upholds all things.

No wonder Jesus told us to talk to things! To mountains and trees and sick bodies and dead people...to fish and donkeys and rooms for supper!

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, HE WILL DO ALSO; and GREATER WORKS than these he will do; because I go to the Father." [John 14;12]

Oh my!

[I hear villagers with pitchforks...]

Oh my!!

Think about this. When the disciples woke Jesus up to still the storm, He said "Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?" Then He rebuked the storm and it became perfectly calm. [Matthew 8:24-27]

If you take this in context of the rest of the Gospels, where Jesus plainly told us to speak to natural, physical things and they would obey us, what do you think He was saying to them?

What about the Psalms and Proverbs? Passages that talk plainly about dominating the physical world with words? Do you think maybe Jesus was familiar with those Scriptures, being the very WORD Himself?

I think, and this is strictly my opinion, that He was saying something like this..."Why are you waking Me up? Why didn't you use your faith—your power—and do it yourselves? What the heck is the matter with you people...don't you ever listen to what I'm telling you?"

[The villagers are getting louder...]

Think about it.

Strengthened with ALL POWER.

Hallelujah!