Far More Abundantly Than We Think

Ephesians 3:20-21 ESV

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

1. What does it mean that Jesus Christ is able to do far more…?

2. How have you experienced him doing that in your own life?

3. According to what power at work within us?

4. And for whose glory and praise?

Now, I am going to answer these first two questions by giving a personal testimony of how I have experienced that in my own life, but I am hoping that some of you who are reading this will share a testimony of how God did that in your own lives, of how he did far more abundantly than all that you had asked or even thought of. For it is good for us to share with one another how God is working in our lives as an encouragement to each other.

The year was 2004 and my husband and I were official workers under the Christian & Missionary Alliance as church planters. We were both invited to attend our district’s annual prayer conference, but my husband injured his back and could not go, so he encouraged me to go without him, and so I did. And as soon as I arrived the Lord Jesus began pouring his word into my heart and speaking to me with regard to his calling upon my life.

This is not what I had anticipated would happen at this district conference, but the Lord spoke clearly to me through the messages shared, and by his messengers, that I was to proclaim the word of God, and that I was to speak the messages that the Lord had for me to speak, and that I was appointed by God as a herald and a teacher of true faith. And he gave me a sense of urgency that my time was now, that for such a time as this I was placed upon the earth, and that I was to fan into flame the gifts of God within me.

And this was really the turning point in my life when he said to me through those who were giving the messages that I was to give my ministry over to God, that it was not mine, that it was his, and that God may have something else for me to do that I had not even thought of. And what he was calling me to do was to write down what he taught me through his word each day and to put it on the internet so that a runner could “Run With It.”

Well, without going into all the details of what happened next, my husband and I ended up not becoming church planters, and I ended up with a ministry which is of God which is of writing down what he teaches me from his word each day and posting it on the internet. And I have been doing that ever since then. And this is a ministry that I was not seeking and that I would never have imagined myself doing, and God has been blessing it.

So, the encouragement here is that God is able to do with us and in us far beyond what we might dream or think of, which is way beyond what we might think ourselves capable of, too. It just needs to agree with God and with his word and not be something that is contrary to the will of God for our lives. And it should be what brings honor and glory to God and not to the flesh of human beings. And it needs to be empowered by God and not driven by our own human flesh. For Jesus needs to be the one leading, not us.

[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:17-27; Php 2:1-8; Col 3:16; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6]  

Should I Not Preach Jesus 

An Original Work / July 4, 2013

Based off 1 Corinthians 9:16-10:13

Woe to me should I not preach Jesus.

I’m compelled to preach the full gospel.

I make myself a slave to ev’ryone

To win their hearts to Christ.

All this I do for my Lord Jesus,

And for the sake of His Name;

Do it for the sake of His gospel,

So that I, its blessings gain.

Scripture notates the sins of others;

Written down for us as examples

To keep us from setting our hearts 

On evil as did those of old.

Do not worship other gods of man;

Do not give your hearts to them;

Not partake in immorality.

Do not test your Lord and King.

So, be careful if you think you are

Standing firm in your faith in Jesus.

God has given his word to warn us, 

So through faith we will not fall.

No temptation has o’ertaken you

Except what is commonplace.

God is faithful to not let you be

Tempted past what you can bear.

He gives the way of escape. 

https://vimeo.com/116057811