Source of Power

The following message was delivered by J. Hudson Taylor at a New York Conference and is recorded by Andrew Murray in his book The Key to the Missionary Problem:

"God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this, that power belongeth unto God" (Ps. 62:11).

"God Himself is the great source of power. It is His possession. 'Power belongeth unto God', and He manifests it according to His sovereign will. Yet, not in an erratic or arbitrary manner, but according to His declared purpose and promises. True, our opponents and hindrances are many and mighty, but our God, the living God, is Almighty.

"Further, God's power is available power. We are supernatural people, born again by a supernatural birth, kept by a supernatural power, sustained on supernatural food, taught by a supernatural Teacher from a supernatural Book. We are led by a supernatural Captain in right paths to assured victories. The risen Saviour, ere He ascended on high, said: 'All power is given unto Me. Go ye therefore.'

"Again, He said to His disciples: 'Ye shall receive power when the Holy Spirit is come upon you.' Not many days after this, in answer to united and continued prayer, the Holy Spirit did come upon them, and they were all filled. Praise God, He remains with us still. The power given is not a gift from the Holy Ghost. He Himself is the power. [emphasis added]

 "Today He is as truly available, and as mighty in power, as He was on the day of Pentecost. But since the days before Pentecost, has the whole Church ever put aside every other work, and waited upon God for ten days, that that power might be manifested? We have given too much attention to method, and to machinery, and to resources, and too little to the Source of Power--the filling with the Holy Ghost.

"This, I think, you will agree with me, is the great weakness, has been the great weakness, of our service in the past, and, unless remedied, will be the great weakness in the future. We are commanded to be filled with the Spirit. If we are not filled, we are living in disobedience and sin, and the cause of our sin is the cause of Israel's sin of old--the sin of unbelief.

". . . The power of the living God is available power. We may call upon Him in the name of Christ, with the assurance that if we are taught by the Spirit in our prayers, those prayers will be answered."