GOD’S HAND OF POWER (2)

“And the HAND of the LORD was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord” – Acts 11:21

Irresistible Power for Fruitful Living and Impactful Ministry comes by GOD’S HAND of POWER: “But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the HAND of the LORD was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:20-21). The New Living Translation says, “However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. The POWER of the LORD was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.” The HAND of the LORD stands for HIS POWER!

While the apostles and disciples were spreading the gospel in various places, an interesting work began in Antioch. Some Christians who had been scattered from Jerusalem at the time of Stephen’s death preached among the Greeks of Antioch, and by the Hand of the Lord, “a great number” believed (vv.19-21). When the leaders of the Jerusalem church heard this, they sent Barnabas to Antioch to help the new converts. Under his wise guidance the church grew rapidly (vv.22-24). Within a brief season, there was more work than Barnabas could handle. He needed a helper, and the Hand of the Lord divinely connected him with Saul (later Paul). For the next year they preached and taught, among Christians and non-Christians, with the result that the church grew even more (vv.25-26).

In scripture, the mention of the Hand, Arm or Finger of God signifies the display or exertion of His POWER: “Let YOUR HAND be upon the man of YOUR RIGHT HAND, upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself” (Psa.80:17). The ability, capability, and strength of God accompanied the disciples, ensuring that their preaching touched and transformed the souls of attentive hearers. Without this accompanying influence of God’s Hand, even an apostle could do no good in terms of convincing and converting sinners. True ministers of the Word of God would never deny or underrate God’s Hand of Power. Because the apostles preached the Truth, the Hand of the Lord was with them, and great numbers believed in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Reaching lives for Christ, saving souls, and drawing hearts into God’s Kingdom demand two basic requirements: (a) Our commitment to go where the Lord leads us and tell everyone about Jesus; and (b) the HAND of the LORD – the Unstoppable Power of the Spirit – working to open hearts and perform mighty Works. It takes the Hand of Power to witness Christ effectively, with increasing Impact: “But you shall receive POWER when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). When we are ready and willing to share Jesus, the Hand of the Lord is ready to actively confirm the Word: “And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen” (Mk.16:20).

One of the principal actions of the Hand of the Lord is to open doors! His Hand opened the door to the hearts of those the disciples were trying to reach: “Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles” (Acts 14:27). It was written concerning Lydia, a seller of purple: “The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul” (Acts 16:14). Colossians 4:3 says, “meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains.” God can do the same with and through us, to draw multitudes to Himself: “So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (v.26).