WHAT HINDERS GOD’S POWER FROM MOVING IN CHURCHES TODAY
By W. G. Guy
The power of God is so mighty that He created the heavens and the earth by His Word; and by His Words has absolute power over all matter, both physical and spiritual. An example of God’s sovereign power is recorded in scripture:
Joshua 10:12-14 – Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.
Consider that to make the sun stand still for the length of a whole day that the entire earth would have to stop rotating. Think of the kinetic power that is involved in such a feat: then the same kinetic power would be involved in starting earth’s rotation again. Then an even greater display of God’s sovereign power is recorded again:
2 Kings 20:8-11 – And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the Lord the third day? And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees? And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees. And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.
This time God not only stops the rotation of the earth, but initiates its rotation in the opposite direction to reverse the position of the sun in the sky. God has absolute power over all of creation! And Jesus, as the Son of God, has this same power given to Him.
Matthew 29:18-19 – And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, ……
His power is over all things in heaven and in the earth; and He has given to His believers the authority to use His name in order to operate in His sovereign power so we can represent Him, and His kingdom, as His witnesses on earth.
John 14:12-14 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Jesus gave this power to His disciples to show others the kingdom of God’s love and power.
Matthew 10:1, 7-8 – And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. ….. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Jesus did the same for others of His followers also.
Luke 10:1 & 19 – After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. …. And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
Jesus also provides this power, by the authority of His name, to all believers so that they can witness for him until His return.
Acts 1:8 – But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
This is the same power by the same Holy Spirit that came upon Jesus after He was baptized. This same power came upon believers at Pentecost, and is to be in force for all that shall believe in Him throughout the age till He comes again.
Acts 2:38-39 – Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
This gift of the Holy Spirit’s supernatural power is to be applied until His return.
1 Corinthians 1:6-7 – even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
So, as the title of this article says, “what hinders the power of God from operating in the churches today”? The answer is in the Bible and consists of two hindering factors: DISBELIEF and DISCORD. Disbelief means a person refuses to accept what God has provided; what Jesus has done; and what He has told us to do. Disbelief even prevented people from receiving what He Himself offered to do for people.
Mark 6:5-6 – And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief.
Many churches today refuse to believe that the power of God by the Holy Spirit, through the name that is above all names, is available to believers as it was in the early church. If you don’t believe it, you won’t have it, or see it: thus they don’t.
Mark 16:17-18 – And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
This requires faith in what Jesus did and said as recorded in the Word of God.
Hebrews 11:6 – But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Faith and belief in what God said is always challenged by Satan, by the natural things of the world, and by the weakness of the flesh. It is faith and belief in His Word that overcomes the natural and known things of this world.
1 John 5:4-5 – For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Satan will always challenge your faith and belief in God and His Word. The devil did this in the beginning when he went after Eve in the garden.
Genesis 3:1 – Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Satan has most likely challenged you with doubt about what God is willing to do for you: especially when your answers to prayers seem to be delayed. It is imperative that we trust God’s Word in every situation in life in order to overcome and be blessed. Consider what is possible to you if you truly believe and trust God in your situation.
Matthew 21:21-22 – Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
You may think, how is this possible to cast a mountain into the sea? Remember that the earth stood still for a whole day when told to by Joshua; and the earth’s rotation turned in reverse as spoken by Isaiah. God can do for you as you believe and trust Him to do! But disbelief prevents you from receiving what God has provided for you!
Now the other hindrance to the power of God operating in churches today – DISCORD. Discord refers to disagreement, lack of harmonious endeavor, and even includes envy and strife among believers. In the churches there is great discord: that is why we have so many different denominations with disagreements in doctrines and traditions. The church is divided, and as such is powerless because such division allows Satan to bring in false doctrines and traditions. Discord destroys fellowship and unity of the faith. Consider what Jesus had to say:
Matthew 12:25 – And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
The apostle Paul referred to such behavior as being carnal.
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 – And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
As mentioned earlier such discord genders envy and strife; and where these traits exist there is a favorable environment for the evil influence of demons to inhabit and operate.
James 3:16 – For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
Clearly such an environment is contrary to the operation of the Holy Spirit, His power and gifts. The Holy Spirit favors an environment where there is harmony and accord.
Acts 2:1-4 – And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
An environment of love is favorable for the moving and supernatural operating of the Holy Spirit. This is why love is the great commandment. Love is also the foundation of the kingdom of God. This is the kind of love that gives and cares for others.
Satan wants to keep the church divided and in discord in order to oppose the power of the Holy Spirit. This is to inhibit the God’s work in and through churches so that they cannot stand united in the Lord Jesus Christ and true to His Word. It is high time to put away man-made doctrines and traditions and fully embrace the truth of God’s Holy Word, and to walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s leading, and in obedience to Jesus Christ so that He can be seen in the churches by the rest of the world.
When the world looks at the church it sees the diverse and ineffective mess that it is. Churches need repentance and humility to admit the numerous doctrinal errors and false traditions and to return to the purity of faith in God, in Jesus Christ, and in His Word. Until then we will not see the fullness of His power at work in the church as He intended. The early church had this power and turned the world upside down: today much of the world ignores the church, laughs at it, or derides it in mockery; all of which is the church’s fault. Thus the power of God is hindered from working and flowing in churches today. This is the will of Satan that much of the church is fulfilling. Until the church wakes up and is fully revived it cannot fulfill the will of God.
Romans 13:11-14 – And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Believers, we need to be bold in our testimony for Jesus because He is all power in heaven and earth, and stands with those of us who are His true disciples who walk in fellowship with Him. The wondrous power of God should be evident in our lives as we live in obedience to Him.
Romans 8:28-29 – What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Much of what is revealed in this article is further detailed in my new book THE OTHER CHURCH, available at Barnes and Nobel and Amazon.
By W. G. Guy
The power of God is so mighty that He created the heavens and the earth by His Word; and by His Words has absolute power over all matter, both physical and spiritual. An example of God’s sovereign power is recorded in scripture:
Joshua 10:12-14 – Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.
Consider that to make the sun stand still for the length of a whole day that the entire earth would have to stop rotating. Think of the kinetic power that is involved in such a feat: then the same kinetic power would be involved in starting earth’s rotation again. Then an even greater display of God’s sovereign power is recorded again:
2 Kings 20:8-11 – And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the Lord the third day? And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees? And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees. And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.
This time God not only stops the rotation of the earth, but initiates its rotation in the opposite direction to reverse the position of the sun in the sky. God has absolute power over all of creation! And Jesus, as the Son of God, has this same power given to Him.
Matthew 29:18-19 – And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, ……
His power is over all things in heaven and in the earth; and He has given to His believers the authority to use His name in order to operate in His sovereign power so we can represent Him, and His kingdom, as His witnesses on earth.
John 14:12-14 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Jesus gave this power to His disciples to show others the kingdom of God’s love and power.
Matthew 10:1, 7-8 – And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. ….. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Jesus did the same for others of His followers also.
Luke 10:1 & 19 – After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. …. And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
Jesus also provides this power, by the authority of His name, to all believers so that they can witness for him until His return.
Acts 1:8 – But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
This is the same power by the same Holy Spirit that came upon Jesus after He was baptized. This same power came upon believers at Pentecost, and is to be in force for all that shall believe in Him throughout the age till He comes again.
Acts 2:38-39 – Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
This gift of the Holy Spirit’s supernatural power is to be applied until His return.
1 Corinthians 1:6-7 – even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
So, as the title of this article says, “what hinders the power of God from operating in the churches today”? The answer is in the Bible and consists of two hindering factors: DISBELIEF and DISCORD. Disbelief means a person refuses to accept what God has provided; what Jesus has done; and what He has told us to do. Disbelief even prevented people from receiving what He Himself offered to do for people.
Mark 6:5-6 – And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief.
Many churches today refuse to believe that the power of God by the Holy Spirit, through the name that is above all names, is available to believers as it was in the early church. If you don’t believe it, you won’t have it, or see it: thus they don’t.
Mark 16:17-18 – And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
This requires faith in what Jesus did and said as recorded in the Word of God.
Hebrews 11:6 – But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Faith and belief in what God said is always challenged by Satan, by the natural things of the world, and by the weakness of the flesh. It is faith and belief in His Word that overcomes the natural and known things of this world.
1 John 5:4-5 – For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Satan will always challenge your faith and belief in God and His Word. The devil did this in the beginning when he went after Eve in the garden.
Genesis 3:1 – Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Satan has most likely challenged you with doubt about what God is willing to do for you: especially when your answers to prayers seem to be delayed. It is imperative that we trust God’s Word in every situation in life in order to overcome and be blessed. Consider what is possible to you if you truly believe and trust God in your situation.
Matthew 21:21-22 – Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
You may think, how is this possible to cast a mountain into the sea? Remember that the earth stood still for a whole day when told to by Joshua; and the earth’s rotation turned in reverse as spoken by Isaiah. God can do for you as you believe and trust Him to do! But disbelief prevents you from receiving what God has provided for you!
Now the other hindrance to the power of God operating in churches today – DISCORD. Discord refers to disagreement, lack of harmonious endeavor, and even includes envy and strife among believers. In the churches there is great discord: that is why we have so many different denominations with disagreements in doctrines and traditions. The church is divided, and as such is powerless because such division allows Satan to bring in false doctrines and traditions. Discord destroys fellowship and unity of the faith. Consider what Jesus had to say:
Matthew 12:25 – And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
The apostle Paul referred to such behavior as being carnal.
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 – And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
As mentioned earlier such discord genders envy and strife; and where these traits exist there is a favorable environment for the evil influence of demons to inhabit and operate.
James 3:16 – For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
Clearly such an environment is contrary to the operation of the Holy Spirit, His power and gifts. The Holy Spirit favors an environment where there is harmony and accord.
Acts 2:1-4 – And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
An environment of love is favorable for the moving and supernatural operating of the Holy Spirit. This is why love is the great commandment. Love is also the foundation of the kingdom of God. This is the kind of love that gives and cares for others.
Satan wants to keep the church divided and in discord in order to oppose the power of the Holy Spirit. This is to inhibit the God’s work in and through churches so that they cannot stand united in the Lord Jesus Christ and true to His Word. It is high time to put away man-made doctrines and traditions and fully embrace the truth of God’s Holy Word, and to walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s leading, and in obedience to Jesus Christ so that He can be seen in the churches by the rest of the world.
When the world looks at the church it sees the diverse and ineffective mess that it is. Churches need repentance and humility to admit the numerous doctrinal errors and false traditions and to return to the purity of faith in God, in Jesus Christ, and in His Word. Until then we will not see the fullness of His power at work in the church as He intended. The early church had this power and turned the world upside down: today much of the world ignores the church, laughs at it, or derides it in mockery; all of which is the church’s fault. Thus the power of God is hindered from working and flowing in churches today. This is the will of Satan that much of the church is fulfilling. Until the church wakes up and is fully revived it cannot fulfill the will of God.
Romans 13:11-14 – And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
Believers, we need to be bold in our testimony for Jesus because He is all power in heaven and earth, and stands with those of us who are His true disciples who walk in fellowship with Him. The wondrous power of God should be evident in our lives as we live in obedience to Him.
Romans 8:28-29 – What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Much of what is revealed in this article is further detailed in my new book THE OTHER CHURCH, available at Barnes and Nobel and Amazon.
