Quote from Forum Archives on October 3, 2011, 3:05 am

Posted by: edwrather <edwrather@...>

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The Burning Bush Devotional
Welcome to the 7615 new subscribers since January 1, 2011!!
There were 4010 new subscribers during 2010!!

10.03.11

He Can Do It!

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.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. - Philippians 4:13.

John Ortberg in his book "If you want to walk on water, you have to get out
of the boat" tells of how he had a problem with fainting when he first began
to preach. Eventually, the problem went away, but it did take courage to
persist in preaching, when he never knew when this would happen again.

I shared with my church Sunday a secret that I have never told anyone. That
secret is that nearly every Sunday since I began to preach I have thought to
myself that "I can't do this" before preaching. The reasons for that have
varied. At first, it was in part because I am basically an introvert, and it
was difficult for me to speak in front of crowds. It was also, because I do
not have a powerful voice, and when speaking without a sound system it was
difficult to project my voice. Other times I have been ill, but nearly
always still preached in spite of whatever may have been going on with me
physically.

In the last five years, I have developed a problem with my voice. It has
improved substantially from how it was five years ago, although it has not
gone away completely. The problem is that sometimes my voice cuts off, and I
am unable to speak. Usually, it goes away in a minute or two, and I am then
able to continue preaching. However, it is very uncomfortable to be standing
before a room full of people who are listening attentively to hear your next
word without having the ability to speak. Fainting might be more merciful!
The fact is, and the truth is, that I cannot continue to preach in my own
strength. I do not have the power in myself to preach another Sunday.
However, my Lord Jesus does have the strength, and for the past twenty-one
years He has been faithful, in providing the strength, and the courage that
I have not had in myself. I can't do it! But He can!!

The spiritual fact is that you cannot successfully live the Christian life
in your own strength either. You can't do it! But He can!! You can't get out
of the boat, and walk on water. But He can!! God wants to give you His power
to live the abundant life that Jesus came to give you (John 10:10). Jesus
says in Revelation 3:20, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone
hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him,
and he with Me." Jesus is there knocking, and He wants to give you the
strength, the power to really live life. However, He is not going to force
you to receive His power. He is not going to make you walk on water. It's up
to you. Do you want His strength? Do you want His power? Then ask for it!

Remember you can't do it in your own power, and strength. But He can!! I can't
do it! But the Lord continues to empower me every time I ask. He will do the
same for you!

Copyright © 2011. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed Wrather began writing devotionals
in the early 1990s. The distribution of these first devotionals was
primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to prison facilities
throughout the United States and Canada.

Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer
Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there and they will be
forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am always in need
of prayer - please pray for me.). Please pray for our grandson, Mason
Wrather, as he recovers from surgery. Please pray a member of our church who
is battling cancer, Connie Bryan.

If you are not my friend on facebook or myspace you can be, just add me. The
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Two videos of my sermons are posted on GodTube (now Tangle) at:
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You can listen to services at my son, Clark Wrather's church (First Baptist
Church of Broken Bow, Oklahoma) live on Sunday mornings at 10:55am CST
www.kkbifm.com/
Several videos of Clark's sermons can be found at his church website:
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