CHAPTER 18: THE POWER OF TWO 2024

Anybody with kids knows the power of two. It can be good, or not so good. Open your bibles to Proverbs 13:20, 1 Corinthians 15:33 and Proverbs 3:32.

Proverbs 13:20: “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” 1 Corinthians 15:33: “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character. ‘” Proverbs 3:32: “For the Lord detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence.”

Okay, now that we know bad company is not good. The lone wolf approach never works, either. Left alone, eventually a pack of wolves will eat you alive and take all your stuff. There’s a lot of good two’s however and that’s what we focus on today. In the Noah and the ark, “take the animals, two by two.”

When the apostle Paul was knocked to the ground by Jesus, he was tended to by Ananias, God’s helper, the power of two, in the care of Ananias woke up his name changed from Saul to Paul, and no longer a roman soldier, Paul the apostle became the most prolific writer of the new testament.

Man and wife, the power of two, as directed by the Bible, the Lord and the prophet Elijah, (but you see Elijah knew the voice of God) we talk about that in a minute. Jesus and the woman at the well, Jesus and Lazarus and that’s just to name a few. For me and you, there is alliance, me and you, you and spouse, you and God, well, let’s talk about that.

God is of the spirit realm, a divine God, I am not divine. How do I know I’ve partnered with God, that’s a tricky thing in this chapter. The bible says the devil can deceive, even a believer,

2 Corinthians 11:14-15 New American Standard Bible
14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

What I got in this chapter? Add God to the relationship of two. You and me are not of the spirit realm, so add God, if I can’t do that, my power of two could go sideways very easily. In a marriage, the power of two is very real, without God, that power can go sideways. So is it the power of three? God is not a one thing, or a one more thing, God is an everything. To add God is to invite the Divine, my job is to add the divine to every relationship in my life and I can only do that one relationship at a time. I can’t have a relationship with 20 people at the same time, get it.

There’s also other power of two things in the world. Gun powder and fire, chocolate and milk, air and water, politics and money, greed and satan. It’s evident that the power of two can be very good or not very good. A horse and buggy, good idea. A gun and a robber, not a good idea. The power of two is the study for this morning, remembering that my relationships need to be based in God. That is hard to do in this world.

Matthew 18:20 New International Version (NIV)
20 For where two or three gather in my name, there Am I with them.”

 

1 Corinthians 3:9 New American Standard Bible
9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

 

1 Corinthians 3:23 New American Standard Bible.
23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

There is power in two of things. Two horses, two dogs, both are better than one. Two rockets, or two rifles, well, two rockets is more fire power than two rifles.

I had to get it in my head a long time ago that God is the quintessential power of two, behind two, the engine of two. But if God isn’t in it, what is? Nothing good, I’ll tell you, I did Iearn that the hard way.

God is a spiritual being, I am not. A great deal of care is necessary when listening for the Lord. Without proper care in prayer and study, there is a danger.

The spiritual battle that the Bible talks about is a fight for your soul, won and lost in your mind. So God invented “fellowship” to help clarify God’s position. Prayer to talk with the Lord and listen for His voice, the Word to clarify His positions and directives, to describe Him.

What did the devil create to oppose all that? Deception, we talked about it earlier. You gotta be sharp to tell the difference.

1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

I realized that I needed to pray about my ideas, my thoughts my actions, especially my actions before I did them. Discernment is the prayer for God to bring people into my life that matter, an additional set of testimony and experience.

Someone, who quite frankly, will set me straight. To remind me, there is a God and I’m not it.

Isaiah 55:8-9
New King James Version
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Two cops are better than one, but not if one is drunk. Two Believers are better than one, but not if one doesn’t go to church anymore. Two scientists are better than one, but not if one doesn’t believe in God. Adding God — the power of God — against chaos, death and destruction.

Ecclesiastes 4:12
New International Version
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Who is the third strand? God, an unbeatable element to a power of two. God is the invisible power of two when coming against spiritual warfare which is at the base of every single temptation and confrontation.

Proverbs 20:18
New King James Version
Plans are established by counsel;
By wise counsel wage war.

War? Yes, war against yourself and the devil who will surely destroy all of us given the opportunity by my own free-will.

James 4:7 English Standard Version
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Two authentic believers are strong in spiritual warfare. What is spiritual warfare? “I want so I get,” rather than, “I accept God gives me what I need, so I wait and pray, give thanks for what I have.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9 New International Version
9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.

“Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.
Helen Keller”

That is the quintessential concept here is that the power of two goes both ways, good and not good. Not good, in the power of two, is stated in the following sentence.

“Common sense is not so common and stupid is very expensive.”

Hebrews 10:38
King James Version
38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

The path is confounding, inconvenient, challenging, uncomfortable and still He walks with us. But don’t press the issue. Complacency in God has no place in the power of two, don’t push it, don’t validate bad behavior in the name of the almighty just because it sounds good. Partner up with the right people who listen to Jesus, so the Lord can use you to do more for Kingdom work.

2 Corinthians 2:14 English Standard Version
14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. Amen.

In the following passage there are two, walking along the road to Emmaus after the death of Jesus. It is one of the first encounters of the risen Christ. Remember, He, Jesus is always available for clarification in important matters, especially when a couple of buddies are trying to figure out the Lord’s business.

Luke 24:13
New International Version
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem.  14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 “What things?” he asked.“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.” 25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”Verse 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. 28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.

Luke 24 (con’t) 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

Luke 33 (con’t)33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying,
Luke 24 (con’t)“It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

Two men, struck by the Lord, lit up in the faith of the Risen King. The spirit realm is not for me or you at this point, we fight against such things from the World, we need the Lord, the power of two brothers is truly powerful, wrapped in the spirit of the Lord, we are protected and even stronger. Stay with those who are aware of such things and strive to know more everyday.

Proverbs 13:20
English Standard Version
20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

Chapter 18: The Power of Two 2024, your choice, in battle who do you choose to walk the battle with? What relationship do you bring to the Lord?
Amen