"The Power of Grace" Kathryn Kuhlman A Crucial Reminder

Once upon a time, there was a tiny little seed planted in the ground. It was an acorn. And after a while, it shed its little overcoat, cuddled away in the arms of Mother Nature so that it might be dead and grow. All through the long winter night, she kept that little seed warm. And when the springtime came and the sunshine came out, its little acorn heart burst open with joy and delight. It had started to grow. Oh, what a thrill! And then a man came along, and he put a big, heavy rock over the little seed. Commenced to worry and to fret, for Beard could never be able to raise his little head to where it could see the light of day. It wanted to wear a garland of leaves for its hair. and to grow to be beautiful and strong. But in that moment, it seemed so defeated. Maybe it would never see the light again. Maybe it would never, ever see the light again. But one day, its feeble hands touched the rock. They were such tiny, tender little hands. And the little growing tree felt so helpless. But it didn't struggle. It didn't try to move the rock, which was the enemy of his heart and life. It just grew. And then one day, the rock was lifted. It was... pushed out of the way, and the little leafy hands clapped for joy. But let me ask you, who lifted the rock? Did the little seed lift the rock? No, of course not. No little seed has the ability to lift the rock. It was something within the seed. which no man in the world has ever been able to reproduce. It was God's power that pushed over that rock. Listen, my friend. You are a little seed. You too can grow into something noble and beautiful for God. I don't care who you are. I don't care how defeated you may feel this hour. I don't care whether you're rich, whether you're poor, whether you're with talent, without talent. I don't care what your environment may be. I don't care how defeated you may have been throughout your life. I want you to know something. You too can grow into something that's noble and beautiful for God. The power of faith can be manifested in your life until literally men and angels will wonder. But however, when the battle is over and the victory has been won, don't you dare say, look at what I have done through the Lord, but rather kneel at the foot of the cross and say, Isn't it wonderful that His grace and His faith should be manifested in me? It's the power of God. It's the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's that light in you that is the hope of glory. And He is the one who has to give you that divine life. Let me give you an example. Every place I go, the very first thing that reporters will say to me, Oh, Miss Cooman, do you have some special gift? You know, because they see the miracles. That's one of the very first questions reporters ask me. And I'll always answer and say, No. Not really. It isn't Catherine Kuhlman who performs these miracles, no. And remember something. There isn't anyone living who believes more in the fruits and the gifts of the Spirit. I believe in the gifts of the Spirit with all of my heart. I do believe that there are certain gifts. that are given to men and women. Paul speaks of them. He gives a few of them as an example. And I believe that there are many more gifts that are given to Spirit -filled people than just those that are mentioned in Corinthians. But Paul mentions the gift of wisdom, the gift of knowledge, the gift of healing, the gift of faith. You know, it's there. But... Do you know why I absolutely refuse to acknowledge any gift? It's because I've got sense enough to know that whatever it is that he has given me, it's still not something of myself. It's still not Catherine Kuhlman. It's the power of the Holy Spirit. It's still his power. And God forbid that I should ever come to the place where I will look up and say, look and see what I did. I pray to God that he'll take me in death before I would ever utter one word. that would give any inkling whatsoever of the fact that I may feel as though I have something of myself. I have nothing. I'm as helpless as that little seed. Whatever he has given me, whatever he does through this body of mine, through these lips of clay, through this... which is the temple of the Holy Spirit, that which I've surrendered unto him. It is not Catherine Kuhlman. And all that I can say to the whole world today is, isn't it wonderful that his grace and his faith and the power of the Holy Spirit should be manifested in such a wonderful way? As we walk off of the stage after having seen the miracles that had been performed, it's so wonderful to be able to say, wasn't it wonderful what the Holy Spirit did? If you've been a part of the services and you walk out of the great service, wherever that service was held, and as you leave having seen the manifestation of the supernatural, always crossed the threshold of that auditorium saying, wasn't it wonderful what the Holy Spirit did today? It's that simple. It was God's power. It was the power of the Holy Spirit that pushed over that rock. It will be the power of the Holy Spirit that will push over any rock that is an obstacle in your life. Remember what Paul said. We are more than conquerors. Through our own efforts, through our own will, by our own struggling, Not on your life. Continue that which Paul said. We are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us. You can stand there that open grave. And the one whom you loved more than life itself. You can stand there with victory. In your own spirit. You can stand there strong. I'm not saying that tears will not run down your cheeks. Of course they will. You're still human. But you'll not be defeated by that which has just happened. You'll not be defeated in that hour when that love has been taken away from you. You'll not be defeated in that moment of death. Why? Because you have found victory not through your own willpower, not through your own struggling, not through your own determination and by gritting your teeth and saying, I will, I will, I will. And sometimes those people find at the end of their I wills a nervous breakdown. You don't do it. You have found that you have victory over that tragedy through Christ who loves you. It's that simple. That victory is through Him. He's the one who gives you the victory. You have to just surrender yourself to Him. Stop struggling. Stop crying to do it in your own strength. Many a man will say, I'm an alcoholic. And I want to be delivered. More than anything else, I want to be delivered. Are you sure you want to be delivered? So much so, Miss Cooman, I've tried everything. I've tried to stop. I've used my willpower. You know, some of the strongest men I find. have really very little willpower when it comes right down to it. That's just right. Because you see, you're bucking Satan. You're bucking a power that is greater than your willpower. When you have to buck Satan and buck the demons of hell and buck the evil one, No man's willpower is strong enough to overcome the enemy of the soul. When you get to the place where you will say, I not only want deliverance, but I'll turn myself, I'll turn this habit, I'll turn the whole thing over to God. I'm a little seed. I cannot move the rock in my own strength. I don't have the strength to move the rock that's blocking the sunshine. But there is one who has greater strength than any man's willpower. His power is greater than this habit that I'm trying to overcome. It may not only be for alcoholism. It may be for smoking. It may be for dope addiction. Who knows what it is? A thousand things in that life of yours that you won victory over. You've tried everything under the sun. You've tried medication. You've tried pills. You've tried the psychologist. You've tried... Name it. You've tried it. And yet the thing that will give you the victory is so simple, you've missed it. You know, if it was some big thing, some great thing, or some great price that you had to pay, then you'd be glad to pay the price. You would do it. But what Jesus is talking about is so simple a little child can understand. So simple that in this scientific generation we miss the whole thing. It's just too simple a thing to let God move the rock. You know? Sure. We have to do it through a scientific way. Mm -hmm. Our mentality must go through science. It has to be some hard thing or else it couldn't possibly work. Now just relax and look up and say, Dear Lord Jesus, I simply cannot. Move the rock. I'm a little seed, a tiny little seed planted in the ground. Sometimes I feel that because of this rock in my life, I'll never see the sunshine again. My hands are so feeble, but I take these feeble little hands and I reach out. To the rock that is stronger than I. I reach out to the greatest power there is in heaven and earth, the power of almighty God. Such a little thing for him to do. All you have to do is to come to him in all honesty, in all sincerity. Don't you understand? Understand? Salvation is like that. You want to be born again. You want that wonderful new birth experience. You cannot attain it through your own struggles. It's all bought and paid for by the very Son of the Living God. It's there. Salvation is a gift. All you have to do is to reach out. Those tiny little feeble fingers. Reach out. And just accept what Jesus did for you on the cross. That's all. Come. Jesus said, all you have to do is to come. You have to be willing. Any man can come. Any woman can come. Salvation is possible to every human being in the world. There's never been a man or a woman, there's never been a human being who has been a part of humanity. To whom salvation was impossible. Know that. All you have to do is to come. And when you come, you precious tiny little seed. Confess your sins to him. You can't save yourself. You can't forgive your own sins. You can't give yourself eternal life. It's a gift. Everything you and I receive from him is a gift, a gift. Salvation is a gift. The forgiveness of one's sins is a gift. Deliverance from sin is a gift. Receiving the fullness of the Holy Spirit is a gift. Not through our own struggling. I have seen folk praying for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. My goodness, you would never know that the Holy Spirit was a gift. They agonize. They plead. It's a guilt, my friend. Do you want victory over that thing in that life of yours? Do you really want victory? You do. can grow into something noble and beautiful for God. This very moment, defeat can be turned into victory. If only you'll turn yourself over to a person and a power that's greater than yourself. The power of faith can be manifested in your life until it... those around about you will wonder at the miracle. But remember, never say, look at what I have done. Kneel at the feet of Jesus and say, isn't it wonderful that his grace and his faith should be manifested in me.