The story is told of a hospital’s Intensive Care ward where patients
always died in the same bed, on Sunday morning, at about 11 a.m., regardless
of their medical condition. This puzzled the doctors and some even thought
that it had something to do with the supernatural. No one could solve the
mystery… as to why the deaths occurred around 11 a.m. on Sundays.

So a world-wide team of experts was assembled to investigate the cause
of the incidents. The next Sunday morning, a few minutes before 11 a.m., all
doctors and nurses nervously wait outside the ward to see for themselves,
what the terrible phenomenon was all about. Some were holding wooden
crosses, prayer books and other holy objects to ward off the evil spirits.

Just when the clock struck 11… Pookie Johnson, the part-time Sunday
sweeper, entered the ward and unplugged the life support system so that he
could use the vacuum cleaner.

The story isn’t true (despite what you may have heard to the contrary).
But the principle is an important one — where there is no power, the
results can be deadly.

I am reminded of what Jesus said to the Sadducees when they came to him
asking a question about the resurrection. They asked the question —
involving a convoluted situation with a man who married seven women who all
died — because they hoped to demonstrate to Jesus that there could not
possibly be a resurrection from the dead.

Jesus response was this: “”You are mistaken, not knowing the
Scriptures nor the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29).

Any time we deny (or limit) the power of God — denying what He can do
if He wants to — we find ourselves on dangerous ground. The New Testament
is filled with passages which emphasize God’s power. There is power in the
gospel (Rom. 1:16), power in the message of the cross (I Cor. 1:18), and
power in the resurrection of Christ (I Cor. 6:14).

If you’re noticing that others are spiritually dying around you (or
maybe even that you yourself are dying), maybe it’s time to check the “power
source.” Are you connected to the One through whom our power comes?

May you be filled with a knowledge of “the exceeding greatness of His
power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at
His right hand in the heavenly places,” (Eph. 1:19-20). Don’t underestimate
(or unplug yourself from) the great power of our God!

Alan Smith