What Can God Do?
Bible Reading: Exodus 15:1-18; Job 42:2; Ephesians 1:19-23; Psalm 121:1-2
The power output from the sun is 382800000000000000000000000 watts. That sounds like a lot, but it is actually small in comparison to the power expended in the gamma ray burst (GRB) of a supernova. The most powerful GRB ever recorded occurred in September 2008. If the power of that explosion could have been captured and converted it would have produced enough electricity to supply the entire Earth with 13.8 octillion years of power. Octillion = a number equal to 1 followed by 27 zeros. That’s a lot of power, especially when you consider that there have been and will be other GRBs.
All that being said, the One who created all things and those stars, is even more powerful! In fact, He is omnipotent, which means God has the power to accomplish any end He desires. Stephen Charnock put it this way: “The power of God is that ability and strength whereby He can bring to pass whatsoever He pleases, whatsoever His infinite wisdom may direct, and whatsoever the infinite purity of His will may resolve.”
God’s omnipotence is revealed in countless ways and examples throughout Scripture, but a few stand out. Creation itself testifies that God is an all powerful God (Romans 1:20; Revelation 4:11). The deliverance of Israel from Egypt was something the Jews praised God for and remember to this day, as evidence of the glory and greatness of His power (Exodus 15:6-7). Jesus’ triumph by way of His death for sins and resurrection from the dead, over sin and death and the devil himself, testify to the omnipotence of God (Ephesians 1:19-23). What is striking about this text in Ephesians is Paul’s prayer that the believer might realize “what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe” (Ephesians 1:19). This omnipotence of God is not merely theological or theoretical, it has direct relevance to the believer and is actually availed to him! Its focal point is not God giving us some kind of superhero power for some obscure purpose. No, the omnipotence of God is manifest in the miraculous work of salvation, by which we are saved from the penalty and practice of sin. We are washed clean so one day, we will stand in the Glory of His Presence.
The phrase “He is able” is recurrent in our Bibles. Humanly we often need to be reminded of what our omnipotent God is able to accomplish in our lives. He is able to: 1) make you stand (Romans 14:4); 2) establish you (Romans 16:25); keep you from falling and present you faultless before His glory (Jude 24); make all grace abound toward you (2 Corinthians 9:8); keep that which you’ve committed unto Him against that day (2 Timothy 1:12); build you up (Acts 20:32); transform your lowly body to be like His glorious body (Philippians 3:21); save you to the uttermost (Hebrews 7:25); do exceeding abundantly beyond all that you ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). “What shall we say to these things? If God (the omnipotent God) is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
Charles Spurgeon, “O my soul, what can destroy thee if Omnipotence be thy helper? Rest thou secure. If Jesus is thine all prevailing King, and hath trodden thine enemies beneath his feet; if sin, death, and hell are vanquished by him, and thou art represented in him, by no possibility canst thou be destroyed.”
Author: looking2jesus13
Jerry L. Conklin was born and raised in Hillsboro, Oregon. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served for six years in the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program. He was assigned to the USS *Omaha* (SSN-692), a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, where he served as a reactor-plant electrical operator. His military service took him to ports and locations throughout the world and provided extensive technical training, leadership experience, and an enduring appreciation for those who serve in the Armed Forces.
Following his Navy service, Jerry earned a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Technology from Thomas Edison State University. He worked at the Trojan Nuclear Plant near Rainier, Oregon, first as a reactor operator and later as a training specialist. After sensing God’s call to pastoral ministry, he left the nuclear-power industry and earned a master’s degree in theology from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon.
Jerry served for twenty-seven and a half years as senior pastor of Lewis and Clark Bible Church in Astoria, Oregon. During those years, he preached and taught the Scriptures, provided pastoral counseling, performed weddings and memorial services, trained church leaders, and served individuals and families throughout the community. He also served as a fire department chaplain and participated in a variety of community ministries.
After retiring from full-time pastoral ministry, Jerry and his wife, Laura, moved to Heppner, Oregon. There he served for approximately four years as a chaplain with Pioneer Memorial Home Health and Hospice, providing spiritual and emotional support to more than 150 patients and their families. In 2023, the Oregon Association for Home Care honored him as its Chaplain of the Year.
Jerry also helped establish South Morrow County Seniors Matter, a nonprofit organization created to address the needs of older adults following the COVID-19 pandemic. As chairman, he worked with community leaders and volunteers to develop a weekly senior meal program, a monthly veterans’ lunch, and other activities and services. The organization served hundreds of seniors, mobilized more than 200 volunteers, and received statewide and national recognition. In 2025, Jerry was named Heppner’s Man of the Year, and his community service was later recognized by United States Senator Jeff Merkley.
International missions have also been an important part of Jerry’s ministry. He has made ten trips to Uganda, where he has taught at pastors’ conferences, preached in churches, participated in Bible-school graduations, distributed Bibles and Christian materials, and encouraged local pastors and ministry leaders. He developed the discipleship booklet *First Steps with Jesus* to help new believers understand and grow in their faith.
Jerry is the author of numerous books, Bible studies, devotionals, and teaching resources, including works centered on prayer, Christian hope, spiritual growth, and the person of Jesus Christ. His decades of preaching and teaching reflect his commitment to presenting biblical truth clearly, practically, and faithfully.
Jerry and Laura were married for nearly forty-two years and raised four children. They were also blessed with three grandchildren. Laura passed away in August 2025 following an eight-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Jerry currently lives in Hillsboro, where he helps care for his elderly father. He continues to preach, teach, write, and serve others through pastoral and community ministry.
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