Browsing Tag
power
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MORNING MUSING August 4, 2011 DEPARTURES
It is reported that, in North America, many Christians, often those more mature in their faith, are departing the churches. Apparently this is almost reaching epidemic proportions. Various reasons are cited which I will not go into, but there is one often mentioned and I find it particularly challenging. “Where is the power, the freshness that used to be present in the churches?” This is a searching thought, where is the power of God concentrated and from what center is that dynamism of God released? Are the persons walking away from established churches departing because the churches themselves have forsaken the secret of the power of God? What does the Bible say about God’s power? Thankfully we do not have to search too diligently for an answer; Paul, writing to a power hungry congregation (with whom he had been involved from their birth) reminds them “for the word of the cross is, to them that are being saved, the power of God” (1Corinthians 1:18). It is true, that just in case his readers got the idea that God’s power resided in an ‘it,’ even an ‘it’ as wonderful as the cross, he further tells these people, “Christ is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24) thus joining Christ and the cross inextricably together. Another verse that will help us in our ponderings is this, “the gospel is the power of God” (Romans 1:16). So to a confused, power seeking church at Corinth and to the many believers in the churches at Rome concerned at what Paul would minister when he reached them, he established exactly where the power of God in its essence is located. Although God, by His power created all things and by that same power sustains them, THE concentration of His power is to be found in His gospel and nowhere else.
And The Word Became Flesh
AND THE WORD BECAME FLESH Miltos Yiapanis THE ETERNAL WORD “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among…
MORNING MUSING 30th March 2010 ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL?
Four times in the first sixteen verses of the letter he wrote to the Christians at Rome the apostle Paul mentions the gospel and each time it is his own relationship to the gospel that he emphasizes. He is introducing himself to the church in that city and wants them to know that he is, “separated unto the gospel of God,” (v1) he “serves God with his spirit (like a priest) in the gospel of His Son,” (v9) he “is ready to preach the gospel,” (v15) and he “is not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.” (v16) Separated, serving, eager and unashamed, this is Paul’s testimony as regards the gospel of God concerning His Son Jesus Christ.
BELEAGUERED RULERS
Author WILLIAM F. MAY Publisher WESTMINSTER JOHN KNOX PRESS ISBN 0-664-22671-X The author of this book is…