What will Americans find to talk about now?

11 November 2010

Paul advised the Corinthians that, when he came to see them, he did not expect simply to hear them talk about their faith; he expected to see the power of that faith alive within them. For the Kingdom of God, he explained, does not consist in words, but in power (1 Cor. 4.19, 20).

Power for what? For righteousness, for one: pursuing holiness in the fear of God (Rom. 14.17, 18; 2 Cor. 7.1). For another - the power of peace. The Corinthians were not living in peace, but in division. If they truly lived under the Prince of Peace, they would study peace and share it with one another. And joy, for the Kingdom of God is joy in the Holy Spirit. Further, power for witness (Acts 1.8). Where the Kingdom is flourishing its citizens bear witness to it by their lives and works.

The power Paul expected of the Corinthians, and which we should expect of ourselves, is the inward power of God's Spirit, working within us to make us willing and able to do God's good and perfect will (Phil. 2.12, 13; Ezek. 36.26, 27). It is a power to take us beyond ourselves, beyond anything in our previous experience with the Lord, beyond all that we could ever dare to ask or think (Eph. 3.20).

Is this what we expect of ourselves? Or do we harbor such low expectations that we have allowed the glorious deposit of the faith of Christ, implanted in our souls, to become a humdrum, status quo, "good as it gets" daily experience of sameness?

If so, no wonder the people in our Personal Mission Fields seem so little interested in what we believe.

What do we expect of ourselves today? And every day?

T. M. Moore

The Apostles’ Creed is a kind of prelude or preamble to the rich history of the making of creeds and confessions.

A simple question of basic science may lead to a startling old discovery.

Serious Punishment--We recall that, in ancient Israel, the people did not yet possess the Spirit of God; deep-seated and lasting heart-change was therefore not as readily possible as in this age of grace

Fear Your Parents?--lest, by our lack of proper respect, we despise an image-bearer of God.

By the Way We Live--we must recognize that perhaps the best way we honor our parents, and all those whom we are called to love and serve, is when we live in such a way as to reflect praise and honor on them in the eyes of others.

Honor Your Forebears--the rich heritage of literary, cultural, and liturgical achievement which our forebears have bequeathed to us are entrusted to our care in the present, for the sake of the generations to come.

Free to Serve All--God teaches us to gain the promises of His blessings through obedience to properly-constituted authorities.

Showing Honor--We show honor in a wide array of ways – by our speech, attentiveness, service, giving of gifts and honors, and otherwise seeking the wellbeing (“shalom”) of others.