Last week I attended our Pacific Southwest Conference annual celebration. While I was there I attended a workshop on growing churches. Paul Wilson, our Superintendent was the facilitator. He made a profound point about power. He said that there are two great powers in this age. The first is the power to divide and the second is the power to unite. From a biblical worldview, we know that behind the power to divide is our arch enemy the Devil. It is his primary role in this age to divide people. History shows he has done a good job! Whether on a macro level or a micro level, we are living in a time of great divisions. Sadly, even in the body of Christ there are divisions among believers. In our series in the book of Acts, we will be observing how God was able to keep the unity among the body of Christ as they faced extreme challenges both within and from outside the body. This happened because there is a greater power in the world! That power is in the Holy Spirit of God! He is able to break down walls of division and unite people in Jesus. Paul writes in Ephesians that Christ broke down the barriers through the work on the cross. The Spirit takes this work of Christ and applies it in the hearts of everyone who truly comes in faith to Jesus. We need to be praying earnestly for God’s Spirit to break into our world. It begins with Christians uniting around Jesus and living out the Gospel both in the church and in the world. When I reflect on this in terms of our own context, we must work hard at maintaining our unity in Christ here in Eagle Rock. It begins with our own Christian community and then our brothers and sisters who fellowship around us. Then it is living in peace as much as possible with our neighbors. We have a purpose and that is being Jesus here!
Tag Archives: power
It Is All About Power!
It Is All About Power!
We have been flooded with materials on the local city elections. I wonder how many of us really read what comes in the mail or is left on our doorsteps? Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for public servants. I pray for good people to serve on all levels of government. What is disheartening, is when our elected officials work harder to keep their positions of power and influence than serving their constituents. Power in any arena can blind people from truly serving the needs of others. Jesus dealt with this in his little band of disciples. Too often the history of the church has been riddled with people abusing power. Jesus modeled how to truly influence and transform lives by living as a servant. He had all the power available to him by being the divine Son of God, yet he humbled himself and became a servant. He went all the way in giving his life as a ransom for our spiritual freedom. These four weeks before Easter, we are looking at Isaiah’s portrait of God’s Servant. God gave the prophet four songs,(Isaiah 40:1-7, 49:1-7, 50:4-11 & 52:13-53:12), and each one provides critical revelation of how this Servant will fulfill God’s plan of redemption. In preparing for these messages, I have been reflecting on our current historical context. The powerful are really powerless in bringing any social, spiritual or political restoration to our world! We must face the reality that this age will never reach perfection. There will always be evil and injustice. In fact, the Bible says it will get worse! Jesus Christ must return in order for evil to be finally eradicated from this age. The powerful will be overthrown and the meek will inherit the earth. In the meantime, it is up to the multitude of Christian communities to serve the Kingdom and faithfully witness through their words and actions. We can make a difference! What God is doing in this age is rarely seen by the world. God doesn’t need headlines, He needs faithful servants to witness for Jesus. I am excited to be a part of this kingdom work here in Eagle Rock. Let’s not get discouraged by the ineptness of the powerful, but be energized to see God work through our faithful service!
