Power

Sunday morning, muggy, temps heading for mid 80's, looking forward to pizza with a friend later today, etc. Just read a piece by Frank Schaeffer in Huffpo dissing Christians and justifying his leftist godless theology. The only acceptable targets these days are Christians and conservatives. What a state our country is in! It would be good if Jesus came back soon! This life is wearying at times, and this is one of them. Oh well, enough of that! On to more encouraging themes!

I was meditating this week on the scripture verse, 2Ti 1:7, "For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." kjv
I was also reminded of this verse, 1Co 4:20, "For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power." kjv In the first verse, power is coupled with love and a sound mind and contrasted to fear. In the second, power is contrasted to words. So, I began to ask what is this power that is, frankly, so powerful that it can dispel fear and bond with love and a sound mind.

My peeps are pretty much charismatics, desiring and seeking after supernatural displays of God's power through healing, et al. So am I. I've been wondering, A LOT, why it is there is so little power in the church? The organized church is all about words, it seems. Every Sunday a sermon to inspire you to do more, be more, 'fess up, etc. For all the words, nothing changes. The people we pray for don't get well or out-and-out die. We latch on to faith and try to get more or to refine it somehow to receive our desired results. We look for formulas, we read the latest book, listen to the latest expert, and keep asking God what we are missing in our quest. For all of our faith, we don't seem to be getting anywhere.

It all has to do with power, God's power in us. Jesus had it. He didn't have to work up enough faith or use any formulas. My question is, how do WE access His power in us that results in the transformation we are seeking? The Spirit has given us the power, so what is missing?