Monday, December 17, 2018

Faith in Action

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”

Luke 1:35–38

For us, Christmas is a beautiful memory that we look back on fondly, appreciating what amazing love God displayed for us in sending His Son. But for Mary, one of the central characters of the story, the announcement of the impending birth of the Messiah was a life-shattering event. Everything she had planned for her future was threatened by what Gabriel told her. She knew that her true explanation of innocence and purity would be regarded by most people as a flimsy excuse for immoral behavior. Her impending marriage to Joseph was threatened. In fact, it took a direct message from an angel for Joseph not to carry out his plan to end their betrothal.

Yet in spite of the certain consequences, Mary received the impossible news with an amazing expression of submission to the will and purpose of God. This is what faith looks like in action. Faith believes that God knows better than we do, and is willing to trust Him even when we do not see the way ahead. Faith is not so much what we express in church, as it is what we do in hardship and difficulty. Do we still believe God when the diagnosis is critical, the job is lost, the child is ill, or the relationship is strained? Are we willing to trust Him then? Mary was.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Our faith in God is not truly seen in our words, but in our actions, particularly when things are difficult.

CURRENT RADIO SERIES The Gift   CURRENT TV SERIES Home for the Holidays

“And all who believed were together and had all things in common.” --Acts 2:44 Most people today don’t know what real Christian fellowship looks like. Some people think of it is as grabbing some coffee in the hallway after church. But the kind of fellowship that God wants you and me to experience as a part of the empowered church of today goes so much deeper than that. In Greek, the word for “fellowship” is koinonia and it means to share life together, or to hold things in common. And the first thing that we have in common, according to 1 John, is fellowship with God. And because of our fellowship with him, you and I have fellowship with one another! You see, we aren’t just some detached collection of strangers aimlessly moving through life. We have been brought together in Christ. We are family – brothers and sisters who share a common father, a common life, a common unity, and a common purpose. Church isn’t just some place that you go to. It’s the people with whom you belong! Our fellowship is a testimony to the world that we are one body, that we believe together and we belong together. I hope you are experiencing this kind of fellowship in your life. You are not destined to go it alone. You are part of a spiritual family who needs you, just as you need them.   CHURCH ISN’T JUST SOME PLACE YOU GO TO.  IT’S THE PEOPLE WITH WHOM YOU BELONG!