As I was reading and searching for what God wanted for this article, I ran across something Paul wrote to the Corinthians. “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:1–5, NASB95) I hope that in some measure this applies to Lambchow as well.
Our writing here at Lambchow is not in the high language of learned theologians or the persuasive angling of the salesman. We don’t dress up our words as “new revelation” or as “revealing hidden secrets.” All we do is take the evident truths found in God’s word and present them in a way that is hopefully heard by today’s ears and received by today’s hearts. The effective power is not in how well we write but is in Christ and the ever present work of the Holy Spirit.
What gave me pause as I read the passage in 1 Corinthians was Paul’s desire that his hearer’s faith would be founded on the power of God and not the eloquence of his words when he ministered to them. How does that take shape in this ministry of writing that is lambchow? How is the power of God and the presence of the Spirit demonstrated given the space existent between where I’m at and where you’re at?
Part of the answer is the must have understanding that if/when God uses what we write for His glory and purpose it is by His power and not ours. We strive to be obedient, to write understandably, to build bridges between personal reality and God’s word. But the real power is not how well a story opens the door, how well a metaphor works, or how understandable a definition is. The power to impact is only in God’s Word, the wonder of the cross, and the work of the Holy Spirit.
There still seemed to be something missing. Our writing and purpose may connect folks with the powerful truths of God’s word, but how is that a demonstration? That seems to come best through the real-time, face to face contact as Paul was saying above. Those times when two or more gather in Jesus name and He is there with us. When the Holy Spirit moves among us, touching our hearts, our needs, our hurts, and our failures as only He can. Can that moment of God’s touch be demonstrated through this ministry given the distance of place and of time?
In some small way, yes it can. On our website and in each email there is a simple question – May We Pray for You? I’m not saying that we have some kind of hotline to God and that every problem is immediately answered. But there is something powerful when God’s people pray for each other. We treat each prayer request as important and confidential. Each one is answered and prayed for with thanksgiving and faith that God will provide the answer for the need (although it may not be the answer looked for). Even though there is a distance in both place and time, we trust the Holy Spirit to bridge that gap.
You see, I don’t want your faith to rest on Lambchow but on the power of God. So, I have to ask, may we pray for you? You’re welcome to use the link leading to the prayer form or if you’re reading this via email simply reply to this message. One more favor. If we have prayed for you in the past and God did demonstrate His love and grace could you let us know?
One other piece of housekeeping. This week we conclude our reThink48 series which took a closer look at Philippians 4:8. Our next series is called The ABC’s of Faith, 26 articles going from A to Z published over 13 weeks. I feel that this series will give you a broader foundation of faith in Christ and encourage us all to a “sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5).
- Corinthian Controversies: Freedom’s Restraint - April 17, 2024
- The Legacy - April 15, 2024
- Corinthian Controversies: Big Little Sins - April 10, 2024
