Grace for the Moment

A few days ago I came across a person who was nearly distraught over a “small” problem (if there is such a thing while you experience it). After talking with them for a few moments it became clear that this problem was not the problem. Rather, they had experienced a series of small problems and the accumulative effect of all those small problems presented itself as a HUGE problem. This person had become tired from the worry; fear and frustration had set in; they had concluded that no one really loved them, not even God. Please don’t misunderstand me, but I love it when people decide they cannot go on…often times it is only then that we will allow God to take over, surrendering to his will. It is then we find ourselves immersed in grace. As we talked, this person was able to set aside the Adversary’s thoughts of fear and defeat, while reasoning (for themselves) that God does love them and it is in God’s strength we move forward. I am happy to report that when I spoke with them yesterday, God had resolved some of their problems and many others could now be seen for what they really are, just small problems.

Power of the Spirit

Sunday is Pentecost. It is the birthday of the church and the long awaited release of God’s power to the believer. Trouble is, too many believers don’t understand the power they have access to. The Bible is filled with stories of people who knew they could not lead, witness, or perform the task God called them to…they didn’t understand. Yet they accomplished the very things they could not do. We all know it was God (isn’t hindsight wonderful?), but what we forget is that God still wants to work in the lives of believers today. You have access to that same Spirit today even if you do not fully understand the extent of that Spirit’s power! What is it you feel God calling you to accomplish…that one thing you know you are not capable of doing on your own? Just as Abraham, Moses, Gideon, David, Peter, Paul (the list goes on and on) were not alone, you are not alone. God longs to use you and the Holy Spirit is here to help you. The only real difference I see is that they followed God’s leading (though some were hesitant) and many today remain unmoved, wanting a guarantee from God, which is something tradition tells us is not likely to happen.

Saved or Servant?

During a recent conversation with another pastor, my suspicions were affirmed. It seems many folks, even “church” folks, want just enough God to feel good, but not enough God to change their lives. It is sad, but many people realize their need for God and they seek a relationship with Christ. These folks are saved, but they are just that. First let me say there is nothing wrong with being saved…my goal is to see more people in relationship with the Savior! However, having said that, Christ has much more in store for us. We are called repeatedly in Scripture to “surrender” to Christ; to “follow” the leading of the Spirit; to “give our lives” for Christ. Those are not the actions of a person who is merely saved. Those are the actions of a person sold-out to Jesus Christ; a person who knows that all the wealth and power one might ever accumulate is worthless in comparison to the joy of serving the Savior. Jesus Christ calls us to follow him and then promises to provide the power to do it. So what about you? Are you saved, or are you a servant?

Finally Made It!

I am not much of a trend setter, I’ll admit it. I will go so far to say that I often swim against the current, resisting trends, so no one will be surprised to know that yesterday I finally made it to the Custard Stand for the first time this year. Yeah, I know it took me five full days to make the pilgrimage that some look so forward to, but I finally made it and now I am good for a few months. My own attitude causes me to wonder how the church might get people so excited about God that folks actually looked forward to Sundays…I also wonder how to connect with those folks who, like me, resist. Believing as Wesley did, that we encounter God through Scripture, tradition, experience, & reason (remember the Quadrilateral?); it would seem to me that for the unchurched, experience carries a lot of weight. I cannot imagine that Scripture or tradition will influence the unchurched. Reason, I would think, means little without an experience. I know God can and will work in ways I cannot fathom, but someone’s first experience with God, with God’s children, and with the church is going to influence them tremendously. Forget the protocol on Sunday mornings; what does a guest at our church experience? Their first encounter could make an eternal difference. Are they treated like an outsider at a private gathering, or do they have an encounter with our loving, gracious God?

You Changed Yet?

It has finally happened…the price of gasoline has caused the Quick household to change its routine. Specifically, Jill has commandeered my vehicle for her use because it gets better mileage than hers does. I knew it was just a matter of time before we changed and it makes sense as she drives much more than I do on an average day. It also caused me to realize gasoline is kind of like God…stay with me, I have a point. We need gasoline; in fact we cannot function without it. So there comes a time when gasoline comes at such high a price that we rethink our lifestyle in order to make use of it. We need God too, actually much, much worse than gasoline, although not everyone realizes that. And once we taste God we want more and more. We will eventually come to the point that we are willing to rethink our lifestyle in order to please God. My question for you is have you made that lifestyle change? Do you need God so much that you are willing to let go of lesser things that are of no real value? Patsy Clairmont said in one of her books (sorry, I do not recall which one), “What difference does it make to believe, if what you believe doesn’t make a difference?” Has God made a difference in your life? Have you changed yet?

Blessed With Abundance!

I was once again frustrated by a news report this morning telling how the cost of food had risen since last year: some selected foods as much as 35%. That is a mind-boggling fact, but what frustrated me is that in this report, not a word was said about our blessings of abundance. I didn’t really expect them to praise God, but we should not forget that we HAVE food. In our home alone, the cabinets are stocked, the refrigerator and freezer both stay filled or nearly full. I suppose the Quick family could go several weeks without purchasing more food if we had to…but praise God we never have to! Perhaps some people don’t realize there are people in our world, for that matter in our country and community, who do not know where tomorrow’s meal will come from…if they pray “give us this day our daily bread,” they mean it! And while I sometimes feel my home is crowded when all seven of us are there, I have visited places like the Haitian community in Nassau where 12 to 20 people live in a two or three room shack! I know we are in the midst of “hard times” but let’s never forget our blessings, and to verbalize them.

National Day of Prayer

Today is the National Day of Prayer, a time when American Christians intentionally seek God’s involvement in our country and our communities. Did you realize the National Day of Prayer is a vital part of our heritage? The first call to prayer occurred in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation. President Lincoln proclaimed a day of "humiliation, fasting, and prayer" in 1863. In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress was signed by President Truman, declaring an annual, national day of prayer. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Reagan, permanently setting the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday of every May. This year we have even more to pray for…a national election in 6 months. In fact many people are calling for Americans to pray EVERY Thursday between today and November 4th specifically for the coming election. So please, take a moment today and pray. Pray for our national leaders, state leaders, local leaders, judges, schools, and the election. Join an organized meeting if you’re able, if not pray alone. Then remember to say a prayer for the election each Thursday. If there has ever been a time we needed God’s intervention, it is today.