May 3, 2016

“Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.”
Acts 8:26-28

Sometimes the Holy Spirit leads us to do random things for really random people, people we hardly know – as well as for those who are really special to us. In the very earliest days of the church, Philip was chosen to be one of the first deacons. One day, instead of preaching in the city like he had been doing, the Holy Spirit (here in the presence of a Holy Messenger) told Philip to go walk down a different road. Because Philip did what the Spirit led him to do, Philip met a man who was eager to learn about Jesus and salvation.

We don’t often hear the Spirit telling us to do something as clear as “Go and walk down that street, or that other street,” but if we practice being still, quiet, and patient, we can learn to pay attention to how the Holy Spirit directs us into situations where we can have an influence. The problem is, we have to carve out that time from our busy schedules to be still, quiet and patient.

Lately I have been noticing how quickly the weeks go by. It appears to me that I have just finished preaching on a Sunday morning, and before I know it, I am back in the pulpit for another Sunday sermon, and I wonder “Where did the week go?” Life seems to be going by me in fast forward motion. It is when I am feeling like this that I need to realize that if I do not carve out special time for G-d, then I may be missing opportunities to experience the presence of the Spirit. It is important because, while we may be thinking “I should go down that road”, G-d may be planning for me to “Go down this other road.” The only way I will know for sure is to find the time to listen to the Spirit’s direction in my life.

Pastor Dave

May 2, 2016

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.” Psalm 92:1-4

The very nature of God’s Spirit power – we speak of being in the power of the Holy Spirit – and often that power pushes us to share it. When so many feel powerless, they seek someone to help them regain some power. Many turn to politicians who promise them all kinds of things that they will do for them – and so many of them will never be able to come to fruition. So, it is good to know that G-d is generous, and that G-d offers the Spirit’s empowerment to all the world. How do you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit? How do you encounter that Spirit every day? G-d offers you the presence of the Spirit for you now – and into the future – but you need to find the time to listen for its presence. Reach out, reach up for the power of the Spirit in your life.

Did your parents raise you to write thank-you notes? We are a society that is losing this very basic expression of thanks. Writing a quick note to express your appreciation to someone for what they’ve done for you is becoming a thing of the past. The tenets of Social media are partly to blame – the speed of life is also partly to blame. This habit can teach us to slow down and pay attention to the people around us and the love they show us.

The Bible is filled with passages that read like thank-you notes to G-d. We have so much to be thankful for! G-d created us and G-d seeks a relationship with us as G-d seeks to take care of us. G-d loves us no matter how many times we mess up. G-d’s Spirit is always with us. We should give thanks because G-d hasn’t left us on our own – and for that we should daily say “Thanks, G-d!”

Pastor Dave