Dynamite and Dynamos

 On the day of Pentecost the church received power in the Holy Spirit. It was that power, not their dedication or commitment or faith that drove them. The initial wave of what we call revival lasted a little over 3 years. The influence and the effect of that initial wave brought the Gospel to the whole world.

The word power is the Greek word dunamis. It is a word from which we also get dynamite. But there is another nuance of meaning to suggest that it applies to the word dynamo. Dynamite is power in a destructive sense. They use dynamite to blow things up and to break down barriers. It is used in armaments and in construction and in mining. Dynamo is a power generator that provides electricity to our farms and factories and office buildings and our homes. It is a stream of power that is useful for improving and sustaining life and society.

Both of these two applications are seen in genuine revival. Revival often begins with large numbers of people getting saved. Miraculous growth. Our church and our Fellowship were born in genuine revival. But history tells us that nothing grows exponentially forever. And in our experience growth tapers off but the influence doesn't wane. We still outreach. We still disciple men. We still plant churches and support missionaries. We still have conferences. Look at what has happened in our Fellowship since those humble beginnings in Prescott in 1970. Look what has happened in our church in it's short history.

When revival begins it's come on, let's go! When the dust clears and we wonder what to do we just do what we know to do and continue following the old familiar paths.

A Question

 When we come together in a church service who are we there for? Is our focus on Christ and on God and worshipping Him? Or is our focus on the lost and on visitors to impress them? Is Sunday morning a worship service or an evangelistic service? We have been taught to give an invitation in every service. Should we dispense with worship and just preach the Gospel? Or should we offer up praise and thanks to the one who saved us and to the Father who loves us? This is two very different approaches.

My Social Media Fast

 I am not a heavy social media user. I use about 3 services. But one is enough to be a huge time waster more than anything. So I decided to take a break from social media. For the month of September my social media accounts are suspended. At the end of the month I will reevaluate my position to see if I need them anymore.

Family was the driving force behind social media. My children lived far away and so this was one way to keep up with them. That is not the case anymore. Also, I had to admit that social media is not targeting people like me. I am not the demographic that advertisers are aiming for.  And the tipping point came when I got bored with it. Look at one thing and you get overwhelmed with the same thing. 

I am feeling the withdrawal symptoms a little. I find myself wanting to post my thoughts or to post my ideas and I have to wait to write on my blogs to do that now. It is funny how shallow everything becomes when you post without thinking it through.

So my phone has no social media on it now. My laptop and my tablet have no social media apps running.

I am not a luddite. I find some modern technology useful. I also find some tech a solution looking for a problem or creating a need that wasn't there before.

Labor Day Plans

 Tomorrow is Labor Day. Not a big holiday but it is a holiday. My daughter has a cold and so I wondered if she had any plans for supper including me. So far no. I reached out to another friend and tonight he told me yes. So by virtue of friends and family my holiday get together is taken care of.

If I were in my old house I would be spending Labor Day alone. That is one reason why I am glad that I live here. This church among many positive attributes is very friendly and welcoming to me.

My Thoughts on Bridget's Funeral.

 Tonight we had a memorial service for Bridget Harris. This was my first funeral for someone that I knew since my wife died. I managed to get through it no problem. That was a breakthrough for me.

Tonight, as people talked about Bridget and her illness, they all talked like they were sure that she would recover and be as good as new. I feel like I may have been the only one who got it right about Bridget and her leukemia. She is in Heaven now. She did not recover.

This was my first funeral in this church. It was so different than any funeral that I have ever been to. Two and a half hours long! And then refreshments afterwards. They do things different here than I am used to. It is good for me to be stretched in my experience.

The only funeral service that I have seen that was bigger than this one was pastor Mitchell's. We had a huge crowd tonight. Bridget touched a lot of people.

My daughter summed it up. Bridget loved God and she loved people.

Bridget was not the one for me. But I am grateful that I got to know her the way that I did.

PS: I take no joy in being right about the outcome of Bridget's leukemia. Nursing my wife through sickness and then death made me aware of things that others do not see or sense. I knew she was dying. I prayed for her to have peace and strength through the treatments. And I prayed for her family to be strong and to not give up once she was gone. God heard my prayers.

Prayer Request

 Please pray for Joe Rubi. He is getting older. He is not doing well. He is reaching a point where he will no longer be able to drive. he has physical problems that make attending church risky. And he is inclined to move back to Arizona in the spring. 

It is hard growing old, especially when you are alone. Join with me in praying that the Lord will strengthen and sustain him and that he will have peace and wisdom to know what to do as life runs out for him.

The Blessing of our Pastor

 It was good to have pastor Rubi back home last night. He is a busy man and he is in demand around the Fellowship. Our assistant pastors are good men and they do a good job to fill in when pastor is gone. But, just like in Prescott, there is something about your pastor being there makes everything seem like it is alright.

"For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers;..." 1Cor.4:15

Pastor Rubi reminded us of David's words in Psalm 27:13 last night. And he encouraged us not to give up but rather to trust God that He will help us and that it isn't over yet. I am grateful for the Word and for my pastor and for this amazing church.

"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." Psalm 27:13