9-6-2017

Good Morning All,

           Acts 10:44; “While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.”

      I was watching a video the other day that showed a variety of pranks being played on people.  Many of these involved water being dumped on someone in many different ways.  Some were using buckets that tipped off of door frames.  Some were buckets of water being poured out of the second or third story of a building.  One involved a huge water balloon that completely drenched the man and his friend who was standing beside him.  It was funny to watch, probably more so because I wasn’t the one getting wet.

    Yet if we keep that image, the image of a bucket of water being poured out onto a person and the person being completely drenched by the water, this is a good image of how the Spirit works in our life.  First we want to see how, when the person gets drenched, it is someone else who does the drenching.  The recipient just stands there and gets wet.  He doesn’t go door to door and asks, “Can you get me wet?”  That would probably get him a quick trip to the local police department.  No it can be somewhat more unexpected.

    The Spirit of God goes out from wherever the Word of God, the Gospel of Jesus and his saving sacrifice, is preached.  The Spirit enters the hearts of those who hear the Word.  In the hearts of those listeners, the Spirit begins the flame of faith.  Now in some, the flame is blown out and rejected by the listener.  Yet in some, the flame takes hold.  Faith grows as the listener clings back to this wonderful promise from God.  Faith grows because the Word is preached and as the Word is sent out into the world; God has declared that it will not return empty.  It will fulfill its task either to condemn or to bring salvation.

    All believers have had the Spirit fall on them.  For many, it was a soft landing.  We grew up in the church, guided by faithful parents and the message of God’s salvation grew in our hearts and our lives.  Some came to have the Spirit dump fully and dramatically on them.  Perhaps you remember the story of the young man who finally heard the story of God’s grace while he was lying on the floor of the Hughes county jail.  For some it is dramatic and for some it is a calmer ride but for all the Spirit is poured on you; it falls on you because of God’s love for you.  As we get wet from it, we can run away and try to dry out or we can rest in the cooling and refreshing effect that it would have on a hot summer’s day.  God pours his Spirit on us through his Word; we can relish it or reject it.  We can cling to it and have it as our source of comfort and hope or we can walk away and try it on our own.  Clinging to God’s grace through the faith which he instills is the method to live in his peace; choose wisely.

Father, you pour your Spirit on us so that we might be filled with your Word and enliven with your faith.  Fan the flames of the spark that you kindle.  Build us up so that we may grow closer to you.  Build us up so that we may always trust you.  Continue to fan the spark that exists in those who are hurting now.  Send them your healing.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret