Here & Now: Americans – Disassociated from Religion

Greetings All,

     This week's thought is about the growing number of "nones" in American society.  According to a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News Survey, younger Americans don’t value patriotism, having children, or organized religion as much as young people two decades ago. These are the so-called “Nones” whose religious affiliation “none.”  And since the early 1990s the number of them have tripled.

     Below is an interview involving Derek Thompson, senior editor at “The Atlantic” about why this has happened, taken from NPR's - Here & Now:  Americans – Disassociated from Religion. It really is very thought provoking and worth the read - especially if you know young adults who have left the church, or distanced themselves from all forms of organized religion (some sections condensed and clarified due to discussion format). Enjoy.

     Host: You write that more than 9 out of 10 Americans belonged to an organized religion throughout the 60s, 70s, 80s, but then came the 1990s. You spoke to a sociology and religion professor at Notre Dame. What did he tell you about what happened in the 1990s?

     Derek: The rise of the religiously non-affiliated, otherwise called the “Nones,” is an incredibly modern phenomenon in the US… that took off in the early 1990s.  So I asked him.  What happened in the early 1990s?  He said, “Historically speaking there's sort of 3 events we have to key in on.”  The first, is the association between the Republican Party and the Christian right.  That did not necessarily exist in the 1960s and earlier.  It was instead, a reaction to a series of things that happened in the late 60s early 70s.  The sexual revolution, the Roe versus Wade decision, the nationalization of no-fault divorce laws, and the Bob Jones University case where it lost their tax-exempt status over its ban on interracial dating.  Because of all those things the Christian right sort of jumped into politics and merged with the Republican Party in a way that, I think, offended a lot of moderates and liberals, who then began to detach from both organized religion and Republicans.  That's number one.  Second, is the end of the Cold War. For the previous, say, 40 years, there had been an association between those who didn’t believe in God (the communists) and “the evil empire.” Once the Cold War was over, being godless wasn't necessarily considered as evil [as it had been].  And third, I think after 911, during the Bush years, a new association – not between godlessness and the evil empire, but rather, between religion and zealotry (at the national level with the USA, or at the international level with al Qaeda) fed into the rise of religious non-affiliation.

     Host: This is so fascinating.  I mean, take the end of the Cold War reasoning.  You know people (as you remind us) could suddenly say: “Well I don't I don't belong to a church” and not be thought to be communists, which previously they might have been. And then after the al Qaeda attacks, there were people wanting to distance from organized religion, and there was also the scandal in the Catholic Church.

     Derek: Absolutely!

     Host: So, who is doing this non-affiliation?  Is it one specific demographic?

     Derek: Yes. The group that is most pulling away from organized religion over the last 20 to 30 years are young white liberals.  Young white liberals are the ones that are leading the rise in the “Nones.” You don't see a similar dramatic increase from the Blacks and Hispanics.  It is being led by young white liberals who see that the Republican Party has become more and more entrenched with the evangelical movement. Distancing themselves is their way of saying: “I’m not a Republican.”   By proxy, by rejecting the Republican Party, a lot of young whites (I think) feel like they have to reject organized religion as well.  And so, what's ironic to me is that there was this thesis from the late 19^th century that said that religion was going to lose its halo effect because of science. Science was going to drive God from the public square.  But, in fact, in the last 30 years, there's been no grand scientific revolution to make people lose their faith in God.  Science hasn't driven God from the public square, politics has!  And it’s particularly driven religion from the public square for young white millennial's.

     Host: Well, we should clarify that there are many young white millennial's who are very active in churches, or temples, or mosque.  We know that.

     Derek: Absolutely.  But also there is another factor.  Which is that when young people nowadays are delaying having their families, and having their own individual lives for longer, by the time they settle down they may not have time for activities on Sunday morning, or Saturday morning, because they have gyms to go to, and they’ve got this other kind of schedule that's interesting.

     Host: Yeah.  But then you also write about what may be one of the paradoxical downsides.  I mean obviously very religious people might worry about this from a different perspective, but you know, it becomes harder to have a social life without an institution to attend.

     Derek: Yeah, I think that’s a good point. I should add that Christian Smith listed a lot of non-political reasons why religious non-affiliation might be growing, including as you mention, maybe rising divorce, delayed adulthood, etc.  You know, it seems to me that religion isn't just theism. It's not just a belief in God.  It's a bundle. It's a community. It's a theory of how the world works. It's a way of finding individual peace. And I find that a lot of people who have rejected the organized religion bundle shop for individual pieces of that bundle à la carte.  So, you know, maybe their work is a religion, or their politics is a religion, and spin class is a church, and not looking at your phone for a few hours is akin to a digital Sabbath. So, it's interesting to me that although so many millions of Americans have abandoned organized religion, they have only sought to recreate it everywhere they look. They've given up God to a certain extent, only to seek him out everywhere else.” 

     We could surely add other things -- like the Jimmy Swaggert and James Baker scandal in evangelicalism, the misuse of funds and gifts given to ministries, and many other things -- that may have soured people against organized religion.  Yet, regardless of what led to it (and I do believe they are right in suggesting that the end of the cold war, a far too close an association with one political party, and religious zealotry involving violence are to blame) we are left with what we are to do about it?  And the fact that people have come up with all sorts of religious substitutes for organized religion suggests that if we could learn from our mistakes as we move forward, some may be drawn back -- since it the desires for religious expression seems hidden in human nature, even when we try to repress it.

Living in the Grace of Jesus, Pastor Jeff

The Practice of the Presence of God

Greetings!

This past weekend the men at my church got away on a "Men's Recon"  to a couple cabins in the Pocono Mountains to spend time in quiet contemplation with God.  In doing so we read Brother Lawrence's classic work, "The Practice of the Presence of God."  It was revitalizing time.   I had my own copy of the book which I bought many years ago, so I brought it with me - fragile as it is from being loaned out and read so many times. Over the years I have copied quotes into the many blank pages and spaces in it.  So today I wanted to share some of those quotes with you.  And if you have just a moment, let me know which one(s) hit home the most. Enjoy.

"Whatever we are doing, even if we are reading the Word or praying, we should stop for a few minutes -- as often as possible -- to praise God from the depths of our hearts, to enjoy Him there in secret. Since you believe that God is always with you no matter what you may be doing, why shouldn't you stop for a while to adore Him, to praise Him, to petition Him, to offer Him your heart, and to thank Him?"

Brother Lawrence

"There is nothing but God's grace. We walk upon it. We breathe it. We live by it and we die in it."

Robert Louis Stevenson

"You have no strength but what God gives you, and you can have all the strength that God can give." 

Andrew Murray

"Wonder is the basis of worship."

Thomas Carlyle

"Faith is not an effort, a striving, a ceaseless seeking, as so many earnest souls suppose, but rather, a letting go, an abandonment, an abiding rest in God that nothing, not even the soul's shortcomings can disturb." 

Unknown

"God never asks us to give up anything unless He intends to replace it with something better."

George Mueller

"He who would not die for Jesus will never truly live for Jesus; for to earnestly live for Him requires dying daily to the self-will that we may do His will."

"God insists that we ask, not because He needs to know our situation, but because we need the spiritual discipline of asking."

Catherine Marshall

"When God wants to do His great works, He trains somebody to be quiet enough and little enough, then uses that person."

Hudson Taylor

"Enter into the inner chamber of your mind, shut out all things except God and whatever might aid you in seeking God, and having barred the door of your inner chamber, seek Him." 

St. Anselm of Canterbury

"God creates out of nothing. Therefore, until a man is nothing, God can make nothing out of him." 

Martin Luther

"Joy is not happiness as much as it is gladness; it is the ecstasy of eternity in a soul that has made peace with God and is ready to do His will."

Unknown

"Faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservation."

Elton Trueblood

"Be patient with each other, there are no shortcuts to spirituality. The growing of fruit takes time."

Unknown

"The greatness of a man is not measured by his power or ability, but by the measure of his surrender to God."

Unknown

"The person who insists on seeing with perfect clarity before he follows Christ in the way, will never obey God's call to walk by faith. To Abraham God said, 'Leave your country and your people and your father's household, and go to the place I will (that is, in the future, far down the road) show you." 

"When, as a husband or wife, you are confronted with a very difficult choice, do what is best for your spouse and your children and God will honor it." 

"If you'd ever really gotten inside the mind of Jesus, ever had a single taste of His burning love, considerations of your own loss or gain would mean nothing."

Thomas A'Kempis

"It is possible to give without loving, but it is impossible to love without giving."

Richard Braumstein

"Though we do not have our Lord Jesus with us in bodily presence, we have our neighbor, who, for the ends of love and loving service, is as good as our Lord Himself."

Teresa of Avila

"To do so no more is the best repentance."

Martin Luther

"No one gives himself freely and willingly to God's service unless, having tasted His Fatherly love, he is drawn to love and worship Him in return." 

John Calvin

In His Service, Pastor Jeff

Streams in the Desert

Greetings All!

     After three fruitful weeks of doing ministry with my wife Nancy in India, I am finally back!  Therefore I'd like to get back on schedule and pass on what I found to be an encouraging thought for your spiritual edification. It is taken from the devotional classic, "Streams in the Desert," by L. B. Cowman.  It struck me as a story (or analogy) containing much truth in regard to those difficult times in life when we cry out to God from the depth of our being and he seemingly remains silent, distant, or fails to respond to our cries.  May her words offer encouragement to your soul.  Enjoy.

"A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to Jesus crying out, 'Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!  My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.' Jesus did not answer a word." Matthew 15:23

     

     "Are you reading these verses as a child of God who is experiencing a crushing sorrow; a bitter disappointment, or a heartbreaking blow from a totally unexpected place? Are you longing to hear your Master's voice calling you, saying, "Take courage!  It is I. Don't be afraid" (Matthew 14:27)?  Yet only silence, the unknown, and misery confront you -- "Jesus did not answer a word."

     God's tender heart must often ache listening to our sad, complaining cries. Our weak and often impatient hearts cry out because we fail to see through our tear-blinded eyes that it is for our sake that He does not answer at all, or that He answers in a way we believe is less than the best.   In fact, the silences of Jesus are as eloquent as His words and may be a sign, not of His disapproval, but of His approval and His way of providing a deeper blessing for you...

     Let me relate a beautiful old story of how one Christian dreamed she saw three other women in prayer. When they knelt the Master drew near to them. As He approached the first of the three, He bent over her with tenderness and grace. He smiled with radiant love and spoke to her in tones of pure, sweet music.  Upon leaving her, He came to the next, but only placed His hand upon her bowed head and gave her one look of loving approval. He passed the third woman almost abruptly, without stopping for a word or a glance. The woman having the dream said to herself, "How greatly He must love the first woman. The second gained His approval but did not experience the special demonstrations of love He gave the first. But the third woman must have grieved Him deeply, for He gave her no word at all, not even a passing look."

     She wondered what the third woman must have done to have been treated so differently. As she tried to account for the actions of her Lord, He Himself came and stood beside her. He said to her, "O Woman!  How wrongly you have interpreted my actions!  The first kneeling woman needs the full measure of my tenderness and care to keep her feet on My narrow way.  She is weak and needs My love, thoughts, and help every moment of the day, for without them she would stumble into failure. The second woman has stronger faith and deeper love than the first, and I can count on her to trust Me no matter how things may go or whatever people may do. Yet the third woman, whom I seemed not to notice, and even to neglect, has faith and love of the purest quality.  I am training her through quick and drastic ways for the highest and holiest service. She knows me so intimately, and trusts me so completely, that she no longer depends on my voice, loving glances, or other outward signs to know of my approval. She is not dismayed or discouraged by any circumstances I arrange for her to encounter. She trusts me when common sense, reason, and even every subtle instinct of the natural heart would rebel, knowing that I am preparing her for eternity, and realizing that the understanding of what I do will come later."

     "My love is silent because I love beyond the power of words to express it and beyond the understanding of the human heart. Also, it is silent for your sake -- that you may learn to love and trust me with pure, Spirit-taught, spontaneous responses.  I desire for your response to my love to be without prompting of anything external."  Learn, then, the mystery of His silence and praise Him every time He withdraws His gifts from you. Through this you will better know and love and trust the Giver."

     I must confess I have seen something of this truth actively played out in my life.  I am not by any means a giant in the faith, and have a long way to go (as those closest to me will affirm).  But I have often wondered why it is that when I first came to Christ I had far more intense, tangible, faith-building spiritual experiences where I tangibly sensed God's presence, witnessed startling answers to prayer, and received what could only be called profoundly clear guidance attested to by others and confirmed by God's grace in providentially bringing certain things to pass.

     Yet, as I grew in the Lord I noticed the number of them diminish significantly.  Initially (for the most part) God seemed to answer my cries more quickly, and in ways that seemed more tangible and dramatic, even stunning this newly born-again child on many occasions. But as I continued to walk with the Lord I found He was slower to "rescue" me from trials.  Rather, He started to let me weather them. Instead of the former hand of help offered quickly to usher me out of hardships, He left me to endure hardships, go through heartbreak, and walk through dark nights of the soul where my path led through valleys so deep it seemed to my impatient soul the darkness would never be dispelled by the light!

     And though at first it was very unsettling and sometimes frightful (feeling God had abandoned me), I soon realized that the spiritual life is in many ways like a parent teaching it's new child to walk.  At first you are there with arms outstretched ready to grab the wobbly-legged 9 or 10 month old at the slightest sign of them going down, often keeping a grip on their arm or shirt, or grabbing them before their diaper-lined rear end ever hits the ground!

     But at some point (out of love and a desire for them to learn and grow) you must let go of the shirt, pull back, and refrain from helping them.  As they grow you must let them learn to stand (and even fall) so as to realize the consequences of their actions and the need for wise choices and good decision-making. God does the same with us. As infant Christians he responds more quickly, and in more tangible ways, realizing how frail we are in the faith and how much help we need initially in order to make it past those first hurdles in our new life.  But imagine how absurd it would be to see a parent cautiously hovering over their six or eight year old in the same way, holding on to their shirt and ready to grab them before they ever fall.

     No, as a child grows into an adolescent and then into adulthood, the parent steps back further and further and gives more space, freedom, and responsibility.  Why would God, as the perfect parent, do any differently with us as we grow spiritually? 

In the Bonds of Christian Charity, Pastor Jeff

A Hope Deferred -- Adoption and The Fatherhood of God

Greetings All,

This week's "thought" comes from a book entitled, "A Hope Deferred -- Adoption and The Fatherhood of God."  It's by a man named, J. Stephen Yuille, a pastor living in Texas.  He confesses to always having believed, and preached, on the doctrine of "adoption" from Romans 8:15-17.  But says he never  fully understood all that was implied in that one word adoption, until he and his wife were unable to have children and adopted a baby girl from China.
     In summarizing the book Joel Beeke calls it, "a precious mosaic of personal stories and biblical teaching that go straight to the heart."  Through their failed struggle to have children, and then in adopting, he says: "God granted them a deeper knowledge of His fatherly love."   The books appeal is also aided by the fact that its a quick read (150 pages) and the author is a gifted writer!  Enjoy.

     "Here's a precious (and often neglected) truth: Christ is a man. We confess that he's fully God and fully man in one person. And we confess that his two natures remain distinct. In other words, the properties of his humanity aren't transferred to his deity, and conversely, the properties of his deity aren't transferred to his humanity. His deity is never hungry or thirsty. Likewise, his humanity is never omniscient, omnipresent, or omnipotent.
     During the incarnation, Christ's deity is veiled. To fulfill his mission, he lives in complete submission to the Father and in complete dependence on the Holy Spirit. This is how we understand his "growth in wisdom" (Luke 2:52). This is how we understand his prayer life. This is how we understand his ascribing his miracles to the power of the Holy Spirit.  This is how we explain his ignorance concerning the time of his return (Matthew 24:36). And this is how we explain his anguish in the garden: "Remove this cup from me" (Mark 14:36).

     Now, you might be wondering why I'm belaboring this. In a word, its extremely important. If our only view of Christ is his deity, we're missing something. Christ is a man who lived in submission to the Father and dependence upon the Holy Spirit.  As a man, he knows all about sorrow and suffering. He knows what it's like to be hungry. He knows what it's like to be weary. He knows what it's like to face temptation.  He knows what it's like to experience betrayal. He knows what it's like to encounter injustice. He knows what it's like to suffer abandonment. He knows what it's like to lose a loved one. As Mary stands at the tomb, weeping over her dead brother, Christ also weeps (John 11:35). That reminds us of his compassion. He empathizes with our frailties and sympathizes with our sorrows.  He's, "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3).  When we draw near to him, we find refuge from sorrow and suffering in the shadow of God's wings.

     That reality is made abundantly clear in Hebrews 4:14-16.  There we read: "We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every way has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need"...

     Christ carries all our burdens. When a woman marries a man (or visa-versa), her burdens become his.  Similarly when we marry Christ (become one with him), our burdens become his burdens. Paul says, "For while we are still in this tent (this body), we groan, being burdened" (II Corinthians 5:4).  We have lots of burdens.  We bear the burden of wayward children, the burden of lost loved ones, the burden of discouragement, and the burden of illness. But Christ takes all those burdens upon himself. He empathizes with us better than our friends, siblings, spouses, pastors, or any other person we know. Do we realize that?  He has a better understanding of our burdens than we do. And as we draw near to him by faith, he imparts his grace to us, whereby we are strengthened.  When we're in the midst of affliction, we can be certain that God will help us in one of two ways: either he will remove us from trouble, or he will support us in trouble.  Now the following point is crucial: God doesn't always do the first, but he always does the second. He always supports us in trouble... 

Many of us struggle with affliction and accompanying sorrow.  We feel like the mythical figure, Atlas, with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Often times, affliction is beyond our control.  We are powerless to do anything about it. And our sense of helplessness is increased by our limited view of what God is doing.  At times like these, we want answers to the question "why?" Yet we must hold to what we know.  We know God governs all things according to the pleasure of his will (Ephesians 1:11).  We know his goodness dictates his providence [the way he orders the affairs of this world], meaning he designs affliction for our benefit (Job 5:18, Isaiah 30:26, Hosea 6:1).  We know his wisdom governs his providence, meaning he's in ultimate control (Job 42:2).  There's no pain he can't remove, no danger he can't prevent, no misery he can't comfort, no enemy he can't vanquish, and no need he can't supply (Jeremiah 32:17 and 27, Matthew 19:26, Luke 1:37, Luke 18:27, Phil. 4:13).  Finally, we know we can take refuge in the shadow of his wings, where we find "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief."  

     Our failure to remember the full humanity of Christ often deprives us of the needed ability to remember that Christ sympathizes with us (rather than frowning at us) in our struggles and weaknesses. To forget that robs us of the comfort and consolation God meant for us to receive by reflecting on the struggles that Jesus encountered because of his humanity.

     He wasn't just acting when he wept at Lazarus death.  He wasn't simply pretending when he said he was thirsty from the cross.  When he was pierced on the cross, "blood and water flowed out," showing us he was fully human.  These were expressions of the truth of his incarnate humanity -- something we can often forget if we stumble into the heresy of "Docetism" which is so common in some evangelical circles.

     Docetism is a word we get from the Greek word "dokein" which means, "to seem."  A "docetist" is a person who claims Jesus only "seemed" to be human. They believe he was just a ghost or phantom figure. "He was able to walk on water," as one man once told me, "because he didn't weigh anything."

     That's the error of so over-emphasizing Jesus' deity.   We forget, or virtually nullify, his humanity. And in doing so we create a faith that is quite different from the one given to us in the New Testament (I John 4:1-2)."

     We gain strength and confidence from the knowledge of Jesus' deity; we gain comfort, hope and consolation from the knowledge that he "was tempted in EVERY way just as we are... yet without sin."  The sin, then, is not in being tempted, but in giving in to the temptation, and the comfort is that He understands. The fact that he sympathizes with me in my sorrows brings me closer to him relationally. What is true in human friendships is true of Him -- we gravitate toward those who we feel will understand us, and listen with both an empathetic ear and heart to the struggles that confront us.

     Take a minute and think on Jesus humanity. It helps us, says the author of Hebrews, to "draw near to the thine of grace" and find grace to helps us in our times of need.

Blessings, Pastor Jeff

Finding the Holy Spirit When in Spiritual Crisis

Greetings All,

This week's 'thought' comes to you from a man named David Greco.  It is found in his book: "Renew Me -- Finding the Holy Spirit When in Spiritual Crisis."David (who is tri-lingual) is a man of extraordinary gifts and abilities. He grew up in the church, attended Bible College and seminary, and went on for his doctorate in theology at Temple University in Philadelphia.  He became involved in a radio outreach ministry based in New York City, which broadcast to Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and parts of Central and South America.  All went better than anyone could have ever hoped -- until a group of people started to spread false accusations about his motives, and accused him of fraud and deception and using monies raised for the ministry for personal gain. Everything started to unravel.

     He writes: "The Lord told us... "Don't defend yourselves, I'm working"... However, when there are slanderers and malicious people; when accusations stain our reputations and our whole vision (and life work) is in danger, it isn't so easy. My life revolved around the ministry. If the ministry collapsed, so would my life." 

     Things deteriorated rapidly as funds dried up, lawyers threatened action, and "Jesus didn't move; He didn't even seem to react."  Then, after an extended time of anxiety, struggle, tears, and both mental and physical exhaustion, he took a trip to Orlando, Florida, where he heard a preacher share a message about Abraham from Genesis 17. He shared how at 99 years old Abraham faced an impossible situation and found himself waiting for a miracle.  That's where our selection picks up. I trust his words will encourage you. Enjoy.

     "The message was for me. God had spoken to me. I had to follow Abraham's example. In the final prayer I promised God that even though I didn't understand the details, I was going to obey His Word. That same morning we packed our suitcases and returned to New York. I honestly didn't remember much of the trip, even though I was driving. My wife and girls slept most of the way. In those silent hours, the Holy Spirit cut my heart in a thousand pieces with His sword. I felt small, incapable, and ignorant.  I felt like a beggar, a man in need, an invalid.

     This was the work of the Holy Spirit. Although I felt weak, I didn't feel desperate. There was a confidence in me that I couldn't understand. The smaller I felt, the more confident and secure I felt. Confidence in my own knowledge and skills disappeared. My trust in the almighty God, El Shaddai, grew. He, only He, could produce a miracle. He, only He, could change my heart and renew me...

     How different are God's ways!  How many times we think that He prefers strong, solid, and victorious believers. We think God prospers those who try hard, those who are always doing something in the church.  Are not these the ones who are constantly testifying about what God is doing in their lives?

     My wife and I have two girls and a little boy... We love them all the same. However, when one gets sick or doesn't feel well, we devote all our efforts to comfort and take care of that child. Why? Because the son or daughter who is sick needs our attention more than those who are well. If we, being imperfect parents, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more will our Father, who didn't spare His own Son, protect us and take good care of us...

     Are you going through a desert of loneliness? Has God promised you something that you haven't received? Are you waiting for God's direction, and it won't come? Is there a threat over your life, over your family, or over your marriage? Are you rejected? Are your talents despised? Do you feel abandoned? Don't despair! The almighty God is about to appear in your life...

     In the midst of a critical situation, God captures our attention. In the midst of a crisis where there is no way out, we look for alternatives. This is where the hunger begins. Renewal begins with the hunger for God --hunger to reach new experiences, new signs, and new insights of God's work in our heart. Because of my pride and my self-sufficiency, I had never developed this desperate hunger.  However, through this trial, God was humbling me...

     I have prayed, begged and interceded with God to set us free [from the hindrances some have caused to our radio ministry]. But my prayer hasn't been answered -- yet. God hasn't removed those obstacles yet... The reality is I haven't seen the fulfillment yet. The obstacles still remain, but they don't bother me anymore. When I look at the problems, I give thanks to God because I know He is already removing them. I have faith. My faith didn't come because I heard an inspiring message. My faith came from the Word of God and the preaching of the Word...

     I don't produce faith. I don't have to manipulate my emotions to be able to feel faith. I don't have to enter into a psychological frenzy to be able to feel enthusiasm, optimism and hope. Faith is a gift of God. Faith is a gift God gives to worshipers who share with Him in communion.

Without grace, there is no faith.

Without communion (with God), there is no faith.

Without true prayer, there is no faith.

Without worship, there is no faith.

Without the revelation of the heart of God, there is no faith.

Faith is my response to such revelation... The revelation of God's heart, the manifestation of His will and purpose during times of communion with Him -- that is what produces faith."

     As Martin Luther once said, "Until God makes a man nothing, He can make nothing out of him."  There is a blessedness in being broken. Like a sealed alabaster jar of ointment, the fragrance does not spill out until the jar is broken open. The Spirit's power is actually hindered by our "togetherness."  What we need is not to be in control, and have it all together, but be pushed beyond our limits until God breaks us of our need to feel like we must be in control. For so long as we are trying to control things, we effectively quench the Spirit.

     In this sense Isaiah 30:15 is revealing: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength."   Not in frenzied activity. Not in more programs and meetings.  Not in more strenuous efforts or grand personal achievements. Not in the things done by us, but in repentance for thinking we could ever do the work of God in our own feeble strength.  In a determination to rest in His love, good purposes and provision, and sovereign unstoppable might!  In a determination to be quiet before Him and trust Him to move in response to our heartfelt prayers.

To Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20), Pastor Jeff