Monday, August 29, 2011

"Perspective....................."

Yesterday’s early morning sermon was entitled “When Challenge Exceeds Courage” and was delivered by the assistant pastor. I love to hear him, whether preaching from the pulpit, teaching in a class-room, or just in conversation with him as it comes to me. There is a fire kindled in the depths of who he is, an excitement, an exuberance that bubbles and shines in his eyes as he speaks. In this particular message, he pointed to the strength of our faith as depending upon the “object”, or “source”, from which we obtain it, referring to it as the “great gift” that all in Christ possess and going on to suggest that far too many of us settle for the “normality” of simply walking day by day with no real expectancy of knowing Him “alive” within us… During the evening service, then, near the end of worship, the lyrics to one certain song led to any within the congregation going through financial difficulties in any manner being called forth for prayer under a declaration of “the promise of prosperity pronounced by God upon the Jews now given unto us as believers”, such theme continuing for the remainder of the meeting. The message, again, embraced “faith”, but this time the man of the hour likened it unto an inner, divine connection with heaven on high, one bestowed to us “by” Christ, but one never given any personal identity other than a power we are meant to choose and utilize in the gaining of whatsoever… The second fellow had no less a flame than the first, his roots running down to drink from the same fountain; yet I find our vision blurred and our understanding in error when the Holy Ghost is not recognized as the very substance of such faith, the third member of the Trinity and the absolute authority in all matters. He is grace; He is wisdom; and when we fail to fall into Him, thinking ourselves “the swinger of the sword”, we may not be committing “high treason”, but we are, in my opinion, off center. It hurts me in my “belly”, even as, in prayer, I question if perhaps the old man doesn’t need some new bifocals……

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