Darrel Bird, Oregon
Rocky
Mountain High
There are many ways in
which folks seek a “feeling” nowadays. They seek it in various sorts of ways,
seeking something new or maybe even something old. Some seek it in designer
drugs.
Speaking of designer
drugs, there are more and more adds on T.V. that touts
some sort of relief from this or that, designed just for that purpose, at the
end of the commercials they list the possible side effects and with that you
begin to wonder what kind of cure you could possibly get. The side effects make
the disease sound like a cakewalk.
During Paul’s day there
were people who met in the “town square” of that day to hear or tell of
something new and unusual and I suppose they got a temporary excitement if
someone had something new and unusual and it would catapult them from their
normal everyday routine.
Being of the Pentecostal
persuasion I have observed much over a period going on 36 years, (not that
being Pentecostal makes you a better observer) received the Baptism of the Holy
Ghost about 2 or 3 months after God reached down for this old alcoholic in a
miraculous way.
I have observed folk
going from church to church seeking a “Touch from God”. In church one time
about 34 years ago a lady stood up and said she “just had to” come over to our
church (125 miles) to receive a touch from God, and I thought “What, God ain’t
on the coast?” I could have given her
Now I don’t want to seem
like I am knocking “Gods work” for that is not my intention at all.
What I am trying to get
at is “what about today?” when life comes at you everyday right where you live.
Life just throws things at us every single hour of the day and night, we get a
phone call, someone just died, someone has cancer, bad car wreck, overdose,
suicide, gun shot, your health is down and you can’t even get to the church
down the street much less across the country. My wife watches a program called
“The days of our lives” I call it “The barf of our lives” just to get her
going. Now I know that I’m not going to win a popularity contest with the
ladies making statements like that!
But these are truly the
days of our lives here on this earth, no, I’m not getting up a load to leave,
if you want to leave early I’ll water your dog so don’t worry about
How do we overcome in a
life that goes from one day into the next handing out trouble to us like
truffles on a platter?
The Bible says in Revelation
Doesn’t mention much
about “feelings” does it?
A lady said recently that
she was “Tired of church as usual”, well friend I want something that I can
depend on and I like church “as usual” better than church with a funeral. If
you are tired of “church as usual” try praise and thanks giving that it ain’t a
funeral with a casket four foot long. I
have learned and am still learning to depend on his word and his promises.
Thank God I don’t have to chase all over the country for God’s
Spirit, it says right In Luke 11:13 "If you then, being
evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will
your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
Besides, I can’t afford
the gas to go ripping around, I just open my Bible and believe what he said,
it’s something I can depend on and he gives it if I ask.
You want revival? Believe
you me if you just read
We overcome by the blood
of the lamb and our testimony to it and we receive the Spirit by asking.
You want a high? Just get
in his Word. You want to get revived? Just get in his word and ask and the
heavenly father will give freely of his Spirit and it ain’t got nothing to do with
There are times when we
don’t “feel” the Lords presence, that is the time for our faith to kick in and
wait patiently on him and he will bless us in due time.
It seems people are drifting
away from the churches, we are lucky to have 10 people attending on Sunday
night and these are the same old faithful ones that get up and go in spite of
how they feel, I can imagine the heartache of my Pastor and with tears in my
eyes I write the words to this old song, “He was there all the time, Jesus was
there all the time’
Oh precious Holy Spirit,
touch your people, renew their strength right where they are.
