FROM THE PASTOR
Our central air went out July 4th. It started out running okay and kept the house at the 73 degrees we normally set it to. But something happened. I was in the basement working on the last draft of this Sunday’s message, came up stairs and something felt was just not right. It was odd because, on its best day, the basement is usually 6 to 10 degrees cooler than the first floor. I looked at the thermostat and the air temperature said 73… everything indicated normal. Yet I felt something was amiss.
I remember thinking to myself, “I need to keep an eye on that” and went back to my work. A little while later I went back upstairs… this time the air temperature said 75 degrees. Sun was coming in through the 2nd floor foyer window, so I wrote it off as an anomaly. Went back downstairs to work. Again, I thought to myself, “I need to keep an eye on that”. Still, I had the same feeling... something was out of whack.
A little while later came back upstairs, looked at the thermostat, and this time the air temperature was 81 degrees. Felt the air coming from the register and it was tepid. Thought to myself, “Ugh, I should have listened and responded to the warning signs when I first sensed them and done something sooner”. To make a long story shorter so I can get to my point… we turned it off and it will remain off maybe until Wednesday when the air conditioner repair person can make it out to the house (they thought maybe Monday… I pray so).
As believers, God provides warning signs in our lives that let us know when something in our walk is out of whack. It’s that uneasiness in the pit of our stomach. It’s the small voice that won’t stop telling us something is just not right. That’s the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told the Disciples…
John 16:7-8 (NASB)
7 "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
8 "And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;
John 16:13 (NASB)
13 "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
Too often there's a tendency to ignore that voice until it’s too late and the damage is done. The Holy Spirit is given for our good and protection. He is God Himself working in our lives. He is quite frequently the answer to our prayers.
Thank you for your faithfulness. Pastor Larry
