Power and machinery

The early Church had little machinery, but they had power.

Jesus said in Acts 1:8, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 

Methods are needed.

Administration is needed.

Vision is needed.

Mission is needed.

Purpose statements are needed.

But nothing can or should replace the fact that we need the power of the Holy Spirit (Some people read and study and know the church constitution more than they study the Bible).

One pastor writes, "A young woman, a member of my church, worked in a large umbrella factory (in Philadelphia), at that time considered the largest umbrella factory in the world.

She said to me one say, in a discouraged manner, "Pastor, I'll have to hunt another job."

"What's the matter?"  I asked her, "Have they discharged you?"

"No, they haven't discharged me."

"Well, hasn't your factory enough orders to keep going all the time?"

"No, not that at all.  They have more orders than they can fill; but they haven't enough electricity to keep all the machines going at once, and my machine has to lie idle part of the week, and I lose so much time and pay.  The trouble with the factory is, they have more machinery than power."

Great stuff.

My dear friends, let's not forget that we need the "gas of the Holy Spirit" to run the "car of the church".

A car without gas won't go anywhere.

Why not reinvest yourself in giving more of your energy to receiving God's power - and let God take care of the rest?

Just a thought for a Thursday.