Pastor's Notes
the Reverend Gary R. Dart
May, 2008  

TEXT: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.” John 14:15

 

   Each period of human history has its frightening and challenging issues. Today we are confronted with economic realities that can hurt all of us and future generations badly. The very high cost for energy, the willingness of many of our business leaders to choose greed over our national wellbeing, the fact the war is being fought by one part of our population while the rest of us sit by not sacrificing a thing, our food costs are skyrocketing at the rate of 55% in one year in the world markets, famine and epidemic disease are decimating our brothers and sisters around the world, there is a willingness of many people to wage terrorist war against us, the loss of American industrial capacity and high paying jobs to other countries, and global warming is causing environmental catastrophes around the world, are all weighing heavily on our minds.

   I know some of you are saying, “There he goes using his frightening list again.” Christian Faith is grounded in reality, it is not Fantasyland! Many people I know are willing to give up now and are not even contemplating solving these problem which seem so large and beyond solution. As people of faith we must grapple with these problems personally, politically, with our resources, our intelligence, and most importantly with our faith discipline. A critic of the Christian religion who spoke on our college campus said that, “Christians are a bunch of thumb suckers who do not want to deal with reality and carry around their baby blanket faith to avoid dealing with the problems of the world.” The man who said these things had no integrity, and if anyone was sucking their thumb it was him. But the words stung.

   As a Child of God in Christ’s flock you are a very powerful person. You are not trapped in current reality which is sliding out of control heading toward a cliff. You can stop the roller coaster car, you can get off, and better yet you can tear down the roller coaster itself! You are not trapped, enslaved, anesthetized, destined to futility with everyone else. You are a daughter, or a son of God, you are Jesus Christ’s own!

   You have an Advocate who is the one that acts as your defense attorney and your judge. You have the Spirit of Truth that makes you free and cuts the chains of slavery. You have a Counselor who listens to you so well that every thing in your life is known intimately. This Counselor guides you and corrects you. You have a Comforter who gets you through anything a human can go through victoriously. John tells us about Jesus promise to us that we will never be alone and never be left as orphans for we have the power of His Spirit!

   Your faith is not an Easy Boy Recliner. It’s time to get vertical and start to solve the problems of this world with the help of the Advocate, the Spirit. It is time to will, to work, and to pray for the world’s salvation in Jesus Christ. No matter how old, poor, young, tired, or sick you are, get busy! Let it not be said that these generations of believers sat idly by while the world was destroyed by evil and greed. The Advocate is by your side. Move!

Love Gary

 

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