World Renewal International
Thursday, April 5, 2007
It Only Takes A Moment
Today, Pastor Jack Holliday(pictured with wife Rowena at the radio studio) and I got together to have breakfast and prayer. I had coffee and he had bacon and eggs and toast, I think. One of the unfortunate aspects of a experiencing a long fast is how it makes those who are eating in front of you a little uncomfortable. That in turn then makes you uncomfortable. I have tried not telling people I am fasting and that seems to require even more explanation. When you need to tell people you are not eating because you are on a fast, it seems many people feel guilty or apologize for eating in front of you. I do not want people to feel that way. When you are on a long fast, one can look at Pastor Jack's bacon and eggs and not desire them at all. Why? You are not hungry and it has become second nature to you that you do not wish to eat. Pastor Jack and I always try to get together on Wednesday or Thursday to pray. We do our two hour radio show on Thursday nights so this is a natural time for us to talk and pray. Breakfast comes first. Today was special. Today, I mailed our newsletter to many of you. We mailed about 1400. Jack and I took them to the altar of his church, Anderson Friends. He anointed the boxes of newsletters with oil and then we prayed over them. Pastor Jack really gets into these times of prayer. It is part of his giftedness. We prayed. I wept as I thought about these last 42 days of fasting and tried to express my heart to my prayer partner of many years, Pastor Jack.
It is good to have a spouse you can really pray with. I have been married to Carol for 36 years come August 22. We have prayed about so many things together. I am so blessed. She is my best encouragement and my best accountability partner. I have loved her since we were 15. I can take you to the places geographically where I was walking home from school and knew I loved her. But everyone needs a prayer partner beyond their spouse. When I was a teenager and Jack was a new Christian, we used to get together at youth conferences and pray. When I went to preach at a crusade in the town he lived in, he would meet me behind the auditorium and we would pray before the services. When I was his pastor, we prayed together. Now, here we are, two old dudes, still praying together. It is good.
We prayed that as people opened the newsletter, they would feel the presence of Jesus. My dad used to say, "Just a moment in the presence of Jesus will change a life for eternity." I am convinced more than ever this is true. As a preacher I work so hard to say the right words that will communicate the message I believe Jesus has laid on my heart. But words will not change a life. I have seen hard hearted men and women totally melt in seconds at the presence of Jesus. I have seen proud arrogant people run and throw their bodies across an altar of repentance in the presence of Jesus. Therefore, I hope I do not minister with just words or actions. I hope I minister Jesus. The very presence of Jesus is what I want to minister.
One of my favorite passages in the scripture is Acts 4:13. Peter and John had been seized and put in jail by the temple guards and the religious crowd after healing someone. Religious people always seem to get nervous when someone gets healed. So it was with Peter and John and the "Who's Who Crowd of Jerusalem." Then they began to question Peter and John. The writer states that Peter was "filled with the Spirit." Peter spoke. "When the crowd saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that they had been with Jesus." Something about the demeanor of Peter and John made the "Who's Who Crowd," think of Jesus. What was it? Was it just that they had spent time with Jesus? No, I think we had the answer earlier. The present tense of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, was now wearing the skin of Peter and John, with their willing permission and participation of course. In other words, the crowd was experiencing the presence of Jesus. Peter and John were ministering more than words and actions. They were ministering Jesus. It only takes a moment for a life to be changed for eternity. May we minister Jesus.
Thanks for stopping by.
:: posted by Gary Wright, 8:01 PM
1 Comments:
It is so wonderful to have a prayer partner for such a long time. You and Jack minister so well together. You are always such an encouragement.
You made the statement that religious people always gets nervous when someone is healed. I believe you can take that even farther and say they get nervous when they just see Jesus use a person in any way, healing, deliverance, salvation, etc. Just as you said, just minister Jesus. The religious people were always nervous when Jesus was around because they knew something was about to happen in His presense!
Praise God for that moment in the presense of Jesus!! It definately will change you forever.
You made the statement that religious people always gets nervous when someone is healed. I believe you can take that even farther and say they get nervous when they just see Jesus use a person in any way, healing, deliverance, salvation, etc. Just as you said, just minister Jesus. The religious people were always nervous when Jesus was around because they knew something was about to happen in His presense!
Praise God for that moment in the presense of Jesus!! It definately will change you forever.
