Running On Empty                                    07-08-16

Acts 1:8 (ESV) ⁸  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

HELP!! PLEASE ....SOMEONE COME QUICK!!! I'M IN TROUBLE!!!!

My up until now serene Friday afternoon world has been breached.The enemy,disguised as two small females of the human species, answering to the names Chloe and Maddie Grace are at the gates and I need HELP!  So, if my written words from time to time seem to tail off into incoherence, you will I hope,understand.

 My thoughts are very jumbled today. Much credit can be given to the two aforementioned aliens running around the house. That being said, as I walked into work last night I had a strange feeling concerning that word power. Give me a little space here please. I walked in last night unaware of what had just happened in Dallas, Texas. I heard just the word "Dallas" as I walked in and my ears perked up because I have a son that lives in Texas. So, I took a seat and was promptly brought up to speed by the newscast. But, the horror of what was happening in Texas wasn't what hit me. It was the reaction of my co workers and to be honest my own reaction.

I looked at my sports talk junkie from work and his reaction to he news hit me. His reaction was no reaction. Without even looking up from the paperwork he was engaged in,he nonchalantly asked "How many are dead?" One of my other buddies from work, just as nonchalantly replied, "I don't know, four or five I think," and he went on about his business. A few seconds later, the conversation had shifted to the baseball scores of the day, the insanity in Dallas already forgotten.I would not have given it a second thought except for the fact that my reaction to the events of the day were just as nonchalant.It was if "oh well, just another shooting, what else is new."?  

It was at this point that the word "POWER" crossed my mind.It was like all of us were running on empty. We had become so numb and desensitized by the violence of the week, we could not register any type of emotional response to the fact of two killed by police this week,followed by 11 police shot and five dead last evening. There was no juice in the tank.

Today as I mused about what to write, the Holy Ghost spoke the verse to my heart. Look again.

Acts 1:8 (ESV) ⁸  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 

You see folks, the world's systems and the people in it are being tied to the whipping post and slowly bled of any hope. They face daily the crushing circumstances imposed by oppressors both material and spiritual.They are running on empty.They have nothing left in the tank with which to respond. And once they run dry, they are allowing themselves to be filled with malice, vengeance and hate. 

The danger in all of this is just this: We, as Christians can fall prey to that same snare if we are not careful. What did Jesus tell the disciples to do? Wait for the promise. 

Acts 1:4-5 (ESV) ⁴  And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me;
⁵  for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 

And herein lieth the lesson. Look at what the disciples did.They returned to Jerusalem and..

Acts 1:14 (ESV) ¹⁴  All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.



They got together and got alone with God. They waited before the Lord until they were filled with the Holy Ghost. Even the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son Of God, had to get alone with the Father.

Mark 1:35 (ESV) ³⁵  And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

Mark 6:46 (ESV) ⁴⁶  And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.

Luke 6:12 (ESV) ¹²  In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God.

Jesus the Lord got alone with His Father, He commanded the disciples to get alone with the Father, so I think that we will be ahead of the game if we take the advice and example of the Lord. What say you?

Brothers and sisters, the war is real. Listen, I understand and agree with those that say dwelling on the negative will eventually cause us to become callous and fill us with fear.I read this week that what we feed grows and what we starve dies. That's right on.

But like it or not, the war is real.Jesus said these things happening on the earth today were just the BEGINNING of sorrows. This world will empty your tank. It will drain you dry and fill you with fear and misery. In order to survive and even thrive, we must get alone with God. He has to become real in our lives. We must allow The Holy Spirit to fill and empower us.

 Psalm 51:11 (ESV) ¹¹  Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.



God Bless