Lack of power = HIS POWER



Pastor Jeff Long

"God used the lack of power to speak power into our hearts."  Jeff Long

Church this morning was so good, and I just have to write about it.  A few minutes before our first service was to begin we lost power.  With lots of rooms on campus that have no windows, I could hear lots of little squeals.  Why do people immediately gasp, squeal, or panic when they cannot see?  I may never know.  My first thought is "please don't cancel church because I need to hear God's word this morning."  Having been sick this weekend, I felt drained.  So here am I in the dark with thoughts of me, me, me, and how this affects me.  I'm such a stinker sometimes.  There is nothing good in me except God.  The Holy Spirit humbles me quickly, and I make my way to the sanctuary.  My second thought is "well, there are churches in Africa who will have church without power today so can we."  I'm proud to have a pastor who did not cancel church because of not having light, fancy projectors, or air conditioner.  As Pastor Jeff got on stage to get service started, I see all over his face that he intend to bring God glory regardless of the circumstances.  And service was amazing!  It was my favorite moment to ever be at Parkwood.  Our worship pastor Chad lead us in a couple of songs, and it's wonderful to just be simple and simply say "How Great Thou Art."  Then the choir sang one song to which the humbleness moved me to tears.  I wished I had words to describe it.  Jeff Long got up afterwards and did what he does every week, preached from the Bible.  It was a great message from Deuteronomy 6:4-9 on being a "Biblical Family." 

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Verse 5 sums up this morning to me.  "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."  I'm convinced churches to not have to have the best technology, beautiful interior, amazing bands, people dressed in fancy clothes, and big names to bring glory to God.  Churches just need to teach from God's word.  The Bible as well as His Grace is sufficient.  There is no need to give out ipads for professions of faith or to do Easter service in 3-D.  The Bible is all we need.  Why do churches feel like we have to do things "BIG" in order to teach the gospel?  In all the money that goes into making me, me, and me happy and comfortable, we could spend His money on things that would actually further the Kingdom of God...building churches, funding missionaries, feeding & clothing the poor, defending the orphans & widows, sending out Bibles in all languages, sending people to translate those Bibles, OH THE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY DO MATTER!  We do so many unnecessary things because we like them not because it is helping anyone grow in their faith.  It was so awesome to just praise His name and study His word.  The power being out was a huge blessing because all the distractions went out with it.  I could feel hearts all around me crying out "just give me Jesus!"