140 GOOD MORNING, HOLY SPIRIT
Many actually avoid speaking His name lest people confuse
them with one of those off-the-wall charismatics.
God intended that the church be alive and vibrant. Just
before He returned to heaven, Jesus uttered the
unforgettable words, "These signs will follow those who
believe.. ." (Mark 16:17). Perhaps the most puzzling
question I have as a minister is this. If the Holy Spirit was
sent to give Christians power to live a victorious life, why
are so many despondent and defeated?
When I was an evangelist, I went to a church,
conducted a rally, prayed for the needs of the people, and
returned to my home. I really did not know what was taking
place in the daily lives of the people. But now that I am a
pastor, my perspective has totally changed. And I am
disturbed by what I see.
I now realize that infinitely more people have major
problems than I ever dreamed possible. That so many
believers are disheartened, dejected, on the verge of
spiritual bankruptcy is almost unthinkable. Repeatedly I see
tiny problems creep into people's lives and then suddenly
emerge as Goliaths, or Mount Everests.
"Father God," I ask, "where is the victory? Where is the
joy?"
Just last week our congregation experienced a mighty
outpouring of the Spirit on Sunday night. As I ministered to
the people, I sensed an unusual anointing. On the way home
I was shouting, "Hallelujah!" I said to my wife, Suzanne,
"What a great service! Isn't it wonderful what God is doing
here?" But just as I walked in the door of our home, the
phone rang. And for the next thirty minutes I heard the
heartbreaking story of a man who had been in that very
service. He cried and cried as he told me, "I just don't know
where to turn."