Spring Cleaning
Winter is past in our part of the world. It has moved south for the season. As days get longer with more sunshine, the ground warms, flowers blossom, sap rises, trees bud, and grass turns myriad shades of green.
Folks seem to stop a lot of the sniffles as they get more outside air, walk more, exercise more, and spirits lift. Idle minds that have been trapped by the bitter winter cold begin to think of doing things like lawn work, planting flowers, and thoroughly cleaning of the house. Ceiling to floor, closets, drawers, under beds, cabinets, and even the storage areas get a face-lift.
Day almost done, Laila looks at me while I pause to eat, and she says, "I have been thinking. If just a couple of things could be done each day it would help a lot." She is wise. She has learned. Men just tend to panic when a woman gets that tone of voice that suggests a list is about to follow.
Ladies, skip to the next paragraph. The rest of this paragraph is for men. When a man wants to do something it is never too hard, never costs too much, and never takes much time. When a woman wants a man to do something, and the man does not want to do the chore, the man immediately panics. In his mind it will take hours if not days to do the impossible task idealized by the woman.
"For example," Laila said, "If you and Josh could just move this table downstairs, and bring up the other table, and if you could retrieve a small cabinet from storage, that's all I'll ask for today."
It took about ten minutes to move the tables. I forgot the cabinet even though I laid several items on it to remind me to return. I think I am fairly normal as a man in the "honey-do" list category.
Spring cleaning is an excellent idea. I remember working in retail as a young man. Every three months we had to audit and clean. It was a major event. The manager insisted that unless we did such cleaning and auditing we would not know whether the store was making any profit.
My intent is not to give you a "honey-do" list from the pastor to parishioners. However, I do have a suggestion: would you think about "Spring cleaning" your life? Here is what I mean.
While enjoying the sunshine and spring flowers, take a little time to evaluate the "house" you are building in your walk with Jesus. Ask whether there are any items that need to be cleaned, moved out, moved around, thrown away, given away, stored, or made available for others to use. What could be done that would improve your happiness, lighten your load, and insure better physical and spiritual health? What changes would brighten your days, give you a more cheerful spirit, and make you a better witness of the joy intended by Jesus for you?
Let me assure you, that my priorities are receiving a total over-haul. Never have I been more determined to listen to what the Spirit is saying to the Church (Luke 8 "Take heed how ye hear"). I have never been more convinced that prophecy is being fulfilled as the world system of government, and thinking, moves in the direction of leadership by the Antichrist. Never have I seen more evidence of the prophetic hatred of the world for Israel. It all fits like a hand in a custom-made glove with the Bible's prophecy that one day the Antichrist will try to destroy Israel and every Jew. I read in the Bible that Christ will come for His Church before the Antichrist can assume his throne.
When cleaning your spiritual house, it is terribly important to move in furniture that glorifies the Lord and serves His Church. Getting devils out of the house is not enough. We must move in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and receive the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to live victoriously.
Cleaned and furnished for the glory of the Lord, we will be driven to share the exciting news of salvation and hope through Jesus Christ. Evangelism will be as natural as breathing. Telling others of the blessedness of being a follower of Christ will be instinct - not just an action prompted by a sermon or resulting from guilt.
My hope is that you will take time to think, ponder, pray, and examine your "house." Imagine the power of a church full of folks freshly anointed, putting Jesus first, and having a heart to do Kingdom work. A congregation with such power will be alive, not dead, and the larger community will hear the vibrant testimony.
Let us encourage each other in this venture. It will not cost too much. It will not take too long. Your "house" will experience positive results. Your Master, Jesus, will help you. He will reward you. What a blessing it will be, to our church body, for us to work together in the same spirit. Surely our High Priest, Jesus, will be pleased with us!
I pledge with full devotion to join you in this wonderful adventure.
Pastor Bare
John 17:17-19