The United Methodist Church of Swartz Creek

We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

“Fix our eyes on the unseen.” That’s like telling someone to listen to the silence or taste the air. It sounds like a joke and it begs an obvious question: How? What eyes do we use to observe the unseen? How do we gaze at what isn’t even visible? If anyone expected a experience of God’s presence simple, verses like this prove that it isn’t. We have to tap into another realm. We can fix our eyes on the unseen. We don’t use the eyes of the flesh, obviously; they’re only good at perceiving visible light reflecting off of concrete objects. We do have eyes of the heart, the very ones that Paul prayed would be enlightened to perceive God’s wisdom and revelation. Those eyes can gaze into eternal realm of the spirits, where God and His angels are more real than the world our five senses perceive.  When we view life through eyes of the heart, we are able to recognize God and understand the limits of temporary experiences. We are not overcome by temptation, we endure hardship, we value souls over material things, we seek purpose over passing pleasures, and we draw close to God Himself. We can do all of that because we’re focused on a higher reality than most people see.

Michael Clark

 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.  Proverbs 11:3

Bobby Jones was one of the greatest golfers to ever compete, uniquely known for winning the “Grand Slam” of golf winning all four major tournaments in the U.S. and Britain in a single year. In 1925, early in his career, having reached the final playoff in the U.S. Open, at a certain point in the match, Jones was setting up to strike his ball, which was in the rough just off the fairway. His iron accidentally touched the ball. He immediately became angry with himself, turned to the marshals, and called a penalty on himself. The marshals had not seen the ball move, so they left the decision to Jones, whether to invoke the penalty a two-stroke penalty. Bobby called the penalty on himself, not knowing that he would lose the tournament by a single stroke. When praised for his honesty, he replied, “You may as well praise a man for not robbing a bank!” Jones may have lost the tournament, but his character was legendary and today the United States Golf Association’s award for sportsmanship is known as the “Bobby Jones Award.” It’s been said, “Character is what you do when nobody is watching. Character is how you treat people who can do absolutely nothing for you. Character is how you react when the pressure is on. Character is deciding beforehand that you are going to do the right thing.” Every day we’re faced with decisions many of which are made when no one is watching, at least no one we can see. But let’s purpose in our hearts to do the right thing because character truly counts. We may not see the dividends immediately, but be assured that God is keeping track of our decisions, and He will make good on every one!

Michael Clark

Saturday / Sunday, May 18-19, 2013

 

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

 — Acts 2:1-4 NKJV

 

Three things are important in this depiction of the Day of Pentecost. First, they were all together in one accord. This is not a Honda – it means that they were in agreement. God cannot bless us when we have divided hearts. Christian unity, harmony, unanimity, concord, are essential if we expect God to bless us.

 

*O Spirit of the living God, thou light and fire divine,

descend upon thy church once more, and make it truly thine.

Fill it with love and joy and power, with righteousness and peace;

till Christ shall dwell in human hearts, and sin and sorrow cease.

 

Second, they were ALL filled with the Holy Spirit. This was not some individualized blessing. God was in the midst of a mighty work, and it was a result of the disciples (120, not just 12) being in unity and agreement.

 

*Blow, wind of God! With wisdom blow until our minds are free

from mists of error, clouds of doubt, which blind our eyes to thee.

Burn, winged fire! Inspire our lips with flaming love and zeal,

to preach to all thy great good news, God’s glorious commonweal.

 

Third, the gifts in evidence were “as the Spirit gave them utterance.” The gift of tongues is exactly that – a gift. It cannot be taught, as some bodies of believers profess. The true gift of tongues is a Godly utterance for a Godly purpose. Do not confuse this gift with what is commonly called a prayer language. They are not the same. This gift was for the purpose of declaring the Gospel message to multiple ethnic groups who spoke several different languages. And they all heard the good news in their own language. What a blessing this was!

 

*So shall we know the power of Christ who came this world to save;

so shall we rise with him to life which soars beyond the grave;

and earth shall win true holiness, which makes thy children whole;

till, perfected by thee, we reach creation’s glorious goal!

 

— Rev. David C. Collins, Retired

*O Spirit of the Living God, Henry H. Tweedy, 1868-1953

Friday, May 17, 2013

 

… this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.

 — Acts 2:16-18 NKJV

 

Peter misquoted Joel. He inserted “in the last days” where Joel had said, “afterward.” This “afterward” means that something had been going on before. What was it? Joel had issued a call for fasting, prayer, sanctification, and repentance. He had called for a general assembly of the elders of the land to repent of the sins of the people and especially of neglecting their duty of the worship and adoration of our God.

 

*Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew,

that I may love what thou dost love, and do what thou wouldst do.

 

Before we can expect to receive a blessing from God – spiritual or otherwise – we must first give God His due place in our lives. We must “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Mt 6:33), before these things can be added, or given, to us.

 

*Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure,

until with thee I will one will, to do and to endure.

 

“And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the remnant whom the Lord calls” (Joel 2:32). Deliverance comes from God after He has saved His people from out of the pestilence that had come because of their sin. Our hope comes from faith in the substitutionary death and subsequent resurrection of God incarnate, Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ (in Hebrew Christ means Messiah).

 

*Breathe on me, Breath of God, till I am wholly thine,

till all this earthly part of me glows with thy fire divine.

 

When, by faith, we become one with Christ (by His grace) we become partakers of His death, accepting His sacrifice in place of our own. As Paul terms it, we no longer live but Christ lives in us, that is to say that we have died to our own wants and desires and we now allow Christ to live in our bodies for His purpose and for His glory. This is the essence of Christianity.

 

*Breathe on me, Breath of God, so shall I never die,

but live with thee the perfect life of thine eternity.

Rev. David C. Collins, Retired

*Breathe on Me, Breath of God, Edwin Hatch, 1835-1889

 

Thursday, May 16, 2013

 

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

— John 14:15-17 NKJV

 The Greek here implies that the Holy Spirit will be one Who walks with us. The word translated “helper,” paraclete, literally means “the along-side-One”. Jesus tells us that the Spirit of truth will dwell with us eternally.

 

*Spirit of faith, come down, reveal the things of God,

and make to us the Godhead known, and witness with the blood.

‘Tis thine the blood to apply and give us eyes to see,

who did for every sinner die hath surely died for me.

 

This gift of God is not available to those who do not accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Faith is the only prerequisite to receive the Presence of God’s Spirit. You must believe to receive. Jesus promised the disciples that His Spirit would not only be with them but IN them.

 

*No one can truly say that Jesus is the Lord,

unless thou take the veil away and breathe the living Word.

Then, only then, we feel our interest in his blood,

and cry with joy unspeakable, “Thou art my Lord, my God!”

 

Jesus told Nicodemus that “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (Jn. 3:5b-6). Paul asked the Ephesians, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19:2). When they responded that they did not know that such a person existed, Paul baptized them in the Holy Spirit, and they prophesied.

 

*Inspire the living faith (which whosoe’er receive,

the witness in themselves they have and consciously believe),

the faith that conquers all, and doth the mountain move,

and saves whoe’er on Jesus call, and perfects them in love.

 

The time has come, dear friends, to ask the question. “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” For far too long we have denied the power of God through unbelief in His Spirit – promised by Jesus, evidenced by believers throughout the centuries, yet shunned by our educated teachers and preachers in this part of the world. We are only shortchanging ourselves. Who are we to tell God when He can or can’t bestow His Spirit on us?

 

*O that the world might know the all-atoning Lamb!

Spirit of faith, descend and show the virtue of his name;

the grace which all may find, the saving power, impart,

and testify to humankind, and speak in every heart.

 

Rev. David C. Collins, Retired

*Spirit of Faith, Come Down, Charles Wesley, 1707-1788

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

 

“Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love,”

— Joel 2:12-14 NIV

 

Joel has sounded an alarm. For what reason? Because the people have forgotten their God. When troubles overwhelmed them they tore their clothes in anguish and cried out to God in anger. …in anger! Why anger? Because they thought that God had forgotten them!

 

*A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;

our helper he amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;

his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.

 

Several years ago I came across a statement that strikes to the heart of the matter. “So you feel a separation from God. The question is: Who moved?” Our faith creeds all maintain the never changing certainty of God “Who is, and who was, and who is to come.” Or as God told it to Moses, “I AM.” When the Israelites felt abandoned by God is was of their own making. They had forgotten God in worship, and, more importantly, they had forsaken God is their daily lives.

 

*And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,

we will not fear, for God hath willed his truth to triumph through us.

The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;

his rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him.

 

When we accept God’s gift of His own Spirit we are enabled to “put on the whole armor of God” (Eph. 6:11) by which are given the power to withstand the destructive devices of the principalities and powers of this world. We are enabled to crush the serpent’s intents because, through prayer and meditation of God’s Word, we then know the intentions of our God.

 

*That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;

the Spirit and the gifts are ours, thru him who with us sideth.

Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill;

God’s truth abideth still; his kingdom is forever.

 

Therefore, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:2), and you will return to God will all your heart and mind and soul. You will know praise and adoration like you have not experienced before. And you will be blessed. And you will become a blessing.

 

Rev. David C. Collins, Retired

* A Mighty Fortress, Martin Luther, 1483-1546