Anaheim SDA Church

Mid-week Pastor’s Update

November 30th, 2022

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

A couple weeks ago, with the Santa Ana winds we had, we lost power at our house for about half-an hour. We took it in stride, basically switching from tablets & home devices to cell-phones to have continued interconnectivity with the outside world. When the power came back on a while later, we were happy, but basically shrugged our shoulders and continued on.

I got to thinking, though: what if our power outage had gone something more like 12-24 hours, and our phones had lost power? Then the panic would begin to set in, with us only being able to interact with people in our immediate vicinity?! What torture! (I suppose we could’ve charged our devices using our cars: not a particularly “green” way to keep connected, but it would’ve gotten us through in a pinch).

And then I got to thinking: I wonder if we’re more ‘addicted’ (dependent) to internet connectivity, or to general electricity as a whole. While the two are of course connected, would we rather go without internet for a couple of hours, or without electricity for those couple of hours, but still have our cell phones with internet on them? In the short-term, I’d bet we say internet is more important. But if we got to longer-term, such as multiple days or up to a week, general electricity would probably become the bigger need (think: heating, doing laundry, keeping food refrigerated, etc.).

I got to thinking how affected our lives would be if we had to go without either electricity or internet for a week. What a trial that would be! ;-p Our work, our awareness of the world around us, our personal comfort would be greatly impacted.

But then, man, I was humbled, because I got to thinking of the wireless interconnectivity we have with heaven: through prayer, through the Holy Spirit, through the comfort and fellowship we experience in the community of faith. I asked myself how my life would be affected if those were to be disconnected for a couple of hours, a few days, or up to a week. Would our inconvenience, and our rising sense of panic, compare at all to the afore-imagined loss of electricity and/or internet?

Yet, on a fundamental, life-as-a-whole level, which do we have to admit is more encompassing, for fundamental to life & wellness? You know: Jesus could’ve come down and shared with us electricity, or the internet, yet He neglected both of those in favor of the Holy Spirit. Here are some of the things he said about the cruciality of it:

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. …He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:16-18

“the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26

“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.” John 15:26

“It is to your advantage that I go away…If I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” John 16:7-9

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth… and he will tell you what is yet to come.” John 16:13

…and, of course, the highlight verse quoted above:

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Of course: there’s much more that can be said (and experienced, and utilized) regarding the Holy Spirit! We are only scratching the surface here: this topic cannot be plumbed in a brief devotional thought: it is indeed the task of study & a lifetime’s cooperatory participation with for the Christian!

But these above verses supplied make it abundantly clear that it is in Holy Spirit efficacy and empowerment that we function! And, Praise the Lord, we needn’t worry about “loss of connection” with heaven or the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ promise is firm, that, through the Spirit “Surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age” Matthew 28:20. May it be in this truth & with this affirmation that we operate.

May God bless you and your families the remainder of this week and beyond.

Sincerely,

Pr. Mark Tatum