Too Busy To......

Tony Hauck

Church on the Rock - Melbourne

Life just keeps getting busier.  It seems every few months Rachel and I have to re-evaluate and prioritize how we’re spending our time.  And all the technology that is supposed to increase efficiency just adds things we can do, making our lives even busier.  I wonder how frenetic the pace of our lives would appear to someone of an earlier generation.  I fear we’ve acclimated gradually without realizing what we’re sacrificing.  And I suspect this isn’t just natural progression, but part of a sinister plot.

Afraid I’ve become a weird conspiracy theorist?  Well don’t get me wrong.  I love technology as much as the next guy, and see its value toward advancing God’s kingdom.  The question is, are we using these tools, or being controlled by them?

The book of Daniel finishes with a description of the End Times, and one line has always stood out to me.  “Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”  (Dan 12:4)  This statement is a little cryptic, so I won’t be dogmatic, but I think part of the enemies plan is just to keep us too busy to focus on the truly important things in our lives.

If I’m right, the End Time Church must resist being swept away with the pace of the world, because when we’re too busy, the first thing we sacrifice is usually our intimacy with God.

So have you evaluated how you’re spending your time lately?

As We Went To Pray

Tim Franklin

Freedom Christian Center

Acts 16:16 Now it happened as we went to prayer…. Isn’t it fascinating the number of things that happen in scripture on the way to prayer. Now it happened! Say those three words to yourself out loud. Now it happened! Those are three exciting words! They imply movement, are filled with action, and resonate with a “kairos” moment—a moment in time where God’s timetable and plans intersect with man’s plans. Paul and Silas were on their way to the place of prayer—when “it” happened. Paul and Silas were not your typical, stay at home and pray, kind of guys. They understood the power of corporate prayer and gathering together with other Saints to call upon the name of the Lord.

In Luke 9:28 “Now it happened/came to pass…” This time, Jesus is taking Peter, James and John up on the mountain to pray, and suddenly—Jesus is transfigured! Elijah and Moses appear with Jesus and God audibly speaks the disciples. Not a bad day, for just being on your way to prayer.

Acts 3:1 and following, Peter and John are on their way to the temple to pray at the ninth hour. Who do they meet, but a lame beggar. They do not have any gold to help the man, but what they did have they gave to him, and the lame beggar began running and leaping and praising God. All this happened on the way to prayer.

The early church was so alive with the Presence of God that ‘things’ happened on the way to prayer. What we have in these accounts are men who were deeply connected to the power of prayer, particularly corporate prayer. The walk to prayer, did not inconvenienced them. They did not have more important things on their calendar--because prayer was important. They knew they could pray at home, alone, in quiet. But, they deeply understood what happens when men pray together, so they choose to go to prayer. Lev 26:8 Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight your enemies shall fall by the sword before you. NKJV Prayer increases exponentially in power when we pray together.

Maybe, when corporate prayer meetings are once again filled with people seeking God, then our corporate gatherings will be filled with the Presence of God. Maybe, when Saints look forward to praying together things will happen on the way to prayer.

A Bad Day for Jesus

Pastor Tony Hauck, COTRM

June 7, 2010

What would you think if I began by telling you that three people we prayed for this Sunday got miraculously healed? Would you consider that a good service? Well, no one got healed this Sunday that I know of, probably like most Sundays in most churches. And that leads to my point. I was reading in Mark and two verses stood out to me.

Mark 6:5-6 "Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching."

I thought, we’d be ecstatic if a few sick people got healed. Do you know what that means? It means a bad day for Jesus is still more than most of our expectations. Does Jesus marvel at our unbelief?

So then Jesus went about the villages teaching. I guess that’s all He could do, since He could do no mighty works. I wonder if that’s why the church is so full of teaching and so lacking in power. Maybe that’s all we have faith for.

Well I don’t want to settle for just good teachings. I’m determined to stir myself up, raise my expectations, press in, and connect with the Jesus I read about in the New Testament.

Who’s with me?