I hope you don’t mind me thinking out loud. I find myself longing for the good old days. I was sharing with some one just a few days ago how things were when I was a boy back in the 50’s. No one’s mother worked outside the home unless she was a school teacher or a nurse. There were twenty eight in my class at Johnson Junior High and I do not remember a single family where the woman worked or where there had been a divorce. I certainly did not know of any parent addicted to drugs. Mothers stayed at home, daddies worked and kids were seen, not heard, and we ate last. I did not hear of homosexuality until I was in my late teens. I knew nothing whatsoever about drugs other than alcohol and tobacco. We didn’t get a TV until I was twelve but I don’t remember any shows that needed to be censored. You did not need Vid-angel in those days. I remember week long REVIVAL meetings with people weeping at the altar and conviction of sin being real and evident.

I do long for America to repent of her immorality to return to the days of old. I do long for the Holy Spirit to move on our churches like I saw Him move when I was young. But in all honestly, I do not long to go back. There were some things about the 50’s and 60’s that I do not miss. I was grown and gone before mother and daddy got A/C. We use to sleep outside under the stars during summer heat waves. I cannot lie, I love electricity and air conditioning. In the old days we had shade trees and the creek but I will take A/C any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Growing up, we never had pocket money. I mean we didn’t have a nickel. I went to School broke everyday. It changed a little in the 60’s but I can tell you for a fact, there was no eating out and we got cokes only on special occasions.  Now June has one refrigerator just for cokes and the kids and grandkids stop and get them anytime they choose. June doesn’t drink them and I can’t due to my stomach. There were some good things about the GOOD OLD DAYS and I have some wonderful memories of them, but I do not want to go back.

The one thing that does disturb me most is the working of the Holy Spirit. I do not see the Spirit moving today like He did then. I don’t think the problem is with the Holy Spirit. Packer asked four questions: [1] Do we acknowledge the authority and inspiration of the Bible. Do we really believe that it is GOD’S WORD? [2] Do we apply the scripture to our daily life? Are we being obedient to it’s precepts? [3] Do we understand that the Holy Spirit alone can illuminate the truth of scripture, convict of sin and authenticate our witness? Do we believe in slick presentations or the power of the Holy Spirit? [4] Can we doubt that the present barrenness of the church is God’s judgment upon us for the way we have disrespected the Holy Spirit. We honor the Spirit when we respect and obey God’s word. We honor the Spirit when we depend totally upon Him to convict us and others of sin and to authenicate our feeble witness.

Extra

PTL for the rain, thirty minutes of heavenly music. I will be headed to the dentist in a few minutes. The abscess is in a old tooth that has already had one root canal. We opted to take it out. I hope to be back in circulation by tomorrow.