The Fullness of Time

I am not the least bit embarrassed to borrow a title from another blogger, especially when two things are true. 1) I have known this particular young lady (Deborah Downs Basehore, http://debbase.blogspot.com/2009/08/fullness-of-time.html) since before she was born and 2) It is a scriptural phrase. I cannot say we are good friends, but her parents pastored the church where I was on staff during the time Deborah was in the womb. I have seen her maybe half a dozen times throughout her life although I have been able to see her older siblings on something of a regular basis.


This time I was sitting in my home office, minding my own business, when I pulled up the email introducing me to Deborah's blog. So you know, I preached a sermon by the same title at the Christmas service in the Little Rock, CA Foursquare Church in 1974, as a college senior. I suppose I have taught on the surrounding scriptures at least a handful of times throughout the intervening years. I am not unfamiliar with the phrase by any means.


As so often happens with familiar, scriptural, passages, they sit in our subconscious minds, unused, until the Holy Spirit recalls them when they are needed. When I read the post in Deborah's blog the thought rose from my spirit that our time is not quite full. That is why it seems as though there has been little or no progress in our battle. The army is still being assembled. (I suspect Deborah will be joining us in prayer when she reads this post.) That does make me wonder, however, what it will take for someone with a more prominent voice than this one has been so far, to glimpse the battle and lend that voice.

One of my favorite books all time is Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who. To explain why that is so, probably all I need to do is tell you my favorite movie is Field of Dreams, and I have a print of Picasso's Don Quixote on the wall behind my desk at work. (I have to think a psychologist would have a great time analyzing me.) For those of you who still have not quite caught the picture, each of those stories are about people who faced impossible odds and persevered until they won. Horton only needed the voice of one more "Who" to save Who-ville from destruction. Who knows whose voice that might be in this case. Maybe it is even one of you who are reading this.


I am not a young man anymore, but I do still see visions (Acts 2:17) although I will also admit to dreaming dreams from time to time. I have seen things no one else I know has seen. They were mostly, personal things, but not entirely private things. I have been able to use some of those things to help other people along their way. Make no mistake, these are things born of the Spirit. The proof is in the pudding as the old saying goes. If you hang around long enough, you will get your serving of pudding.


Jesus promised us that He would send the Comforter, The Holy Spirit, to lead us into all truth. (John 16:13) In fact He said it is better for us if He went away so The Holy Spirit could come. (John 16:7) Only one member of the Trinity carries the primary work of God on earth at any one time. God the Father worked until Jesus came. Jesus worked for a comparatively brief period of time before turning the work over to The Holy Spirit who will be working in and through us until Jesus returns. Misunderstanding of this relatively simple point of theology has stifled untold ministry amongst those who believe The Holy Spirit has ceased His work on earth. Those who believe that are never quite so direct with their teaching. They cloak their teaching in a thin veil that says the gifts of The Holy Spirit are no longer needed in The Church. They may not be needed in their church, but they are needed in The Church. God help us if we start thinking we can do the work of the ministry without the manifest presence of The Holy Spirit.


I am not really sure how we got here from there, but the main thesis is still valid. We are not late. We are right on time. Right now it is time to meditate and pray and write. Very soon it will be time for action. That time will be The Fullness of Time.