Recently I was in the Yorkdale Mall in Toronto, and they have a Tesla car dealership there.  You may have heard of Tesla.  It's the car company of investor/entrepreneur Elon Musk.  There's a good chance that one of your future cars could be an electric car.  Although Elon Musk is in the car business, I've heard it said that really, he's in the battery business.  Because that is the main thing that holds the electric car industry back.  How far can you drive on one battery charge.  They are certainly making huge advancements in battery capacity.  In fact, Mr. Musk recently announced a battery for your home called the Powerwall which some have said could launch a revolution in green energy.  One of the obstacles to the adoption of "green" energy in the home (solar & wind power) which this high capacity battery tries to solve is the fact that sometimes the sun doesn't shine and the wind doesn't blow when you need it.  Therefore, you need to store it in a battery.  Chrissy and I use electricity most in the evening, when the sun isn't shining its brightest (or at all) and the wind is very sporadic.  Perhaps one day we'll have a Powerwall in our home with as much power as we need on demand.

The day of Pentecost was a day of power.  The disciples must have been excited and a bit unsure about the future.  They had just witnessed the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus (Acts 1).  Jesus said to them just before he ascended, "But 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, NIV).  And as you continue to read in the book of Acts about the Holy Spirit's arrival, it was indeed a day of power.  The Holy Spirit came to live in His people.  The power of heaven wasn't just available to believers, it lived in them.

In the Bible, and in the church, we talk about the Holy Spirit coming and filling us (Ephesians 5:18).  That we are the Holy Spirit's temple (1 Corinthians 3:16).  He leads us (John 16:13) and produces spiritual fruit in us (Galatians 5:22).  But sometimes I think we lose the point of Pentecost.  We make it all about us.  Even in the verse above from Acts 1:8, it says that after the early church received the Holy Spirit, it would be immediately turned outward.  It was about being His witnesses.  I like the application of this verse that says the early church was empowered to testify about Christ to first Jerusalem (their city), then Judea (their region), then Samaria (cross culturally), then the whole world.  God wants to use you to be His witness, but not just by yourself.  He wants to give you the power to do it.

The power to live for Christ.  This brings us back to my reference to Tesla.  What happens when you run out of juice in an electric car?  Well...you stop.  You have to wait to be charged back up.  Especially if you're using "green" energy, if the sun isn't shining, or the wind isn't blowing, power isn't available.  If your spiritual life's battery gets low, we go looking for a power up somewhere.  A conference, Sunday worship, the prayer of a friend.  Those are good.  But I wonder if looking at our life like a battery is the wrong image.  We can have a direct connection to the power plant.  When you need power, you've got a direct line.  If your life's battery is low, seek the Holy Spirit's empowerment.  Is it any wonder that He came like a "violent wind...from heaven" (Acts. 2:3).  We don't control the Holy Spirit any more than we control the wind.  But what a privilege to have Him blow into our lives with power.  Are you feeling weak?  There's power when you need it.  Just ask.

How have you experienced the Holy Spirit's power at work in your life?
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Have you ever read the book of "Song of Solomon" (sometimes titled "Songs of Songs") in the Bible?  It's a pretty sexualized book.  In fact, I heard of a youth pastor who taped that part of the Bible shut so his teen guys wouldn't get distracted while he spoke.  Ha!  Doesn't it sound funny to tape a book of the BIBLE shut.  But sometimes we do that in the church figuratively, if not literally.  Jesus instructions to his disciples in Matthew 28:20 were, "...and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."  Are we faithfully doing that in the area of sexuality?

Issues around sexuality and marriage seem to be at the forefront in many ways today.  Let's be honest, they have always been, it just seems they're more out in the open.  If you're a parent or a child; I think that covers everyone;  how did you tell your kids, or learn from your parents, about sex?  Did you have "the talk"?  Nothing causes people to squirm and dodge quite like "the talk".  And we do this in the church too.  We've taped the Bible shut.  We don't talk about sex at all.  Perhaps on some level, this worked in the past.  After all, we say, "sex is a very private, personal matter".  True.  But, being silent is not ok today.  Young people (and older people) are searching for answers to their questions about sex and sexuality.  And if the church is silent, they start looking elsewhere.  Should we really be surprised when they find answers that don't line up with God's plan for sex.  God isn't silent about sex and neither should we.  Sex is God's plan.  He created it.  The topic is not off limits.   So, what does the Bible say?  What's God's plan?  I'm not endeavouring to give a lot of information or to lay out a biblical view of sexuality in this blog post.  It's just meant to get us thinking.  I thought this interview with Pastor Bruxy Cavey of "The Meeting House" in Toronto can help us.  Take a listen and let me know your response in the comments below.

Are you prone to this condition?  It seems that a lot of politicians are.  We've all been in meetings or classes where the presenter or teacher was suffering from this condition.  Half the time even our newscasts fill the time with hot air.  It's a difficult condition to deal with, as so many seem to be living with it.  Signs of being in a place where this condition is present include sleepiness, day-dreaming and dry mouth.  So, my difficult question is, are you full of hot air?

Of course, this isn't a medical condition.  But when we say someone is "full of hot air", aren't we basically saying, "what they said didn't really matter".  I've done that.  I'm sure you have to.  And when we're just shooting the breeze with friends or family, maybe its no big deal.  But, sometimes, don't we want our conversations to matter and not just be "full of hot air"?

In 2 Timothy 2:16 it says, "Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly."  Hmm...godless chatter.  How would you define godless chatter?  I think it is talking like God doesn't exist.  Filling the air with conversations that don't really matter.  Does that mean we need to talk as though we're giving a sermon all the time or something?  Well, no.  I think it just means we should avoid conversations that lead no where, or worse, lead to discouragement, anger and arguing.

It reminds me of a verse we looked at recently in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 which simply says, "pray continually".  How do you pray continually?  It doesn't mean we have our eyes closed in focused prayer 24/7.  It means prayer is our first and last response.  It means we have an open line with God, and that we invite him into our day.  I find some of the most enjoyable times for Chrissy and I as a couple is when we're both busy working around the house doing separate chores, but we're together doing it.  There's pauses, and questions, and "stopping for a snack", "can you help me with this", and stopping to chat with the neighbours.  We've invited each other into our day.  And even when we're apart, there are things we can't wait to tell each other when we get together again.  By the way, if you're married, and this sounds weird...I'm not a great marriage counsellor, but I'll do my best.  Give me a call.  This image of our relationship helps me understand what praying continually means.  We've invited God to be part of our day.

It think it's similar when we think about what we "chat" about.  I've had conversations that led no where.  Sadly, I've initiated conversations that led no where.  Sometimes I leave feeling discouraged and frustrated.  That's not godly conversation, that's godless chatter.  Godly conversation is encouraging, challenging, makes you think, deepens your relationships, puts others first in word and thought.  We invite God into our conversation.  This kind of conversation can happen with believers and unbelievers alike.  And when we invite God to be a part of the conversation, our relationships with God and others will grow.  We will grow.

Here's three ways to avoid godless chatter (applicable to all conversations)
1. Listen first.  Ask yourself, "Have I really tried to understand what they've said or where they're coming from?"
2. Think before you speak.  "Is what I'm about to say true or helpful?  Should I say it, even if it is?"
3. Focus on good things.  "Are we just complaining?"

I confess.  Sometimes I'm full of hot air.  I have conversations that are not uplifting and are full of "godless chatter".  I'm working at it.  How about you?  Are you full of hot air?  Does what you talk about matter?  Ask God to help you have significant conversations as you grow in your faith and relationships.

​-Jason