Sandy, The New York Minute, And You.

During this past weekend's English-language services, Pastor Richie commented on the instancy of God.

It is an important characteristic of God, one that we often leave on the back burner of our minds. We prefer to speak of God's great patience, and we might even dare to extract Second Peter 3:9 out of its context. So we say, "The Lord is patient", and He is. But our Lord is also swift, and His day will come "like a thief" (Second Peter 3:10; First Thessalonians 5:2).

Thieves are masters of the 'quick change'. A thief never gives advance notice-- "Hello Dr. Reid, I'm going to climb through your apartment window next Tuesday midnight and steal all your clothes"-- no. What happens is that you approach life expecting familiar routine, but suddenly find that some external agent has effected an action that produces instant change in your life.

Towards the end of the third service of the weekend (that is, Sunday's second service) Pastor Richie gave voice to the true Christian's prayer: "Lord, change me." Yes! Our Lord is the External Agent whose Spirit can come into our body, His intended dwelling place, so that He might effect righteous action in us that will produce instant change in our lives. What's even more amazing is that He can also effect righteous action in and through those who don't worship, obey, or serve Him. Ask Cyrus. Ask Nebuchadnezzar. Ask Rahab.

There is a catch phrase for those moments of quick change: "in a New York minute". When we say that, we mean "in an instant". In The Key (Bronx Bethany's Saturday night service) two weeks ago, we reflected on how quickly Hurricane Sandy brought profound change into the lives of people in our region of the earth. How quickly? In a New York minute. So, for decades a beach home is intact; then in an instant, it's off its foundation; the next instant, it's headed down the beach and into the surf; the next instant, it's in the ocean. Gone. As if it never existed.

Do you hear God speaking through the hurricane, through His word, through Pastor Richie's sermon? We don't know what we will face in the next hour, or even the next minute. But we are free to cling to our King Jesus, trusting Him to effect change in us by the power of His Spirit.

I love You, my patient, instant, awesome Lord. Lord, change me.

"See, I am coming like a thief. How blessed is the person who remains alert and keeps his clothes on! He won't have to go naked and let others see his shame." (Revelation 16:15)