The Black Hole

If you are older than 35, you may recall the early days of the space program. I remember the early spacecraft launch with John Glenn. One of the most exciting and tense moments of his return to earth was his reentry to the earth's atmosphere. I recall the diagram on television of the heat shield on the capsule that had to withstand incredible temperatures to avoid complete destruction. There was a blackout period for several minutes in which mission control had no radio contact. He was in the "black hole." It was a tense time. Either he would make it through, or the spacecraft would burn up in the atmosphere. There were several minutes of silence that seemed like an eternity. Then, mission control shouted with joy when they reestablished contact with the spacecraft. It was a time of rejoicing.

Have you ever had a time when you were in a spiritual black hole in your life? I have. The pressure was unbearable. No sense of God's presence. No sense of anything going on around me. God was about as far away as the man in the moon-at least from my perspective. I think every Christian who is called to make a significant difference in his world experiences times like these. These are the times when we question the reality of God, the love of God, the personal care of God. And He demonstrates to us that He was there all the time. These are "faith experiences" that God does in every person who is called to a higher level of relationship with Him. These times are needful in order to know that we have the "heat shield" that can withstand the incredible heat that comes when we follow Him with a whole heart-a heart that is radical in a commitment to fully follow His ways. Elisha had that spirit. He slaughtered his 12 oxen and burned his plowing equipment so that he would not have the opportunity to return to anything if God didn't come through (see 1 Kings 19:21).

The apostle Paul asked God to remove the heat from his own life one time. God's answer was not what he wanted to hear.

But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me! (2 Corinthians 12:9 AMP)

How's your heat shield today? Can it withstand the heat that would want to burn up everything in your life not based in Him? Christ said, "My grace is sufficient." Is that really true in your life? Let His grace be your shield today.

Excerpt” from (http://www.spiritrestoration.org/Sermons/Cast%20your%20bread%20upon%20the%20water.htm)

(Eccl 11:1-6 NIV) Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. {2} Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. {3} If clouds are full of water, they pour rain upon the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there will it lie. {4} Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. {5} As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. {6} Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.

(Eccl 1-1 NIV) Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again.

Some years ago we had many raccoons visiting us at our barn where we stored corn. No, it was not one raccoon, there were many raccoons! So we bought a trap, and we caught raccoon after raccoon. We then took them several miles away to the woods and released them.

Several weeks later I saw raccoons again in the barn and wouldn’t you know I recognized one of them by his distinctive color. So, that night I caught another one and this time I spray painted him with a bright red color on his back. I let him out about six miles from our farm. . .and then some time later I saw him in my barn again.

As with the raccoon we as humans will bring actions upon ourselves in whatever we do (Good or Bad) and it will return in one form or another. The “bread which we will cast, will come back to us.”

When I was in Beijing, China in 1998, I was standing in front of a large Hotel in the morning. The city was engulfed in deep smog. People wore white masks or wet handkerchiefs over their mouth to protect their lungs from the polluted air. As I was inhaling the morning air I felt like I was smoking a Pall-Mall without filter. I asked a Chinese friend why Chinese people do not do anything against the pollution and his answer surprised me: “As Americans came, they promised us prosperity if we produce cheap merchandise for them. Yes, we have climbed the economic ladder and very few of us even became very rich. But we have to produce cheap! And cheap production comes with consequences.”

I was quick to reply: “But you are damaging yourself and your country. . .” I was not able to finish the sentence as he quietly said: “Don’t worry the cloud of pollution will reach your country as well.” _____________________________________________________

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