IN
A HOLDING PATTERN
by
Dr. Terry L. Thompson
I recently was returning from the Northwestern part of the United
States. As we approached the
Houston airport the pilot announced that we were going to be delayed due to
inclement weather. We circled
for approximately 30 minutes before receiving clearance to land.
This is what is known as going into a HOLDING PATTERN.
Funny thing about a holding pattern, you fly in circles; most of the
time you are in the clouds and cannot see a thing and everyone is wondering
what is going on. Holding
patterns are out of your control and at the discretion of the control tower.
Many are describing the condition of the church the same way: IN A
HOLDING PATTERN. There is a
sense that very little seems to be happening.
The church is going through a cycle of lull and spiritual inactivity.
Vision seems to be minimal and even scarce in many churches.
Yet there is much talk, but very little substance is coming forth.
There have been pockets of renewal but nothing of lasting value.
What is going on? Doesn’t the control tower know that we are up
here and want to land?
The Bible describes many
of these “HOLDING PATTERNS”:
*Genesis 1: 1-3 describes
how “…the earth was without form and void; and DARKNESS was upon the
face of the deep.” This was
part of the creation process. It
seemed as if nothing was happening. The latter part of the verse gives us a
clue to what God is doing today. It
states: “ and the Spirit of
God moved upon the face of the deep…”
When there is no apparent spiritual activity the Holy Spirit of
God is doing an unseen work that is not recognized by man.
*Genesis 6-9 is
the account depicting the condition of the earth before God.
“…God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth…”
Sounds similar to the time we are living in today.
But God found grace in the person of Noah.
The result was a man and his family were saved from destruction.
*Exodus 2: 23-25
is the account of the
children of Israel in bondage. The
children of Israel had been in a holding pattern.
For quite some time they lived under the oppression of the Egyptians.
Then they began to take action to change their situation.
The children of Israel did three things to express their situation.
(1) “…they sighed because of bondage…” The idea was one of relief
from the oppression of Pharaoh. This
is a very similar cry today, one of RELIEF from situations and not a cry of
RELEASE from our bondages. (2) “…they
cried…” Sometimes all we can do is cry about our situation and not see a
way out. The truth is, when we
begin to cry out to God, He will begin to prepare our deliverance.
(3) “…God heard
their groaning…” Groaning
gets the attention of God. Groaning is when deep calls out to deep. Groaning
causes God to remember His covenant, causes Him to look upon us, and
causes Him to respect us.
*Matthew 3-4 is
the account of John the Baptist coming from the wilderness declaring the way
of the Lord. The people were in religious and political bondage and had
heard very little from God… until John the Baptist comes preaching in the
wilderness and declaring, “Repent,
for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
These are just a few accounts of those who were in HOLDING PATTERNS,
waiting until God began to move again.
Let us look at the state of the church today and see why we are in a
holding pattern.
The Church of Jesus Christ at the beginning of the 21st
Century is enjoying a prosperity unlike that of any prior generation in
history. Our buildings are
often new (and expensive), our brochures and magazines are slick and
colorful, our music is contemporary and professionally orchestrated. Never
in history has the Church in America been better funded, its staff better
paid or its attendees more affluent. And
never has the organized Church been less effective than it is
today in its primary Commission to win the lost and to turn them into
disciples.
According to Christian sociologist and trend-watcher Dr. George Barna,
in recent years a majority of the people who made a "decision" for
Christ in one of our evangelical churches "were no longer to be found
in a church context within eight weeks of having made such a decision."
Contrast that with the Great Welsh Revival of 1904 when approximately 5% of
the population of the nation of Wales professed Christ for the first time
and united with the Church. According to critics of the revival, of the
100,000 people who professed Christ and joined the Church in the first six
months of the revival, seven out of ten (70%) were
still in the fellowship of the Church after five years. What is the
difference between losing converts after eight weeks or keeping them in
fellowship after five years? Perhaps it is the difference between the work
of the Holy Spirit in genuine renewal and awakening rather than the work of
man in some new evangelistic program.
Evangelistic programs are good, but a movement of the Spirit of God
to awaken the masses and to convict them of sin, righteousness and judgment
(Jn 16:8) is better by far. How far? By the difference between 8 weeks and 5
years.
What should we be doing during this holding pattern?
The hardest thing for many Christians is to keep a proper perspective
of the times in which we are living. Let
me give you a few things to consider during this time:
A. Not every difficult
time, lull, stagnation, or non-activity means something or someone is wrong.
We must learn to be content in the place and position we have been assigned.
Be willing to get a SPIRITUAL CHECK UP, but not an autopsy.
B. I need Christ no more
in the tough times, than I do in the good times. I need Christ at ALL times.
C. Don’t rely on
inadequate resources - I Cor 4:3-5 states in part,
“Lord examine me…come bring to light things hidden in darkness
and disclose the motives of men’s hearts.”
DON’T:
v Lean
on your OWN appraisal of situations.
v Seek
for the popularity vote or take a poll. Remember the majority
are often wrong.
v Count
your funds or material resources.
v Rely
on your friends to bolster you. They
are usually biased.
v Listen
to your critics. This is their
opportunity to ATTACK.
D. Remember the WORLD, THE
FLESH, AND THE DEVIL always exaggerate.
E. There are fewer against
you than you imagine, more for you than you realize.
F. Persevere until: God
clearly moves or speaks again
Wait for the Victory to come. AND
it will COME.
Historically, times of
spiritual decline in the world and desperation in the Church are two
characteristics of the periods leading up to times of great revival. Why
desperation? Perhaps God waits until we have exhausted all of our own
strength and means so that the renewal which follows cannot be attributed to
human effort and ingenuity. God is jealous and will not share His glory with
anyone.
Keep in the HOLDING PATTERN, for surely our time will come and we must be ready. (glnet@juno.com)