J.A.R.V.I.S. (by Mel McGuire)

One of my pastors preached a message in which he used “Iron Man” to talk about what it means to be “in Christ”, using the Iron Man suit as in a symbolic way to illustrate how we are better “in him”. And he had to mention the “voice inside the suit”, aka JARVIS.

In his illustration, he reminded me of how Tony Stark, (Iron Man) would be in constant communication and corroboration with Jarvis. In the Marvel comics, Jarvis was Stark’s loyal butler but in the movie, Jarvis is the artificial intelligence that serves as Stark’s assistant.

Jarvis is the one who manages the suit, who monitors its functions and knows it’s capabilities and limitations. Iron Man relies on his wisdom, his counsel, and his honesty to perform his superhero activities.

In the film, you can see how Jarvis can show Tony things he otherwise does not see outside of his alter ego, Iron Man. He can call up information upon demand, and allows Iron Man to function at his maximum capacity and ability.

Of course, this led to me to consider the ministry of the Holy Spirit and His role in my life. If I am honest, my walk with Christ, my walk in Christ, is always easier and better when I access that “voice in my head”, the Holy Spirit. Like Jarvis, He is here to serve and make me better.

He acts as a counselor, a comforter or companion, and His wisdom and insight is irreplaceable. His presence, and my reliance upon it, allows me to operate not only most efficiently, but with full power.

He allows me to see things I otherwise could not, for He is tuned to the real world, the spiritual one. If I allow Him, He will monitor and manage my functions and keep me in the best possible position to perform at peak capacity.

Like Jarvis, He serves as an early warning system, advising when I am approaching dangerous limits. And like Jarvis, I can choose to ignore or refuse His counsel. In that case, He simply recalculates and is always ready to step in and do work at whatever point of crisis I may find myself.

If you can imagine Iron Man without Jarvis, (I cannot, the relationship is such a HUGE part of who Iron Man is to me), that would be most believers absent the presence and influence of the Holy Spirit.

But just like Tony Stark steps out of his Iron Man suit, there are times I simply disregard the impact of the Holy Spirit in my life. It happens.

We would all like to think that if we had the power and ability of Iron Man, we would never take the suit off! We would just become Iron Man and do hero stuff all day every day.

But if we still ignore our God-given “JARVIS”, then we are not ready to be super(natural) all day every day. Just like Iron Man is better with Jarvis, so too are we better when we walk in agreement with the Holy Spirit.

Open your eyes, open your ears, open your heart to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He is here to help, to make us all not just better, but our best.

“Evacuate… (by Mel McGuire)

Corpus Christi,TX, 8/22/99 The threat of Hurricane Bret, being rated at a force four, led to Padre Island and Corpus Christi being evacuated. Here, wise residents under the advance winds and rains that lead the main storm, jam Hwy 37 heading NW towards San Antonio out of Corpus Christi. Photo by DAVE GATLEY/FEMA News Photo

I am writing this during “Hurricane season”. I just happen to live in “earthquake country”, so I am not directly impacted by the various levels of tropical storms and hurricanes that threaten our country every year. Even if I did, I wouldn’t be…because I would evacuate.

I marvel at the people, given ample warning and amidst threats of biblical devastation, refuse to leave areas that are almost certain to be hammered by Hurricane “fill in the blank”.

Evacuate. This year saw newscasters go to unprecedented lengths to convince or even scare people into leaving. And still, faced with all the latest and updated information, there are those diehards who refuse to evacuate.

The image kind of tells the tale. The majority of folks are going one way…out, away from trouble. But not all. And when they choose to stay, it forces others to stay as well, so someone will be available to come and rescue those who refused to evacuate.

Now, before I get blasted for criticizing certain people, I am NOT talking about those who get caught in hurricanes because they couldn’t get out. I am talking about people who choose to stay when they could have left. There is a difference.

There are some hurricanes in our lives as believers too. When everyone and everything around is telling you to evacuate, do you choose to stay? Some of us stayed in relationships…we thought we could “ride it out”, only to be devastated in the end. Evacuate.

Sometimes it is a habit, a sin (let’s be honest) that is giving warning after warning that we will not be able to withstand its effects…and we choose to stay. And our friends, our pastors, our family…have to stay close as well. So they can come to our rescue…again.

Evacuate. Stop thinking you are so different or indestructible that you will be able to fix stuff as it breaks. Like a man thinking he will simply repair his freshly damaged roof in one hundred miles an hour winds! Evacuate.

Think about it. Listen to those who have survived the very storms you are about to face, learn from our foolish mistakes. When God says go, pack your stuff and go. Period.

There are times we all need to rebuild, and hurricanes can force you into that place. There is no need for you to risk your life, spiritual or natural, to save something God has slated for destruction.

To evacuate is not a sign of fear, or of defeat. Often it is a sign of wisdom and obedience. Whether it be a relationship, an institution, a job, a residence, or a lifestyle…when hurricane season comes, and the word is to “get out while you can” …evacuate.

God’s way of escape is not always to walk through the fire, or to put the fire out. Keeping you from the fire is just as powerful a testimony. Evacuate.

“Needle…”(by Mel McGuire)

When I was younger, I spent a lot of my free time playing pick up basketball. One of the great frustrations of the sport was dealing with an under inflated ball. Basketballs need a certain amount of air in order to function properly.

We are like basketballs. We operate best when properly inflated. An under inflated ball can be “palmed” much easier, but it doesn’t dribble well and it doesn’t fly accurately. Without fail, when the game ball was in need of air, the most valuable piece of equipment was not the ball, nor the pump…but a needle.

A needle is a small, inexpensive, easy to carry (and easy to lose) tool used to pump the air back into the ball. In life, sometimes we are the ball, and sometimes we are the pump, but in order to make the relationship work, you need a needle.

When you are under inflated, you can be restored by a kind word, a good deed, a stirring message or an anointed time of worship or fellowship. When others need a boost, you can provide what is needed and help “pump them back up”.

So then what is this needle? Every ball has a small opening designed for a needle. Pumps have openings too, so the needle can be attached. The needle has an opening as well, so the air can flow through between the ball and pump. In our lives though, what is the needle?

When you feel deflated, and you are not bouncing back or rolling straight and smooth, are you willing to be encouraged? Are you willing to allow someone access to your life to pump you back up? Are you willing to acknowledge you need a little air?

If you are the “pump”, are you willing to invest in someone else? Even if it means you have to apply multiple applications before you see beneficial results? How many times have we just pumped and pumped and pumped…not even bothering to check the inflation, because we know the ball needs a lot of air! When we get tired of pumping, we check it. When you minister to others, do you even go until you are tired? Are you willing to keep pumping even when you don’t see results right away?

The needle is a willing heart, and there are times when as the pump, you have to be a little more assertive to make sure the air gets in. Are you willing to push past initial resistance? The quality of the game will suffer with an improperly inflated ball, just as the quality of our life suffers when we are not inflated properly.

“Do not over inflate”…this is a common warning on most basketballs. Is your estimation of yourself and your abilities over inflated? Again we need the needle. Not to add, but to let some air out. Are you willing to be humble? To be corrected, or instructed so you can function properly? Whether a ball or a needle, God is calling all of us to have a needle…a willing heart, an open, obedient heart. Have a committed heart, an honest and humble heart. Too often those kinds of attitudes are harder to find than a needle in a haystack. Guard your needle, keep it safe and available, so you can stay properly inflated.