All The Bells and Whistles

Bells and Whistles…..
We have all heard the saying …. “It’s got all the Bells and Whistles…. ”
So what does that mean?   Well, if I am looking for a new car…. and I want all the “Bells and Whistles” it would mean,  I am wanting every new fangle dangled gadget I can
get, to be on it.  I want to be able to push a button to start it… I want heated seats…. Sun roof… automatic start so I can warm it up from the house in the winter… GPS… Voice control… shoot… I can even get heated steering wheels and warning beeps to alert me when there are cars or objects  in my blind spots!!   LOTS of options… LOTS of Bells…. and LOTS of Whistles are available…. IF you want to pay for them!

Why… do we like Bells and Whistles over just the Plain Jane?  Excitement…. fun….. convenience…. ease….. lots of ooohhhs and awwwhhhs…. and just plain COOL!!!
When it comes to modern day technology…. well, to be honest… we have just gotten a taste of so many cool “Bells and Whistles” that settling for …. or going back to Plain Jane thinking… is kinda like watching all your movies on a TV in only Black and White.   It may be ok to “visit” the nostalgia of yesteryear…. but living there … well… it just isnt gonna cut it for very long!

Years ago… I was sitting in a Christian Church Pastors office…. discussing ….things …. like my recently experience of being Filled with the Spirit, with the evidence of Speaking in Tongues.  As a Christian Church Pastor, he believed that the gift of Tongues had passed away …. based on the Scripture that says….

“Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away”.   1st Corinthians 13:8-10
Needless to say… he was certain I had stepped over to the “dark side” and was “dabbling” in some kind of demonic activity of sorts.  He thought it was his mission to wake me of my stupor and save me from the error of my ways.

Well… He was about 9 months too late!!  I was already a believer that it had NOT passed away… because… I had seen it…. heard it…. received it… and done it myself!    It was exciting!!  God… became exciting…. Jesus became…. Exciting… and the Holy Spirit…. WAS EXCITING!!   My walk as a Christian was now more of a Christian with “Bells and Whistles”!  The words of the Bible became clearer… easier to grasp…. my prayers seemed to have more impact… on me… as well as others…. I started to get more insight from the Holy  Spirit…. and Praise and Worship was more than just words to speak, or sing.   I was hooked!   No longer was the “plain Jane” go to church and sing 3 songs…. 15 minute preaching…. a prayer and song as we were leaving… good enough for me!  I wanted… and expected MORE!

That was almost 20 years ago…. and I need those “Bells and Whistles” even more!
“Bells and Whistles” grab our attention and help us hold it!   Face it … with this fast paced world around us … there are not only  “Bells and Whistles” vying for our attention… but we have horns… sirens… and fog horns that are so loud we can barely hear our own voice let a lone the voice of the Holy Spirit!
…. and…. if it is hard for us “adults” to keep focused…. How much harder is it for the “young” people to stay focused on God?!?

Many would say ….”we don’t need “Bells and Whistles” in church to make church good… the Word being preached and the songs we sing need to be reverent.  Plain Jane was good enough for me to get the message of my need for Jesus… It should be ok for the generations to come.    Although I agree with the power of the Word standing on its own…. I do have to disagree with the Plain Jane delivery.  When all you knew was “black and white TV”… it was good.   But… once Color was introduced…. You have to admit…it is very hard to really enjoy a movie without it!

Our young people …. and us older people as well….live in a world that is constantly stimulating the mind….eyes…. and ears….. and if we don’t give them the right “Bells and Whistles” in church… they are gonna find it elsewhere…..another church… a cult… a bar…. etc.
We always say Church and being a Christian is fun…. Fun is different for each of us.   We simply can not focus on one age group… gender… or status… and notconsider the times we live in.  If we are not careful….we may lose some very hungry people who are looking for answers.   I want my friends… family…. and enemies to meet and to know my God….  who has … ALL the “Bells and Whistles”!!!