“This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ Himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.”
Galatians 1:1 (NLT)
Every so often I’ll get to verbally share the nuts and bolts of my faith in Jesus Christ to the unsaved. Now I know the Great Commission pretty much covers my responsibility in sharing the Gospel with others but I’ve never been one of those who can get on a milk crate, strap on a wireless mic set-up and just start preaching to a busy boardwalk. My younger brothers-n-Christ, Rob Kenney and Joey “Brooklyn” Asciolla, have that ability and are a constant at the Jersey Shore.
Rob always invites me out or asks me to at least pray for him as he goes boldly into the Asbury Park area, but I usually find myself, doing what I do, safely behind a QWERTY board…where I can calculate what I’m about to say. Some of you who actually know me might also agree it’s a safer place for me to be when it comes to sharing the Gospel (I, all of sudden, can say things that go way over head) I also kinda feel that they have been called to do what they, just as I’ve been called and I do wonder if they get asked what I’ve been asked… “Are you ordained?”
This one little interesting fact I found out, when I first started to read C.H. Spurgeon, was that he wasn’t “ordained.” He apparently didn’t want the title of Reverend but preferred the title of Pastor. He saw ordination as ritualism that could lapse into popery and went against his Biblical, Unsystematic and Spiritual way of preaching the Word of God. Never the less, Spurgeon’s sermons are the gold standard a lot of us wanna be preachers would like to reach.
When the apostle Paul put his foot down and began his rebuke on what was being reported from the churches in Galatia, he wanted them to understand that he was clear on his calling, “I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority but by Jesus Christ Himself”. First, he was frustrated that the Galatians did what we see modern day politicians do and that is to “flipflop” on an issue but secondly his testimony to Christ was pretty much casted aside by a group of folks that said, “Ya’ll can’t be Christian, until you’re Jewish, then you’ll need to convert to become a Christian.” At least that’s my take on it.
It was as if the Judaizers, that arrived on the Galatian scene, couldn’t see, what I will dare say, was the ordained witness of Jesus Christ in the lives of the people in Galatia. On the contrary, they saw them as uncircumcised heathen’s who weren’t as privileged as they were simply because they were Jewish, just happen to be in the neighborhood when the Sermon on the Mount was being preached by Jesus and they didn’t have let alone understood The Law!! Then they attacked the ordained witness of Paul. Wonder if they could get away with that on the boardwalks of the Jersey Shore? Hmm…
So, what am I saying today?
“So, let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
In the New King James Version, the verse ends with “if we do not lose heart” and that’s really the crux of the matter. When you know, what you know, is what to know why entertain anything that is meant to come under and flip your script, especially when it comes to Kingdom principles. If you’ve witnessed the saving grace of Jesus Christ in your life, why allow anyone to take you through the tunnel of doubt to see if you already know what is true? It’s a waste of time, in my eyes, and does nothing but make a failed attempt to undermine the ground at the foot of The Cross.
John Calvin once said that the primary task of the invisible church is to make the invisible Kingdom visible. That’s what an ordained witness does. When I hear about, or see those social media posts, where Rob and Joey are being bold, on the boards along the Jersey shore, proclaiming that “Jesus loves you” I am encouraged and it makes want to continue with, well, Freedom Fighter writing.
It is my hope that you don’t see yourself as someone who has to have some sorta education, special gift or talent to make you a useful witness for the sake of Christ. My hope is that you do what is required of you because the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” That’s an ordained witness! Amen?
Written by Chris Hughes: Chris is a husband, a father, has an education in Biblical doctrine and is a graduate of The Colony of Mercy. He has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008. You can email him at cphughes515@verizon.net
Think About This: “Brethren, I beseech you, crave Moses’ place, but tremble as you take it.” – Charles Haddon Spurgeon
The Daily Bible Reading: Reflection | You can download our 2021 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here.
