More Powerful Than A Locomotive? II

Posted on July 18, 2018 by America's Keswick in Freedom Fighters

“And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” — 2 Peter 1:4 (NLT)

Have you wondered how bound to the world you are? I have often said to my wife, Kathy, that I really wish it was easy to just drop everything we are currently stuck in and go serve in ministry somewhere (like America’s Keswick perhaps…hmmm?). Anyway, I have those moments where I really feel as if I have lost my own effectiveness for spreading the Gospel simply because I wake up every morning, go to place that builds big toys for wealthy people, so I can earn a living to pay the bills that allows me to own a home where I can wake up every morning and get myself ready to go to a place that builds big toys for wealthy people. It’s like an acceptable cycle of addiction that only has worldly benefits…that’s if you wanna call them benefits.

Last time I was with you I was trying to get the peanut butter off the roof of my mouth. I’m reading John Bevere’s book, “Killing Kryptonite”, and there have been some convicting statements that have caused me to go back and examine some things. However, I haven’t made it much farther than chapter two. It’s in chapter two that he’ll ask this question of his readers and it has given me pause, “If His kingdom is within us, why isn’t it being done on earth as it is in heaven?” Then Bevere will refer to 1 Corinthians 11:28-32 and it will within this text that something bites down.

Whenever I’ve read this passage of Scripture I, like Bevere does, sense the irreverence that the Corinthians had for the Lord’s Supper. In my ear it’s like their having a party instead of acknowledging that they are part of the body of Christ. The apostle Paul will point out “That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died” (1 Cor 11:30). Now the last two things in that verse are pretty clear to understand but the first really needs to be taken into account. This is why it was important that Paul instructed the Corinthian church to “examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup” (1 Cor 11:28). Sometimes we just gotta confront what’s wrong with our spiritual selves in order to receive a vertical uplifting. There’s no better place to do that then at the altar.

In John chapter 5, we read about a guy who had a hard time getting into a pool and without getting into what that pool meant to folks, Jesus will do what everyone thought that pool could do…heal. After thirty-eight years of having an infirmity, Jesus tells him, “Stand up, pick your mat, and walk” (John 5:8). Now, speaking of confrontation, those wacky Pharisees see this guy carrying his mat and they’ll point out that this is a sin. Why? Well it’s the Sabbath and they had issues with anything that looked like working on that day. But Jesus wasn’t concerned about that, rather when He found this guy in the Temple and advised him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you” (John 5:14b). I see this story in John’s Gospel, not so much about the silly Sabbath law but that we need folks to be like Jesus to us and to truly care enough to confront and advise us when we’re going the wrong way.

I like what Bevere said in his book, “In our staying clear of any behavior that could be mistaken as mean, accusatory, or condemning, we often swing the pendulum to the other side by not saying anything at all.” I appreciate it when a brother can find a way to say to me, “It seems that something has you bound up, wanna talk about it?” It may be just what I need to do at that time before things get worse and I actually do lose my effectiveness in spreading the Gospel message to those around.

Sometimes we need to reframe the way we think about our daily life. Just because there isn’t a big bang every time we share the faith that is within us doesn’t mean that we aren’t effective. If we allow that to get into heads, irreverence is right around the corner waiting for us to turn this all into one big party and that really isn’t what the Christian life was meant to be. I’m not saying be a damp towel over the life you’ve been given either but realize that effective fun can show the love of Christ better than a self-mortified one. Amen?

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris, a graduate of The Colony of Mercy (11-2003) has been married for 25+ years (Kathy), has a married son (Kevin) and a daughter in college (Karen). He has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008.

The Daily Bible Reading: Isaiah 23-27|You can download our 2018 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here

Daily Quote: “God loves us far too much not to diagnose what holds us back and could even kill us. He knows what restrains us can’t be coached away by a more positive lifestyle. Rather it has to be confronted and removed. He is a Father deeply committed to our health and well-being.” — John Bevere

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy. Psalm 147:11