Thoughts
on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 77
Michael’s book is
available through:
Abiding Life
Ministries International
Littleton, Colorado
Day 9
Alleys
That Become Avenues
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be
against us? --Romans 8:31
Often we are frustrated by the hindrances that are posed by other believers. Many are enjoying their walks in the flesh and spread their pettiness around to others. Once a police officer, an unbeliever who investigated the occult, asked me an interesting question. "Why is it that Satanists we have investigated belong to churches?" I asked if he knew what they did within the church. He said that was an even greater mystery, for most merely disagreed and caused division. The disagreements, he went on to say, were over minute issues such as the color of the pews, worship times, how to stripe a parking lot, or the size of coffee cups. Little did he know that this would be the most effective place for a Satanist to work, because believers, in turn, who have not found their identity in Christ will often have their identity centered around the same types of issues and will dig in to be proven right, for to admit that they are wrong about coffee cups or stripes is tantamount to admitting to being worthless failures.
If our goal is church growth, full pews, a comfortable
budget, and harmony, then difficult believers are a hindrance.
However, if our goal is
the release of the life described on the mount in Matthew 5, then these very,
if people are the avenue. We cannot desire to be spiritual giants while refusing the very
experiences that could make us grow toward that end. How do we know that
the Life within can love an enemy prior to our having one? How do we know that
we are enabled to pray for those who persecute before we are persecuted? How do
we know that the extra mile can be offered until it is required? The believers that appear to be
hindrances actually pave the avenue for discovering, revealing, and releasing
the Life of Jesus that is within, the Life that has overcome every hindrance to
the spiritual man. I love our freedom and the way God works! I love
Jesus, for if God is for
us, who can be against us?
Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point Green
– IT, Incredible Truth
Red – GP, Greatest Promises
Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches Pink
– PV, Priceless Victory
Whether Satanists or difficult believers, churches have encountered
those who are constantly disagreeable and cause divisions. Some have been labeled “againers,” always
against whatever. I had one man in one
church who some of the folks would sluff off by saying, “That’s just old so and
so…everybody knows him.” To which I
answered, “Not the last 100 folks who joined!”
And, of course, we encounter those who have not found their identity in Christ who often have their identity centered around the same type of issues and will dig in to fight with the others to be proven right.
Either way, we find these a hindrance if our goal is church growth. But, Michael gives us a very different
perspective…”the release of the life described in Matthew 5.” Then these people are not an “alley” but an
“avenue.” An avenue to a wonderful
ministry of presenting “Christ in us, the hope of glory.”
One statement Michael makes stands out for me as the heart of ministry
to those we have formerly thought of as “difficult believers”:
·
“We cannot
desire to be spiritual giants while refusing the very experiences
that could
make us grow toward that end.”
Learn that lesson, and we really begin to travel the avenue to “life in Christ.” So, let us always tell those who are being persecuted, have enemies, being forced to go the “extra mile”…these are for paving “the avenue for discovering, revealing, and releasing the Life of Jesus that is within, the Life that has overcome every hindrance to the spiritual man.”
Love Jesus…for if God is for us, who can be against us!
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Lee McDowell Christian Ministries
P. O. Box 633244 Nacogdoches, Tx 75963 936-559-5696
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