Like Dynamite

In the first chapter of Acts, Luke records Jesus telling the disciples of the days to come. Soon, they would receive power from and in the Holy Spirit. The purpose of this empowerment was in order that they would be effective witnesses in Jerusalem (center of their faith and culture), Judea (their country), Samaria (their geographic neighbors whom they despised), and the entire world (everybody else).

The power Jesus referred to comes from the Greek word "dynamis" - the same root from which we get dynamic, and dynamite. This power was not just a little extra boost in their step, or some sort of intellectual strength - this was a power that could not, and was not supposed to be, contained.

The "witness" Jesus referred to is rooted in a legal context, as witnesses give their testimony in court about what they saw and heard that was relevant to the case.

Dynamite-powered, explosive, make-a-serious-impression testimony about what they saw and experienced in Jesus Christ.

How explosive is your witness? How much of an impression does you testimony make on those who are wondering about whether or not Jesus should be convicted as the Son of God, the hope of the world, their salvation/healing/wholeness?

Let's enjoy a moment of accountability, shall we?

Scholars, trend followers, objective onlookers from other parts of the world, and critics of Christianity all agree that, on the whole, the witnesses of Christ in the West are anything but dynamic. Lackluster at best.

How would you rate the potency of your witness of Christ to others? Is anybody compelled to listen? Anybody impressed with Jesus based on your eye-witness accounts of His work in your life?

If your witness is weak at best, it may indicate a more severe problem. You may have been duped into a reality you thought was "Christian," but is actually only the appearance of it. You may look around and compare yourself with others and assume that since you all look and act much the same, you must be on the right track. And yet your heart of hearts is telling you that something is wrong. Certainly there must be more...

The first disciples of were extremely powerful because the Holy Spirit was able to enter into them fully. This full reception of the Holy Spirit was made possible by their complete abandonment to following Christ - they held nothing back. While they certainly learned and grew for the duration of their lives, their desire was to be as Christ in all of their pursuits: mental, emotional, physical, etc.

If they had chosen to compare themselves with the majority around them, they would have abandoned Jesus within a short period of time. But they knew their life was at stake, and they didn't want to throw it away by looking the same as everyone else.

If your witness is unconvincing, it may be because you've allowed yourself to settle for much less than Christ's invitation offered. The life Jesus called you to is embraced only through complete, reckless abandon to His way of life. To pick up your cross and follow. The Cross walk.

Aside: Most whining and complaining I hear from people about their church experience is rooted in self-centeredness. Their focus is on their wants and needs, to the neglect of the needs of those we're trying to reach - those who have yet to embrace Christ. This kind of whining, in my opinion, is sometimes evidence of a person who is still breastfeeding spiritually when they should be on solid food. These grown ups look ridiculous on the breast, by the way! The reality is that a paradox exists that we don't want to see. There is food to eat - spiritual nourishment - that is incredibly satisfying, and comes only when we lose ourselves for the sake of Christ. Jesus alluded to this after he interacted with the woman at the well in Samaria.

Jesus said we would save our lives only by losing it for His sake - a decision to live by Christ's priorities instead of our natural tendencies.

The good news... If just a minority of us started examining our lives using the lens of Christ and began living according to His drumbeat, we could significantly impact Napa, California, Mexico, and the entire world. Why? Because we would open ourselves to a power that is not our own - a potency that defies human limitations.

Will you open yourself to such scrutiny? Will you make a decision, now, that you will follow Christ at all costs? Will you then begin to carefully look at all sectors of your life, correcting attitudes and behaviors which are at odds with Christ? The way you spend your time. Your priorities. Your money. Your dreams. Your plans. Your relationships. Everything.

Will you allow the Holy Spirit to come into your life to empower your testimony, to guide you, to go before you, to turbocharge your faith, to break loose the hardened stone that keeps this world in bondage?

I want to be like dynamite in my testimony about Jesus. I want to see people have their lives changed now and forevermore by the Spirit's work. I want to be a bond-servant of Christ - a slave by choice - no longer my own, but guided by Another.

Will you accept the call of Christ along with me?

What might happen if we help each other become what Christ has made possible. It just might be like dynamite...

Questions...
At one point in history, a person could be thrown in jail for claiming that the world was round and revolved around the Sun. Everybody believed it and lived in that belief, and anyone who didn't was "wrong" even if they were right. Since comparing ourselves to our peers may not be an accurate way to assess how "on target" is our Christ-following, how can we determine where we need to grow?

What are the hardest parts for you when it comes to following Christ: finances, attitudes, anger management, compassion, sacrificing for others at the cost of personal comfort, etc.

What would help you follow the Way of Christ more closely?

What commitments can you make today to begin living more like Christ?

How do you open yourself up to the Holy Spirit?

A Prayer...
Help me see, Lord, where I have fallen unwittingly into mediocrity's mire. Give me the strength and courage to trust you and follow you. May my heart beat as yours so that I might know what it means to live, and others might find life because I've let you work more powerfully through me. Spirit of the Living God, fall afersh on me. Break me. Mold me. Fill me. Use me. Breathe on me breath of God. Fill me with life anew, that I may love what Thou dost love, and do what Thou wouldst do.