ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A FIGHT?
You should be.Larry Csonka was one of the most dominant smash-mouth fullbacks in the NFL in the 60's and 70's. Watching old Dolphins' football highlights often showed him going out of his way towards the goal line only to bulldoze over a defender. He seemed to do that even when he didn't have to. He seemed to enjoy it. He was looking for a fight.
Audie L. Murphy was the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II. He received every decoration for valor possible in the US as well as five other metals presented to him by France and Belgium.
When I was a kid I remember watching a movie about him called "To Hell and Back". In one fierce battle Audie climbed onto a burning tank destroyer of the enemy and single handedly prevented the enemy from advancing. He used up all of his ammo and jumped off the destroyer just before it exploded. He received the Medal of Honor. Years later Audie Murphy admitted that he was scared going into every battle he fought, but, he never hesitated to do what had to be done. He, I believe, was barely 20 years old and yet he was already looking for the fight.
Eleazar, one of David's closest warriors, once in battle beside David, stood his ground against scores of Philistines when all of the other men of Israel fled with fear. Eleazar stood his ground and struck down the enemy till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. But the Lord brought about a great victory that day. (2 Sam. 23:9, 10). Eleazar was looking for the fight and he found it.
Are you looking for a fight? I don't mean a physical one. I mean a spiritual one.
As believers God calls us to battle. Spiritual battle. Not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers in this dark world and against the spiritual forces in the heavenly realms. (Eph. 6:10-12).
A.W. Tozer posed the question, "Are you in a playground or a battleground?"
As christians we must go to the battle. Why? Because the spiritual battle will not come to us. Is the other team's defense concerned about the player on the bench? No. He is only concerned with the one on the field, the one in the battle.
Let's take this a step further. There's another level of battle that God calls us to. It should only be waged in addition to the first level of battle, as in prayer, study of God's Word and strengthening with other believers. That next level is one where we are able to identify when and where the battle needs to be fought. This is the hard part because too often we are in such a comfort zone that we do not want to jump out of the fox hole and face the gunfire. But God uses the one thing most people see as an opposite battle or war and that is LOVE.
God the Holy Spirit has given us love. Love for Him. This love is the weapon that shows us the battle. This love compels the true christian to fight against biblical error, rebellion, spiritual apathy and laziness, man centeredness and the like. It will compel a father to go out of his way to confront the daughter who is rebellious in her speech or choice of clothes. It will compel the mother to express words of correction to a son whose attitude reflects the gangsta-rapper he admires. This love for God will give the older christian man the courage to jump on top of and fight the tank destroyer of modern day trends of "doing church" that rely not on the Holy Spirit but on the wisdom of man's cultural generation experts. This love for God will motivate the church elder or spiritually mature person to confront the pastor when he or his teaching is in error and to uphold the accuracy of the Holy Scriptures. It will compel the parent to go to the high school kid who comes to church looking like the God hating world in their choice of clothes or who flaunts his pin-cushion body piercings without shame. This Godly love will tell that parent that this young person inside is screaming out for an adult to tell them wrong from right and the godly from the worldy.
We must be the Csonka that runs over the opposition. We must be the Audie Murphy that does what he must in spite of his fear. We must be the Eleazar that stands his ground when all others flee.
I could go on, but the point to be made is this: The battle will not come to us. We must go and find it where it is and enter the battleground, leaving the playground.
-KCO
posted by kennyo at 9:45 AM
6 Comments:
Great word, Kenny. The playground analogy is so fitting for our day. Audie Murphy was one of my heroes growing up. I sat in the theater one Saturday and watched his movie over and over when I was just a kid and the movie had just come out. My heroes today are the men of God who are fighting the spiritual battles you so aptly describe and who call the rest of us out of the playground onto the battle ground.
Amen. But we will need light years more than pointing out error, or researching every stream of unbiblical teaching, or documenting every failing of professing Christians. We will need to fast and pray on a massive and sacrificial scale.
As long as we spend more time seeking error than we do seeking Him the error will continue to grow. Let us all repent and enter into the glory of the prayer closet which may hinder our blog time but will bring the power of God upon our Biblically conservative lives!
Thanks Rick, lately these too have been my convictions.
Great post, Kenny and Keith!
To follow up on Rick's observation, he's right. Apologetics are good, but the gospel is the real power. It will follow the prayer and fasting. So, I guess, I would encourage the prayer and fasting and when was the last time I went out to a park to witness to folks?
Maybe a three-pronged approach. Pray. Fast. Preach the Word. Let the religious heretics go. Go out into the highways and byways and ask the strangers to come to our Father's feast. That's what I'm doing these days, Lord willing. I'm starting a street preaching thing in the downtown area. Pray for us in Billings.
Great Post!
In Christ,
Phil Perkins.
Thanks for the encouragement Phil. Let us know if there is anyway we can help. Prayer will be offered for sure. I have some free gospel tracts that I make if interested.
Keep commenting!
Keith (KCO)
Kenny and Keith:
It seems great that you have such convictions. I have enjoyed my friendship with you dudes. Apologetics, evangelism, heresy hunting, youth ministry, all are part of the Christian experience. I hesitate to say one is more important than another. Perhaps there is a season for each. Phil seems like an intellectual Christian, based on his lengthy and perceptive comments. Some of the Websites which are linked to this Thinkerup are amazing as well. Like Laodicea and Christian World View, that type of stuff.
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