The Secret To Super Strength

The Secret To Super Strength

I’ve got two secrets to share with you. The first one is experienced by most pastors. The second one is rarely experienced by anyone. Pastors don’t get calloused hands from pastoring. Neither do they generally puff and sweat from their normal pastoring duties. Yet at the end of a day of pastoral duties, most pastors are exhausted. But why? Personally, I found this phenomena quite confusing. While I hadn’t spent the day digging ditches or laying bricks, I had often spent the day just listening to people and praying with them. In between those appointments I’d be preparing discipleship material, getting two sermons ready for Sunday, and marking students’ assignments. Then I’d be exhausted! I eventually discovered what many pastors also come to realise. And this is where I will share my first secret with you. Pastors find pastoring physically exhausting. (This secret also somewhat applies to doctors, politicians, counsellors, therapists and others.) This secret confirms something that the Bible reveals about being human. Each of us are a unity—a composite— of a physical body, a spiritual soul, and an intellectual mind. You might scoff at me calling this a ‘secret’, but I think I have proof to back my claim.

¶ Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
First Thessalonians 5:23

I was listening to the award winning novelist, Andrew Klavan, who gave a speech at the Acton Institute describing his journey from being raised a Jew, living as an atheist, then despite his fame and acclaim, attempting suicide—only to find that the God he refused to believe in actually existed!  He said,

Multi-award winning novelist, Andrew Klavan

I was in despair. I was sitting alone in a dark room, plotting my own death. I was repeating over and over in my own mind, the mantra, the words – I don’t know how to live, I don’t know how to live.

A baseball game was playing in the background. A hero of mine, a catcher by the name of Gary Carter, he had hit a ground ball single. After the game and interviewer asked him, how he had managed to beat the throw to first base because his knees has been ruined by sitting the Catcher’s Position for so many years?

Carter was a devout and outspoken Christian. He was always talking to interviewers about ‘Jesus Christ’ this, or his Jesus that. I absolutely hated this about him. Every time he did it, it made me shudder, like someone had dropped a worm down the back of my shirt. If he’s praised Jesus that day, I would have ignored him. But oddly, he didn’t mention Christ at all. Instead as I sat there reciting to myself ‘I don’t know how to live’ – Gary Carter said simply ‘sometimes you just have to play in pain.’ Those words struck deep into my heart. I seized on them instantly. I thought, I can do that. And I made the decision to live.

Klavan went on to say that it took him another 10 years before he gave his life to Christ at the age of 40. He had believed the lies of a godless culture that human beings are nothing more than the result of a fluke in biochemistry. Humans were, as he had believed along with other cultural elites, nothing more than “meat”—soulless meat; just a bunch of chemicals. After he became a Christian, he saw things quite differently. He realised the truth of the Bible’s claim that God had made mankind in His image as a body-spirit composite, a ‘soul’. If you deny this, he realised and observed, you treat the ache in your soul as a ‘chemical problem’ needing a chemical solution. He calls this the “Materialist outlook.”

This materialist outlook is so pervasive now that it affects all of us, even those of us who have faith, treat ourselves as if we are just meat and chemistry. Listen to the way we talk. When we’re excited we say we’re having an adrenalin rush. When we are happy, we’re having a dopamine rush as if the chemicals cause the emotions. Which doesn’t even make sense when you think it through. We take medicine for depression as if our spiritual distress were a chemical event. I’m not opposed to the judicious use of medications but isn’t it odd that with all these anti-depressants available, suicide rates in the USA have risen 33% in the last 20 years?!

What Klavan is describing overlaps into the two secrets I need to share with you. The first one I’ve already introduced. Because we a body-spirit composite, when we are spiritually drained, we can simultaneously feel physically drained as well. What Klavan has alluded to is my second secret: because we are a body-spirit composite (a “soul”) we can find a source of strength that no gymnasium equipment, training drill, dumb-bell, or diet program, could ever deliver! 

HOW PETER DISCOVERED THE SOURCE OF SUPER STRENGTH

In my previous Pastor’s Desk, I wrote about Peter being challenged by the resurrected Christ three times to demonstrate his love for Jesus. Each challenge involved serving others. What I didn’t highlight was what happened to Peter before this uncomfortable series of challenges. When he realised it was Jesus on the shore, he dived into the water and swam to shore. We are not told what transpired between Peter and Jesus. Maybe not a word was exchanged. Back on the boat though, in response to the command of Christ cast their net on the other side of the boat to the frustrated fishermen who had spent all night in vain to catch a fish, they hauled in an enormous catch of large fish. Despite there being ten men in the boat, they struggled to bring their catch in to the shore. Seeing their struggle, and having just sat in the presence of Christ, Peter single-handedly goes to the shoreline and individually does what 10 men could not do—he drags the net onto the beach! (If you look closely at the page of your Bible you will notice that the apostle John’s dropped lower jaw impression is still embossed onto the page. )

¶ Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. ¶ When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn.
John 21:4-11

Because we are a body-spirit composite, or to put in the same terms as C.S. Lewis, “You do not have a soul—you are a soul!” it is possible to be physically strengthened by being spiritually strengthened! Just Peter experienced a physical super-strength by being still in the presence of Christ, we can too. This strength not only applies to our physical well-being. The same principle can strengthen a family, who come together to be in the presence of God.

Seek the LORD and His strength;
seek his presence continually!
Psalm 105:4

The New Testament reveals this secret source of strength over and over again. Notice how the Book of Acts describes the early believers being strengthened.

When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
Acts 14:21-22

The early Christians, who faced enormous pressure and trials, were repeatedly strengthened by the preaching of God’s Word—the Gospel. There were strengthened by their mutual encouragement as they gathered together. They were strengthened by God’s grace as they worshiped together. They were strengthened through prayer and in particular through the prayerful laying on of hands (Rom. 1:11). 

Could you use some extra strength? How about some secret super-strength? It’s my hope that this becomes one of the worst kept secrets in our valley! There you have it. I’ve shared my two secrets with you. Now, make sure you do tell it to someone.

Pastor Andrew

How To Strengthen Others

INCREASE YOUR STRENGTH

¶ We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
Romans 15:1-2

Ever been weary? I have. Weariness comes in different varieties. There’s physical weariness. There’s emotional weariness. There’s intellectual weariness. And there’s spiritual weariness. I’m pretty sure from personal experience that all four are interconnected. Two football teams can play off in the Grand Final and exert exactly the same amount of physical energy. At the end of the game one of these teams will feel energised while the other team will feel exhausted! Emotional weariness has a bearing on our level of physical strength. Would you like to know how to increase your four-fold strengths quickly and easily?

Awesome is God from his sanctuary; the God of Israel—He is the one who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!
Psalm 68:35

After you’ve been married a while you experience times when you’re down and your spouse is up. Or, put another way: there are times when you’re weak, and your spouse is strong. In a marriage, these roles change back and forth. Strength is imparted between a husband and a wife with words, forgiveness, and a touch. Sometimes these strengthening touches look like your husband or wife taking you by the hand and saying, “Come on. Let’s go for a walk.” But the strengthening power of a word, forgiveness (and acceptance), and a touch don’t just work with husbands and wives to strengthen each other. It can also bring strength between family members, friends, work colleagues, team mates, and church members.

¶ Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
First Corinthians 16:13

SOURCES OF STRENGTH

You could exercise. I probably should exercise more. What do they say? “No pain, no pain!” Or something like that? There is of course a proportional amount of gain to achieved from the pain that comes from the self-discipline of taking the time and effort to exercise. Whenever I see someone who is obviously well toned and quite fit, I have to conclude that they are a highly self-disciplined person. But physical exercise is not the only source of strength.

¶ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
Ephesians 6:10

I watched a documentary on the world’s fittest man, Rich Froning, and was amazed that during a five day fittest tournament he ate pizza and drank soda! Although Rich looks like a body builder, his muscles aren’t for show – they’re for work! Each day during his physical tests of strength and endurance, he would burn the equivalent energy of several large pizzas! As I write this, Kim has just handed me a large chocolate cookie with white choc chips. According to the ABC3 For Kids Operation Ouch Doctors the other night, it takes the equivalent amount of exertion involved in running a marathon to burn off the amount of ‘energy’ found in this delicious cookie which I just devoured. That reminds me, food(if we can stoop to call anything chocolate to be “food”) is also a source of strength. 

Each of the four categories of strength has its equivalent forms of exercise and food. It’s an intellectual exercise to learn a foreign language. It’s intellectual food to be taught by someone else has to speak and read that same foreign language. it’s emotional exercise to keep loving  someone who is being unkind to you, while it is emotionally nourishing to be shown love by someone.  

A STRENGTH THAT COMES FROM GOD

¶ I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service,
First Timothy 1:12

The Scriptures describe and discuss a mysterious strength that comes from God. This insight helps us to see that strength might be prioritised in its interconnected order as-

1. Spiritual > 2. Intellectual > 3. Emotional > 4. Physical

Many people feel tired and run down and immediately assume that the cause is entirely physical. They may go to the gym or their GP for remedies. But sometimes all the gym or a doctor can do is treat the symptoms. The underlying cause goes untreated. Oddly, this became evident to Rich Froning, the world’s fittest man! He bombed out terribly in a fittest tournament that he was expected to win easily and this made him realise a truth he had been avoiding. Rich had worked hard to be able to tick boxes 4, 3, and 2, but realised that his spiritual life was lifeless and that it was having a dramatic effect on his intellectual, emotional, and physical well-being. He sought God and soon found the missing strength he longed for. He wanted to declare to the world his new-found faith in Christ and his commitment to Him. You’ll notice how he did this down his right side –

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:  whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
First Peter 4:10-11

If you need strength – and need it quickly – then the above two verses are gold! God gives strength to His people through His people!!!! If you think of God’s strength as being like magnetism. The more a paper-clip of screw-driver hangs out with a magnet, the more likely it is to become magnetised! The more you hang out with strong believers the more their strength is imparted to you! God’s design for His people to fellowship with each other is not just about accountability, it’s about imparting strength to the weary. I think our Enemy knows this. This is why he seeks to isolate believers because by doing this he can cut them off from their means of receiving God’s strength. 

If you’re feeling a bit weary and the Enemy whispers slyly into your soul’s ears that it’s time to have a break from Christian community – HE’S LYING TO YOU! 

Strength from God comes from asking Him for it and most commonly it comes from the strength He places within your Christian brothers and sisters who love you. You should spiritually exercise. You should spiritually eat. But in the meantime, you can spiritually be refreshed by following God’s ordained means for imparting his Grace-Strength to you through the fellowship of believers – especially strong ones. These believers can be identified in a few not so obvious ways. They don’t always look very religious. But they love God. Their love God is like the love that two people in love have. Just as people in love want to spend time with each other, the fully devoted follower of Christ wants to spend time with God. They don’t pray because they should or have to, they pray because it means they can talk with the One they love. They don’t just occasionally read the Bible. They prioritise time in God’s Word each day because it means they can read God’s love letters to them and learn His language. When they are around people they take an interest in them. Almost involuntarily, they find themselves praying for these people. No matter difficulties they are dealing with, they always seem to make you feel like your problems are their greatest concern. When you hang out with people like this, you can’t help but feel stronger yourself! 

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:24-25

Be strong!

Amen.

Ps. Andrew Corbett

Strengthen Yourself In The Lord

First Samuel 30:6...But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

Are you looking after yourself? People pay mega bucks to repair their bodies or to firm them up. Some people will make frequent visits to gyms and fitness clubs in order to strengthen their bodies. But what do you do "to strengthen" yourself "in the Lord." King David knew what to do.

I wonder what he did?

Do you recognise the times when you need to strengthen yourself in the Lord?

It must have been harder for David to become strong in the Lord than it is for a Christian today. Today, we have the knowledge of Christ and His work on the Cross that strengthens us (Romans 16:25). We are blessed with experienced believers who the Lord uses to strengthen us (see Acts 14:22; 15:32; 16:5). We can be strengthened when we yield to, fellowship with, and ask for the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:16). We can appeal to God anytime, anywhere, in any spiritual condition, for God to strengthen us by His grace (giving us something we don't deserve, see 2Tim. 2:1; Hebrews 13:9; 1Peter 5:10). This strengthening grace of God comes to us through the Body of Christ- our local church. Just being in church on Sunday with God's people in an atmosphere of worship for Jesus, the sacrament of Holy Communion, the sacred declaration of God's Word so that believers are made and strengthened, personal prayer from others, and careful fellowship (see Hebrews 10:25 and 1Peter 4:10).

We are strenthened in the Lord when we share the Gospel with others - especially when it is difficult to do so (2Timothy 4:17). We can also be strengthened when despite how we feel, we take time out to pray-

Hebrews 12:12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees

Are you looking after yourself? Are you strengthening yourself in the Lord?

Revelation 3:2a Wake up, and strengthen what remains.

Amen.