My friend Randy Golter is in Davenport Iowa as a Pastor. I met him in Colorado where he was Pastor at my brothers church and would later become the Rocky Mountain District President. I haven’t heard from or about him in a long time until I read this blog.
To Knock the Hell out of You.
It was called Hell Week, way back when in the early 1970s. I joined a fraternity like my two older brothers. It’s what you did as a Golter. I knew no other.
So, the first-year pledges went through Hell Week, yes, very silly. No use in detailing the ridiculous. There was discomfort, even pain.
I suppose the process was to knock the hell out of you, whatever that was.
The next year, this Golter became the presiding chaplain over the whole affair. Naïve, yes, especially when during seminary days at St. Louis I re-read my pledge book and saw how thoroughly unchristian it was in describing Jesus.
Well, you learn.
Consider this: Jesus’ sending out of His Twelve on their trial mission trip (Matt. 10: 5 f.). In His name, they were to teach, preach and heal. But they would be hated, flogged, “dragged before governors and kings for My sake,” (Matt. 10:18).
This was not some kind of joy ride. Jesus’ intent was to knock the Hell out of them.
“Oh, My dear disciples, this is for your good!”
“Yah, right, Jesus, for our good.”
We’re into staying in our little church world, secluded. We attend bible studies and prayer circles. But we never bring up religion. We like this kind of Christianity. Just leave the other stuff out.
What stuff?
· Like getting dragged into court for speaking biblical truth.
· Refusing to bake a cake for a gay couple.
· Saying only a woman can be a mother, and only a man can be a father.
· A child does best when he has both a mother and a father.
“Don’t you know that I say this because Jesus loves you, and so do I.”
“Pipe down you hater. You bigot. You racist.”
“Say, don’t you belong to that Trinity Lutheran Church, the one on the hill…”
“Uh, er, well, I used to but not anymore. You know that Missouri Synod is so full of rules and hatred.”
“Ah, that’s good to hear. Say, how about I take you out for lunch to Duck Bistro downtown, you know, the place where no prices are listed on the menu.”
Jesus’ purpose is to knock the hell out of you.
He’s going to knock the theology of SELF-glory out of you.
It’s not about you, your name, your comfort, your reputation, your status, but His.
More of Him and less of you. Then you confess humbly the truth, with childlike confidence and joy only in the Savior. That’s your safe spot.
You’re not disposable property but prized by the Father. He spilt His Son’s blood for you.
Verbal assaults and worldly pleasures won’t be your concern.
Eyes will be fixed on the Savior, hearts rejoicing over grace, and a deep yearning for others to know Him.
The bruised and broken need you. They need Jesus.
And, some will believe.
Speak.
