With Jesus We Can Do it All

There is no such thing as a secular job for a Christian. I have had several jobs as an adult and every one was a spiritual task. In some of them I was able to openly proclaim my theology and ideas and in others it was forbidden to be open.

No matter because I was aglow in the Spirit in every job. My model was Jesus. In fact, for three years I taught Muslims and I never spoke openly about the need for Christ. Every person knew I was a Christian and spoke with me as if I were a Christian. In fact, one leader asked why I was different from other Christians. I asked what she meant and she said, "You listen to us.Most Christians only preach at us and do not respect us."

Who was my model? Jesus gave us the way to do it. And it is the only way that can possibly succeed.  He told the disciples that he would ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to be our Counselor.  Now I am a counselor. I have a Masters and a Doctorate in counseling and have taken many postdoctoral seminars, workshops and training programs. However, many, many situations are way over my head and too much for me to understand let alone solve.

While at Ground Zero counseling first responders and workers, I was overwhelmed by their stories and concerns.  Here I was, standing next to the scene of a great tragedy where thousands of people had died, and we desperately needed Jesus in the flesh.  If only He had been there to offer His touch and love, healing would have been more complete and miracles would have been numerous.

But He was not there in any flesh except mine and several hundred more believers who came running because Jesus had redeemed them and called them to show His love to others. Had not the Master Teacher, the Great Physician and the wisest man who ever lived said it was better for Him to go away I would not have believed it? Still I wonder if we don’t really need Jesus because I know we are so weak.  

Jesus promised that when the Spirit came "You (we) will do far greater things than I have done."  I am often faced with people who are terminally ill, chronically sick with mental disorders or overcome with the loss of a young father. I have a problem: I cannot raise them from the bondage of sin or the bondage of disease. What did He mean? It certainly cannot mean that Gary Sweeten could do more than Jesus as an individual. I certainly do not and can not perform more miracles, evidence more wisdom and carry out more world evangelism. No, He meant something far more profound.

His truth lies in the power of a worldwide communion of the saints and a local, caring community. Only in a community of believers can we raise the level of functioning to something that is greater than that of the Man-God Jesus. Only then are we able to do greater things than Jesus. When we meet together in His Name, the Trinity is with us and that makes the whole greater than the sum of the individual parts.

Jesus gave us the secret ingredient when He said, “You will have the Holy Spirit with you and in you.” This was radical. In the Old Testament a few particular people had the Spirit WITH them but no one had the Holy Spirit IN them. With the Creator of the universe both within and with us we can grow deep in God as a community. Our collective Intelligence Quotient, Emotional IQ, Practical IQ as well as our Spiritual IQ will soar and the world will know God’s love, truth and power. 

 With the Holy Spirit with us and in us we can retire from our striving and hard labor. Listen, give space for God to work. Stay out of His way. Laugh with those who laugh and weep with those that weep. Pray for the sick and see God work. 

One day I was invited along with my friend Jon to attend a big Muslim celebration. We sat in a place set aside for visitors and were quietly wondered what to do in such a strange place. Suddenly, one of the women who had been in my class came up to us and shouted, "Dr. Gary, have you been praying for my family and me? I know you have. I can feel your prayers."

I mumbled a quiet "yes" hoping not to be noticed but it was too late. Everyone was looking at us. But my anxiety was wasted because everyone there wanted to know what happened. My new friend told them all loudly she would fill them in later. 

Was her joy and relief due to my power and wisdom or to the presence of the Holy Spirit? Am I in charge of convicting unbelievers about sin, judgement and Jesus?  Do I save people? To all I can say a huge "NO!" But my interactions were anything bur secular.

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