MOMENTUM

Our good friend Steve was asked to run a men’s group night and the Lord put the key word ‘momentum’ on his heart. He asked us to do a leaflet for him and a funny aspect immediately grabbed our attention – moMENtum!

It’s definitely an action word, meaning ‘force of a moving body; impetus gained from motion.’ A good word in respect of male who are normally considered as ‘men of action’ wanting to be moving ahead in all of life.

But sadly many men feel discouraged and helpless because of circumstances or some spiritual enemy. It can be in the work place, family life, even poor health or lack of vision. Whatever the pressure they’re blocked, they’re motionless and just can’t move ahead.

Steve’s key scripture was 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (GNB): ‘We are often troubled, but not crushed; sometimes in doubt, but never in despair; there are many enemies, but we are never without a friend; and though badly hurt at times, we are not destroyed.’

Paul
Paul was God’s New Testament man of action - no matter what challenges he faced, no matter what or who his enemies, he could write with confidence that he would never be defeated! He had supportive friends and, more importantly, knew the greatest and most faithful of all friends, Jesus, whom he knew would never let him down.

So even when things were difficult, Paul would be fired up in the Holy Spirit and was a force to be reckoned with. Act 9:22 (Message) tells us that even suspicions about his conversion ‘didn't slow Paul down for even a minute. His momentum was up now and he ploughed straight into the opposition, disarming the Damascus Jews and trying to show them that this Jesus was the Messiah.’

What had happened to make him such an impetus? Seven things: He had met the living Christ, been converted, baptised in the Holy Spirit, received a miracle of sight, water baptised, relaxedly ate a hearty meal, mixed in fellowship with the brethren and then swung into ministry action! No holding this guy back - he was a man of momentum!

Note verse19…it tells us that after the meal (he hadn’t eaten or drank for three days) he was ‘strengthened.’ This is enischuō indicating being invigorated, having and exercising force.’

Jesus
Jesus himself was a man of action. Acts 10:38 (Message) is a favourite scripture of ours in respect of his ministry and attitude to life: ‘Jesus arrived from Nazareth, anointed by God with the Holy Spirit, ready for action. He went through the country helping people and healing everyone who was beaten down by the devil. He was able to do all this because God was with him.’

The Jesus kind of ministry is an everyday opportunity ministry wherever/whenever we meet people with needs. But Sunday church can be a special time/place to allow the Holy Spirit to move in his supernatural power. Mark 3:4-6 tells of one such time when Jesus was aware that narrow-minded religious people were ready to oppose his moving in momentum to bless.

The Message version says: ‘He spoke to the people: "What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?" No one said a word. He looked them in the eye, one after another, angry now, furious at their hard-nosed religion. He said to the man, "Hold out your hand." He held it out - it was as good as new! The Pharisees got out as fast as they could, sputtering…’

Men (and women, of course)
Paul has much to say about Christians whatever age - women too, not just men -  being Spirit-filled people of action and momentum. For example Romans 8:5: ‘Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them - living and breathing God!’

1 Corinthians12:6 speaks of God’s heart in this: ‘God's various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all.’ Paul’s Colossians 3:2 command is clear! ‘Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ - that's where the action is. See things from his perspective.’

This is definitely for every Christian, not church leaders and not just men. Obviously God wants us all to be free – unbound by anything that causes us not to be a man or women of momentum.

No wonder James writes: ‘But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God - the free life! - even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action’ (James 1:25).

Action
This signifies God’s plan for your life. It involves your talents and skills, past and current training, life’s experiences, hopefully your dreams in God, the fulfilment of his promises for you in 2014.

It can begin simply with guys under pressures being helped by the fellowship of Christian mates who understand and want to give a hand in climbing dangerous mountains. Again an encouragement for Paul… Galatians 6:2 ‘Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ's law.’

This is the law of love - John 13:14 - and it’s the same for women reaching out to encourage and bless other women.

Moving ahead

May we all move ahead this year and in so doing advance the kingdom. It happened in Jesus’ day simply because he moved in the Spirit to help needy people mentally, emotionally and physically – it can happen today too.

‘Jesus used synagogues for meeting places and taught people the truth of God. God's kingdom was his theme - that beginning right now they were under God's government, a good government! He also healed people of their diseases and of the bad effects of their bad lives. Word got around the entire Roman province of Syria. People brought anybody with an ailment, whether mental, emotional, or physical. Jesus healed them, one and all. More and more people came, the momentum gathering’ (Matt. 4:23-25)

Followers of Jesus are people of action – a moving force!