Two-Twelve | July 2010: Commanded to Love

By Bryan Hutson

Every year The Kingsmen are booked to perform at a very unique event; The Superman Celebration in Metropolis, IL. Metropolis was the city where Superman/Clark Kent lived. In 1972, the town of Metropolis adopted “The Man Of Steel” as their native son.

The Celebration is filled with activities centered around the comic book legend. When Superman was killed in the comics a few years ago, the town had an actual funeral in front of the courthouse. During the Celebration, people dress up as “Superheroes” for a contest, and to be honest it’s quite humorous. I have to give them credit- I WOULD NEVER dress up in an all spandex outfit and walk around in public!!

A few times, that day, I caught myself saying “Now, HE doesn’t look like a Superhero to me.”

Then, it got me thinking….(You knew it would)

See, just because those people dressed like “Superheroes”, didn’t mean they really were. So..if people just spent a few hours around me- would they BELIEVE I was a Christian?

My actions, my language, what I looked at on the internet, or the way I handled myself, would they suspect I was a man of God?

2 Corinthians 5:17 says “Former things have passed away, behold all things are new.” Are the former things still there? Yes, we are sinful by nature. Yes, we war with our flesh. Yes, we have an enemy who is SEEKING to devour us, but are we truly FIGHTING back?

Is there clearly a change in our life?

Do we wear the cape, even have the “S” on our chest, but are we merely just “Playing the role”? Do we put on the “Outfit” at church on Sunday or around our “Church friends” and we are back to being Clark Kent the rest of the week?

Superman could withstand anything, except Kryptonite. Kryptonite was a rock that was a fragment of his home planet; Krypton. His arch enemy was Lex Luthor. Lex KNEW that Kryptonite could destroy Superman. Don’t WE realize that The Enemy (The devil) knows what can harm us? Sure he does. My “Kryptonite” may be different than yours.

Without God’s Power in our life, we can be crippled by our “Kryptonite”.

Superman is a fictional HERO, so how do WE become a REAL HERO? To God, our family and friends?

If our relationship with God is RIGHT, then we will be a better husband/wife, son/daughter and friend. So-are we WORKING on our relationship with God? Do we read and APPLY His word to our lives? Do we spend time praying, listening and following His voice? Brian Sanders says: “We do a great job at reading the TRUTH, but have a terrible time APPLYING it.”

My wife; Yvonne and I are also reading “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan. Originally; I thought this was a “relationship book.” Wow- it is, however, it is a “God Relationship book”.

This book has affected in many ways. (And we are not finished with it yet.) Francis Chan says “Most people ONLY want to make a change in their life, when it affects our salvation.”

We give God our left-overs. What a thought. We are selfish, arrogant people who usually only talk to God with “911 Prayers.”

Francis used the example of wanting to join the Marines in High School. He was ready to join up when he saw all the commercials and posters of the Marines. He noticed they RAN everywhere! BUT, he hated to run.

Could he join and say “Ok, I’m going to join, but can you let me SKIP all the running?” Of course NOT!

Yet- when we accept Christ, we want His blessings but want to SKIP over certain commands!

John 14:15-21

15 “If you love me, obey[d] my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,[e] who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.[f] 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20 When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”

We are commanded to love God and one another.
1 Corinthians 13

1-“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it;[a] but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance”.
“Crazy Love” calls for us to substitute OUR name for the word “Love”
4 BRYAN is patient and kind. BRYAN is not jealous or boastful or proud 5or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 BRYAN never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance”.

I cannot read that and say “Yes, that is me.” I suspect you can’t either.

This note/blog is not meant to depress you, but to challenge US. God’s grace covers your faults and weaknesses. He wants EVERY PART of OUR lives. He wants us to walk in victory and be HEROES of the faith; testifying of His goodness and mercy.

Pray this prayer with me…
Father God- Forgive me. You love me and proved Your Love through Your Son Jesus. May I share that love with others. I want to be a true man/woman of God. Guide and direct me in Your path. I don’t want to “play the role,” but rather be a “Hero of the Faith.” Father- cleanse me so that I can serve You with my whole being, everyday of my life. Use me to reach the lost, encourage other believers. Create in me a pure heart. Thank you for saving me and hearing my prayer.

~

Bryan was born in Batesville, IN.  He began playing the drums for his family group “The Woods Family” at the age of 13. Later in 1984 Bryan along with his brother Jim and cousin formed the group “The New Generation”.

In 1993 Bryan joined “The Heartland Boys”. “The Kingsmen” asked him to join as lead vocalist in 1996. In 1997 he was awarded “Favorite New Artist” by the subscribers of the Singing News Magazine. He was nominated “Favorite Lead Vocalist” for 5 years.

Bryan retired from the road in 2001 to become a Worship Minister at a dynamic church in West Virginia. He returned to southern gospel music when he joined “The Blackwood Gospel Quartet” in late 2005 as their lead singer. In February 2007 Bryan returned to “The Kingsmen” as the Baritone vocalist and Emcee.

Bryan’s hobbies include surfing the internet and spending time with his wife Yvonne and family; Alexa, Jordan, Jake and Bailey.