The Place of Power

Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me.

Acts 1:8 (KJV)

   Look at it! Think of it! A hundred and twenty men and women having no patronage, no promise of any earthly favor, no endowment, no wealth—a company of men and women having to get their living by common daily toil, and busied with all the household duties of daily life—and yet they are to begin the conquests of Christianity!  To them is entrusted a work which is to turn the world upside down. None so exalted but influence of this lowly company shall reach them, until the throne of the Caesars is claimed for Christ. None so far off but the power of this little band gathered in an upper room shall extend them until the whole world is knit into brotherhood! Not a force is there on the earth, either of men or devils, but they shall overcome it, until every knee shall bow to their Master, and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord.

   A thing impossible, absurd, look at it as you will, until you admit this—they are to be filled with the Holy Ghost. Then difficulties melt into the empty air. Then there is no limit to their hopes, for there is no limit to their power. Their strength is not only “as the strength of ten,” it is as the strength of the Almighty. This is Christ’s idea of Christianity; the idea not of man—it is infinitely too sublime—the idea of God!—Mark Guy Pearse

Where's your source of power?

The secret of peace within, and power without, is to be always and only occupied with Christ.

E. Schuyler English

Robert Green's 48 Laws

   Robert Greene’s “48 Laws” are very repulsive to me. He is not seeking to be a good communicator through these laws but to simply play his cards right and gear the noise and environment to get his agenda across. His laws have dangerous implications because they teach how to cleverly put a facade on in one’s communication. The goal of being ethical and moral in interpersonal communication is to be real and sincere with people, to treat them as you would want to be treated. For the sake of space, I will only address two of Greene’s laws: 3 and 32.

     Law 3 says “conceal your intentions.” Greene proposes that by concealing your true intentions you can keep others constantly guessing what you are up to and thus keep them from building any good defenses against you. I disagree with this law because it is immoral and unethical to simply try to keep people beating around the bush so they cannot respond to what you are truly saying. In my life, I have struggled with one individual who was my leader because he always seemed to conceal his true intentions and not really lead the group. He was in an important position that was supposed to involve teaching and mentoring, but he did not even appear to try. He would shift directions so fast that people of all ages got frustrated. He was “the leader” but did not really have any followers because of his mysteriousness.

      Law 32 says “play to people’s fantasies.” Greene continues to explain this law as one that avoids truth because people view it as “ugly and unpleasant.” Instead, he encourages that one should cater to people’s passions and dreams to gain a large following. This one is simply evil. Deny truth to win a following! Truth is essential. Without truth, there will be no freedom, growth, or lasting results. Jesus said that He was “the way, the TRUTH, and the life” (John 14:6, KJV). In addition, Jesus taught that “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32, KJV). It may seem foolish, it may seem crazy, but Jesus Christ changes people. When a person truly comes to Him and becomes His disciple, then he will be transformed by Jesus—the Truth—and he will be truly free. Many men and women have been freed from the chains of a past filled with crime, drugs, and abuse because of Jesus Christ. It may seem foolish that people find freedom in someone that lived 2,000 years ago, but it is true. In prison rehabilitation programs, Bible-based programs continue to have the largest success rate. Why? Because there is such a thing as truth and its foundation is Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:20, 1 Corinthians 3:10-14). Jesus did not lie to people. He taught truth and many times was even very blunt. His following was not build by manipulation, but by communicating honestly and sincerely. Any following that is built by deceptive practices is inherently evil. And just because a communicator deals honestly and sincerely with his audience does not mean that his message is true; however, it does mean that he has ethically “built” his following.