The Power Team

by Joey Davis

They call themselves. . . "The Power Team." The Power Team is a group of Pentecostal weightlifters who masquerade as preachers of the gospel.

This group of men canvass the countryside performing in gymnasiums and large auditoriums. During their show, they lift great amounts of weight, break large chains with their bare hands, and perform other feats of strength while preaching about Jesus Christ.

On the surface, this seems a great way to reach kids with the message of Jesus. After all, The Power Team performs to groups of teens and adults that number in the thousands per performance. However, the underbelly of the situation is different.

These preachers trot out on stage wearing shirts that expose more than their muscles. . . they expose their hearts. The message of Jesus was intended to be preached by those who desire to attract attention to the Savior, not themselves. The power of the gospel is in the words of a self-revealing God, not the arms of His disciples. This is a form of exploiting the gospel.

What further sickens me is the real message of this sideshow. Their actions say, "look at us . . . we're real men. And we love God anyway." The message seems unavoidable. . . being a real man means being attractive. . . with muscles to spare. Sorry folks, the minute I saw this group of he-men, my "baloney detector went into red-alert mode.

If anyone wants to meet a real man, don't rush up to a Kurt Russell, Clint Eastwood, or Bruce Willis. If you are interested in meeting a real man, let me introduce you to my friend Jim.

Jim is a gospel preacher. He has been preaching for over fifty years. He is neither handsome nor muscular, but in the grand scheme of things he is impressive. He has brought thousands to the Lord through his teaching and preaching, led the brotherhood against destructive forces, and even has a building named after him on a college campus. Yet that's not why he's a real man.

Jim is a real man because every morning, he awakens next to a wife who hasn't known him for years. She has Alzheimer's disease. He goes to work only to return home the same time every day to awaken her, bathe and dress her, and feed her. Everyday, with no days off for good behavior, he cares for a woman who probably wonders who this nice man is and why he's taking care of her. You see, to me, Jim is a real man because when he promised before God and men to love, honor and cherish, in sickness and in health. . . he meant it!

Jim exemplifies the power of Jesus. So if you want to see a real power team. . . check out Jim and men like him. They're the only real men I knew that deserve the title "Power Team."