Archive for April, 2023

How Comfortable Are You?

Posted: April 30, 2023 in Something to think about
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After watching the chaos and mayhem of this world over the last few months, it is clear to me who is in charge…our collective enemy, Satan. Moreover, if you have ever read any of my posts, you know that  I have talked about “navigating the path” we all face as Christians during this critical time. Things are not easy for believers. Especially when I watch what is happening in the United States towards the people of our faith I find myself stunned. We are truly under attack. That statement is not meant to scare you but to remind you…

But…the name of this blog involves comfort. So you may ask how do I get from the statements I made above to being comfortable? That is what I want to talk about today. You see, even in the midst of this storm I mentioned above, there are Christians that don’t feel the pressure of this world against them. Frankly, to me, IS the scary part. Why? Because they have gotten too comfortable. Here is what I mean-

Ahh, yes… “Comfort” has become one of our favorite words, and most effective tools. Because when you’re comfortable, you don’t rock the boat. You don’t challenge corruption. You don’t take any chances on greatness. You don’t critically look at yourselves. Nefarious, “A Nefarious Plot”. Page 23.

If you do not know what Nefarious is, look it up. It is a movie and a book by Steve Deace that is written by a demon who is a General and works for Satan. The paragraph above is important because it illustrates my point; if you(me) become too comfortable with your(our) personal situation(s), then you(me) are NOT a threat to the enemy.

Look at what Christ says about this topic:

Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12:25

So do I read that correctly? If I love my life I will lose it? Jesus was very clear in this verse about a Christian’s responsibility to hate his life while in this world. PLEASE understand me…There is NOTHING wrong with being happy… But being satisfied or comfortable with your situation; meaning you are in neutral and no longer in pursuit…those are the people Jesus is referring to. This behavior comes across to God as you only need Him when you are in trouble. So my attitude might be now with my house, my job, $ in the bank, my friends, and my local church…I am pretty comfortable. I have it going on…

Let me put it another way; when the things of this life are more important than your eternal future; When your desire for earthly success becomes more of a pursuit than your personal pursuit of God, that is what I am talking about today…and  I am desperately trying to wake you up.

If you love this life on earth, you WILL lose it. It is that simple. 

Guys, the remedy to all of this is a relationship with Christ that is ACTIVE. Not just on Easter and Christmas when you might attend church. It is a daily choice you make to seek Him. 

What I find interesting is that some guys approach a relationship with God with a“one and done” mentality. What I mean is, they say, “ I spoke to God when I was 10, and after that, I was a Christian. I haven’t actually prayed to Him since”. Let me be honest…THAT WILL NOT WORK.

What I have found is that you should approach your Christian more like being a member of your gym. If you regularly exercise, you probably are a fit person. If you don’t, then you are not. It is exactly the same way with God. If you participate in an active relationship with Him, YOU will know HIM and He will know you. 

If you don’t pursue Him, He will tell you at the end of your life, “ I never knew you”. Don’t believe me? Read this…

And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. Matthew 7:23

The bottom line…for you and for me is from Jeremiah 29:13-

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

When He says, ALL of your heart, He means it. He knows when you are apathetic and are simply just “mailing it in”. You have to make the choice and then work at it. I urge you to consider this post wholeheartedly and DO NOT get comfortable.

Until next time Guys-

Deace, Steve. (2017) “A Nefarious Plot.” Nashville, Tennesse. Post Hill Press. Page 23

Rules to Teach Your Son – Part 2

Posted: April 16, 2023 in Father
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This time we are continuing on with the previous post called “Rules to teach your son”. If you did not read the previous post, you need to as this list just finishes off that list. As I mentioned last time, I would like to give credit to whoever wrote this however, I have no idea who did…but we can enjoy this great list anyway.

I hope you enjoy them and if you have the time, leave me some feedback on which one is your favorite.

17. Never be afraid to ask out the best-looking girl in the room.

18. Never turn down a breath mint.

19. A sport coat is worth 1,000 words.

20. Try writing your own eulogy. Never stop revising.

21. Thank a veteran. Then make it up to him.

22. Eat lunch with the new kid.

23. After writing an angry email, read it carefully. Then delete it.

24. Ask your mom to play. She won’t let you win.

25. Manners maketh the man.

26. Give credit. Take the blame.

27. Stand up to Bullies. Protect those bullied.

28. Write down your dreams.

29. Take time to snuggle your pets, they love you so much and are always happy to see you.

30. Be confident and humble at the same time.

31. If ever in doubt, remember whose son you are and REFUSE just to be ordinary!

32. In all things lead by example not explanation.

Guys, if you can teach your son to grow up and understand the need to be strong, yet humble, wear a sport coat, behave with manners, and love their mom…you did a great job…

Until next time guys-

This man they call JESUS

Posted: April 8, 2023 in Inspirational
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He was the GREATEST man in history 

He, who had no servants yet they called Him MASTER

He, who had no degree, yet they called Him a TEACHER

He, who was not a Doctor, and He had no medicines, yet they called Him a HEALER

He, who had no army, and no military experience, yet Kings feared HIM

He, who had won no military battles, yet He conquered the world

He, who committed no crime, yet they crucified Him

He, who was buried in a tomb, and He was resurrected, and yet HE LIVES TODAY

HE LIVES TODAY

YES…HE STILL LIVES TODAY

Happy Easter to you 

Happy Resurrection Day

Rules to Teach Your Son – Part 1

Posted: April 8, 2023 in Father
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A few years ago, a friend presented me with this list called “Rules to Teach Your Son”. Some of them are solid and others funny but mostly good advice. One thing to point out is that some of these are not rules, but rather important things you should know as a young man, like #14…REALLY important to know. Keep in mind that you probably won’t agree with all of these, but that is part of the fun.

I always want to give credit where credit is due but in this case, I do not know where these rules originated so I cannot.

Finally, there are a total of 32 rules so I am going to split them up into two posts. I hope you enjoy them and leave me some feedback on which one is your favorite.

And so here we go…Rules to Teach Your Son-

1. Never shake a man’s hand while sitting down.

2. Don’t enter a pool by the stairs.

3. The man at the BBQ Grill is the closest thing to a king.

4. In a negotiation, never make the first offer.

5. In the Hotel, request the “late” check-out.

6. When entrusted with a secret, keep it.

7. Hold your heroes to a higher standard.

8. Always return a borrowed car with a full tank of gas.

9. Play with passion or don’t play at all…

10. When shaking hands, grip firmly and look them in the eye.

11. Don’t let a wishbone grow where a backbone should be.

12. You are completely missing the point if you need music on the beach.

13. Carry two handkerchiefs. The one in your back pocket is for you. The one in your breast pocket is for her.

14. Remember, when you marry the girl, you marry her family.

15. Be like a duck. Remain calm on the surface and paddle like crazy underneath.

16. Experience the serenity of traveling alone.

Again, all in fun and I hope you enjoyed them. The remaining Rules to Teach Your Son will come in my next post so stay tuned-

Until next time guys-

The Devil is a LIAR

Posted: April 5, 2023 in Tough Times
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The more and more I learn about our common enemy, the devil, the more I am continually amazed at his deception tactics. Simply put; he will do whatever is necessary to destroy you. Now we all know that he is a liar. In fact, he is called the father of lies according to the red letters of Jesus below…

…He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44b

Satan’s foundational character at his core is to lie, and his number one job is deceiving you and me. One of my favorite authors Erwin Lutzer said this, “Though Satan is at war with all of humanity, his special attacks are aimed at those whom he knows will belong to God forever. Conceivably dialogues such as those in the book of Job are still happening today”. Look at it this way, he thinks that if he cannot keep you from heaven, then at least he can keep you from being useful on this earth. 

As a result, every single day,  Satan whispers in your ear because he can. Yes, he has the ability to inject thoughts into your mind that you think are your own. Lutzer also said,” Satan wants YOU to develop confidence in YOUR  ability to handle the consequences of disobedience”. If he can do that, you become desensitized to hearing anything from God. When you can’t hear from God, then despair can set in and that can be Satan’s greatest weapon toward you and your family.

So what do you do?

Lutzer tells us that “a life of praise to the Lord is one of the most effective weapons against the enemy. Satan hates praises to Jesus and we can use those praises against him”. I love that. Just humming one of your favorite praise songs is a deterrent to the enemy!

Secondly, it is imperative that the power of God, or the Holy Spirit is active in you. And this happens through your faith in Him. Then…each day you can claim the assurance that the Spirit WILL be active in your life, daily. Remember, you received Christ by faith, and since then, you walk by faith, again, daily. Because of this, the Spirit can make us free and keep it that way.

Guys, it does take effort each day for you to participate. Look at your situation like this; warriors “suit up” before they go to battle. Police Officers and soldiers wear body armor. Roman soldiers wore breastplates and carried shields…all for protection from the blows or bullets from the enemy. Essentially, you must do the same thing by wearing God’s armor and protecting yourself.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Eph 6:11-12

Guys, this is just a simple reminder that our battle is for our eternal souls, and you can’t take days off from thinking about this. It requires time spent and solid effort from you every day to connect to God. That is what He asks and that is what we must do. No more and no less.

Until next time guys…

Lutzer, Erwin. (2015) Gods Devil, Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers. 162.