Posts Tagged ‘Bible’

Taking that next Step…

Posted: December 21, 2014 in Tough Times
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It occurred to me recently that after the last few years of posts here on IronManStrength that I could possibly be taking something for granted with my audience…Simply put, I write to men who as believers, travel down the road of life and deal with everything that entails…pain, difficulty as well as happiness and joy and all of the above. But one thing may be true about you that I have failed to address and that is the very simple act of becoming a Christian.

You see, you can read this blog and hopefully feel somewhat encouraged and even moved to change…but if you have not placed Christ inside your personal heart, then you have missed the crux of what I speak about. Otherwise, these posts are just stories for men who hope to feel better. Although I confess that my goal is to give a strong support to guys out there who just need a lift, at the heart of why I write is just simply…God. I believe that He changed me on the inside from a tough piece of old leather to someone who is a little bit more affected by the heart of God.

What that means to me is that all of us were put here for a reason…some of us know what that reason is…while others might still be searching…and that’s ok. As long as you are moving forward, that still counts as positive. My point is, along our way we gain callouses when dealing with life and that is NOT the way God intended things to be. His original plan was far better…but that’s another blog post altogether. God understands that the journey you are on can be painful and over time, that pain changes you, on the inside and out. The reality is that we, MEN, tend to become like that old piece of leather I was talking about earlier…literally so calloused ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
that we miss out on why we are here…that is where being a believer comes into this conversation. The only way we can hear Christ is to be tapped into the heart of God and the only way to tap in…is to be a believer…

So with the help of some friends, we put together a very simple “How to become a Believer” including the prayer you must pray in order to let God know YOU mean business. Please know this is a very simple process but once you commit, you will need to get connected with a church that believes similarly to you so you can keep your heart linked to Him. Walking with God isn’t one time and forget commitment. God desires a relationship with you, and that means everyday…

How to become a Christian

  1. Understand and believe in your heart that God Loves YOU. I know this can be very painful for some of you out there simply due to the fact that this world does NOT exude love. Plainly put, this world sucks at giving love. But please understand me when I say that the God I serve loved YOU, so much that He sent His son to die so that we might have eternal life. In my book, that is an exhibition of the truest love there is…

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

  1. God has an amazing plan for your life! You were NOT put on this earth be just vanilla, with no color and barely any taste. You were put on this earth for something special. Now I understand that for some people, the word life and special probably don’t go together but hear me when I say if you haven’t had God in your life up to this point, He is the one who can put things together in a way that you would not have even expected.

I have come that they (YOU) may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)

There are 5 verses in the book of Romans in the Bible that explain the “Road to Salvation” for all of us. Read these next…

  1. Very simply…because you were born into sin, you are separated from God.
    For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  (Romans 3:23)
  2. The Penalty for your sin is death.
    For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
  3. I have good news for you…the penalty for your sin was paid by Jesus Christ!
    But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
  4. If you repent of your sin and then confess and trust Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will be saved from your sin! It is that easy…

For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.  (Romans 10:13)

…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9,10)

Once you read these verses and confess your sin to God…and most importantly, believe in your heart that God can do all of these things…then pray this prayer with me:
Lord Jesus, I am like everyone else – I can’t make it through life on my own. I am imperfect and I’m prone

to sin. I have come to realize that there’s nothing in the world I can do to make myself acceptable to You.

But I know that You have loved me so much that You were willing to submit to the cross and die on my

behalf. That is an act of grace so amazing, that I cannot understand it; I can only accept it. And I do. I

accept Your free gift, the gift of salvation and along with that, you into my heart, and I know that from this

moment on, I am saved. I am a child of God. And I give the rest of my life to serving You and experiencing

the joy that only You can offer. Fill me now, dear Lord, and raise me to walk in the newness of life. I thank

You and praise You! Amen.

Now that you are a “new creation” in Jesus Christ, the road ahead will be full of life-changing experiences. Growing in knowledge and understanding of the Bible and your Christian walk with God is essential for your spiritual growth.

If you prayed that prayer, I am so very happy for you. Your name was written in the most important book of all, The Lambs Book of Life and from this day forward, you are truly…not alone.

I have more for you next time but for now, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from IronManStrength Blog.

Until next time Guys…

 

 

 

 

 

 

God Incomprensible

Posted: December 14, 2014 in Inspirational
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Incomprehensible

Have you ever stopped to consider the sheer massiveness of God? And I just don’t mean His size. I mean in every way humanly possible. I say humanly because simply by that fact we are bound in what we can think and know about God.

Recently, I have been reading everything I can get my hands on about God, our Creator, and the undeniable fact of His incomprehensibility. Simply put, he cannot be explained in a manner that befits Him. Human speech is far too limited for this exercise and I find myself searching for more answers. Moreover, all of this reading only makes me realize how truly BIG God is and how much I DON’T KNOW and honestly, that just makes things more difficult.

How do we think about God with our limited ability to even comprehend Him?

To clarify perspective even more, A.W. Tozer said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us” …about US. Which means if we were able to extract a complete answer to that question, we might be able to predict the spiritual future of that man.

But realistically guys, who really thinks about this besides really smart theologians? Have you ever taken the time to think about God at anytime or anywhere in your life? My guess is probably not. But don’t feel bad because in reality, most guys don’t because we don’t understand this subject well enough for it to even matter to us. The purpose of my post today is simply to explain why you should care and better yet, why you should seek God on your own to learn more about Him. Let me assure you guys up front, your personal search for Him will not go unrewarded.

We are told throughout the Bible that mankind has been created in the image of God and that makes us unique amongst all of His creation. The fact that we can think and speak makes us different. In other words, you and I can look at each another and what we see around us and as a result, can derive certain things about the image of God and who He is.

The problem as I see it is that mankind starts with such a poor idea of God the Creator that it denigrates the dignity of who He is. When you grow up with a limited understanding of God and who He is and the only information about God is what we learn on TV or maybe in a University then to me it’s very clear why 80% of today’s millennials say they are not Christians or “God-fearing” believers.

For those of you who may think otherwise, God is not hiding from us. He is not an illusive God who thinks mankind is His game and sometimes He is around and other times He is not. When we think like that, we put God in a box and I think we do this because that way, He can be more easily understandable to us.

In other words, we try to fit God into our minds but the problem is…He doesn’t fit…because our God is truly…God incomprehensible.

But before I go to far with all of this “incomprehensible” stuff and lose you, let me simply say that God’s plan for us to better understand Him came in the form of His son Christ Jesus. Without Him, the gap between mankind and God could not have been breached.

For those of you who have an inner core desire to seek God and desperately search after Him…there is a reason for that longing. Tozer said,

“The yearning to know what cannot be known, to comprehend the Incomprehensible, to touch and taste the Unapproachable, arises from the image of God in the nature of man. Deep calls unto deep and the soul senses its origin and longs to return to its source.”

Guys, simply put…inside you there exists something that longs God. As a believer, something is inside of us that desires Him and by seeking God with all you have, you are following His desire for you. He wants you to return to Him and the beauty of all of this is He gave you Christ to make it so easy. Christ said this in Matthew:

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7

My point is simply all YOU have to do is ask…

I started this blog by telling you about the incomprehensibility of the God we serve and how can we even begin to think about something so massive? I am ending it by telling you to remember what He gave us to help us do that…

He gave us Christ and that my friends, is all we need to remember…

Have a blessed Holiday Season my brothers.

Merry Christmas from IronMan Strength,

I leave you with this video from Pentatonix…

Until next time guys…

Why can’t Life be easy?…revisited

Posted: November 30, 2014 in Inspirational
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Four years ago, I wrote a blog post simply called Why cant life be easy? Because it kind of fit where I was at that point. Well today, 4 years later, I have reached into the archives because it seems to fit yet again for me. Sometimes none of us can understand the ebb and flow of life’s changes both personally or collectively as a family and how they affect us. Waves roll in and out with some being just annoyances while others knock us off our feet completely. This post is just to serve as a beacon along your journey to NOT give up. Stay the course and stay strong for the people who love you. I hope you enjoy the new and improved version of Why can’t life be easy…

 

Have you ever wondered why God allows or even requires the Christian journey to be filled with pain, problems, unhappiness and sometimes misery? Because I have… Why does God put so much emphasis on perseverance, or striving for the prize and winning the race like it says in Philippians?

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

Why cant the Christian walk be more like a Sprint instead of a Marathon?

I believe that all the lessons and experiences we learn through life; the “Iron Sharpening Iron” moments like we read in Proverbs 27:17; the falling down and getting back up opportunities, but most importantly and through the adversity, is our ability to keep our eyes focused on Him in spite of whatever is set against us…

Because the reason why the Christian walk is a marathon and NOT a sprint is because God intended life to be truly ALL about the journey.

God watches how WE handle the problems we face in this world…are we the kind of guy who gives up and just walks away? Or do we get back up on our feet and keep forging ahead?

Guys, listen to me here because I truly believe that the ones that can pick themselves up from the problem and still keep their eyes on Him…They are the ones that I firmly believe God has chosen to surround Himself in eternity.

 

Life is hard…there I said it…but don’t just give up and let it overwhelm you! Fight back…

 

One of my favorite warriors of the Bible was David who wrestled with these very same questions. Look at what he says to God in Psalms:

Why, O Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Psalms 10:1

The reality is that David, one of the greatest men in the Bible, struggled just like us. He wrestled with pain and suffering and he cried out to God continuously…and do you know what?

God did NOT forsake him.

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, Lord, for you have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalms 9:9-10

Guys, this post is titled, Why can life be easy because many times we cant help but ask that question. I encourage you today, as we move into the holiday season to remember that God hasn’t left you during these times of difficulty but rather He is right there next to you lifting you up. Just hang on and trust because someday here is what we, the ones who have persevered, have to look forward to:

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21: 3-5

Guys, enjoy the journey that you are on and keep the faith because ultimately you will overcome.

 

Until next time Guys…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is it so Hard to Just Believe?

Posted: October 18, 2014 in Tough Times
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I know that a great deal has been written about Abraham, the patriarch of the Old Testament and honestly far more than I could ever begin to convey in a single blog post. The same thing can be said about how many times you or I have heard someone speak about this Abraham in our lifetimes. He is not only important to the Christian faith, but also to Muslims as well because he was the father of Ismael, who as it mentions in Genesis 16:12, was against everyone.

This man will be like a wild donkey. His hand will be against everyone, and everyone’s hand will be against him; he will live at odds with all his brothers.

Interesting verse, isn’t it? But let’s get back to Abraham because he does something in his lifetime that caused God to award him with status that I know all of us would give anything to have. God saw something very different in Abraham that gave Him confidence in knowing that He could essentially start over with the Jewish nation. Abraham was special in the eyes of God and that has always struck me…what made him different? What did he do that would cause the Creator to think in his mind, “that is my guy”? “He is the one I am going to work with” “I am gambling on him”.

When you read about Abraham you can see right away that he is a doer. He is a man of action when the situation calls for this. He wrestled with God over the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. He rescued his nephew Lot and his family when they were captured. But what I found most interesting with the story of Abraham is that “doing” is not what caused God to find so intriguing about him…it was Abrahams “believing” that actually moved God. In fact, the verse in the center of this post is what made me write this in the first place is in Genesis:

Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:12

Think about this for a moment…for the very first time in the Bible, we see faith and righteousness mentioned together. Why is this so important? Because of this statement:

By Abraham just simply believing in God…down deep his heart, God gave him a right standing or a “different” standing with Him.

Abraham’s heart was turned toward God in an enduring trust, obedience and submissive relationship. Because of that rock solid belief, it changed his status with the Creator of this universe. Abraham didn’t conquer the greatest army in the world or climb the highest mountain…all he did was believe, and that belief caused his position with God…to be BETTER.

Guys, in almost every post I have ever written here on IronManStrength, I have expressed the fact that living in this imagesworld, as a Christian, is not an easy road. I don’t say that to depress you, I say it to encourage you because of the amazing journey we are all on together. What I find extremely encouraging about the story of Abraham is simply the fact that even though what he saw in front of him was contrary to what God told him…He still believed. Here was a guy who was told his offspring would out number the stars and this would all begin with his very own son…and he was over 100 years old and his wife was a ripe young 95…but, guess what? He still believed…

Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.”  He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then the Lord said to him, “So shall your offspring be. Genesis 15: 4-5

Guys, hear me out for a second…how does this really apply to you? How does the story of some old guy who lived over 2000 years ago make a difference to any of us right now? It’s simple really…

Abraham had problems – we have problems

Abraham had struggles – we have struggles

Abraham had family issues – all of us have family issues

God spoke to Abraham – God can speak to us

The difference:

ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD

Not lip service…but real belief…that is truly what it comes down to guy’s…actual belief that God can do what He says He can.

When you believe God inside your core that He can be trusted…your relationship with Him changes. When you are obedient and submissive toward God and not allow that arrogance inside all of us to show through…things will change.

I encourage you to take your own belief to the next level by trusting God.

Establish a “right standing” with Him…

Do you Believe?

Until next time guys…

 

 

 

 

The Christian Marketing Plan

Posted: October 4, 2014 in Something to think about
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Marketing Plan

Has anyone ever accused you of over thinking an idea or a plan? Maybe you were looking at something at work and you analyzed it so deeply that you lost the point in the first place? I am referring to the condition of “paralysis by analysis” sound familiar?

I was recently reading in Luke’s gospel where Christ pushed the disciples out of the proverbial nest and sent them out to spread His gospel and heal the sick in order for Him to determine if they actually learned anything because of the time spent with Him. I think the most interesting portion of these few verses was the fact that God didn’t send his disciples out with the Christian Marketing Plan or lets say, a better planned journey? No, that was not His way. Instead, He sent them out with empty hands.

 

Jesus called the Twelve together. He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to heal sicknesses. Then he sent them out to preach about God’s kingdom and to heal those who were sick.

He told them, “Don’t take anything for the journey. Do not take a walking stick or a bag. Do not take any bread, money or extra clothes. When you are invited into a house, stay there until you leave town. Some people may not welcome you. If they don’t, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town. This will be a witness against the people living there.”

So the Twelve left. They went from village to village. They preached the good news and healed people everywhere. Luke 9:1-6 NIV

 

Why would Christ ask His disciples to begin ministry this way? Why would He specifically send his disciples out and tell them NOT to bring anything, or pack anything, but rather just go? He gave them advice and then told them to depart. He didn’t send them to classes or make them read and test out on the basic tenants of the gospel. He also didn’t load them up with the 5 steps to salvation books.

Does that sound like a great marketing plan for spreading the gospel to you?

Well, that’s the interesting part because to you and me, Christ’s marketing plan doesn’t look like much of anything that would ever succeed, let alone thrive for a couple thousand years. But as I have mentioned here before in this blog, God does not think like you and me. Christ had a very different idea in mind for His disciples while out on the road. He didn’t want them to over think any planning or preparation for this journey but rather fully rely upon Him for the strength. He didn’t want them to focus on the worry that comes from planning the itinerary, but rather focus entirely on Him for guidance.

If I were to analyze myself, I would say I’m a guy who is proactive and more of a planner than not…I do tend to spend certain amounts of my time in preparation for whatever challenge I’m about to take on and I would also say that in some cases, I probably do over think and over plan more than I should.

Now, please don’t misunderstand me here. Christ is NOT coming down on planning or planners like you and me, but rather he’s making a distinction between the “action” versus the “preparation”. In reality, all of us, during any planning process can over think something and then experience the aforementioned paralysis by analysis.

My point is simple, when it comes to just getting out there and doing something or saying something for Him,

Christ’s plan for us is very simple;

JUST DO IT…

Don’t hesitate

Don’t plan

Don’t worry

Just do

All He wants is your “doing”.

Our only job is to trust in Him exclusively and rely upon Him to take care of our needs by providing us the necessary words when we are required to speak. That is exactly the same advice He gave to his disciples.

He just told them to go with the clothes on their back and their empty hands.

To some of you who will read what I am saying you will think this is absolute craziness. There is NO way you would or could ever consider anything I am writing here. Without a plan, it is NOT happening…

Sounds like you may be paralyzed?

All I am asking from you is to just think about the real Christian Marketing Plan…

When the opportunities present themselves…just go…just speak…and He will take care of the rest…

 

Until next time guys…

 

Perseverance

Posted: September 5, 2014 in Inspirational
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perseverence

I was walking through our plant the other day and noticed an employee really struggling with a machine he was trying to operate. This guy was working hard, sweating and really under some pressure but what I found strange was his boss was nowhere to be found? As I surveyed the area closely, my eye came across his supervisor far off in a corner…almost hidden. When I went to see what he was doing, he told me he had his eye on this guy from a distance and he wanted to see how this young man would handle this equipment problem on his own. I turned around and looked back at the employee again with his head underneath the machine trying desperately to get the thing to run right and then I looked back at the supervisor…Clearly he noticed the look on my face and he said, “this is the kind of problem that can produce perseverance in someone”. I said, “perseverance?” where did that come from?” He said, “I have been doing this a long time…In my younger days, I would run right over right and help the newbies every time they needed help…but I learned over time, this method really didn’t help them…What they needed was to persevere through the problem until they figured out the solution on their own, then they became the kind of operator I wanted working for me”. I said, “Very impressive…and I agree with you”. But of course, that got me thinking about his lesson to this young man. So I went to the dictionary and I found the word; perseverance:

Continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition.

Wow…I know the word and I use the word all the time but when I saw what it meant, I was kind of shocked. Perseverance was the word that was meant for our Iron Sharpens Iron blog audience…this is the foundation we are built upon because perseverance is exactly what God wants Christian men to have…a little fortitude…a little toughness and a whole lot of perseverance.

Even more important, God has something to say on this subject and I found the scripture to back this up for us:

Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4

So now it makes perfect sense right? Do you remember that poor guy at the beginning of my post that was struggling mightily to get that piece of equipment to run? Well ultimately… he was successful and that success has made him a better employee…all because of the simple test his boss put him through…but I will point out one key point here…

HE DID NOT GIVE UP…He kept at it, even though it was hard…

And that is why God tells us that the testing of our faith produces perseverance. He already knew before you were made all of the various predicaments you were going to find yourself in that ultimately would be opportunities to show that you can “get up off of the mat” when you are knocked down. So don’t just lay there…get up!

If you are a Christian, you will be tested. If you are tested, then hang in there because you just read a few lines ago that this same testing and adversity will produce a character quality that is huge for you…perseverance…

Because when you finally achieve the ability to keep on, keeping on, in other words, perseverance. God will truly look down from heaven and smile on you…why?

Because He understands everything YOU went through to get there and He admires the person you became as a result…

Let me leave you with this verse:

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12

Until next time Guys…

Sins Destructive Purpose

Posted: August 23, 2014 in Something to think about
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All of us have had friends or even family that chose to go a different way other than Christianity and for those people in our lives, we continue to pray that they will someday soon, see the light that is waiting for them…In today’s post, I want you to focus on that choice they made and why they made it? Here is what I mean; what was so attractive about sin that made them change their course in life and move towards it, rather than Christ? Now you say, “they didn’t choose sin, they chose (insert choice here)” In reality though, if you did not choose Christ, then you did choose sin. Here is why I think that way…

I have titled today’s post Sins Destructive Purpose because I wanted you to have a better understanding through symbolism, of what sin is and what sin does…

What Sin is:

Sin is dark, Sin is thick, and Sin is dense

In my real life, I work with ink in the printing world and there we have what we call regular black ink we use all the time, but we also have something called dense black for specific applications. Dense black is filled with an overabundance of black pigment to make it ultra-black and highly opaque. You cannot see through dense black and therefore, light cannot pass through. One more point, if you get dense black on your hands, it doesn’t clean off…it takes several times of cleaning to lose the severe stain it leaves.

Please understand that sin is the same way, it’s filled with the darkness of the worst kind and it has a disgusting ability to stick to us. In fact, it’s like dense black like I mentioned above, because even when just a small amount gets on you, sin just doesn’t come off.

Sin has an Odor

Without being completely disgusting, you can think of the worst experience you have ever had that involves smell…road kill, skunk, changing a diaper…the smell of sin is far beyond our ability to imagine. It infects, permeates, and overwhelms an environment like nothing else. Sin is a “senses overwhelming” experience…that CANNOT be hidden. If sin is near, and you are tuned into its presence as a Christian, it cannot hide. However, believe this or not, the stink of sin is attractive at some point…otherwise why would so many people go that way?

What Sin does:

Sin is Alive

Sin is a disease that understands you…and you are a fool if you think otherwise…sin is driven to destroy. Sin’s only purpose is destruction. Satan is behind sin…he controls its desire to seek, hunt, and attack and YOU are in his crosshairs. When you move, it moves. When you think…it stops to wait to see what you are going to do…then it reacts. Sin is the ultimate in negative interactivity…

Guys, After reading the above, you probably feel like you need to take a shower but I felt impressed today to share the reality of what sin really is so you are prepared for defense. The bottom line is right now, you have the same sin as I described above, in you or on you and if you don’t do something about it, well, I think you know what ultimately will happen.

Let me briefly share with you an experience that Christ had and how it moved him when he encountered sin. There is a story in the New Testament about a friend of Christ that was ill and then died shortly after that. His name was Lazarus. Jesus was in another city and when he got word of his friend’s illness, he delayed another two days before leaving (you will have to read the story to understand why he did this) but when Jesus did arrive, he encountered a great deal of sadness and weeping people that leads us to the verse I want to share with you:

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. John 11:33

In this instance, why was Jesus so deeply moved in spirit and troubled? After looking into this further, I found that Jesus was grieved and angered by all the misery resulting from sin, Satan, and death.

The anguish He saw around him saddened him greatly, but it actually made Him angry even more. Jesus hates sin for all of the reasons I showed you above because of what it does to you and me…He hates sin. And guess what? He wants you to hate sin as well…Look at Hebrews 1:9;

You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”

I am not going to leave you hanging though…sin can be defeated through the redeeming power of what Christ did on the cross. All of the nastiness I described above can be wiped away by simply submitting to Christ’s plan for you and most importantly, asking for forgiveness…

Today’s title was Sins Destructive Purpose; which means, God has a plan for you, but so does Satan and for any of us to think otherwise is certain death. Guys, I care about you enough to be truthful to you and to share what I think is important for you in your own spiritual lives. Satan seeks to devour and God seeks to save…is sin really that attractive when you know what happens at the end of life’s story?

You get to make the choice…

I choose to eternal life…what say you?

Until next time guys.

Can there be Power in Weakness…?

Posted: June 9, 2014 in Something to think about
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Most of you who read this blog are guys and so I am going to give you an all guys blog today. So here we go…

Guys like strength. We like war movies. We like Captain America movies. We like old-fashioned football when a running back breaks 10 tackles and scores the game winning touchdown. Strength is something we can identify with as a man. We find ourselves measuring each other up all the time. That pick up game of basketball against the new guy or when we see some huge muscle-bound guy in the gym…we are always looking at strength…and deep down inside, we like it.

I believe that is part of the reason WHY we do this is because we have always done it. Throughout centuries, countries have fought other countries by using their strength to overcome one another. Men have always done the same thing. When you pick the starting lineup on any team you are on, for any sport, you always take the strongest, or at least the ones you think give you the best chance to win…

Strength. If you are a guy well then it is as a part of you as the air you breathe.

So here is my question to you…if strength is who we are as a human race, then why didn’t Jesus Christ use it when He came to this earth? In fact, I submit to you that rather than use Power in Strength, He used exactly the opposite…He used Power in Weakness. Think about it. He didn’t come on a horse with a broad sword, he came as a baby, in a simple stable. He wasn’t victorious in a battle while here on earth like we would identify with, instead, He went to the cross and died.

What kind of strength is that? Is that something we can all rally behind on the battlefield…Power in Weakness? Again, I submit to you…yes…

As I have said to you before, God doesn’t think like us. His plans will always be different from anything we would come up with…Moreover, the Apostle Paul wrestled with this very same question when writing to the Corinthians in chapter 1:18-31 when he said,

Jews demand signs (miracles) and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified; a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

And then Paul goes onto say:

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

 But the question is still why? Why would God choose to proliferate the gospel using Power in Weakness rather than Strength, something we can all identify with?

The answer lies with Paul and his “thorn in the flesh” issue. You see Paul pleaded with God to take away what many think was that he was partially blind on 3 separate occasions and each time he was told no. Finally Christ responded to him directly by saying:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Did you pick that up? Christ’s power is made PERFECT in our weakness…which is completely opposite of how we “humans” would have created things had we been involved. God’s plan all along was to create a relationship with us whereby we are reliant upon Him for our needs. His plan was never to use strength to overcome all odds and capture our salvation like we see in the movies. God simply says trust in me and I will take care of the rest.

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 Look guys, I get it. This blog does not have the climax that maybe you thought was coming…and honestly, I find myself identifying with strength still…but the point is, part of my journey in my walk with Him involves learning more about Him and why God uses power in weakness primarily when dealing with us.

Bottom line is this…

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” 1 Cor. 1:27-31

Brute strength will not get you to heaven…but a humble and pure heart before God is sure a great start…

Until next time guys…

 

 

Memorial Day, 2014

Posted: May 26, 2014 in Inspirational
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As I sit here in this Memorial Day and enjoy the sun and the peace, I am reminded of everyone who paid the ultimate price, their lives, so that I can enjoy this very moment. That commitment to country, and the knowledge that death may come as well, is recognized by our military men and women everyday and I for one thank them for what they do for all of us. They understand that being in “harm’s way” is a part of the job and the requirement of a United States soldier.

This week I fly back to Ohio and watch my own brother “pin on” as a USAF Colonel and then see him deploy for a year inside the Persian Gulf. He is going into a dangerous country, and into harms way because that is where they need him. Even though the Persian Gulf  is not his first choice, he will go there because that is where HIS duty and his country call him. Personally, I will miss him, yet I know both he and I will trust in God to bring him home safely.

As I have said many times on this blog, I do not understand why things happen the way they do in this world and if I just took things at face value, I would be bitter and confused. But instead, I choose to look at things differently. I understand that man is doing his thing on Earth while God watches intently and inserts Himself into our lives constantly. Sometimes we see His hand and sometimes we have no idea He was there. What we do know is He is continuously working because Gods word tells us that He is. If you were to ask me why some soldiers come home from battle and others don’t, I could not tell you why. But I do know this; God is not like you and me. He does not think like us, nor act like us. In fact, He tells us that specifically in Psalms 50:21:

 When you did these things and I kept silent, you thought I was exactly like you….

Instead of trying to ask the questions like “WHY” something happened, we should simply be trusting in Him completely to take care of our loved ones, even though they are in danger…God knows and God cares. He may not handle the situation exactly like we want (in fact, I can guarantee you He won’t handle it the way you would) but I do know that ultimately, He has yours, and your loved ones, best interests in His heart.

Remember the Bible tells us in Proverbs 3:5-6:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.

America is a country of grit and determination and yet it was founded on the principles I have stated above…so on this day as we remember the many Patriotic Americans that have fallen in service of this great country for all of us, let us remember to trust our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who gave the ultimate sacrifice for all of us…so that we could remember and would remember…

Thank you service men and women for all the great sacrifices you have all made in order for me to enjoy where I am right here and right now…

In God we trust…

God Bless America…

Until next time guys…

Christians are Just Hypocrites…

Posted: February 9, 2014 in Something to think about
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I had a great conversation with a friend of mine recently who was working very hard at making the point with me as to how Christianity can actually work when all Christians are just hypocrites? He pointed out that every time he sees a Christian, they are failing miserably at living out their stated beliefs rather than conforming to more of what Christ is all about and he can’t understand anyone would do that? If Christians are truly committed to Christ, why do they fail?

The objective of this post is to summarize the answer I gave him in order for all of you to see if you agree with me in my breakdown of his question. Any constructive feedback is welcome here.

“First of all”, I stated, “The failure of some people to live according to their stated beliefs does not invalidate Jesus’s claims to be God.” I wanted to first separate the issue…we have Christianity and the claims of Christ and then we have all of us, who are working each day to be more like Him and to his point, failing. Just because some Christians fail to live out Christianity in their personal life does not mean that Christianity and what Jesus claimed was false. Christianity is a personal choice that one makes inside their own heart and the more that person allows God to change them, the more they begin to conform into a more “Christ-like” person. In reality, everyone is different and each Christian, who has allowed God into their lives, has done so at varying degrees and therefore is experiencing God at different levels.

Secondly, the Bible is also very clear that Jesus alone is perfect, and it is honest about the failures and weaknesses of His followers. Remember these were the guys who lived and worked right next to Him. His disciples in the book of Mark were constantly making mistakes and even arguing amongst themselves as to who was the greatest among them. Each and every day, we go about our day working towards perfection but fully knowing we will never reach that goal.

Thirdly, Jesus taught that there will always be false teachers and fakes (Mark 13:6, 21-22) who pretend they are Christians but who are not and this is still true today. There are false teachers among us working to eliminate Christians from the ranks of Christ. False teachers pretend to be something that they are not, and that alone can cause anyone who does not have a strong faith in Christ to fall. Those people aren’t hypocrites, they are Christians with no roots in Christ and the allure of their former life was/is simply too strong for them to resist.

Finally, I told him, “Everyone is a hypocrite in some sense”. No matter how hard we try, we are sinners and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 2:23). That fact alone can cause some professed Christians to sometimes be hypocrites…but Jesus calls those who follow Him to change and grow more like Him; that is our responsibility as one who follows Christ. As I told my friend, don’t be discouraged if you have met some Christians who are not yet perfect. They will never be on this side of eternity.

We are all just a work in progress…

Until next time guys…

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