Posts Tagged ‘Christian’

Why is it so Hard to Believe?

Posted: July 13, 2025 in Tough Times
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Much has been written and spoken about Abraham, the Old Testament patriarch—and far more than can be covered with a single blog post.

Abraham is not only important to the Christian faith, but also to Muslims because he was the father of Ismael, who as mentioned in Genesis 16:12 below, 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 did something in his life 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 to know that He could begin the Jewish nation. 

Abraham was clearly very special in God’s eyes 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”.

When you read about Abraham you can tell right away that he is a man of action. He was a complete doer when the situation called for it. 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 intriguing about Abraham was that his “believing,” not his “doing,” is what moved God. This is the central verse of this post is exactly why I wrote it.

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

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

By Abraham simply believing in God, God gave him a right standing or a “different” standing with Him.

God performed a transaction: Abraham’s belief = right standing with God

Abraham’s heart was turned toward God in an enduring trust, obedience, and submissive relationship. Because of that rock-solid belief, that 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.

In nearly every post I’ve shared on IronManStrength, I’ve highlighted the challenges of navigating this world as a Christian man. This isn’t meant to discourage you, but rather to inspire you as we are on this incredible journey together.

What’s truly encouraging about Abraham’s story is his unwavering belief, even when faced with what his physical eyes told him was impossible. Imagine: God promised him offspring as numerous as the stars, starting with his own son. And yet, Abraham was over 100, and his wife a ripe 95, when God made this statement and yet 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 and me? How does the story of some old guy who lived over 2,000 years ago make a difference to any of us right now? 

  • 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 HUGE difference:

ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD

It all boils down to genuine belief, not just lip service—a true conviction inside of you that God is capable of fulfilling His promises.

When you believe God in 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…

Having a God Mindset

Posted: April 12, 2025 in Tough Times
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For some reason, I have always loved the word mindset. It is one of those words that identifies your clarity or focus for whatever the topic might be. As an example, he or she might have an engineering mindset, which gives us an idea of what their expertise is. But when you apply God to the word mindset, you come up with a completely different category.

The apostle Paul did the same thing. In fact, he wrote about it in the first chapter of second Corinthians, where he said “now this is our boast: our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have not done so according to worldly wisdom, but according to God‘s grace.“ 2 Cor. 1:12.

The easy translation to this verse is Paul is actually boasting that his life plan is to remain faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ. If you are familiar with Paul at all, you will remember that he worked overtime NOT to boast about anything. What I find interesting is then only time he decides to actually boast, he tells us up front. And what is he boasting about? His God mindset.

Paul tells you and me that he made a choice. He decided that he would serve God. Period. Moreover, his service to God required a mindset at a whole other level to be successful. One that was focused exclusively on the Lord Jesus Christ and if you’ve read Paul, you know that he suffered greatly in this role. He literally has multiple near death experiences; he was shipwrecked, jailed, bitten by snakes, punched, and spit on… You name it, he went through it.

But what can you and I learn from Paul’s mentaility? Is it possible to have a God mindset in 2025 even with everything going on in this world? What about all the chaos in the mayhem we see each day on the news? Shouldn’t we be thinking about just hunkering down and weathering the storm? 

Guys, my answer is simple… Not only is it possible, but it’s critical that you and I maintain a God mindset, especially during these difficult times.

I have said this before and I’ll say it again… Our enemy is alive and well and he is looking to devour and swallow both you and me whole. If you and I don’t make the intentional choice to be strong about our “God Mindset”; I can assure you, we will be swayed In the wrong direction. And we cannot allow that happen.

That is my charge to you guys today. Having a God Mindset is for you to be intentional and focused on your Christian walk by making choices that identify who you serve. Let me clear; make “who you serve” obvious so that there is no question what side of the fence you are standing. When people look at you or speak to you, they know. More importantly, be that strong intentional role model for your wife and family.

Be like the warrior Joshua when he said below:

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15

Until next time guys-

Are you a Genuine Fake?

Posted: February 8, 2025 in Something to think about
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Here is some truth for you today-

In this new world of Artificial Intelligence that surrounds us, sometimes it is difficult to discern what is real and what isn’t. But if you remember, before AI we were (and still are) surrounded by “knock-offs” which are also artificial and trying to be the real thing.

I was reading a story recently where the author referred to a trip he and his wife to overseas and while they were shopping one day in a market, he saw a sign that read, “Genuine Fake”. This store was selling genuine “knockoff” jewelry and Rolex watches for just a fraction of the real cost. These items looked like the real deal from a distance but if you got closer, you could see it was just a cheap imitation.

I could not help but remember the parable that Jesus told in Matthew 13 about the farmer who went out to plant seeds in his garden. We learn that some of the seeds fell on different types of ground like hard soil, shallow soil, weedy soil, and of course, good soil. In the parable, the seeds represent you and me and the soil represents our walk with God.

You may already see where I am going with this post so let me be clear. Some of you truly seek God in everything you do each day. Jeremiah 29:13 tells us, If you seek me you will find me IF…. you seek me with all of your heart. You are the guys that believe that verse and apply it daily to your lives. In my last post, “Salvation isn’t Easy” I talked about this, because it isn’t. You, me, we have to work at it every day of our lives because we are surrounded by the enemy who wants to see us fail.

As you can understand, however, this post is not for you. Today, I am speaking to the seeds that did not fall into the good soil but rather fell somewhere else. You may be the professing Christian who attends a church service each Sunday,  but during the week you become a very different person. In fact, if someone saw you outside of the church, it might even be said you would not look like the person you profess to be. I heard this comment phrased another way:

If you were arrested and put into jail for being a follower of Christ, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

What I am speaking about is the depth of your conversion to Christianity. If you have no sense of humility or repentance then you are a genuine fake…and won’t inherit the Kingdom of God.

Let me quote my favorite author, John MacArthur, on this very topic:

The person received the seed of the gospel, but not into clean soil. The gospel germinated, but was choked out before it could come to fruition. The person with the weedy heart was never saved in the first place. We hearts may be willing to accept Jesus as savior, but not if it means letting go of the world. That is not salvation. Jesus said, “You cannot serve both God and man“ Matthew 6:24. And the apostle John wrote, “If any man loves the world, the love of the father is not in him” 1 John 2:15.

Guys, if it sounds like I have a sense of urgency for you, it is because I do. This is NOT a subject I take lightly which is why I urge you to consider your personal commitment to God. 

Remember, the world is temporary and not the destiny of a genuine Christian.

So don’t be a genuine fake

Until next time guys

MacArthur, John. The Gospel According to Jesus. Michigan: Zondervan, 2008

Salvation isn’t Easy

Posted: January 19, 2025 in Heaven Bound
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You may be stunned slightly by the title of this post but I needed to get your attention. I found myself in the book of Matthew recently where Jesus was finishing up His famous Sermon on the Mount. In that sermon, He literally blew listeners’ minds that day due to the power and authority that He spoke with. But that isn’t why I call your attention to that message today, instead, this is when He talks about the wide and narrow gates. Have you heard of this before?

Let me quote what He said for you so we are on the same page.

Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it. Matthew 7:13-14

Simply put, Jesse points out the two choices you and I have in life; the wide gate and the narrow one.

The wide gate is the natural choice from a human point of view. Why? Because mankind gravitates towards sin. Our raw nature prefers darkness and falling in step with what is going on around us. Unfortunately, many of us have chosen this wide gate because it is the path of least resistance. This path doesn’t ask you to limit yourself because there are no boundaries. There is even tolerance for sin just as long as you say you love Jesus.

One of my favorite authors, John MacArthur, describes the wide gate this way, “And, if you insist on taking luggage, the wide gate may be more appealing. It is marked “Heaven…it may even be marked “Jesus “…but it is not going to Heaven and it has nothing to do with Jesus. It is the gate for the religion of the masses, a wide open gate through which anyone can pass without jettisoning self-righteousness, pride, material possessions, or even sin. But there is no salvation for those who choose this gate”

Where does entering the wide gate take you?

Read Matthew 7:21-23

Alternatively, Jesus also talks about the narrow gate, but, more importantly, “few are those who find it”.

Why do so few people find the narrow gate? Because you have to look for it. Jeremiah 29:13 is clear when it says, You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all of your heart. The message of Christ does not conform to what we need but rather WE are required to do the changing. MacArthur also tells us “Jesus did not want casual followers,  but people willing to give their lives for Him.”

Guys, the bottom line for you and me, God intentionally makes the narrow path difficult. He demands that those who REALLY want to follow Him step out of the crowd and pick up His cross.

Like I said, Salvation isn’t easy. But His plan is for you to become a changed person inside your heart along your journey. What does “changed” mean to you and me? One who does the “will of the Father”. Remember, the test of true faith is whether or not it produces obedience…and that is what validates your Salvation.

What is your reward for living a life like this?

Eternal life with the Savior who made it all possible for all of us.

Until next time Guys,

MacArthur, John. The Gospel According to Jesus. Michigan: Zondervan, 2008

Are you making Plans?

Posted: December 21, 2024 in Something to think about
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Guys, first of all, Merry Christmans and Happy New Year to you and your families. I wish you nothing but the best in 2025.

If you can, please take just a few minutes and read this story in the book of Acts. This is about the beginning of Christianity and how once Christ had ascended into heaven, the Apostles were treated very nasty by the Pharisees. 

Acts 5: 17-41

In the story, the Apostles angered the high priest because they kept preaching in the name of Jesus and this man was looking for a way to kill them. During this angry meeting of the Pharisees, another Pharisee leader stood up whose name was Gamaliel (the same man who the Apostle Paul studied under), and gave the council some very wise words which are summarized in the verses below:

…So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God! Acts 5:38-39

As Christian men, we encounter obstacles everyday. Unplanned problems rise up in front of us and seemingly work to destroy carefully made plans every time I turn around. Does this ever happen to you? The plans you spent all your time on get squashed in front of your eyes? 

What I found was a huge encouragement when I read these verses above is what I want to share with you today…the very simple realization of: 

If your plans are just YOUR PLANS, they will fail…

But if they are of God, NOTHING can stand in your way.

Guys, let that resonate for a moment here. How many times have you made great plans for a project or a vacation or for that matter, your entire life? You may be busy organizing your finances or changing directions because of information YOU have that matters or refinancing or getting a line of credit or whatever…I can go on and on.

You are probably planning right now.

Guys, Please hear my words today…planning is NOT a bad thing…in fact, it is a very good thing to plan and look forward to the future…what I am suggesting to you today is to make your plans WITH GOD INVOLVED. Look to Him for the guidance in those plans, because as was said above in Acts, if your plans are with God, He will be your guide and get you there in once piece.

Now there is one caveat to this conversation which is your understanding that God has plans for you too and if you get Him involved, He will want to guide you towards His higher plan for your life which trust me, is the direction you want to go…

My plans and God’s plans don’t always align. But, when I’m in the midst of God’s plan for my life, I always emerge stronger and in a better situation than before.

So consider what I am telling you today because God is very clear when He tells us this from Jeremiah 29:11:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Remember the image above says, “We plan, God Laughs” so as you make your PLANS for this coming New Year, remember these words above. God has plans for you and for me…

Until next time guys…

The Story of Satan – part 6

Posted: February 6, 2022 in Something to think about
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So we have finally reached the last episode of The Story of Satan. Several weeks ago, we started this series together with the intent to learn more about our enemy who is the fallen angel Lucifer who is now referred to as Satan. Lucifer was God’s greatest masterpiece, whose creation brought glory to his creator so God placed him in a high rank in Heaven. This gave Lucifer access to the throne of God that the majority of angels would never have. But, as we learned, he became so enamored with his own beauty that evil grew inside him. 

So, Lucifer made his choice that would not only impact him but all the angels that followed him along with the humans that chose or still choose to follow him. The ultimate result of that selfish, sinful choice is what we are going to talk about in this last episode; Satan’s Future.

Can you recall a situation in your own life where you made a decision that had long-lasting effects on you…like for the rest of your life? Now that could be a good decision too, right? Your life or your faith? But then there are the ones that are not so good that have far-reaching effects on your life. 

This is why when you learn more about Satan, you see that his, “thinking he could be better than God” thoughts were just so short-sighted. Against all rational probability, Lucifer waged his will against that of God. This also meant that even through all of his efforts; his scheming, lying, and deception would ultimately still give God the glory. 

YES…this is exactly the opposite of what Satan intended to take place.

Honestly, the most bizarre part about our enemy was his myopic view of what he thought actually would happen. Because the reality for him was the very moment he said, “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God…. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” Isa 14:13-14, he was doomed to hell. 

And thus we have exposed evil for what it is: 

The desire to oppose God even with the full knowledge that in the end, the Almighty will triumph.

So now, if we take a step back and look around us, I think we can see that there is an accelerated intensity of evil on this earth. I do not know what the plans of God are but what I do know is that when God no longer needs Satan for HIS purposes, the end will come. 

All of that said, before Christ returns to this earth, things are going to get much worse for humans as Satan and his dark angels continue to step up all of their nasty business.

ALL OF THIS activity will act as the beginning of Satan’s final ruin and this will happen in 3 separate stages:

First, Satan is cast out of Heaven-

Now, there are scholars that believe Satan does NOT still have access to Heaven but I am not one of them. I believe that Satan still has access to Heaven even now and that is evidenced by the final war in Heaven where he battles against the mighty archangel Michael and is defeated. Satan is in heaven already but that defeat meant there was no longer any place for him in Heaven and he was cast out. 

Think about this for a second…Satan, who was created by God long before the world was created, and who had only ever known in his existence in both Heaven and earth…and now he was cast out of this place, permanently. God’s judgment is always final.

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. Rev 12:7-8 ESV

(By the way, if you didn’t notice, the dragon mentioned above is Satan, and “his angels” are the ones that followed him when he decided he had a better plan for his life than God did)

Second, Satan is bound for 1000 years-

At the end of the age, Satan is to be confined into the Abyss for a thousand years.

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him so that he might not deceive the nations any longer until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be released for a little while. Rev 20:1-3 ESV

Third, Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire

After his release he will make a final attempt to overthrow God; this act will result in Satan’s final defeat and his being thrown into the Lake of Fire.

And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.  Rev 20:7-10 ESV 

I heard someone say once that God never learns anything new, and if you think about that for a second, you realize that no matter what Satan thought or did…GOD already knew it would happen. The irony for this fallen angel is that he left Heaven thinking he could rule and be like God himself but instead, he continued to exist FOR the glory of God just as he had always done. 

I also love the hypothetical idea someone said about when Satan successfully tempted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit that there were no emergency meetings in Heaven as to how to respond and what the next steps were. Why? Because again…none of this activity was new to God. 

If you are a Christian, that is one HUGE relief because, in the Bible, you constantly read about how God has a plan for you and me…and again, ironically, for Satan as well. Remember what Paul said in Romans 8:28,

And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

GUYS – You can bank on this fact: No matter WHAT happens to you in this life, it is NOT by accident…either good or bad…God knew it beforehand. Sometimes that fact will be a very hard pill to swallow depending on your circumstances but I assure you, as the verse states clearly above; God will weave it for good.

Finally, guys, thank you for staying with me on this long series because I have never done one with so many parts before. Also please note that I still had to skip a great deal of information about Satan’s story because my intent was only to summarize who he is, what he does, and where he is going. Frankly, I hope you take the baton from me and study more just for you. 

Honestly, I would call this series a success if it lit a small flame of interest in you to learn more about this topic. If the answer is yes, then I would highly recommend you read this book below as this was a great help and encouragement to me in this study. I don’t normally recommend books, but this one gave me a HUGE new perspective about this topic that I found particularly strengthening so check it out.

Gods Devil, by Erwin Lutzer, and published by Moody Publishers, and of course, it is available on Amazon.

Until next time guys-

Walk in the Manner that is Worthy of your Calling

Posted: May 20, 2016 in Something to think about
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I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, (Ephesians 4:1 ESV)

 

I have a friend that always tells other men to “man up” when he thinks they are not acting in a manner worthy of their gender. He always laughs at their reaction because they are usually stunned when he tells them. Most recently, he surprised someone I know with this same declaration only this time it got me thinking about this idea that we have all been called by God to be something really special only many of us are just not living up to that call.

What I mean is, what this verse above actually says, “walk in the manner that is worthy of the calling”. Guys, this is Paul the Apostle talking. Remember him? He was a punching bag for almost his entire ministry but yet he continued to stand worthy of Gods calling throughout his many journeys. This guy was literally responsible for enormous church planting in the beginning in the early days of the gospel. Yet sometimes his message wasn’t received, and as a result, he was beaten, imprisoned or even worse…

Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; (2 Corinthians 11:23-25 ESV)

Here is a guy that honestly could have quit early on in his ministry solely based upon injuries alone…but he didn’t. He could have chosen to quit when his message was rejected…but he didn’t quit then either. Instead, he constantly made statements like “he rejoices in his sufferings…”

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. (Romans 5:3-4 ESV)

 

What is my point?

As a believer in Christ, you have been called to be His follower. That means something. That means you MUST act different than you did before you were a believer. Paul reminds us that we need to walk a walk that is truly worthy of His calling on our life.

Don’t assimilate into the culture… Separate yourself

It may cause some discomfort…but trust me…Christ has your back…

 

Until next time guys…

Are you really Working?

Posted: February 20, 2016 in Something to think about
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The last installment of this 3-part series involves the story of the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25. When these last 3 posts are woven together, they give us a true understanding of what our role as faithful Christians is to be while we wait for Christ’s return. In this parable, you see the characters are working diligently and with initiative while waiting for their master’s return. That is our job too as we move through our own lives…we must be working all the time WHILE we wait. Let me explain further…

On a quick side note, one sharp difference though is that we are not called to drop out of our lives and plant ourselves on top of a hill top and wait for Christ’s return…no. We are told to be careful prudent planners with an eye for the future. Remember what Christ said in Luke 14:

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish’ (Luke 14:28-30 NIV)

The Parable of the Talents is the one that commends faithful work while the master is away as well prudent planning. The rich master travels far away and gives each of the 3 men a portion of his wealth to manage while he is away. Two of them proceed to take the initiative and double their masters money while the third one buries his portion.

When the master returns, he rewards the first two with great opportunity. He says to them both, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”

But the third guy, who had just one talent to take care of, was a different story altogether. As mentioned, he did not invest his talent but rather decided his best course of action was to hide it and return it to his master when the time was right. As the master said in his anger, “Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest!” But, he didn’t even do that.

While the master was away, two out of the 3 men immediately set to work, without being told, by trading and investing their masters talents. They worked hard while he was away and I would imagine, stressed somewhat at times as the market swayed back and forth, always striving to improve their situation. They did not rest but continued working faithfully until their masters return.

The third guy had a different mindset. He decided to do what HE wanted to do while the master was away. Maybe he convinced himself that by burying the money, he was avoiding financial risk? Whatever the case was, he simply was evading his duty. The money the master gave him would never make any profit.

Finally, I think the hardest part for me to grasp about this story was this third guy’s lack of responsibility and his complacency on his requirement of giving an account for the money he represented while the master was away. He just didn’t care or thought that day would never come? I am not sure. But what is worse was his attempt to blame the master for his own poor management when he was called to give an account. He was caught in his pattern of doing absolutely nothing and ultimately, he would pay a very stiff price.

Jesus tells us in this parable that the third guy is cast into the imagery of Hell:

“And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:30 NIV)

I say imagery because this same language is used in other parts of the Bible to represent Hell and the torture that it there…and will be for those unfortunate souls who will enter there.

Guys, this is a very simple story but yet represents a very clear picture of what we are supposed to be doing while we wait for Christ’s return. I urge you to NOT become complacent and forget that Christ is even coming back. I understand the importance of what you are doing or may be doing in the future, weddings, grand children, vacations etc. but all of that pales in comparison to eternity…your eternity.

We all have one job while we are here and that is to stay faithful to Him until He returns. That job requires effort and focus on your part. You cannot do this while on autopilot…it will not work.

Guys, I encourage you to plug into your local church or men’s group and refocus on your top priorities while we all wait…I assure you that this positive decision will be the best one you ever make in your life…

 

Until next time guys…

 

Remain Faithful Until He Returns

Posted: January 10, 2016 in Something to think about
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Well, 2016 is upon all of us, whether we like it or not. And, as we all can observe, there is a great deal going on in our world right now that just might, and probably does, push you to the brink of fear. It is easy to think that way because we don’t know how all this unrest is going to affect our families and us. What does the future hold for us? Is it, War, Peace? Financial ruin? Only God knows.

What I know is that in the Bible, we are told to remain faithful until He returns and that will be my main focus for the first part of my posts in 2016. I believe that we are given specific responsibilities in scripture that come directly from the mouth of Christ’s that tell us how we are to behave, react and frankly, what to believe. Honestly, I find these scriptures hugely comforting because what I’m reading is describing exactly what I’m seeing around me. God already knew that chaos, unrest and a fear for our future would happen and He gave us His Word to help faithful Christians prepare for the inevitable future.

Guys please do not misinterpret what I am saying (and will say) over the coming weeks. I am not the town crier of doom and gloom. What I am however is someone whose sole purpose is to remind us of what is already there in Gods Word. As I said before, what I write in Ironman strength isn’t new or undiscovered…its been there the whole time, it is just that many of us (myself included) are too busy to take the time to read and listen to what God wants us to see. So for the next several posts, I am going to lay this out and show you exactly what God wants you to remember, understand, and most of all…apply to your lives.

I believe we are in a very unique time in history and God is continuing to unfold His plan around us. I believe that the magnetism coming from this world is greater than it has ever been. This draw, or attraction, is extremely powerful and it takes a strongly, grounded Christian to be able to resist the powerful temptation that is being thrown in our direction. This intense lure towards the things of this world is everywhere and you cannot go anywhere and not feel its pull. But guess what? God already knew this would happen and He gave us scripture to hang onto while we wait for His return.

 

 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self- controlled, upright and Godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ

(Titus 2:11-13 NIV)

 

Please understand me when I say that my post is NOT meant to scare you…my sole purpose is that you know what is available in God’s Word to use to fight this battle. The pull of this world is super strong. But the strength you have available from Him is far stronger…IF YOU USE IT.

Stay tuned for the next few posts coming soon where we will look at the 3 things we are supposed to do while we wait for Gods return. Believe it or not, we ARE NOT supposed to head into our panic room and try and ride out the storm…

He has other plans for us…

Until next time guys…

Happy New Year…

5 Reasons for ALL OF US to have HOPE right now…again

Posted: November 21, 2015 in Inspirational
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Very near 3 years ago, I wrote this post based upon what I sensed and felt going on in the world at that time; sadness and destruction. As I listen and watch the world news over the last few days, with all of the horrific death and destruction in France, Belgium and the Middle East, I once again seek God for the very same thing…hope.

I cannot provide anyone with the reasons why all of this is happening other than simply the Bible talking about “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4, John 12:31, 1 John 5:19) prowling around seeking to devour (1 Peter 5:8) those who don’t resist him. Believe me my friends, NOW IS THE TIME TO RESIST HIM. Don’t give up but rather look to Him for your hope.

God’s word is clear…”I will never leave you or forsake (forget) you” (Joshua 1:5)

So here again, are my 5 reasons we can have HOPE right now…

By its very nature, the word hope concerns the future, our future. However, I am not referring to a simple hope such as, “I wish I had a nicer car or bigger house”, but rather I am talking about Biblical hope, which is very different. Biblical hope consists of an assurance inside your heart or better yet, a firm confidence about future things because of Gods promises and His revelation to us. Guys, real Biblical hope in Christ Jesus is something that is never failing when you place your trust in Him. In fact Paul tells us in Romans 15:13;

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In other words, Biblical hope is inseparably linked with a firm faith in Him. They go hand-in-hand with one another. As a result, what is yielded is a confident trust in God that is unshakable when the adversity of life hits you like a wave….(Like right now).

So with all of the chaos our world is throwing at you every single day, I wanted to give you some actual reasons why you can still have faith and HOPE that things are going to still be alright…So here are my 5 reasons for all of us to have HOPE right now…

  1. God is still on the throne – He hasn’t gone anywhere. He is still alive and at work in our world. I know it is very easy to look at what happens in this world and say God is dead or may he is just sleeping because I have heard that before. But I assure you He is alive and well and knows exactly what is happening on this earth.
  2. With man, things are impossible…but with God, ALL things are possible (Mark 10:27) It is so very easy to just give up and give in to all of the adversity that is constantly thrown in our direction because we simply forget Gods promises. Bottom line, God has NO limitations. His ways are NOT our ways and therefore he will not react or think as we do…our response needs to be to simply ask, to trust, and to hope in Him.
  3. You Are Not Alone – As we are told in Joshua 1:5, He will never leave us nor forsake us and I’ve come to realize that me trying to understand the why’s of this world is NOT my job. My job is to completely trust in Him…even though I don’t understand. LET GOD DO THE HEAVY LIFTING. Do you remember the story of Peter when he got out of the boat and started walking on the water to meet Jesus? (Matthew 14:29-30) He was actually walking on water until he took his eyes off of Christ and then what happened? He started sinking fast…and what was his reaction? He cried, “Lord save me!” which is exactly what we are supposed to do…
  4. All of what you are going through right now is only temporary – Weeping may last for the night…but joy comes in the morning (Psalms 30:5). It is easy to “get caught up” with what we SEE. But I am here to remind you that Jesus has prepared a place for all of us IN HEAVEN (John 14:2) and this place we see around us, will all pass away. It is only temporary. Heaven is eternal.
  5. I know how this story ends – All of the difficulty and adversity we face every day sometimes can be overwhelming. In fact, it may seem like the bad guy in this world may be winning. But let me assure you with an overwhelming confidence. Have you ever read Revelation? Because I know who wins in the end. You and I will be victorius.

But you MUST STAY THE COURSE. Don’t give up. Have faith and put your trust in Him and He will give you reason to HOPE…

 

Until next time guys…

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