Posts Tagged ‘Hardship’

Satan can Hinder my Prayers…?

Posted: August 25, 2012 in Devotional, Father, Heaven Bound, Husband, Inspirational
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Guys, I have been writing to you on this Iron Man Strength blog now for almost two years and during that time, I have worked to encourage and provide support to you as you walk down the path of being a Dad and a Husband. As we all know, this path is not an easy one but through Gods amazing grace, we all have access to power through Christ Jesus…all you have to do…is believe.

But I have a sense of urgency now that I need to begin to share in this blog that some of you may or may not appreciate but I must press on. This blog will never be political, but only encouragement about our lives and our relationship to our God, but I tell you now that we are living in an extraordinarily turbulent time now in America and there are powers at work that you and I cannot control but through prayerful persistence. We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing and my friends, now more than any time in your life, I pray that you heed my words.

We learn back in the Old Testament in the book of Daniel, that there are powers and principalities that are unseen that you and I must consider as Christians. I am not trying to scare you or blow your mind with crazy talk but yet the truth is the truth and I ask you to listen. There is an unseen battle going on right now in America and the unrest and nervousness that you and your neighbors are feeling is because of that battle. It is not just simply we are struggling to make ends meet or the economy is bad, look at what is happening around you…people are reacting by killing one another all over the world. I find myself afraid not for me, but for my children. What does the future hold for them in this world? How will they live and support themselves? You and I…well…we can only pray and pray and pray and while you are praying, please consider this…

In Daniel chapter 10, we learn that Daniel had been fasting and praying for 21 days and had not received any word from the Lord. At the end of that time, we learn from an Angel who came and met with him that during the time he was praying, there was a battle like I am referring to above, going on which prevented Daniel’s answer from getting to him. Only when the Archangel Michael, a really large and powerful stud Angel squashes the Prince of Persia, does the answer reach Daniel.

So what does this story mean to you and me? Believe it or not…Satan was able to hold up that answer to Daniel’s request for 21 days and he can do the very same thing with our prayers. Read 2 Corinthians 2:11 where Paul tells us:

In order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are NOT aware of his schemes.

Guys, he seeks to devour and thwart our efforts when we are seeking a relationship with Christ and if you are an, on-again off-again, inconsistent, I’ll get around to it eventually kind of guy, you may not realize that your prayers maybe held up or slowed before they reach Him. Jesus tells us in His own words in Luke 18:1-8 about persistence in prayer…He says in verse 7, “and will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night?“

My advice to all of you is very simple…If your relationship with God is good or not so good…I urge you to continuously and persistently seek God each day and pray to Him for both yourself and your family. Gods desire is to have a relationship with you that is eternal but the only way that will happen is through YOUR efforts while here on earth…so right now, while things here are more turbulent that ever before, seek God with all your heart because I assure you…

When you seek Him, He will find you…and that my friend will have very Heavenly implications…

Until next time guys…I leave you with this…

Life Lessons and Baseball…

Posted: June 30, 2012 in Father, Inspirational, Sports Stuff
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I am one of those lucky Dads who gets to go through Little League a second time because we have a young son that was born when I was a little older. I like Baseball and I like Little League. Baseball, like other sports, teaches kids lessons about life in a symbolic sort of way. It teaches them perseverance, to keep playing hard until the end of the game no matter whether they are winning or losing. It teaches them how to handle the adversity that challenges them throughout a game like when situations don’t go your way. But more importantly, it teaches them how to handle disappointment when a game slips away that you really wanted to win, like a championship tournament. Bottom line, the way kids are taught to learn to play the game of Baseball and to deal with the outcome of difficult games will be evidenced in their future lives by how they handle situations then…

But it all starts with a game…

As I mentioned before, I am going through Little League a second time with my second boy but because I am older now, my perspective on what is happening out there has changed. Don’t hear me wrong, I want to win every time we step onto that field but I’ve learned that I care more about what kids get out of the game along with the effort that they put into the game. Let me explain;

My goal, along with the other coaches, is to teach proper fundamentals of baseball; how to hit, how to throw, how to run bases, how to catch and then the best part, the situational aspect of baseball…In other words, What to do with the ball when it comes to you…The cerebral side of the game is the most fun for me because baseball is very much like a chess match between the two managers. Each one moving players to different positions and inserting players in order to put both the player and the team with the best chance for winning or make the most impact on the score…I understandI am explaining something you already know because that is the strategical side of baseball. Some people get this and some don’t care…

What’s different for me now is because I’m older, I care about the effect this game has on them. Simply speaking, like when good things happen during a game but i think more importantly, when bad things happen, like when the game gets out of hand… Because games produce adversity and losses are very hard to handle and if kids don’t learn how to “flush” a loss out of their head right away, they tend to drag it around like an anchor, always slowing them down and frankly, just making them sad.

I recently went though Little League’s, Tournament of Champions tournament for the minor division, ages 9-11 and I experienced the feeling of absolute euphoria as one of our boys hit a walk off grand slam to win the final championship game. Honestly, a once in a lifetime experience to come up to bat, down two runs with bases loaded and send one out of the park…incredibly amazing. Our team, along with the coaches, were able to experience the excitement of winning that game with everything on the line. This was truly..a win, or go home situation…but yet at the very same time, I began to put myself in the other dugout and wonder the magnitude of their feeling of loss. Needless to say, the post game handshake was filled with many tears as I went through telling each member of their team, “great job” I realized it was to no avail. They were inconsolable at that moment and as I watched their coach lead them to the outfield to have one more post game chat, I realized how critical his job was for those boys to help them deal with that loss. Honestly, they did everything right…they put themselves in a position to win but you can’t overcome home runs. It was checkmate.

So let’s bring this baseball game analogy to you and I…We have all played the games on the field our entire lives and now we are challenged with the game of life. Every single day we have ups and downs and as adults, we can’t let a business loss wreck our focus. I recently watched an attorney friend of mine lose a very difficult case in court, one that he prepared for, spent a great deal of time and money to win but he lost the judge’s decision…completely. Right now, my friend is a small ship floating alone in the big ocean. So far, he is unable to shake this defeat and move on…He can’t overcome the loss…

God never promised any of us that if we commit to Him there wouldn’t be any loss, pain or discomfort…but He did say there is rest and relief through Christ Jesus. In fact, Christ himself tells all of us in Matthew 11:28-30:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

To me, this verse helps because I know I am NOT alone on days when I feel like those boys did above after losing that big tournament game. Can you imagine finding peace or just simple rest when you’ve had your worst day ever? And guys, the peace and rest I am referring to here isn’t like anything you have ever felt before…

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

Heavenly peace is WAY better and more effective than anything we have here on earth. Granted, the Bible tells us we have to seek Him…which means we have to DO something…we can’t just sit on our hands and expect Him to just fix our problems, otherwise how can we learn?

So my challenge to you today is simple. Teach your children how to overcome game losses and then translate that to your own life. Don’t let adversity or failure stop you from reaching the goals God has for you! If you get bucked off…get up, dust yourself off and get back on…

Do me one more favor, hold on tight, because it’s going to be a WILD RIDE!!

Until next time guys…

My Christmas Eve…by Bob Welsh

Posted: January 1, 2012 in Inspirational
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Hey Guys-

Its very easy to get caught up in this festive time of year and forget that there are people out there who are hurting and need someone to give them a kind word or simply a helping hand. Then of course, there are the men and women who serve us in the military and as policemen, highway patrol and state troopers, who find themselves stationed far away or working on Christmas Eve and other holidays when they certainly would rather be with their own families. I came across this video recently that shows Bob Welsh, a retired state trooper, recounting some of his experiences on Christmas Eve. I found his story very moving and wanted share it with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did…

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all you guys…

I am SO Stressed…

Posted: November 8, 2011 in Husband, Inspirational, Tough Times
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I am so stressed….

How many times have you said that statement in the last few weeks or months? With your mortgage payment due and all the never-ending costs that children bring and aren’t the holidays just around the corner? And these are just the money stresses. What about all the problems at work or maybe your marriage is on the rocks? The list only grows…

I know it looks like I’m simply pointing out the obvious but the cold, hard facts are that life isn’t going very well for people right now. Everyday, the news reports what the national statistics echo; we all have less money in our collective wallet’s and that is stressful. There have been more bankruptcies in 2010-2011 than ever before in our countries history. The middle class is rapidly becoming a thing of the past and its becoming harder and harder to put food on the table. If you are like me, watching the nightly news is painful because the only thing ever reported is bad. Frankly, seeing bad news, all the time, adds huge stress to our lives. Anyone checked their blood pressure lately? Maybe you should calm down first.

I am sure about one thing, what the world is pushing down our collective throats is that circumstances really are hopeless although I hear the media tell me to just “ride it out” and someone in Washington will make it better for me. However what it feels like is that if we don’t fall in line, or think the way society would have us think, then we are on our own. We are conditioned over and over to think the only solutions available are what we see on television or the internet. You can take a pill now for instant stress relief or, “become a millionaire in a week” but in the end, none of these solve what the problem really is, THE WORLD DOESN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH STRESS. Aren’t you tired of following the step-by-step “way” the world has to offer? Haven’t we have ALL seen this movie before and we know how it ends…?

Guys, I have an “outside the box” solution for your stress that will change your life forever? I call it outside the box because frankly, you would never see this option on the nightly news. The answer is this; God has already figured out the answer for our stress and He gave it to us, over and over, in His Word, the Bible. The problem isn’t that we can’t read His Word…it’s that we don’t trust His Word…

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NIV) Philippians 4:6-7

Remember when I said my answer was outside the box? Well when the Bible says “the peace of God will transcend all understanding? That means, we have the ability to tap into something in which we really know nothing about because it’s from God… and I guarantee you, most of us have NOT gone this direction before. What I see is when we are stressed, we react as we are conditioned everyday to react; We try to SOLVE THE PROBLEM OURSELVES and that is NOT the way Christ intended us to deal with our adversity. There are so many verses in His Word about coping with life’s hardships it makes me think He knew a little about what might happen to us? I’m just saying…

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”Matthew 11:28-30

That is Christ speaking in the second verse directly to you and to me. Frankly, I’m not sure I can make this any clearer…Doesn’t “rest for your souls” sound really nice and comfortable? I could use some of that right now..how about you?  If your answer is yes, then stop doing your life, yourself, and give the “doing” over to God. Guys, its that simple…When you commit to Him your life, I am talking down deep in your heart control over your actions, something truly amazing happens…

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

Simply put, when you have the peace of God, you DO NOT have stress! It goes away. And the problems you had before, are more manageable because you have a different perspective, one of heavenly proportions which changes your outlook.

So I leave you with a simple choice; either you choose to see the truths of the Bible and how they can eliminate your stress…or not…

One more thing…correct me if I’m wrong, but haven’t you tried the “or not” already? How’s that working for you?

Until next time guys. I wanted to leave you guys with a video from Casting Crowns called Slow Fade that illustrates what happens when we slowly, over time, give into the enemy…resist brothers and sisters…

Whatever happened to Normal?

Posted: April 22, 2011 in Husband, Inspirational, Tough Times
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If you’re like me, you may spend a little time each day catching up on world news or maybe your favorite sports team because as guys, we like to know what is going on, right? Is it me, or does it seem that right now, more than any other time in our lifetime, that the World, and America, is just out of control? It’s like what is wrong is now right and whats right, is now wrong…That’s the way it appears to me. Today I read online that a man in New York City broke up a fight happening in a McDonald’s restaurant and 10 minutes later, someone killed him for it…? I am completely dumbfounded…? When did the switch get flipped so that right and wrong are backwards? This kind of lunacy is now the everyday normal and you, me, and every other Christian family has to deal with this craziness.

Guys, I wish I had a good answer to help you with what we see going on around us but the reality is that Satan is alive and well on this earth…for now. He thinks he’s in charge and he is ramping up his attacks on humanity because frankly, I believe, the time we have left on earth is short.

Take a look at 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, where it says:

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Satan is actively working to keep unbelievers still unbelievers, and to turn believers into unbelievers…He wants to take as many of us down with him as he can. Why? Because he HATES you. He absolutely LOATHES you and is working this very minute to to take you down, permanently. He is lying in wait looking for someone to consume…Maybe you, or someone in your family?

Remember 1 Peter 5:8?

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

He also wants to present you with 1000 reasons why you shouldn’t proceed down the narrow path…Maybe that means cheating on your wife? Or spending time with pornography? I could go on and on…You will continually have these types of major roadblocks thrown in your path as a Christian man. He wants you to fail and to do that he will find your weakness and make it very easy for you to fall. In fact, it will be so subtle that you may think, ”Aaah…just this once, no one will know and really, just this once”…Guess what? HE HAS GOT YOU! Look up above at that verse…It says, Be self-controlled and ALERT. Remember, sin is subtle. It slowly creeps into your life and worms its way into your inner most thoughts…

Guys, I will not lie to you…It is HARD to resist temptation… but I will give you a reason from Christ to keep on resisting:

Matthew 7:13-14

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Where do you fit into all of this? Are you disgusted with what you see around you or are you assimilating into the culture? Do you find all of this harder and harder to deal with or do you just not understand what the big deal is about? Guys, I challenge you to remember that the enemy is out there waiting to destroy you, and anyone else who is dear to you…I challenge you to keep your eyes on Christ and to simply hold on tight…HE WILL NOT LET GO OF YOU…

Satan! Is that all you got?

Posted: February 12, 2011 in Tough Times
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My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness… 2 Corinthians 12:9

 

These are Christs words to Paul as he wrestled with his “thorn in the flesh” which many scholars believe was bad eyesight. Even though Paul pleaded with God 3 times to remove this deficiency from him, God refused which is when we see Jesus make reference to the verse above…

 

I think we can say that the “weakness” Christ refers to here are the low points or the difficult times we experience along life’s path. I hope this isn’t a surprise to you but accepting Christ into your life doesn’t negate hardships. In fact, I believe we are presented with more challenges or “grace opportunities” as Christians simply because God wants us to learn to trust Him during the times we need him the most. I don’t know about you, but I have a tough time with trust sometimes. How do you handle adversity when its thrown your way? You see I am one of those people who have written about and believe that our Lords desire is to surround himself in heaven with people who understand and practice God’s power being made perfect in my weakness. In other words I believe, God, wants to hang out with the folks who stood toe to toe against Satan during life’s battle and said, “Is that all you got?” Frankly, I have to admit, so do I…

 

But back to business; if you recall, the first part of this same verse talks about Gods grace being sufficient; Sometimes I have struggled to understand what grace really was to me? Is it a “get out of jail free card?” Or is it just a friend helping me back up when I fall? Then I read recently an easier way to think of grace. Grace is truly the “presence of God” in our lives. Try substituting “presence of God” next time you read grace and you will see what I mean. Grace is God’s physical strength from heaven given to you and me when we call on Him. I like that a lot. When I call on him, you can bet I am wrestling with something and need His help. Isn’t it encouraging that in our weakest points ever, God’s strength is made perfect in us? He is there! We are NOT alone. His grace, or His presence, is there to see us through the difficult path.

 

I truly hope you can be encouraged by these words. Those verses have changed my own life forever.

 

I pray for God’s grace in your life, each and every day…

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