Posts Tagged ‘Jesus Christ’

Letter to my Second Son, the College Graduate

Posted: May 10, 2025 in Fatherhood
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I have said since the day you were born that you were a blessing from God. No one would have predicted what the future had in store for our family with the tragic loss of your sister. But to be honest, without you to keep our family active with regular day-to-day life duties, we might have fallen off the cliff into untold grief. Only God knows… 

So…even though I have to mention her loss because it happened; today this post is all about you…and everything began with your birth on August 27th, 2002, and now, fast forwarding to the present, a Grand Canyon University college graduate. 

But before I can celebrate the present, I have to go back to the past and talk about how you got here son. Besides the reason above, how did you make it from then (22 + years) to today, walking across that podium and accepting that Criminal Justice Degree? Well let’s talk about that- 

It started with you being born into the amazing family you have. Your sister was so excited about your upcoming birth that she literally interrupted my big birth announcement to the whole family and told me I was taking too long to tell everyone. From before day one, she was ready to have you around and be your big sister. Oh, and by the way, your older brother was pretty excited to have you show up too.

You grew up with your days filled with piano lessons, grandmas, and baseball…and not necessarily in that order. Both of your grandmas kept you very busy when you were young. One of them helped you learn over 100 Bible verses and the other one drove you all over town looking for squishies? I think that’s what you called them. But back to piano and baseball. The thing is, you were very good at both, and soon they competed for your time and much to your grandmother’s chagrin, you chose baseball. And that turned out to be a good choice with everything you accomplished by the age of 13.

You played so well that you earned a roster spot on the Little League All Star team your 10, 11, and 12 year old seasons. Those same 3 years your team also won the District tournament which was hard to do. The day I knew baseball was your sport was when your team played a tune-up game against the vaunted Encinitas Reds, a local travel ball team that was stacked with talent. They had a young man pitching that was 12 years old, 6 feet tall and could throw the equivalent of 80 mph because of the short pitching distance. I will never forget when you launched his fastball completely out of the park into the neighborhood behind. EVERYONE turned around and looked at me screaming out of their minds at what you did. I am pretty sure you were just as shocked as everyone that you hit such a bomb.

I am not sure you knew this, but your mom and I worked hard to keep you in Christian schools. In fact, you went to the same school your entire life; Pre-K through high school, which helped build loyalty as well as create long-time friendships like what you have with Caleb. It is beyond crazy to me that you are college dorm roommates but met in a pre-K class. Being friends for that long is difficult because as you get older, your interests change, and the people you enjoy also change. But you are both still friends even through 4 years of living together in college. I find that very impressive.

What I have always enjoyed watching you do is find something you want to try and then you attack it with a ferocity. No one likes to lose but especially you and if you can avoid that through preparation, you do. Take Football as an example. You decided you wanted to play in 8th grade and you stuck with it through your senior year. You learned new positions and then completely changed your body shape to play them.

Finally, and I love this, you shared what you learned with your teammates. Before each huddle broke, you made sure each person knew who they had to block which made all the difference. Your team was amazing. In your senior year, in your division, your team won the equivalent of a state title in that pandemic shortened season…AND…No one can take away from you.

But life goes on and then High School was over and you pressed on to College where out of the many choices you had, you chose GCU in Phoenix, AZ. And, as I previously mentioned you and Caleb have been able to be room mates these last few years together. And to all of our excitement, you succeeded…you graduated.

I am sure I don’t have to remind you but over the last 4 years you have dealt with and persevered through all kinds of problems; girl problems, priority issues, homework, late nights, early mornings, super late nights, roommates, crazy roommates, loneliness, grief, exhaustion, money problems, parents, 6-hour trips home, loyalty, laundry, cooking, cleaning, deadlines, fear, relationships, and the list goes on…all of this while maintaining your integrity. 

For all of these reasons and more, I tell you son that as your father, I could not be any prouder of you than I am right now. Did you make mistakes? Yep, and we all do (and continue to do) but yet you kept, and keep on, getting up and forging ahead. 

Adversity will come in your life. You have faced some of it already and will continue to face it because that is the way life happens. The question is, how will you face it? Will you cower and hide hoping that whatever it is, will blow over? Or will you stand up and look it straight in the eye and say, “God, you and I got this!” Because that is how God expects you to react. You have a calming personality and that will help you greatly when adversity comes your way…you can remain cool under pressure.

Now you get to take this degree you earned to move on to the next stage of your life. I know that you know your career choice is one that can put you in danger…but that is what you and God decided what you should pursue. Each and every day, I encourage you to begin by turning that day over to Christ and rest in the fact that He will protect you.

So here is my advice to achieve a satisfying life…

No matter what LIFE throws in your path; No matter what pain you may have to bear; No matter what suffering you may endure; or even hardships. OR maybe the opposite; No matter what successes you may enjoy; No matter what happiness you may be blessed with; 

NEVER EVER take your focus off of Jesus Christ. 

For you to endure anything in your future son, good or bad, you must trust and have faith in Him even if your mind says maybe to do something else. As I learned dealing with the death of your sister, sometimes we are not meant to understand the “why” part. 

Our job is to trust and rely on Him completely…your job, as the future head of your home, is to trust Him completely as well…

22+ years ago, God blessed me with a second son and he grew up to be you. And you? Well, you became an amazing blessing to our entire family and I firmly believe with all my heart that God has a strong and solid plan for your life. You are going to do GREAT things.

Your job is to take that first step, just like you have always done…

I Love You Son and I am truly blessed God chose me to be your Father…

Your Dad

By NOT making a choice, you have made a choice.

Posted: April 19, 2025 in God Perspective
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You are either for us or against us. Have you ever heard that expression? You are either all in or all out and there is absolutely no gray area to work with. I completely understand this mentality, especially if we are speaking about a professional sports team or a military mission. You cannot have anyone sitting on the fence with indecision. And that is exactly where we as Christians find ourselves with our Lord. 

There is no gray area with God. We either decide to submit to Him or we don’t..

Then the next obvious step is that those who do NOT submit themselves to Christ remain under the influence of the enemy. I am going to try and unpack that statement a little bit.

The apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians, “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.”  2 Cor. 4:4

As I’ve said many times before in this blog, Satan, or the god of this age, currently holds a great deal of power which was given to him by our God. We also know that Satan’s rule or his earthly kingdom is temporary and is conditional. Satan is allowed to operate only due to God‘s permissive will until the end of history. (Yes, God has a Permissive Will…which is whole other blog)

For you and me, that means a choice must be made. We can either submit to the Lord Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for everyone so that we might have salvation and eternal life… Or… We can submit to the god of this age; Who only has empty promises.

I need to say this again because it is critical to grasp: Those who do not submit themselves to Jesus remain under the power of Satan. And as Paul says, he blinds their eyes to the truth to the glory of the gospel in order that they might not be saved. Satan is running defense to every single play in God’s offense. 

Satan intentionally puts up obstructions to keep you from moving in the direction of Christ.

The only solution to this guaranteed fatal situation is what a Pastor would tell you. One must tie-up the enemy’s activity through intercession or group prayer and then to preach the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is so people can hear and understand, and then choose for themselves whether to believe or not to believe. 

I know this is a lot to take in. I also know there are a whole lot of other things you would rather be thinking about right now than my words but at the same time, EVERYTHING about you is at stake. As I’ve told you before; there are no do overs or Mulligan’s in life. You and I must choose who we are going to believe. If we wait too long, then the enemy’s  influence can be overwhelming. Think of it this way;

By NOT making a conscious choice, you have made a choice.

Guys, I encourage you today to take this verse I shared into your heart. I challenge you to make decisions for you and your family. Dont’ just surrender because you are too busy. Dont take the easy path.

Until next time guys 

Are you a Genuine Fake?

Posted: February 8, 2025 in God Perspective
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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 Kingdom Living
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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

Killing them with Kindness

Posted: December 24, 2024 in Strength for Today
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“Kindness is a language we can all speak. Even the Deaf can hear it and the Blind can see” Mother Teresa

Guys, in the entire history of this blog, I have never quoted Mother Teresa, but in this instance, with this topic, it is completely appropriate. I have been thinking about this topic for quite some time  and decided for this New Year, I wanted to share this alternative idea of responding to anger and frustration with kindness and compassion.

I have broken this post into 2 parts, so it can be read and consumed a little easier. The second post is my application of this kindness topic called “Practical Ways to Kill with Kindness” and it will be posted very soon.

Our world is marked by competition, conflict, and negativity, and the phrase “killing them with kindness” carries a HUGE meaning. It suggests a simple yet powerful truth: 

Kindness can disarm hostility, dissolve tension, and create connections in ways no other force can. 

Honestly, kindness is the complete opposite response to what we see every evening on the news.

But what does it mean to truly “kill with kindness”? And why does it make sense for us to practice it, especially in situations where kindness seems undeserved? I have compiled a short list for you to consider.

The Unexpected Strength of Kindness

So as men, kindness is often mistaken for weakness. Sometimes, people assume that being kind means letting others walk all over you or ignoring an injustice. In reality, kindness is a conscious choice that requires core strength, resilience, and HUGE patience. It’s about responding with grace, even when faced with negativity or a conflict. 

Choosing kindness is taking the high road when everyone expects you to do the alternative.

When you meet rudeness with kindness or counter aggression with a calm compassion, you do more than just take the moral high ground—you alter the angry energy of the entire interaction. This change can have a ripple effect, influencing not only the person you’re engaging with but also those who witness the exchange. I want you to remember because this is exactly what Christ did. He disarmed His foes with kindness and love.

Guys, here is why I think that using a kindness response will work for you;

1. It Breaks Down Barriers

When you respond to someone with unexpected kindness, it often catches them off guard. It is hard to maintain anger or hostility when faced with genuine goodwill. Over time, this can disarm negativity and also improve a mutual respect between you and them.

2.It Builds Bridges

Kindness can transform your adversary into an ally, literally. I have seen kindness create a foundations of trust even in the most difficult relationships. In your business, in your families, and in your friendships, simple kindness will open doors that would otherwise remain shut.

3.It Strengthens You

This is the biggest reason why choosing kindness is the right plan because it isn’t just about the other person—it’s about who you are. It reinforces your ability to stay grounded, stay true to your core Christian values, and maintain inner peace in challenging situations. 

Guys, this is fundamentally what Iron-Man-Strength.com is about and has been since the beginning. Yes, my goal has been to encourage and support you through all of the difficult times. I also wanted to remind you that you have an enemy, Satan, who is looking for every chance possible to help you fall off the cliff. 

This is why choosing kindness as your reaction to any situation will change you as a man before God. I wont lie to you and say this is easy to do because it isn’t. When we get mad or upset, emotions take over and even the very best men on on this have or will earth fail. BUT…and this is a big one. IF you allow God to help you, you can change.

As I mentioned up top, the second part of this post is the practical application of “Killing with Kindness” and my hope is that these will be simple steps you can use to help you when these kinds of situations arise. I promise you this is not Rocket Science. It is instead, easy and practical. The process just requires execution on your part.

Merry Christmas, Guys-

Until next time-

Are you making Plans?

Posted: December 21, 2024 in God Perspective
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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…

Get OUT of the Mushy Middle

Posted: October 5, 2024 in Strength for Today
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Many years ago, when I was a young manager, I worked for a gentleman who was a very nice man but from my vantage point he had a significant flaw…he couldn’t make a decision. He was the guy who looked at every situation and tried to analyze each side to understand all possible outcomes. Now, on the surface that sounds exceptional, carefully analyzing each argument and plotting each potential scenario. Ultimately, however, his style of overthinking became the anchor of his department that he could not shake.

In fact, he was passed over for a nice promotion the next year which devastated him…but we all understood why. The company needed decisions executed in a timely fashion and he would take months agonizing over one argument or the other. What I found interesting was many times, after all this effort, he never actually came to a conclusion. He was paralyzed somewhere in the middle. In his mind, He believed he could align with ideas from both sides of the argument and therefore he chose neither one. 

I called him a fence-rider. He wasn’t for, or against. He was neutral. He was Sweden. Which brings me to the reason I write today. I want to talk about the mushy middle. The person who always stays close to the middle line and does not want to upset the balance. The person who cannot stand on one idea with a solid position. Maybe you have heard of them…The gray area guy.

Have you ever heard the expression, If you can’t stand for something then you will fall for anything? That is the person I am speaking directly to in this post. Respectfully, you know who you are.

Let me begin with a verse from the Bible in Matthew where we find Christ speaking in a very plain and direct language to all of us.

“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” Matthew 12:30

I enjoy reading the red letters (Christ’s words) in the New Testament because there is no gray area. Nothing obscure or hidden where I might get hung up or lost on what His message is. I know exactly what He means because He is clear. Plain and Simple summary below:

Guys, if you are not with Him, then by Christ’s own words, you are against Him. Which is why I write today. Get the heck out of the mushy middle, make a decision, and stand strong for what you believe in!

If you believe in Christ as your savior, If you believe He is the one who is behind your salvation, if you believe He is the only one who can save this ugly world, then I encourage you to stand up. Do not hide or be afraid. If you do, Jesus is very clear about that as well:

I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.  But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels.  Luke 12:8-9

Is there any confusion about what Christ is saying in these 2 verses?

Finally, Guys, I encourage you to rise and stand firm in Christ. Now is the time that a common bond of strength is needed. Men and Women who will stand in the gap and not be afraid to show the public who your savior is and where your Iron-man-strength comes from.

Let me leave you with my favorite verse below…until next time Guys

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

My son wears a Cross around his neck

Posted: September 21, 2024 in Fatherhood
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My wife and I sent our youngest son away to college in another state a few years ago. He wanted to attend that university because it was far from his parents. As his dad, I understand why that was important to him completely because I was very independent and did not want my parents around when I was his age. And this kid is independent with a capital “I”. It was all we could do to get him to text us back more than just one-word replies like yes, no, and sure even after he landed there as a freshman.

But as time passed, he got better with his texting and now we even FaceTime him and get to see his mug …which is very nice for my wife…and me.

I think what I enjoy the most has been watching him change and grow over these short few years. How many of us looked at our children and truly wondered if they would make it in this life? In my son’s case, other than playing sports and video games, he wasn’t interested in anything. I tend to be pretty handy around the house and I worked to get him to at least try to learn the basics; like how to change a tire or replace his car battery. I even went so far as to teach him to use a table saw and power drill because we all know those skills are required in his future.

To say he appreciates what he learned would be a lie, but I also know he is still at school and not out on his own…But maybe he will thank me someday…I digress.

I don’t know about you, but when I watch my son now, I look for the intangibles that I think will ultimately get him to the next level in life. These are the things that can’t always be seen, but they are there and will separate him from the pack…and that is where we get to the main point of this post. My son wears a cross around his neck, and I didn’t ask him to.

That last bit I added because it is true. And from my vantage point, that is the best part. I said nothing to him. He decided that wearing a cross was what HE wanted to do for himself. That was an intangible I may not have picked up from him when he left for college, but 4 years later as he gets ready to graduate in a few months, I can see it in him now.

What makes this even more remarkable is that none of his roommates or friends wear one. He is the only one. And he knows that. To solidify that point, he is the kid who doesn’t care what other people think and at 22, that is kind of amazing. Why? Because when we were his age, fitting in is ALL we cared about but for some reason, with him, that just doesn’t matter as much. By the way, I know the reason.

So as I watch from a distance, through texting and occasionally getting to see him on a tiny phone screen, I am reminded of this each time; my son wears a cross around his neck…and I could not be more proud of him.

Until next time Guys…

Pride or Humility…It is your Choice

Posted: April 22, 2024 in Kingdom Living
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If you’re like me, the older I get, the more I learn, and the more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know…but that is a whole other blog. This post is about my continuing revelation of how God constructed this whole “personal relationship with Jesus” idea and why I think its so hard for men to stay consistent. 

News Flash, yours (and mines) personal relationship with Christ must begin with humility.

Yes, I said Humility. But the problem is that “being humble” works directly against how we feel about ourselves while we live on earth. 

Face it guys, it is HARD to be humble when all we see is ego exhibited everyday of our lives. It seems like very athlete just seems to call attention to themselves. Not everyone…but a lot of them. A baseball player hits a monster home run and he just stands there and admires it as it leaves the ballpark…A body builder stands in front of the mirror and just stares and stares…

We live in such a “Me ONLY” focused world that as Christian men, its so easy to assimilate into that culture. Look at it this way, if you get up each day and don’t think about your relationship with Christ and just start your day with you driving, I can easily say that over time, you will find yourself moving towards prideful behavior. The influence is that strong.

Listen to how The Message translation of the Bible talks about this in Proverbs 16:18, First pride, then the crash – the bigger the ego, the harder the fall. That is pretty self explanatory isn’t it? God doesn’t have any place for pride or egos in His Kingdom. Its all about HIM, not us.

What you and I see around us here on earth was NOT the plan God had in mind. Rather, sin got in the way and it corrupted everything (Genesis 3 to be exact). As hard as this may be to grasp, pride is NOT from God. It was NOT created by God but rather it is from Satan and he is the one selling that crap to all of us through television, or online, or at the gym…

It is everywhere and conditioning you slowly.

Pride IS a wall keeping you from a relationship with God and it blocks your ability to communicate with Him. Once you reach a point that you are so full of yourself that you don’t think you need God, then the enemy has you where he wants you.


Remember the Bible also tells us in James 4:10 to Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. As I have told you before, NOW IS THE TIME to get right with God Guys! You can see the signs all around you just as easily as I can. 

Satan is working overtime to pull as many men and their families down as he can. 

Where do you plan on spending eternity?

My “ask” of you today is don’t let your ego be the reason you walk away from God. You might be very good at something…your job, or a sport, or something else…but remember that skill is a gift from Him and if you thank Him for it rather than act like it came from you, who knows, we just might be playing a pick up game on that Heavenly court in the sky.

I’ll meet you there…

Until next time Guys-

Reminder – 5 Reasons for all of us to have HOPE right now…

Posted: April 6, 2024 in Strength for Today
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Almost 10 years ago, I wrote this post based on what I sensed and felt going on in the world at that time; which was only sadness and destruction. Fast forward 10 years later, everything kinda looks pretty much the same. I don’t know about you, but that fact causes me to seek God every day for the very same thing I did back then…a reason for hope.

I know that I cannot provide anyone with the reasons why our world is like this other than the Bible states who is “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4, John 12:31, 1 John 5:19)  who prowls around seeking to devour (1 Peter 5:8) those who don’t resist him. Believe me, my friends, NOW IS THE TIME TO RESIST THE ENEMY. Don’t give up on yourself but rather look to Christ for your hope. Here is what I mean;

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

By its very nature, the word hope concerns the future, our future. Now I know that I have written before on this blog that Hope is NOT a Strategy, however, I am not referring to a simple hope such as, “I hope I can get a nicer car or bigger house”, but rather I am talking about Biblical hope, which is very different. Biblical hope consists of assurance inside your heart or just firm confidence about future things because of God’s promises and His revelation to us. 

Guys, real Biblical hope in Christ Jesus is something that never fails when you place your trust in Him. The Apostle 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 be alright…

So here are my 5 reasons for all of us to have HOPE right now…

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 maybe He is just sleeping? Believe me, I have heard that before. But the Bible assures us He is alive and well and knows exactly what is happening on this earth.

With man, things are impossible…but with God, ALL things are possible (Mark 10:27) It is so easy to just give up and give in to all of the adversity that is constantly thrown in our direction because we simply forget God’s promises. The 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.

You Are Not Alone – We are told in Joshua 1:5, “He will never leave us nor forsake us” and I’ve come to realize that my trying to understand the ”whys” 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 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…

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.

I know how this story ends – All of the difficulties and adversity we face every day sometimes can be overwhelming. 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 victorious.

    But you MUST STAY THE COURSE. Don’t give up. Have faith and put your trust in Him.

    He will give you the reason to HOPE…

    Until next time guys…

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