Posts Tagged ‘Jesus Christ’

Wrestling with Unbelief

Posted: May 30, 2023 in Father
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“My son says he doesn’t believe in God anymore”. Those were the anguished words I heard my friend speak to me just the other day when we were together. He said, “he made that announcement to my wife and me with the proclamation that he no longer needs to go to church either”. My friend’s son is just 17 and only a junior in high school. He went on to tell me that this announcement was really just the tip of the iceberg inside their home because he and his wife had been dealing with a pure rebellion in this young man for close to a year. Moreover, with younger kids still in the home, this situation is beginning to tear his family apart.

How do you respond to someone when they tell you that?

My brothers, I am sure many of you can identify with this very same situation with all the battles that happen as a result. As the father, some of us may get firm, stand our ground in front of our wife and kids, and shout back, “ITS My Way or the Highway!” while others of us may be more fearful and not want to upset the household too much. Therefore we don’t do anything…leaving everyone confused because there aren’t any boundaries coming from Dad…

Does any of this sound familiar to you?

The Bible tells us this in Proverbs:

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6 ESV)

So if we give our kids the correct Christ-like foundation and a home that believes in Him and loves each other, no matter what…then if I understand God correctly, He will take care of the rest?

The answer is a resounding YES.

Guys, I am NOT a parenting expert; I simply speak from experience in my own life when I was a teenager as well as now being the father of 2 sons.

It all starts with love in the home. By building a foundation of love inside your walls and providing for your children in the best way YOU can…then you have laid the foundation for God to work with later on when they are older. You see, the reality of this life is that our children get to make their own choices about their lives…and that includes whom they will serve. As much as you and I may try, we don’t get to make that decision for them. They make it for themselves…your kids and mine. All we can do as parents are to give them the best we have and then it is up to God. He does the heavy lifting.

Now, please don’t misunderstand me about this point, I am NOT saying we walk away from them…OH NO. I am saying that once they reach that age and begin to question everything…we continue to love them, pray for them, and provide guidance as they walk through this valley. That is our job and that is exactly what I told my friend. “Your home is being attacked by the enemy through your son and no matter what happens, you have to stand strong in Christ and work to try and love your kid through this major episode…together”. I encouraged him like I would encourage you with these words:

God is working in your life, even when you don’t see it, even when you can’t feel it, even if it’s not evident.

You are NOT alone on this battlefront. Remember that God is beside you, no matter how many MEAN things our kids say to us…WE STILL TRUST HIM…

Please don’t give up guys…Let me leave you with one of my favorite verses from the Bible in Joshua:

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”    (Joshua 24:15 ESV)

Until next time guys…

Keep the Door CLOSED!

Posted: May 27, 2023 in Something to think about
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“Luther said that when the devil came knocking on the door of his heart, he would send the Lord Jesus to the door. Christ would say, “Martin Luther used to live here but has moved out…I now live here.” Then, says Luther, when the devil would see the nail prints on Christ’s hands and His pierced side, he would take flight immediately.!”

Guys, I am giving you this famous Luther quote today to remind you of one thing…Keep the door closed when the enemy comes knocking. Even though sometimes he is pounding so loud it is hard to stay focused on what you are doing…keep the door closed.

Because here is what happens if you open…you expose yourself to things you know you should not…and the next time you do, you open the door just a little bit wider. Remember that in any battle, defending a position is much easier than trying to recapture it once it has fallen into the enemy’s hands.

Keep in mind this important point today, no matter what role the enemy plays in mine or your temptation, there is one fact that you must remember; God will hold you and hold me accountable for what we do, or what choices we make. Your strategy cannot be to simply blame Satan and avoid being responsible for your own actions. You and I must learn to say no to the devil, just as we saw Christ do.

Today I want to give you 4 ways to help you keep the door bolted from one of my favorite books, God’s Devil, by Erwin Lutzer. These are paraphrased so I highly recommend you pick this book up and read them for yourself.

  1. We must pause and give thanks for our test. Our faith will be strengthened when we see our struggles coming from the Heavenly Father. Remember, we don’t give thanks for our sin; we don’t give thanks for the devil; but we can give thanks that God has found us worthy to be tested.
  1. We must learn the meaning of the word “resist”. Many people think that victory over Satan should be easy. We speak Christ’s name, recite scripture and assume the temptation is gone. But the truth is, the battle with Satan is a war and is a matter of life and death and there will be casualties.
  1. We must be convinced that sin is always our enemy. One single act of disobedience can trap us. Remember the mouse usually does not have the luxury of having a series of experiences with traps before it is caught. Just once might be enough.
  1. We must use scripture against Satan as Christ did. You and I MUST be able to say to Satan, “GO, for it is written…” Such concentration blocks Satan’s attempts to confound us with his lies.

Guys, you are being pounded right now by this world. Every day there is something new and frankly, disgusting to see shown on the evening news. My word to you today is Keep the Door CLOSED and resist!

Until next time Guys…

Lutzer, Erwin. (2015) God’s Devil, Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.

This man they call JESUS

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

He, who had no servants yet they called Him MASTER

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

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

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

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

He, who committed no crime, yet they crucified Him

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

HE LIVES TODAY

YES…HE STILL LIVES TODAY

Happy Easter to you 

Happy Resurrection Day

The Story of Satan – part 5

Posted: January 27, 2022 in Something to think about
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So a quick recap from part 4 is that we learned what Satan is doing right now. And trust me, he is NOT sitting on his hands. He is an active general conducting a war with you and me…Please don’t forget that. Moreover, we learned what you and I should be doing to protect ourselves while we are going through this journey. Most importantly though, we cannot be complacent about this unseen war Satan is conducting and we certainly can’t pretend it isn’t happening. So let’s jump right back into this again.

Let me start with this statement…

Jesus Christ came to earth to destroy the works of Satan. Did you catch that? Not mediate, compromise or even legislate what Satan is doing…but destroy. As I previously mentioned, Satan prowls around this earth with the sole intent of devouring you and me. Jesus’ plan is simply the opposite; Instead of destruction, He wants you to have eternal life with Him and what stands in both our ways are the plans of the enemy.

Jesus Christ is the adversary of Satan.

Read this;

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.  1John 3:8 ESV 

Christ also came to this earth to establish the Kingdom of God and most importantly, deliver us, you and me, from the dominion of Satan. In case you missed this from previous blog episodes, while we are here on earth, all of us are enslaved to Satan unless we accept the offer of Christ so we can be redeemed…but I am getting ahead of myself.

But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Mat 12:28 ESV – Christ Speaking

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed – Luk 4:18 ESV – Christ speaking

And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” Luke 13:16 ESV – Christ Speaking

to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ Act 26:18 ESV

For those of you who did not already know, when Jesus came to this earth, it was an invasion into Satan’s Kingdom and it rocked his world. So…right before Jesus began His earthly ministry, Satan confronted him in the desert with a series of temptations and he offered Jesus anything he wanted ON THIS EARTH…the only thing Christ had to do was bow down to him. 

(Matthew 4:1-11) Here are a few of these scriptures below:

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'” Mat 4:8-10 ESV 

When you read these verses, you will notice that Jesus systematically refused Satan’s temptations by only using scripture as a response to his questions. Why? Because according to the Bible, the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword and that was all that was sufficient to defeat the prince of this world.

Let me remind you of Martin Luther’s words from many years ago when he said,

The devil is God’s devil. We have forgotten that only when we know who God is can we know who the devil is. Blessed are those who are convinced that the prince of this world has become a slave to the Prince of Peace.

SIDE NOTE: It is HUGELY important that you understand this quote. Satan, although he is the prince of this world, is still under the control of Christ which means YOU can tap into that power and be victorious over this enemy. It is very important that you read this and know you have access to this. You are not alone.

We pick up this next section by telling you that when Christ was crucified on the cross…and then died, ALL of Satan’s Kingdom rejoiced. They TRULY believed they had won the war because Jesus was dead. But God had a very different plan in mind and if you know your Bible, you will know that is why we celebrate Easter…because Jesus rose from the dead.

Read this quote from Erwin Lutzer in his book, God’s Devil, who says;

Though he could never have predicted it, at the cross Lucifer would be defeated spiritually, for there Christ was guaranteeing that at least part of fallen humanity would be purchased out from the kingdom of darkness to share in the Kingdom of Light.

You can imagine, the demon hordes went from celebrating to all-out panic. Literally from one extreme to another. The resurrection of Christ initiated the defeat of Satan and thereby ensured God’s ultimate victory over him. 

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil  Heb 2:14 ESV

So, guys, we have reached a very important mile marker in this 6 part series about Satan. Why? because in the next episode, we talk about Satan’s future. I think it is critical to share with you what happens to him and I want you to know what the Bible tells us about the end of our enemy.

This is NOT an easy topic to tackle but we cannot look at the whole story of Satan without looking at the end, scripturally. My goal is to present this detail in a readable and hopefully understandable way so it makes sense to you.

Part 6 is next and it is the last one…

Until next time guys-

The Story of Satan – part 4

Posted: January 22, 2022 in Something to think about
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We have learned in the first 3 parts of this story that Satan has been very busy since he was cast out of heaven. He was there at the beginning disguised as the serpent that caused Adam and Eve or really, the entire human race, to fall into sin. We also learned that he is the god of this age which gives him authority over certain things like his fallen angels as well as the unrepentant human population. 

But, we also learned that he also has some very specific limitations on him as well. This includes the FACT that he is NOT omnipotent, which means he cannot read your mind. All of this plays right into the 4th installment of this series which talks about what Satan is up to currently. In other words…what is Satans strategy?

What is Satan doing right now?

In a nutshell, Satan is at war. He is presently at war against God and His people and just so we are clear, God’s people are you and me. His main purpose; is to try and draw you away from your loyalty to Christ. Literally, that is the main focus right now…how many people can he lead astray? And let me assure you…he is really good at his job which is why there is so much scripture to remind you to be on your guard.

But for those of you who are skeptical that Satan is at war…read this verse please:

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Eph 6:12 ESV

Have you ever heard of a guy named Job (pronounced jōb)? He has a very long book in the old testament inside the Bible that tells an interesting story about how Satan went and challenged God about Job by telling him that the only reason Job served Him was that he was blessed and had everything. As a result, God took on that challenge and allowed Satan to take away all of Jobs’s earthy possessions including his health, his family, his wealth…and yet ultimately, throughout the entire epic,  no matter what happened to him, Job would not curse God. It even drove Job to proclaim in 13:15…Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him…

Guys, realistically, not everyone is like Job with his unwavering commitment to his God through his adversity…which is why I write this to you.

Satan is your enemy and his strategy is that he wants you to fail and fall. That is why the Bible focuses so much scripture to inform us to protect our minds and NOT be led astray.

But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 2 Co 11:3 ESV

(For more information on this idea that you need to guard your thoughts, please read a previous blog on Ironman-Strength called, Guard your Mind, published in February of last year. This will better explain why Satan focuses his attack on your thoughts)

What is Satan’s goal for his non-stop attack on you and me?

His # 1 goal is, and always has been, to draw you and me into a sin and bondage relationship with him and this present world system. (Emphasis on the present). He wants to squash you like a bug. By the way, as the leader of your home, if you fall, so might your wife and family. That is why you must resist.

For some have already strayed after Satan. 1Ti 5:15 ESV

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life–to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. 1Jo 5:16 ESV

What are we supposed to do to thwart this constant attack?

  1. As believers, we MUST RESIST and pray constantly for deliverance from Satan

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Matt 6:13 ESV

Guys, in this instance, I cannot emphasize the importance of the word, “constantly”. This has never been a “one-and-done” type of defense against the enemy. It is a daily response (meaning a conscious effort using prayer) from you and what your intent is for that day to defend yourself and your family. Don’t forget that.

  1. YOU must be on the alert concerning his schemes and temptations

Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 

Eph 6:11 ESV

If you recall, the very first paragraph mentioned to you in part one of The Story of Satan was about knowing your enemy. Be prepared and resist, because the attack is coming…you just need to know how you can defend yourself.

  1. Resist him through spiritual warfare

Guys…here are the famous verses that talk about putting on the armor of God. Although this looks like symbolism, it truly means putting on armor each day. If you don’t take this part seriously, you give the enemy a foot in the door so I recommend that you take just a second to read them.

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, Eph 13-18 ESV

  1. Remain firm in the faith

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 1Pe 5:8-9 ESV

Guys, the book of Hebrews puts it this way:

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Heb 11:1

I do hope that after reading part 4 you recognize you can’t do this yourself. There have been many who have tried and ALL have failed. And by the way, there is no such thing as trying to ride the fence and be in BOTH worlds at the same time. Jesus calls that being “lukewarm” and He says, ” I will spew you out of my mouth”.

Finally, guys, you and I have very specific resources in this fight against Satan and all of them only will work when we are plugged into Christ as repentant Christians. Without repentance, you are just another dude proclaiming you are a good person…which won’t get you into heaven.

We are getting close to the end…Part 5 is next-

Until next time guys

Heavenly Deposits

Posted: December 26, 2020 in Heaven Bound
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I had the opportunity to spend some time with an old work friend who I hadn’t seen in a long time. At one point, we had worked together every day for two years but after I left that company, not so much anymore. But I had the chance to connect over some dinner so I took advantage of the chance to see him. As you can imagine, we talked about the usual work stuff and family stuff but somehow the topic bent toward him planning to win the lottery of all things. 

To be clear in MY mind, that topic was wasted mental energy because the chances of winning are not worth spending the time thinking about what you would do with all that money. But as I sat there and listened to my friend talk, I realized he had taken this lottery-planning topic to a whole new level. Honestly, the amount of detail he had already planned out was utterly amazing. He knew where he would invest, who he would give money to, and how much. He knew what upgrades he would make to his home, where he would take his first vacation, how he would quit his job, and the list went on and on. He even worked out a plan to help his kids pay off their student loans, and buy his parents, sister, and nephews new homes…and guys, I could keep going. I finally interrupted him and asked him why? Why would you invest so much of your time and brainpower on a topic that will most likely NEVER happen? 

He replied simply, “ah, but it could, and I want to be prepared”

“Prepared”, I thought. “Interesting concept.”

From your perspective, what does it take to be prepared for anything? Investing time, thought, and effort toward something helps you be prepared…However Christ told us to prepare by storing up for ourselves, treasures in Heaven…in other words, preparation for eternity…not preparation for a fictitious event, or for that matter, anything else here on earth.

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust can consume, and where thieves can neither break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matt. 6:20-21

So what is a treasure in heaven? How can I have any connection with heaven while I am still here and living on this earth? 

Here is how I look at this; my friend was investing huge amounts of his time thinking about a fantasy event rather than thinking about how to make a difference now while he is here on earth. For example, how about spending more time with his kids, his wife, or both? What about focusing on or engaging with a particular subject that might make him better or even the people around him better? 

The way I see it, all of these suggestions are treasures that are being stored in heaven for him. It’s like making a deposit in a bank or maybe better yet, it’s an investment in your heavenly eternal future.

Jesus said, “How will they know me? By how YOU love one another”

Pretty simple actually. If we take the time to be kind to someone, anyone…when we aren’t required to do so…YES… it helps them, but believe it or not, that is a treasure YOU have stored in heaven. 

What you do here on earth matters for your eternal future.

You see…everything we store up in heaven is safe…forever. There are not any malware or viruses that can wipe out your deposits in Heaven. Christ said this in the verse above, where neither moth nor rust can consume, and where thieves can neither break through nor steal.

NOTHING can destroy what you have stored there…It is safe for all eternity

My simple advice:

Why don’t we try to get out of our own way, focus on each other for a change, and watch what happens…

What I think you will find is a far happier group of family and friends because you aren’t 100% solely focused on yourself…or like my friend at the beginning of this post, who simply spent too much time planning for a fantasy event.

So as you begin to look and plan for this next year, 2021…my recommendation is to start making heavenly deposits sooner rather than later…

Honestly, your future depends on it…

Until next time Guys…

Do I Deserve to be Happy?

Posted: August 22, 2016 in Something to think about
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Blue sign points the way to happiness

I heard someone the other day make this statement to me about how unhappy his life is and all of the troubles he is going through right now. He said that after all the bad stuff he has had to deal with, he believes now he has paid the price and is due some happy times because he deserves to be happy.

Is that how our lives are supposed to be? We struggle with daily trials and difficulties whether we are married or single. We deal with our kids, our jobs, and our families and once we reach a certain point, the scale tips and then things start to go our way? Is that part of God’s plan?

But what does God think? Does He say, “Well this guy has been on my “bad” list for 6 months but now I am going to switch him over to my good list to balance things out”.

Sometimes I think we work hard in our minds to assume that God thinks like we do.

Everyday, all of us hear that something isn’t fair or, we need to balance that out when all along God never promised us happiness and bliss while here on earth.

I know what I am about to say will not excite anyone but the reality is, who are you or who am I that we would challenge God about anything? The idea that God needs to bring me happiness in this life or else is ludicrous and frankly, just selfish. I have said this before, God is God and we are NOT. If we approach God on those terms, HE WILL NOT HEAR US. The Bibles tells us to, humble thyself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up. James 4:10

There is a character in the Bible that maybe you have heard of or maybe not called Paul. Before he was Paul however, he was called Saul and before he was an Apostle, he was on a mission to exterminate Christians from the early church (Acts 9:1). Saul was NOT a nice guy. But as we see in the same series of verses (Acts 9:1-17), God had a very different idea about who Saul was and how He would use him for His own purposes. God’s intent was to save Saul and use an actual enemy of Christianity as a force for His good.

My main point in using this story today is to simply draw your attention to a single verse from Christ at the point of Saul’s conversion.

For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name. Acts 9:16

When I read this, my first thought was Christ was getting retribution from Saul for all of the persecution he inflicted upon Christians by making him suffer too. But then I realized that was not the case at all, Christ was foreshadowing the many statements that Paul himself would make as he walked his own Christian journey.

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

 

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:3-5

 

Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.     Philippians 1:27-30 (NKJV)

 

Through his own suffering, Paul experienced an amazingly, intimate relationship with Christ that he would never give up for anything he had before. There are so may examples of how Paul went through prison and torture and still praised God.

Read this from Paul’s own words:

I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.

 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move.

 I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.

 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.

2 Corinthians 11:23-27

 

So am I suggesting that we focus on just suffering for God? No, I’m not. What I am suggesting is that my original question is flawed because we are NOT on this earth to be “JUST” happy. God never promised us that. He never told us that life on this earth would be pure bliss and our existence is just about being happy. I do think the world we live in does make that a priority. What God did tell us is that HE WOULD BE WITH US as we walked down the path. One thing I can say with confidence, bad things will happen but in Him, we can find ways to move forward even though we may be in pain. God does NOT owe you or me anything. You have been given a freewill to choose either the easy path or the hard one. (Luke 13:24)

I encourage you to read what Paul wrote about the pain of his life and his journey as a way to help inspire you on yours. (Philippians 3: 7-11) If we can gain the right perspective about our life here on earth and NOT think that God owes us anything, it will change the way you think and pursue God but more importantly, the suffering you may experience along the way will be different. How?

God will use your suffering to make you stronger in Him. I know it sounds crazy but if you rely on God while on the path, He will get you through safely and over to the other side.

I leave you with one more word from Paul:

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. Philippians 4:11

 

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…

Wrestling with Unbelief

Posted: April 30, 2016 in Father
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unbelief

“My son says he doesn’t believe in God anymore”. Those were the anguished words I heard my friend speak to me just the other day when we were together. He said, “he announced that to my wife and I with the proclamation that he no longer needs to go to church anymore as well”. My friend’s son is just 17 and only a junior in High School. He went on to tell me that this announcement was really just the tip of the iceberg inside their home in that he and his wife have been dealing with pure rebellion in this young man for close to a year. Moreover, with younger kids still in the home, this situation is beginning to tear his family apart.

How do you respond to someone when they tell you that?

My brothers I am sure many of you can identify with this very same scenario in your home and all the battles that happen as a result. As the father, some of us may get very firm and stand our ground in front of our kids and wives and shout, “My way or the highway!” while others of us may be more fearful and not want to upset the household to much and therefore we don’t do anything leaving everyone confused because there aren’t any boundaries coming from dad…

Does any of this sound familiar to you?

The Bible tells us this in Proverbs:

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.   (Proverbs 22:6 ESV)

So if we give our kids the correct Christ-like foundation, and a home that believes in Him and loves each other, no matter what…then if I understand God correctly, He will take care of the rest?

The answer is a resounding YES.

Guys, I am NOT an expert; I simply speak from experience in my own life when I was a teenager as well as now being the father of 2 sons.

It all starts with love in the home. By building a foundation of love inside your walls and providing for your children in the best way YOU can…then you have laid the foundation for God to work with later on when they are older. You see the reality of this life is that our children get to make their own choices about their lives…and that includes whom they will serve. As much as you and I may try, we don’t get to make that decision for them. They make it for themselves…your kids and mine. All we can do as parents is to give them the best we have and then it is up to God.

Now, please don’t misunderstand me about this point, I am NOT saying we walk away from them…OH NO. I am saying that once they reach that certain age and begin to question everything…we continue to love them, pray for them and provide guidance as they walk through this valley. That is our job and that is exactly what I told my friend. “Your home is being attacked by the enemy through your son and no matter what happens, you have to stand strong in Christ and work to try and love your kid through this major episode…together”. I encourage him like I would encourage you with these words:

God is working in your life, even when you don’t see it, even when you can’t feel it, even if it’s not evident.

You are NOT alone on this battlefront. God is right there beside you and no matter how many mean things our kids will say to us…WE STILL TRUST HIM…

Please don’t give up guys…Let me leave you with one of my favorite verses from the Bible is Joshua:

 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”   (Joshua 24:15 ESV)

 

Until next time guys…

Are you really Working?

Posted: February 20, 2016 in Something to think about
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working-out-loud

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…

 

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