The Call of Wisdom

Have you ever though about the fact that everywhere you look there's something new to learn? We have an old saying: "You learn something new every day." Proverbs 1:20-22 says that wisdom calls to you from everywhere, and only fools don't listen. The things of God literally scream at you in the streets.

Romans 1:20 says the God can be seen through all creation. As we come into 2011, I hope that each of you will be careful to see God in all things. This is one of my own New Year's Resolutions, to carefully examine things and try to see the glory of God in them.

Happy New Year!

New Year's Resolutions

How many of you have set New Year's Resolutions? In years past I used to always refuse to make New Year's Resolutions. Even when I was in school and they made us write them on a piece of paper and put them in an envelope, I put a blank piece of paper in an envelope. As a man, for me to write something down, or purpose to do something, and then fail at it was to show a lack of character and I simply refused.

It was really a grand scheme, as I never had to say I didn't stick with my New Year's Resolutions. However, it kept me from having any real purpose in going into the New Year. What is my reason for living this next year? So last year, I made some resolutions. Some resolutions I kept, some I didn't. This year, I'll set some more. This year, I will try to keep them all, but I will likely fail.

So what then does the Bible have to say about resolutions? 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 shows us that every good purpose God fulfills in our lives is for His glory. Lamentations 3:40-41 gives us a great place to start: examining our lives, returning to God, and praising God. While I have several resolutions that are very personal for this year, I definitely want one of those resolutions to be to examine my life more closely on a daily basis, and to draw closer to God.

Even if you don't have a particular mission or goal in life, find some purpose for yourself in the coming year, and pursue it with all of your might. If you have no purpose, make it your purpose to find your purpose, through study and seeking God. God has a purpose for every one of us (2 Timothy 1:8-14).

The Buddy System: Healthy Listening

If someone comes up to you and suddenly begins telling you the story of how they've fallen into sin, what do you do? The first thing you need to do is examine what you can do. Luke 6:39 says that if the blind lead the blind, they'll both soon end up in the ditch. If you're struggling with the same thing that this person is confiding in you that they are struggling with, you very likely aren't qualified to help them. Mutually agree to pray for each other, and move on. An alcoholic should not hang out in bars or a drug addict with users. We are faced enough by our demons daily that we do not need the additional weight of another's confession to drag us further into the pit of our own despair. Rather, we should agree to pray for that person and then encourage them to seek another confidant who is able to guide and help them.

If we are qualified to guide this person seeking our confidence, we need to pay very close attention to the words of Romans 15:1-2, 7. Remember that Christ accepted us when we were not only addicted to the works of the flesh, but He accepted us before we even knew who He was. Romans 5:8 points out that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Accept that this person is openly acknowledging their need to confess their shortcomings to someone and receive guidance and prayer as James 5:16 instructs us all to do.

Don't belittle or mock the ones that would come to you for guidance and prayer. Don't put them down or try to make them feel inferior for their faults. This attitude is prideful and boastful, and is not in the spirit of Christ. Proverbs 16:18 warns us of our own destruction when we take an attitude of pride. 1 John 4:7-21 is the most amazing example of how we should treat our fellow man and how we should judge him. 1 John 4:15 says that if a man confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him. Knowing that God lives in the one who comes to us for guidance, how will we treat them?

Since God lives in us, and He lives in the one who has come to us for guidance, we know that God is already present in our conversation. He is watching us through the windows of our soul. How will we show His love? How will we keep His commandments? Matthew 18:18-20 says that if two bind anything on earth it will be bound by God, and if two release something on earth it is released by God.

Therefore, we ought to primarily pray together that the thing that troubles the one coming to us for guidance might be resolved. Whether that thing is an addiction needing bound, or a freedom needing loosed, if we agree on that thing, it will be done. We should search the Scriptures together in prayer, learning what God has to say about our troubles. We should give counsel in the spirit of 2 Timothy 2:15-16, 19, 23-26. Thank God that He guides us as is shown in Ephesians 6:18-20 to know what to say and when we need to say it.

The Buddy System: Healthy Sharing

Again beginning in James 5:16, we see that there is still much more to learn about this "confessing our sins one to another". The main thing to point out here in this post is that the Bible doesn't say "describe the circumstances that caused you to sin". There's no call or reason to define all of the circumstances surrounding a sin that you've committed, as it rarely does anyone any good at all to hear this, but more often causes someone else to stumble as well. 1 Corinthians 15:33 clearly defines this. We shouldn't be lifting up the thing that caused us to fall; we shouldn't exalt the very cause of our stumble. Rather, we should admit that we have fallen and exalt God for His forgiveness and ask for His healing.

This idea of healthy sharing is in the spirit of Ecclesiastes 4:8-12, in that, a person who is utterly alone has nobody to help him up but himself; if things get bad and he needs comfort or warmth, only he can provide that for himself. All the way from the very beginning of time, God has recognized in man the need of confiding in others. In the beginning of time, God walked with Adam in the Garden of Eden, but still thought that man needed the companionship of another human (Genesis 3:8, 2:18). In Genesis 2:18 God acknowledges that man needed someone to be with him, and so God made a woman for him. One of the best people to be able to confide in is your wife. If you cannot be honest with your wife, how can you be honest with God or even another man?

Certainly, another man may be able to better understand the things we're facing, our emotions, reactions, or behaviors. A man who has gone through what we're going through, or a man who has stared down our particular demon and came out victorious through the grace of God will better be able to guide us. We still need to be open and honest with those around us as well. Hiding something and lying about it are two of the primary things that keep us trapped in our sin, returning to it over and over again. Admitting our faults, coming clean with ourselves and another is the first step toward a new spiritual freedom.

The Buddy System: Be a Buddy

When we look at James 5:16, we have to look at the inverse implication of the verse as well. Obviously, in a church of even 100 people, the pastor will not be able to be everyone's "buddy". I haven't a doubt in my mind that this concept has occurred to him, and he will try to the bitter end to do so, but it isn't physically or emotionally possible. With just 100 people, a single person would have an average of 3 people call him every day with their problems. That's not including time to prepare sermons, visit the sick, and all the other things that the pastor does that you don't even realize he does.

So, it's also our responsibility to be that friend for someone else. We all NEED someone to talk to, to share our shortcomings and failures with. We need another man who understands and can help us, guide us, and pray with us. But once we reach a point where we're strong enough we need to be willing to BE that person for someone else. It isn't always easy or fun. Sometimes it quite plainly just stinks. But whether we like it or not, other people will at some point as we grow be looking at us as that person that they look up to as a man strong in the Lord.

When that someone reaches out to you for that guidance and that prayer, when someone reaches out to you and shares that failure, don't laugh at them, don't poke fun, and don't gossip. Accept them, accept their problem, and let them know that you care and understand what they're going through. Offer to pray with them. Proverbs 18:24 tells us that a man that has friends must also be friendly. If we expect someone else to guide us and pray with us, we should be equally as willing to do that for another man. Don't let them share to the point of dragging you down, and don't ask them to. You don't need to know the every detail of their failure.

If you don't know how to help someone who comes to you, there are lots of things that you can do. First and foremost, the single most important thing you can do is pray with them and for them. After that, if they want or need advice that you can't offer, refer them to someone you trust who you believe can, maybe even your buddy. If you refer them to your buddy, it's often helpful to explain to them that the person you're referring them to is the person that YOU go to when you have problems. Maybe you can introduce them to your buddy and have a group lunch or something. Don't turn them away though, whatever else you do. Make sure to show them the love and respect you would want if you were in their same situation.

The Buddy System: Find a Buddy

One of the biggest problems that I see in men these days is a complete lack of people they can talk to. I'm not talking about the poker buddies, or the guys you get together with to watch the game; I'm talking about someone you can sit down with and tell them honestly what's going on in your life. James 5:16 tells us that we need to be able to call on others when you're in trouble or when you've done wrong and that we'll be forgiven. Every man I know who is having serious issues in his life and has no hope at all of fixing them has plenty of friends and co-workers, and not a single person in whom they confide. Often, the men are so out of touch with everyone that even their own family and wife are excluded from any meaningful and truthful communication.

Now, I'm not saying you need to find some guy in your church and tell him how bad your life is, and that's not what the passage is saying either. We as men need someone that we can rely on though as an example, someone who has already experienced a lot of the things we're going through, and someone who can guide us in our walk with God in times of weakness. I have a friend that I've known for about 17 years, and now that we're both saved and going to church, he is my "buddy" in this respect. When I'm having a problem or dealing with a weakness in my life, I can call him up and talk to him about it.

When I call him up, the point isn't to describe in detail the problem, as that just drags your buddy down, and pretty soon both of you are stuck in the mud. All that needs said is "Hey, I've got this problem" and just let the buddy know what the problem is. Then ask them to pray with you about it, and keep you in their prayers. When I'm dealing with an addictive problem or something that requires a little more vigilance, I can have my buddy check up on me. I don't want him to put me down, just make sure I'm sticking with whatever it is, and help pick me up if I've started to fall.

As a New Year's resolution, I would encourage each of you to find a buddy. Find someone in your church or a friend that you have enough confidence in to share your shortcomings with. If you can't find anyone, you probably aren't looking very hard; man up and go talk to somebody. If you can't find anyone else, your pastors or Sunday School teachers would likely be happy to help you out. Church deacons and board members are good choices, too. Pick someone you view as strong in the Lord, and just talk to them. This is very important in being a man of integrity. Don't fail!

Running and Singing

Merry Christmas to all the readers who find themselves faithful in the study of God's word! Let's remember the reason we celebrate this season: God our Heavenly Father sent His Son down to earth to teach us and ultimately become our final sacrifice for sin. Let us give thanks this Christmas that we can have salvation because of the birth that we now celebrate.

In Psalms 3:1-2 we see that David is being pursued by Absalom, his rebellious son. During this troubling time, we see that David is writing a song of prayer to the Lord. He doesn't start out with a complaint; he doesn't start out with a praise. He starts out by just telling God what's going on in his life. He doesn't make any bones about it, he just states the facts -- "God, I've got a lot of enemies here, and they're saying you won't deliver me."

Once David has told God what's going on, he makes a statement in submission and worship of God. Psalms 3:3-6 shows David's trust in God, and makes a massive statement about his past experiences with God's grace -- "You protect me, comfort me, and when I talk to you, you answer. I can sleep easy knowing I'm in your hands. I won't be afraid no matter how many people come after me." David doesn't say "you give me everything I ask for." He just puts his trust in God's protection and comfort, knowing that God is listening, and that God will answer.

Now that David has told God what's going on in his life, and he's let God know that he recognizes that his life is totally in His hands, Psalms 3:7-8 outlines David's request to God -- "Deliver me from my enemies, because only you can. Bless your people." Even in David's request to the Lord, the attitude of submission remains. When we pray, is this the attitude we bring to the altar with us? Do we submit ourselves to God completely? I know often I find myself demanding things from God, and I have to humble myself and say "not my will, but yours".

As we celebrate the birth and life of Christ today and throughout the new year, let's keep a humble spirit. We are the temple of the Lord. You wouldn't go to your friend's house and demand that he do something for you. You are God's house; be reverent to Him, you're just a guest in your body. Let's all pray with the spirit of David -- "God, I'd like your help and deliverance, but I'm in your hands."

The Way of the Thief

Proverbs 1:10 gives one of the most generalized and greatest pieces of information any person could give another: resist sinful temptation and peer pressure. Acts 2:40 gives a similar message. In Proverbs 1:11-14 we see a very short description of someone tempting another with ill-gotten gain. Jesus gives a similar narrative in Luke 10:27-37, citing that we should love our neighbor as ourselves, and demonstrating that anyone you meet qualifies as your neighbor.

Then Proverbs 1:15-16 goes on to say that we shouldn't even associate ourselves with these people. They are dangerous, and they will as quickly turn on you for their gain as they have turned you on others. An interesting example then is used in Proverbs 1:17-18, "How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds!" These men have been warned openly of the penalty for their ways, yet they continue to be snared by their desires. The net has been laid out in full view of them, and yet they run to the bait with no thought of self-restraint. "They waylay themselves!"

Finally, Proverbs 1:19 finishes saying that this is how all ill-gotten gain ends, with the loss of ones life. Now sure, many people get things by many unscrupulous ways and live to a ripe old age. The Bible says, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). We cannot serve sin and have eternal life. We must steer clear of those who would tempt us into such a foolish trap, and thus cause us to lose all that is most important in life.

The Death We Celebrate

Why do we celebrate the birth of Jesus? We often refer to Him as "Jesus Christ", and we refer to this upcoming holiday as "Christmas", but what does it really mean? Jesus' last name wasn't "Christ", nor was it His middle name. The Hebrew word for "Christ" is usually transliterated as "Messiah". Therefore, "Jesus Christ" is actually "Jesus the Messiah".

So, what is the "mas" as the end of the word "Christmas" then? We actually get the suffix "-mas" from the Latin word "missa", which is actually a dismissal. A dismissal in this form is taken as a release to perform a mission. It shares a root with the word "Mass" as in the Catholic tradition, to which the final Latin words are "Ite, missa est", or "Go; it is the dismissal".

"Christmas" then is actually "the release to perform the mission of the Messiah". Mark 16:15-18 defines this mission. After Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, he gives this single command - "Go". Are we celebrating the birth of Christ? In a sense, we are; without the birth, there would have been no life, death, resurrection, or command to "Go".

Truly, we are celebrating the opportunity to perform the work of the Messiah. We are celebrating the freedom we have through His blood. We celebrate His life, His example, and His redemption! Tell someone the story of Christ this Christmas. Share the redemption story with your family; tell your kids, parents, wife, neighbor, boss, friends, co-workers, and even your church friends. Share the good news even with those who already believe! We celebrate not the birth of Jesus, we celebrate the life we have through His death!

The Life and Leadership of Jesus Christ

Quite obviously to cover the entire life and leadership examples of Christ would be far more than would be feasible in a single post, but we'll touch on some of the highlights. One of the primary focuses of the New Testament church throughout the Bible is teaching the Word of God. We find Jesus doing this already by the time He was just 12 years old in Luke 2:42-47. And we see this continues as an example in several other verses as well (Matthew 4:23, Matthew 7:28-29, Matthew 28:18-20). We're supposed to teach and preach boldly and with authority. We're supposed to call others to follow Christ (Luke 19:5-10, Luke 5:27-28, Mark 1:16-18).

Going hand in hand, we see that Christ's example was that of unselfishness (Romans 15:1-3), providing for those in need (Luke 11:9-10), and serving others (Mark 10:43-45, Matthew 20:26-28). These are powerful examples. Jesus wasn't just a leader, He was a servant of those who followed Him. He was also a friend to those who followed Him (John 15:15), and He loved them (John 13:34-35, John 15:13). So often as men, it's easy for us to bow down to serve others and show others love, but this was the example that Christ set for us.

One of the greatest examples that we overlook as men that was set for us by Jesus was to not try to do everything ourselves; we need to let other people help (Mark 3:13-15, Luke 10:1). Jesus didn't try to fulfill the Scriptures foretelling His arrival all alone. He chose great men to assist Him in His work. If Jesus needed other people to help bear His load, how much more do we need others to help us?

The final example that Christ set for us was that of not leaving our work half-finished. Jesus finished all that He was intended to, and did so in a complete fashion. John 18:9 tells us that Jesus lost none who was given to Him to save, and John 17:4 and John 19:30 both herald that his work here on earth was completed. His life on earth was short, but it was lived exactly as intended, and completely fulfilled God's will without fail. May that be our testimony when we die: our work was completed, and we were great leaders for God.

It's Good for Everyone

With Christmas fast approaching, I feel it is appropriate to remind people exactly what it is that we are celebrating, and the sort of men that were used by God for this to all come to pass. There were 3 distinct groups of men represented in the birth of Jesus: the government, the family, and the church. Essentially, this represents every type of man possible by representing government, the family unit, and the church.

The Government
Matthew 2:1-2 introduces us to the "wise men" or "Magi". We don't know their whole story, but obviously there was a star that these men spotted in the sky that was different or new, and they recognized it as a sign that Jesus had been born, and came to worship Him. These men were obviously significant emissaries of their countries, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, all very expensive items. These Magi encountered another type of governmental leader, Herod, who according to Matthew 2:3-9 and Matthew 2:12-16 wanted to kill Jesus. Jesus' mere lowly presence on earth was such a threat and offense to Herod that he wanted Him dead the moment He was born. Christ represents a very real threat even now to worldly leadership. Those following Him have the power of Christ through prayer to tear down the authority of men who would oppress them. To these Magi though, Christ, this little newborn baby, was worthy of their allegiance and their worship.

The Family
In Luke 2:8-20 we find the magnificent appearance of angels to the working man, heralding the birth of Christ. These men get to be the first average Joe to hear the good news and come seek Him. These men wouldn't have necessarily been educated men, and a sign in the stars may well have passed their understanding, so for them, it was made much clearer. An angelic for broke throughout the heavens and sang praise to them! How awesome and amazing it must have been! These men didn't have expensive gifts to bring, but Luke 2:16 says they hurried or made haste to find Jesus. When they heard the news, they immediately rushed to find Jesus. Luke 2:20 shows them returning glorifying and praising God.

The Church
Luke 2:25-39 shows us Simeon and Anna, who immediately upon seeing Jesus began to worship and praise and speak about Him. We often hear of Simeon here, but unfortunately Anna is commonly overlooked. Anna is an important piece here, as in the church she is the confirmation of Simeon's praise. Matthew 18:16 and 2 Corinthians 13:1 show us that we should be able to confirm anything with the word of 2 or 3 people. It's an important part of Judaism, established in Deuteronomy 17:6 and in Deuteronomy 19:15, then repeated for the New Testament church also in 1 Timothy 5:19 and Hebrews 10:28. This event established the practice again for those who follow Christ.

Every Walk of Life
We've seen here that by the time Jesus was 8 days old, His presence had been acknowledged by people from every walk of life, and members of every group had given praise to Him. Not everyone who heard of Him worshiped Him, as is still the case today. His words and a life pleasing to God and patterned after the example Jesus left us is good for every man, every group, and every walk of life. Have we acknowledged His presence in our lives this season? Have we praised Him? Have we spread the news of His birth to everyone we've come across?

Praise Ye the LORD

How often do we Praise God? Is it a daily thing, or does it only happen on Sunday morning? How often should we praise God? The answer is found in Hebrews 13:15. Continually with the help of Jesus we should offer our sacrifice of praise to God specifically by proclaiming the glory of His name.

I think too often we get caught up in the specifics of what praise is to Christians. Perhaps more of what we've always been taught. Perhaps to some people praise is three hymns (two if they're longer) then offertory followed by two hymns of worship. While there's nothing wrong with having a method to worshiping God, this is not a regulated thing when it comes to praise.

As a father, when I praise my daughter I don't have a specific ceremony to do it. Rarely do I perform the praise in song, and if I did it wouldn't be choral (I love my daughter, but it's hard enough to get a small group of people to sing to the Almighty God let alone an eight year old). So my praise of her comes in words mostly to people who I think should know just how smart, beautiful, and well-behaved she is.

Likewise our praise to God isn't just the songs we sing to Him, but the way we proclaim him to people that we meet. Witnessing to someone is telling them about God. If you're telling them the good things God has done, then you're praising Him. It's that simple. So praise God continually. Wherever you go. Whoever you meet. As the Psalmist said in Psalm 150:6 Let everything that has breath Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

A Call to Leadership

Who has God called to be leader in your household? What about your workplace or school, or maybe in some other area of service? Young people reading this, this is not to say you should overtake the authority of your parents and teachers. Church members, this is not to say you should overtake the authority of your pastor, your boss, or even your Sunday School teacher. As Christians, God calls each and every one of us to a form of leadership. For some, this is more obvious: pastors, teachers, deacons. What is your form of leadership, and are you being an effective leader?

In looking at the Biblical examples, God never calls everyone to lead the same thing. God calls a single person out to lead at a particular thing. God called Abraham to follow Him and raise a nation. God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into Canaan. God called Joshua to lead the armies of Israel into victory in Canaan. God called David to kill Goliath.

If all of the Israelites had been called to kill Goliath, we would not have the story of a small boy with a sling killing a mighty giant; God would get no glory from it. We might have had a few verses that a giant taunted the Israelites and they all rushed in and killed him, but that's not nearly as powerful of a story. These are just a few very simple examples. In many cases, the men ended up with other leaders under them, and they became leaders of leaders.

A weak leader will ultimately breed a weak following. In Deuteronomy 31:6 we find Moses addressing the people of Israel before he is to die, and he tells them to "be strong and courageous" and have no fear of their enemies. Immediately after this, he turns to the newly called leader, Joshua, and repeats this command to him specifically in Deuteronomy 31:7-8. He is reaffirming to the leader that he has the responsibility of setting the example for the people to follow. The people know what to do, but it rests on the leader to show them by example how they should do it.

When people first started following my examples, I didn't even realize it. I was callous and set some pretty poor examples. God has guided me slowly into a place to set a better example for others to follow. Just the simple realization that others really did watch what I do brought a lot more weight down on my head to set a proper example for them. I'm not perfect by any means, and I still go astray from the example I should set, but with God's grace and guidance, my leadership will improve. What kind of leader are you turning out to be for those looking at you for an example?

Laughed At and Destroyed

Did you know that if you're following in the will of God, He laughs at those who come against you? Not only does He laugh, He scoffs at them according to Psalms 2:1-4. The King James version uses the phrase "the Lord shall have them in derision". Derision is just a shorter way of saying extreme mockery, humiliation, or ridicule. We don't want to be associated with those that God mocks. We don't want to be part of their group, part of their "in" crowd. We don't need to try to "fit in" with the world. When we join the world in their wickedness, we become a part of the group that God Himself ridicules.

We definitely don't want to be a part of that group, and Psalms 2:5-9 tells us why. God will deal harshly and angrily with them. They will be ruled with an iron scepter, and broken like pottery. Those who don't follow after the will of God will be utterly destroyed. We see a reference to this in Jude 1:5, where it talks about the people who complained about the Manna from Heaven, and we see that God destroyed all of those who complained.

Psalms 2:10-12 tells us what to do: serve the Lord with fear, rejoice with trembling, kiss the Son, and take refuge in Him. Jude 1:20-25 gives us a correlation to that as well, showing that not only should we take refuge in Christ, but that we should bring as many in with us as possible, saving them also from the wrath of God. Romans 12:1-2 says to give our bodies as a living sacrifice, and not conform to the world, but let God transform our minds to follow Christ. Let us not join in the world and be mocked and destroyed by God, but let's follow Jesus and save as many as we can through His power in our lives.

Following Directions

This is one all of us men have such a problem with, we've been permanently stereotyped with being unable to perform this one simple feat: following directions. We want to be independent, self-sufficient, and not responsible to anyone. Unfortunately now, even I must swallow my pride as I read Proverbs 1:7-9. "Fools despise wisdom and discipline" are some pretty strong words.

There are two parts to this passage, specifically Proverbs 1:8. As all of us have parents, all of us should listen to our father's instruction and our mother's teaching. There is no cut-off on this; it is until we or they cease to live. As long as they live, they will always have more experience and life lessons learned, and we owe it to them to listen to their advice. We don't always have to do what they say, but we do have to listen.

We find out what kind of father figure God is in Exodus 34:6-7: compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, loving thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin. This is the love that He extends to His children. As fathers, this is the same love that we should show our children. However, the rest of Exodus 34:7 goes on to say that He does not leave the guilty unpunished. We are still responsible to ensure that our children understand that their actions will result in consequences: good rewards for good behavior, punishment for bad behavior.

Exodus 20:12 even further confirms this, when God added this as the fifth of the Ten Commandments, being the first of the commandments pertaining to how men should treat each other. The first four commandments are how men should treat God, the last six how men should treat one another. This is another pretty strong testament to the importance of it, and it's the only commandment given with any good promise for obedience. Whether we're eight or eighty, let's remember this important command, and listen to what our parents have to say; let's make sure that we provide wise instruction to the children who are listening to us.

Life's Not Just a Bed of Roses

Did you get saved expecting it to make life easier? Did you get saved expecting God to make you rich or famous? Do you preach, teach, and believe the Word of Faith doctrine? 2 Corinthians 6:3-10 would tend to disagree with your idea of what it means to be saved. Certainly, God does richly bless His children, but it is not always so.

God always meets the needs of His children though. Consider the children of Israel in Exodus 16:3, out in the desert, hungry; then in Exodus 16:11-15 God sent bread in the morning with the dew for them to eat. And no, it wasn't just some bland bread, according to Exodus 16:31 it was like wafers made with honey. Ultimately though, God's people got tired of the provision of God and longed for the enslavement of Egypt again in Numbers 11:1-6. Their greed brought the wrath of God on them though, and many died of a plague in Numbers 11:33-34.

Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Sometimes good things happen to bad people. Matthew 5:45 tells us that God causes the sun to rise on everyone, and rain to fall on everyone. So then, ultimately, did you become a Christian because you love Jesus because He died on a cross as a sacrifice for the sins you had committed and because God in His supreme love reached down His hand of grace to you, or did you become a Christian because you wanted earthly treasures? Wanting things you don't need or deserve is greed. Is your entire faith is based on greed? Matthew 6:19-21 says to store up treasure in Heaven, nothing on this earth is going to last.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 now gives us the greatest thing we have. For as much hardship, as much pain, and us much suffering as we go through, we have an equal amount of comfort in Christ. We can rejoice that we have hope in Jesus that through our suffering for Him we are drawn closer to Him, and that one day we will see Him face to face.

What Are You Looking For?

You get what you pay for. You get as much out of it as you put into it. As you make your bed, so must you lie in it. These are all sayings that most of us are probably familiar, and there's quite a bit of truth in them all. What I want to focus on though, are the questions: "What are you looking for when you study God's Word?", "What are you looking for when you go to church?", and "What are you looking for in your relationship with God?"

Jesus asked the people that were following Him about John the Baptist, "What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet." (Matthew 11:7-9) A lot of people went out to see John the Baptist, but there were a lot of reasons that they went. Some went to see the crazy guy eating locusts and honey, some to see a prophet.

All of the people found what they were looking for, but because many were looking lower, they were disappointed when they found the very thing they expected to see. Had they all been looking to find a prophet, they all would have found a prophet, and would have been amazed by God's presence in him. John the Baptist ended up in prison and beheaded because of this. Is this the attitude we take with us into prayer, into church, and into reading the Bible? Do we see what we expect to see, or do we open our hearts to receive the Word of God in a way that changes our lives?

Here's one we don't hear as often: "A bad workman blames his tools." If you're looking to find fault, if you're looking for something to give you an excuse for your attitude and behavior, look inside. The people around you can't make you into something that you aren't. As Hebrew 12:2 says, we need to keep our eye on Jesus, and not forget who He is. That is the only way we will be able to rightly see what we're looking at, and to receive the joy of the Lord, instead of being disappointed at finding what we sought.

The Later Glory of the Victory

How often do we go about complaining because of the hard time our family is having? How often do we blame God or question His will because some thing has come up that seems like it's just too hard to bear? 1 Samuel 23 gives us an example where the Lord used the enemies of David attacking the Israelites in order to save David's life. The chapter starts with the Philistines attacking a town called Keilah, and David asks God if he should go and fight them, and God instructs him to save Keilah. So, David follows the instruction of the Lord, and he wins a great victory (1 Samuel 23:1-5).

Saul, the current king, has been trying to kill David, and he sees this as an opportunity, since the city apparently was walled and gated (1 Samuel 23:7). However, the Lord had anointed David to be king, and David was in the will of God in saving the city of Keilah. So Saul here is not fighting a battle against David, but really he's fighting against God. David prays again, and God instructs him to leave the city (1 Samuel 23:10-12). Now remember, the king should have been protecting his people, but instead, he was more worried about killing God's anointed; God's anointed was protecting the people.

So we see toward the end of the chapter that Saul finally almost catches up to David, but God steps in and brings the Philistines back into the picture when a messenger comes to Saul in urgency that they are "raiding the land". Apparently, the part of the land that they were raiding was important enough to Saul for him to turn back to go fight them this time, and David was able to escape. So God used the very thing that David had won the victory over to cause Saul to stumble in his pursuit of David. If we are in the will of God, He can deliver us from one enemy using another one we've already beaten. We need to be sure to get the victory over our enemies when God leads us, so that He can use that for His glory on down the road.

The Will of God

God has a particular place in which we are to be. He has a specific task laid out for us. We can do great things in His name, and be as far from serving Him as the man who is openly rebelling against God (Matthew 7:22). Paul is even grateful in 1 Corinthians 1:15-17 that he didn't baptize many people, because that wasn't his calling.

When we try to use our intelligence and our logic to determine what that purpose is that God has called us for, we miss the very purpose that God has laid out for us. In 1 Corinthians 1:21 says "in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him". We can't even begin to comprehend God or His will through our greatest understanding. 1 Corinthians 1:25 says that the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom.

Our faith in Jesus, and our following the will of God even when it doesn't make sense to us is the only thing we can do. 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 says, "It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God" and "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." All of our thoughts, all of our knowledge, and all of our desires are meaningless in light of the wisdom of God. None of the things of the world are as important as following Him.

God Can Find You

We begin this story in Numbers 11:13-15, where we find Moses completely disgruntled with the complaining of the Israelites. In the earlier portion of the chapter (Numbers 11:1-12), they have begun to grumble about the manna from Heaven, and instead want meat. We see Moses doing the right thing, and going to God for some help. You can obviously see the torment of Moses, and he's ready to die rather than continue to lead an utterly ungrateful people. God answers his prayer by having him appoint seventy elders, who would be consecrated and filled with the same Spirit as Moses (Numbers 11:16-24).

Now, we come to one of the most peculiar parts of the story. We find in Numbers 11:25 that the Lord came down in a cloud, and "put the Spirit on the seventy elders", but Numbers 11:26 finishes this by telling us that two of the men who were supposed to be at the Tent hadn't made it. We aren't ever informed why, but we do find that, even though they were not present at the Tent, and they were not near the cloud in which the Lord descended, they were filled with the same Spirit, and they also prophesied.

Have you ever missed church and been so down about it and didn't just worship God anyway? I know I have. I've been sick and laid in bed and moped about it while the people of God were worshiping just 15 minutes away from my house. This story is a great example how that, if we have the right attitude, and we're chosen of God, He can bless us wherever we are. The Spirit was moving where the chosen people of God were assembled, and the guys who couldn't make it got the same touch of God, too! It's good to be with the people of God if you can, but if you can't keep a good spirit about it, and worship God anyway, and He can still find you and bless you.

Walk the Right Way or Be Blown Away

What kind of people do we let influence us? Psalms 1:1 starts the Psalms out by talking to us about what kind of people we should definitely not listen to: the wicked, sinners, and mockers. Then Psalms 1:2 tells us what the righteous man does: delight in the law of the Lord, and meditate on it day and night. I know I don't always do what God tells me to with a good spirit. Sometimes I want to grumble and complain about how hard it is. Usually, it's also at those times that I'm the absolute furthest from thinking about God continually.

Psalms 1:3 goes on to characterize this righteous man: like a tree planted by water, yielding fruit in it's season, whose leaves don't wither, and whatever he does prospers. Note that this tree always has the water that it needs for survival all the time, but it doesn't always yield fruit. It yields fruit when it's meant to yield fruit, in it's season. But either way, whatever he does prospers. Those righteous endeavors meant for good will be successful, although there's not just a steady stream of fruit from them all the time.

Psalms 1:4 then describes the wicked: chaff blown away by the wind. Chaff is the loose seed coverings, leaves, and stems from grain. The way that you get rid of chaff from your grain is by tossing it up into the air while the wind is blowing, and the wind will catch the light stuff and blow it away, and just the seeds and grain will fall back down. What a terrible thing to be considered the trash that gets blown away from the good stuff. Psalms 1:5 then tells us what sinners can't do: stand in the judgement or the assembly of the righteous.

The "stand" here is from the Greek qûm, literally meaning rise, accomplish, confirm, enjoin, make good, help, lift up, perform, remain, rise, establish, strengthen, or succeed. The wicked and sinners will literally fail at every hand in the judgement and where the righteous assemble. We don't need to do anything but love them and welcome them, their wickedness will quickly separate them unless they turn to God; we don't need to force God on them, but just be an example.

The last thing in the opening chapter of Psalms, Psalms 1:6, is that there are two roads: righteous or wicked. It says God watches over the righteous, but the wicked will die. Which road are we going to walk? I want to walk the righteous road, with God watching over me. I don't want to be blown away with the trash.

Introduction To Proverbs

The Daily Man will be doing a Friday series on Proverbs. Every Friday, we will examine a portion of the book, and see what wisdom we can glean from it.

Proverbs 1:1 starts the book off with the signature of the author, Solomon. Solomon was the wisest king to have ever lived. 1 Kings 3:5-14 give us a brief overview of where the wisdom of Solomon came from. His wisdom came from seeking the face of God. 1 Kings 10:24 says that people came from all around to hear the wisdom of Solomon.

Proverbs 1:2-6 gives us an overview of all of the things we can gain from studying this single important book of the Bible. We can gain: wisdom, discipline, prudence, knowledge, discretion, guidance. It will help us: understand words of insight, do what is right, just, and fair, understand proverbs, parables, and the sayings and riddles of the wise. Can a greater and broader insight into so many things have ever been written?

The very beginning of this book tempts us with such learning that it's difficult not to continue reading, and if you want to you are certainly welcome to read ahead. We're going to be going step-by-step through the entire book, however long that may take, and there's no harm in being prepared for the next Friday's topic. It will be an exciting journey through some of the most revealing and relevant writings man has ever known.

Fruit

What kind of fruit do we bear? Matthew 7:15-20 tells us a little bit about the type of fruit we bear, and it tells us also that "a good tree cannot bear bad fruit". Do we only bear good fruit? I know that sometimes still my depraved nature of Adam takes over and I bear bad fruit. I have to continuously watch for these bad branches, and ask the Gardner to remove them; ask for Him to prune me so I don't have bad branches, and bear bad fruit.

Matthew 7:21-23 goes on to tell us that there are a lot of people who will even claim to have performed miracles and cast out demons in the name of Jesus, but God will tell them, "I never knew you." Galatians 6:3 tells us that if we lift ourselves up undeservingly, we are lying to ourselves. We may show "some" good works, point to some things that we've done and say, "but look at what I did", but we are not saved by works, we are saved by faith.

Galatians 5:19-26 then gives us a good reference point for what fruit is of God, and what fruit is of the flesh. It sets a basic moral code, it's not all-inclusive; we do need to follow it in spirit, and not just by letter. We should confess our faults, and pray for each other according to James 5:16. We shouldn't be shy about falling into an altar and asking God's forgiveness. And we shouldn't hesitate to go pray with a brother at the altar.

Stephen: The Love of God, Loved by Godly Men

In Acts 6:5-8 we are introduced to Stephen. Stephen was chosen as one of the first leaders of the church by the apostles. He was "full of faith and the Holy Spirit." We even see that the people who persecuted him saw his face was "like the face of an angel" in Acts 6:15. Stephen, though it was apparent even to those unbelievers, was killed for his faith, becoming the first recorded Christian to be martyred. We can read the entire account of his persecution and death in Acts 7.

The verses that I'd like to point out, however, are the verses at the very last of Stephen's life, Acts 7:59-60. In these verses, we see the love of Christ spilling out of Stephen much in the same manner as Christ's love as he died for our sins in Luke 23:34 and Luke 23:46. Stephen showed a perfect example of Christ's love for us as he showed Christ's love to those who were stoning him.

We follow the end of Stephen's story into Acts 8:2, where we find that "Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him." These men knew the character of Stephen, Godly men, and they mourned deeply for him. Will Godly men mourn deeply for us when we die? Will they say we were "full of faith and the Holy Spirit"? What kind of people will mourn our passing? I pray that the world because of conviction will be glad to hasten my departure, but that Godly men will mourn when I die.

Sacrifices (Part 2 of 2)

Yesterday, we looked at Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his own son in order to follow God's command. If you didn't read it and you aren't very familiar with the story, you should go back and read it now. We're going to pick up in Genesis 22:11-12, where we see the angel of the Lord stop Abraham from sacrificing his son. Abraham didn't have to kill his son. God knew the intention of Abraham's heart, and that he would have sacrificed his son to serve God.

And now, in Genesis 22:13, we see the faith that Abraham had exhibited in Genesis 22:8 paying off. Abraham finds a ram stuck in a thicket. There's another recurring theme here, though, that we should be aware of: a sacrifice still had to be made. The angel didn't just stop Abraham from sacrificing his son, and they just go on home. There was a replacement sacrifice offered in place of Isaac. This is very much symbolic of the way that God provided His Son to die in place of us, the Lamb of God, that we wouldn't have to die for our sins.

In Genesis 22:14, we see Abraham give a name to the place, and it's a phrase that we hear from time to time. He called it Jehovahjireh (Genesis 22:14 KJV (KJV)), which interpreted means "The Lord Will Provide". The Lord provided a sacrifice in place of Isaac, and because of Abraham's complete obedience, He makes him another promise in Genesis 22:15-18. Our complete obedience to God will never lose us more than we gain. Sometimes it may seem like we're following God, and we're going to lose everything that's important to us, everything we hold dear.

Remember that no matter what we're tasked with, we need to do it in faith believing that God will provide for us. If we do that, we will be blessed. Jehovahjireh, The Lord Will Provide!

Sacrifices (Part 1 of 2)

Today, we enter the life of Abraham, and we see God, much like in the instance of Job, placing a burden on a man as a test to see if that man will follow through with the instruction of the Lord. The story begins in Genesis 22:1-2, where we see God tell Abraham to take the only son he has with his wife Sarah and sacrifice him as a burnt offering. The very next thing we see is Genesis 22:3, and Abraham has gotten up early the next morning, packed everything he needed, and set out to where God had told him to go.

As the story goes on, we see that Abraham arrives and takes his son up the mountain. We pick up again in Genesis 22:7, and we see now the son Isaac questioning his father, "Where is the lamb?" The response from Abraham is amazing in Genesis 22:8. Abraham says the one thing that is both true and faithful that he can in this situation. God had already provided him his son, as we see in Genesis 18:1-15, and Abraham had faith that the Lord would provide a sacrifice. Both options were true, and both options were faithful.

God had promised Abraham that he would establish his covenant through Abraham's heirs through Isaac (Genesis 17:19). Isaac at this time was still very young, and, as far as we know, had no children. Abraham had to have faith that God's promise would be fulfilled, and that Isaac would somehow survive this. And if Isaac were not to survive, the Lord had still provided the sacrifice, as He had provided the son, Isaac.

The story continues, and we see in Genesis 22:9-10 Abraham builds an altar, binds his son on the altar, and prepares to sacrifice his son. How far would we go to serve God? Would we go all the way to giving up the ones we love in service to our Master? This is an amazing example of faith and obedience, we see that Abraham never questions, never complains, and never hesitates. He simply does as God commanded. If we do question, hesitate, or complain, we're not much of a servant, are we? How can we call Jesus our Master, but not do as He commands?

A man of God may question his elder, he may question his spiritual leaders, he may even question his pastor, but a man of God can't hesitate in following God's commands. Tomorrow we'll see the result of this blind faith and obedience, and how God provides for those who follow Him. We'll see how one of the names we call God came to be.

Epaphras: The every man

We know that there were quite a few churches that Paul planted in the years following the death of Jesus. Many of these he wrote letters to that are now contained in the New Testament. Today we are going to look at a well-known church that Paul wrote to, but wasn't started by Paul himself. Epaphras was another christian in Paul's time, and spent some time with Paul tending to him while he was in prison. While Epaphras is only mentioned twice in the Bible, he still managed to start at least one church. The church at Colosse. This was Epaphras' home town, and here he planted a church after being led to the Lord by Paul.

Colossians 1:1-2
This is what could be almost called Paul's regular greeting. In almost everything he wrote included the salutation Grace and Peace. I don't think there's anything better that you could ask for someone. Grace to save us, and Peace to sustain us until we reach heaven.

Colossians 1:3-8
Here we see Epaphras as a messenger to the Colossians. Paul is writing to them when he hasn't necessarily met them, but knowing from the word of Epaphras about the Godly love that these people had for all the saints, he felt it necessary to write to these people. No doubt the name of Paul of Tarsus had spread through the early church similar to how Billy Graham or other evangelists are well-known among both christian and non-christians today, but how many people knew the name Epaphras? Possibly not many at all.

We know very little about Epaphras except what Paul wrote in Colossians, and that he is mentioned in the closing of Philemon. So he doesn't strike me as the sort of famous all-star evangelist that seem to take the scene in today's world. Yet he did something that was worth mentioning. He through the Spirit changed the community he lived in by witnessing and helping this small group of believers to come to the knowledge of the gospel. While this may not be anything big by the World's standards, we know that to God this is important.

So what is the testimony of Epaphras? Paul is able to sum him up in a very short verse. Colossians 1:7 says Epaphras was Paul's dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on Paul's behalf. Is there anyone that could or would say the same about you? It's important that we remember that to do the work of God, it doesn't take fame instead it takes a willing heart, the Love of God, and allowing the Holy Spirit to work through you. You may not get recognition or fame on earth, but the treasure you lay up in heaven is much better that anything that you could get here.

Being "Good"

Proverbs 12:2 tells us that the Lord delights in us if we are good. So how can we be "good"? It stands to reason that if God delights in a good man, that this is an attainable goal. The word "good in the context is literally the loosest version of the word. It is just "not intentionally doing wrong".

So if we keep from intentionally doing wrong, God will delight in us. But no man is without sin, and sin by it's very definition is a willful transgression against God. So then, the only thing we can do is to be purified by the blood of Jesus Christ and let the God sanctify us. To be sanctified is to make holy, to purify, or to consecrate.

The definition of consecrate is to give up entirely to some person or purpose. Ephesians 5:26 tells us that Christ sanctifies and cleanses us with the washing of water by the word. When we give ourselves entirely to Him, He bathes us in His truth. We become a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:12), our old sins and habits are taken away and replaced by new habit and good things.

Is this something that we can in ourselves do? Romans 3:10-18 tells us that nobody does good; we are a bitter mess of sin and ruin. But Romans 3:22-26 tells us that our justification and salvation from our wrongdoing lies in Jesus Christ whose blood was shed for us. It is only by turning our whole being over to Christ that we can become a new and "good" creature.

I pray daily that I will give myself entirely over to Christ; it is a daily struggle. The old man still desires to take back what was once his. In 1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul tells us that he has to beat his body into subjection so that he isn't "disqualified for the prize". He has to fight the old man that still wants to do the things the old man did. If Paul, who is one of the most well-known and read authors of the New Testament had to struggle against this, how could we dare to say that we ourselves have no struggles with our old man?

The Beginning of Compromise

In the last post I wrote, we examined the result of Lot's hesitation and bartering with God. We saw how the ultimate result was that Lot ended up exactly where God told him to go in the first place, but that he lost people that he was responsible for by not leading his family in the way God had appointed. But how did Lot get to the position he was in? When did this all come about?

In Genesis 13:5-8 we see that Abraham and Lot's herdsmen were fighting over the land, because between the two of them they had too much stuff for the land to support them. So Abraham decides that it would be best to separate in Genesis 13:8, and gives Lot the choice of where to go in Genesis 13:9.

And Lot chose the plain of the Jordan, where Sodom and Gomorrah were (Genesis 13:10-11). We see in Genesis 13:12 that Abraham went to Canaan, but Lot had ignored that the land he had chosen was already corrupted by sin, and chose to pitch his tents near it. We know that God already knew how this was going to end, because in Genesis 13:14 God promised all of the land to Abraham, even the land that Lot had chosen.

By the time we get to Genesis 14:12, Lot had moved from having his tents near Sodom, and was now living "in" Sodom. Sodom was overthrown and Abraham rescued the people and their goods (Genesis 14:11-17). We see that Abraham was already aware of the problems, and in Genesis 14:21-24 that Abraham refused to take anything that the king of Sodom offered as a reward. It is never uplifting to God when a man profits from service to the world, or from service to sin. According to Genesis 14:18-19 Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek though, whom Abraham had also rescued.

So we can see through this that Lot's problems had arisen a long time before he lost his wife to sin. We see that Lot chose something that looked good, ignoring the taint of sin. And once he had chosen to possess the land containing sin, he pitched his tents right next to it, eventually moving into it himself. Whatever the sin in our lives that we've chosen to pitch our tents next to, we need to remove it from our land, or we're going to end up living in it. We must as men for the sake of our families remove all sin from around us, not ignore it because everything around it looks pretty. If we can't eradicate it from our land, then we need to get as far from it as we can, fleeing to the mountain.

Going Half Way

Today we're picking up the story of Lot as he flees from the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19:15-17. Here we see the angels of the Lord as they've spent the night with Lot, and now they tell Lot it's time to get out. Lot has lingered and lived in his sin for so long that he has grown accustomed to it, and we see that he's hesitant to leave. The angels actually have to take him and his family by the hand and lead them out of the city. In Genesis 19:17, the angels tell Lot to not look back, don't stop, and flee to the mountain.

We've seen God's mercy and grace, and Lot's hesitation to obey now, but he continues his pattern in Genesis 19:18-20. He begs not to have to go to the mountain, using excuses about the city being smaller, or the disaster overtaking him. Already God has shown him favor by taking him out of the city of sin, and he lacks the faith outside the gate to trust God to get him to the mountain of safety. Instead, he dares to know as much as God, in that he finds another place, closer to the sinful condition he had been living in, and begs to go there instead.

Genesis 19:21-25 goes on to show God's mercy in allowing Lot to safely arrive in Zoar (a small city believed to have been as close to Sodom as Sodom was to Gomorrah) before raining down his wrath upon not just Sodom and Gomorrah, but all of the cities in the plain, saving only the city Lot had begged to flee to.

Then, in Genesis 19:26, we find that Lot's wife looks back, back to Sodom and Gomorrah, and is turned to a pillar of salt. Because of Lot's hesitation in following the word of the Lord, and his pride in thinking he could live so close to his sin and not effect his family, his wife was lost. We as men are responsible for ensuring the safety and salvation of our families. We have to follow God's instructions, even if we dare to think we're strong enough to resist temptation, lest someone who depends on our guidance is unable to resist.

Ultimately, we find in Genesis 19:30 that Lot ends up leaving Zoar in fear, and taking his remaining family to the mountains where God had originally told him to go. Lot was responsible for his family, for their very souls, and in his hesitation and pride, he let one of those closest to him slip through the cracks. When God in His grace and mercy sees fit to pull us from the depths of our sin, don't compromise, don't go halfway. We need to follow all the way, and remove ourselves far from our sin, lest one of those we're responsible for falls into the trap of our temptation.

Love Like a Man

Many may already be familiar with the passage 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 where we find one of the most powerful definitions of love the way we should love others, and the way we should love our Saviour. This passage beautifully describes the characteristic behaviors of love.

1 John 4:7-8 tells us that if we don't have love for others, then we do not know God. 1 John 4:15-16 tells us that if we are saved, God is in us; God is love. 1 John 4:21 even goes so far as to explain that we are commanded by God that if we love Him, we must also love our brother.

These passages show us that have no claim to know God if we don't demonstrate our love to others. We often tell people that we love them. We tell our parents, grandparents, siblings, children, and grandchildren that we love them. We tell our spouses that we love them. Do we show it?

There is no lack of manliness in showing love. Loving someone so purely as defined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 is an amazing way to actually demonstrate our manliness. Our world has moved from chivalry; it has moved away from love. And looking around us, we can also see that our world has moved far away from God. Through Christ we are capable of showing love in a way that others are incapable. Let's demonstrate God in us today by showing love to those around us, that others will be inspired both to serve God, and to strive to have as pure of love as ours.