Worth Keeping Around

If you had to assess your life and your behavior for any period of time, would you say that you are doing something to make it worth keeping you around? Are you worth your pay at work? Are you worth the love and kindness you receive in your home and church? Are you worthy of the good things God does for you?

David prays in Psalms 6:1-4 for mercy from God, and then in Psalms 6:5 he says something very unique and interesting: "No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave?" If you were to say this to God, what would His response be to you?

Would God respond to your plea with: "You don't remember me, anyway." or "Do you praise me while alive?" I hope that God would say to each of us, "I will answer you because you praise me with your whole heart." I want God to be pleased enough with my worship to hear me when I pray.

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The Heirloom

Have you ever inherited anything? Had something passed down to you from a parent or a grandparent as an heirloom: a reminder of who you are and where you come from? God has prepared an inheritance for His children: a place where those who are not part of His kingdom will be removed.
Proverbs 2:20 tells us that the upright will inherit the land, and the perfect will dwell in it. This is an inheritance for Christians, something that God has saved for us to remind us of who we are and where we come from. We are His children, and we come from Him. The wicked and the transgressors won't have a part of the inheritance according to Proverbs 2:21. The inheritance is reserved for those who are loyal and faithful and part of the family, not for those who are not.

Are you a part of the family? Will you have a part of the inheritance, or will you be cut off and rooted out? You can turn your life over to God and follow in His will, or you can reject Him. He loves you and He wants you to choose to love Him. What will your decision be?

Seeking Jesus in the Dark

There once was a guy named Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a man of the Pharisees, the group that was trying to find a way to get rid of Jesus. Nicodemus comes to Jesus in John 3:1-2 under the cover of night. He didn't want the people he worked with to see him meeting with Jesus. How many of us fail to pray when we feel like we should at work or when we're out with friends because we don't want to look funny to them?
Nicodemus came to Jesus in secret, and Jesus told Nicodemus that he needed to be born again, not of flesh, but of the Spirit. If you aren't familiar with the story, you can read it all in John 3:1-21. But what ever became of Nicodemus? Well, apparently Nicodemus, being a member of the Jewish ruling council had several more occasions to interact with Jesus. He redeems his shady behavior somewhat in John 7:45-52, where he defends Jesus from the chief priests and other Pharisees.

Nicodemus' last mention in the Bible is an amazing and honorable mention. John 19:38-42 tells the story of Jesus' burial, where Joseph of Arimathea (also a secret follower of Jesus) and Nicodemus ask for the body of Jesus, and bury Him in a new tomb. Nicodemus brought about 75 pounds of spices to bury Jesus with, including myrrh, one of the gifts the wise men also brought Jesus at His birth.

Apparently Nicodemus' heart was changed by his secret meeting with Jesus, and he became more and more open about following Him as time continued on. We can't hide Jesus forever in our lives, acting like Christians only at church and trying to blend in with the world the rest of the time. At some point we will be faced with the decision to witness, to share the Gospel of Jesus, and to do what's right, or to turn our back on Jesus and deny Him. How will we respond? Will we try to stay in the shadows, or will we openly proclaim that Jesus is Lord?

Praying Through

Praying isn't just saying a few words to some being you can't see and hope exists; prayer is intense conversation with the Creator of the universe, and your Redeemer. Jesus repeatedly admonished His disciples and followers to pray. He asked His disciples to pray with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. When He found them sleeping in Matthew 26:40, he asked Peter, "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?"

While the disciples were sleeping Jesus was praying so earnestly that the Bible says in Luke 22:44 that His sweat became like drops of blood. I doubt that anyone has ever struggled and prayed in the fashion that Jesus did at that point. He didn't just pray a little prayer and then come back to get the disciples and wait for them to come and arrest Him. He prayed for an hour, then checked on the disciples, then prayed some more, then checked on them again, and then prayed some more. He prayed all the way until his betrayer was close at hand; until it was time to go.

We as men should follow the example that Jesus led us in here to be leaders at prayer time. We should be the first to hit the altars at altar call, and the last to leave. We shouldn't be waiting for everyone's heads to be bowed so nobody will catch us going up to pray, and we shouldn't try to sneak away from the altars while everyone is still praying to go back to our seats. Prayer is never a thing of shame; it's our opportunity to approach God's throne and talk to Him.

Also, we should be staying in prayer until we're through praying; until the conversation with God is over. We don't have to quit praying because the guy beside us got up from the altar. What greater thing could we do, and why would we be so afraid and try to hide it? Men, I urge you to get in the altars and seek God. Make a prayer time at home and seek God. Let Him speak to you through prayer, and you will never regret it.

Asking for a Hand-Out

Men often have a serious issue with asking for help when they need it. We're stereotyped by not stopping for directions, not reading the instructions, and expecting to be able to work things out for ourselves. Looking again at Peter in Matthew 14:25-31, we are likely all familiar with the story of Peter walking on the water with Jesus.

Let's look carefully though at what exactly Peter was doing here. Peter was the only disciple who asked for permission to walk on the water with Jesus. After Jesus said, "Come", Peter was the only disciple who stepped out. Peter was the only disciple to have been recorded to have ever walked on water.

Then Peter noticed what was going on around him. He lost his fixation on Christ and got started looking at the waves, and feeling the wind blowing on him. He met with some resistance, and he began to doubt. We often cover up and say we don't doubt, we believe God is all-powerful. Peter was walking on water with Jesus, and began to doubt.

Which leads us to Matthew 14:30, where we find Peter beginning to sink, and crying out to Jesus, "Lord, save me!" He didn't wait until the water was over his head. He didn't wait until he was floundering around drowning. He called out for Jesus when he was beginning to sink. He asked for help, and Jesus reached His hand out, and caught Peter.

Jesus immediately asks Peter, "Why did you doubt?" He didn't ask why Peter had called out for help; He didn't question Peter's need for Him. He only asked why Peter had doubted. As men, we're prone to fall into this trap of doubt, even when so close to Jesus as walking on the water with Him. We need to remember that we need to call out for help, for prayer, and for assistance immediately, when we begin to sink, and not wait until we're blubbering and wallowing in our failure.

A Failure at Home

Do you consider yourself to be somewhat successful? God measures our success not only from the way we appear to others, but the way we live at home and follow His commandments in our houses. King Solomon, in all his wisdom, had some serious issues when it came to following God in his home. He was a great king, a leader among men, but failed when it came to leading his family.

Solomon is famous for having so many wives and concubines, according to 1 Kings 11:3 he had 700 wives of royal birth, and 300 concubines. 1 Kings 11:1-2 though shows us that Solomon was not following God's plan for the Israelites by choosing to marry the women that he did. In his later years, 1 Kings 11:4 says that his wives turned his heart after other gods. Solomon failed to keep the One True God the first priority in his home.

We see as we follow through 1 Kings 11:5-8 that he built "high places" for all his wives' gods. According to verse 5, he started following some of those gods himself. You can't force your family to become a Christian, and you can't force your family to get saved. There is no room for you in your home to pay homage to other gods, though. If you don't keep your resolve to follow God with your whole heart, and keep your resolve to lead your family in what's right, you will be led astray by those in your family who do not believe as you do.

1 Kings 11:9-13 reveals to us that since Solomon had turned from God and followed other gods, he would be punished, and would be unable to pass his kingdom to his son as kings normally do. This is why it is so important for us to follow 2 Corinthians 6:14, not getting ourselves tied to someone going the opposite direction. We don't get to choose all of our family, but those we do get to choose, we should carefully consider if they are following God, or if they're going to pull us off the path.

Responsibility of Provision

Are you your brother's keeper? What about the rest of your relatives? According to 1 Timothy 5:8 we are to provide, not just for our immediate family, but also for our relatives in need as well. According to this verse, to fail to provide for your family is to be worse than an unbeliever.

We as men have been given the responsibility to provide for our families. This provision is not limited to just food, a roof, and clothing, but extends to emotional and physical provision as well. Any time we start taking time away from the provisions of our family's emotional needs to try to "get ahead in life", we are betraying them for something far less important.

Sometimes, as men, it's easy for us to get caught up in providing for "a need" and leaving all the rest of the needs of our family behind. We choose to work 80 hours a week to provide for them monetarily, but we completely fail them in every other area because we're never there for them. We stop working to stay home and spend time with the family, lose our jobs and fail to provide for them monetarily. We get caught up in addictive behaviors that prevent us from providing for the needs of our family.

It's a very delicate balance that we as leaders must maintain, but with God's help it is possible. Often, if we'll take more time to pray with our families, all these things will more easily fall into place. If you find yourself having a hard time balancing things, talk about it. Talk to your family about their needs, and pray together about it. God will honor your prayer and faith in him, and your keeping of His commands.

A Happy Hiding Place

Do you take comfort in the fact that God protects you and watches over you? Do you take joy in the fact that God cares about you? Sometimes it's easy to get bogged down in the troubles of life and forget that we have God to take refuge in.

David says in Psalms 5:11, "Let all who take refuge in you be glad and ever sing for joy." In the protection of God is just a great place to be. It doesn't mean that the good times are going to roll non-stop, or that you'll always have everything you want, but you'll know that God is watching over you. That's more comfort than any thing or other person could provide.

Psalms 5:12 continues with "Surely you bless the righteous and surround them with your favor like a shield." God's favor is a pretty tough shield. There's not anything you could do that could protect you more. God loves you and He'll protect you. What an awesome reassurance we have!

Wisdom Breeds Sexual Integrity

Advertising firms say it all the time: "Sex Sells". We're surrounded by it. There is no place, with the possible exception of a monastery, where you won't be in contact with an image of a scantily clad woman or some other inappropriate image to assault you. For many men, it's as difficult an addiction to break as smoking, drinking, or drugs. At the end of this article I'm going to step away from my normal routine and post some good links and resources for the men out there struggling with impure thoughts, pornography, or other sorts of sexual immorality.

Proverbs 2:16-17 tells us that the wisdom of God will save us from the adulteress, and Proverbs 2:18-19 warns us of the dangers of falling into the trap of adultery. Many men have this idea that they can look, but not touch. Jesus said in Matthew 5:28, however, that just looking at a woman lustfully is adultery. Exodus 20:14 says very simply and plainly, "You shall not commit adultery."

It's an easy thing to make excuses for: "it's natural". Man is born naturally to commit sin, we have been born into a sin nature. God has redeemed us from our sin through the death of Jesus Christ that we might have freedom from the nature of sin if we will commit our lives fully into His hands and allow Him to renew our minds. To continue to willfully commit sin after accepting the salvation freely given to us is to trample on the blood of Jesus Christ, placing that sin higher in importance than God. Romans 6:1-7 tells us we have died to sin in the death of Jesus Christ and have been raised up with Him a new creature through baptism.

It is only through the working of the Holy Spirit that our hearts can be changed and that we will have a new way of thinking. For some, it's a long, slow road to recovery, while others have an instantaneous change in their heart. Every man I have known who has struggled with pornography and sexual immorality has also struggled with guilt, shame, and fear over their tendencies, and almost every man I've known has had at least some issue with it, you aren't alone. However, God doesn't intend for us to live in fear of being caught, in shame of our actions, or with guilt over our pasts. God will forgive us and free us from the chains that bind us.

If you or a friend is struggling with sexual impurity, or if you aren't, but would like to learn more and understand why most men have such a difficult time with it, here is a list of resources:

1. Pure Eyes
   • This is a book by Craig Gross (founder: XXXChurch.com) and Steven Luff; Foreword by Stephen Afterburn (author: Every Man's Battle).
   • It's a great book, and has a massive amount of great information about why men are drawn to pornography, how it affects our relationship with God, how it affects our lives, and how with God's help we can take control over it.
2. Every Man's Battle
   • This a book by Stephen Afterburn and Fred Stoker.
   • I've known of several men who have read and absolutely loved this book. It's recommended by several Christian counselors as suggested reading for men struggling with sexual impurity.
3. For Men Only
   • This book is by Jeff and Shaunti Feldhahn, and they have a full series of wonderful books for women, men, teens, parents, etc.
   • This book goes into great detail in helping men understand why women are so upset about our male tendencies, but also contains a very good chapter on sexual impurity. I would recommend that every man read this at least once.
4. XXXChurch.com
   • This is a web site founded by Craig Gross.
   • The XXXChurch offers workshops, forums, local events, and other helpful things for men with impure sexual addictions. They take a very open and forward approach to discussing and dealing with the issues.
5. Your Pastor
   • Believe it or not, this guy can probably handle knowing that you have a problem with impure sexual behavior. Chances are high that he already has a pretty good idea anyway. He'll have the time to sit down and work out the issues with you and help you to be accountable and give you spiritual guidance and prayer. For more ideas of people you can and should talk to, see: Buddy System

Sinning in Secret

Do you do things in secret thinking that nobody knows? You hide the guilt and shame by actively participating in you church or religious organization, but deep down you just feel rotten? Thinking that nobody will find out is -at it's very best- a completely unfounded hope. Thinking you can hide it from God, your Creator, is simply ludicrous. But yet many men repeatedly conspire to hide their shortcoming or their "guilty pleasures" from the world, thinking that nobody will ever know.

Apparently, the selling of land and donating to the church was a common practice as a sort of "fund-raiser" in the early New Testament church (Acts 4:34-35). Ananias in Acts 5:1-2 conspired with his wife to sell a piece of land and say that they were giving all the money they made to the church, but keep some of the money for themselves. But, according to Acts 5:3-4, Peter immediately knew, and confronted Ananias about his lie. Then, upon hearing Peter's truthful accusation, Ananias fell down dead (Acts 5:5-6).

It's important to note that at this point in the story, already a good number of people have found out about the treachery. Most importantly, it's important to note that God already knew, and Ananias was severely punished. Acts 5:7-10 continues the story, with Sapphira (Ananias' wife) coming into the church three hours later, not yet knowing her husband was dead. She also lies, and she also falls down dead.

The story unfolds from the very beginning as a man, the spiritual leader of his home, incites his family to lie. From that one secret sin they thought that nobody would ever know, both he and his wife died. It's important to remember that there are consequences when we sin, even when they aren't immediately apparent. The last half of Numbers 32:23 is often repeated, but has been proven true time and again, "You may be sure that your sin will find you out."

Non-Committal

What kind of Christian are you? Are you fully committed to serving God, or do you just attend church. Are you living a Godly lifestyle, or do you have to dust off your Bible on Sunday morning? There was a king of Judah named Amaziah who had a problem with total commitment to God. 2 Chronicles 25:2 says "He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly."

He wasn't fully committed to serving God. He showed up for his religious ceremonies, but then took revenge for his father's death into his own hands (2 Chronicles 25:3). He listened to the man of God sometimes, as is shown in 2 Chronicle 25:7-10. But then on his return from that same battle, he brought back their idles and started worshiping them (2 Chronicles 25:14-15).

God won't honor a partial commitment to serve Him. Matthew 6:24 says you can't serve two masters. If there's sin in your life and you're covering it up and you won't commit that to God, you're serving your sin. If you don't have time for God any time of the day or night then you're not fully serving God.

We see in 2 Chronicles 25:27-28 that from the time he turned away following God, his people began to conspire against him so much that he ended up running for his life and being hunted down and killed. While you aren't likely today to be hunted and killed for your rejection of God, when those who look to you for an example see the sin that you harbor in your life, there will be disappointment, resentment, and anger just the same.

Turn your sin over to God and follow Him with your whole heart, so that your testimony can be better than that of Amaziah. If you turn your heart completely over to God, you can have the testimony, "He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord wholeheartedly." It will make a difference in your life that you will never regret.

Gentle Joy and Peace

Does you have joy in everything you do? Think back to the last time you did something you know you shouldn't have; did that bring true joy to you, or did it drag you down? How long did it take you to get back up, or are you still struggling? Philippians 4:4-5 tells us God is near, and we should rejoice in Him always. Can you rejoice in the Lord while doing something that drags you down spiritually?

Then, after you realize that you've sinned yet again, you wring your hands and worry; you worry about getting caught, worry about whether or not God will forgive you yet again, worry that it won't be the last time. But Philippians 4:6-7 tells us not to worry about anything, but to talk to God about everything and His peace will guard our hearts and minds. His peace will be our shield if we'll stop worrying and just turn our problems over to God.

The last two verses of this section, Philippians 4:8-9, then gives us the most simplified version of everything that the entire Bible contains and teaches. If we all practiced just these two verses, and truly lived by them, we would have nothing to worry about. I love the last sentence there, "And the God of peace will be with you." Not "He might be" or "He'll occasionally be", but "He will be".

If you're having problems, struggling with addiction, or you've got worries weighing you down, I would encourage you to write down these verses somewhere where you'll always see them or commit them to memory. When Satan comes to try to drag you back into sin, into worry, or take away your joy, repeat them to yourself. It's a promise in the Word of God, and you can count on it in your life.

Pick of the Litter

Have you ever gone to pick out a new animal as either a pet or maybe a farm animal? The first thing most people do when the start to pick out a new animal is to look all the available ones over and try to gauge the potential of each one. Then we try to pick the one with the highest potential to meet our current needs.

Jesus seems to have done the same thing when He was on earth with us, calling Simon Peter to be His first disciple. Jesus seems to have been drawn to fishermen, and Peter was a great example of what it means to be a man as well as a follower of Christ.

Peter had a blind faith like few people I have ever met. When Jesus came walking on the Sea of Galilee, Peter was the only disciple to ask if he could join in the water-walking (Matthew 14:25-31). Peter was also still a man, and shortly after joining Jesus on the water began to sink in doubt.

Peter also directly denied knowing Christ (Mark 14:66-72). However, as soon as he realized his mistake, he was sorrowful and wept. After His resurrection, Jesus reassured Peter of His love in a parallel to his betrayal, by asking him if he loved Him three times, and telling him again to follow Him (John 21:15-19).

After having betrayed Jesus, he subsequently renewed his faith in Him. Then, Peter soon preached the first Spirit-filled sermon on the day of Pentecost to the crowd gathering to see what the commotion was (Acts 2:14-41). Acts 2:41 says "Those who accepted his message", meaning Peter's message, "were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." Peter's message led to the salvation of about 3,000 people in a single day!

What an amazing testimony Peter had. Certainly, Peter had his moments of failure, and some of them quite bad, but he always repented, and came back even stronger than before. As men we will sometimes fail; we sill stumble and fall, but we need to get back up and try again. Jesus will gladly restore our faith and make us even stronger than we once were if only we'll let Him.

Jesus saw the potential in Peter for a great man, and He wasn't disappointed. Sure, as God, Jesus knew that Peter would betray Him. As God, Jesus knew Peter would have doubts and fears. He knew that Peter was a man, and that Peter would make the same mistakes that we all make as men. Jesus still picked Peter first. How great it is that God looks at our potential for serving Him and chooses us, rather than looking at our potential for failing Him.

Leading by Example

A lot of us think that we should just immediately be thrust into a position of leadership. We feel this way about church, school, work, and home. We think that we're the man and we should be in charge. The best way to get to that position though is by showing that you can fulfill that position: leading by example.

David recognized the need for men to lead by example, and in 1 Chronicles 11:1-2 we find his method for leadership. He had been anointed king many years before, but King Saul had still held the position of king. Even when Saul was king though, David had been leading the armies of Israel. He began the pattern of leading the armies as a great warrior as a small boy when he killed Goliath.

David had been living a life of leadership from a very young age, seizing every opportunity to lead by example. This is the proper ladder to a position of leadership. This is how you make it to the top with the proper mindset to stay at the top. You have to work for it and prove yourself every step of the way.

Who Made You the Judge?

We pick up this Saturday in the middle of David's prayer in Psalms 5:9-12, where we find him describing his enemies to God, and asking God for resolution. In Psalms 5:9 David says some pretty harsh things about his enemies here. Often we're told it's bad to talk bad about your enemies, but when you're talking to God, he already knows how you feel about them, so telling Him is just being honest with Him.

Then David asks for resolution to the problem from God. Psalms 5:10 starts out with "Declare them guilty, O God!" Often we take this into our own hands, and we usurp God's divine right to judgement, and declare that a person is guilty. It's human nature to try to be like God. We need to remember that we are all guilty. Every one of us has committed a sin worthy of death; all sin is worthy of death.

David recognized God's right to judge his enemies. David knew that they had sinned and rebelled against God. Sin and rebellion are most commonly easy to spot. 1 Timothy 5:25 says that deeds that are not good cannot be hidden, and Galatians 5:19 says that the acts of the sinful nature are obvious. David could easily recognize their betrayal of God's principals, but David also recognized that he, as a human, had no right to pass judgement on another, since he also had been guilty of sin at times.

So the next time we go to pass judgement on someone, let's remind ourselves of David, and ask God to be the judge, since it's not our rightful place anyway.

Friendly Wisdom

Do you listen when God speaks to you? You may say, ...but God doesn't speak to me." God speaks to those who are willing to hear His voice. Last week we read in Proverbs 2:1-2 about listening to the voice of wisdom, seeking it as a treasure. Proverbs 2:10 carries on this message about seeking wisdom. It says you will find wisdom, and knowledge will be pleasant to you. This parallels Matthew 7:7 as well as Luke 11:9, where they both say "seek and you will find".

The next verse, Proverbs 2:11, gives the basic result of this wisdom and knowledge. With wisdom comes discretion; with knowledge comes understanding. Could a man without wisdom know when to be discreet, or a man without knowledge understand even the most simple of things?

Next, we are given two sets of examples of this discretion and understanding. We're only going to look at the first one this week, and come back to the second one next Friday. Proverbs 2:12-15 talks about wicked men that wisdom will save us from. Proverbs 2:16-19 tells us about wicked women that wisdom will save us from.

If we're claim to be saved from wicked men by the wisdom and knowledge that comes from seeking God, how can we defend having close friends fitting the description of wicked men in Proverbs 2:12-15? Likewise, if we're close friends with other men fitting that description, how likely are we to spend time earnestly praying and seeking God? We often say things like "don't judge me by the people I hang out with", but truly, the people we hang out with shows a lot about our own character.

Let us learn and strive to seek out other Godly men as our closest friends. We don't need wicked friends drawing us into things we wouldn't otherwise be involved in. The wisdom of God makes all the difference in discerning who are truly friends worthy of our friendship, and friends that are not.

Assumptions

We all make them from time to time, and oddly enough, no matter how often they're wrong, we continue to make them. This is a problem that has been repeating itself from the time of Adam, when God said, "If you eat of this tree you will die." Eve assumed God was wrong on the word of the serpent, Adam assumed God was wrong on the word of Eve, and the pattern with man has continued every since.

We find in Genesis 20 the story of Abraham, and another clear example of a wrong assumption. Genesis 20:1-2 reveals to us the plot of the story: Abraham says Sarah is his sister, and the king takes her for his wife. Genesis 20:3-9 continues the story, how God came to the king and the king calls Abraham to him. Genesis 20:10-11 brings us to the point where Abraham is faced with the truth of his assumption.

The king asks Abraham, "Why did you do this?", and Abraham honestly replies, "I thought that there was no fear of God here." We saw in Genesis 20:5-6 that Abimelech had not intended any wrong in taking another man's wife, and God had protected him from any sin in his ignorance. We have no indicator as to why Abraham might have thought the place might be ungodly, but Abraham's assumption brought a king to the brink of destruction.

How often do we just make an assumption and act on it without any second thought, prayer, or questioning? We can see what a dangerous thing it is to make assumptions; how that not only ourselves, but many others as well can be affected by our assumptions. So, let's look at what we're doing and examine our thoughts closely before we act outside the will of God.

"Floating" Fish

I've been working on setting up a new aquarium. The interesting thing about adding fish to an aquarium is the means by which you normally add them so that they don't die. You usually get your fish in plastic bags from the fish store, and you first dump off about a quarter of the pet store water, and add that much of your tank water back to the bag. Then you reseal the bag, and drop it in the water. Every 10 minutes you add another cup of your water to the bag for 30 minutes. Then you take the fish out of the bags and put them in the aquarium.

This process is call acclimation; the fish become acclimated to your water. It's how fish get accustomed to the different chemicals in your water that wasn't in the pet store water. In this process, I recognize a pattern that the devil often uses in our lives. Often, we're stuck with having to "just deal" with a little bit of ungodliness. Then a little bit later, after we've gotten used to that, we go for some more. Next thing you know, we're swimming free in the water that would have killed us just a short time ago.

Romans 12:2 says that we shouldn't conform to the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We don't have to just let someone watch dirty movies while we're around, or gossip to us, or tell us dirty jokes. Those are the patterns of the world, "Oh, that guy just always tells dirty jokes and I just shrug it off and go on."

Our minds are supposed to be being renewed, we shouldn't be thinking like that any more, and we don't have to listen, watch, or participate in those things just because we're not in our own home. We shouldn't participate in anything that we wouldn't participate in at church. Let's not allow ourselves to be made into the pattern of the world, let's seek God in everything we do, so that we will be found as faithful servants.

Preparing to Run

I've recently decided that I should spend more time exercising than what I have been. One way that I thought of to do that would be to increase the amount of walking that I do until I'm in good enough shape to run. After stepping up my exercise routines for a very short time, I decided it was time to test out the new strength in my legs and see how far I could run.

Surprisingly, I was able to run a considerable distance further than I had been able to previously. When I got home that night, my legs were on fire though. The next day, my ankles hurt so bad I could hardly walk. Apparently, I had done tendon damage by not being properly prepared to run. In all my preparations to walk, I got my media player out, headphones, etc.; stretching was never on my list.

When I decided to run, I stretched first, but because I hadn't made it a habit before exercise to stretch, my body was unprepared to deal with the added stress. My legs were strong enough, the muscles could handle it. I'm reminded of our daily dealings with God in all of this. We pray a little every day, read our Bibles; we're just walking along with God. Then, we come upon a hard time, and have the need to run, and we falter or we injure ourselves because we weren't used to stretching our spiritual lives that far.

1 Timothy 4:7-8 says to exercise yourself to Godliness. You exercise normally by practicing what you want to do at the top of your training routine and you'll always be ready to do your best. If you do the bare minimum for the stage you're on, you'll find yourself injured trying to reach the next phase.

Wise Counsel

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This may sound like an infomercial, but it turns out this is a real problem for a lot of men. Too often they let pride get in the way and don't ask for help. The older I get the more I find that if a decision can affect me very much at all, then it's worth taking to God and a small group of people that I feel are wise. Proverbs 15:22 makes it clear that wise counsel is important to any plans. When you really think about it why would you make those decisions alone? You have the wisdom of God to help you.

The flip-side of this coin is that if you never USE your wise counsel it's pointless to ask them for advice. If you seek wise counsel every time something comes up and don't listen to the wise counsel, you've wasted their time. Proverbs 12:15 says "The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice." So the next time you ask for advice, ensure the people you ask are truly wise, and then follow it.

The Bench-Warmer

What kind of follower of Christ are you? Do you jump at every opportunity to get involved in your church, volunteer to help any time you can lend a hand? God knows what kind of Christian you are, and whether you're just warming a bench at church or if you're committed to following Him and doing all that you can to further the kingdom of God.

Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that the heart is a liar. Too often, someone who appears sincere in their worship is simply putting on a good show for those around them. No matter how sincere you appear to be, God knows the intention of your heart, and you aren't fooling Him, even if everyone around you falls for it.

The Bible goes on to say in Jeremiah 17:10 the God searches our hearts and minds and will reward us according to what we deserve. Matthew 6:1-2, 5, 16 tells us that if we are just putting on a show for men, then the recognition of men is the only reward we'll have; Matthew 6:3-4, 6, 17 shows us that if we are sincere with God, then our reward will come from Him.

God is not pleased with our praise when we do it for the recognition of men. God only recognizes and rewards us for our praise to Him because we love Him and want to serve him. So will you be a bench-warming hypocrite, looking only for the praises of men, or will you be on fire for God, simply because He died to save you?

Dwelling with God

What are the advantages to living close to God? Too often, we "serve" God from habit, or we only serve God when we can clearly see that it's beneficial to us. However, serving God is always beneficial to us. In Psalms 5:4-6 we find that no evil person can be close to God.

David says in Psalms 5:7 how we are to approach God. First, David recognizes God's complete control. It is only by God's mercy that we are allowed to approach Him. Second, David shows humility in bowing down. Bowing down is an outward way to show servitude to another. This is how we should always approach God: recognizing His supreme authority and showing our humility in service to Him.

Then, after showing the manner in which he has approached God, David makes his request in Psalms 5:8. David asks for only one thing: guidance. He asks God to lead him. He doesn't try to tell God where he wants to go. He doesn't ask God to lead him to a particular place. He just asks God to lead him and leaves the destination up to God.

These are two of the greatest advantages of serving God: protection and guidance. By living close to God at all times, we know that we are protected from evil; we're protected by God because in His presence no evil can dwell. By living close to God at all times, we are able to follow Him where He leads us. There is nothing more important in our lives than following God's will.

Treasure Hunting

I've seen many times on the beach men walking along with metal detectors for hours up and down the beach. I've never seen one of them find anything of value, yet they persistently walk in unique patterns trying to cover every square inch of the ground. On occasion, the detector will give a beep, and the treasure hunter will excitedly drop to his knees and dig up some small metal object from the sand. Disappointedly, they reveal a pop tab or some other refuse left on the beach by some person too lazy to take it to the trash bin.

Proverbs 2:1-5 gives us a spiritual parallel to this search for treasure: a search for wisdom. Proverbs 2:4-5 says that if we look for it as silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, we will be rewarded with finding the true treasure of understanding and knowledge. What greater thing could we seek? What other thing could we search for with a guarantee that we will find what we're looking for and not be disappointed.

Proverbs 2:6-9 says that God gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. He grants those who seek Him victory and protection. Let us all seek the wisdom that comes from God. Let us all look for His wisdom in the same manner that those treasure hunters on the beach look for their earthly treasure: with enthusiasm and resolve. We know that we will find what we're looking for, unlike the beach treasure hunter, we should have even more enthusiasm than they do!

Dead Men Walking

Have you been baptized? Matthew 3:16 reports the baptism of Jesus. John the Baptist baptized Jesus. Through baptism, we are partakers of the death of Christ, and are alive in Christ! Romans 6:3-5 explains this to us. But Romans 6:6-10 tells us what the purpose of our death in Christ is: that we can have life without the bondage of sin and death.

Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have already died with Him that we can overcome sin and will have no fear of death; when we die in this world, we will be alive with Him!

How great it is that through the death of one man, the Perfect Man, we can have life. Romans 6:11 says that we are dead to sin. We're in the world with sin, but we're dead men walking. We aren't part of the world any more, we're just here until we pass into a fuller life with Christ. We are dead to the world, we are alive only to God!

A Man Worthy of Saving

Do you act like everyone around you, or do you stand out like a sore thumb in contrast to their wickedness? Genesis 6:9-10 begins a story about a man who stood up when the rest of the world was full of wickedness. Here we are introduced to Noah. We become acquainted with Noah at a time when the Bible says the earth was corrupt in God's sight (Genesis 6:11).

God felt that the human race was worth saving simply because of Noah. No other man survived the ensuing flood. Would God find you worthy of saving? Do you give the people around you reason to find fault with you? Noah's testimony in Genesis 6:9 is a two-part testimony. First, he was a righteous man; he was a man who lived rightly in the eyes of God. Second, he was blameless among the people of his time; he gave the people of his time nothing to blame him for.

At a time when the entire world was so wicked that God's wrath was kindled to the point of destroying everyone, this one man was worthy of life. He alone walked with God. Would this be your testimony? If everyone else is headed in a different direction, would you still stand for God?

Stuck in Anger

Have you turned your life entirely over to God? Do you live in constant struggle with anger in your heart? Ecclesiastes 7:9 says anger lives in the laps of fools. It doesn't say fools live in the lap of anger. It doesn't say that fools can't get rid of it because that's where they live, or just how they are. This verse implies two things.

One, it implies that there is a lack of action on the part of the fools. The angry fool is sitting. A standing man doesn't have a lap; a lap only exists when a person is seated. To put your lap away is as simple as standing up. Thus, standing up removes the dwelling place of the anger. Secondly, this verse implies that anger will not of it's own accord leave a fool. Anger has made it's home in the lap of the fool. It's comfortable there, and has no intention of going anywhere.

The Bible doesn't say we can't get mad. On the contrary, Ephesians 4:26 says to be angry and sin not. This passage also informs us that we shouldn't hold a grudge. God knows that we are human. He knows that we have hormones and emotions and testosterone and will be prone to becoming angry. However, Proverbs 29:11 says a wise man keeps himself under control. We shouldn't be angry all the time, but when we are we should still display a Christlike spirit.

So what then can we do about anger? Ecclesiastes 10:4 says calmness is the antidote to anger. Jesus Christ is also known as the Prince of Peace. Do you let Him bring His peace to your life? If you have a true relationship with Him, then that peace is part of the package. If you truly know Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you can turn to Him to comfort you and to keep you from your less desirable human emotions.

It's All In God's Hands

How often are we quick to give the devil credit for the work of God? I've often heard people talk about how they've been oppressed by Satan: broke, tired, depressed, lonely, etcetera. Do we ever stop to think that not only "can God make something good of our situation", but that He very well may literally have put us in it in the first place? Most certainly He has allowed us to be placed into whatever situation we are in.

1 Samuel 2:6-7 doesn't say that God can use poverty, death, or humility; it says God brings it. God has it in His power to give us these things to teach us, to guide us, and to prepare us for His use. Nothing happens to us without God not only knowing about it, but also allowing it in the first place. At any moment, God, in His sovereignty, could grant each of us all of the great things we want for ourselves. It is in His hands that we go through anything that we do.

Many times throughout the years I've questioned why I had to endure a particular thing, why I must endure so great a hardship. As time has gone on though, I've seen almost every single one of the things that I've gone through turn out to be a part of God's divine plan for my life. I've seen where I've been able to help someone else because of something that I've suffered. I've seen where my sicknesses or afflictions have caused someone else to draw close to God.

Often, we never see the full effect that the various paths our lives take have on others. We should always be careful in our response to bad times though, and consider them as something to learn from. We should consider each trial an opportunity to exalt God. Let us always give God the glory first, even when things aren't going the way we think they should.

Sharing the Suffering

When we think of "suffering" for Christ these days, often the idea of "getting laughed at" at work is the first and is often the only thing that comes to mind. In extreme cases, we think of the boss that doesn't like us because we won't participate in illegal or unethical behavior at work. Around the world, there are countless countries and territories where being a Christian isn't just "rough", but is also illegal, and in some cases punishable by death.

As we occasionally hear the stories of missionaries imprisoned and tortured, our reaction is that of relief that "we don't have it that bad." The Bible says in Hebrews 13:3 we are to share in the suffering of fellow believers, and we are to remember those who are in bondage just like we were bound with them. We're part of the same body of Christ. How do we so easily forget that one of our arms is tied behind our back?

If you were bound, you wouldn't forget it every day other than when a missionary visits your church. If you were truly suffering adversity, you wouldn't forget to pray continually for relief. When a part of the body of Christ is bound or faces hardship, the entire body suffers. We should be praying continually each day for the deliverance of those in conditions worse than our own. We should literally remember them like we were right there with them.

In Philippians 1:7, Paul writes that every Christian shares God's grace with him, whether he was in chains or free. We're all part of the same body; we're all partakers of everything that happens to each member of the body, even when we don't recognize it. As we live our comfortable lives this year, let's remember those less fortunate. Let's pray for them each day.

Our Morning Prayer

Do we take time in the morning to make our needs known to God? Psalms 5:1-3 shows us that David did. David made his needs known to God in the morning, and then waited in expectation through the day for those needs to be met. When we ask God for something, how often do we truly expect an answer? How often do we expect an answer so much that we wait in expectation through the day for the answers to our morning prayers to come?

How often, if we were to show the simple faith that David shows here, would our needs be met much quicker, or how much quicker would we recognize that our needs had been met? How often do we miss the answer to our prayer because we're never expecting it to be answered in the first place?

My prayer is that God will help me to have this simple faith so that when I pray, I will not only have faith that God will answer my prayer, but have such faith that I expect it to be answered in the very same day.

A Rewarding Response

How often have we responded poorly when we've gotten in trouble, and ended up in more trouble than we started out in? I know as children we've all done it. I've seen lots of adults do it as well, when they've gotten in trouble at work or in some sort of family trouble. Proverbs 1:23 tells us that if we have the proper response to God, even when He rebukes us, He will bless us.

Proverbs 1:24-27 tells us though that if we reject and ignore God, that God will mock us as our calamity that we have brought forth upon ourselves through the rejection of His wisdom overtakes us. The Bible goes on to say in Proverbs 1:28-31 that those who have rejected God will then begin to look for him and won't be able to find Him; that their only satisfaction will be that of the foolishness which has separated them from the love of their Creator.

Finally, Proverbs 1:32 outlines where those who rejected God have gone astray: the waywardness of the simple, and the complacency of fools. Simply sitting around doing nothing, or following those who have no clue where they're going has separated them from God. Proverbs 1:33 though gives us the solution to this problem: listen to God.

Will you listen to God, or will you separate yourself from Him through foolishness and the folly of man? It's as simple as listening to Him, and there's no time like the present. Our listening to God will be rewarded by Him. Is that the response we will have to Him?

Ezekiel's Mission

What makes a mission a success or a failure? Does a successful work for God mean that every person we talk to turns to God, or are we successful just for our obedience? God gave Ezekiel a mission, and He also provided the means by which to measure the success of that mission.

In Ezekiel 2:3-5, God's mission for Ezekiel is to simply go and tell the Israelites that they have rebelled against God. Just as we are now commanded to go and preach the gospel, Ezekiel was commanded to go to his own countrymen and preach the gospel. Ezekiel 2:6 adds that Ezekiel was not to be afraid of them or their words. Both them and their words are specified. God protects those who are following His will.

Ezekiel 2:7-8 then defines what will constitute success on Ezekiel's mission: listen to God's words, don't rebel. That's all Ezekiel had to do. His success wasn't reliant upon the response his message would generate; it wasn't based on the number of people who agreed with the word of God. His success would only be measured by his obedience to God.

So, when we feel like we're failing in our mission because we don't have new converts every day or week or month, or when we feel like we're doing something wrong because we aren't seeing the results we expected, we should remember that our success is not measured by the response of men, but by our own response to the will of God.

What's Inside?

In 1 Samuel 16:7 we find something that we as men are aware of, but we rarely take into consideration. As men, we often rely heavily on appearance. We look at the appearance on the outside, and try to determine what someone is like, or what they're qualified for based entirely on their appearance.

We also try to appear in a manner that shows what we would like others to think of us. We rarely appear ourselves the way that we truly are. However, our appearances can't entirely mask what's inside even to others. Our attempt at hiding behind our appearance is nothing but foolishness to God. God doesn't even look at the appearance of a man.

God looks directly at the heart. He skips over the outside. He doesn't consider markings and piercings that men might look at and be attracted or repulsed by. He doesn't consider hair, shoes, or dress. Everything that men look at, God ignores. Let's remember Romans 14:4; we have no right to judge another, nor does anyone else have a right to judge us. We are all servants of God, and He alone reserves the right to judge us.

Getting Rid of Agag

In 1 Samuel 15:1-3 we find the word of the Lord delivered to Saul by the mouth of Samuel, the prophet. God tells saul to go and destroy all of the Amalekites, take none of their stuff, and leave not a single person alive. However, we find in 1 Samuel 15:8-9 that Saul and his men have left the king and his family alive, as well as some of the best of the herds and belongings.

Then we find Saul lying to Samuel in 1 Samuel 15:13-14, and he seems to truly believe the lie that he tells Samuel. This pattern of believing that he has done the right thing seems to hold true in 1 Samuel 15:20, as Saul continues to defend his actions as having been following the will of God.

Then, in 1 Samuel 15:22-23, we find the oft-quoted "to obey is better than sacrifice." We find here that God would much prefer our total obedience than to have us disobey His will, even if we're disobeying Him for the purpose of sacrifice. 1 Samuel 15:28 shows us that Saul will lose the kingdom of Israel because of his disobedience, even though he thought he was obeying.

After this disobedience, Saul was never given another opportunity to speak to Samuel. 1 Samuel 15:35 does tell us that Samuel mourned for Saul, but never spoke to him again. It also shows us that the Lord was grieved that He had made Saul king.

Let us be careful that we always fully obey the Lord's commands, so that we won't lose the station we've been given. Our obedience to His will is the most important thing we can do in life. When God tells us to remove something from our lives, or from our borders, let's get rid of all of it, and not try to leave any piece of it alive, no matter what the purpose we might have in it.

The Valorious Armor Bearer

In 1 Samuel 14:1 we find the beginning of an interesting story, of two men who single-handedly conquered a Philistine garrison. This story catches my interest because we often hear the name of one of the men, but the name of the other isn't even mentioned in the Bible. Nearly everyone knows who Jonathan was, great friend of King David, son of Saul, David's mortal enemy. However, we are never given the name of the armor-bearer. We do find that, throughout the story, this man follows Jonathan's every instruction.

1 Samuel 14:6-7 shows us the amazing faith of Jonathan, that he knew God did not need great numbers to remove opposition. God could use just these two young men to win a great victory. Jonathan's armor-bearer obviously shared his faith, as he told Jonathan, "I'm with you whatever you want to do." Here was a young man who had complete confidence, both in Jonathan, and in God.

And their faith in God was greatly rewarded, as in 1 Samuel 14:11-14 we read that Jonathan and his un-named armor-bearer were greatly victorious. With this single act of heroism, one act of bravery, God was able to bring a victory that was never expected. Israelites that had gone with the Philistines once again fought with Saul and Jonathan, Israelites that were in hiding came out to fight. The Philistines began to take their swords to one another. We can read the end of the story in 1 Samuel 14:20-23.

What an amazing story this armor-bearer had to tell: how he stood with Jonathan against a garrison of Philistines, and how that such a great victory was won for God. Sometimes we all want to play the part of Jonathan, the son of the king, the victorious warrior. We forget how that the armor-bearer is needed as well. We fail to see the need just to be an extremely faithful follower. We should notice that 1 Samuel 14:13 indicates that Jonathan didn't kill the Philistines, the armor-bearer followed him killing the men the Jonathan brought down. God uses faithful followers right along behind faithful leaders, all we have to do is be willing.

The Strait Gate

Today I'd like to take a short look at Matthew 7:13-14. What does this all mean? What is the small gate, and what makes it small in comparison to the wide gate? Why is the narrow path narrow, and the broad path broad?

Close to where I live is a walking trail that I particularly love. On it are gates at any intersection with a road. These gates don't go all the way across the path, but only far enough across the path to let a single person walk through. They limit access to anything larger than a person. You can't drive a car through them. You can't walk through them side by side with someone. This is like the narrow gate.

The narrow gate has room for only one thing: Jesus Christ. There is no room for any other religion. There is no room for additional requirements. There is no room for additional baggage. If you have requirements tacked onto your religion, or if you're carrying baggage with you in the race, let it go; there is no room for it. If you are easily able to carry these extra requirements and this excess baggage with you, then you should look around you to see what road you're on.

Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life: no one comes to the father except through me." (John 14:6). If He is the way, then there is only room for us to walk through Him. Nothing else will fit. How is it that 1 in 3 people claim to be saved (About.com), but the Bible says "only a few find it"? Romans 10:2-3 refers to the people who add requirements to their salvation: they have a zeal for God, but a false religion.

I'll leave you with this quote from Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary: "This plain declaration of Christ has been disregarded by many who have taken pains to explain it away; but in all ages the real disciple of Christ has been looked on as a singular, unfashionable character; and all that have sided with the greater number, have gone on in the broad road to destruction. If we would serve God, we must be firm in our religion. Can we often hear of the strait gate and the narrow way, and how few there are that find it, without being in pain for ourselves, or considering whether we are entered on the narrow way, and what progress we are making in it?"

Confidence in God

Do you have confidence in God? Would you tell someone who opposed you that God listens to you when you pray? David had the courage to do just that. Psalms 4 is believed to have been written the morning after Psalms 3. This is during the time when Absolom is leading a rebellion against David. It's almost as if David sings this prayer to God knowing that some of his enemies might hear it.

David starts this psalm out with thanks to God (Psalms 4:1), then begins directly addressing his enemies (Psalms 4:2-5). He addresses them in such a manner that shows that he has the utmost confidence that God will take care of him, and protect him from them.

Then, in Psalms 4:6-7, David contrasts hid faith in God with the faith that his enemies have. He shows that his enemies have faith in the things of the world: grain and new wine. David's faith, however, is in the joy of the Lord. David is an example here of Colossians 3:2, having set his faith in God, not on the things of the world like his enemies.

Lastly, in Psalms 4:8, we see David's confidence again in God. He says he can rest well at night because his peace comes from God. Do we have enough confidence in God to place our entire trust in Him, and have peace knowing that He's watching over us?