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.

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.

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!

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.

Wise Counsel

Do you make all your decisions willy-nilly? Are you constantly finding out after the fact that you made the wrong choice? Well we've got what you need. Get yourself a brand-new, never used, Wise Counsel. Just the people you need to ask before making those big decisions! Now for the low price of....

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.

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!

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.

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?

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.

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?

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!

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?

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.