Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Wimpy men??



As men we are called not to be wimpy, find me a wimpy man in the bible? Let’s run down a list:
o   Kill a lion
o   Kill a giant
o   Build a boat, wrangle animals
o   Fiery furnace
o   Lion’s den
o   Rebuild a wall
o   Take a nation on a 40 year wilderness walk
o   Fight off all the tribes
o   Take on Pharaoh
Check, Check, Check…. There is no rhyme or reason to this list. I just wanted to point out, none of these guys I would call wimps. And none in new testament either, Jesus called fishermen, commercial fishing now is a tough job, back then I am sure it wasn’t any easier. We make TV shows about it, real men, doing real men stuff. John the Baptist was survivalist, Paul a mercenary and a murderer. If you want what we consider to be tough men, the bible has them in spades. (Truth be told I feel kind of wimpy as I type this, I need to go take an ax to an oak tree and feel manly for a minute or two).
What makes a man kill a lion, build the ark, step into a fiery furnace, and stare down a Pharaoh? Belief, not belief in themselves but belief in the Master they served. They came in the name of another, they acted on behalf of the one that sent them. The messenger does not come with his own words but with the words of the master. 

As men (speaking in general for all men) we do not have a belief. We have not developed the belief in another, belief in the one true God, because society tells us that we are the most important. Culturally we see society say you are more important than your children, wives, jobs, and friends. Society says that our children are not our responsibility or if by chance they are, its only financial. Wives, why? Don’t by the cow, get the milk for free. Society says government should provide enough jobs and if they don’t, free money for doing nothing, everyone deserves equally to have cash in their pocket, right? And friends, friends are a number on a social site, got 500 friends and not one person to help drive you home from a doctor, but they all like the witty posts you make……….am I getting the point across. 

We are told to be tolerant of all, everyone is right, nothing is our responsibility. God says not true. He calls all men to be the manly men he has left us examples of in the bible. He calls us to be men who believe in …….Him. In the truth that is God. 

John 14:12-14 ESV

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.  

As New Testament men, Jesus says believe in me, do works in my name after my example, ask in my name unto the Father. To live this we need to believe. We need to believe all that he has told us and allow that to control and dictate our life.

Let’s go medieval for a minute; we have all seen Brave Heart, who doesn’t want a broad sword, right? So that is the kind of manly man we need to be to slay the enemy, so we need a creed. What? What is a creed? Not the band…. I said medieval…. Creed, meaning a statement of the basic beliefs that guide the action of a person or group!

As men we are to be leaders of our homes and children. We should set the example for those the Lord places in our path. We need to have a creed, we need to study, determine where we stand, put it down in writing. Refer to it when we are unsure of what so next…… base our beliefs in God and who he has made us, and we will reflect him in the style of a truly manly man!

Monday, January 27, 2014

Sovereignty of God

King David, man after God's own heart....... he danced to his clothes fell off, we credit him with worship and song...... we say we want to be a "house of David"!

What else was David, adulterer, womanizer, killer, warrior, bandit.... all of these titles fit as well.

I would like to point out something that King David knew that allowed him to be a man after God's own heart. He knew God was sovereign.

Do you understand that word, I didn't. So I did what all good students do, I Googled it- supreme power of authority. David knew that is where God stood, as supreme power and authority over all.

This is why we see he will not kill Saul, God's annointed. It is why he fled from Saul, because God had not told him it was time. It is why he did not build the temple, though he wanted to so badly. He understood God's decisions are without question, the final authority.

I submit the example:

2 Samuel 12:22-23

New International Version (NIV)
22 He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ 23 But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”
In this we see David weeping and praying for the life of his child that bore the sin of his murder of a soldier for his wife and adultery that led to it. In this event, confronted with his sin, David begged to make in him a clean heart never denying his issues or questioning God. Here we see a man that understands God's authority and supreme power, even to the point that he knows God is just, even when he takes the life of the child.

I agree we need houses of David in the sense of worship, but I believe equally important is heart that bows to the sovereignty of God. Singing and shouting are hollow acts if the heart does not acknowledge the sovereignty. God is not a genie, we do not have the right to blame Him when He does not do it our way. Understanding who He is, His sovereignty is the only way to truly see Him in all the power and glory and worship our Lord as David did.

My prayer is that the Lord make in me a clean heart and allow worship God as sovereign.   

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Immaturity makes us feel the need to defend God, and hurts the one He loves!



I grew up in a pastor’s home; there was always someone in the church that wanted to talk about my father. I was so immature that I felt the need to defend him. It is a natural response. Many times as kids someone has made a comment about our mother or father perhaps even a grandparent and we rushed to defend their honor, “take it back…. Take it back or I will punch you….. “. Please don’t act like I was the only one.
The Lord showed me today that we tend to do the same thing as children of God. We become militant, “we are right, how dare they go against God, surely it is my job to point out all their wrongs……” if this is not you then you know someone like this. Is there a time to point out wrongs? Yes, in a loving way. Is there a place to remind all sinners that they need Jesus? Yes, but let’s use his example.

Exodus 3:14

God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
         God will show himself as he sees fit, as he did with pharaoh. I bring this to you today, God does not need use to be the police of sin, he does not call us to stand up to the bullies. Like Peter in the garden he is saying put away your sword, I don’t need you to defend me. Remember “the greatest of these is love.” In the words of Jesus, love your God and love your neighbor.
         I offer this thought, what if we showed Jesus not through fighting gay marriages and abortion, but channeled that money through providing free marriage counseling for God ordained male and female marriages that were headed to divorce. Instead of rallying at an abortion sight or fighting the courts we financially assisted mothers to make sure they could raise the kids, or arrange adoptions. We change how old the baby can be when its aborted and we call it a win, Jesus is saying show me to them and they won’t ever want to have an abortion and the problem will be no more. These problems come from sin and only He can remove them.
        You can’t shame people into a love for Jesus. You cannot defend the one who needs no defense. If you truly love a parent you do as they wish, you obey what they ask of you. It is the same with our Heavenly Father. I heard it said one time God is hard to bash or talk bad about when his messenger comes with a gifts of love for those in need. It’s time we realize Jesus doesn’t look like a lawyer in a court trying to stop the sin of abortion, he looks like the friend or neighbor that says I know it will be hard and it wasn’t planned but God loves you and I will help you, you are not alone. Why can’t we as children of God spend more time saying “you are not alone”?