Answered prayers

We have been having a hard go of it lately.   In one of the previous posts, I talked about starting something new and the devil attacked.  He started nit-picking at first and moved on to bigger things from there.  For the past little while I have been trying to keep my head afloat, to keep the kids somewhat civil, to take one problem at a time and to fight my own battles.  

As some of you know, that does not work and I quickly became overcome by the weight of all of the difficulties that we were facing.  Parental, financial, relational, and work related, I was buckling  under the pressure leading to my short temper and explosive ideas and words in my head.  It was not a good place to be.  I think that most of us has been in a similar type of situation before.  

What I was trying to do to fix these situations and problems was not working.  No man is an island and we are not meant to walk this world alone, so when I opened up to my wonderful wife about these issues and shared my feelings I started to feel better. She has a great listening ear, but our  real help comes from the Lord.  Over the past few days He has sent people to help us in almost all of the ways that we need.  From a place for our daughter to go to get help to yesterday a check coming into our account 3 days early.  He is taking care of us and He is showing us His love in very obvious ways.  

I have a prayer journal that after my bible time in the morning I write down a prayer that is on my heart.  Yesterday morning it was for God to help us.  I confessed my own selfishness, thinking that I could handle this on my own.  I asked for increased faith, and I asked for a way out of this hole that we were in.  Yesterday afternoon, God showed up in a big way.  

This morning, as I was flipping through my bible looking for my bookmark I came across Psalm 120:1.  The verse in the picture above.  It says, "I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to Him, and He answered my prayers."  I have that verse highlighted, underlined and starred.  There is no telling how many times I have read it, heard it preached, or seen it on a poster, coffee mug or card.  But today it was a fresh smack on the back of my head.  Gibbs style.  (We are NCIS junkies).  

We need to take our problems, cares and worries to the Lord.  As 1 Peter 5:7 states, "Cast all your cares on the Lord, for He cares for you".  He does.  He wants to be allowed to handle them.  

Whatever you are going though right now, God has the shoulders big enough to take them.  He loves taking care of His children.    

Flashlights

Have you ever used a flashlight outside at night?  The only thing you can see is in the beam of the light.  Everything else is dark, mysterious, or maybe even dangerous.  You have to sweep the light back and forth to keep from stumbling over rocks or logs.  It can be a little scary.  Especially while you are moving up a mountain to go hiking or hunting.  

How much easier would it be to flip on a light switch and make the same trek when the sun is up and you can see everything.  All of the obstacles in your way you can easily walk around or see the edge of the cliff and move accordingly.  It is amazing what you can do when you can see in the light.  

This life is in a world full of darkness.  Jesus is the light.  We can see the world through His light, but sometimes it still looks like we are using a flashlight.  He allows us to see what He wants us to see.  Mostly only a few steps at a time.  This builds up our trust in Him.  If He were to let us see everything that we were/are going to go through, we probably would not do it.  I know that I would have stopped in my tracks and said, "Nope, that way is too hard, I'm going this way".  While He is giving us pieces at a time we are building faith and strength.  And while we may slowly be reaching the end goal, there is an end goal.  We are not just floundering in the depths for no reason.  

My wife and I have adopted two children and we have a biological daughter.  I can tell you that the road of "normal" parenthood is not easy and when you throw in kids that you do not know, that bring in their own problems and generational curses, life gets really interesting.  All of the help that we have given them and the time that we invest in all of them, all of the love we share for them and the pointing them to Jesus is just the beam of light.  It is up to God and them to make their own path.  

Most days I want to be able to see where God is leading us.  That way I can get there quicker by bypassing some of the pitfalls and detours.  But those are what help us grow.  And grow we do.  Slow and painful growth is still growth.  

How do we grow in faith, how do we raise our children, how do we eat an elephant...slowly but surely, one piece at a time.  We use flashlights, not light switches.    

Trying Something New

This is a video of a creek I found out at a foster/adoptive dads' retreat in Colorado that I attended a few weeks ago.  One of the main concepts that I learned was that we need a group of individuals, a band of brothers if you will, who are in the trenches with us.  No matter what the trench is, whether financial, spiritual, parental or anything else.  It is wonderful to understand and know that we are not alone.  It lifts the weight off of our shoulders that we placed on ourselves.  It gives us a breath of fresh air to understand that we are going through the same thing.  

In sharing these burdens, we can not only find help, but we can help others.  We can take part of that weight by either being a mentor for them, or mentored by them.  

The number of dads at the retreat really surprised me and the level of sharing of experiences and situations allowed me to understand that I am not alone.  We are not alone.  Just knowing that empowers me to continue to breathe easier.  I can better understand some of the behaviors at home and I can come up with better ideas on what to do.  

Brothers, we need fellow men beside us to help us in these trenches.  Brothers, strangers, friends or whoever, we need to be able to call on them in our own time of need.  We need to be willing to ask for help and to go when someone asks us.  And to go and help in a non condescending, know-it-all kind of way, but with compassion and love.  

Before this trip I thought I was alone.  Yes my wife was with me but I felt that I needed to the the stoic wall that never swayed too far left or right.  I learned that doing that was making matters worse.  While I was on this trip I found a group of men that I can confide in, gain wisdom from and fight this fight with.  And they felt the same way that I did.  I was able to ask questions about their journey and they were able to give some perspective to mine.  I can call or message and just see how they are doing with their families. It is wonderful to know that we are not alone.  We cannot do this alone.  

God has really been placing on my heart to create a ministry to support foster and adoptive dads.  Because we need help and we need to know that we are not alone.  My wife and I really want to minister together and I think that this is the way.  So prayers please as we jump down into the trenches, to help others along their way.  

Stay tuned. 

Who is He to you?

If we want to know God more deeply and grow closer to Him, we have to learn who He is.  And I think that we not only need to know who He is, but who is He to you?  That is a personal question that I cannot answer for you, but I can tell you a little about who He is to me.  I was raised in a church my whole life, but it was not until I was about 21 years old that I started to have a relationship with Him.  In doing so, I have found deeper ways to know Him more.  

He is my God, my Savior and my redeemer.  He has blessed us through trials and hardships.  He has given me direction and guidance.  He supplies us with His armor to withstand the lies of satan.  This is something that we are teaching our kids right now.  

He is my rock, my fortress and my strong tower.  The one who allows me to lay beside still waters and rest.  He is my all in all and His mercies are new every morning.  I thank the Lord for this because it allows us to start the day fresh.  My sins from yesterday do not have to be repeated.      

He is my good father and wants what is best for me.  He cannot be explained or totally understood.  He is all-knowing, all-seeing, everywhere, at every time.   He is sovereign, the beginning and the end. 

To me He is my friend.  The one who I can turn to and be helped with my problems or sins.  The one who uplifts and sustains me and never lets me down.  He is closer to me than my wife and children.  And like David said in Psalm 27:4, I cannot wait to "dwell in His house all the days of my life."

John 14:6, "Jesus answered, 'I am the way the truth and the light.  No one comes to the father except though me.'"  

So how do you get to know Him and see how He can change your life?  Make time to spend time in His word.  Ask your pastor questions.  Invite an older member of you church over an talk with them.  Either one would possibly want to be a mentor.  YouTube videos from Dr. Tony Evans, Billy Graham or others are great to watch.  A bible commentary can also help you learn new things and dig deeper into His word.  

If you cannot do them all, please start somewhere.  

Why?

Yesterday driving home I asked myself two questions.  Why do I write these and what do I expect to happen with them?

The why is hard to explain.  Well, no, not really.  The why is God.  God has placed it on my heart to write these posts.  When He lays something on my heart, I cannot sleep until I get at least a few words on a page or in the notes section of my phone so I don't forget it.  Okay, but why?  Why does God want me to write them?  I feel that God wants me to write them for His glory.  

I do not play politics.  I am not a "yes man", nor am I a man who stays quiet when something needs to be addressed.  Sometimes I rub people the wrong way.  Some people don't like me.  And that is fine.  But when I see something that needs to change, I speak up.  That is who I am.  That is how God made me.  I feel that men (myself included) need to be better.  I feel that men need to be better for themselves, for their wives and children.  I feel that men need to be better for God.  That is why I write these.  That is why I want to get these into the hands of as many men as I can, so that we will be better.  And through God be the increase, to Him be the Glory.  

I do not write well.  I mean if you have read any other of my posts you know that.  I have my wife look at these before I post them.  She is the one that helps with editing and polishing it up a little.  And I thank her for that.  But God is the one that uses my fingers to say what He wants me to say.  He wants us to be more than we are.  He wants us to climb mountains, to show our children that it can be done.  He wants us to learn how to pray better and, to be overcomers, and giant slayers.  He wants us to be a different breed and to be set apart in this world.  I want to turn the world on its ear with you, for Him.  

The other question of what I expect to happen with them?  Everything.  God can use these for His glory and through Him all things are possible.  I have no idea where He is going to take them.  If no one reads them, I would still write them.  If one person gets the tiniest seed planted because of them, praise God.  If one man becomes a better husband or father then it is all worth it.  

I am a country boy from central Arkansas.  Other than to my wife and children, immediate family and a few friends, I am a nobody.  If God can use me, He can use anyone. 

Pray it boldly

We all know that prayer is an important part of our lives.  However, most of us do not pray like we should.  Our prayers have become watered down, hurried statements for what we want, myself included.  We have turned them into half-hearted, desperate words that we expect to be answered right away.

What happened to our prayers?  Prayers like Elijah praying for the drought and it happens or for rain and it rains.  Look at his prayer in 1 Kings 18:36-39.  36 "And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the profit came near and said, 'Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israel, let it be know this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have I have done all of these things at Your word.  Hear me, o Lord, hear me, that this people may know that Your are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.  Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.  Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces;  and they said 'The Lord, He is God!  The Lord, He is God!'"

These prayers are not "Well, you know Lord, maybe if you could..."  These are fierce prayers.  These are emphatic statements saying "This is God and I am His servant, this will happen".  But guess what?  There is a God and I am His servant.  We that believe in Him and on Him and through Him are His servants.  If you want something or need something claim it in prayer.  Pray for your family and spouses.  Pray for your children and their friends.  Pray for your finances and pastors and do it boldly.

Praying for your children is one of the best things that you can do for them.  I love what Mark Batterson writes in his book "Praying Circles Around Your Children".  He states, "Prayer is not about our agenda for God at all; in fact, it is about God's agenda for us".  How do we know how our children will turn out?  We pray for them.  We speak life over them.  We boldly tell satan that he cannot have them, that they belong to God and are for His glory.

Want to know how one persons prayer can change the world?  Let me reintroduce you to a mother that is often overlooked in the bible, Hannah.  Hannah was not a mother yet when she prayed to have a child.  But she was praying so hard outside the temple in 1 Samuel 1:14 that Eli the priest thought she was drunk.  Hannah soon had a son and she named him Samuel.  Samuel became the prophet that anointed David as king.  Through David's lineage comes Jesus.  One persons prayer.  A mother's prayer.

I have a new found passion for prayer.  I believe that through prayer our needs are met.  Even in the conversations that God and I have I can feel how close He is.  I have found that the more we pray and listen to His voice, the easier it gets to hear Him.  And when it is easy to hear Him, it is easy to act on what He wants us to do.  On Sunday, I had the impression to talk to a lady during church but I do not get a chance.  Then out in the parking lot, my wife and her strike up a conversation.  In the car later before we pull out of the parking lot, I tell my wife that I had the feeling that we should talk with her and she said that she had the same impression.

I fully believe that our prayer life is a mussel and the more we exercise it, the stronger it gets.     

Pray boldly   

Use the bellows

Breathe fresh life to the flame.

If you remember from the last couple of posts, there are three things fire needs to burn.  Fuel, oxygen and a heat source.   Do you know what a bellows is?  It is a tool that is used to blow on a fire.  It allows fresh air to be pumped to the flames, allowing them to burn brighter and hotter for either heating metal or to allow fuel you just added to catch quickly. Some people will bend down and use their mouth to blow on a fire to get it going, but folks with a beard (like me) might singe a few hairs and opt for using the bellows.  

So what does this have to do with furthering Gods' Kingdom?  Just like a physical fire needs new air to allow it to burn brighter and hotter, our spiritual lives need the same.  This new air or new life can come from inside sources and we have touched on that a little last time.  But what are some outside influences that strengthen your love for God?

I personally feel recharged looking at His creations in nature.  Seeing all that He has made and shows to us.  Mountains, rivers, forests and wildlife are all here for our enjoyment.  All of them declare that He is God.  He made all of it for us to look at and to reflect on Him.  I love to ponder His ways while sitting still hunting or on a mountain trail with the family.  

Looking up at the stars on a clear night and seeing all that He has done in the heavens shows a portion of what God is capable of doing.  Yes, doing that can make you feel lonely, but try this next time.  While you are looking up think about how no one else on earth has the same vision of what you are seeing.  Even if you have someone right beside you, they are not seeing the same thing at the same time as you.  Only you and God have the same perspective and that is really cool worship experience.  

Worship service is a good one.  Letting the music and vocals flow over you and reaching into your soul to bolster you up and breathe life back into you.  Hands raised or not, being around others doing the same thing, worshiping God with an open heart strengthens us and encourages us to go on.  

Even while having coffee with a friend a word of encouragement can also have a wonderful effect on your personal outlook.  See what it says in 1 Samuel 23:16, "And Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God".  A wonderful example of iron sharpening iron.   In Acts 23, Barnabas encourages the church at Antioch.  23:16, "And when he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all of their hearts."  Never underestimate a kind word.  

These breaths of fresh air can allow us to burn brighter and hotter for God.  Helping us to become a lamp for others.  As such we cannot hide our light.  We need to let it shine, so we can help people.  Matthew 5:15 says, "Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house."  Do you see how that works?  We take encouragement from other people and outside influences and we give encouragement to the ones around us.  

Getting and giving encouragement not only feels good, but it gives blessings to the ones that we receive it from and whom we give it to.  Fanning the flame in us so we can go out and fan the flame in others.  Be the bellows, the encouragement that allow others need to go out and live a life for God.  

Burn bright so we can help others burn bright.

Coax the Flame

For when the spark does not fade...

There are three things needed for a fire to burn.  A heat source, fuel, and oxygen.  

Building a fire is sometimes an exercise in patience.  Once you have the spark on the tinder, it takes just a breath to bring it to life or to extinguish it.  That is a metaphor for life right there.       

Sharing the gospel is kinda like building a fire.  There must be a source of heat from somewhere.  That can be a spark from hitting two rocks together, striking a match, the sun and a magnifying glass, or another fire.  With the gospel, that source of spark is you.  It is me.  It comes from inside you.  It comes from the Holy Spirit that cries out to be shared and it will not be denied.  Jesus said in Luke 19:40, "I tell you", Jesus said, "if they keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out".  

Next, you have to have the fuel.  We have to want to be used as a light for this world.  There are multiple ways to do this.  You can share with one person at a time.  Maybe you can spread the Word by throwing out Facebook posts.  That is great.  Someone is going to read them.  Perhaps you have a captive audience at work where you get to share the gospel at lunch.  I have the ones that read this.  No matter who your audience is, if we do not open our mouths the Word will not be spread and someone will miss out on blessings.    

Last of the three is oxygen.  This allows the fire to keep going.  If there is no air, the fire goes out.  This is when you share the gospel with people and they listen.  They hear you and they want to know more.  That is an amazing feeling.  It makes you want to go and reach more people.  You are literally on fire for Jesus.  But the opposite happens also.  People do not want to hear what you are saying and sometimes outright reject the message.  That can take the air out of you very fast.  

So what are some of the struggles when sharing the gospel with others?  It may be that the fuel is damp and does not catch right away.  In those times gentle patience is required when no sign of catching is visible, so as to not put out the spark.  

Sometimes it is like a dry leaf that ignites very quickly, but then dies out just as fast.

What is needed though is where our fire catches quickly but burns slowly.  Which is easy to say, hard to find, and harder to do.  And more often than not we meet people who have willful ignorance of Christ and no desire to change their lives.  We can also meet people who accept Christ, change their lives and join everything the church has to offer.  Then like a dry leaf they burn out just as quickly and leave.  

Once in a great while though, there will be a few who start off slow, burn hot and long, and ignite others along the way.  These are the ones that this world needs.  Which type are you?
I want to be the one that starts slow and ignites others.  But I have difficulties as well.    

My difficulties with talking to people is literally talking to people.  I have difficulty with going deeper than surface level and opening up to have meaningful conversations.  I love the Lord and I want to be able to have the ability to create lasting relationships with the ones that I share Him with.  Even in these posts, I can tell when I re-read them that I could go so much deeper than what is there.  Talking about personal experiences, struggles and how God has helped me/us overcome them will help not only me, but also someone who might be going through some of the same things.

That being said, I am going to try and get out of my comfort zone.  I want to share deeper messages with you and communicate what God has placed on my heart better.  Let's get to work.  

Strike a spark
Coax the flame

Hard to believe that building a fire can help further God's Kingdom.  

Strike a spark

What gets you excited?  Sports, a beach, solving a problem, hunting season?  No matter what it is, you did not always have the desire and longing to go and do.  Someone had to show you what it was or what it could be.  Someone had to strike a spark of adventure with whatever it is.  They took you fishing, or to a baseball game.  They took you camping or to the hardware store or wherever. 

That little spark that went off inside of you gave you a longing to go back and do it again and again.

What is one thing that you learned to do and were really excited about in the moment or season and then stopped?  The spark faded and died due to either time or money constraints.  Or the lack of someone to go with you.   

We are told in Proverbs 27:17 that "As iron sharpens iron, so one brother sharpens another".  Have you ever hit two pieces of iron together?  You get sparks.  And "where two or more are gathered in My name, there I will be also" Matthew 18:20.  Sparks flying everywhere in the name of Jesus is what we should be aiming for. 

We have to be willing to step out of our comfort zone and start talking to people.  That is how we grow as men of God.  We do not start to have a passion for things we have not tried.  The first mission trip that I have ever been on was a few years ago when my wife and I went to Peru with our church.  That was the spark that led me to be here. 

Yes, it can be difficult.  But you don't get sparks without friction.  And that friction helps us grow.  Growing is never easy, but it is good. 

Go strike a spark.         

Like a child

Child in Your arms- Ryan Stevenson

Listen to the link above, then read on. 

Mark 9:36-37 says, "He took a little child whom He placed among them.  Taking the child in his arms, He said to them, 'Whosoever welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me'."

This is a story that we all know.  And as we read through the gospels, Jesus talks multiple times about needing to have faith like a child and taking care of children.  But it is the child in the verses above that I would like to touch on. 

We do not know where the child came from.  We do not know their name or what nationality they  were.  We can guess that they were part of the crowd that was always following Jesus, but that is not stated.  It is also not known if they knew Jesus.  But the trust that this child shows is astonishing. 

Just think about being small, called into a group of grown men, to then not only be talked to, but you are picked up and held in the arms of a stranger.  That would be scary.  I am now feeling self-conscience just thinking about that.  But the Word does not say that the child ran away in fear, or did not come when called because of distrust. 

I believe that this child came in perfect trust and possibly even longed for the comfort and closeness of being personally held by the Savior.  I long for that also. 

Jesus also states in the next chapter of Mark that, "whosoever does not accept the kingdom of heaven like a child will never enter it."  Do you remember accepting something with perfect trust and certainty just because someone told you something?  That is what Jesus is saying here.  We have to be comfortable trusting Him completely. 

We have to be a child in His arms. 

Priorities

Priorities are where we put our time.  The things that we want or "have" to do throughout the day.  These could include any number of things to do, people that we associate with or places we go.  When you think about it, you could find that you have so many things that you have to get done in a day that you do not have enough time.  List the ones that matter the most and do those first.  You could also find that you have very few and they are easy to remember and get done.  It is all personal to you. 

Most of the time you will find that you have things to do inside those priorities.  Little points that help you do what you need to do.  Cleaning the house could include, doing the dishes, laundry, sweep, etc. 

But what about having manliness God's way?  Becoming a man of God needs to be the #1 priority of not only today's men, but also our sons that we are raising.  But once you make this your top thing to do, satan will hit you with everything.  Tempting you to change your mind.  Putting up roadblocks to try and sidetrack you.  This priority is a choice and must not be taken lightly.  But it is necessary for our future.  To change things and turn the world on its' ear. 

I absolutely love Jeff Voth.  He is the founder of Cavetime.org and a pastor in Oklahoma.  He has written 'Cavetime' and 'The Sling'.  (I encourage you to visit  Cavetime)  In 'The Sling' he lists out five stones that every man needs to do to become closer to God.  These priorities are in addition to just attending church. 

They are:
Show Up- Show up everyday, taking time with God
Worship- A few minutes of uplifting music out loud or in your mind.
Prayer- Not just praying, but also listening for the response from God
Word- Diligently reading and researching the Word of God
Community- Iron sharpens Iron

Doing these will not only bring you closer to God, but will change your attitude to the world around you.  Your children seeing you do these will instill in them the need to, and probably spark some good conversations about it. 

My priorities are God, family, work, self.

What are yours?

Jesus is a mountain man

How many times did Jesus go to the mountains to pray?  The gospels say different numbers and I believe that not every time He went to the mountains is recorded.  But have you ever wondered why Jesus went?  

I believe that He went for the solitude He found there.  The physical struggle ending in the peace and beauty of what God had created.  Talking to God, pouring out His heart about the struggles He had faced and the ones yet to come.  Sometimes He brought His disciples with him.  Can you imagine what they were thinking as Christ took them on a journey up into those rocky places and the amazing feeling of being taught by Him in that solitude?  That would be wonderful.  

Just as Jesus sought solitude upon the hills, David sought it in the cave.  But sometimes we do not have a cave or a mountain to climb.  Sometimes we have a stream to sit beside or an open field.  Sometimes we have a car ride into work or a desk or armchair before everyone else is awake.  Those can be our places of solitude.  And in those peaceful moments we can hear God speak to us, just as He has with Jesus.  It is not easy to wake up before everyone and get in some personal quiet time with Him.  And more than likely it will not happen every single day.  But the quiet place, where you can find solitude is where God will meet you.  When you find it, you will know.  

Have you climbed your mountain today? Have you met God where you are?  It is not too late.  

  

Y'all get thirsty?

Imagine a ground so dry that it is cracking.  A dry lake or river bed that looks to be falling apart.  That is longing for rain.  That blessed resource that will heal the ground and make it whole again.  

Have you ever been thirsty?  I mean really thirsty?  Parched tongue, scratchy throat, hoarse voice thirsty.  It is not fun.  Going on a journey, can make you thirsty.  

Water is essential to living and your body knows when you need it.  Dehydration is a very slow, painful way to die.  Why would you do that to yourself?  

Your soul needs water also.  Spiritual water is more important than physical water.  Not only does spiritual water feel amazing to have, it will also quench the fires of hell inside of you.  You can tell when you do not have it.  You can tell when others don't have it.  The longing for something missing, trying to fill it with whatever is available but unable to do it on your own.

Jesus states:  "But whoever drinks of the living water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into eternal life"  (John 4:14 KJV)  What a wonderful thing to partake of.  And not just for yourself, but to share.  We cannot afford to be stingy with the gift of eternal life that we have been given.  We need to share it with others.  

Look at your neighbor, your co-worker, your friend or your family member.  Are they thirsty?  Can you share the good news of the gospel with them?  It is a hard thing to do, but think of the outcome.  

Y'all get tired?

 

I get tired.  Tired of fighting for a living.  Of scrapping by and longing for peace and rest.  Tired of fighting a system that was supposed to be designed to help children that are broken.  Tired of seeing men who need to be more for themselves and their families, but are unwilling to do something about it.  

There are so many things in this world that need to change.  However, there are only a few men who are willing to stand up and make those changes.  I want to increase that number.  I want to hold men accountable to what they are needing to do.  I want this world to be better, the men to be better and by extension, our children to be better.  

I know that we are tired.  Life runs us down and fills us with aches and pains at a young age.  But we have to press on.  We cannot leave it to others to do because it will not get done.  Delegating this type of thing will make the situation worse.  It is how we got here in the first place.  "Someone else will do it" is not the answer.  We have to step up and not only run the race, but finish the race.  2 Timothy 4:7 Paul not only ran the race, he states, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."  He finished the race.  Now it does not say that he finished it at a dead sprint, or even at the same pace he started.  But he didn't give up.  

Father, I thank you for all that You have done for the people reading this.  I thank you for the specific blessings that you have bestowed on us.  I ask a blessing to come upon all those who are tired and needing peace and rest.  I ask that we can become world changers and by our faith in You we can make the devil tremble.  In Jesus' Name, amen.  

Do hard things

There are some things in life that are necessary, but hard to do. Things that we do not like to talk about, subjects that we avoid or actions that we do not do even when asked.  Christ did hard things.  He did not shy away from them.  We need to take His example and model ourselves after Him.  

Talking to someone about the gospel is a hard thing.
Raising your children to follow Christ is a hard thing.
Showing up for church every Sunday is a hard thing.
Mentoring children who look up to you with your words and actions is a hard thing.
Taking a stand to defend something that you believe in is a hard thing.
Caring for the widows and orphans is a hard thing.
Honoring God with all that we do and say is a hard thing.  

Doing hard things make us better people, better men of God.  The journey that we are on is going to be full of hard things.  Hard roads, potholes, road blocks and other obstacles.  Some of those obstacles could be other people.  Coworkers, family, friends, or strangers that you are trying to help may not want your help.  We cannot give up.  

Christ has set the example for us, so we try and set the example for other people,  an example for our children and their friends.  And who knows, through our efforts, maybe this nation will return to God.  

Go and do.

Matthew 28:16-20

After we come and see, we must go and do.  

When Jesus was crucified and resurrected, He met with his disciples in Galilee.  What He said there we too often take for a suggestion, but it is a commission, an active commandment.  

Merriam-Webster defines commission as: "an authorization or command to act in a prescribed manner or to perform prescribed acts."  Have you ever wondered why the book right after the Gospels is called "Acts"?  

Matthew 28:19 Jesus said, "Go and make disciples of all nations...".  Go and Do.  As followers of Christ we also have this commission of bringing the Word of God to people who have not heard it.  Not everyone is supposed to be a world traveling missionary, or a T.V. evangelical.  But there is always something that we can do.  We can live it.  

In Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."  We can help by blessing and helping and teaching the people around us by the way that we act.  We can help those in need, visit the sick and the hurting, and teach our kids the gospel.  

Actions speak louder than words, and let's face it, action scenes are better than monologues.   Go and Do.  Go and help build something someone needs, mow a yard, pray in public at the restaurant before you eat, ask people to church with you, give out books that have helped you.  If God has called you, go and be a missionary, mentor a child, foster, adopt one if God has laid it on your heart.    

Our actions are loud.  Go and Do.  

Come and see

One of the very cool things that I love about the journey to become a man of God is that you start where you are now.  You do not have to clean yourself up, or get rid of all your possessions to follow Christ.  You start where you are.  One step in front of the other.  That is how you climb a mountain.  That is how you run the race and fight the good fight.  No where in the bible does Jesus say, "Clean up your act first, then...".  

Instead He says "Come and see".  (John 1:39)  In this passage of scripture, John the Baptist is talking with two of his followers when Jesus walks by.  John says, "Behold the Lamb of God!" and those two leave John and follow Jesus from a distance.  When Jesus turns and asks, "What do you seek?"  They answer and Jesus' reply is "Come and see." (John 1:35-39)

He did not say to go fix themselves up and find him later.  Or to leave him alone.  John knew that there was something different about Jesus and told his followers.  They were curious about a man that they did not know much about and what followed turned them into world changers and planet shakers.  

If you know Christ and have a relationship with Him, you should be living a life that others can see as different.  And when asked why you are different, you should be willing and able to say "come and see".  Help that person on their own journey to start where they are and get know God.  

If you do not know Christ, please come and see what He is all about.  Ask me, ask a church member or a pastor.  Ask someone who you can trust to give you the correct answers.  

Even as believers, we can set our focus on something other than Christ for a time.  Setting our eyes on careers, family, friends, hobbies or habits.  But when we realize that we have focused on something else for a time, we should repent and return to Him.  

We should come and see.     

Can't Quit

We cannot quit on this journey.  It will be hard and some days we feel like giving up.  The battles we fought yesterday will not be the same ones that we face today, but quitting is not an option.  Even when the hits keep on coming. 

But no princess wants a knight in shinning armor.  They have not been tested in battle.  Our Armor of God should be dinged up, chipped and bent .  Dented by the flaming arrows that the enemy shoots our way.  We can be pressed on all sides, but not destroyed. (2 Corinthians 4:8-9) That is why He has given it to us, and we should not ever throw in the towel. 

We cannot quit because we have eyes on us.  Not the eyes of this world, they don't matter.  We have our wives and children, nieces and nephews.  Younger siblings looking up to us to see how we act.  Children that we mentor even if we don't see them.  The kids down the street, or the ones at church.  We may be the only reflection of Christ, the only christian influence in their lives.  We should be able to say, "Imitate me, as I imitate Christ", (1 Corinthians 11:1) if only with our actions. 

One of the best quotes that I have heard is from St. Francis, "Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words".  We have all found out that our actions speak louder than our words.  This confirms it. 

I want to leave a legacy for my children.  Not material things, though that would be fine too, but a legacy of them knowing how to worship God.  Of how to pray and how to listen for prayers being answered.  I want to be able to pass down my Armor of God 'know how', so they do not have to try and figure it out on their own.  But to be able to do that, I cannot quit.  I want to show them by my actions that when the devil throws punches, my God blocks them for me. 

We can't quit.  There is too much to lose.     

Can you see Him

Can you see Him hanging on the cross?  Bleeding while people mock and scorn Him.  Their hate and lies flying past their lips to strike Him.  Hanging there, dying and doing nothing worldly to deserve it.   Can you see the compassion and love in His eyes as He says, "It is finished."? John 19:30

But what is "finished"?  Death is finished.  Jesus knew that he would rise from the tomb after 3 days.  Hell is finished.  For those who have accepted Jesus into their hearts and have a relationship with Him, will not see hell.  The veil is finished.  The veil that separated us from God was torn.  

Can you see Him buried in the tomb?  Wrapped in burial cloth, they placed His body in a borrowed tomb.  Lying there for three days as the people who killed Him or had Him killed celebrated His death.  The ones who loved and followed Him weeping at the loss of Him.  The anger and frustration felt by them that Jesus did not rise up and stop the crucifixion.

Can you see Him?  As Jesus talks with Mary at the side of the tomb where the stone was rolled away, the look of shock, amazement and joy on her face.  As He walked beside two of his disciples who had no idea of who He was on the road to Emmaus.

Can you see Him?  As He sits on the throne at the right hand of our Father.  Can you see the look of love and compassion in His eyes as He looks at you?  The look that says, "This, all of this was for you."  

Can you see Him?  In your everyday life He is at the grocery store, in the parking lot with you.  He is in the car beside you an watching over you as you sleep.  "All of this was for you".  

Can you see Him?    

Let's be Lamplighters

Psalm 119:105 says

"Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path" NKJV

Being a man of God, we should share the Word of the Lord with somebody on a daily basis.  We should long for and look for opportunities to do so.  Whether it is on social media, a text message to a friend you have not spoken to in a while, or a phone call to a church member that has missed a few Sundays.  Anything and everything helps.  

If you have not done so, your children are a great place to start.  Especially when you learn or re-learn that we, as fathers, are responsible for their spiritual welfare.  Speaking to them and providing spiritual milk is not only what they need, but it helps you gain more confidence in sharing the gospel.  As we begin to answer their simple questions, we are more comfortable and confident talking with older people.  

Even the signature line in your personal email, or the message to your voicemail can have a huge impact on someone.  On my wife's' voicemail she prays that if they do not know Jesus that they will come to know Him. She has had multiple people leaving her a message say that they appreciated what she said.  

Lighting lamps is not only a good thing to do, it is also a commandment.  Matthew 28:19 says, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..." We cannot make disciples if we do not open our mouths and speak the words that He gives us to speak.  The more that we do, the easier it get.  And God will give the increase.  

Strike a match and light a lamp.  

Love in the waiting

So up to this point, we have talked about a lot of things men need to do to become closer to God.  And as men we tend to think that waiting is passive and we can only become better if we are actively doing work.  However, this is not true.  Not only are things happening in the waiting, but God shows us His love and mercy while we are waiting.  

Waiting is difficult.  Sometimes it is stressful.  Waiting for the adoption to be finalized, test results, for lab work to come back, for the loved one to return from deployment.  To hear back on a job application is one of the ones that I have the most experience with and the most difficulties with.  At the time of writing this, in the past year I have sent out 52 job applications. It is not always easy to point fingers at whys and hows and whos for not getting one of these positions.  But God is still with me and blessing my family while we are waiting.  

The unexpected bonus check that my wife received, the pizza that one of my co-workers bought for my family "just because", the unexpected and impromptu date night that the in-laws provide.  God is in and behind each and every one of these.  You can almost see Him saying, "Yes, it is hard, but I am still here and loving you".  

Please remember that while we are waiting, we are in good company.  Nobody likes to be reminded of how long they are waiting for something, but look at this: Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 before they had Issac, Issac and Rebekah waited 24 years to hold their twin boys, David waited around 17 years after he was anointed by Samuel to become king of Israel.  Jesus waited 33 years to start His ministry.  On and on.  

You can find verse after verse of waiting in the bible.  Probably the most quoted verse about waiting, Isaiah 40:31 "But those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint".  NKJV  God loves us in the waiting, even when we are frustrated with it.  Being a man of God means that we can wait patiently for God to give us His best.  

Because His best is better than we can imagine.      

Kings and Queens

Listen to this song, then read on.  Kings and Queens by Audio Adrenaline

"Every child has a dream to belong and be loved".  

James 1:27 says, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." 

Ready for a staggering fact?  "On any given day in the U.S. there are about 438,000 children in the foster care system." Childrensrights.org.  Over four hundred thousand. And if that doesn't break you heart enough,  "In 2016, 20,000 aged out of foster care without permanent families and most will face unemployment, homelessness and incarceration." Childrensrights.org.

They will not make it on their own.  Sure, maybe a few will become successful at something, but by and large they won't.  We have to help them.  We have been commanded to help them.  Adoption, healthy fostering, mentoring programs, Big Brother and Big Sisters.  Chances are that someone in your churches children's Sunday school has been affected.  I am very passionate about this and everyone has the skills to make a child's life a little better.  

God has called my wife and I to adopt.  And trying to go back and rewire these kids in a positive and healthy way is hard.  If God has not called you to adopt or foster, please do not.  Maybe mentoring is a better option.  There are multiple organizations that mentor kids in foster care.  There are others that give you training for helping these children of God.  

Two of the organizations that are doing a great job with these kids are The Mayfly Project and King's Ranch.  I know this because I have been a part of both of them.  I mentor with Mayfly and my wife and I are in training now through King's Ranch.  (I do not get paid by either of them.)

The Mayfly Project mentors kids in foster care through fly fishing.  Not only that, but the events and attention that this organization get, put these kids together with their forever families.  Being on the water has a calming effect on people and I have seen first hand how well this organization helps these kids.  TMP is in over 20 states and has multiple groups per state.  If you would like to help, visit: The Mayfly Project

Kings Ranch is a wonderful organization that give parents and families training for handling kids from hard places.  They offer "therapeutic parenting strategies for real families helping rescued children heal."  Like I said, my wife and I are working through a class with them now.  It has been hard trying to start these kids back at square one and redevelop them to where they need to be, but it will be worth it.  I truly believe this.  You can visit King's Ranch
for more information.  

There are so many children in need.  So many in each state and town, there is something for everyone to do.  

"And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brother, you did it to me'." ESV

Rocking the boat

Can you think of God's love like an ocean?  Steadily and calmly rocking the boat of your life.  Gently back and forth.  A perfect day with mild temperatures and a cool breeze. Just basking in the love.    

But the clouds are getting thicker and the perfect blue sky starts to get dark.  The wind starts to blow a little harder and the calm serene waves start to get a little bit bigger.  And then bigger.  The wind whips off your hat, your stomach begins to be unsettled and you regret that Po'boy that you ate.  Rain starts falling, you see lightning flash, you hear the thunder.  

Remember in the New Testament when Jesus and His disciples are on the boat.  Jesus is asleep and there came a storm that scared the disciples.  Most of them were hardened fisherman who knew the weather on the water.  But this one was bad and they thought that they were going to drown.  (I think that God was testing them to see how bad it needed to get before they reacted.)  And they woke Jesus up.  

When He was awake, what did he do?  

"Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!"  And the wind ceased and there was great calm"  Mark 4:39 NKJV   

He can do that for our lives as well... If we let Him.  That would be wonderful in my life.  The hectic, chaotic world that is topsy turvy can again be still and calm.  The up and down and around roller coaster of the waves can be peaceful again.  He can turn it back into that perfect day.  

We are already in the boat.  God is already in the boat with us.  All the disciples had to do was to wake Him up.  We can and need to do the same.  We need to wake our minds and souls to God's love and presence.  We need to ask Him to calm our spirits and our lives.  Doing so will allow us to become better men, husbands and fathers.  

As the storms of this life push the waves over our boat, we are being washed in His love.  

Overcomers

Christ did not die for us to be defeated by this life.  He wants us to rise up and be overcomers.  But why can we do this? In John 16:33 Jesus states, "I have overcome the world".  He has overcome the world and that is reason enough to fix our eyes on Him and not look away.  

When we have Christ as the center of our lives, this world cannot defeat us because in 1 John 4:4 it says, "You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world".  Mandisa even has a song about being an overcomer.  click here

Some of the advantages to being an overcomer of this world include but are not limited to:

"Being granted to eat from the tree of life which is in paradise and overcome the second death." Rev 2:7-11

"Will be given hidden manna and a white stone with a new name written thereon". Rev 2:17

Christ will give us "authority over the nations".  Rev 2:26

"He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.  He who overcomes, I will make a pillar in the temple of My God and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the Name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, and My new Name."  Rev 3:5-12

These are really great things.  The only way that we are able to obtain these is if we are overcomers of this world with Christ.  Trusting in Him to do what He says He will do.  This world will cause us to have problems.  It will knock us down and steal our lunch money, but only if we let it.  We will get knocked down, but staying down is a choice.  I for one want to be get back up.   

Shepherd of my soul

What did a biblical shepherd do?  A shepherd in biblical times is someone who spent all day with sheep.  Tending to them, keeping them safe, seeking them when they are lost.  They are not the high paid celebrity of a town official or tax collector.  They were dirty, had to sleep outside, smelled like wet wool when it rained and they were a step up from poverty.  They were laughed at and made fun of.  

But when Christ was born, an angel appeared to shepherds in the fields, watching their sheep.  Not only did they see an angel, they saw "a great company of the heavenly hosts" (Luke 2:13).  The angel didn't go to the inn where, because it was full of people, there was no room.  The angel did not appear to the king with a declaration saying "Christ is born".  The humble shepherd is who they sought out.  

Since the sheep were the shepherds livelihood, they would be there during the lambs birth, they would direct the flock in the direction that they needed to go, and protect them from predators.  David was a shepherd before and after he was anointed king by the prophet Samuel.   Look at all he did for his flock.  He killed lions and bears, he played his harp for and sang songs to them.  Shepherds loved their flock.  They knew their flock and in turn, the sheep knew the voice of their shepherd.  

In John 10: 14-15, Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd, and I know my own and my own know me, even as the father knows me and I know the father, I lay down my life for the sheep." (NASB)  

The only difference between a shepherd leading a flock, and Christ leading us, is the way we are lead.  To be directed by the Lord, we need to read His Word and meditate on His teachings.  We need to understand that the impressions that we have are His directions and we need to act on them.  The more that we do, the easier it will be for us to.  We need to meet with fellow believers and allow them to be an impact in our lives and be one in theirs.  To lovingly hold each other accountable.

This journey we are on is not an easy road, but as we lean into the Lord and seek His wisdom, it is going to get easier.    

It’s not for sissies.

Johnny Cash is quoted with saying, 
     
"Being a christian isn't for sissies.  It takes a real man to live for God- a lot more man than to live for the devil."  

Yes, the Man in Black, said these words.  And it does.  Being a christian is hard.  Standing up for your beliefs and not backing down when the world tells you to, is hard.  Seeing the world in black and white and choosing what you will do, then being ridiculed and made fun of or fired for your stand is hard.  It is hard to have people laugh at you and and you children for being weird.  But it is worth it.  

Another quote, and this one from TobyMac says, "I don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul."  From his song, 'Lose my soul'.  

Why would anyone want to give up living for God and live for and in this world?  To let people see that you are a christian, to let them know that you are different, that you have peace that passes all understanding and then go the opposite way is mind boggling.  And what does that say to your neighbors?  When times get tough and you give up praying, and going to church,  starting to live a worldly life.  It says that you were not committed to begin with.  It says that being a christian is not worth it.  It says that you are a gutless flip flopper and go whichever way the wind is blowing.  Worse yet, what does it say to your kids? That they shouldn't try to begin with.  "Dad was a christian for a little while and the world beat him down, why should I even try?"  

It is hard.  But guess what, Christ gives us his strength when we ask for it.  When we leave our burdens at His feet.  " Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

Living life is hard, and being a christian in this world is not for sissies.  But when we trust in God and seek his face, when we lay our burdens at His feet, it gets a lot easier.  Lay them down and do not pick them up again.  You may have to do this multiple times a day.  Give them over to Him and trust that He can take care of them and you.