Know That You Know

All men fight the same battle: I have found the enemy and he is me. The world’s man code says, “it’s all about me.” This was devil’s original lie to Eve in the Garden of Eden. He said, “God’s not God, you are. If you eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, ye shall be like God.” God had originally created Adam and Eve without the knowledge of sin. They knew that God is good, but they had no knowledge of good and evil. God gave them only one command: “of the fruit of tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it. For on the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.” When man sinned by disobeying God’s only command, the knowledge of evil and sin entered into the world. Adam and Eve died spiritually that day. They lost their spiritual connection with God.

All evil is rooted in pride. The most insidious form of pride is self deceit. The devil is the deceiver and the accuser. The religious man does all the right things for all the wrong reasons. He does all for his own gain and not for the Lord Jesus Christ. For all of his external religion, he is deceived in his heart. Jesus said, “not all who call me lord, lord will enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Although the religious man attends church, Jesus said of him, “this people draw near unto me with their mouth and honor me with their lips but their heart is far from me.” Hypocrites serve in the church for their own gain.

Religious people think they are saved but they’re really not. How do you know if they are really saved? Jesus said, “you’ll know them by their fruit.” A good tree produces good fruit. When God told his prophet Samuel to anoint Israel’s next king he said, the man that I’ve called to be king is not the one who you think. Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart.

The gospel is both bad news and good news. One side is that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The other side is in John 3:16. The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ his son.

Political correctness says that if you preach Jesus Christ and the truth of the word of God, you’re guilty of hate speech. It takes men of God who know that they have eternal life to speak truth to the lies of this world. God requires men of courage for such a time of as this.

God limits himself according to his word. When we come to him according to his terms, we will be saved. God’s terms for salvation are in Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

This is the message of salvation. Salvation means to be made whole. When we repent unto salvation, he will make us complete in him, born again of the spirit of life in Christ. Then a man can know that he knows that he is a son of God, saved by grace. This is the gospel of salvation so that we can escape the snares of the devil. Jesus Christ has set us free from the curse of sin and death by his full payment for our sin. For he who was without sin was made the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him.

George Foreman once said, “I used to call myself a believer. One day I had a revelation from God and met my Lord Jesus Christ. The question is “do you know him?” That’s when I stopped calling myself a believer…I became a knower.”

When we were born, we inherited the “Knowledge of good and evil” from Adam’s sin nature. However, when we were born again of the spirit of God in Christ in us, we inherited a new nature: That we may know Jesus Christ and the power of his resurrection.
1 John 5:13 says, These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Jesus also said, “If you continue in my word you shall be my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” The truth is Jesus Christ himself. He is the way, the truth and the life.

May we ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Blessed Assurance

Many men try to escape from themselves through drugs, alcohol and indulgent fantasies. However, you can’t escape from yourself. As Paul said, “O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this dead body?” We have met the enemy and he is me.
Jeremiah 17:9-10 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”

One church observer said that up to 80% of church attendees may not be saved. Churches grow by four methods: The first is organic growth by parents in the church having babies. The second is by transfer growth from other churches in the same area. The third is by transfer of newcomers into the area “by letter” from their old churches. The fourth church growth method is by conversion of new believers to Jesus Christ. Conversion growth in America has been declining over the last 50 years.

Years ago, preachers used to emphasize “hell-fire and brimstone.” They said, “Get on board, this train is bound for glory. If you’re not aboard you’ll be left behind.” This type of preaching left men wondering, and fearing that they were not saved and would be left behind. They were overcome with fear and guilt and doubt about their salvation. Today, the pendulum has swung to the other extreme. Today’s preaching is about “extreme grace.” Popular preachers preach about abounding grace and easy believism. Contrary to the Word, most people today think that heaven is the “default” condition. They have not heard the truth of Scripture that says “It is appointed once for all men to die and then comes the judgement.” The truth about salvation and assurance of life eternal is somewhere between these two extremes.

David’s Psalm 139:23-24 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Since Jesus Christ paid our debt of sin at the cross, for those who have been saved, The everlasting way is the way of the heart of Christ in us the hope of glory.

There are four types of people who attend church. The first type is those who reject outright the message of salvation. Today, the most popular religion in America is the “nones.” These people claim no particular religious conviction. There are many seemingly rational excuses for not accepting the salvation message. These excuses are summed up in John 3:19-20, “men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”

The second category is those who attend church but there is never really an exchange and a true conversion experience. These men may “walk the aisle” but never come to salvation.

The third category are those who think they’re saved but they’re really not. Jesus said, “not everyone who calls me lord, lord will enter into the kingdom of heaven.” To them, it’s not about the Lord, but about themselves. 2 Timothy 3 says, “For men shall be lovers of their own selves… Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.” A paraphrase of an excerpt from “The Narrow Way” by William C. Nichols says, “The deceived religious man who outwardly practices the keeping of the law but does it for himself and not for God may have a great deal of knowledge of the Word of God, but he is deceived in his own heart. Outward professions of righteousness may be an outer garment of perfection but inwardly he serves himself and not the Lord Jesus Christ. His obedience is limited to his own comfort and pleasure…he applies the promises of God to himself but not the difficult and demanding passages of scripture. He says “speak to us pleasant words.” He is a spiritual sluggard and assures himself that his soul is secure.” According to Matthew 15:8, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”

Category four is those who know that they know that they know that they are saved. Jesus said, “I write you these things that Ye may know that ye have eternal life.” To determine if a person is in this category, the first test question is, “Do you love Jesus?” Jesus said, “If you love me you’ll keep my commandments.” Paul said, “The spirit bears witness with my spirit that we are sons of God.” The second test question is, “Do you know the Lord?” Paul said, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that (Holy Spirit) which he’s committed unto me against that day (of righteous judgement.)” The saved man is not perfect but he knows personally the Saviour. It’s not sin that keeps us from salvation but rather failure to confess the Saviour from sin. Jesus said that for those who are saved, “no one shall pluck them out of my hand.” Salvation is the key. Jesus said, “those who are saved, you will know by their fruit.”

The adversary says, “when you sin and fall short, beat yourself up for sinning.” However, Jesus said, “come unto me all ye who are weary and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” We’re saved not because of who we are but because of whose we are. We are sinners saved by grace. When we separate our hearts from God by sinning, “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The better the man, the better the preacher, husband, dad, teacher, engineer, or ethical business man. When the preacher resists sin and temptation, it will strengthen the man and give conviction to his message. When we compromise that which is right we hurt the people in our sphere of influence. Holy prayer comes from holy living. We take advantage of the true grace of God when we fight the good fight, when we turn our hearts back to him. We’ll never understand that Jesus is all we need until we get to the place that Jesus is all we’ve got. When we come to the end of ourselves, when we empty ourselves of our selves then he can fill us. Only then can he become our all in all.

Everyone needs to serve someone. It’s either me or Him. The question is “why am I doing what I’m doing?” When Pete asked God to show him how to love his wife, God told him to learn from her how to give love and grace. Love is about blessing the other person… to live to serve her and to honor her through your thoughts, words and actions. You love her by doing the right thing to bless her with the love of God. This is the same relationship that we have with our Lord Jesus Christ. We live to bless Him. Therefore humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and he will exalt you in due time. Our blessing is that we should be to the praise of the glory of his grace who has made us acceptable in the beloved.

Sin and death are realities. The wages of sin is death and then comes the judgement. However, Jesus Christ, who was without sin became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him. Our blessed assurance of salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

May we ever live to love, bless, honor and serve Him!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

No Escape

Wherever you go there you are. You can’t escape from yourself. The apostle Paul said, “In my flesh dwelleth no good thing.” As Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry said after a naval battle in the war of 1812, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” If you think of yourself you’ll be depressed, if you think of the circumstances, you’ll be stressed, but if you think of the Lord, you’ll be blessed.

Without a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, Men can’t escape the insidious preoccupation with self. The basis of the sin nature is pride. The devil beguiled Eve in the Garden of Eden when he appealed to her pride. He said to her, “God’s not God, you are. If you eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, you’ll be like God.” You won’t need God. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they lost their innocence. Their eyes were opened to the nature of sin, guilt, shame and death. God had said, “on the day you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you will surely die.” They died spiritually that day…disobedience separated them from God. We inherited Adam’s sin nature, his DNA, the genetic “man code”… without God and without hope. The sin nature makes men fearful, lonely, inadequate, and insecure.

According to Romans 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
Verse 15 says, “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one (Adam) many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”

Most men don’t like themselves. As Paul said, “the things that I don’t want to do I do, and the things that I want to do I don’t do. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this dead body.”

The self absorbed man says, “I may not be much, but I’m all I think about.” Egotism is excessive preoccupation with self. The world’s man code says “I’m capable of meeting my own needs.” Self confidence is confidence in my own abilities. The world repeats the devil’s original lie: You don’t need God…you can do it all by yourself.

However, Jeremiah 17:9-10 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10. I the LORD search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”

Philippians 3 says, “do nothing through selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind consider others more important than yourself. Do not merely look out for your own personal interest but look out for the interest of others. Have this attitude which was also in Christ.”

Philippians’ theme is the Joyful mind. You can’t choose your circumstances but you can choose your attitude. Philippians continues about Jesus Christ: 6. “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

Jesus gave up the right to himself and relinquished his own will to obey his Father’s will. We may not know the purposes for God’s plan for our lives but we understand that he’s a good, good Father. He has a better plan for us than we could ever imagine. The bond-servant is not bound by law or obligation, rather he is bound by love to willingly serve his master with joy and rejoicing.

Jesus Christ emptied himself and became obedient to death on the cross. In his obedience to his Father he who was without sin became the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him.

According to Philippians 3:9-10, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth,”

What God really wants from me is obedience. What we do for God glorifies God and not our ourselves. We have been called “to the praise of the glory of his grace who has made us acceptable in the beloved.”

The old man code says, “I want praise and glory for myself.” However, humility is the antidote to pride. Let all things be done to his glory and not our own. Obedience to God means that our heart is subject to his will. Jesus said to Peter, “lovest me more than these?” Do you love me more than your fishing business and your fishing buddies? ”

Ye are servants of whom you obey. We who have been born again of God’s spirit, can chose whom to serve: our own ego’s or our Lord Jesus Christ. Our calling is to serve our Master from a heart of humility and love. As Oswald Chambers said, humility defeats the “insidious preoccupation with self.” Jesus said, whoever keeps his life shall lose it, but whoever gives his life for my sake will save it.”

The antidote to an insidious preoccupation with self is, “humble thyself under the mighty hand of God and in due time he will exalt you.” We may not understand what he’s doing in our lives but we understand his heart…for he is a good, good Father… a God of loving kindness, tender mercy and gracious love.

May God richly bless you!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

The Inescapable Self

There are times in life when crisis comes without warning. Sam Parsons lost his wife Colleen suddenly. Sam reports that he and his family picked up Colleen’s ashes at the mortuary and will fly home on Saturday. Sam says everything is different, empty and void without her. The sorrow is so overwhelming. However precious moments of sweet memories of Colleen are also overwhelming. Sam thanks God for these precious memories.

O Lord, Our times are in thy hands. You’re a good, good father and your plan for us is a good plan. Your plan is better than we could ever imagine and your Sovreign will works for good to those who love you and are called according to your purpose.

Even though we don’t understand God’s plan and his unfolding will, Jesus Christ is still at the right hand of the Father making intercession for the saints… For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Therefore, despite the trials of this world, we will purpose in our hearts to walk in close proximity with our Lord Jesus Christ. We serve at the pleasure of our Lord. Our delight is his delight…our wish is to serve our Lord with the love of God in the renewed mind.

The bond-slave serves his master from a heart of love. He is not bound by chains of debt, obligation, or law. He is bound by love to serve his master willingly according to the good pleasure of his own will, aligned with his master’s will.

We are our own worst enemies…to walk in fellowship with our Lord we must forsake our selfish sin nature. When we come to our Lord, we have found the enemy and he is me. We who have been born again of the spirit of God in Christ in us have the freedom to choose whom we will serve.

My flesh fights for acceptance, approval, and praise of others. Men try to escape the influence of the flesh through drugs, alcohol, and indulgent fantasy. The self absorbed person says “I may not be much but I’m all I think about.” Egotism says that self interest is the motive behind every action. Egotism used to be a vice, but today, it’s celebrated as a virtue.

The devil’s original lie to Eve was, “God’s not God, you are. Ye shall be as God, knowing good from evil.” Adam didn’t uphold the truth of the Word of God when his wife considered the devil’s lie. Eve disobeyed God’s command by believing the devil’s lie when she “ate of the fruit of tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Then she gave Adam the fruit and he did eat. Men have been worshiping their own egos ever since. When Adam and Eve disobeyed, they lost their innocence before God. In their disobedience, their sin nature was unleashed and they understood guilt, condemnation, and shame. Mankind has inherited this sin nature from Adam and has suffered the consequence of Adam’s disobedience ever since.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10. I the LORD search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”

The truth of the Word has been turned upside down. The heart of man is deceitful and cannot know the truth of the Word of God. God will solve all the “why” questions when we come to know his Truth through our Lord Jesus Christ. We come to an understanding that God is a good, good Father. We may not know his ways, but we know his heart of tender mercy, grace, and loving kindness.

According to Philippians 2:3-5, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”

When we come to the realization that it’s not all about me, we will find rest in the midst of the storm. Jesus said, come unto me all ye that are weak and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. The attitude of Christ was to look on the things of others to serve and to bless them. Jesus emptied himself of the right to his own will…to serve his Father by gladly serving from a heart of love those whom God had committed to his keeping. Continuing in Verse 6:

6. “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

A bond servant doesn’t serve his master by law, but by love. Jesus Christ gave up his “right” to himself and crucified his own will when he prayed to his Father, “not my will but thine be done.”

The paradox of the Christian life says that in order to gain, you need to lose. Jim Elliot, the missionary to South America understood this truth. Elliot said before he was martyred, “He is no fool who gives that which he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

Humility defeats pride. Humility frees us from “the insidious preoccupation with self.” Humility says, “Make me a captive Lord, And then I shall be free…
Force me to render up my sword and I shall conqueror be.
I sink in life’s alarms, if by myself I stand.
Imprison me within thine arms and free shall be my stand!”

May God richly bless you!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Passing the Test

The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts and his ways than our ways. Tests in this life are inevitable. A test is to put through a critical examination, observation, or evaluation to determine what is true, present, and real. A trial is given to diagnose. When we put our hands to the plow as fellow laborers with our Lord, the tests of faith will reveal his truth in us. At times we may not understand the purpose of the test. Jesus himself faced a tough test in the garden of Gethsemane. He asked his father to remove the “cup” of separation, sin and death. However God answered three times, “no.” Jesus came to the conclusion, “Not my will but thine be done.” Hebrews 2:12 reveals the answer to Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus aligned his will with his Father’s will… He endured the cross with joy for your salvation and mine.

According to Hebrews 11:1, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Jesus once marveled at the faith of the Roman centurion who believed for his daughter’s healing, Jesus said, “I have seen no greater faith, no not in Israel.” God’s “hall of faith” in Hebrews 11 exemplifies believers who passed the tests.
Jesus said in John 14, “I am the vine, ye are the branches. Apart from me you can do nothing.” Without our Lord we cannot survive the slings, arrows, and fiery darts of the “wicked one.” Even though we may not understand the purpose of God’s test, we can trust God’s heart.

Les Pearcy of Bakersfield who played ball with Pete said, “the worst year of my baseball career was my best year with my Lord.” During times of trial, God will teach us that “this is our finest hour.” The true purpose of life will be revealed through the trials of life. If power, success, fame, reputation, and wealth are our goal, they will take wings and fly away. The test will reveal that which we value in life.

When Paul asked God to remove his “thorn in the flesh” God answered “no” three times. The third time God answered Pauls prayer when Paul understood that “thy strength is made perfect in my weakness, thy grace is sufficient for me.”

When God led Israel to the promised land, there were “Giants in the land.” Ten of Israel’s twelve spies said, they are too big for us and we can’t fight them. However, Joshua and Caleb said that we can defeat them in God’s power.

In Numbers 13, God placed the Giants in the land to test Israel. God tested Israel because he had their best interest at heart. Israel also tested God, thinking that they had their own best interest at heart. They resisted God and submitted unto their own will. They disagreed with the definition of “Israel’s best interest.” Our trial, like Israel is to subject our will to his will… That we come to the conclusion that “father knows best.”

According to Genesis 22:1, God tested Abraham. The Hebrew root word for “test” is the word, “smell.” God needed to find out if Abraham would pass the “smell test.” God wanted to know “Abraham, where’s your heart?” Do you love me above all? Do you believe that Isaac is indeed the promised seed through whom I will keep my promise of the coming Messiah?”

Often God will allow the enemy to overcome his people when they turn their backs on God. This is the theme of the Old Testament book of Habakuk. When things are dark and there seems no escape, God will make a way when there is no way. God never honors fear but he always honors faith. He is faithful to his word. He is a God of mercy and grace.

God intends for us to spend our time in this fallen world to prepare our hearts for our homeland in heaven. According to Hebrews 11, Abraham lived by faith in foreign land, because he was looking toward a city whose architect and builder was God. As Paul said, I count the suffering of this present time of little value in light of the value of God’s eternity: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”

The theme of Hebrews 11 is, “have I put down roots in this world, or am I living for eternity in my heavenly homeland.” Suzan said before she died, “I don’t fit here anymore.” The hall of faith believers received the promises of God knowing that they were exiles in this world. They longed for heaven. They desired a better country that God had prepared for them in eternity.

As the song says, “This world is not our home, we’re just a-passing through; Our treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.” At the end of our life in this “foreign land,” we live to hear our Father say, “well done thou good and faithful servant: …enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

May God richly bless you,
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Be On Your Guard

God teaches men of God lessons through the journey of life. He especially teaches us through trials and tribulations. In 1 Corinthians 16:13 God says through the apostle Paul to be vigilant and on your guard: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” To stand firm in the faith we must be watchful… Christ’s eyes behind our eyes. We cannot resist temptation on our own. The devil prowls about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

The “man code” that we learn from the world and the culture of our times says that we must be “self sufficient.” It says we cannot ask for help or admit that we can’t do it on our own. However, Jesus says, “come unto me all who are weak and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”

God is raising up men of God for such a time as this. When the crisis comes and courage is required, God expects his men to be the reliable ones. According to Oswald Chambers, men will be shipwrecked unless men of God throw themselves recklessly upon the calling and will of God.

It’s easy to become lukewarm and then allow our hearts to turn cold toward God. It takes initiative and deliberate action to stay on guard. Our calling is to keep our hearts with all diligence for out of the heart are the issues of life. Our responsibility is to “quit ye (conduct yourselves) like men…” Men of God in whom the spirit of the Lord is.

We trust others in all phases of life. We trust that things in our technologically complex world will work as they have been designed. However, people will let you down. Things will break and wear out. Men are insecure because they have put their faith in people and things that can and will be taken away. Men lose their confidence due to trials and tribulations. As Pete’s wife Suzan said, “every relationship in this earthly life will end in pain except for one.” Our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ is the only relationship that will last into eternity.

For a man of God there are four foundational truths: Life is hard. It’s not about me. I’m not in control. This life will end.
Since it’s not about me, it is more blessed to give than to receive. The blessing of life is to give glory to our Heavenly Father.

Pete and Phil Van Horn have recently published the book they wrote with Mike Yorkey called, “Cracking the Man Code.” Phil leads the Influencers men’s ministry in La Crecenta. About five years ago, Phil approached Pete and said, “You need to write a book and I want to help you write it.” When Phil made this commitment, his world started to fall apart. He lost his house, his car, was admitted to the emergency room twice, endured attempted murders on his children, and grieved the deaths of over 50 friends and family members. Despite these trials, Phil rejoices that he had Men of God to stand with. Men who came alongside to comfort and encourage him in the Lord.

“Cracking the Man Code” is a tool to bring men into close proximity with their Lord Jesus Christ. The book counters the indoctrination of our culture’s man-code. It teaches that a “Man of God” is called of God to shatter our culture’s definition of what it means to be a man. The book is an encouragement for men to be strong in the Lord and the power of his might.

“Cracking the Man Code” illustrates one of the greatest lessons of life summarized by a quote from Jim Elliot, a missionary who was martyred in South America for his faith: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

Therefore, “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”

May God richly bless you!
Your brother in Christ.
Michael

“Cracking the Man Code”

Pete was recently reading his wife Suzan’s prayer journal and this entry caught his attention: “Prayers continue for eternity. The prayers of the righteous live even after death. Prayers are a sweet smelling fragrance to our Lord.” Suzan knew her man of God and his calling to minister to men. She always walked him to the garage door whenever he went to deliver a message and said, “go give ’em Heaven!” The phrase “man of God” was used in the Old Testament as a title of honor meaning “one who speaks for God.” God has commissioned, equipped, and empowered his Men of God for the “great commission” in Matthew 28:19-20. For we are God’s workmanship, His masterpiece created in Christ Jesus unto good works which He has ordained that we should walk therein.

In 2 Timothy 3 Paul said to Timothy, “all scripture is God-breathed (given by inspiration of God) and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly perfected unto all good works.” God will lead us, and guide us, and empower us when we need his words on our lips. He rebukes and corrects with his Word so that we can return to an upright position and walk in fellowship with our Lord.

Five years ago Phil van Horn said to Pete, “You need to write a book to remind men of God who they are in Christ. I want to help you write it.” Phil leads the Influencers in La Crecenta. He is an entertainment agent and an Emmy award winning journalist. Phil was a field reporter for ESPN for many years and is qualified as a writer and commentator. Every project is a team effort. Each member of the team makes God’s purpose happen. Another team member Mike Yorkie provided valuable assistance with Pete’s book. He has authored and co-authored over 100 books. His projects included a book that he helped to write called “Every Man’s Battle.”

When Phil offered to help Pete write a book five years ago, he took articles and messages that Pete had given him about men in our culture. The book is called “Cracking the Man Code” and is now available on Amazon. Three years into the project Pete said, “I’m done with this book.” His wife Suzan had just completed her treatment for breast cancer. Pete wanted to dedicate his efforts to taking care of his wife and his ministry. The drafts they had written at that time were rough and unpolished. When Mike Yorkie got involved with this project, the team that God brought together resulted in a book that communicates so much more than the fellowship and instruction we receive in the Influencers meetings every Wednesday and Friday morning.

There were innumerable obstacles over the last seven to eight years standing in the way of writing this book. There were times when Phil lost all of his material possessions including his company and his livelihood. Through the trials and troubles of life our anthem has been, “he gives and takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

The definition of a “friend” in the eyes of the Lord is “anything that points us to our Lord Jesus Christ.” Pain and trials are our friends to teach us that what God said to the Apostle Paul, “My strength is made perfect in thy weakness, My grace is sufficient for thee.”

When Mike Yorkie read the draft of the book, he knew that he had discovered a “diamond in the rough.” Pete had written the forward that said, “as soon as I started this book, bad things happened.” Mike understood when he read about “casual Christian men” that Pete had his finger on the pulse of men in our culture.

There has never been a time when ministering to men has been more needed than today. There has never been such a deficiency of men’s ministries in our churches than today. Many years ago the movement called “Promise Keepers” awoke men out of their sleep. Then after several years, men in the church went back to sleep. The purpose of this new book is to awaken men of God from sleep. To call each man as a new creation in Christ Jesus, complete in him as a man of God.

This book was a labor of love and a team effort for God’s glory. It’s a tool for men to forsake our culture’s man code. As Romans 13 says, “awake from sleep, the night is far spent. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light” This book points men back to the word of God for doctrine, for reproof and correction, for instruction in righteousness for such a time as this. That the man of God may be equipped, completely furnished for the purpose for which God arranged from eternity past that we should walk in fellowship with Him.

May God richly bless you!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael