Pick Me

As men of God, we need to keep our eyes on eternity. Even though we live in the here and now, our eyes are on the hereafter.

In the books of Timothy, men of this world are opposed to the things of righteousness. Many harmful desires plunge men into destruction and depravity. The battle between light and darkness rages on. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness from on high. Charles Spurgeon said that we are the result of a siege that God waged against the fortress of our worldly hearts. He has broken down the walls and led captivity captive.

Jesus Christ is the “hound of heaven” who continuously pursues us. In 2 Timothy, Paul knew that he was approaching the end of his ministry and this life. He reminded Timothy of the sins of our fallen nature that we inherited from Adam. To turn from sin Paul exhorts his men to turn instead to righteousness. Because we have been created a new man in Christ Jesus, Paul said to flee from sin and to pursue righteousness.

According to 2 Timothy 3: 1-5, “THIS know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3. Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4. Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

Paul didn’t say to convert these evil men. Rather he said turn away from them. To flee from them, instead pursue six things: In verse 11, as a “man of God,” he says to pursue godliness:
“But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.”

Godliness is living life according to righteousness in the presence of God. The love of God keeps no record of wrongs done. God doesn’t build up a resentment bank. To approach our loving Heavenly Father, we must approach Him with a heart of love and grace.

In the old game show, “To Tell the Truth,” the question was, “will the real you please stand up.” When God sees us he sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ himself.

Pete remembers that whenever he was with his wife Suzan, he was always a better man. She brought out the best in him. He prayed recently, “who shall accompany me now?” Pete saw a vision in answer to his prayer. He saw Jesus jumping up and down and saying, “Pick me, pick me.”

Who is the real you? The real you is the man who God created us in Christ Jesus when we were born again of God’s spirit. According to Colossians 1:26-27, the riches of the glory of the mystery is Christ in you the hope of glory.

God has called us to be godly so that we don’t need to be afraid of judgement. We are sons of God by birth. He has created in us a new life in the spirit of Christ in us. We have been saved by grace through faith. As Galatians says, the just shall live by faith. Faith produces knowledge of the cause and purpose of our lives. Faith produces fidelity…to stand strong to the end.

As a man of God, we do things because of who we are. We were made the righteousness of God because of Jesus’ payment for sin on our behalf. For he who was without sin became the perfect sin sacrifice for us that we may be made the righteousness of God in him. The real you is Christ in you. It’s his feet behind my feet, his hands behind my hands, his eyes behind my eyes, and his heart behind my heart.

Faithfulness is not because of what we do but because of who we are and whose we are. Devoted means that we have dedicated ourselves to his purpose and cause because of our righteousness in him.

Each moment in time can be “our finest hour.” Each moment is an opportunity to fulfill our “divine appointment” to walk in fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Our acceptance by our Heavenly Father is through his son, for there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.

The sin nature will pursue the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. However, ye are slaves to whom you obey. We have the power of the Holy Spirit to flee from these things and instead to pursue the righteousness of God in Christ in us.

For there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ has made me free from the law of sin and death. Therefore we can approach our father as sons of God. We can live for our Father’s glory, for it is God who works in you to will and to do of his good pleasure.

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

Are You Ready for the Big One?

They say that when you live in LA, you need to be ready for the “big one.” In Matthew 24, the disciples asked Jesus, “what shall be the signs of your (second) coming?” According to verse 7, one of the signs will be “earthquakes in diverse places.” That which can be shaken will be shaken. Are you ready to be shaken? The scripture says that we must prepare our hearts and stand upon the solid rock, Jesus Christ himself. He is the sure foundation.

In 1 Corinthians 16:13, Paul said, “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you (conduct yourselves) like men, be strong.” Be on your guard, be alert. Live every day like Jesus is coming today. Stand firm in the faith. When the crisis comes and courage is required, God expects his men to be the reliable ones… ones who have prepared their hearts beforehand. Can God trust us in the crisis of life? When the crisis comes, we’ll conduct ourselves as we have prepared. How can we prepare our hearts to stand firm despite the shaking?

Our hope is in that which cannot be taken away. The things of this world can be taken away…the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. However the things that cannot be taken away are the things of the spirit of God in Christ in us. To be ready for the crisis there are four important themes.

The first is that life in this world is hard. In this fallen world, there will be trials and tribulations. God is teaching us that in all things we must practice to respond like Jesus Christ himself would respond. Jesus said, “blessed are they when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake, for great is your reward in heaven.”

Suzan reminded Pete that every relationship in this life will end in pain except for one. When Pete asked his wife before she died, “how will I live without you?” Her answer was, “You’ll be fine.” She knew that Jesus Christ would see her husband through.

Trials of life will either tear us down or prove the power of God in our lives. God is training us as Men of God through trials that His strength is made perfect in my weakness, His grace is sufficient for me.

The second theme is that it’s not about me. The devil’s tactic is to appeal to our pride. However, if you look at yourself you will be distressed. If you look around you, you’ll be depressed. But if you look unto Jesus, you’ll be blessed. The blessing is in giving and not in receiving. Jesus said in Matthew 25:40, “inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.”

The third theme is that I’m not in control. Lord Grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change. God is sovereign and I’m not.

The fourth theme is that one day I will die. It is appointed once for all men to die and then comes the judgement. The secret of this life is to live, not for today but for eternity. As Paul said, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which he’s committed unto me against that day of righteous judgement.”

Therefore as Paul said, “Be prepared, conduct yourselves like men..” The life that we now live is our preparation for eternity. Training in righteousness with the Love of God is profitable for eternity. The word of God and the spirit of life in Christ will correct us along the way. God’s Correction is to “restore us to an upright position” so that we can walk in fellowship with our Lord.

God is teaching us to see the troubles of life from His heavenly perspective. Trials teach us to look unto God to prove His power in our life. Problems are only as big as the power required to overcome them. How powerful is God? Jesus said, “my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” The requirement is that we are yoked together with Christ. When we work together with him as fellow Laborers, when we plant and water, the Lord will give the increase. The harvest is in his hands.

The final theme is that Jesus Christ is Lord of my life. A man of God is God’s man. It’s not who I am but whose I am. We are slaves to whom we obey. Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way. Thou art the potter I am the clay. Mold me and make me after thy will, while I am waiting, yielded and still.

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