Men of God for Such a Time As This
Jesus taught the multitude at the Sermon on the Mount that the life of a disciplined follower of Christ is through the narrow gate and in the narrow way. Jesus Christ himself is the way the truth and the life. In Matthew 5:36-48 Jesus continued his teaching. His message was upside down from the teaching of the Pharisees. Jesus said, you have heard it said that you should love your friends and hate your enemies. But I say unto you love your enemies… bless them that curse you, slander you, and despitefully use you.
Why? Because tribulation workerth patience and patience experience and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is Mande manifest in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us.
The important thing is to think, respond, and act according to Christ’s heart behind our heart. When we act and react from a heart of the love of God, love covers a multitude of sins. The way to defeat your enemy is to make him your friend. Jesus Christ himself is the one who reconciles our hearts together in the unity of the spirt in the bond of peace.
How do we tolerate turning the other cheek when we’ve been slapped? How do we go the second when we’ve been compelled to go the first mile? According to Philippians 2, let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus…. He humbled himself and became obedient, even unto death on the cross. He for the joy that was set before him endured the cross and is set down upon the right hand of the throne of God.
The beatitudes are the godly attitudes. These attitudes are upside down from worldly attitudes. These attitudes start with humility…. Blessed are the poor in spirit who mourn over the sin that separated our hearts from God’s heart. Blessed are they who are meek to be taught by the true Word of God. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst not for the things of the world, but for God’s righteousness…. The righteousness of God in Christ…. For he who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him.
An attitude of gratitude for God’s gracious gift of his Holy Spirit is the prerequisite for loving and praising God through our thoughts and actions. The love of God is manifested in walking in the spirit of life in Christ… his hands behind our hands, his feet behind our feet, his eyes behind our eyes…. As we are motivated by His heart of love and service behind our heart.
In an upside down world, to live is to die to self, to be a leader is to humble our hearts to become a servant, to be set free is to be bound by the bond of love as a bond servant of our Lord. The ultimate victory is the ultimate surrender to His will. We have been called to liberty… the greatest freedom is to live captive to Christ.
To be lifted up, is to be abased and to condescend to men of low estate.
God is not impressed with our knowledge of the Word.. For knowledge puffs up.. it inflates our egos. In contrast to knowledge, love builds up. We’re called to edify, to encourage, and to love with the mercy, grace, kindness and peace of the Prince of Peace.
Jesus was popular with the crowds that followed him around. They wanted him to be their king. However, he said, that’s not my calling. They asked him, then what’s your plan? He pointed to a despised tax collector and low class Galilean fishermen. He said, those guys over there, they’re the plan. God chooses the weak things of the world to confound hte wise..
Most casual Christian men in church struggle with guilt and shame. They struggle to make and keep their promises. They have trouble saying, I’m sorry, I need help, I’m mistaken, or I love you. The average casual Christian thinks that there is no one he can please. His heart is angry because of the wrongs he has suffered at work, in relationships, and in his family and his marriage. He doesn’t think that anyone can accept him for who he is. He denies that his marriage could be better. He does not communicate anything with his wife except on an informational level. He’s unwilling to accept counseling to improve his marriage. He thinks that other men are more spiritual than he is. He questions his salvation. He does not believe that he can get serious with God because he’s afraid that God will compel him to go to Africa as a missionary. He’s afraid to be around men who ask him to pray or share from the Bible. He doesn’t have a best friend. He doesn’t befriend others… instead he views them as his competition. He’s comfortable in shallow interactions but he cannot connect deeply with other men. His identity is in his work, his performance, his ability to fix things. He only does what he thinks he can do well. He wants to be involved in spiritual things, but is unwilling to get up in time to participate. He wants to live for Christ, but not if it means dying to self. He wants redemption without confession of his own weaknesses. He’s willing to make promises, but only if they have escape clauses.
Casual Christians become casualties in the spiritual battle. God has called men of God for such a time of this. When the crisis comes and courage is required, God expects his men to be the reliable ones… Men who bear up under pressure and who trust in the Lord with all their hearts and lean not upon their own understanding…. Men whose power is in their surrender to the Lord… who take refuge under the shadow of His wing. Men with a heart to love God by loving others… Men of God who say, “Lord, here am I… send me!”
…that as men of God whom He has called for such a time as this, we may ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael
