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

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

Man Of God

Matt Walsh wrote an inciteful blog about men in our culture. He says the Evil One’s campaign against men and boys has been successful. We have been bad mouthed diminished, dismissed, and forsaken. Men have become reprobate: condemned and unworthy. Seventeen million families live today in homes without their fathers. The mother is now the leader of the families and the head of the home. Men and boys learn masculinity from their mothers and from TV shows. Manhood has been described as toxic, dangerous, demoralized. Boys are emerging from school damaged and degraded. Sixty percent of college students are women. Our culture is having its way with men as men buy into the popular culture’s demoralized view of manhood.

What’s the answer for men? It’s a spiritual battle. Men’s ministry in the churches is an uphill climb. Men in our culture have earned many of the negative stereotypes. Alpha-male “chauvinists” are considered privileged, abusive, and arrogant. As Ecclesiastes says, “there is nothing new under the sun.” In the Old Testament culture, most of the Kings of Israel and Judah were corrupt. Many men can bear up under pressure, but to know a man’s true character, put him in a position of power.

The pendulum in our culture has swung in favor of women. As in today’s world, Jesus stepped into a culture of fallen men. He turned down the zealots who wanted him to throw off the oppression of the Roman government. Jesus declined their offer when they wanted to make him their leader.

God always raises up men of God “for such a time as this.” The term “man of God is used 70 times in scripture. It’s only used twice in the New Testament: Once in 1 Timothy and once in 2 Timothy. The phrase “man of God” is the “genitive of possession.” A man of God is God’s man. It’s not about who we are but rather whose we are.

According to 1Timothy 6:3-5, “If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 4. He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 5. Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.”

These are the things that Paul exhorts Timothy to flee from. In verse 11, as a “man of God,” he says instead to pursue godliness.
“But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.”

Pete recalls that he met with his fraternity brother who questioned whether his life has been worthwhile. Although he built a successful business and accumulated wealth and property, he had sacrificed his family on the altar of worldly success.

In 2 Timothy Paul lists characteristics of men in “the last days.” They will be lovers of self and lovers of money. They will be abusive, unloving, and unforgiving, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. Having a form of godliness but denying God’s power. Therefore do not sign a “peace treaty” with such men.

The adversary will tempt men to sin and then shame them when they fall. He appeals to a man’s pride and “macho” sense of revenge in the guise of “just retribution.”

One of the devil’s biggest lies is that financial, monetary gain is great success. However, the love of money is the root of all evil. What is it that you love? What you love, you will gladly serve.

To win the battle, we must seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. Paul says that contentment with what you have is great gain. The exhortation is “take heed and beware of covetousness, for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of things that he posesseth.

Therefore humble thyself under the mighty hand of God. To walk in fellowship with our lord, is to acknowledge that Father knows best. God is the one who pursues us to make us his own. He is the “hound of heaven.” All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone unto his own way. Jesus himself leaves the flock of 99 sheep to pursue the one lost sheep.

Paul’s exhortation to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:13-14 says, “I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus… That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ:”

Are we willing to “put one one the scoreboard” for our Lord Jesus Christ? As Romans 12 says, quit ye (conduct yourselves) like men, be strong in the lord. Our identity is in Christ. For I was crucified with Christ nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me. And the life that I now live, I live by faith in the one who loved me and gave himself for me.

Therefore fight the good fight of faith. May our prayer be, Lord make me a man of God. Your man who lives to glorify you and to represent you as a living epistle in a world of darkness among whom we shine as lights. That our lives may be to the praise of the glory of your grace.

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