[by Andy Richardson]
It’s time to wake up. The alarm goes off. You look at the clock and realize that there is work to be done. It’s that time. The Christian life is that way, too. The apostle said, “Do this, knowing the time. It is already past the hour for you to awaken from sleep” (Romans 13:11). There is urgency in a wake-up call. Get up. Time is slipping away.
Pray for wisdom and willingness to use each moment for God’s benefit today.
Living your life for your own pleasures is a waste of time from God’s perspective. You might as well be sleeping. The disciples fell asleep in the Garden while Jesus prayed, and He had to waken them three times. Sure, they were tired, but they needed to be awake. Sure, you may be tired. You think that you have done enough for Jesus in your lifetime, and you just feel like dialing it back now and looking out for yourself. Well, wake up! You can sleep later. Right now, you need to serve the Lord. You won’t regret it.
Jan 31, 2011
Jan 23, 2011
What is overflowing in you?
I was listening to a sermon on the radio taught by Ravi Zacharias entitled Faith Under Fire: Jesus among other gods. If you're slow like me, Ravi is a good teacher to listen to because due to English being his second language, he is very careful in the way that he annunciates. Anyway, I digress. The purpose of this sermon is to illustrate why Jesus, among other gods, is the truth, the way and the life for him through Ravi's testimony.
I haven't listened to the entire message because I was fairly astounded by a small portion where he uses an old proverb from India to illustrate his mother's character in the face of a serious family incident. The proverb goes like this, "Whatever you are overflowing with will spill out when you're bumped." He goes on to say this proverb "has in mind a village woman carrying a pot or urn filled to the brim with milk or water or some other substance. A young careless lad runs across her path causing her to stop short and the contents that's filled to the brim spills out."
He further explains, "It is meant to convey what your real character is about. Whoever you are in your character, that characteristic will spill out when somebody annoys you, puts pressure on you or cuts into your path."
What are YOU overflowing with? When a co-worker frustrates me does he/she see Jesus? or do they see somebody they just don't want to bother with next time. When the pressure of this life is mounting and my burden is heavy, does fear begin pouring out of me? When my wife accidentally hurts my feelings (we men like to call that disrespects me) in front of people, does insecurity wash over the sides like a Tsunami?
Men, when I look in the mirror of my life, I am ashamed to confess that I have failed at the above scenarios (any many others) more than once.
What should I be overflowing with..."love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Ah yes, the Fruit of the Spirit. The Apostle Paul teaches us about Love in 1 Corinthians 13 and ends his portrait of Love with "Faith, Hope and Love, but the greatest of these is Love."
Love, my brothers, is what we SHOULD be overflowing with. Praise God that He Loves us enough to continue His sanctification of us every single day.
I haven't listened to the entire message because I was fairly astounded by a small portion where he uses an old proverb from India to illustrate his mother's character in the face of a serious family incident. The proverb goes like this, "Whatever you are overflowing with will spill out when you're bumped." He goes on to say this proverb "has in mind a village woman carrying a pot or urn filled to the brim with milk or water or some other substance. A young careless lad runs across her path causing her to stop short and the contents that's filled to the brim spills out."
He further explains, "It is meant to convey what your real character is about. Whoever you are in your character, that characteristic will spill out when somebody annoys you, puts pressure on you or cuts into your path."
What are YOU overflowing with? When a co-worker frustrates me does he/she see Jesus? or do they see somebody they just don't want to bother with next time. When the pressure of this life is mounting and my burden is heavy, does fear begin pouring out of me? When my wife accidentally hurts my feelings (we men like to call that disrespects me) in front of people, does insecurity wash over the sides like a Tsunami?
Men, when I look in the mirror of my life, I am ashamed to confess that I have failed at the above scenarios (any many others) more than once.
What should I be overflowing with..."love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Ah yes, the Fruit of the Spirit. The Apostle Paul teaches us about Love in 1 Corinthians 13 and ends his portrait of Love with "Faith, Hope and Love, but the greatest of these is Love."
Love, my brothers, is what we SHOULD be overflowing with. Praise God that He Loves us enough to continue His sanctification of us every single day.
Jan 20, 2011
3 wishes and ways for moving forward in the new year
From an article in World magazine, Andrée Seu says "The pilgrim is meant to make progress." The author describes three wishes that can assist us all in progressing in our faith for the new year.
1. Pray to have friends (at least one) who have more faith than you do. It is much easier to understand the Scriptures when you have a living, breathing, walking example beside you. Faith filled friends give Godly infection.
2. Get rid of everything doubtful in your life this year. "Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God." 2 Corinthians 7:1
3. Master your tongue. "Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit." 1 Peter 3:10
"Speak slowly, put on a filter, let out no lie."
Challenge yourself this year men! Come along side another brother; ask somebody to come along you. Bottom line, don't go through it alone.
1. Pray to have friends (at least one) who have more faith than you do. It is much easier to understand the Scriptures when you have a living, breathing, walking example beside you. Faith filled friends give Godly infection.
2. Get rid of everything doubtful in your life this year. "Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God." 2 Corinthians 7:1
3. Master your tongue. "Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit." 1 Peter 3:10
"Speak slowly, put on a filter, let out no lie."
Challenge yourself this year men! Come along side another brother; ask somebody to come along you. Bottom line, don't go through it alone.
Jan 12, 2011
What it means to be a biblical Man/Husband
I was listening to a sermon by a pastor Michael Easley…no not the governor. It is a great checklist for us to measure ourselves against. I've attached a link. I encourage you to listen to this sermon. I've added some Highlights for me below:
One thing he said stood out for me and it is the question "Are you any more like Jesus Christ today than you were when you became a Christian?" If you answer no, you have a problem and need to evaluate your personal walk with Jesus.
I know that when I am not spending enough time in the word…my walk suffers. When my walk suffers…my wife and family and work place suffers. This usually happens when I let me life get so crazy that the enemy starts influencing me to believe its ok to put off my quiet time one day…then one day turns into 2 and before I know it…I haven't even touched my Bible for a week!
DO NOT let anything…I mean ANYTHING stand between you and your relationship with Jesus.
Enjoy!
1. Cultivate your relationship with Christ ALL OF YOUR LIFE! There's no substitute for time in the Word and time in prayer. My relationship with Christ is the pulse of the man I am. Life long process...you never arrive at some destination. The single most loudest voice as a man is "are you growing in Christ and can people see it."
2. Remind yourself you're not just a leader...you need to be the tireless initiator. One of the most powerful aspects of being a husband is being an initiator. Especially when you conflict. Chase your wife and never stop chasing her. Pursue her especially when you conflict.
3. Ephesians 5:25...how do you give yourself up for your wife? Is she more important than you?
4. DATE YOUR WIFE!!! No exceptions.
Here is the LINK
One thing he said stood out for me and it is the question "Are you any more like Jesus Christ today than you were when you became a Christian?" If you answer no, you have a problem and need to evaluate your personal walk with Jesus.
I know that when I am not spending enough time in the word…my walk suffers. When my walk suffers…my wife and family and work place suffers. This usually happens when I let me life get so crazy that the enemy starts influencing me to believe its ok to put off my quiet time one day…then one day turns into 2 and before I know it…I haven't even touched my Bible for a week!
DO NOT let anything…I mean ANYTHING stand between you and your relationship with Jesus.
Enjoy!
1. Cultivate your relationship with Christ ALL OF YOUR LIFE! There's no substitute for time in the Word and time in prayer. My relationship with Christ is the pulse of the man I am. Life long process...you never arrive at some destination. The single most loudest voice as a man is "are you growing in Christ and can people see it."
2. Remind yourself you're not just a leader...you need to be the tireless initiator. One of the most powerful aspects of being a husband is being an initiator. Especially when you conflict. Chase your wife and never stop chasing her. Pursue her especially when you conflict.
3. Ephesians 5:25...how do you give yourself up for your wife? Is she more important than you?
4. DATE YOUR WIFE!!! No exceptions.
Here is the LINK
Jan 11, 2011
Fresh Start - FIRE IT UP!!!!
[by Andy Richardson]
Don't let the fire go out. Your heart's warmth toward God is something that needs constant refueling, or else your love for Him will grow cold. It isn't automatic that your love for Jesus will keep burning, especially as we draw closer to the end of the age. The Lord put it this way to His disciples, "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold, but he who endures to the end shall be saved" (Matthew 24:12-13).
Don't let the fire go out. Your heart's warmth toward God is something that needs constant refueling, or else your love for Him will grow cold. It isn't automatic that your love for Jesus will keep burning, especially as we draw closer to the end of the age. The Lord put it this way to His disciples, "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold, but he who endures to the end shall be saved" (Matthew 24:12-13).
- Pray that your love for Jesus will grow warmer today.
Jan 10, 2011
Fresh Start - You have three enemies
[by Andy Richardson]
You have three enemies: the world, the flesh and the devil. The world gives you the opportunity to sin against God, the flesh wants you to take that opportunity, and the devil gives you excuses to do so. The trouble isn't really with these enemies, however. The trouble is with you. You want to take the opportunity to sin. You want to give in to your sinful desire. You want to listen to the temptation of the devil.
The good news is that the Christian has a Friend who is greater than all the enemies combined, and He is the Holy Spirit. The apostle John put it this way, "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4), and he didn't learn this truth until after Jesus had gone back to heaven and left him to face his enemies. But, he wasn't left alone and neither are you. So, the next time your enemies set you up for an ambush, just turn to your Friend and put Him in charge of the battle. You can't lose!
You have three enemies: the world, the flesh and the devil. The world gives you the opportunity to sin against God, the flesh wants you to take that opportunity, and the devil gives you excuses to do so. The trouble isn't really with these enemies, however. The trouble is with you. You want to take the opportunity to sin. You want to give in to your sinful desire. You want to listen to the temptation of the devil.
- Ask God for the power to resist sin in your life today.
The good news is that the Christian has a Friend who is greater than all the enemies combined, and He is the Holy Spirit. The apostle John put it this way, "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4), and he didn't learn this truth until after Jesus had gone back to heaven and left him to face his enemies. But, he wasn't left alone and neither are you. So, the next time your enemies set you up for an ambush, just turn to your Friend and put Him in charge of the battle. You can't lose!
Jan 9, 2011
Rosetta Stone
Some of you, like me, may think that Rosetta Stone is the language software company. If so…you'd be partly right. However, I believe that the software company get their name from the true "Rosetta Stone."
My pastor talked about the Rosetta Stone and that it provided the key to the modern understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphs. He said, "The Rosetta Stone was the key that unlocked the mystery of an ancient civilization – the kingdom of Egypt."
The pastor went on to talk about (in his message entitled Introducing the Creator) that during that time the Greeks, with their 30,000 statues of their gods and goddesses, were trying to "unlock the mysteries of the universe." Sound like any other civilization, culture, time period? He said that the apostle Paul described Christ as the "Rosetta Stone" to the Polytheistic world.
"The apostle Paul declared to the crowd gathered on Mar's Hill, You have searched for the truth of the supernatural – I'm here to give you the Rosetta Stone to that mystery. To translate Christ is to understand the mystery of the universe."
THAT'S DEEP!!!
"The term Rosetta Stone is now used in other contexts as the name for the essential clue to a new field of knowledge." Check out this article in Wikipedia…quite interesting.
In the same sermon, he gives a good description, of Polytheism, Deism, Pantheism, Atheism, Finite Godism, Theism.
My pastor talked about the Rosetta Stone and that it provided the key to the modern understanding of Egyptian hieroglyphs. He said, "The Rosetta Stone was the key that unlocked the mystery of an ancient civilization – the kingdom of Egypt."
The pastor went on to talk about (in his message entitled Introducing the Creator) that during that time the Greeks, with their 30,000 statues of their gods and goddesses, were trying to "unlock the mysteries of the universe." Sound like any other civilization, culture, time period? He said that the apostle Paul described Christ as the "Rosetta Stone" to the Polytheistic world.
"The apostle Paul declared to the crowd gathered on Mar's Hill, You have searched for the truth of the supernatural – I'm here to give you the Rosetta Stone to that mystery. To translate Christ is to understand the mystery of the universe."
THAT'S DEEP!!!
"The term Rosetta Stone is now used in other contexts as the name for the essential clue to a new field of knowledge." Check out this article in Wikipedia…quite interesting.
In the same sermon, he gives a good description, of Polytheism, Deism, Pantheism, Atheism, Finite Godism, Theism.
Jan 8, 2011
STRAP UP!
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm." Ephesians 6:10-13
Men, it's time to take back this evil fallen world; it's time for the men of this world to take a stand against the enemy that is satan. It's time that we motivate each other to STRAP UP with the Amor of God to gain a foothold on the enemy instead of him having a foothold on us!
Welcome to STRAP UP! This blog was created to encourage and challenge men to do just that. I believe that men need to hold each other accountable in our living as husbands, fathers, brothers, uncles, co-workers and friends and this is a great forum for us to do that in.
We need to stick together because this world is BROKEN and the Spiritual Battle is fierce.
"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
VICTORY!!!
Danny
Men, it's time to take back this evil fallen world; it's time for the men of this world to take a stand against the enemy that is satan. It's time that we motivate each other to STRAP UP with the Amor of God to gain a foothold on the enemy instead of him having a foothold on us!
Welcome to STRAP UP! This blog was created to encourage and challenge men to do just that. I believe that men need to hold each other accountable in our living as husbands, fathers, brothers, uncles, co-workers and friends and this is a great forum for us to do that in.
We need to stick together because this world is BROKEN and the Spiritual Battle is fierce.
"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
VICTORY!!!
Danny