Journey into true worship

They turned over to Jacob all the alien gods they'd been holding on to, along with their lucky-charm earrings. Jacob buried them under the oak tree in Shechem. Genesis 35:4 (MSG)
The place where we lay down our idols can be a place that moves us into a lifetime of worship. Shechem may not have been Beth-El, but it was so symbolic. There Rachel handed over her idols, which symbolized Laban and everything evil and moved toward Beth-El, the place her husband met with God and found his bad self (the Israel God-Wrestler, he was born to be). To Beth-El they would travel, where the man once Jacob (Heel, Cheat) would find a God so willing to take him damaged goods and make Him a man with a mission. Shechem though was so important to his finding his place; for without a Shechem (a place where we lay our idols down), we'll never make it to Beth-El, the place that bleeds with God's presence and authentic, soul-deep worship.

On kicking temptation

A bear chased after two men but one of them stopped suddenly to get his running shoes from his bag. When scolded by his friend for his sudden stop and what might happen next; he said, I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you. What a strategy for overcoming temptation. Victory over temptation is not a year-end event but a daily, moment-by-moment one. Choose to outrun your temptation to _______ by using the running shoes (way of escape) the holy Spirit provides you whether it's Scripture, holy grit, or the accountability of good friends.

The Skinny on Pride

I've learned a life-altering lesson from the death via suicide of a college mate Mark Rife and the many shallow, unknowingly heartless responses to it. Biblically pride and suicide are sins God looks on with equal disdain, Christ excoriated the Pharisees's empty, pride-driven religion,  Solomon extolled the virtue of a living dog over that of a dead lion. Pride, in a way, trumps suicide as a worse sin; for pride is a living suicide, ask Lucifer, his pride placed him on a roller coaster ride to ultimate destruction.

Balancing our online time

I've been silent for some time as my infant has become a crawler and cruiser and needs my complete attention; but the onslaught of moral corruption in the political sphere by a Republican senator from Georgia recently and confession today by a New York senator have called me out of the shadows. I believe we men need return to the simple life. Today's developments in technology and fascinating improvements in social networking make us close to stranger and friend alike in ways we've never known. Our ability to interface and interact with others has been heightened to unprecedented levels. I am very thankful for the technological upswing. It brings an opportunity to relate more personally with others, an access to information and opportunities unprecedented, and an accountability for our online actions as our activity is in the close purview of many. With these opportunities come great responsibility to ensure our part is not to get so engrossed in our never before known privileges that we become vulnerable to abuse or misuse of our internet time, poor stewards of the web. As men, we are prone to live in a world dominated by fantasies, far removed from the real-time marriages and child-rearing responsibilities God has graciously granted to us. Each fantasy we indulge draws us into a web of addiction, which draws us farther and farther from our spouses, leading us eventually into a marriage of convenience or eventual divorce, where each partner does his or her part to procure the children's well-being.  Two partners once close now engage in passionless sex, interact when necessary, and relate to each other as a matter of duty. You'd agree that a lot of the failure we've seen in the public square has its rooting in godless fantasies, indulged to the peril of each politician. It's time that we men get wrapped into reality. I feel my best and far removed from vile fantasies, when I'm passionately consumed with winning my wife (can't wait to take her to get her caramel highlights on Thursday), plugged into meeting my kids needs, and using the internet to exponentially further the kingdom of God in the lives of those who view my fruit of online time in the world of God's Word and self-growth. The call is to return to your immediate world; the time we spend with our families, workmates, and people in our sphere of influence, men,  is the most precious investment of our lives; God help us use our online time for self-growth and greater impact rather than self-indulgence.

Finding power and praise in life's pits

Many drive Toyotas for good reason. Toyotas are world renowned for their dependability. The reason Toyotas are maybe the world's most dependable cars are because their individuals parts have greater tolerance and durability than those of competing vehicles. One of the joys of our journey we tend to not embrace is the privilege of allowing Christ the opportunity and time to build our tolerance level. Many of you like me are wimps at our best and in need of God's infusion of strength and grace if we're to portray the strength of Christ the way we ought. God seeks to shower grace into our spirits and endue us with the strength we need to experience joy amidst life's problems and pains. Before Paul could speak of his ability to do everything through Christ, His strength; He spoke of the training God gave him to build his tolerance. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little, Phili. 4:12 (NLT) Paul understood that weakness is the gateway to finding our true worth and rejoicing; for genuine joy is not in passing things or our feeble strength but in Christ. God desires us to live with His imprint, REJOICING. As He crafts us in the crucible of reproach, criticism, and need; let's see by faith the outpouring of character, tolerance, and strength He's infusing into our lives. As they say, no pain, no gain. Welcome the growing pains Christ engineers into your experience and you'll have the testimony of Paul, Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again-rejoice! Phili. 4:4 (NLT).

Time to live linked in to Christ

I've had much food for thought over the last couple days. Rick Warren said, "It's easier to fight for truth than to live it. It's why there are more defenders (of truth) than disciples." There's much debate over what the primary attribute of God is, whether holiness or love. Today, I'd like to place my ballot for both. The Bible beckons us to be pure in heart but pregnant with love. I'm learning that my need in life moments is more holiness and more love, for just as purity is power in my life, love is strength for my living. It takes a pure heart to show perfect love; but it takes a heart that loves God to have a heart that loves others. Our call is to live as apprentices would live in relation to their teachers, connected at the hip, in our relationship to Christ; following Him wholeheartedly, regardless of our feelings, our enemies, and our "rights." We need to be intentional about raising our bar of discipleship, for living snug close to Jesus, is the best defense and witness to the resurrection life of Jesus within us. As our focus is on living close to Christ and not on our outward expressions of spirituality; we find ourselves aglow with the light and life of Christ. It's then that people listen to our words of faith and truth. I'm passionate about a renewed heart to live as Christ's follower, one in love and truth.
"May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." Eph. 3:19 (NLT)

Think you all that?

We live in a culture of confidence. Anything deemed weak, powerless, or not eye to eye is out of place, unprofitable, and unworthy of our time and attention. It's little wonder the real needs of society like the homeless, jobless, and "heavenless" are not the object of our time. Like Alexander the Great, we're wounded by the pride of conquest, not seeing that men of Napoleon-like stature, like Paul are the ones God utilizes for His purpose in others. Take Paul, a case study in weakness made strength. He was regarded as strong in letter but a man, who didn't have much stage presence. Though he was well-trained at Gamaliel's feet, Paul's glory was not in His strength but in His message. Life taught Paul that his weakness was to be his boasting 2 Cor. 12:5 he learned that only when brought to his breaking point could he know personal breakthrough. This perspective brought reality and naturalness to what Paul did. First, he lived purely for the gain of others, not their return on his investment, he could do this because he held those he reached out to close to his heart. Second, he was natural and selfless in his way with people, his motives were right; after all, he wanted their good; any benefit he'd know from his investments with others was extra. Paul understood that he'd be what he needed to to others only as he lived in the reality of who he was, nothing. As our nothingness becomes a reality we live in; we're on path to greater influence. Paul knew a grace portion surpassing his need, when he lived in the conscious realization that his weakness was God's grace to him, enabling him to access God's greater power to do the impossible. If your glory is your strength today consider Christ's finest moment, the cross; it's impact on your life and mine is unequaled. Paul prided in his pain, for his pain was key to greater personal growth and impact. Take time to live consciously in your inabilities today as you trust God to do what you do. This is the life that holds God's attention and touches others deeply.