Man don't we have it easy!!!!

I was listening to a podcast from Mark Driscoll this morning and some stuff really struck me. He was speaking in Turkey to one of the few churches that are still there. What really stuck out was as Americans we take so much for granted. Overall you can find a job, plenty of restraunts,  so many different activities and a church practically on every corner. When he was done with his service he was approached by a young turkish man who was in tears. He had been a Christian for awhile and knew that God was calling him to be a pastor and plant a church. He was in tears because for his culture, just being a Christian you were outcast from your family. Cut off from the family money and possibly killed. All the things we worry about, where are we going to eat tonight, what are we going to do and this man in Christ has to worry about if he is going to be killed!! There are going to be very few times in our lives in America that we would have to even come close to feeling like that. We have it so easy!!! Just think what he would think if he came over here and saw the little things we fight about and bicker over when right now he is watching his back just to say the Lord's name. How about we take the time to step back and relize how easy we do have it and step up for the Lord and let the world see it!!!!

What are we doing? (part 3)

Church Level

So we went over the personal and group levels now on to the big one the Church level. I am not talking about our church. I want to go into church in general. I will say that there are lots of churches doing the right things and a lot doing the wrong things. But as a church we also need to get back to basics. We aren’t unified at all on any front and losing the battle in so many ways because we don’t have strong men standing up for what they believe in. For example I can’t tell If someone talks bad about your dad or someone that you love dearly what do you do, you have a 1 on 1 conversation with him because we take it that personally. So why don’t we take it that personally when someone talks about God, Jesus or the bible. We pass it off like oh there’s nothing we can do about it or that is just the way that it is. How about we study and pray more so when someone attacks the bible we can stand up in a Christian manner and show them for one how a man of Christ is suppose to act and that we have the knowledge to let them know what the bible actually said and meant.  See the people of this world want to see us fail as Christians. They want to catch us in that one bad moment especially as men. They are quick to point it out when instead of doing something the Christian way we let our emotions get the best of us and go about it the wrong way. Take the whole Barak Obama thing, as the world sees all the Christians are belly aching about the leadership and what is going on in Washington, but I’m here to tell you if all the Christian men of this world would stop complaining and start praying it wouldn’t matter who is in office because God would be taking care of it.   As men we are suppose to be the backbone, the strong tower, the rock that our families and people around us depend on. What does complaining do, nothing. What does praying do, everything! In Matthew 18 verse 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.  See everyone is just so use to doing everything the same ole way and not willing to step out on faith to take yourself and the people around you to the next level.

To wrap it up, we went through ourselves, a group and the church in general but it DOES start with every one of us. What are you going to do differently to show that you are a man of God. Yes works will not get you into heaven but actions speak louder than words. A lot of times you can talk till you are blue in the face and until someone sees you practicing what you preach a lot of times it doesn’t matter. How can we as men expect to lead people to Jesus if we can’t even convince ourselves that we are doing God’s will? So what are you going to change? Is it your work schedule? Is it your hobby? Or do you just have the time and choose not to dive deeper in the word? Either way how can we expect to have an influence on others if we aren’t where we are supposed to be? So we have been asking what are we doing, to end it how about, what are we going to do.

What are we doing? (part 2)

Group Level

I have seen this in almost all ministries in general. So when someone starts a ministry, everyone has the best intentions on what they could do or what they could accomplish. But like most ministries that are starting out that drops off pretty quick in participation and drive. We all know of all kinds of ministries that have been doing the same thing for 10 years and nothing really changes. If God wanted us to be like everyone else he would have made us like that. He was not mediocre so why are we so content with being mediocre? Just like the pastor has been trying to reiterate lately we are LIFE GIVERS we are suppose to be giving life!!!   I mean let’s just put it out there, is everyone really content in coming here every two months hearing a word, eating and leaving about our business because I am not. I mean don’t get me wrong, as we all know I love the food too,  but I would like more from all of this. I love coming here, eating and spending time together, I think it definitely helps when all of us get together and start sharing ideas. That’s why so many men’s conferences are called stuff like Iron sharpens Iron and such. But what good is it if we don’t do anything with the time that we are together? We can do this time and time again and if we don’t change what we do what can we really expect out of it? Do we use work or what we like to do keep us from stepping up and doing the right thing? Do we use this time like some people use church, they dress up, make sure that they are there on time just to make sure that people saw them. Not really hearing the word but doing everything for the wrong reasons. I can tell you it will take some hard work and determination to start but just think what awesome things we could accomplish!!! Not taking the easy route and doing like everyone else but doing what we are suppose to do, what God wants us to do.  What do you think we could accomplish if a group of God fearing men came together proclaiming the lord and going out in the community and making stuff happen? So I will change it now from what are you doing to what are we doing?

What are we doing? (part 1)

I have been thinking quite awhile on what to talk about. So many things that we could get into when it comes to a men’s meeting but one really sticks out to me. What are we doing? I mean, what are we really doing? As men we have so many expectations on us that come from God and ones that have been put on us from man. I’m here to tell you today we put way too much on the expectations put on us from man. We need to get back to the basics and back in the bible.  

Personal Level

How about this, if you were to ask someone you work with right now would they say you were a Christian? What do you think they would say about you and not what you would want them to say but what they would say from actually what you do and act like. Would they be able to say that they have even heard God come out of your mouth? (And the people that know you go to church don’t count.) We need to be telling the people that don’t go to church. Do they even know that you go to church or even know the church name? It is always nice to say we want more people in the church but more people won’t come if they haven’t heard the word or how about this, they don’t want to go to church because of the way you act or talk? We all know what I am talking about; you even think it in your mind. I can’t believe he just said that or man can you believe she just did that. And I’m not even just talking about cussing or carrying on, this also means the way you talk to people and treat them. Do you go above and beyond in your community without being asked?  Do you let work or something you want to do keep you from reading the word, helping a neighbor or praying?  You don’t have to change everything now but you need to look deep into your own lives to make sure you are doing the right thing. I had to battle this with video games, some of us hunt, fish, or even work keeps us from doing what God wants us to do. So I will ask again on a personal level, what are you doing?

Are you really happy?

Pretty obvious question to start off but it is more than meets the eye. Most of us think happy is having a big house, driving a nice car or having the newest or best thing. So out of all those things are you really happy? For a long time I thought it did. I worked 2 jobs, was never home but made pretty good money and I thought that was what I was suppose to do. As a father be able to give my kids what I didn't have and my wife be able to shop when ever she wanted. It was all good but we always wanted something more, something new came out that we had to have and now looking back on it I really don't have alot to show for all of those years. I thought I was happy but figured out that I could buy everything in the world and it was "nice" but I wasn't truly happy. I worked all the time, didn't really see my kids and even when I was home I was working. I started going to school for ministry but had to quit becuase I couldn't juggle that and work. My job didn't allow me to be in church as much as I would have liked.
      So I quit my job, very hard descision being it goes against everything we are taught as men. To provide for your family!!! I was wanting to get more in the word and leading up to making that descision I finally relized that there is more to being happy for you and your family than making money. All the time I thought giving my wife and kids things made them happy but for the kids most of all they only wanted me.  They wanted me to be home, spend time, play, or just hang out. All those years of putting up with jobs that I eventually hated and didn't allow me to go to church my family wanted me. So I ask the question again, are you really happy? Do you like your job or is it a product of what you think makes you happy? Is everything you do in a day really make you happy or do you do it becuase it is the normal thing to do. People look at me funny sometimes because we don't have money like we use to and sometimes I did in some ways wish I did. I see so many people that need help and we just get by. But I can tell you one thing I am happier now than I have ever been in my life. I don't care about money like I use to, I relized my kids like the newest stuff but they are fine with the normal things, and I am back in school for ministry. How much better can you get than a family that loves you and you love what you are doing. I am in church everytime the doors open, run the board and help whenever needed. My open schedule allows me to help when most people can't because they do have normal jobs. 
        So are you really happy? Do you like who YOU are? Just like my kids just wanted me this is all God wants. To have a personal relationship with you. He doesn't care how much money you make, the house you live in or the car you drive, he cares about you!!! Are you just going through life working a job that you don't like and doing the normal thing because that is what everyone else does or are you doing what God called you to do? He wants us to be happy and I can tell you once you get there it doesn't matter what people think or say!! We are always as people so worried about what everyone thinks instead of looking at what God thinks. We all have a purpose and once we figure that out we will but truly happy.