“Gearing Up…”

“Gearing Up…”

Eph 6:10-18

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV). Here’s the devil’s MO (modus oprandi or method of operation): render the man useless, irrelevant, and those around him will become easy prey. Why? Because Satan knows that as the men go in a society, so goes the society. If they are strong, the society is strong. If they are weak…well, you get the picture.

Men, there is a shared need. It’s in our homes, our businesses, our offices, our schools, coffee shops and restaurants. It’s in our communities, on golf courses, baseball diamonds, football and soccer fields, our neighborhood pool. It is everywhere we go. It is the need for men of all ages to step up. Generations of young men are being raised with the idea that they are not accountable for their actions, that there is no right or wrong, that someone will always bail them out, that somebody else will handle it. No. Unless we, strong, Godly, Christian men, step forward and accept responsibility for the condition of our communities…our churches…our homes, we are doomed to repeat the vicious circle of fostering generations of unaccountable, irresponsible, unethical, immoral, and weak minded men who will inevitably take those ungodly traits into the marketplace, into our churches, our homes, our government. The time is NOW to make a difference.

Challenge: Every day, men step onto a battlefield. It’s not a war against other men… but against evil. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Eph 6:12 (NIV) It’s time for men, 5 to 105, to step up, put on the Armor of God (Eph 6), take their place on the wall (Neh 4), and get ready for the battle of their lives…for their lives…and for the lives entrusted to them…their friends…their families…each other. It’s time to get the battle gear on. It’s time to Armor Up.

Prayer: “Father, today by faith in Jesus, I put on the (1) GIRDLE OF TRUTH. I thank You today that I know who I am in Christ – a child of God whose name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Lord, I want to by faith put on the (2) BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS to protect me from responding to circumstances and people emotionally rather than spiritually. Before I rise each day, Father, put on my feet the sandals of the (3) GOSPEL OF PEACE that I may be used by You to share the peace of God with other men. Father, I thank you that I can take up the (4) SHIELD OF FAITH knowing as I place my trust in You today, you are sufficient to protect me from fiery darts so that nothing can touch me. Lord, I place on my head the (5) HELMET OF SALVATION. Protect my thinking from things that don’t conform to Your will. Father, I take up the (6) SWORD OF THE SPIRIT which is YOUR WORD. This is my only offensive piece of equipment but it is also defensive so that when Satan attacks me, I am armed and ready to ward off all his arrows. The victory has ultimately been won. I march today under that great banner of victory, washed by the blood, armed with the Word, dressed in the armor of righteousness, believing and thanking You for what You are going to do. Lord, I pray this day that I may recognize who the enemy is and claim VICTORY as I am properly dressed to face every challenge by Your causative, overcoming power. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Ephesians 6:10-18.”

The mission of Servant Warrior Ministries is to reach guys, from 5 to 105, where they are to impact and empower them to be the servant warriors God created and called them to be. For more information go to www.servantwarriorministries.org

“Ooooo, that smell…”

February 19, 2012

“Ooooo, that smell…”

Galatians 5:9

It is absolutely amazing how the scent from the slight spray of a skunk can impact such a large area around it. For those who have never had the benefit of experiencing the byproduct of a frightened or threatened skunk, let me tell you that everyone within a few square miles of the little guy will enjoy its distinct and rather undesirable scent. A bad attitude can have a similar impact. Just like the aroma from the skunk, the stench of a bad attitude can fill a home, a business, a ball team, a church, or a neighborhood. Get just a little bit of the skunk’s spray on your clothes and the smell will accompany you everywhere you go…just like a bad attitude. And just like that little skunk’s spray, whoever comes in contact with it takes the smell with them…everywhere they go. Before you know it that smell (a.k.a. a bad attitude) has impacted multiple homes, multiple businesses, multiple ball teams, multiple churches, and multiple neighborhoods.

Challenge:  We must be aware of the immediate and lasting impact one attitude can have on so many.  The great thing is that a positive attitude can have an effect that is just as impactful…long lasting…and viral. God’s word tells us to, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  1 Thes 5:16-18(NIV) It certainly is tough to have a bad attitude if we adhere to those instructions. And remember, “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” Gal 5:9 (NIV)

Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your grace, love, and forgiveness. Thank You for being faithful and true. Lord, all through Your word we are reminded of the large impact small things can have…such as the faith of a mustard seed or the tithe of a widow of two small copper coins. Lord, never let me forget the impact one attitude can have on so many. Please give me the strength to be who You see and created me to be. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

*The mission of Servant Warrior Ministries is to reach guys, from 5 to 105, where they are to impact and empower them to be who God created and called them to be. For more information go to www.servantwarriorministries.org

“But the label says…”

February 12, 2012

“But the label says…”

Luke 6:43-44

Have you ever been in a store, picked up an item off the shelf, read the label, and realized that what you were holding was not what it said on the label? Even the most experienced and savvy salesperson would have a hard time convincing the person holding the basketball that it was not a bag of M&M’s…despite being identified as such by the label. One of my all-time favorite songs is “Jesus Freak” by DC Talk. It is undoubtedly one of the greatest Christian rock songs of all-time. When it pops up on the iPod, the volume meter can’t go far enough to the right for me. I love the song. “What will people think when they hear that I’m a Jesus Freak? What will people do when they find that it’s true? I don’t really care if they label me a Jesus Freak. There ain’t no disguising the truth.”  What about you? Does the merchandise match the label? There is a saying I have heard many times and is one that hits me square in the gut every time I hear it because I know there are times that I struggle with my answer. That question is: If I were to be accused of being a follower of Christ, would there be enough evidence to convict me?  

Challenge: “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.” Luke 6:43-44 (NIV) Despite what my label might read, I will be known by my actions, lifestyle, work ethic, character, and integrity…my fruit. We, the body of Christ, can be the biggest obstacle to people coming to know Jesus Christ if our tag and what they are looking at don’t match. We are called to impact others for Christ and to be a living testimony to His grace, love, mercy, and forgiveness. And the only way God can truly work through us is for the merchandise (us) to match the label.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your Son, Jesus Christ, who You sent to earth to bear the sins of the world, past, present, and future, and die on the cross so that we might have eternal life with You. Lord, thank You for Your grace and forgiveness as I know that I fall short daily. Lord, I pray that my life is a living testimony and sacrifice…and that others see You in me. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen   

The mission of Servant Warrior Ministries is to reach guys, from 5 to 105, where they are to impact and empower them to be who God created and called them to be. For more information go to www.servantwarriorministries.org

“In the club…or not”

February 5, 2012

“In the club…or not.”

John 12:42

 Peer pressure…social acceptance…keeping up with the Jones’…status…popularity…Why is the need to be “in the club” so great that we will forego what we believe or believe to be right in order to maintain our social…”status”? No segment of our society is immune, even the church.  Every day in our schools, our communities, the marketplace, we ignore what we know to be right in fear of being ostracized…have our status or position negatively impacted…of being kicked out of “the club”. Classmates are bullied…and we do nothing. Young women are abused by their “boyfriends”…and we accept it. We witness, even take part in, unethical behavior and/or business practices…and we look the other way. Conversations that drip with gossip…we join in. Youth and teens succumb to the pressures to drink…take drugs…become sexually active. Why? Are we afraid we’ll lose status…street cred…the acceptance of the “world”?  “Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in Him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.” (John 12:42 NIV)

Challenge: Regardless of our age, our spiritual walk, or our background, we all have a Divinely inherent knowledge of God ( Rom 1:18-20) and of what is right and just (Gen 3:11-12). For those of us who are followers of Christ, we are called to be the “salt of the earth.” (Matt 5:13) Christ calls us to be “…the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. ” (Matt 5:14-16 NIV). Standing up for what is right is exactly what we, as Christians, are supposed to do regardless of the world’s…“repercussions”. We can stand firm and stand up because we are assured by the Almighty that those who are persecuted for righteousness will be blessed, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 5:10 NIV)

Prayer: Lord, You are so worthy of praise. Thank You for Your love, Your grace, Your forgiveness, and Your faithfulness. Lord, You tell me that following You and seeking righteousness will bring a level of persecution. Father, please give me the strength to stand up for what is right, just, and true…regardless of how I may be treated by the world. Thank You that my reward is with You in heaven…not on earth. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Servant Warrior Ministries wants to reach generations of guys, from 5 to 105, where they are to impact and empower them to be the men God has created and called them to be. For more information go to www.servantwarriorministries.org