Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”  ––Matthew 26:39

The dream of Jesus did not depend on His circumstances, His rights, His parents, His friends, His critics, or His feelings. It’s no surprise, then, that the exact dream God has for you is in the mold of His Son. “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:29). For every God’s man ever born this has been the plan, and this is the process we are all engaged in: becoming like our firstborn brother, Jesus. For now, resolve to let God decide what goes into His recipe dream for you.

Your reality is God’s glory. Everything that is happening in your life––especially the stuff you want to keep a secret––is an ingredient in God’s greatness. You might be thinking, “I don’t want God to use that!” But God’s reply is, “That is exactly what I what to use.”

God is eager to use your now-life, not the cleaned-up version. To fuel the dream, He prefers struggles over strengths. One gives Him glory, the other gives you glory. Yep, it’s the spots on the lepers and their utter helplessness that got God excited and put the clean to shame. Got some ugly spots dotting the epidermis of your life right now? Got old spots and scars that the masks can’t cover? God is operating in your uncomfortable realities today, not the ideal future.

Sound weird? You’re in good company.

Reality is where glory resides. If the disciples saw me as a seventeen-year-old, they would have asked, “Lord, who has sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be doing his life as he is, making decisions that will ruin his future?” Jesus would reply, “This is happening so that the work of God can be displayed in his life.”

And it has. Feeling better?

Father, how can You save me, my Savior, if I don’t think I need saving? Please change my mindset!

Every Man Ministries

In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. ––Ephesians 1:7

The Holy Spirit warriors of Pentecost reproduced the greatness Jesus spoke of by sacrificing themselves for the sake of others. They boldly served the Lord by serving the people through selfless preaching, teaching, equipping, organizing, and reaching out. Under pressure and persecution they lightened the load for others spiritually, physically, and materially––trusting God with whatever losses they would incur by going the second mile.

In the process, a massive audience watched and responded to the different behaviors on display with interest and engagement. Wave after wave of second milers were captured, released, and put back into the water stream to spawn new fruit.

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the men of Pentecost was an unprecedented demonstration of service and ministry to people that resulted in the salvation of thousands.

All through the ages we see great times in history when revival took place––but nothing like that of Pentecost. What made it so different was that just a few days before, the apostles were nonexistent and impotent, as evidenced by them being huddled in a room thinking they had been abandoned by Jesus.

What caused the change?

The manifest presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

This same Holy Spirit power is with us today and has been with Christianity through the ages. The days of great revivals are not over. In these dark days that we live in God will again fill the hearts of believers and many will believe and have the boldness of knowing that our God only lingers because He is a God of love and grace. Remember, the Father’s heart is that all might be saved, through those he has empowered. Those willing to go the second mile.

Father, may I be servant warrior of your love for those around me.

Every Man Ministries

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ––Romans 10:10

St. Ignatius of Antioch (98-117 AD) was a Syrian who became a disciple of the Apostle John after converting to Christianity from paganism. He rose to prominence in the Church and succeeded the Apostle Peter as the third bishop of Antioch, being ordained by Peter himself. Ignatius defied pagan Emperor Trajan’s edict to worship false gods, and was fed to the lions before the crowds of the Coliseum.

“Be it so” are words of a man who has stopped caring about what men think— especially powerful men like Emperor Trajan. If Ignatius were living among us in the digital age, he would have a problem with men today, men who are so concerned about being accepted or liked by people, bosses, friends, peers, neighbors, or the guy in seat 22A next to him.

Finding “Be it so” air to breathe is really hard in today’s world. Loss of a strong identity in Christ has created a culture of Christian men who are more at ease chasing cool and being liked. We want to be admired and respected but not really known. Sexual conquest, physical attractiveness, recognition, and status have landed many of God’s men in a stupor of self-importance and spiritual insignificance.

It’s a subtle game, but a game nonetheless. Instead of “Be it so,” they are hitting the crack pipe of being liked, which is too intoxicating to give up. Being liked by everyone is the wicked twin of “Be it so”: a charade, an act, and a fraud. It’s a show—a parlor trick—versus what a real God’s man is supposed to be. The only outcome of a life devoted to the shadow is a life controlled and dominated by sin, because there is no honesty in that life.

Where there is no honesty, there is sickness of character, which is expressed in sick conduct and sin. And we wonder why we fail in our relationships with God and people.  In the end, neither buys our act.

What honored God during the Roman persecutions still honors Him today. Be a man of God’s Word and one’s personal word, committed to Christ, surrendered to the direction of the Holy Spirit. This is what makes earthly kings tremble and Jesus smile.

Thank You, Father, for showing me what comes naturally and then what comes from You.

Every Man Ministries

You’re going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food—catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. They’ll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages. But you—keep your eye on what you’re doing; accept the hard times along with the good; keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God’s servant.

––2 Timothy 4:3, msg

According to many sociologists, theologians, and culture watchers, the U.S. has moved from being a post-Christian to a post-truth nation. I’ve heard the phrase “post-truth” being thrown around, particularly in the past decade or so. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “post-truth” is an adjective defined as “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.”

That hits home, right? Deep fakes, AI manipulation, fake news, social media rumors that morph into “facts” … the list goes on.

For God’s man, the only way to counter post-truth culture is with the Truth. As in, Jesus and the Word. Stating the obvious? Probably. So let’s get specific. In light of the onslaught of half-truths and flat-out falsehoods we all encounter on a daily basis, here are some counter-measures:

• Check the source. Is the source to be trusted? The only completely trustworthy source is the Bible. From there, every piece of news or information should be open to your scrutiny. (Yes, even your most beloved news outlet.) Try to put aside biases and examine the specifics of the story or issue.
• Corroborate. If the piece of information seems important, take the time to get other points of view. If we only ever use one news source, for example, we are at greater risk of post-truth impurities polluting our news stream. Sometimes I purposefully filter a news story through conservative, moderate, and liberal news sources to catch different points of view. No news source, political commentator, or podcaster has a corner on the truth!
• Thoughtfully respond. In case you need to hear it from another brother: You should not feel obligated to respond to every piece of hooey or falsehood you see on your social media feeds! But when you do feel the need to respond, do it thoughtfully. Meaning, be direct but respectful. If you are ticked off, wait a few minutes—or even an hour—before pressing “send.”
• Pray the news. Filter your news through God’s Word, and not the other way around. As well, before I dive into the news of the day (which I try to do AFTER I’ve had my morning sit with God), I pray that I see the news through Holy Spirit lenses, not my own.

Can one man defeat the hydra that is post-truth culture? No. But all of us as God’s men can do it one news story or whacky post at a time. Speak the truth, be strong but kind, and always—always—think before you type or speak.

Father, Your truth is the only antidote to post-truth thinking. Help me always seek the truth of Your Word over all other “truths.”

Every Man Ministries

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.  The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.  ––John 14:21

It doesn’t matter if you’re a pastor of a thirty-thousand-member church or a brand-new believer. The questions for God’s men are always: Am I going to do life my way or God’s way? What does God require of me in this situation?  What is God telling me? What does His Word say? What will honor Him most? Am I going to trust God’s promise or try to make it happen on my own?

Some of you reading this are saying to yourselves, “Yeah, yeah, Kenny, I know this already. Where’s the beef?” Trust me, brother, your faith in God’s character, His Word, and your deep-down conviction of who He wants you to be and what He wants you to do is the twenty-ounce prime-cut steak of Christianity.

When you go to Outback Steakhouse, you can order the coconut shrimp or a salad. But is that why a man goes to Outback Steakhouse? Seasoned, seared steak is why I go. That’s their signature. That’s what a steakhouse is known for, and that’s why I put my name in, wait for a table, and lay down an Andrew Jackson when I’m done. Nothing against the veggies, but it’s definitely the beef that makes me a repeat customer.

If God’s man is your identity––your “signature,” to borrow from our Outback Steakhouse analogy––then the main characteristic your spiritual life hangs on is one thing: faith expressed through obedience. This was the test for Adam in the garden. This was the issue when God told Noah to build the boat. This was the gauntlet for Abraham when God asked him to leave home and “go to the land I will show you.”

Are you up to God’s task? He will always be there to make sure you complete it!

Thank You, Father, that You have made it clear. Help me in the process.

Every Man Ministries

Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world.  ––Romans 12:2

All vanity is empty, useless, and hollow. In other words, the ineffectual life is the one investing in the layover versus the final destination. Wisdom and value for Jesus was looking ahead “to where eternal joy abides” and making decisions that reflected this ultimate horizon.

The rest, in the end, was vanity, because it did not carry over to home. To fulfill His mission on earth, Jesus had to have contempt for the opposition, and a powerful knowledge that the world was an adversary of His identity and His mission. Our bond with His mission was sealed in His own prayer for us, that our full mission would come about and God’s dream would be realized.

Jesus knew our layover time would follow His, but His attitude would continue on inside His men. He knew God’s men would be indigenous––planted tactically in every corner of the world to fulfill God’s kingdom purposes. He Knew God’s men would be pilgrims with a mindset like their Brother-King, not owned by culture, but instead empowered by His words and actions.

Jesus believed in the hope that we’d be like Him, in the world but not of it, transformed by a different spiritual DNA. We would participate in relationships but be separate, guided by higher laws. Throughout the centuries, we would assimilate, respect the governments of earth, but not align with the darkness.

Similarly, there is strong encouragement in the apostle’s teachings on how to reflect Jesus. It is one of the most difficult balances in the Christian life, but as we strive for it, we become like Jesus: aliens and exiles, yet connected and indigenous for God’s purposes.

Father, Help me keep my eyes on the goals You have set for me.

Every Man Ministries

Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.  ––2 Timothy 2:14-15

Our default condition is cynicism.

Unless you live on a secluded island or in the Artic Circle with no internet, it’s easy to see why we can be so negative. Wars and rumors of wars. Killer viruses. Crazy political divisions. Corrupt leaders.

Negativity—and its cousin cynicism—is like being caught outside in a rainstorm: you will be drenched in it unless you have protective gear.

Cynicism is not the same as skepticism. As we discussed in a previous reading, skepticism can be a valuable tool as we “test the spirits” of this age to discern right from wrong, reality from deception. Cynicism is defined as:

1 : the belief that people are only interested in themselves and are not sincere 

2 : the fact of using someone’s feelings or emotions to your own advantage

For God’s man, it’s critical to engage in healthy skepticism while fighting against cynicism. For a submitted follower of Christ …

• Skepticism questions thoughtfully; cynicism assumes thoughtlessly
• Skepticism verifies information to confirm the facts; cynicism speculates about the facts
• Skepticism gives the benefit of the doubt; cynicism doubts without benefit
• Skepticism engages the opinions of all sides; cynicism rejects the opinions of those not in its tribe
• Skepticism examines the truth of God’s Word and judges it to be real; cynicism bends the Word to fit its position
• Skepticism tests the spirits of the enemy; cynicism succumbs to the spirits of the enemy

Don’t let cynicism gain a foothold in your life. It’s toxic, demonic, and absolutely no good to anyone. Healthy, godly skepticism, on the other hand, allows us to confront in love; it commands us to question various opinions and doctrines. When used well, skepticism sharpens our faith, and allows us as brothers to sharpen iron against iron.

Father, help me apply healthy skepticism to the decisions and opinions I confront each day, and may I grow in discernment through Your Holy Spirit.

Every Man Ministries

You will show me the way of life,
granting me the joy of your presence
and the pleasures of living with you forever.  ––Psalm 16:11, nlt

Jordy is almost always smiling. He’s the first person you see when you pull into the parking lot at church—with his reflective vest and orange directional wand. Not only is he there every Sunday, for several services, but he also volunteers at the food bank several days a week. No slapped on “Sunday smile,” either—he’s smiling on Monday when you run into him at the grocery store.

Honestly, Jordy kind of ticked me off a little for the first year or so after I met him. “He’s got to be faking it—no one is this happy all the time,” I thought. Week in and week out, same enthusiastic Jordy. Same me, waving back, a little flummoxed and frustrated. Then it hit me: “What if his happiness is real?” I had to find out …

One Sunday I caught Jordy after the crowds had thinned out. So I asked him, “Jordy, every time I see you, you are smiling. What’s your secret?”

He didn’t hesitate. He said, “Kenny, I spent the first half of my life unhappy and cynical. But after my 12-year-old son died of leukemia and my wife left me, I had to make a choice. Either totally surrender to the darkness or totally surrender to God. I chose the latter.”

Yeah. Wow. I had to hold it together as I walked back to my car. Once inside, I just sat there silently with tears running down my face. “Lord, please forgive me for judging Jordy as some sort of ‘fake Christian.’ He’s just the opposite.”

As God’s men, we have the same choice each day: God knows there is plenty to be cynical about in our respective lives. So we choose to take up the battle—and make no mistake, it is a battle—each morning to fight the darkness. The reality is that reports of death, disease, and disaster can be overwhelming; folks in our circle are suffering. Deny, ignore, pretend it’s not real? No. We follow a Man who lived in reality, but chose to confront that reality with the Father’s love. We do the same. We choose the same.

How? Take the posture of surrender each morning: “Lord, I can’t control the negativity and darkness, but I can allow Your light to filter through me. You are real, so make my joy real as You flow through me.”

Let God be the light through you. No need to fake it. Be the vessel that chooses to encourage, congratulate, and honor.

Lord, I can be cynical at times—pull out the roots of negativity in me, heal me, and then move more powerfully through me with Your joy.

Every Man Ministries

Just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.  For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.  ––Romans 5:18-19

One man’s obedience brings life to many. We simply do not know how far-reaching one act of obedience to God will be and what consequences our choices will have for others.

This reason alone would be enough to seek God’s will in all matters. When the moment of our greatest challenge arrives, we want to be in the habit of saying yes to God rather than debating or compromising. Being ready means we aren’t considering our own rewards or consequences, but the impact of our choices upon others.

This is the kind of unselfish obedience that is most like Jesus Christ’s. While there may be some wrestling, we want to have a strong spiritual resolve to see God’s will done. Spiritual obedience and spiritual disobedience set in motion consequences we cannot undo. All decisions that affect our relationships with God and others involve defying one voice and obeying another.

What chain reactions is our obedience or disobedience creating in eternity?  It’s a sobering thought if you’re like me and have a colorful past. When we realize the progression of the disobedience of Adam, we can start to understand the passion of Jesus on this whole issue of doing life God’s way. It makes more sense to believe that Jesus was big on obedience with His men not because He wanted strict, legalistic adherences to the guidelines, but because He was aiming to correct the chain reactions.

Thank you, Father, for reminding me of the seriousness of my choices.

Every Man Ministries

[Jesus] called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. ––John 21:5-6

Peter had been out all night fishing, and caught nothing. If you’ve ever been skunked on a fishing trip, you know how frustrating it can be. Then Jesus tells him to head back out and try again. And keep in mind that there were seven men (disciples) on that boat: Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. And seven men together could not haul the catch of fish into the boat. That’s a lot of fish!

The scene is dripping with spiritual meaning for God’s men:

• While we can’t “pull in the nets” of salvation on our own, the Holy Spirit can.
• We need to first “get into the boat” and go fishing before we can actually catch anything.
• When we “fish for men” in our own gifts and abilities, results will be spotty. Remember, earlier Peter told Jesus that they’d fished all night and caught nothing.
• Don’t spiritually fish alone—Jesus wants us working together as the body of Christ to do the work of spreading the gospel.

The net must be drawn to catch a good haul of fish. Right now, God is taking all the relationships and connections he has placed in your life and putting that net to work.

See what I did there—your network is the Holy Spirit’s to use to reach souls. It is uniquely yours in the life you are living—in the place where you work, in the space where you play, and in the fellowships where you pray.

So, what is the Holy Spirit doing within you to impact these spaces right now?

Father, arrange my “net to work” so I can be a part of the harvest—I don’t want to stand on the shore or miss the boat!

Every Man Ministries

But you are not to be called “Rabbi,” for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth “father,” for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.  ––Matthew 23:8-12

Lepers, prostitutes, Samaritans, tax collectors, gluttons, children, women, the diseased, crippled, mentally unstable, and all garden-variety sinners were at home with Jesus because of the Spirit of the Lord that was upon Him.

In fact, the knock on Jesus was that His standards were very low when it came to His associations and locations of ministry. But by working seamlessly with the Holy Spirit, Jesus fully expressed the heart of God toward these aliens in his own culture, challenging the disciples at many levels and, on more than one occasion, causing reactions among them.

The men of Pentecost followed suit in the Spirit. Fresh from the upper room, they ran headlong into cultural and religious discrimination against certain widows who were falling through the cracks in the system. It could have easily been glossed over in the chaos of the moment, but the Holy Spirit would not allow it. Instead, men full of the Holy Spirit mobilized to make those who felt forgotten feel secure.

When you look at the ministry of Jesus and the men of Pentecost, you see walls falling down: ethnic walls, cultural walls, economic walls, and even religious walls. You can’t miss this! The Holy Spirit was at work, transcending the established culture to make the most vulnerable among them feel secure. In the process, everyone present was witness to the authority of the kingdom of God over the cultures of men. A higher allegiance was seen. A witness started building, male culture started acting out of character, and stuff started happening. That is the story of the men of Pentecost.

All of us have felt rejected. The Holy Spirit hates that feeling as much as we do, and in God’s family there are no cousins or in-laws—only sons and daughters. The opportunity to go from a creation of God to a child of God is available to all.

Father, thank You that You accept me unconditionally, sins and all.

Every Man Ministries

I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.  ––John 17:14-15

When I was in college my friends and I were part of Campus Crusade for Christ (now CRU). We’d go on campus 2×2 and use a small booklet called “The Four Spiritual Laws” to evangelize (i.e., ambush) unsuspecting students and in the course of a 10- to 15-minute conversation, try to convince them to pray the Sinner’s Prayer.

It was terrifying to walk up to complete strangers and ask them the question, “If you died tonight, do you know for sure that you would go to heaven?” From there, we would walk them through the booklet, which was basically the Gospel message in an illustrated, compact tract. Usually we’d politely be told to go take a long walk on a short pier. One time, however, much to my great surprise, a male student said, “I’ve been praying for God to show me a sign that He’s real—and then you show up.” That young man ended up committing His life to Christ.

I once heard Christian marketing researcher and culture guru George Barna say, when it comes to reaching a specific generation for Christ, that “the methods change, but the message never does.” For example, what worked for me and my friends on the campus of UCLA a few decades ago may not necessarily work today.

As God’s men, we are to be students of the culture—wise to trends and belief systems—while remaining submitted and committed to the unchanging Message. Easy to do? No. As our CRU leader used to say, “It’s easier to be pulled down off a chair than it is to pull someone up onto one.” Translated: When we interact with the goats (people who have not yet committed their lives to Christ), it can be dangerous, risky, and messy. But over and over in the Word, Jesus tells us to be salt in an unsalty world—to be His sheep in the world but not of it.

Don’t remove yourself from the world—we aren’t called to bunker down, lock out the world, and wait for our “beam me up, Jesus” moment. Pray, study, research, and learn as much as you can about the culture God has placed you in. It’s not by accident that you are drawing breath in a certain corner of the world at this specific moment in time. Seize the opportunity to share the eternal Message with ever-changing and adapting methods. Then step out of your comfort zone and share God’s truth with someone—you may be just the person they’ve been waiting for to tell them about Jesus.

Lord, thank You that You never change, and that the beautiful news of the Gospel never changes. Use me by any means You see fit to share Your redemption story with those around me.

Every Man Ministries

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  ––John 14:6

There are two forces alone that shape and influence the hearts of men: truth and lies. Whatever wins that battle for a man’s heart wins the battle for his character. The character of a man drives his conduct, shaping his blast zone of influence. That conduct will create health and life or sickness and death for those around him.

That’s why we see Jesus defining Himself as truth and life. Satan is the direct opposite of Jesus: “the father of lies” (John 8:44) and the one “who holds the power of death” (Hebrews 2:14). And man is caught in the crossfire. The more we live in the truth, the more freedom we experience with God and people. The more we swallow the lies, the more slavery we experience in our flesh. This is why Jesus put in to His Father a special request for us before leaving earth.

Praying for His present and future disciples, He asked God to “make them holy— consecrated—with the truth” (John 17:17, msg). Why did He pray this? He knew that in the end, a strong relationship with truth on the part of His men would mean an equally adversarial relationship with evil and the devil.

The battle to be a man of truth is a battle fought on many fronts: He is able to be:

• honest with God;
• honest with himself;
• honest with others;
• teachable in the face of uncomfortable truth;
• good with reality, and not afraid of it;
• good at meeting the demands of reality and changing accordingly;
• use truth as a compass for decision-making;
• marinate in God’s truth in the Bible.

Truth is the way God says things are; truth is not what fits your feelings, it’s what the bright light shows the situation to be. Step into the light.

Father, you are the navigational source for my life, The North Star is an absolute.

Every Man Ministries

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.  ––Matthew 25:35-36

The Bible has a lot to say about strangers. Many biblical scholars believe Jesus used the word to refer to non-Jews—anyone “outside” the tribes of Israel. In Hebrew, the word in this context is translated “foreigner or alien.” Lots of folks use this verse to try to argue for and against helping illegal immigrants. While border issues are an important topic, I think an over-focus on them as it relates to Matthew 25 misses Jesus’ key point:

We feed, clothe, help, and extend empathy first, and ask questions later.

Like everything in God’s Word, context is critical. Jesus admonishes us to help feed and clothe those who have little and those who are sick and in prison. This mandate comes at the end of the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats: There will be a separation—a sorting—of the sheep (God’s children) on the right, and the goats (those who reject Christ) on the left. And once again (similar to what Jesus says about helping the poor in James 1 as a definition—or marker—of “genuine religion”), our attitude toward the “least of these” is a marker of our position as either a sheep (redeemed) or goat (unredeemed).

What’s the upshot of all this for God’s man? Jesus places a HUGE emphasis on helping the orphan, widow, and stranger (those different from us) as an outward, visible sign of our faith. Does it mean we are a goat doomed to hellfire if we don’t help the poor? No, we are saved by grace. However, if it’s important to Jesus, it demands priority for us.

A friend of mine always has a couple cases of bottled water in his trunk along with protein bars. Every time he goes to a big box hardware store he passes them out to the day laborers there hoping to pick up some work. Does he ask to see immigration cards prior to giving them water? No. Jesus wouldn’t either.

Father, actions speak louder than words—let me help those who need it as an act of obedience to Jesus’ mandate.

Every Man Ministries

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths. ––Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

“I was scared, I confess, but then I just told myself to calm down. I kept telling myself everything will be all right because I am with my dad.” These were the comments of a child who finally jumped from the edge of the pool into the father’s out-stretched arms. As a dad, you may recall a similar experience with your child.

Some of our spiritual ledges have the ability to strike fear into us, but we must remind ourselves there is no fear in risking spiritually and trusting God, who is bigger than our fear of stepping off. Your Father is with you to take you safely off the ledge into the unknown waters of His will and escort you safely to the next jumping-off point.

You will learn how to safely jump into the risky waters of: fierce loyalty – singular obedience to God’s Word – abandoning approval – dangerous service – killing sin – aggressive honesty – man-zone responsibility – freedom through authentic friendships – imitating Christ – speaking boldly in the moment – changing another’s life – accepting pain – powerfully masculine emotions.

Whatever you might feel or be motivated to do as result of this journey toward courageous faith, listen to God and know that many of your brothers around the world are fighting this same battle to trust God in bigger ways.

Ready to jump? Then take your Father’s hand and thank God for that feeling in the pit of your stomach. Enjoy both the stimulus and the peace of your loving Father as you grow your faith as you jump off ledges.

Father, thank You for Your direction in the midst of my circumstances.

Every Man Ministries

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.  Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.  ––James 1:26-27

The Latin expression facta, non verba translates to “actions, not words.” It sums up a lot of the Gospel, especially Jesus’ time on earth (covered in the four Gospels and the book of Acts).

Arguably the most well-known verse on this subject is James 2:17: ^“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” But there’s more to the picture than just that one verse. As we know, context is everything—especially when it comes to Scripture. In today’s opening verse, James is saying that if you call yourself a believer, but can’t control your tongue, your religion is worthless. And then he makes a big reveal:

 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.  ––James 1:27, nlt

Two things to prove your genuine faith? Caring for the “least of these” and not allowing the world to pollute you.

This section in James is key for God’s man: if we truly want to put our faith where our mouth is, we will take care of those who are down and out; and we will maintain a lifestyle of purity. Is the other stuff important (tithing, prayer, being a loyal friend, etc.)? Of course.

Jesus prioritizes facta, non verba this way:

Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”  ––Matthew 22:37-39

If we truly want to live a faith that is genuine, it’s going to involve loving your neighbor—no matter what they look like, what their citizenship status is, or where they come from. There are no qualifiers or disclaimers; no hidden clauses or addendums. No complicated, but yet, not simple either.

Isn’t that just like Jesus?

Father, help me operate in a facta, non verba mindset, acting out my faith and helping the helpless wherever You present an opportunity.

Every Man Ministries

“The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  ––Hebrews 4:12

The heart of God’s man is one huge scabbard loaded with the Word of God. A sharp, ready-to-go weapon. His tongue represents the sure and confident grip of a strong hand on the hilt, ready to unsheathe it at a moment’s notice and thrust it into any situation warring against him, his faith, and his commitment to God’s purposes. This is our culture as God’s men and men of spiritual war.  We make sure we are locked and loaded, full of the Word.

Job is a picture of the priority and proximity of the Word of God to a soldier of God (Job 22:2; 23:12 talks about this). Just like a Navy SEAL’s best friend in a fight of his life, the best companion of a God’s man in a fight is the Word of God.  We cannot live without it, and we cannot fight without it.

In our contest against evil, Satan tries to get us to fight sloppy with our sword by manipulating or twisting the Scripture to fit his objectives. It’s subtle but effective disinformation the Bible calls “doctrines of the demons” (1 Timothy 4:1).

The sword of God’s Word in hands carrying a strong sense of identity in Christ, aware of their authority in Christ, and intent on the Holy Spirit is more than fit to fight evil.

Thank You, Father, for equipping me with the sword of the Word; may I use it honorably.

Every Man Ministries

As for you, if you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws,  I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father … But if you or your descendants turn away from me … then I will cut off Israel from the land I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. Israel will then become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. This temple will become a heap of rubble.  –-1 Kings 9:4-8

An alternate title for today’s reading might be: “Don’t be a cautionary tale.” The scripture passage is God addressing Solomon as he ascends the throne of Israel. Solomon became the richest man in the Bible, and one of the wisest. He united the 12 tribes and enjoyed decades of prosperity and peace as Israel thrived as a kingdom. Of course, we also know that Solomon drifted away from God in his later years, marrying pagan wives and worshiping foreign gods.

What does it mean to be a byword? The Encyclopedia of the Bible says the Hebrew usage “almost always involves a negative context. It is a context of God’s anger focused against a wayward nation of Israel.”

Want to be called a success story rather than a byword (or cautionary tale)? For Solomon, the downward slide came through the ways of the world. When God says marriage is to be between one man and one woman, He’s not going to continue to bless a guy who marries 300 wives, and has scores of concubines. Nor is He going to be just fine about building altars on high places to false gods.

You may look back on your life and think, “Most of my life has been a byword—a cautionary tale for others to observe and say, ‘I don’t want my life to turn out that way!’” Even if that’s the case, it doesn’t define you as a child of God—saved by grace and in the mercy of Christ.

As a redeemed son of God, you don’t need to define your story by your previous chapters. God is writing new ones in your life, and all you have is today. We don’t need to flip back and re-read past chapters, nor do we want to skip ahead. If we do, we will lose the plot. Start today. Right now. Decide that your present and your future will be a positive parable, rather than a sad byword.

Thank You, Father, that because of Jesus, my present isn’t defined by my past. Help write a positive story through my life, starting today.

https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Byword

Every Man Ministries

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  ––Hebrews 4:12

Roman soldiers exercised and trained heavily with the sword. More specifically, they were trained to thrust the sword versus cut with it.  In fact, they made fun of those who preferred the cut to the thrust, and they relished a battle of styles.

The short sword—or gladius—was the Roman soldier’s primary offensive weapon. He trained with it more than any other and learned how to wield it lethally. A thrust accomplished the job, where cutting gave the enemy a second chance. The author of Hebrews shows that he also was intimate with a sword and how the sword of God’s man is best welded in battle.

There’s a compare and contrast going on here between only grazing evil and killing it with a deep penetration of the Word into the heart. More profoundly, the end result of a strong thrust of God’s Word is a judgment. That is what God’s man is after in his fights with deception, temptation, and accusation on a personal level.  And that is what he’s after in a direct confrontation with evil.

A Roman soldier would move to parry a blow with his shield, create space, and then step and thrust his sword strategically into the flesh of his enemy. Similarly, God’s man defends himself by moving into a blow with the shield of his faith, positioning the sword of God’s Word, and thrusting it into the heart of evil.

As God’s men, in order to wield His sword, we first have to pick it up—make the decision to join in the battle. Are you willing to take up the fight?

Father, thank You for giving me Your Word, and showing me how to use it.

Every Man Ministries

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death––even death on a cross!  ––Philippians 2:6-8

John Astor IV was the wealthiest passenger on the Titanic, and went down with the ship. After helping his young pregnant wife into lifeboat 4, he politely asked a crewman whether it would be possible for him to join his bride. The sailor told Astor that at that point, only women and children were boarding. He nodded in assent, kissed his wife, told her he’d see her soon, and quietly slipped back into the crowd on deck.

In contrast, it’s believed that Third Class passenger Edward Ryan donned women’s garments to sneak onto one of the lifeboats. He survived, and later allegedly boasted about his ruse in a letter to his parents.

Two men, two powerful “sliding door” moments.

We can sit here today and boo Edward Ryan, but unless we have been in a similar life-and-death situation, we don’t know how we would have acted. Like you, I hope I would have been like Astor. And it’s not like Astor couldn’t have tried to bribe his way onto one of the boats (which he didn’t). In fact, when his body was found a few days later, still almost perfectly preserved due to the cold North Atlantic waters, among his effects was a gold pocket watch, a diamond ring, gold and diamond cufflinks, 225 pounds in English notes, and $2,440.

What would you have paid for a seat on one of the precious few Titanic lifeboats? In the crucible of the moment, when it was known to the passengers that the ship was very likely sinking, John Astor made a decision. Use his wealth to skip the line, or choose to man up and do the right thing?

The best we can do to prepare for such a sliding door moment is consider all angles ahead of time. None of us knows when a tragedy or crisis might come, but we can prepare our head and our heart so that when it comes, we do the godly thing. And believe me, crisis will come. Probably not in the dramatic fashion that it did for Astor, but no less critical in that it might require a similar spur-of-the-moment decision on your part.

Character is a long-game proposition. It’s built on the millions of decisions a man makes across his 80 or so years bouncing around this blue marble called Earth. To walk in character means to sacrifice; it means giving up temporary pleasure for long-term gain; it might mean giving up much of what the world values for what God values. I want to go out like Astor—right actions that leave a legacy so that guys like you and me are talking about it more than 100 years later. That kind of legacy is more important than a seat on any lifeboat.

Lord, give me a “women and children first” mindset that honors You and helps me build a legacy of holiness in my family.

Every Man Ministries