Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  James 1:2–4

Rome, 269 AD. Dark, brutal—especially for the outlawed and hunted sect of religious “fanatics” called Christianus. They gather in secret to worship their forbidden God for fear of persecution. Amidst this bleak backdrop comes a Roman bishop named Valentinus—helper of the sick and poor, consoler of the brokenhearted. (Several St. Valentine stories exist, but all share similar traits as Valentinus.)

For his defiance of Roman laws against proselytizing about the Nazarene, he is placed under arrest in the home of an aristocrat named Asterius. Valentinus is asked to lay hands on Asterius’ blind daughter, Julia, and she is healed—Asterius accepts Christ, is baptized along with his entire household, and Valentinus is freed. Julia—now growing in her faith—writes letters to Valentinus, expressing her thanks (and thus, the first “Valentine’s” are written). However, on February 14, 269 Valentinus is beheaded for refusing to renounce his faith.

That’s not your grandma’s version of Valentine’s Day. No sweet love notes, flowers, or cupids. Instead, a hero of the faith martyred for standing up for the one true God. God’s man embraces love—but not the diffused and confused love that the world offers. We embrace the tough love of the cross—rugged, battered, bloodied, and resilient. In dark times and in light, we remember saints such as Valentinus—commonly known as St. Valentine—as models of the type of love Jesus calls us to: sacrificial and courageous and enduring.

Then we endure some more. Is there happiness? Hopefully some. Is there joy? In abundance. When we choose Jesus over the world’s twisted versions of love, we then internalize that love and are able to authentically model it. We become the light not hidden under a bushel. This Valentine’s Day, let His light shine through you into the darkness.

Father, let me remember the faith of Valentinus and remember the true meaning of Valentine’s Day.

Every Man Ministries

Let every man be quick to listen but slow to use his tongue, and slow to lose his temper. For man’s temper is never the means of achieving God’s true goodness.  ––James 1:19, esv

A binary fallacy is the idea or precept that there are only two options in any given argument or situation. For example, let’s say you’ve been going to a certain church for several years and have observed a solid track record of biblically sound preaching from your pastor. However, on one particular Sunday he kind of “misses it” on a couple of points. (Everyone has an off day, right?) As you are leaving church you overhear someone say, “This is my first time here, and I will never come back because that guy is a terrible preacher.” Well, he’s not a terrible preacher, and neither is he perfect. But those aren’t the only options.

Or, let’s say you are in a political discussion with a friend whose political views are the opposite of yours. And he says, “They (the party you belong to) only cares about retaining power, and will lie to keep it.”

Is it possible that every single politician in the party to which you do not belong is a dishonest, power-greedy person? Before you answer, think about this: some folks on the other side of the aisle think that about the politicians in your party. But both views can’t be wrong, can they? Yes, they can! That’s an example of a binary fallacy. Statistically speaking (and taking emotion out of the equation), what are the odds that 100% of all the elected officials from the opposite party are bad eggs? (Hint: zero.)

God’s men don’t buy into binary fallacies. Does it mean that when you hear falsehoods or unbiblical points of view, you shouldn’t challenge them? No, you should. But as our moms used to say, “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.” Disagreeing respectfully with someone is not “caving in” to their point of view. But we enter dangerous waters when we assume that everything coming out of a person’s mouth is false just because they aren’t part of our tribe (or party, or denomination, or region, etc.).

Man of God, we need to be both thoughtful and bold when confronting fallacies. We find that balance by studying the deeds and words of Jesus, and getting to know the Bible. And we need to keep in mind that only the Holy Spirit has a corner on the truth. Our challenge is to put on the mind of Christ before we type that response on Facebook (1 Corinthians 2:16), or (literally) count to 10 before responding to someone who says something that triggers us.

We can be confident in the fact that we worship a God of light—in Him there is no shifting shadow (James 1:17). How reassuring to know that when we ask for His wisdom, He is generous in giving it!

Father, help me always seek Your truth, especially when it comes to judging situations and circumstances.

Every Man Ministries

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he [Jesus] explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.  Luke 24:27 (brackets mine)

I admit it. I get sucked into my wife’s Hallmark movies. The ones with titles like Labradoodle Love Story or Rocky Mountain Romance. First I walk by and make fun of it. Then I kind of linger and pretty soon I’m sitting on the edge of the couch going, “Wait, why did she yell at that guy? Who’s that old woman?” My wife pauses the film and quietly gives me the look. I.e., “Don’t make fun of my movie and then expect me to explain the plot.”

We don’t flip a book and start reading half way through, or fast-forward a film and start watching 50 minutes in. So why do we do that with the Bible?

I encourage every God’s man to read the Bible cover-to-cover at least once in his lifetime—if not several times. That’s because it’s fully God’s story, from Genesis to Revelation. A single story. God didn’t chop His story in two—our early church leaders did that. Sure, if you only read the New Testament you get to know the main characters and see how the Hero—Jesus—defeats the villain. But you miss the origin story.

Psalm 22 predicts events on the Cross: “A pack of villains encircles me;
they pierce my hands and my feet. They divide my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment” (Psalm 22:16, 18). The Old Testament is full of prophetic pictures of Jesus. And Jesus often quotes the Torah—the OT—to relate to His audience: Jews well-versed in the Word. His last words on the cross weren’t just a cry of anguish—they were a direct quote from Psalm 22:1: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He was letting the Jews know who He was. With His last breath He was preaching to His people.

When we skip the Old Testament, we are skipping God’s origin story. Read the entire story—look for Jesus in each book. He’s there—pointing us forward to His coming glory and victory.

Father, thank You for giving us Your entire story in Your Word. Give me eyes to see Jesus throughout it.

Every Man Ministries

Peace I leave with you: my peace I give you. I do not give you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

“Bring it!” That’s macho talk for “Game on,” “Let’s do this thing,” “Let’s rock and roll, baby.” You get the picture.

On the other side of all this peacocking is the severity of reality. Once the talking stops the action starts—the truth is told and some men prove themselves. One rises above and the other … well, just doesn’t.

God does not ask you to take risks for Him without assurances, or to believe in Him without real evidence. He indwells, inhabits, and infuses God’s man with an inner witness that substantiates his commitment to Christ in compelling, bold, and seemingly incongruent stands for Him. God’s most powerful witness to us is in a hostel world.

The world gives peace in the presence of comfort and in the absence of hardship or hostilities. You’ve seen the commercial: two people laying on a white sandy beach as they sip beer to the sounds of the sleepy ocean tide. That’s how the world brings peace. The defining marker is the absence of conflict. But that’s just peacekeeping. Retaining the status quo. Not rocking the boat.

The Holy Spirit, by contrast, brings peace in the midst of conflict, distress and persecution. That’s genuine peacemaking. It simply doesn’t make sense for the Comforter to bring that kind of peace—the kind that leaves things unresolved, midstream, to be continued. Conflict lies at the center of the spiritual battle we encounter every day as God’s men. His peace is rarely gained without a spiritual fight. In a strange way, the more uncomfortable the circumstance or the risks for God, the more profoundly one experiences the peace that comes from the Holy Spirit.

God’s peace is not the kind that allows us to remain comfortable living in the wilderness. But His peace is permanent and everlasting. Pursue it. Engage.

Father, thank You for the peace You promised. Make me aware of it. 

Every Man Ministries

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive ourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22

Here’s another killer quote that has been famously misattributed: “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” Supposedly St. Francis of Assisi said this some 800 years ago. However, there’s no evidence that he actually said it. The sentiment is provocative: model Jesus to people with your actions more than your words.

God’s man leads by example. At times, actions speak much louder than words. But here’s the closest thing to the above quote that Francis actually did say: “No brother should preach contrary to the form and regulations of the holy Church nor unless he has been permitted by his minister … All the Friars … should preach by their deeds.” Make sure your words match your actions. That’s the message and it’s a powerful one. But even Francis preached the Gospel—verbally and powerfully. Sometimes he’d preach five times a day as he traveled from village to village.

You can preach the Gospel with and without words—but both are necessary to reach the world God puts in front of us. Sometimes walking across a crowded room to help a hurting person is preaching the Gospel. Other times the Holy Spirit tells us to tell that same person about Jesus.

Jesus told His disciples, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). Sometimes we use words to tell others about His love, while other times He will lead us by our actions. This much is for sure: If we preach Jesus but our actions don’t match our words, our ability to witness suffers. Be speakers and doers of the Word. Jesus did both.

Lord, help me know when to preach by actions and when to speak Your words. Set me on fire with Your Word.

Every Man Ministries

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.  Ephesians 4:22–24

Saint Augustine knew how to sin.

Before Augustine came to Christ he was a notorious womanizer and drinker. He searched the ancient philosophies for answers to life’s mysteries, and his quest took him from North Africa to Rome. After his conversion in 386, he said, “You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” God’s man is a restless man if unresolved sin patterns still lie within him. Until we fully surrender and pursue His peace, real rest—peace—is fleeting and elusive. Augustine knew the contrasts between dark and light, and when he chose the Light, he abandoned the dark.

Many of us think, “How did Augustine do that? No matter how hard I try, my bad habits keep coming back.” When we abandon the darkness of our “old man” we don’t abandon our humanity. Temptation, lust, selfishness—these things don’t miraculously stop chasing us. But also, don’t buy the lie that your old man is your new identity. It isn’t! Paul says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17, nkjv). Our new identity is hidden with Christ in God; we now have the Holy Spirit as our Advocate. We CAN overcome temptation through aggressively pursuing rest in Him. Old sin patterns die in the face of our new-found identity as His beloved sons.

Behaviors don’t change us. That’s like a pile of trash in a back alley: if all you do is shoot the rats but leave the trash, the rats return. Embracing and appropriating our new identity in Christ changes us. He changes us. He is our rest. Pursue Him and take up your cross daily. Yes, pursue spiritual disciplines (prayer, the Word, accountability, etc.), but don’t mistake action for position. Your position is as a new beloved child, not an old piece of trash. You can’t lose if you don’t quit.

Father God, I throw down my trash and ask that You burn it. In its place renew my understanding of who and Whose I am.

Every Man Ministries

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.  1 Peter 3:15

The following words describe God’s aggressive strategy for dispensing the fragrance of heaven all over the earth. Not only does this dream of God satisfy our deepest longings for significance, it leads us to where the real glory resides—people seeing and experiencing Jesus in you.

Visibility. Who says God doesn’t like visibility of his guys? He wants you noticed. He wants your victories acknowledged. He wants others to see the new you created in Christ, doing good works. We have our field of battle just as Christ had his. He wants your victories visible, why? Because your victories give both you and Him pleasure. He loves you.

Identity. Two words make sense of all this visibility: “in Christ.” If you see your identity being in Christ, who is the hero in all our victories, that means your identity is in Him. Remember it’s not us; it’s our identity that is in Christ that wins the battle. We know from where we came.

Usability. God takes the dream of the forgiveness of our sin light years beyond when we realize He has chosen us to be the servants of mankind, exposing them to the perfect love God has for all who will accept His special gift. God has given us all special gifts. What are mine and am I learning to use them? What are yours? How can you use them today?

Thank You Father, for including me in the special privilege of doing the good works that You have prepared for me.

Every Man Ministries

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 

––Joshua 24:15, nkjv

Burn the ships, cut the ties
Send a flare into the night
Say a prayer, turn the tide
Dry your tears and wave goodbye.

––“Burn the Ships” by For King + Country

Legend has it that when Hernán Cortés landed in the New World, he ordered his men to burn their boats. The message was clear: We are conquering this land and there is no looking back. (Sadly, the Conquistadors did conquer the Aztecs, which led to their downfall.) During his invasion of Persia in 363, Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate had his men burn the bridges and pontoons after his legions had crossed the Tigris. And perhaps most famously, the notorious Captain Bly had sailors burn the HMS Bounty after the mutinous crew landed on Pitcairn Island.

There are times in every man’s life when it’s necessary to burn the ships—to walk away from a person or situation and never look back. It could be to end an affair or inappropriate attachment; or when you need to walk away from a job where the boss is asking you to do something unethical.

As in the above cases, sometimes we must burn our ships to get away from something unhealthy or toxic. Many times, however, God’s man will be called to walk toward something that requires his full commitment. And as God would have it, that usually means moving from the familiar to the unfamiliar, from comfortable to uncomfortable, and from safe to dangerous. Consider this:

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. ––Matthew 4:18-20

Notice it doesn’t say Peter and Andrew told Jesus they’d sleep on it or get back to him within 48 hours. It says they dropped their nets “at once” to follow Him.

I want that kind of “at once” faith. To not have to think about it when God calls me to do something. And for sure, God is calling us—each and every day—to respond to at-once needs all around us, both big and little ones. The key is reconciling this within yourself, and determining ahead of time how you will respond. What ships do you need to burn that are holding you back? And conversely, what is holding you back when Jesus asks you to burn your ships for Him?

Lord, help me to determine today—right now—that I will not keep playing Christianity with a tentative mindset. Burn whatever ships and bridges You need to in order from me to serve You fully.

Every Man Ministries

To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.  Revelation 2:7

“Sometimes it’s hard to see the forest for the trees.” Remember the Seinfeld episode where the rabbi says that to Elaine and she goes, “Yeah, I don’t know what that means.” Pretty funny. Of course, it’s about perspective. Being able to see the big picture without getting lost in the details. Keeping the main thing the main thing.

The New Testament features three sets of trees that Jesus faced in the week prior to His death. The first is the fig tree that bore no fruit. Jesus cursed it and the tree withered and died (Mark 11:12–25). As God’s men we are called to bear fruit. We do that by staying connected to the Tree of Life—Jesus.

Second, after the Last Supper Jesus took sanctuary in the Garden of Gethsemane. If you visit the Garden today, they will tell you that the root systems of the olive trees can be traced back to Jesus’ time. It’s wild to place your hand on the trunk of a tree that was alive when Jesus prayed there the night before His death. Quiet places were Jesus’ sanctuary. He often retreated into the wild to pray and be with His Father. We follow this example—we spend time with the Father in solitude in order to hear His voice above the world’s white noise.

And lastly, of course, Jesus died on a cross hewn from a tree. Tradition speculates that the cross was hewn from cedar, pine, and cypress; all three were prominent trees surrounding Jerusalem. When we bind ourselves to the Cross, Jesus’ blood covers our sins. We find redemption, hope, and eternal life.

Bind yourself to the Tree of Life. Root yourself to His Word and meet with Him in a quiet place. Bear fruit for His kingdom. When we focus on the cross, we are most definitely able to rise above and glimpse the forest for the trees.

Father, help me not to lose myself in the trees of trauma, self-absorption, and compromise. Bind me to Yourself.

Every Man Ministries

But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.  ––Hebrews 10:12-14

Batting .400 in a season is nearly impossible today for a Major League Baseball player, what with the quality and parity of pitching. In fact, it’s been more than 80 years since Josh Gibson did it (he batted .466 in 1943). A few modern-day players have come close: Tony Gwynn in 1994 (.394), George Brett in ’80 (.390), Rod Carew in ’77 (.388), and Ted Williams in ’57 (.388).

Four hundred is also a great stat for three-point shooters in the NBA. For example, Steve Kerr—who won a gold medal as the US Men’s Olympic basketball coach at the ’24 Summer Games—holds the NBA record for the highest career three-point percentage at .454. Today’s percentage leaders include Steph Curry (of course) at .430, Luke Kennard at .437, and Sam Hauser at .411.

However, when it comes to honoring God, none of us wants to bat .400. In fact, that’s exactly the percentage of good kings Judah produced in the single dynasty of David. In other words, of the 20 kings that followed King David, only eight were accounted as “good” in the scriptures. As a result, things devolved to the point that the land was filled with pagan idols and was repeatedly overrun by foreign enemies. Zedekiah was the last king of Judah before the kingdom was conquered by Babylon in 586 BC, and the people were exiled.

What’s your “good day” ratio? Are forty percent of your days spent walking close to God? Before you answer that, think about this: When we are in Christ, we have a Team Leader who bats .1000. Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, as Romans 8:3 tells us.

The greatest miracle of this thing called the Christian life is that we don’t have to bat .400 or better, or nail forty percent of our shots from beyond the arc. Why? Because God doesn’t grade in percentages: We are either one thousand percent accepted into His kingdom, or we are not. There are no half measures. When we become a follower of Jesus, we stop playing the world’s number games.

No more striving; no more score-keeping; no more comparison games. Because of Jesus, we win—one thousand percent of the time.

Lord, I am one-thousand percent grateful that You are not keeping score—that You have cast my sin as far as the east is from the west. Thank You for Your grace and mercy today!

Every Man Ministries

Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.  ––Luke 22:31-32

God’s man faces responsibility and duty head on. He tackles life’s problems instead of running away from them.

We see this principle played out on the Great Plains, in the contrast between the cow and the American bison—North America’s largest land animal. Anyone who has spent any time around cattle knows that when a storm hits, they scatter in panic. Bison, on the other hand, will come together as a herd, the females and calves in the middle, the bulls on the outside. But here’s the interesting part: the herd will run into the storm. Across the millennia that these great beasts have roamed the Plains, they’ve learned that the best way to survive a storm is to face it head on as one herd.

When the stress of life starts to drown out joy, or when a crisis hits, do you respond like a cow, or like a buffalo? Facing the storms of life doesn’t mean we have to like it. When Jesus was in the Garden and at one of His lowest moments, He said, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Jesus being all man and all God, knew the horror of Roman crucifixion. But instead of running from His destiny, He prayed into the storm. Luke 22:44 says, “Being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” Hematohidrosis—sweating blood—is a real but rare condition when a person is under extreme stress.

Jesus’ battle with Satan was won in the Garden, not on the Cross. He faced the demons, and overcame. We can too. But don’t do it alone. Be like the bison: find your herd and run into the storm. Together.

Father, help me to ask for help when a storm hits, and band with my brothers to face it together.

Every Man Ministries

There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death.

––Proverbs 14:12

God is not very product oriented. That’s a bummer for most men, including me. We like to look at what we’ve done. In his classic devotional Thoughts from the Diary of a Desperate Man, Walt Henrichsen puts it this way:

God is not as interested in how holy you are as in the degree that you are engaged in the process of application. If you are new in Christ with a great deal of carnal self still present in your life, but you eagerly seek to do his will, you are pleasing to God. If you have known Christ for years, but have ceased seeking to grow in Christ through the process of application, you are not pleasing to God.

When the timing and means are not what we would have them to be, or the results seem unjust and unacceptable, we tend to fight the process. While fighting an unjust process is not a bad thing, fighting God’s process of making you the man He created you to be is disastrous. Avoiding the sink hole takes guts and a belief that God is more capable at deciding what’s best for you at any given moment. Think back on decisions you’ve made without involving Him. How did those turn out?

For many years I trained myself to preempt or deny these growth opportunities in my life and I missed God’s process all together. He cornered me through circumstances until the pain exceeded my fear. Sure, once that tipping point was reached, all the tumblers fell into place like a complicated Rube Goldberg machine. But why take 50 steps—through the dominos, across the Hot Wheels track, down the PVC pipe, and into the basketball hoop—when God can do it in one?

Nothing good happens to your character unless it passes from God to you, and if it comes that way it comes with purpose—to make you like Christ.

Father, I will continue to pick up my cross and follow You. Your will, not mine.

Every Man Ministries

There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”  ––Exodus 3:2-5

Both Moses and Joshua were commanded by God to remove their sandals in His presence. For Moses, it happened at the burning bush when God called him back to Egypt to help free His people (see Exodus 3).

Joshua was commanded to remove his sandals on the eve of the battle of Jericho, when the Commander of the Lord’s army appeared before him (see Joshua 5). I believe it was Jesus Himself who stood before Joshua, because Joshua referred to Him in Joshua 6 as “the Lord.” Also, Joshua worshipped the Man, so he saw Him as a deity.

These holy encounters taught both Moses and Joshua a few things:

• God’s presence carries holiness—it commands our reverence and worship;
• When we are in His presence, we do the equivalent of “taking off our shoes” by humbling ourselves and acknowledging His power;
• Come to believe that He is far greater than we can comprehend, and can rearrange circumstances to fit His needs;
• That He is to be trusted, and that His yes is always yes.

For God’s man, the equivalent of “taking off our shoes” in God’s presence is to practice the type of reverence and obedience that both Moses and Joshua displayed. Neither man had all the answers, but both trusted the Lord to bring deliverance.

Don’t take off your shoes for anyone and anything—sometimes we worship things that don’t deserve our reverence, or make idols of things that are not holy. Make it a habit each morning to surrender your day to His direction and to His will. When we place Him in a position of worship and reverence, we align our priorities and increase our capacity for God to work through us and use us.

Father, Your holiness and goodness overwhelm me; I worship You today and acknowledge Your power and love.

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 natureof a servant, being made in human likeness. 

––Philippians 2:6-7

These famous words of martyred missionary Jim Elliot make him the patron saint in my book: “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep in order to gain what he cannot lose.” In one sentence he captures the essence of what it means to risk spiritually. And while few of us will be called to give our lives, millions of us will be called to give our wills for His will, material wealth for spiritual wealth, earthly recognition for heavenly recognition, carnal appetites for godly appetites, career dreams for God’s dreams, corporate ladders for family health and competent compromise for spiritual integrity. Sacrifice and suffering loss for the sake of our faith is what connects the God-Man and God’s man.

Jesus was made fit to lead us through suffering. Naturally, if He lives in you, God will make you fit by calling you to a sacrificial life. More importantly, sacrifice for Christ is what unites you more deeply with Christ. How else could the apostle Paul write, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his suffering” (Philippians 3:10)?

Some men are drawn to the idea of sacrificing their life for Him; but what He asks far more often is that we live a life of sacrifice in Him. Men who dare greatly for their faith have asked and answered this question: “Am I willing to sacrifice my agenda in order to be used for God’s agenda?” What idols do you need to smash at His feet? What habits keep you from full faith?

Father, Your risk was provided to help me risk. Thank you, Jesus.

Every Man Ministries

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.  ––1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Where I live in Southern California real estate prices are insane. A two-bedroom condo can run a million dollars, or more than $4,000 a month in rent. The trend in the U.S. is starting to look a lot like the rest of the world: adult children living with their parents longer in the same home. And the home ownership dream seems to be more difficult for each new generation.

A longtime friend is married and has four adult children. He and his wife have worked hard, and at one time owned a house. Then health crises and the ’08 banking crisis hit, and when they had to make a cross-country move from Minnesota to California, they couldn’t sell their house and eventually lost it. They rent now, and it haunts my friend that he’s a renter and not an owner. He will tell you that his self-esteem took a hit when his Minnesota house foreclosed.

Real estate status, though, doesn’t mark or measure the man. Jesus tells us that “in my Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2) Because God’s Man is the temple of the Holy Spirit, we have the greatest dwelling place, with a great Owner.

You are Jesus’ real estate. He purchased you for a high price and His Spirit lives within you. Everywhere you go, He goes. And as the Occupant of your life and spirit, His ownership is permanent. There are no foreclosures or short sales in God’s kingdom. Whether you rent, own, couch surf, or live in a conversion van, you are appraised at a very high price. Own it, and live in it.

Father, thank You for purchasing me for a great price. Let me rejoice in Christ’s ownership of me.

Every Man Ministries

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

––Psalm 23:4, NKJV (emphasis added)

God comes to man most powerfully in the midst of his darkest hours and biggest challenges, calling him to trim out his faith and fly into the wind. Versus what? Fragmenting or panicking in the midst of trials, choosing to act “pigeon,” planted comfortably on a ten-foot perch in a cage (looking goofy). The difference between flapping hard to stay aloft versus soaring in a different dimension is knowing how your faith is designed and responding in the midst of some heavy winds. Just as gravity is necessary to experience life, so change and challenge are necessary for God’s Man to soar spiritually and experience growth through the Holy Spirit.

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we all had human parents who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live? (Hebrews 12: 7-9)

The difference between worldly punishment and godly discipline is that with God, it is always for our good. Hebrews 12:11 says that for those who are trained by God’s discipline, afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

So, how about you? Are you ready to get off that perch and spread those wings? Your Father, through His Spirit, wants to say to you, “Could I have a word with you, son?”

Father, it is time for me to accept Your power and soar higher; I will not fight You.

Every Man Ministries

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  ––Ephesians 6:11

In the taut crime thriller The Usual Suspects the central character, Keyser Soze, drops an iconic film line: “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist.” A recent Gallup poll shows that only 59% of American adults believe in the devil—a drop of ten points since 2020. I’m not sure how anyone can look at all the misery happening on our planet and NOT believe in a devil. But that’s the way Satan likes it.

How do we deal with the fact that Satan is alive and well in America—and the world? First, we need to believe the Word. He’s real. Second, we need to apply the weapons we’ve been given for battle. We put on the breastplate of righteousness, notch the belt of truth, don the helmet of salvation, cinch up the shoes of peace, pick up the shield of faith, and wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:14–17). We’ve read about these accoutrements before, but did you ever notice that the armor is all offensive? It’s all designed for a frontal assault. This means we take the fight to the enemy—we get angry and we get on our knees. We release the power of heaven in our homes and on our families and against the hell-hot arrows the enemy fires at us.

The spiritual armor of God does you no good if its gathering dust on the floor of your prayer closet or if you are running from the battle—where your backside is completely exposed. Don’t lay in the trenches, waiting for the enemy’s attack. Get up and into the Word; charge the enemy’s position in prayer; commission the armies of heaven—the Holy Spirit and His angels—to war for you. The battle is real. Stand and fight.

Father, help me be strong in You and mighty in Your power.

Every Man Ministries

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.  ––Mark 1:35

Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.  ––Mark 1:45

The phrase, “Three steps forward, two steps back” is one that often gets an eye-roll. We’ve all heard it a million times. Or, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” The thing is, we’ve heard them a lot because there’s truth in them. Am I right? (Admit it though: they aren’t half as bad as “work smarter, not harder,” which makes us want to punch the person saying it.)

While much of the Christian life is about standing one’s ground and advancing, there’s also a time and a place to retreat. A classic example of this is when Jesus visited  home town of Nazareth, where He grew up. When He taught in their synagogue, the local leaders were furious, claiming blasphemy when He proclaimed He was Messiah. Things got ugly:

All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.  ––Luke 4:28-30

God’s Son walked among them and their response was to kill Him by tossing Him off a cliff! No wonder He made Himself disappear. It’s a classic example of Jesus retreating when the circumstances warranted it. Jesus, of course, typically retreated for spiritual reasons—to be alone to spend time with His Father.

What we learn from Jesus is that there is a time for advancing—for “walking across the room” to help someone in need, for standing up for the defenseless, for proclaiming our faith, etc. But there is also a time to pull back. Some situations include:

• When we need to retreat—God craves one-on-one time with us. Jesus modeled the practice of concentrated periods of time where He was alone with God.

• When we need to regroup—Sometimes life can be overwhelming and confusing, whether we like to admit it or not. It’s good to press pause sometimes, step away, and gain God’s clarity on a situation or relationship.

• When we need to recover—At other times, we may feel like the wheels are coming off of life. Crises happen—the unexpected death of a loved one; the loss of a job, spouse, or prodigal child; a financial reversal. God wants to heal your heart, brother, of whatever bad stuff might be weighing you down. It’s called baggage, and He wants us to dump it at His feet.

Father, show me the time to retreat, regroup, or recover. Also, give me discernment when it’s time to move forward. Thank You that Your Holy Spirit is here to guide me in each circumstance.

Every Man Ministries

See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.  ––2 Corinthians 7:11

Let’s dig deeper into the two different types of sorrow. Here are my definitions:

Worldly Sorrow – Sadness, regret, or sorrow that is flesh-based, focused on material consequences, and leads to shame and spiritual death.

Godly Sorrow—Sadness, regret, or sorrow that is God-based, focused on eternal outcomes, and leads to health and spiritual redemption.

Paul had to get in the face of the Corinthian believers. They were living in a very pagan city and were struggling to maintain moral lives. His concern led to chastisement, which led to their repentance. He highlights the fact that their godly sorrow produced truthfulness, honesty, a desire to get right with God, and deep concern over what they’d been doing.

Sorrow—in everyday terms, sadness and regret—is an unavoidable part of life. The question for God’s man is this: how will we respond when sorrow hits us? How will we react when the conviction of the Holy Spirit falls on us after we stray? When we run, hide, or otherwise sidestep the truth, it leads to what God calls “death”—the death of our desire to please God, and the death of our spirit itself.

Make no mistake, the inevitability of sorrow means we walk on a razor’s edge between allowing it to drag us down into the pit of despair and denial, or surrendering to God’s process, which is to heal us, renew us, and redeem us.

Don’t let Satan suck you down into the pit of worldly sorrow—practice the attributes of responding to life’s difficulties with godly sorrow:

Acknowledge when you have sinned, and come before His throne;

Keep short accounts in your relationships, and when problems arise, swiftly work to repair the damage;

Ask the Holy Spirit to filter the troubles and trauma that come at you through His lens, rather than the world’s. All of us will encounter sorrow—it’s just a matter of when and how. The only choice we have is how will we respond when sorrow comes.

Father, help me to take my failures and troubles to You, and may You use godly sorrow to redeem and restore me.

Every Man Ministries