"But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God." -Genesis 6.8-9
Ten generations have passed since the fall and sin and wickedness has grown. It is so bad that God is sorry that He made man. At one point the crown of creation, man made in the image of God, but now they have become so wicked, every intent of their hears being evil, that God is grieved that He made them. He decides to blot them out, and destroy the world. All but one.
We find Noah, who has found favor in the eyes of the Lord, because he was a righteous man, who was blameless, and again we see the phrase, "walked with God." And Noah is going to spared from the wrath that is coming.
Noah was righteous. He had a right standing relationship with God. There was nothing separating him from God. They had intimacy and fellowship together because Noah lived in a way that pleased God and submitted to His sovereign holiness. Noah was also blameless. He was guiltless and innocent. No one could pin anything on his integrity or honor. His character was without blemish among all the men of the world. And both of these are possible because he walked with God.
Are righteous and blameless words that can be used to describe you? Righteousness is simply being forgiven of sin and living in new life from God. If you have received the forgiveness of God and are striving to live like Christ than you are righteous. This one has to come first. You cannot be blameless if you are not righteous. What is said of your character?
I have a friend, a young man who has become like a brother to me, who has felt God calling him into something very big. I've been able to be one of several people to affirm this calling on his life, and I'm very excited to see how God works all of this out. And I'm very excited for the future if all of this unfolds. But this week we had the chance to talk for the first time in months, and I gave him counsel as he prepares for the future.
I told him to live in a way where nothing negative can be said about him. To live so purely, and with so much integrity that nothing can be pinned on him. It is the guidance to be blameless. And both of these are only possible if we walk with God.
We cannot be righteous without God. We live in a fallen world corrupted by sin, so we cannot have a right standing relationship with God if we don't walk with Him. We cannot be blameless and innocent without God cleansing us and giving us new life, and the strength to live like Christ.
Would you be righteous? Walk with God. Would you be blameless? Walk with God.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Saturday, January 11, 2014
Walk with God
"Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." -Genesis 5.24
Genesis 5 is one of those lists of genealogy many people probably skim (if they don't skip it entirely). We have so and so, who lived this many years, and became the father of so and so. Then they lived this long and had other children, and all the days of their life was this many, and then they died. And then we come to Enoch.
"Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him."
Here we are told the Enoch walked with God. Not that he lived, but walked with God. What if our lives were described like that, not that we lived, but that we walked with God? What if we enjoyed such fellowship, and such intimacy with the Father, that the only way describe our lives was that we walked with God? What would a life like that look like?
We see that it doesn't tell us that Enoch died, but that God took him. God brought Enoch into His presence. His life was unique, the end of it was no different. He no longer walked on earth, but now in the very presence of God. His earthly relationship with God became his heavenly relationship with God. Intimate became more intimate, personal became more personal.
Would we be like Enoch? Would we walk with God?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Genesis 5 is one of those lists of genealogy many people probably skim (if they don't skip it entirely). We have so and so, who lived this many years, and became the father of so and so. Then they lived this long and had other children, and all the days of their life was this many, and then they died. And then we come to Enoch.
"Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him."
Here we are told the Enoch walked with God. Not that he lived, but walked with God. What if our lives were described like that, not that we lived, but that we walked with God? What if we enjoyed such fellowship, and such intimacy with the Father, that the only way describe our lives was that we walked with God? What would a life like that look like?
We see that it doesn't tell us that Enoch died, but that God took him. God brought Enoch into His presence. His life was unique, the end of it was no different. He no longer walked on earth, but now in the very presence of God. His earthly relationship with God became his heavenly relationship with God. Intimate became more intimate, personal became more personal.
Would we be like Enoch? Would we walk with God?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Friday, January 10, 2014
Call upon the Lord
"Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD." -Genesis 4.26b
If you do the math found in Genesis 5.3-6 we get 235 years from the creation of man to the birth of Enosh, the son of Seth. And we are told that at his birth, men began to call upon the name of the LORD. I don't think we can say that people didn't call on the name of God before this. Clearly we have Cain and Abel presenting offerings to God earlier in Genesis 4, but something happened here that made it worth declaring, "Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD."
We can only guess, but maybe here at this point man began to be very intentional about seeking God. Maybe they had finally started to realize what happened when they didn't, and so they begin to trust and seek Him intentionally. Oh that such a statement would be made of us.
For too long our society has tried to remove God, but at the same time when it's convenient for us we want Him around. Laws are passed to limit what can be said and displayed. We change our wording so as not to offend anyone. But when it comes time to run for office politicians end speeches with "God bless America". Or in times of national tragedy the President turns to the Bible for words to comfort the nation. This attitude isn't good enough for God. What marriage lasts when the husband says, "Honey, you're my wife only when it benefits me."?
God is not satisfied with being called upon only when it's convenient, or as a last resort. He must be first. We must make a change. Let it be said of us that men began to call upon the name of the LORD. Let us intentionally, and fervently call upon God. Let us seek Him first in everything. Let us turn to Him primarily when we need advice and counsel. May we seek God, and glorify God above all else. And when we need Him, He will be there.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
If you do the math found in Genesis 5.3-6 we get 235 years from the creation of man to the birth of Enosh, the son of Seth. And we are told that at his birth, men began to call upon the name of the LORD. I don't think we can say that people didn't call on the name of God before this. Clearly we have Cain and Abel presenting offerings to God earlier in Genesis 4, but something happened here that made it worth declaring, "Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD."
We can only guess, but maybe here at this point man began to be very intentional about seeking God. Maybe they had finally started to realize what happened when they didn't, and so they begin to trust and seek Him intentionally. Oh that such a statement would be made of us.
For too long our society has tried to remove God, but at the same time when it's convenient for us we want Him around. Laws are passed to limit what can be said and displayed. We change our wording so as not to offend anyone. But when it comes time to run for office politicians end speeches with "God bless America". Or in times of national tragedy the President turns to the Bible for words to comfort the nation. This attitude isn't good enough for God. What marriage lasts when the husband says, "Honey, you're my wife only when it benefits me."?
God is not satisfied with being called upon only when it's convenient, or as a last resort. He must be first. We must make a change. Let it be said of us that men began to call upon the name of the LORD. Let us intentionally, and fervently call upon God. Let us seek Him first in everything. Let us turn to Him primarily when we need advice and counsel. May we seek God, and glorify God above all else. And when we need Him, He will be there.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Desire for Control
"When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.'... Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden" -Genesis 4.12, 16
God rejects Cain's offering and warns him to master sin. Something happens and Cain ends up killing his brother Abel. Abel's blood cries out to God (interesting thoughts here, maybe another time). God punishes Cain. Cain disobeys. Genesis 4.
After the offerings Cain and Abel are in the field, and Abel is killed, we don't have any details besides these. God asks him where he is and Cain says he doesn't know. And then God hands out punishment. The ground will not produce a harvest for Cain any more, he is to be a wanderer on the earth. He isn't to settle in one place, but to keep moving, a Nomad. Maybe this command was for him to become a keeper of flocks, like Abel had been, and the constant reminder of his brother and his actions are too great for him to bear. But whatever it is, God's command is for Cain to keep moving, to live on the road. Cain is afraid for his life. Living exposed in the world with no house or walls to protect him would be scary. But God promises His protection.
We see here an opportunity to live in complete trust of God. With this command his very existence is dependent upon God. But we see a trait common to so many men, the desire for control and comfort. Instead of wandering in the promise and protection of God, Cain departs from the presence of God and settles in Nod. Then on top of this, he builds a city. Restless wanderers don't settle, and since they don't settle, they don't build cities. But this is exactly what we see Cain do.
I wonder what Cain gave up by disobeying God? He is known infamously all over the world as the first murderer. The only other times we see him mentioned in the Bible are Hebrews 11, 1 John 3, and Jude 1, and they all speak of the murder of Abel. How could God have redeemed Him had he obeyed? What great things could God have done in his life, even after he sinned, that he forfeited by leaving the presence of God and building a city?
How does our desire for control pull us away from God? When we seek to control our lives we show no trust in God's provision. We seek the counsel of man, and lean on our own understandings, without giving God a thought. We are called to live as wanderers, completely dependent upon God, but too many times we choose control and comfort over trust and obedience. What blessings have we forfeited? What miracles have we been unable to witness? What great things have we not gotten to be a part of?
Shortly we'll see another man, called to wander. He obeyed, and through him all the peoples of the earth have been blessed. Oh that we would choose to wander like he did.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
God rejects Cain's offering and warns him to master sin. Something happens and Cain ends up killing his brother Abel. Abel's blood cries out to God (interesting thoughts here, maybe another time). God punishes Cain. Cain disobeys. Genesis 4.
After the offerings Cain and Abel are in the field, and Abel is killed, we don't have any details besides these. God asks him where he is and Cain says he doesn't know. And then God hands out punishment. The ground will not produce a harvest for Cain any more, he is to be a wanderer on the earth. He isn't to settle in one place, but to keep moving, a Nomad. Maybe this command was for him to become a keeper of flocks, like Abel had been, and the constant reminder of his brother and his actions are too great for him to bear. But whatever it is, God's command is for Cain to keep moving, to live on the road. Cain is afraid for his life. Living exposed in the world with no house or walls to protect him would be scary. But God promises His protection.
We see here an opportunity to live in complete trust of God. With this command his very existence is dependent upon God. But we see a trait common to so many men, the desire for control and comfort. Instead of wandering in the promise and protection of God, Cain departs from the presence of God and settles in Nod. Then on top of this, he builds a city. Restless wanderers don't settle, and since they don't settle, they don't build cities. But this is exactly what we see Cain do.
I wonder what Cain gave up by disobeying God? He is known infamously all over the world as the first murderer. The only other times we see him mentioned in the Bible are Hebrews 11, 1 John 3, and Jude 1, and they all speak of the murder of Abel. How could God have redeemed Him had he obeyed? What great things could God have done in his life, even after he sinned, that he forfeited by leaving the presence of God and building a city?
How does our desire for control pull us away from God? When we seek to control our lives we show no trust in God's provision. We seek the counsel of man, and lean on our own understandings, without giving God a thought. We are called to live as wanderers, completely dependent upon God, but too many times we choose control and comfort over trust and obedience. What blessings have we forfeited? What miracles have we been unable to witness? What great things have we not gotten to be a part of?
Shortly we'll see another man, called to wander. He obeyed, and through him all the peoples of the earth have been blessed. Oh that we would choose to wander like he did.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Offering Rejected
"Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.'" -Genesis 4.6-7
I've been thinking about this story for the past few days, and I'll be honest, I've started to wonder about it. Why was Cain's offering rejected? I've always heard it explained that Cain knew it was supposed to be an animal offering, but did he? Later in scripture we see that grain offerings are accepted by God. And so why is this one rejected?
Verses 3b-4a tell us that "Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and their fat portions." There is the added clarification that Abel's offering was from the first, that it was given to God first, before anything was taken for himself. It doesn't tell us that with Cain, and so it could be that Cain gave God his leftovers, making sure his needs were taken care of first and then given some of what was left to God.
Whatever the reason, God rejected it, and then we wee these words, "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?" This implies that Cain did have some knowledge of what was a suitable offering to God, and since his offering is rejected, he clearly didn't bring it. God says "Why are you upset? You know what to do, and yet you aren't doing it."
And then we see this warning, "And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you". Sin is there, encouraging us to do what is not right. It leads us to believe that anything is good enough to give to God, it's the thought that counts after all. It leans us to do what is easy, not what is right. It desires us, and it is never satisfied, so we must master it or we will be consumed. We must master the tendency for ease.
I found a new quote to add to the left side, its fitting for this passage, "Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Speak the truth, always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong. That is your oath." (Kingdom of Heaven) Speak the truth, do no wrong, master sin.
Today, let us give our best to God. Let us give Him the first of our time and energy. May we wake up and praise Him before anything else. And as we do this, we will have our countenance lifted, we will master sin, we will be pleasing to God.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
I've been thinking about this story for the past few days, and I'll be honest, I've started to wonder about it. Why was Cain's offering rejected? I've always heard it explained that Cain knew it was supposed to be an animal offering, but did he? Later in scripture we see that grain offerings are accepted by God. And so why is this one rejected?
Verses 3b-4a tell us that "Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and their fat portions." There is the added clarification that Abel's offering was from the first, that it was given to God first, before anything was taken for himself. It doesn't tell us that with Cain, and so it could be that Cain gave God his leftovers, making sure his needs were taken care of first and then given some of what was left to God.
Whatever the reason, God rejected it, and then we wee these words, "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?" This implies that Cain did have some knowledge of what was a suitable offering to God, and since his offering is rejected, he clearly didn't bring it. God says "Why are you upset? You know what to do, and yet you aren't doing it."
And then we see this warning, "And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you". Sin is there, encouraging us to do what is not right. It leads us to believe that anything is good enough to give to God, it's the thought that counts after all. It leans us to do what is easy, not what is right. It desires us, and it is never satisfied, so we must master it or we will be consumed. We must master the tendency for ease.
I found a new quote to add to the left side, its fitting for this passage, "Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Speak the truth, always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong. That is your oath." (Kingdom of Heaven) Speak the truth, do no wrong, master sin.
Today, let us give our best to God. Let us give Him the first of our time and energy. May we wake up and praise Him before anything else. And as we do this, we will have our countenance lifted, we will master sin, we will be pleasing to God.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Dust to Dust
"By the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return." -Genesis 3.19
During college I had the opportunity to intern with an awesome youth pastor, he's one of the men I respect most in this world. As the new year began to approach he started talking about doing a service on Ash Wednesday, using ashes. I had never been a part of anything like this before, but as I had taken a class on Church History I began to understand the significance of the liturgical year.
Yes, I know it's January, but this is where the Bible has us today. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, forty days before Easter. In that time people give something up, a fast, in order to prepare themselves to focus more fully on God, in preparation for the celebration of Easter. That year was my junior year, and prior to youth group that night a friend and I went to an Ash Wednesday service at noon that day, just checking it out. We went forward to have ashes placed on our foreheads, and as the priest made a cross with them he said these words, "Ashes to Ashes. Dust to dust."
The meaning is incredible. As you enter into this time of sacrifice to prepare to celebrate the resurrection, go into with the reminder that you are dust. Humility is the key here. What are we really? In Genesis 2, we see that God forms man from the dust of the earth, and gives him life by breathing into him the breath of life. Man is dust, and one day, when he is no longer able to say the name of God, to dust he will return.
As we go through life let us keep this fact in mind. How insignificant are we really? Dust is something we sweep up and throw out, and that is what we are made of. Apart from God, all we are good for is being thrown out. But in this we also see the incredible love of God. He cared enough to form man from dust and give him life. And then, after man brought a curse on all of creation, God still loved him enough to redeem him. And man has the audacity to blame God for anything?
As we go through our lives let us remember who we are. Let us live with humility, knowing that one day, no matter the wealth or success we accumulated, we shall return to dust. So let us take the time we have and make the most of it. As William Wallace said, "Every man dies. Not every man really lives." Let us live our lives fully alive, to the glory of God. Dust to dust, with a lot of glorification in between, which leads to eternal glorification of the Father.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
During college I had the opportunity to intern with an awesome youth pastor, he's one of the men I respect most in this world. As the new year began to approach he started talking about doing a service on Ash Wednesday, using ashes. I had never been a part of anything like this before, but as I had taken a class on Church History I began to understand the significance of the liturgical year.
Yes, I know it's January, but this is where the Bible has us today. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, forty days before Easter. In that time people give something up, a fast, in order to prepare themselves to focus more fully on God, in preparation for the celebration of Easter. That year was my junior year, and prior to youth group that night a friend and I went to an Ash Wednesday service at noon that day, just checking it out. We went forward to have ashes placed on our foreheads, and as the priest made a cross with them he said these words, "Ashes to Ashes. Dust to dust."
The meaning is incredible. As you enter into this time of sacrifice to prepare to celebrate the resurrection, go into with the reminder that you are dust. Humility is the key here. What are we really? In Genesis 2, we see that God forms man from the dust of the earth, and gives him life by breathing into him the breath of life. Man is dust, and one day, when he is no longer able to say the name of God, to dust he will return.
As we go through life let us keep this fact in mind. How insignificant are we really? Dust is something we sweep up and throw out, and that is what we are made of. Apart from God, all we are good for is being thrown out. But in this we also see the incredible love of God. He cared enough to form man from dust and give him life. And then, after man brought a curse on all of creation, God still loved him enough to redeem him. And man has the audacity to blame God for anything?
As we go through our lives let us remember who we are. Let us live with humility, knowing that one day, no matter the wealth or success we accumulated, we shall return to dust. So let us take the time we have and make the most of it. As William Wallace said, "Every man dies. Not every man really lives." Let us live our lives fully alive, to the glory of God. Dust to dust, with a lot of glorification in between, which leads to eternal glorification of the Father.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Monday, January 6, 2014
Passing the Blame
"The man said, 'The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.'" -Genesis 3.12
Adam messed up. He failed to act, and failed to play the man. And now it's time to face the consequences. First he hides from God, and then when God asks him a direct question he throws his wife under the bus. "Did you eat?" "She made me do it!" Since the beginning men have found themselves in the position of inaction. And shortly there after, we find ourselves in the situation of not owning up to our mistakes.
Why? Is it an attempt to try and preserve some sort of tainted sense of our own innocence? Is it out of embarrassment because we know we messed up? Are we trying to have ourselves overlooked in the judgment? Yes. A man who has failed doesn't want everyone else to find out about it. That's actually one of the biggest fears of all men, to be found out as a fraud. And so they do whatever they can to avoid that, and protect a false image.
Guys, part of being a man is owning up to our mistakes and failures. A man doesn't let his wife take the blame for his failures. Remember, Adam was right there watching everything unfold, and he did nothing. And now to make it worse, he blames the woman. When we fail at protecting and leading, we can't blame others for not following. You can't follow where no one will lead you.
And we also have to make sure that we don't blame God. Look at that verse again. "The woman whom You gave to be with me," so now this is partly God's fault. How often do we do this? I know I have blamed God for how things have turned out. The past year has involved a lot of that. But really, who am I to blame God? What right do I have to point the finger at Him and say "This is Your fault!" No matter how slight or indirect the jab might be, it's still there, and it does nothing for our growth or honor.
Men, let's own up. We're not perfect, and we're not going to be. And trying to make it seem like we are only makes things worse. Owning a mistake does more for our integrity than lying and covering one up ever will.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Adam messed up. He failed to act, and failed to play the man. And now it's time to face the consequences. First he hides from God, and then when God asks him a direct question he throws his wife under the bus. "Did you eat?" "She made me do it!" Since the beginning men have found themselves in the position of inaction. And shortly there after, we find ourselves in the situation of not owning up to our mistakes.
Why? Is it an attempt to try and preserve some sort of tainted sense of our own innocence? Is it out of embarrassment because we know we messed up? Are we trying to have ourselves overlooked in the judgment? Yes. A man who has failed doesn't want everyone else to find out about it. That's actually one of the biggest fears of all men, to be found out as a fraud. And so they do whatever they can to avoid that, and protect a false image.
Guys, part of being a man is owning up to our mistakes and failures. A man doesn't let his wife take the blame for his failures. Remember, Adam was right there watching everything unfold, and he did nothing. And now to make it worse, he blames the woman. When we fail at protecting and leading, we can't blame others for not following. You can't follow where no one will lead you.
And we also have to make sure that we don't blame God. Look at that verse again. "The woman whom You gave to be with me," so now this is partly God's fault. How often do we do this? I know I have blamed God for how things have turned out. The past year has involved a lot of that. But really, who am I to blame God? What right do I have to point the finger at Him and say "This is Your fault!" No matter how slight or indirect the jab might be, it's still there, and it does nothing for our growth or honor.
Men, let's own up. We're not perfect, and we're not going to be. And trying to make it seem like we are only makes things worse. Owning a mistake does more for our integrity than lying and covering one up ever will.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Failure to Act
"When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate." -Genesis 3.6
And now we come to root of the problem. Up until this moment everything was perfect. Up until this moment everything functioned exactly as it was supposed to. Every relationship existed in perfect harmony. It was paradise. And a man screwed it all up.
For a long time I blamed woman for bringing sin into the world, and then I read Genesis 3.6 again, and noticed two words that changed everything, "with her". Adam was right there watching the whole thing happen. He heard everything the serpent said. He listened as the woman (she isn't named Eve until the end of chapter 3), misquoted God's command. And he just stands there silently letting it all happen. He doesn't speak up. He doesn't lead her away from the tree. He lets her fend for herself, pick some fruit, eat it, and then he follows her lead. Adam failed to play the man. He failed to lead his wife. He allowed her to take the position of leadership, and all of creation is cursed with sin because of it.
How often have we been guilty of the sin of silence and actionlessness? How many times have we watched injustice or dishonesty seize a foothold, while we slid into the shadows? How many times have we held our tongues when someone's character is assassinated in our presence? How much harm have we allowed because we have failed to act?
Men, this is a tendency that has been around since the first one of us walked the earth, and we've all inherited it. But we have to break the cycle. It's easy to do what he did. It's easy to hold keep still and silent. But it takes a man, a warrior, to act. It takes a man to silence the snake, and lead others into truth. Silence brings death, but action leads to life, and that is what men of God fight for.
Let us work to break the sin of inaction. Let us take a stand, digging in our heals, and refusing to let the enemy advance another step. Let us silence gossip. Let us stand up for the oppressed. Let us fight for truth.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
And now we come to root of the problem. Up until this moment everything was perfect. Up until this moment everything functioned exactly as it was supposed to. Every relationship existed in perfect harmony. It was paradise. And a man screwed it all up.
For a long time I blamed woman for bringing sin into the world, and then I read Genesis 3.6 again, and noticed two words that changed everything, "with her". Adam was right there watching the whole thing happen. He heard everything the serpent said. He listened as the woman (she isn't named Eve until the end of chapter 3), misquoted God's command. And he just stands there silently letting it all happen. He doesn't speak up. He doesn't lead her away from the tree. He lets her fend for herself, pick some fruit, eat it, and then he follows her lead. Adam failed to play the man. He failed to lead his wife. He allowed her to take the position of leadership, and all of creation is cursed with sin because of it.
How often have we been guilty of the sin of silence and actionlessness? How many times have we watched injustice or dishonesty seize a foothold, while we slid into the shadows? How many times have we held our tongues when someone's character is assassinated in our presence? How much harm have we allowed because we have failed to act?
Men, this is a tendency that has been around since the first one of us walked the earth, and we've all inherited it. But we have to break the cycle. It's easy to do what he did. It's easy to hold keep still and silent. But it takes a man, a warrior, to act. It takes a man to silence the snake, and lead others into truth. Silence brings death, but action leads to life, and that is what men of God fight for.
Let us work to break the sin of inaction. Let us take a stand, digging in our heals, and refusing to let the enemy advance another step. Let us silence gossip. Let us stand up for the oppressed. Let us fight for truth.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Made for Relationships
"Then the LORD God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.'" -Genesis 2.18
I love words, and over time my favorite word changes. Most recently my favorite word was "recluse". I'm an introverted individual, I can handle people and crowds in small amounts or infrequently, but afterwards I need solitary time to recoup. And if I'm honest, part of me really loves the idea of getting a piece of ground in the middle of the wilderness and starting a homestead, away from just about everyone else. My wife would be coming of course, and I'd do my best to try and get a couple of my closest guy friends to come along and homestead with me.
The introvert in me loves the idea, but knowing that at least two of my closest guy friends would never go homesteading makes me reconsider. And then there is this verse from Genesis, "It is not good for the man to be alone". When God said this Adam was the only man on earth. He alone bears the full image of God. And while he has the companionship of every animal, including man's best friend, it wasn't enough. God, who exists in community and relationship, made us to live that way as well.
And so God makes the man fall into a deep sleep, and removes the female characteristics of God from Adam, and forms a woman. The man is joined to his wife and they become one. The relationship of a man and woman in marriage shows the full heart of God with both the masculine and feminine natures of God's image. But as any married man knows, you need relationships outside of your marriage.
I love my wife more than anyone else in the world, but there are times when I just need to be around other guys. We weren't made to do this alone; we were made for masculine fellowship. No man was meant to be a permanent recluse. Yes, there are times we need to be alone and focus on our most crucial relationship, man with his Creator, but we aren't meant to stay solitary. God Himself said, "It is not good for the man to be alone", and since God makes good things, He makes a woman, and in the woman comes offspring, others to have relationships with.
We were made for relationships, don't ignore them, don't neglect them. Embrace them, invest in them.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
I love words, and over time my favorite word changes. Most recently my favorite word was "recluse". I'm an introverted individual, I can handle people and crowds in small amounts or infrequently, but afterwards I need solitary time to recoup. And if I'm honest, part of me really loves the idea of getting a piece of ground in the middle of the wilderness and starting a homestead, away from just about everyone else. My wife would be coming of course, and I'd do my best to try and get a couple of my closest guy friends to come along and homestead with me.
The introvert in me loves the idea, but knowing that at least two of my closest guy friends would never go homesteading makes me reconsider. And then there is this verse from Genesis, "It is not good for the man to be alone". When God said this Adam was the only man on earth. He alone bears the full image of God. And while he has the companionship of every animal, including man's best friend, it wasn't enough. God, who exists in community and relationship, made us to live that way as well.
And so God makes the man fall into a deep sleep, and removes the female characteristics of God from Adam, and forms a woman. The man is joined to his wife and they become one. The relationship of a man and woman in marriage shows the full heart of God with both the masculine and feminine natures of God's image. But as any married man knows, you need relationships outside of your marriage.
I love my wife more than anyone else in the world, but there are times when I just need to be around other guys. We weren't made to do this alone; we were made for masculine fellowship. No man was meant to be a permanent recluse. Yes, there are times we need to be alone and focus on our most crucial relationship, man with his Creator, but we aren't meant to stay solitary. God Himself said, "It is not good for the man to be alone", and since God makes good things, He makes a woman, and in the woman comes offspring, others to have relationships with.
We were made for relationships, don't ignore them, don't neglect them. Embrace them, invest in them.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Friday, January 3, 2014
Breath of Life
"Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." -Genesis 2.7
The more I think about this, the more it amazes me. God forms man from the dust of the ground, and then breathes into him the breath of life. Then, and only then, does man become a living being. I'm not the first one to share this thought, but the name of God is the sound of our breathing. Our lives depend on us being able to praise God, and speak His name.
The ancient Rabbis believed that the name of God was unspeakable because it was literally the sound of breathing. Every breath we take declares the name of our creator. For a baby to start to live, it must begin to say the name of God, and when we can no longer say the name of God we die. God is the source of life, and apart from Him life cannot exist.
Every breath we take declares the name of God, whether we know it or not. Whether we believe it or not. Whether we live like it or not. Every breath we take is fully dependent upon God. And every breath whispers His name. Man has a unique privilege, we were formed by God in His own image, and the Bible only tells us that God breathed the breath of life into man. We are to mirror Him, and proclaim Him, to all of creation. What does your life show?
Every breath declares God, but does your life mirror Him? Does your life reflect and glorify the one who gave it to you?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
The more I think about this, the more it amazes me. God forms man from the dust of the ground, and then breathes into him the breath of life. Then, and only then, does man become a living being. I'm not the first one to share this thought, but the name of God is the sound of our breathing. Our lives depend on us being able to praise God, and speak His name.
The ancient Rabbis believed that the name of God was unspeakable because it was literally the sound of breathing. Every breath we take declares the name of our creator. For a baby to start to live, it must begin to say the name of God, and when we can no longer say the name of God we die. God is the source of life, and apart from Him life cannot exist.
Every breath we take declares the name of God, whether we know it or not. Whether we believe it or not. Whether we live like it or not. Every breath we take is fully dependent upon God. And every breath whispers His name. Man has a unique privilege, we were formed by God in His own image, and the Bible only tells us that God breathed the breath of life into man. We are to mirror Him, and proclaim Him, to all of creation. What does your life show?
Every breath declares God, but does your life mirror Him? Does your life reflect and glorify the one who gave it to you?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Authority and Goodness
"Then God said... and it was so... and God saw that it was good."
Over and over in Genesis 1 we see these phrases. Something isn't right, God sees it, fixes it, and makes it good. This is how God works. He brings chaos to order, death to life, darkness to light. Everything He touches is made better, and it is made good. God does nothing half way, and man is made in the image of God.
We have been placed over creation to care for it, God has given us authority over the world He has made. It has been given to us to hold in trust and present to Him one day, and I don't think we've done a very good job. We've made a mess of things, and screwed a lot up. We've taken order and brought it to chaos. We've taken what was good, and corrupted it.
As men, God has given us authority so that we can work to improve and make things better. We need to see what is wrong, and work to fix it, so that it can be good. We need to bring light to the darkness.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Over and over in Genesis 1 we see these phrases. Something isn't right, God sees it, fixes it, and makes it good. This is how God works. He brings chaos to order, death to life, darkness to light. Everything He touches is made better, and it is made good. God does nothing half way, and man is made in the image of God.
We have been placed over creation to care for it, God has given us authority over the world He has made. It has been given to us to hold in trust and present to Him one day, and I don't think we've done a very good job. We've made a mess of things, and screwed a lot up. We've taken order and brought it to chaos. We've taken what was good, and corrupted it.
As men, God has given us authority so that we can work to improve and make things better. We need to see what is wrong, and work to fix it, so that it can be good. We need to bring light to the darkness.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
In the image of God
"Then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created Him; male and female He created them." -Genesis 1.26-27
Here's where it all begins, with God in the beginning. God who is all powerful, perfectly holy, makes man in His own image. Man was created intentionally, and for a purpose. We aren't an accident put here to struggle through life looking for meaning. We were purposely made.
We were put on earth to rule over it, not in tyrannical domination, but in working to continue to make it better. This is how God works. Every day of creation He adds to the wonder of the previous day. It begins with nothing but formless chaos, and ends with a universe full of wonders we can't imagine, and a planet full of life and beauty. Life and beauty man was placed here to watch over and protect.
We have been entrusted with a great responsibility, and an incredible privilege. And in the beginning it was perfect. God made us, we knew it, and we lived with purpose. Today, so much attacks us, so much demands out attention, it's easy to get distracted and forget. But this is where it all begins, this is the first message we see. God created man in His own image, to watch over His creation.
You, are not an accident, you are not a mistake. God made you in His image. You are not a waste of space. You have a purpose.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Here's where it all begins, with God in the beginning. God who is all powerful, perfectly holy, makes man in His own image. Man was created intentionally, and for a purpose. We aren't an accident put here to struggle through life looking for meaning. We were purposely made.
We were put on earth to rule over it, not in tyrannical domination, but in working to continue to make it better. This is how God works. Every day of creation He adds to the wonder of the previous day. It begins with nothing but formless chaos, and ends with a universe full of wonders we can't imagine, and a planet full of life and beauty. Life and beauty man was placed here to watch over and protect.
We have been entrusted with a great responsibility, and an incredible privilege. And in the beginning it was perfect. God made us, we knew it, and we lived with purpose. Today, so much attacks us, so much demands out attention, it's easy to get distracted and forget. But this is where it all begins, this is the first message we see. God created man in His own image, to watch over His creation.
You, are not an accident, you are not a mistake. God made you in His image. You are not a waste of space. You have a purpose.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
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