Real Men Don’t Cry?

When I was growing up, I was told that men don’t cry, they don’t show emotion, they needed to be strong. It was a sign of weakness to show love to your wife in public, or wear your wedding ring. Many men that I have known in my life are afraid of hugging each other, and I have seen some fathers belittle their son’s because they cried… “suck it up” “be a man” “crying is for girls”, and I’m sure you could think of a few others…
Reading thru “The Resolution for Men” I am reading the Chapter “Resolve to Demonstrate Love” ~ Reading thru, I reflected on my childhood and realized that shutting off my emotions doesn’t make me a man. It makes me a time bomb ready to go off. To not show tears, makes me look like a tyrant to my family. To not hug my son or kiss his neck, makes me look like a dad that really doesn’t care..
There are men out there that are afraid of what people think if they hug another guy. Or give their son a hug. Or hold their wife’s hand in public.
When, in fact, Jesus modeled just the opposite. From the book, “the strongest Man of all time was also the most loving Man ever to walk the earth. Jesus Christ, the greatest Warrior for justice, went out of His way to show kindness, compassion and respect to people from all walks of life.”
Jesus also wept, was sad, laughed, was angry, but showed love in more ways than we can ever imagine. In fact, His two Greatest commandments were to, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets” and “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” So, where does all this mumbo jumbo come from that a man is weak to show love, or compassion, or to weep?
I don’t know, but I do know this, that Jesus Christ, a Man amongst men, who did something that most of us couldn’t do, and that is to strip Himself of all of royalty, come down in man form, be beat, spat on, kicked, whipped, and nailed to a cross and all the while asking the Father to forgive them “for they don’t realize what they are doing!” Wow! Now that is a man. A man that wasn’t afraid to cry, that played with kids that others thought were a nuisance, that was sad that His friend had died, and wept with others on many occasions.
I think I shall continue to emulate the sensitivity of Christ, to love others, to hold my wife’s hand in public, to hug my kid’s, to hug my brothers AND my sisters without fear or regret… To also cry when I loose a loved one, and cry for my friends that are facing hardships. To listen to those that others find annoying because they, too have needs that need to be heard.
Thank you Father for the heart you gave me, and all the Love that I have, so much that I have much to give others also!
So guys…. this man Jesus? Are you like Him or are you trying to emulate what the world thinks a man should be? ;=)

Passivity equals captivity

“Passivity equals Captivity” Passivity is a curse…especially to those who “stand” with Christ, and the standards He set forth. Jesus didn’t come along and say…”Hey ya’ll, I’d really like to have all my people home, so we gotta be real nice to them and tell everybody we love ‘em so they’ll feel better and come home”
We’re quick to let people know about salvation under Jesus, and the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, but we leave out the first part of that message, which is the wages of sin is death! God forbid we offend someone with THAT! We should be of the frame of mind..I want you to spend eternity with me, basking in the Love of Jesus to the point that if they go down any other road than the one Jesus told us to go down, then we should be pulling out all the stops to make sure that they hear the Message of Eternal life! Jesus Himself said it in Matthew 7, “Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention. ” and in the NIV/KJV.. it says “and few there are that will find it!”
James 4:4 says “whoever wishes to be a friend to the world makes himself an enemy of God”
Yes, we are to love our neighbor, love the person that Christ died for, but to hate their sin. Not sugar coat it, not avoid it, not turn our heads. Sin is evil and God hates it, Jesus even said to the church of Laodicea, in Revelation 3 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”

When Christ trained His disciples and to those who carried on, it meant to faithfully and boldly represent Christ, even when it came as a risk to do so!

Today we define being Christlike as being “nice and quiet.”

If that is the case, even Christ, wasn’t Christlike. He called a spade a spade, and sin for what it was, SIN. The Church is sugar coating it’s message to “gain souls”!!

If I offended you, then please take a step back and think about what I’m saying.
to my brothers and sisters, I’m saying,
“I love you, and the time is too short to be passive in your walk. Stand up for Jesus and Step up and be that light Christ called you to be”
To the ones that have not acknowledged Jesus as they’re Savior, and thing that they can do it all on their own. I am saying, “I love you, and I don’t want you to spend eternity in darkness, I want to see you enjoying the presence of Christ now… and again in God’s kingdom for eternity.”

Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and HE shall lift you up!

I pray that you read this in it’s entirety..

God had a reason for wanting me to write this tonight…hope ya’ll don’t miss it!!

Today was very interesting to say the least. Working in retail, we have such an interesting mixture of people and personalities that it is an especially trying time for us Christ followers to show light in the darkness. But we do it, because Christ commands it…

In the mix today, I saw “Christian” people that I knew, treat others as if they were servants. Man, how does that come off to someone that doesn’t know Jesus? What do they think? Hmmm, “those Christians, they think they’re better than anyone else…” “Look at that preacher, he just thinks he’s all that”

You’ve seen ‘em and heard ‘em…maybe you’re one of ‘em! (OUCH!)

You say, Mike, we got bigger fish to fry, why are you talking about this little minor thing? Everyone acts like that!

THAT’S MY POINT! We are not of this world..sure, we live in it, but what does Paul say in Romans 12:2? “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

How about John in 1 John 2:15 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

Which leads me to “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4)

I think that’s where this started with me tonight, and seeing that my brothers in sisters in Christ behave in such a way that brings shame on Christs’ name, and shame on the church!

I was doing a mini Bible study in James 4 tonight, and the words are not minced here. IN FACT, they are very clear!

It starts out sounding a little like some of the church’s we’ve been in:

” What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud

but shows favor to the humble.”

WOW!!

” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

Now for those of us that act like we HAVE tomorrow, accumulate all this money to look good….

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such BOASTING IS EVIL. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

There are some really cool verses on this subject and I’m not gonna list them all, but here are two examples that Jesus gave, that we should take heed and follow…

When the disciples asked Jesus, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” … [Jesus replied], “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:1-4).

Then, in John 13:4-5, Jesus painted the most beautiful picture of humility that I have ever seen, and that is that he bowed down to wash the disciples feet!!! And commanded others to do the same!

So, boastful people… Where is your heart today? Are you wondering what you look like? Who are you trying to impress outside of God’s vision? Are you accumulating wealth so you can look good, and show off?

These things are but a flash.. They will burn up. The only thing that is Eternal is God’s Word.. and OUR Love FOR Him!

Please pray with me… “Father, we praise you, adore you, worship you! Forgive us for our disregard for others, and help us to not esteem ourselves higher than anyone else! You made us and we pray that we honor you with our lives.

Help us to remain humble, like a child, to give YOU all the Glory. And help us to be reminded that we can do NOTHING without your touch in our lives. Thank you for the many blessings, and help us to cherish the things we have, not the material things that we desire and want, but the glorious love that only YOU can give…”

In Jesus Name.. Amen

And now the confirmation….

It’s amazing how most of us are like Gideon in the Old Testament… “Are you sure, God?  Are you talking to me?”  Some of us just don’t understand how God speaks, some of us DO understand but don’t hear.   And then there are some of us that just don’t listen.

It is vital to every Christ Follower’s life to be constantly in the Word, in prayer and constant fellowship with the Father.   THAT is when we hear HIM.

How can we expect to hear the Father speak to us if we are daily trudging through life, worrying about what’s next, biting our nails to the bit wondering how we’re going to get by.

Jesus Christ said it well, when He was speaking to the multitudes in Matthew 6:34 “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

He even said our hairs are numbered, and how much the Father loves and cares about us.  So why do we worry so much, and what is so awful about spending quality time with the Father?

Darlene and I, on many different levels get so excited when God is speaking to us, and loves us so much that He wants to use us in His divine plan!

Getting excited about reading the Word, praying, praising…it’s all about HIM!  So, the next time we bite our nails, just remember that the Father has already been there, took care of it, and now guides us through the process.  Life should be pure joy despite the trials….

The Father provides true peace, so we should just go for it, jump in the pool, get wet, then set our selves on fire in the warmth of the Beloved Father and the exciting plans He has for us!!

My 2012 Commitment to the Father!

Last year for us, was a year of transition.  We discovered new things, got rid of some old things. Made some friends, lost some friends.

Had a close call fire on our block of the Bookstore, but then had a house fire a month later, losing almost everything.  Had water leaks at the old place, now have them at the new place.  Sort of a test of fire and water maybe?  In any case, the common thread that kept us together was our Father!

We have been behind on bills, almost had utilities shut off, but somehow, someway, God has provided us with finances AND infinite knowledge.

The bookstore was founded on Hebrews 11:1 “and faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”  The Father has most definitely kept HIS hand on our lives, and our ministry.

We made changes last year on many levels, and God has given us different paths to go on that we thought we would never travel.

Besides dealing with financial battles, spiritual battles, I have been dealing with one of the mind, and my wife of the body.

Always turning a corner and something there to knock us on our butts.  But I need to constantly remind myself that the Father told us that we would NEVER be comfortable…..  But HE is faithful and just, and will not give us more than we can bear. The temptation to be complacent is there, but the strength to overcome prevails.  “ First Corinthians 10:13 in the NKJV reads, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” This Scripture teaches us a powerful principle. If we belong to Him, God will not allow any difficulty to come into our lives that we are not capable of bearing.”

There are few in the fields harvesting the crops, and the Father has put alot on our plates…but the glory of it is, that through the mistakes that we’ve made.  The horrible fires, the loss, the gains, the ups and downs… spiritual and physical…God is STILL God, and He is assuring us that we will always be provided for…

The store has finally been anointed.  The negative pulls out of there.  The things that are of the Father now prevail once again in our lives…

This year………..  more God, less dormancy..   This year…… less talk, more action.  This year….. more love, less frustration with those that strive to bring us down.

This year, the Father comes before everything.  (Not that  He didn’t before, but our complacency and feet dragging on things that He gave us to do, got very much in the way of focusing on what HE required)

Our commitment, as well as every other Christian should be getting and staying ready for Christ Jesus to return for His bride…spotless, without blemish. Ephesians 5:27  To be excited about His coming, and not ashamed of what we are…

 

Just wonder sometimes….

I know as Christians, we do what we can to help others, even go so far as to love the “unloveable”,  but is there a line to draw?

My wife and I truly love the Lord with all of our hearts, seek His guidance on everything, and are totally devoted to each other.  God has placed us in many situations where we give everything, all we have to the person or persons we are ministering too.  Not asking anything of the recipient of our love….  But recently, we have found on a couple of situations that the person receiving is now not talking to us, or even as one person put it, “hate” us!  We did what we could to help one friend.  Tried to mentor, give guidance, love, sacrifice…. We did all of this with no thought of reward, but to glorify God, and to bring this person to a personal level with Jesus Christ.   Today… it ended. A couple of words were said, a couple of actions were manifested, and he walked out with another person, one of his relatives who we were also trying to mentor and love.   I won’t go into any details on what happened, just to say that we opened our house, fed this person, loved on this person, provided stability.  Then the person in question turns around to challenge me as a role model, tells me I’m never happy, and attempts to strike me while I’m trying to make sense of what happened.

We risked our business by letting this person take care of their own problems, offered phone, food, etc. And now because we asked for respect for our business, the people in it, and our own convictions, that person is angry, told us that we were trying to run his life, and hates us.

Now what?  We dropped the relatives clothes off to them, they couldn’t even come out to get them, the friend sent out his children’s mother to get the things from the car.  Where did we go wrong?  How did we get to this place?  All the long talks with no regard to time, the prayer sessions, the driving around helping him find a job.  Again, doing this for nothing else but to do the things to help this person.  And now because of a few words, challenging this person to step up to be a parent, and step out of the situation that is bringing him down.

We love these two people with only the love that Christ can give, wanting nothing for ourselves, but the pain, and hurt, and confusion that is accompanying this whole ordeal leaves us in a place of question.  Do we continue to do things for others? Of course.   Do we open up our hearts once again? I think so….  But it makes us wonder after this, and another situation how much do we give of ourselves?  And do we do it at the risk of our own well being….  God only knows… and one day, Lord willing, we will know.

Sometimes when you’re not sure…..

This fire on January 25/26th hit very close to home. It was virtually a “where do we go from here” frame of mind. God used this awful circumstance to help change attitudes and minds and hearts in the way Darlene and I do things. As I watched the smoldering at first, then later on the following morning the licking flames threatening to engulf the entire block. We stood across the street, praying, holding hands and praising God in this “storm” We were at peace somehow. (some people call it shock)
God had a special lesson for us to learn through this…

1) TRUST HIM!

2) Seek His face ALWAYS!

Yesterday’s message on our reader board was “Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility.” Proverbs 18:12. A message later on today I got via text was “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” Proverbs 18:10… hmmmm
Pretty much the context of that passage from verses 10 through 20 say that, (Paraphrase)”Don’t elevate your status because you CAN BE knocked down. If you do something because you think God wants you to do it, you are mistaken because you are not putting God in that equation.” and a bunch of other juicy tidbits. God is always trying to talk to us, but we are too busy to listen. Sometimes God uses these bad, awful things to bring you to a realization that you can not do it WITHOUT HIM! As we walked into the bookstore this morning after taking a nap, we looked around, nothing damaged, no super bad odor, and we sat down and wept. We remembered all the times when we didn’t have money to pay rent, utilities threatening to get shut off, water damage at the old store, eviction notices, and the list goes on. We are almost 2 years old, as we realized that the hand of God is on this place. For HIS Glory…

 

HUMBLE YOURSELF IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD AND HE WILL LIFT YOU UP!!!

How’s your walk?

Life sometimes hits us head on and we don’t know if we’re coming or going, but God has already been there!  Why do we struggle with day to day things if we are living as Christians?  We are to be a light unto the world

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.

Ephesians 5:8-10

If we live daily, pleasing God, doing HIS work, as HE commands, we are walking in the “LIGHT”, and the world will know us by HIS light.  Are we just sitting around, staring at four walls, worrying about how we’re going to pay our bills, start the car, put food on the table?  Or we in our own selfish desires that we forget our brother or sister in Christ, or even our OWN families???

Jesus said, “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” and then “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

(Read Matthew 6:19-35~because it is powerful words of Christ)

Christ delivered us from all of these things that burden us, worry us, CONDEMN US!  As Christians, we are to put on the “Whole Armor of God”, put on Christ, and live with joy in our hearts to the LORD!!

So THROW off that “old man”, put on the ‘NEW MAN’…..

Rebuke Satan in the name of JESUS and move on to greater things.

“I can do all things through Christ which strengthenth me”!!!

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:32-39

Are we putting on the “Whole Armor of God”?

We read in Ephesian 6:9-18:

And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening:
knowing that your Master also is in heaven;

neither is there respect of persons with him.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to

stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able
to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth,
and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God:
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,
and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

 

Hello world!

Welcome to the Words Written In Red Blog!  We will have frequent postings and lots of encouraging articles!!  Praise God for His Love for US!!