June15, 2012

^"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.  Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.  After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church—  for we are members of his body.  “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." Ephesians 5:21-33

Here are some very troubling statistics that reflect what is wrong with America

63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (US Dept. Of Health/Census) – 5 times the average.

90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes – 32 times the average.

85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average. (Center for Disease Control)

80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes –14 times the average. (Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26)

71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average. (National Principals Association Report)

Fatherless children are twice as likely to drop out of school.

Children with Fathers who are involved are 40% less likely to repeat a grade in school.

Children with Fathers who are involved are 70% less likely to drop out of school.

Children with Fathers who are involved are more likely to get A’s in school.

Children with Fathers who are involved are more likely to enjoy school and engage in extracurricular activities.

75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes – 10 times the average.

Researchers at Columbia University found that children living in two-parent household with a poor relationship with their father are 68% more likely to smoke, drink, or use drugs compared to all teens in two-parent households. Teens in single mother households are at a 30% higher risk than those in two-parent households.

70% of youths in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average. (U.S. Dept. of Justice, Sept. 1988)

85% of all youths in prison come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average. (Fulton Co. Georgia, Texas Dept. of Correction)

I think we have to honestly say that much of what is wrong with our culture today is a failure of fatherhood!

That is sad news. BUT, it also means there is hope for our nation if courageous men of faith will arise and become the husands and fathers God has called them to be!

A courageous men of God stands guard over his family by putting on the full armor of God daily so he can withstand the unrelenting attacks of the enemy!

Also, a courageous man of God serves his wife (5:21-33). The best thing a father can do for his children is love their mother with a godly love.

What does that mean? How does that happen?

Earn Her Trust, Vv. 22-24

A man of God serves God with such passion and integrity that his wife can learn to trust him.

He will walk blamelessly before her and be a man of his word. He will place her need ahead of his own because that is what God calls him to do.

His love for God will humble him before the Lord and help him humble serve his wife.

Earn Her Respect, Vv. 25-30

A man of God will not only serve the needs of his wife but he will stand guard over her spiritually, providing a spiritual cover for her. He will put on the armor of God every day and fight like a man for his family earning the respect of his wife and his children.

When a godly man serves his wife and sacrifices for her, she will grow to respect him. She will love him more deeply since trust and respect are the foundation upon which love is built. And she will trust and respect him because she will feel secure in his demonstrations of love for God and for her.

Eliminate Competing Loyalties, Vv. 31-33

Commitment means being "all in". Commitment means having no "plan B".

Commitment means loving her in the same way you love yourself and care for your own needs.

A man of God is fully committed to God and his marriage. That means he consciously and intentionally chooses to eliminate all competing loyalties. Every thought, every emotion, every temptation that comes against him he defeats with the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation and the belt of truth and the shield of faith!

There is nothing wrong with our nation that couldn't be cured if men would just fight right!

Men, will you commit to serve your wife today? Will you earn her trust and respect by the way you serve God? Will you love her as you love and care for yourself?

 

June 14, 2012

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:10-18

I'm sure you have noticed how easily things that are significant become familiar to us. The challenge is to always keep the "main thing" the MAIN THING.

For example, this familiar portion of Scripture about the armor of God is so important that every time I study it I come away with something new. But just recently I recognized something that should have been obvious. The context of this treatise on spiritual warfare comes at the end of a teaching on marriage and parenting (Ephesians 5:21-6:4).

Duh! Think about it! Where do most of your spiritual battles come from? Marriage and family relationships, right?

Because I live in the world of preparing 35-40 minute sermons I tend to focus on the micro and often miss the macro. Maybe that is an occupational hazard. But, anyway, recently I saw the context for this spiritual warfare teaching. I am going to challenge our dads with it this Sunday because it shows how to fight like a man - a man of God, that is.

God's plan is for the man of the family to be the warrior for the family and that means putting on the armor to stand guard against the relentless evil assaults against his personal integrity, his marriage, and his children.

When you put this whole teaching together it looks something like this:

Serve Your Wife - Ephesians 5:21-33

Shape Your Children - Ephesians 6:1-4

Stand Guard - Ephesians 6:10-18

Take some time today and read this portion of Scripture in this context and see if it makes sense. Then take the challenge to fight right!

June 13, 2012

^"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:1-18

Did you put on your armor today or did you forget you are in a war?

You face a powerful and relentless enemy who never rests. He constantly attacks on several fronts with the singular goal of defeating you so he can destroy you!

This important portion of Scripture is no doubt familiar to you, as it is with me. It is a reminder that you are in a daily battle for your soul and your eternal destiny. And it identifies the true enemy of your soul and how powerless you are in resisting him in your own strength so that you will understand your need to take up the spiritual weapons that accompany your salvation.

You have:

1) The belt of truth - the soldiers belt held all his armor and weapons in place for the battle

2) The breastplate of righteousness - this piece of armor protected the soldier's heart

3) The shoes of a soldier - light, flexible, nimble assisting him in his mission as a soldier

4) The shield of faith - to knock down the fiery arrows of the enemy

5) The helmet of salvation - this guards the soldier's mind so he can think clearly in battle

6) The sword of the Spirit - the only offensive weapon is the Word of God

Essentially, this portion of Scripture promises that if you will put on your armor every day you can win the spiritual batttles. If you forget or fail to do so will doom you to defeat. It is that simple.

Let me up the ante on this already important Scripture. Not only are you fighting for your own spiritual survival, but if you will back up to the previous section, Ephesians 5:21-6:1-4, you will see that you are also fighting for your marriage and your children!

As often as I have read and studied and taught and preached on Ephesians 6:10-18, I had never noticed it's larger context - the spiritual battle is waged against you AND your marriage AND your family!

With that in mind, let me ask you again, "Did you put on your armor today?"

How about your armor?

June 12, 2012

“The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23

Reading this Psalm gives you an insight into a day in the life of a sheep. I am not sure you ever had a desire to see life through the eyes of a sheep. Personally, I have never paused in the middle of a busy day and wondered, “What would a sheep think of this?" You probably haven’t either, but when you consider that the Bible compares you to a sheep it might be of some interest to you.

From this moment forward, should a similar thought flash through your mind you will have an answer. According to this beloved Psalm a sheep faces each day concerned about: hunger, harm, harassment, and hereafter.

Incidentally, I have known a few humans who worry about the same things.

Fortunately, for this sheep, he has a shepherd who worries about those same things for him. Do you have a shepherd like that? If you are worried about those things, you probably don’t!

Sheep are grazers. Grazing is great as long as there is plenty of grass. But a flock of sheep will tend to overgraze an area until all the grass is gone. Because they are too timid to move far from where they have grazed, they would starve themselves within a matter of days. Hunger is a concern. No one wants to go hungry, even a sheep!

A good shepherd leads his sheep to green pastures each day and then stand guards over them as they graze on lush green grass. After a few days of learning they can trust their shepherd, they cease to worry about hunger anymore. That is a good day!

Do you have a shepherd like that? You could!

Sheep are defenseless. They have no way of protecting themselves against predators and they can’t run fast enough to get away. So, if they have no shepherd to guard them they will become lunch for a wolf or cougar. So, along with daily concerns about hunger, they worry about harm coming to them!

But if he has a good shepherd, that shepherd is on constant guard watching for predators. Should one attack, he is armed with a staff and a rod with which he can ward off the beast. After awhile the sheep learns he doesn’t have to worry about harm when he is with his shepherd.

The fact that the sheep lays down is significant. They are so timid and flighty that they will not lie down unless they feel completely safe from predators, parasites or pests. If flies or gnats or bees are buzzing around them they will not lie down. When you see a sheep lying down he is either dead or he is feeling completely secure! In that case, it would be evidence that he has a good shepherd who cares enough for his sheep to keep him free of harassment!

Once he has been relieved of his concerns over hunger, harm and harassment, a sheep’s worry turns to the hereafter. What will happen tomorrow? Will he be hungry? Will he be harmed? Will he be harassed? Not having to worry about today will not keep him from worrying about tomorrow. Know the feeling?

But, once again, being under the care of a good shepherd over time, the sheep will come to trust his shepherd so much that he ceases to worry and is content and comfortable following his shepherd anywhere!

Life through the eyes of a sheep!

What does it have to do with you?

It IS you! That is, if you know the Good Shepherd. If not, you know hunger, harm, harassment and concerns about the hereafter.

When you follow the Good Shepherd – life is good and your future is your friend!

June 11, 2012

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philppians 1:21-22

The barnyard animals loved their farmer. He had taken good care of them for many years and made their lives very pleasant. He loved them and in their animal way, they loved him.

One day they were discussing how blessed they were to be owned by such a kind and generous man. It was decided they would honor him to show their appreciation. They all readily agreed and began to brainstorm on the best way to communicate their appreciation for him.

Finally they came upon an idea that pleased them all. Since the farmer arose early every morning to do his chores they knew that he loved eating a good hearty breakfast. So, to thank him they thought they would prepare a breakfast in his honor.

"How shall we do it?" one of them asked.

"Well," said the hen, "I will gladly contribute a half dozen of my delicious eggs!"

"Great idea!" said the cow, "I will give milk for him to drink and cream for Him to make butter for his biscuits."

The hog was strangely silent. The hen and the cow looked at him indignantly and the hen challenged, "Hey, hog! I am giving eggs for our farmer's breakfast and the cow is gladly contributing her milk. How about if you donate some ham and bacon!"

This simple silly story about the barnyard animals illustrates the difference between involvement and commitment. The hen and the cow were willing to be involved but the hog would be committed. They would be giving from themselves but he would be giving himself. That is a big difference! That is commitment! Involvement costs you something - but commitment costs you everything!"

Paul in saying, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" is saying, "I am committed not just involved!"

How do we know that he is committed? We know because he is willing to die. He was willing to pay the cost. Paul loved God more than He loved life itself.

What about you? Are you involved or are you committed? How do you know? How would others know? How would God know? What price are you willing to pay? Do you love God more than you love your own life?

Jume 10, 2012

"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning —the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array." Genesis 1:31-2:1 

No matter how many times you see it and hear it, the ocean is still impressive.

Sitting on the beach listening to the waves, feeling the breeze and smelling all the smells of the sea, we were once again overwhelmed by it's grandeur.

Coming to the beach through the marsh we saw it teaming with life and a certain beauty. And walking to the beach through the dunes we saw a variety of beautiful little flowers and birds.

Such a variety of landscapes and plants and wildlife. God spoke it all into existence and pronounced it "very good"!

Sitting on the beach and slipping into relaxation we felt that same sense of "very goodness". What an amazing creation! What an incredible God! The soothing sound of the relentless wave washing ashore was having a therapeutic effect on me. It brought to mind this verse:

^"His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters." Revelation 1:15

I have stood at Victoria Falls and heard the deafening roar of the plunging waters worshipping as I thought of this verse and wondered if I was hearing the voice of God. It was overwhelming!

The gentle sounds of the ocean waves are no match for the sounds of the Falls that drown out every other sound, but I was equally blessed as I thought again of this verse and felt as though God was whispering to me through the waves, "I love you" over and over again!

And, indeed He does! His love is as constant as those waves washing to shore and as vast as the ocean! As a point of emphasis, He built His reassuring voice into the sounds of nature!

June 9, 2012

Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62

One of the misconceptions that is doing great harm to the Faith and to the Church is the idea that there are levels of commitment. You might hear someone claim in self-defense that they are "more committed" than someone else. What they should say is that they are less uncommitted than that person. The point that Jesus is making here is either you are committed or you are not.

Claiming to be "sort of" committed is like saying you are "sort of" pregnant. You either are or you are not. You can't "sort of" sky dive. You can't "sort of" get married. Peter didn't "sort of" walk on water. Jesus didn't "sort of" die on the cross.

The challenge Jesus is issuing is this - "you can't 'sort of' follow Me!" Either you are a disciple or you are not! Either you do His will or you don't. Either you walk in holiness or you don't. Either you are saved or you aren't.

I know you live in a day and a culture that wants to nuance everything into shades and degrees. That would be fine if you were the rule-maker or the arbiter of the rules - BUT YOU ARE NOT - He is! He makes the rules and you don't. So, you either obey Him or you don't. You are either following Him or you are not. That is what commitment means!

Having grown up in corn and soybean country, I appreciate what Jesus is saying to His hearers, who were also rural folks. What He was saying was, "When you go out to plow you don't 'sort of plow', you plow or you don't!" No true farmer would begin plowing and quit. No true farmer would "sort of" plow. No real farmer would plow forward while looking backward.

In rural Indiana where I was raised and in rural Illinois where I served for 22 years, there are cornfields so huge you can hardly see across them. I have always been impressed how straight those long rows or corn or beans are. Never have I seen a field with crooked rows. That is proof that the farmers who planted those rows were committed to planting.

How so?

Farmers plant straight rows by lining up their plows and there planters with a reference point at the end of that row and they stay focused and aimed at that point. Straight rows are evidence of a committed and focused farmer. Those perfectly parallel rows are proof of a committed farmer who never looked back while he plowed!

When you think about commitment think about plowing. When you measure your commitment think about focusing on a fixed point and moving straight toward that point continually. And of course, that straight point is the way of God and the will of God as outlined in the Word of God.

There are no "sort of" committed plowers. Neither are there any "sort of " committed Christians. Either you are committed or you're not. Don't buy the lie.