Monday, January 30, 2012

The winds are changing...

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. - Isaiah 43:19


This scripture has recently become one of my favorites and a cornerstone of my daily life. Things are changing. Can you feel it? There is a call out to the men and women of this generation to do something new. Not new to God, but new to this generation.

This call is for people to have an intimate relationship with our savior, Jesus Christ. Thanks to my friend Pastor Chad (whom I've mentioned several times in the past), I now realize this more than ever. During the time of prayer and fasting that I participated in during January at Destiny Church, I learned how to have a true intimate relationship with Jesus. Plus, Pastor Chad delivered an amazing message Sunday that helped that understanding. Over the past two or three decades the church has taught more of what we get by becoming Christians, not that God wants to have an intimate relationship with us. He is trying to get your attention with a "burning bush" that you will have to turn aside to approach. He wants us to take the step toward him, so that he can approach and whisper to us. God wants to call your name.

During this month of prayer, my life has been completely changed and my reality has been turned upside down. I took the step to build a relationship with God, and he has whispered to me. I want everyone to experience this and more. What excites me the most is this, I am being called into ministry. God has put a dream and a purpose in my heart and life. This dream excites and challenges me, but it also breaks my heart.

Let me shed a little light on the subject. In my previous post, I went on a rant about men being men, and how they needed to stop fantasizing with pornography and start chasing after their wives. For those who don't know, I used to be a pornography addict. For almost two decades it was the forefront thought and drive in my life. God has set me free of this, and now he has called me to help others do the same thing and help them heal, along with their families. I am very passionate about this and I am moving forward with this call, but all the glory will go to God not me. I am very humbled that he has called me, and I hope that I use this calling the way he wants me to. I hope I never deviate from the path he has laid before me.

Now for a quick rant. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. - Hebrews 12:1


Men this is for you again. It is time for us to put behind us all of the sin that has slowed us down and drug us through the mud. I believe the biggest thing for every man is sexual purity. God has made us sexual beings, but he set parameters for us to enjoy a sexual relationship with our wife only. Guys (and if it applies, ladies), lets put down the hypersexualized magazines (this includes the popular mens and ladies mags), block the porn sites, and if need be get rid of our premium movie channels so we don't get tempted by the weekend late night movies (you know the ones I am talking about). Get rid of the sin that easily trips you up and that can ruin your relationship with God and possibly your spouse. Let's win the hearts of our spouses again and enjoy a euphoria of pleasure with them and them alone. Let God create a river in the dry wasteland of your relationship. Oh, for you single guys, don't worry I won't forget about you. I'll be back to address the situations you face soon.

So, things are changing. God is calling everyone to be pure and then have a personal relationship with him. Like Pastor Chad said, we need to take the first step toward God, then he will come to you. He loves you and is waiting patiently for you to come to him. Will you answer the call, turn from your current path, and go to the "burning bush" that God is trying to get your attention with? Think about it.

Sorry this is so long, but thanks for stopping by and God bless...

Friday, January 27, 2012

Calling REAL men...

Say to the nations far and wide: "Get ready for war! Call out your best warriors. Let all your fighting men advance for the attack. Hammer your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Train even your weaklings to be warriors." Joel 3:9-10

I'm gonna go on a rant for a little bit here, but please bare with me. It is time for men to step up and be MEN!!! Not the men you see on tv or in the movie theater, but men the way God created us. Big, burly, loud, loving, protecting, honorable men. For the past three or four generations the men of the United States have been attacked and castrated by the media and organizations that think we should roll over and play woman. I say no more, let the real men stand up and lead the way. Let me follow that thought up with this, I am not being sexist. I believe men should be men, and women should be women. Sometimes, men don't follow their God given call to lead their families, businesses, churches, etc., and the women have to take charge. However God has called men to lead the way, and men have not been doing that.

Men have let the world creep in, and it has stopped us from chasing our wives and loving them the way we should. We no longer are the strong men that protect them and our children. We have become a generation of weaklings with limp handshakes. The world of pornography has caused men to live in a virtual reality of a computer screen in stead of in the real world sharing a passionate bed with our wives. Did that make you blush? I'm not sorry. Real men chase and lust after their wives and no other woman. Too harsh? Nope! Real men enjoy sex the way God intended, in the marriage bed with your wife. Not with your hand fantasizing about the most recent nude female you have found. If this offended you, then you don't realize the effect that the media and pornography has had on you or (for the women reading) your husband.

The world expects us as men to be bubbling, babbling idiots that can't take charge and change the world. We have been castrated and are allowing the world to tell us who we are and how we should act. Well, put on your pants, strap your belt on tight, and hold on. It's time to plow forward as men and lead the way. How? That is a good question.

If you looked at the scripture at the beginning, it said "train even your weaklings to be warriors." This means even the wimpiest sissy of a man can be a great warrior and lead the way. God has given men the charge of being the head of their household, but to also love and care for your wife. Sounds kind of like and oxymoron, but it can be done. Stand your ground and make a decision, but listen and support your wife. Teach your children right from wrong. (This part might be unpopular) When your kids need discipline, sometimes it takes more than a timeout! I received spankings as a child, and I turned out just fine. I don't hate my parents or have trust issues. I love my parents for bringing me up with respect and integrity.

Now, this part may sound a little preachy, but read it through. As men we must lead our families as Godly, Christian men. God created us to be honest and live with integrity. Don't just drag your family to church on Sunday. Teach them to love Christ and his word daily. Pray with them, and do a devotional with them. Don't just stare at the flat screen on the wall every night. Be a father and a husband, not a warm body. This takes effort and energy, but if you don't think your family is worth the energy, then you might need to re-evaluate your life. The more you lead your family and teach them as a man, the more complete and happy your family will be. The more you seduce and chase your wife, the more she will love and enjoy your private life. The more time you spend in the Bible, the more God will speak to you and show you what to do in life.

Ok, I am going to stop this rant now, but I have more to share on this subject. Oh, and I will share it soon. So here it is: Men put on your big boy pants and be men!!! No more being a little sissy boy that the world runs over. Lead the way!!!

Thanks for stopping by and God Bless...

Sunday, January 15, 2012

So simple it is hard...

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 (NLT)


Why is it so hard as humans to just take things at face value, or do the easiest things asked of us. Why do we always look for the hidden meanings instead of believing exactly what was told to us. The simplest answer is that we are human, but like the previous comments, it is also the most complicated.


God made humans complex and with free will. We can decide what we want to do, and this doesn't always translate to what God has for us. Jesus said: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Luke 10:27 (NIV). This is the simplest, most straight forward commandment from the mouth of Christ, to love. If we can't love God, how can we love our neighbors? We have taken this and twisted it to I love myself, then my neighbors, finally God. Sounds messed up huh.


Back to Proverbs. We have tried to explain God, life, love, and everything in between. We have stopped listening for God to speak. We shove our minds full of the daily noise of life and the things of this world. I believe it is time for us to stop trying to explain everything, quiet our minds and listen for the voice of God, or like Pastor Chad has been teaching, the whispers from God.


In the movie I Am Legend, Will Smith's character thinks he is the last human alive after a virus de-evolves the human population. After his dog is killed by these monsters, he tries to kill several of them while also knowing this will kill himself. He is rescued by a woman that had heard his radio transmission looking for survivors. The next day she tells Smith that God told her where to look to find him. With doubt on his face, Smith questions her sanity. Her reply to this was, "The world is quieter now and it is easier to listen to God" (or something close to that). The point of this, when you get other noise out of your head and away from your life, it is easier to hear the whispers of God and the direction he wants to take your life.


Why do we have to complicate life, because we are human. Why don't we listen for God, because we are human. We take the simple things in life and make them complicated. Maybe we should be like children again and just believe what God said is what it is, no if's, and's or but's.


I hope this slaps someone in the face like it did me. Try to quiet your mind and find time for God to speak to you. Don't forget, once he speaks it's time to take action. Don't stand still, move forward and go where God leads. Anyways, sorry this is so long, but I just had to get it out. Thanks for stopping by and God bless...