I am happy to announce my book is finally available on Kindle. Download a copy to your Kindle reader.
For a free PDF of the book, which you can read through your PDF reader, click on the following link:
https://nwmenscoalition.files.wordpress.com/2022/12/book-template-12-1-22.pdf
What if everything you plan to do this next year suddenly changed? It is devastating enough to suffer from a major health or natural disaster, which many have. But what if something were to change inside of you, in your heart? What if your identity and self-story collapse into a whole different perspective?
The apostle Paul had such an experience. While on the way to conduct his plan to arrest defectors from their traditional, Jewish religion, his life was altered in an instant. He thought he was a righteous defender of his religious heritage. But everything he thought was his identity, and the will of God for his life disappeared in a flash. In that binding light, he saw who he really was and into his life as the will of God. He was made to see into a deeper reality of his being.
Most of us are taught to search for God’s will for our lives. But like Paul, God’s will finds us. It isn’t in the something that we plan to do with our life for God, but in the Someone who is our life. Paul saw who that Someone was – His Son (Jesus) unveiled in me (Gal.1:16). When Paul saw Jesus, and that He was actually existing in his life, everything changed. All his plans and passions were blown away in Jesus’ brilliant glory. Paul saw the secret of his true identity – Christ among (in me), the expectation of glory (Col.1:27).
When you see Christ in you, everything does change. You realize that you no longer need to search for God or for what He wants you to do with your life. Your focus isn’t even on yourself anymore because your old self doesn’t exist (Gal.2:20). Instead, all is about Him. He lives in your heart and speaks to your mind. You find yourself tuned to your/His heart and listening for His thoughts and words forming in your mind and mouth. You are poised for the adventure of seeing His will unfold in you each new day. Your plans are His plans and goals.
Jesus is your real life, the self that is actually you (Col. 3:3). Having realized this truth, Paul now introduced himself not as a zealot for Judaism, but as an apostle of Christ Jesus, through the will of God (Col.1:1). This was his true identity, and it took a dramatic revelation for him to see it. All of us, like Paul, live in and as Jesus, but just don’t know it. With that new revelation of His life, Paul affirms, there is no Greek and Jew, Circumcision and Uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, freeman, but all and in all is Christ (3:11). Let’s discover who it is that wants to live our lives and perform His plans through us in 2022.
(All scripture quotations from the Concordant Literal New Testament, Concordant Publishing Concern, 1983.)
As Joseph was agonizing about what he should do concerning his fiancée, Mary’s illegitimate pregnancy, he slipped into a trance where he heard an angel speak to him. Contrary to his own conclusion, the messenger told him her child was conceived by the supernatural work of God Himself. He even told him the child’s gender and ordered him to name the boy Jehoshua, which in Hebrew is an abridged form of Jehovah-Saviour (the English form is Jesus). This boy was the Savior provided by Jehovah to save His people, not necessarily from political or natural enemies, but from their sins (Mt 1:21).
The greatest destroyer and plague on humanity is sin. Again, from the Hebrew, we learn that the word sin means to miss the mark or the path. Its meaning comes from the ancient picture of a nomadic shepherd losing his way to the next oasis in the desert. As wandering nomads, people have lost their way in life for centuries. They have missed the path to the life-giving oasis.
The world is confusing, there are many ways to get lost. God gave His people directions on how to stay on the path, but they thought they were hard and refused to follow them. Even with direction signs like clouds or fire in the sky, they still lost their way. As a result, the greatest problem in our world is that people do not know where they are going or where they are. They are lost in the wilderness, and the result is a devastating void in their lives.
Jesus was sent to save people from being lost, trying to find their own way, or pretending they know where they are going. They are striving to be productive and happy, but in reality, their lives are aimless, uncertain, and full of fear. That is why Jesus said, “I am the way” (Jn 14:6). He is the Savior that puts us back on the path, saving us from our “lostness”. But He doesn’t just show us the way, He IS the path. He puts us in Him so that we get back to who and where we are intended to be as children of God. In Him, we find direction, meaning, fullness of life, and basic identity. He is our life that is on track, on purpose, focused, and centered.
We don’t need to be searching for the next oasis, Jesus is the only spring we need to drink from (Jn 4:13-15; 7:37). He is the well that His ancestors looked for. He is the water that satisfies our thirst and spiritually flows from our lives as the expression of Himself. We need to continually drink Him in, stay in Him, where we belong. He is our Way in life, the Truth of who we are, and the Life God has intended us to have. His name is our name, the one in which we are “bowing”, giving adoration, expressing the intention of the Father to be His people on the right path (Phil. 2:9-11, paraphrased from the Concordant Literal New Testament).
This Christmas, enjoy celebrating the name of Jesus, the name that brings true joy. “Once I was lost, but now I am found.” (John Newton, “Amazing Grace”,1772)
The movie, The Shack, has touched thousands of people with emotional healing, redemption, and forgiveness. It has also helped restore people’s trust in a loving and caring God. But at the same time, it has also opened up a multitude of questions about our conventional understanding of God and the Trinity. As a result, there has been no lack of criticism and warnings that the film should be considered heresy, even though it is only a fictional story.
The debate mostly centers on who God is or how He (or She?) should be perceived. But that overlooks the bigger question. Read the rest of this entry »
The 23rd Psalm is perhaps the most commonly recited Biblical passage by people in andoutside of the Christian community. It is a comforting picture of the providence of God, but it is also a description of man’s essential needs. Here are those needs expressed in the context of ministering to men.
Seven Needs of a Man #6 – Men need a “Cheers”. v. 5
One of the most popular, long running TV sitcoms of the late 80’s and early 90’s was called “Cheers”. It’s setting was a local pub in the heart of Boston and each week it’s cast of characters entertained the audience with dialogues on life, relationships and current issues of the day in a comedic fashion. But more than the hilarity what captured viewers was the show’s portrayal of what real acceptance and trusted community can be like. It’s theme song expressed it well in the phrase, “I just want to go where everyone knows my name.”
Because of shame, guilt and an uncertain identity many men today live with a mask of self protection, not wanting to experience any additional condemnation. They long to be accepted for who they really are. As a result, they are drawn to environments where they think they can find that acceptance such as a local “Cheers”. They want a “place” that they feel is safe, welcoming, and encouraging. Read the rest of this entry »
The 23rd Psalm is perhaps the most commonly recited Biblical passage by people in and outside of the Christian community. It is a comforting picture of the providence of God, but it is also a description of man’s essential needs. Here are those needs expressed in the context of ministering to men.
Men need a “rod” to count on. v. 4.
As a shepherd, David counted on his rod or staff to protect himself and his sheep from harmful predators. He saw God’s protection in the same way. He learned that when he was journeying through dangerous life zones he could count on God’s rod and staff to be his safety.
21st century men still need the protective power of God. Men still need comfort and protection not only physically but in the dark valleys of depression, temptation, moral failure, discouragement, etc. Where do men go to overcome the fear and shame of condemnation that lurks in their souls? Read the rest of this entry »
The 23rd Psalm is perhaps the most commonly recited Biblical passage by people in and outside of the Christian community. It is a comforting picture of the providence of God, but it is also a description of man’s essential needs. Here are those needs expressed in the context of ministering to men. (see previous posts, Category: Men Today, Ministry to Men)
3. Men Need frequent Renewal. v. 2b.
No doubt King David, the author of this Psalm, had come to realize that God would give him the physical strength to do extraordinary feats such as killing bears and lions, bringing down Goliath, or running from King Saul. But, he also realized that he could not sustain that kind of strength unless he remained strong deep within his inner man. As illustrated in other passages he needed to recall who he was according to God. The knowledge and reminder of who he really was in God’s view was the key to renewing his strength. (Ps. 22:19-26, 27:1-3, 42:5-11)
Believing men tend to forget who they really are and their confidence has to be renewed almost daily. The Bible makes it very clear Read the rest of this entry »
Most of us have recited the popular Bible verse of Philippians 4:13 when in a time of physical or emotional need. We are taught that we can count on Christ to provide us the needed help to get us through the crisis. Jesus is viewed as our “go to guy” for whatever we need.
Recently my wife Shirley showed me the graphic on the left that clearly points out a very different interpretation for this verse. It shows us the contrast between the common perspective of our relationship with Christ and that of the Truth. That truth is that Jesus is not just a provider for our needs, He IS the provision. He doesn’t just give us what we need; He gives us Himself, the total Life provision. (John 14:6)
Why has this not been clearly understood or so overlooked? Read the rest of this entry »
For most of my life and early pastoral ministry I followed this popular exhortation, “Do great things for God!” I was told and even preached that the best thing you could do with your life was to serve God with your whole heart. This was also the repeated challenge by the senior pastor of the church where I served as an associate staff. The more a member served God through the church indicated the sincerity of their love and heart for God.
But years of personally and aggressively trying to follow this belief only led to frustration and fatigue. Even trying to “balance” my time for God with my family or other activities did nothing to stave off the empty weariness. The only consolation was that it was “noble” to burn out for God like so many gone before me. I had accepted the popular idea that Christ died for our sins so now we need to gratefully devote our lives to obeying the Bible. Read the rest of this entry »
Are you striving to be a better man?
Do you leave Sunday morning church with the feeling that you wish you could do what the pastor spoke about? Do you read or listen to radio preachers or evangelists and wish that you could be as spiritually mature as they are? Do you live under the fear that you are not living different enough or better than the rest of the world? Are you ashamed that you are not reading your Bible, praying or serving in the local church as much as you ought to be. Do you worry that you are not growing spiritually as you should be? Are you afraid that your addiction or lifestyle is holding you back from being the best that you should be for God?
I have good news for you. Read the rest of this entry »
KNOWING JESUS 