Proverbs 29:25 ESV — The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.
We discus fear a lot on the Manly Message, and as we have said before the Bible discuss fear a lot as well (fear is mentioned 365 times, one time for everyday!). But, today I would like to focus specifically on fear of man. Are you being held back from something special in your life, something that God has called you to, because you are fearful of:
Persecution
Comparison
Competition
Criticism
Being left out
Let me just encourage you for a minute! Do not fear man. Seek God’s approval. Be obedient to His call and you will find yourself in peace and comfort, as well as protected. When faced with persecution, speak the truth with grace and love.
Deuteronomy 10:12 ESV — “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
Good morning men. This morning we are closing on our home and starting a new chapter in our lives. We are getting back to the country to where our family can be closer to nature and hopefully live a little slower in this rat race world. Men we thank God for all the opportunities laid before us. We know that everything we have here is borrowed and that it’s by our own will. Men, in all things we know that it isn’t by our own power. I am so humbled that we have been blessed in the way that we have. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for our family as move forward. Pray that everything goes smoothly!
One of my favorite movies is the Gladiator. The picture below reminds me sort of what Maximus was seeing in his head in the final scene right before he killed Commodus and then himself fell dead. That scene and the music that goes with it always gives me chills.
Matthew 6:25-34 ESV
25“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?g28And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
2 Corinthians 4 English Standard Version The Light of the Gospel 1Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Treasure in Jars of Clay 7But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12So death is at work in us, but life in you. 13Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. 16So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
While tomorrow is a mystery, the end is not. Live in the moment for God’s glory but also with eternity in mind. God is sovereign and has already promised us what is to come. Jesus Christ will return with his heavenly host, and all the nations will bow, and those who believe in Him will join Him and all those who went before us. A new heaven and new earth ushered in; God’s Kingdom here on earth ruled by the King of Kings and Lord of Lord’s: Jesus Christ. He is worthy of all glory, honor, and praise for He is Faithful and True. As his beloved, adopted children seek to know Him, enjoy Him and be transformed by Him as we will join him and live with him forever. Soak in that.
Also please keep in your prayers the Bolger family. A Blue Springs native and neighbor, Kuri Bolger, lost her husband, mother, and two of her three children in a tornado on 3/5/22 while visiting family in Iowa. She is alive but has sustained significant breaks and fractures that will rack the medical bills up quickly.
Psalm 34:18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Pastors, this a great day. Make the most of it.
In Kansas, this week was Sub-State basketball. I would guess that most states are into their playoffs. That means that a lot of teams are finished. That means that a lot of seniors will no longer get to represent their high schools anymore.
There are a lot of brokenhearted players and coaches. I am in that category, but in fairness to my team, had we won a State title, a part of me would have been sad the next Monday regardless because I enjoyed getting to coach them so much.
There are other kinds of brokenhearted people in this world, as well. Any part of the world facing war or any other kind of military action will have broken hearts.
Some friendships or relationships may be collapsing or loved ones my be lost. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. He saves those whose spirits are crushed. Sometimes that’s hard to understand, but let’s pray that those who need Him can find comfort in Him.
Make it a great week in the trenches. Be exceptional at being you.
I heard the song, “All Things New,” by Big Daddy Weave, yesterday and I woke up with it in my head so I Googled all things new Bible verse and this is what came up.
Isaiah 65:17 17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.
Ephesians 2:15 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,
Ephesians 4:24 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Hebrews 8:13 13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Admittedly, I knew that love was mentioned in the Bible frequently, and phrases like that, but I did not know how often making things new was referenced.
Seeing it now, I feel that it is important for us to remember that the old us, can me made new. We don’t have to hold on to the past. We can be new in Christ.
Make it a great day in the trenches. Be exceptional at being you.
Today, at work we finished a deal our team has been working on for over a year. If you have ever been in sales, you know these feel the best to close out.
As I was sitting in the clients office getting his signature, we started talking about a quote from the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius on his wall. Aurelius was not a Christian, but a famous Stoic, and the quote centered around remaining calm in the midst of chaos. We talked about how both of our lives demand that posture often.
In the Psalms, the psalmist tells us, “I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
Earlier this week, I experienced one of the larger disappointments of my time in insurance. I was so angry, but I chose to not lash out, keep my trust in God’s plan, and forge ahead. Less than 3 full days later, I was collecting a signature on a significant account.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” – John 10:10-11
I’ve been meditating on this verse for the last several weeks. It’s a great verse for us to use as a lens to our lives. We can analyze the situations we are in and see if the thief is working in them or if Jesus is.
The beauty comes in when we see that the leader, the good shepherd, was willing to lay down his life for those he was leading. It was his life to live, his choice to make, yet Jesus decided to follow his father’s will and lay down his life for all of mankind.
He IS the good shepherd. A shepherd leads and guides the sheep to the safe places they need to go. The shepherd and sheep may come across some dangerous situations along the way, but the shepherd’s every action comes from a good place.
We don’t have to question the Lord when he leads us because we know that HE IS GOOD. Scripture tells us that time and time again. What we do have to question is, why are we hesitant when he asks us to do something? What is it within our hearts that causes us to question?
That’s why there is an irony to the title of this message. It really should be simple to follow Jesus IF we trust that he is good. We should follow him all the time. However, we have to deal with the hurts in our hearts in order to get to that place of trust. We have to allow his love to perfect us as it says in 1 John 4:18.
Good morning men! It appears that spring is right around the corner with the weather we’ve had the last two days and with the forecast for the rest of the week. Spring is a beautiful time of year when our flowers return and the trees blossom again. It gives a sign of hope and prosperity. Remember men, we are all new creations in Christ. Hope springs eternal. As long as we have Christ, we have hope for a better tomorrow and a better today. I remember hearing once that not every day is a good day, but there’s good in every day. Seek to find the good in everyday men.
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