Iron Sharpens Iron

It’s the end of the year and it’s time to settle the books.

“Learning to see and accept truth has its rewards. First and foremost, intimacy with God increases dramatically when we see that His way should be our way. But when we deny the truth, we deceive ourselves, and God cannot relate to a man who is lying to himself. Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks” (John 4:23) ... Openness and honesty always lend substance and credibility to our character, which leads to greater trust. When trust is present, intimacy is experienced in greater measure. But when a man is living a lie in some other area of his life, only false intimacy can result.” Every Man, God’s Man pg. 58

The following is an extract from A Few Good Men:
Jessep (Jack): "You want answers?"
Kaffee (Tom): "I think I'm entitled to them."
Jessep: "You want answers?"
Kaffee: "I want the truth!"
Jessep: "You can't handle the truth!

The year draws to a close and as I look over my last 12 months I am starting to look for answers and understanding into many areas of life. I am trying to find out what parts of the desert were my own doing and what parts were God’s gift to draw out more of my character.

The question is do I really really want to know the truth... and secondly have I bought into the lie that “I can’t handle the truth” or that others can’t handle the truth about me so continuing to live an illusion or in isolation is my only option going into 2010?

Guys ask God to give you His eyes regarding your last year and ask Him what things you need to do to make right which those you wronged and then also make time to celebrate and remember areas where there was fruit and provision in your life.

God, we need you to give us a hunger for truth even if the truth brings with it consequences. Lord we want to walk in the light regardless. Father as we look back on the year show us where went wrong and show us where we went right so we may build a memorial in our hearts to strive for more in 2010. We need your truth. We want to be in the light! Amen.

Rob

Dang this book is working me! I would sure appreciate a break from the beat downs and gut wrenching challenges each page brings. Today refuses to let up once again. We have made it into chapter 4, The Truth: Face it or Flee. I can’t wait ;)

The Lies We Tell Ourselves

“...we’ve all mentally rationalized doing the wrong thing over the years. Here are some of my favorite justifications:

I deserve this. I’ve been working hard.

No one will ever know.

I can’t help myself

It’s part of the job, someone has to do it

As long as nobody gets hurt, everyone’s going to be okay

One last time. I promise. Then I’ll quit.

If she would just do what I want her to do, I wouldn’t be this way

Compared to him, I’m not that bad

Everyone else would do exactly what I’m doing if they were in my position

That’s just the way I am.

It’s really going to help our finances.

It’s too late to turn back now.” Every Man, God’s Man pg. 51

Those lies sound a little way too familiar. John sheds some light on the subject...

John 3:19-21 (The Message) 19-21 "This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is."

Gents, I am not sure what each one of you is battling through today but I know there is a God longing to walk us towards truth. Can we welcome Him in to expose any addictions to denial and illusions we have?

Amen,

Rob

Anyone else feeling a little weathered from this last year!? 2010 sounds quiet tiring to me to be honest. There may be the chipper few of you out there who feel opposite and then others of you who know exactly how I feel. I would sure love God to wave His magic wand and make a some things a little easier to brighten the picture of a comfortable new year but I sense there is more character work to be done.

“God understands that the conduct of a man will never outperform the content of his character, because conduct is an expression of character. One precedes the other. Or viewed another way, if we want change, we need character to pull it off.” Every Man, God’s Man pg. 40

Conduct is an expression of character... It’s like your checkbook is an expression of your bank account. You have to have money in the account to cash the check. Checks not connected to a bank account have no value whatsoever. Why do we think it works any different in our lives?

When you asked God to bless you, to enlarge your borders, when you asked God to give you big dreams and to make you the man He created you you to be, when you asked God to bless you financially so you could be a steward of his resources, when you asked God to help you be a good father, husband or friend, when you asked God to help you love others as you love yourself... He agreed to help. The thing is His help did not come in the way you expected it. Rather than waving his magic wand He did something we would never ever do willingly. He enrolled you into his Character Development Class.

We serve a God who values character more than our comfort, just ask Job from the Bible. We have to accept that sometimes His best for us is hard, very hard, that his goal is the refinement of our character and that ultimately He is good whether we can see it in the present circumstances or not.

Guys if we want great things for our lives we have to allow God to build up our bank account to be ready to cash those great things when the time comes.

Luke put it another way...

Luke 6:43 "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

Amen, Have an awesome weekend!

Rob

Our last word was a challenge to become men of integrity. I got so many responses from that email from all of you making me realize just how intense the battle is. We’re desperate to merge our public and private worlds, we’re desperate to end our isolation and begin to feel right about ourselves!

Today’s word enlightens us with the payoff for pursuing spiritual integrity, some of the reasons why we should even bother to journey our private lives towards the light.

“During a break at a men’s conference, a fellow came to me, shook my hand and took a deep breathe before asking a good, selfish question. “So what’s the payoff?” he asked.

“Freedom,” I answered.

King Solomon explained it another way: “He who walks in integrity walks securely” (Proverbs 10:9 NASB). For God’s man, the payoff is a confident, secure walk with God. With undivided loyalty, his choices are clear. With no duplicity, he has no hangovers of character. When he’s away on business, he is the same person as he is at home. He is the same man on Friday and Saturday nights as he is on Sunday mornings. He’s a father who says what he does and what he says. He is a husband his wife can trust and follow.” Every Man, God’s Man pg. 26

Those payoff sound like a dream!

One of the problems is as men we like to know what is expected of us and then to go off and get it done. We’re drawn to tasks, goals and projects. Things that have a beginning and an end. We love the satisfaction of completion. You know how good a cold beer tastes at the end of a long day of manual labor!

What makes the pursuit of spiritual integrity so hard for guys is there is no beginning and end to the testing. It’s a daily, and sometimes a 500 times daily, taking up your cross and choosing Christ, choosing to be in the light. So where and how do you start!?

As Mr. Darrell O’ Donoghue, my fellow african savage reminded me this week in an email...

“I think becoming more significant is a process of lots of little choices every

day to follow Christ, and then one day you look back and realize you have had

a significant life. In short, practice significance.”

Let’s start to PRACTICE INTEGRITY and begin to enjoy some of the payoff mentioned in our Every Man, God’s Man except today.

Amen!

Rob

Gents,

Dammit guys I want us to be the same men in private that we are in public. I want us to always be on the never ending journey toward becoming men of integrity and true character with undivided hearts. Don’t you want to start feeling right about yourself for a change, not simply good from time to time?

Many of us have fallen into an alternate hidden life that runs on a dysfunctional cycle of sin management.

We are presented with opportunities, trials or challenges which test and refine our character along with the potential of developing integrity. We choose our fleshly desires without any real fight. We feel bad, isolate ourselves from God and usually from others. Then the sin hangover starts and lasts a couple days until time magically “heals” and we become “right” enough to come before God again to try do a better job next time.

I am starting to realize I am giving in way too easily and I am forgetting what there battles are for. God is daily presenting me with opportunities to grow. He’s inviting me on a journey where every victory can be used and every failure redeemed. God allows nothing to be wasted. He wants us to be people of the light where nothing is hidden in darkness. God is open and willing to journey with me. Now if I can only truly believe that... perhaps the cycle can be broken!

“The goal is to choose God consistently under pressure and thereby develop spiritual integrity.” Every Man, God’s Man pg. 25

I always say, or i actually just made it up... The greater the odds for failure, the great the opportunity for greatness

God show your glory through our lives. In a time were filth and impurities are so accessible, make us men of integrity the world has never known! Amen

Gents,

Happy Thanksgiving to those who know what that holiday is all about. For the rest off us... enjoy time off work and good food!

Excerpt: “To move beyond adolescent enthusiasm and into a deep experience with God an undivided heart is absolutely necessary. This means answering some direct questions with unblinking honesty:

* Who am I?

* What is going to be at the center of my life?

* Where is my loyalty going to lie?

God is looking for the man who knows who he is and will not be afraid to identify with Him. The Lion of the tribe of Judah, as He is called in the Old Testament, seeks lionhearted sons.” Every Man, God’s Man pg. 23

Reflect: There is nothing more disarming and disappointing than a divided heart. Ever had a team mate that never really wanted to be there, ever been somewhere wishing you were somewhere else, ever tried to get something done yet keep getting interrupted.

All the way back in the garden the enemy knew if he could get Adam and Eve to doubt who they really were, who they should be living for and who they should be committed to, then he could divide their hearts and the battle would be won. It worked and continues to work till this day. There are seasons when I am sold out passionately pursuing the things of God and other times where my heart and mind is set on chasing the temporary things of this world that fade and rust as quick as they came. I want to re-align myself with God so He finds me when he searches the earth... “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9

Challenge: Guys answer those 3 questions... be real and honest, this is not one of those times to lie to yourself to feel better. You whole life is built on these foundations, it would be important for you to know the truth. Share your answers with close buddy and see if they see something you’re missing.

Prayer: Father help us be real and help us hear you with regards to those 3 questions. Start turning our hearts back to you so we can become undivided and available for your adventures. Amen.

Rob