Day 36...How to be a Power HOUSE Man

We have been studying and praying our way through the pattern of Lord’s prayer. When we come to the end of the Lord’s prayer, that doesn’t mean that should be the end of our prayers. Instead we have established a solid foundation to lay our many other bricks of praise, requests and thanks upon it throughout the day. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Th.5:16-18. “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 Lord’s people.” Eph.6:18

We are in a spiritual battle. We need to develop a strong prayer life. As it’s been said, “Little prayer, little power; much prayer, much power.” I like to take prayer walks to “fetch power” from God for you, for myself, my family and others. If you don’t already have a daily prayer habit of walking, standing, sitting, kneeling, etc in battle,  I want to encourage you to begin one. I don’t mean a little polite prayer, but a time for warfare prayer. I like to go to private places where I can even get loud with the Lord in prayer (Heb.5:7). We are wrestling against spiritual forces of wickedness that have hell-holds on men of spiritual lies and passivity. Cry out to God with me that these hell-holds would be broken, that God would give us multiplying MANLY men. Envision the majority of the men in our congregation that are only there Sunday morning as bound by the enemy. Then focus on a few by name. Fight the good fight of the faith. Wrestle in prayer- pry loose with determined prayers those hell-holds that men might stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. As I see the spiritual lack of desire and weakness in men, I pray that God will help us model the following and that God will give you the following kind of men- Power HOUSE men who have been lit by the flame of God's Spirit. 

Power HOUSE men are:

Hungry- I hunger for your word. I don’t have to be pushed to read it.

Obedient- I desire to do your will O my God, your law is within my heart.

Unstoppable- No matter how busy my day, I will read and share with my brothers.

Strong in the Lord- I am weak, but I find my strength and identity in Christ.

Encouraging- I know the enemy seeks to discourage others, so I will encourage them a lot.

Added thoughts on Prayer

When praying publicly, beware of praying long prayers. Give others a chance. Also beware of the vain repetition of certain words such as “Father God, Jesus just...” Would you use a friend’s name repeatedly in a few sentences as you talked to him? 
Also, you don’t have to always end your prayers with, “In Jesus’ name, Amen.” Surprisingly, there are no prayers in the Bible that end that way. What that means is that we are approaching our Father in the name or merits of his Son. We believe Jesus would sign his name to our requests. 

Praying doesn’t simply mean asking. At times your time of prayer might be dominated by singing or thanking him. Speaking of singing, cultivate a list of good God exalting songs to sing to him. Even if you only remember a bit of the song, that’s great fuel for the fire of worship. (Pet peeve of mine: songs that are misleading- "I wanna hear voices of angels singing" Ugh, I'd either be dead or crazy! "Wrap me in your arms..." That hasn't happened yet to me. What are we teaching believers to expect? We have become such a feelings generation. Where are the manly songs about standing fast in the battle? Anyway, thanks for letting me vent. :) 

Incorporate more thanks in your life and praying. When you're about to ask for something, first see if you can include a related note of thanks. So instead of simply asking God to heal a sick person, you might pray, "Thank you Lord that you are the Great Physician. Thank you for so many days of health you have already given us. Help the sick and his family members to trust you in the midst of this." Also, instead of praying, "Lord, please go with us as we travel," we could pray, "Thank you Lord that you go with us as we travel. Help us to rest in you." By the way, why not pray that we would be good reflections than just for protection? Just a thought. 

Seek to cultivate your prayer life for the rest of your life. Read articles about prayer and read the weekly prayer blog. (Please express thanks to your prayer partners from time to time.) Our lines of communication with our King is something that the enemy greatly attacks. Protect your prayer life. It's a big rock that is so easy to neglect. The word of God and prayer are such mighty weapons- they are the sword of the Spirit and the spear of the Spirit. 

So as you know, to help us be faithful in prayer as God calls us to be, you are rewarded and honored for being daily in it on our GREAT scoreboard. The letter A stands for a crucial ingredient of prayer- ASK! (Ask, Seek, Knock- the three words Jesus stressed in Mt.7:7- "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.") As you blog each day, remember to give yourself credit for having had a vital time in prayer since you last commented on the blog. The letter A also stands for Attack, that you carried out your mission to Attack hell-holds with prayer. You didn't just pray a "Thank you for this day and for my food" generic prayer. You also prayed some warfare prayers. I'm not concerned about the length of your prayers, but the depth of your prayers and the focus on your prayers. Keep crying out for hell-holds of apathy to be broken and for God to give us Power HOUSE men to join in the war of wars.

G.a.- Write out the above Power HOUSE acronym (Hungry, Obedient, Unstoppable, Strong in the Lord, Encouraging) on your MP3 card. Memorize it and pray it often for yourself, our team and your future protégés. This is how to wrestle in prayer against the hell-holds of spiritual apathy, so that men may “stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.” Col.4:12. 

G.b.- Read Eph.6:10-20. Then write on your MP3 card this manly passage- “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but…against the spiritual forces of evil…” Eph.612 NIV. (I cut it short so that we could easily remember it. Feel free to work on the entire verse if you wish.)

G.c- How many individuals or groups did you share the riches on your MP3 card with since you posted yesterday?

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Day 34-35

Day 33...A Manly Perspective- It's Not About Me

We have studied, meditated and prayed our way through the Lord’s Prayer over the past several days. If you've applied it, you've undoubtedly improved your prayer life. We have learned how to use it as a pattern for powerful praying. We have seen that a balanced prayer life includes:

1.God’s Praise (Our Father in heaven, holy is your name)

2.God’s Priorities (Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done). This comes before-  

3.Our Petitions

for our physical needs (Give us this day our daily bread)

for our spiritual needs-

          for pardon-(Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us)

          for protection- (lead us away from temptation, deliver us from evil).

This brings us to the end of this perfect pattern of prayer. Or does it? Some Protestants (The name given to those who protested against the Catholic church in the 1500s sparking the Protestant Reformation) grew up in churches where a beautiful doxology (praise) ended the Lord’s prayer- “For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. (As a boy, I even heard those words sung many times.) It seems fitting that the Lord’s prayer should end with such majestic words of praise. But where did those ending words of praise come from. Answer: The King James Bible, which so many Protestant pastors preached from. But why does the King James Bible include that ending and the modern translations don’t? Great question! What if your future protégé hit you up with that question and you didn’t already know the answer? That’s when I want you to Google it. Don’t get me wrong; I love to field Bible questions, and so do many coaches. But we want you to learn to dig for yourself. The answer to the King James Version (KJV) question can be a long and complicated one, depending on which site you land on. But a short answer to the short endings in a few different passages of the NT is at- http://www.gotquestions.org/missing-verses.html. Please read this over now. I want to recommend gotquestions.org as a “go to” site. It’s got a lot of short but sweet answers and articles. There’s beauty in brevity.

The Pulpit Commentary (published in 1890) has some glowing words to say about the ending three part praise to God’s kingdom, power and glory. “By our praise to him it induces in us the remembrance- that it is to God's kingdom that we belong, having him for King and Source of law; that it is by God's power that we live on earth and stand freed from Satan's grasp; that it is for the furtherance of God's glory that all has been done for us, all wrought in us, all these petitions are now made and all our hopes and aims are directed.”

One day when our King returns, all of the Lord’s prayer will be a doxology- praise. German Bible scholar, Johann Bengel (1687-1752), imagined how we might then pray the Lord’s prayer as pure praise- "Hallowed be the Name of our God. His kingdom has come; his will is done. He has forgiven us our sins. He has brought our temptation to an end; He has delivered us from the evil one. His is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." 

G.a- Speaking of God's kingdom, power and glory, there is one book that highlights such more than any other- the book of Revelation. Though it can be complicated in spots, it is also loaded with beautiful passages of praise to God's kingdom, power and glory. Thumb through it and pick a verse or phrase and share it to also give us fuel for the fire of our praise of God. 

G.b- Write out on your MP3 card a portion of what you picked out above and enjoy meditating on it, praying and praising it back to God and passing on to others.

G.c- How many individuals or groups did you share the riches of your MP3 card with since you posted yesterday?

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Day 32...Deliver Us from Evil!

Today we come to the last petition in the Lord’s prayer, “deliver us from evil.” Literally it says, “deliver us from the evil” Thus, it could refer to the evil of our fallen enemy nature, or the evil world system or the evil one- the devil. It’s important to note the past, present and future deliverance from evil that Scripture reveals-

The Lord has already delivered us in the past from the evil of sin’s penalty. This is known as justification. Our position is now in Christ and we have been declared right in God’s sight. “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Col.1:13-14. The word “rescued” here and in the following verses is the same Greek word [rhuomai] used in the Lord’s prayer “deliver” us from evil. We can give joyful thanks that he has delivered us from the evil dominion of darkness. We are no longer bound by hell and hell-bound. So as we come to praying, “deliver us from evil” it’s quite fitting to first give thanks for how the Lord already has delivered us from evil.

In the present time, the Lord is delivering us from the evil of sin and Satan’s power. This is known as sanctification, where we are becoming more sanctified (that means "holy") in our practice. In light of what he did for us in our past, we now gratefully want to please him in the present. But there’s a problem. “Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?" Rom.7:21-24. We can't rescue or deliver ourselves from our old evil nature anymore than a drowning man can rescue himself. This reminds us again of our need to pray- “deliver us from evil.” For the Christian life is not hard, it’s impossible apart from the power of Christ. But we are not left to rescue ourselves. So Paul then celebrates there is Someone who will deliver him from this evil. “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Rom.7:25. It is the power of the Spirit within that enables us to overcome the downward pull of evil. Just as the law of flight (aerodynamics) is greater than the law of gravity, the power of the Spirit is greater than the power of our evil nature. As I trust and obey him, I gain the victory. He teaches me to say "No" to evil and to live to please my coming King (Titus 2:12-14). So presently, daily, I can thank the Lord and pray to be delivered from evil. 

But in this present evil age, we also know "that the whole world is under the control of the evil one” 1 John 5:19. [Literally- “the whole world lies in the evil one” It lies in his jurisdiction.] We know that God is the ultimate ruler, but those who rebel against Him are under the jurisdiction of the evil one. And evil people do the will of the evil one, including persecuting God’s people. That’s why Paul said, “Pray that I will be rescued [delivered] from perverse and evil men” 2 Th.3:2. We need to remember to pray for our persecuted brothers in other lands- “deliver them from evil”- from evil men and the evil one. Wouldn’t we want people praying for us if we were venturing into the enemy’s dominion? Aren’t you glad we have prayer warriors praying for us? If severe persecution should ever come to our shores, would we be unstoppable? What mindset would it take to remain true to the Lord, even unto death? The answer is revealed in Rev.12:11- “They triumphed over him [the evil one] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” Paul put it this way- “I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace” Acts 20:24. Paul was unstoppable. May we also be.

Isn’t this the attitude of those in the military? Seal Team 6 that took out Osama Bin Laden thought they were going on a suicide mission. They didn’t expect to come back, yet they didn't cower. Why? They had dedicated themselves to the mission. They didn't shrink from death or pain. They were unstoppable. “No man can be brave who thinks pain the greatest evil.” Cicero. The greatest evil would be shrinking back from persecution and death just to save my skin for a few more years, before standing before the One who sacrificed his life to rescue me from evil and eternal flames.

Finally, one day in the future, he will deliver us even from the presence of evil and the evil one, and he will complete his transforming work in us. This is known as glorification. “When Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” Col.3:4. What a day of rejoicing that will be! So our prayer, “deliver us from evil” can also express our longing for that day when Christ returns and makes this wrong world right and we are forever delivered from even the presence of evil.

G.a- Several Scriptures have been quoted in the blog today regarding, “Deliver us from evil.” Please comment on one or something that was said in the blog that struck you. 

G.b- May we become unstoppable, like Paul. Write down the first half of Acts 20:24 on your MP3 card. The new NIV puts it this way- “I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-” Our task is to multiply MANLY men. (Feel free to use whatever version you prefer. Do the “Did it” when you did it.) 

G.c- Cowards avoid sacrifice, pain and death. Write out and post a manly prayer of unstoppable dedication. It may resemble your Acts 20:34 MP3 or you may want to word it differently. 

G.d- How many individuals or groups did you share the riches of your MP3 card with since you posted yesterday?

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"Deliver us from evil" reminds us that we are in a war and we need to pray that God would provide us spiritual protection. Yet, this is rarely sought. Often I hear people pray for God to give them physical protection as they travel. That's fine. But rarely do I hear people pray for spiritual protection. The armor of God is described in Eph.6 precisely because we are in a war and need protection. "Put on the gospel armor, put on each piece with prayer." 

Day 31...Overcoming Temptation...part 2

Don't Be a Fool and Take the Bait!

Yesterday, we began looking at the phrase in the Lord’s prayer, “Lead us not into temptation.” But wait! “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone” Ja.1:13. Instead he guides us in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake (Ps.23:3). So how can Jesus have us pray, “Lead us not into temptation?” We learned that it was an old way of saying, “Lead us away from temptation.” It is acknowledging that I am prone to wander. I need the good shepherd to lead me. He does so very well when we read and heed his word. Those who don’t are doomed. Yesterday we looked at 10 points of protection against temptation. Today, we will continue on and look at points 11-20.

11.-Remember, you can never weaken your old sin loving nature. Fasting doesn’t bother it at all. So don’t get discouraged if when fasting the devil still tempts you. That’s when the devil tempted Jesus the most. Use God’s word to battle temptation. Jesus quoted scripture each time he was tempted (Mt.4:1-11). Aren’t you glad you are meditating on a new verse each day? You’re building up a great arsenal against sin and Satan. 

12.-Know when you are most vulnerable-HALT. We are often most vulnerable to temptation when we are Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired. When I am low on sleep, I get attacked much more in my thought life. Thus, I’ve found that one of the most spiritual things I can do is take a nap if possible or go to bed earlier to recharge when I am drained. Our spiritual beings are intricately woven together with our physical beings.  

13.-If something indecent comes on the TV, be quick to change channels. If you are a guest, then close your eyes or leave the room. “Turn from it” Prov.4:15; 2 Tim.2:19; 1 Pet.3:11. Have you ever walked out of a movie theater because the movie was trash? Good for you!

14.-Guard your eyes. Jesus said, “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:28). To look at a woman who is beautiful is not sinful, it’s normal. Even the writers of the Bible noted certain women were "very beautiful" (Gen.12:14; 24:16;2 Sam.11:2). But when the look becomes a long look, trouble is brewing. The lustful look may soon follow. So admit the obvious and then move on. Change your view. “Do not lust in your heart after her beauty.” Prov.6:25. Job said, "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.” Your body, including your eyes, belongs to the Lord. So we are to honor the Lord with our bodies (1 Cor.6:9-20). I’ve made it a game of sorts to turn my head away from lewd billboards, especially when my wife is in the car. I've earned her trust and I never want to lose it. And I don't want to grieve the Spirit of God either. "And do not grieve the Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" Eph.4:30.  

15.-Hate what you love. Our sinful nature loves sinful, evil things. Yet the Bible tells us, “Hate what is evil, cling to what is good” Rom.12:9. We are to be controlled by God and our godly decisions, not our ungodly desires. Thus, I choose to hate what I originally may be drawn to. Often our first impulse is the flesh impulse. So declare what God and your new nature think of that which is seeking to deceive and destroy you. “I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech” Prov.8:13. Say such things out loud. "I hate that!" What is expressed is impressed. 

16.-Recognize that what we are first drawn to is often the deceptive and deadly thing. “Each one is tempted, when by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death” James 1:14-15. Temptation has the seductive lure of a prostitute. Flee it. I also must accept full responsibility for my actions. It is my own evil desires that desire temptation. I can’t blame it on the devil, my friends, circumstances or my spouse. “If you were just a better spouse, this never would have happened.” Liar!

17.-Use hand signs as powerful reminders. Perhaps, put your hand up as a blinder to guard your eyes when you start to see something or someone you shouldn’t look at. Touch your wedding ring if you’re married. Pretend you're stabbing it to death (Col.3:5).This may sound silly, but I've often found that introducing a bit of comic relief is quite relieving. 

18.-Pray for the person who is knowingly or unknowingly tempting you. “Lord, I pray that you would clothe her in holiness. She is someone’s daughter or mother." And pray for yourself, your spouse or your M3 teammates that they will be led away from temptation.

19.-Thank God for the good things you already have. Temptation works by making you think how good it would be to have what you don’t have. So let the temptation prompt you to count your blessings. It’s well near impossible to tempt a rejoicing, praying, thankful Christian. “Rejoice always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” 1 Th.5:16-18. 

20. Pray continually (1Th.5:17). As we have seen, prayer is a powerful weapon against temptation. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation” Mt.26:41. So pray continually. This doesn’t mean you are expected to be praying every minute of the day. Often you need to be concentrating at work, for example, on things other than prayer. To pray without ceasing means we shouldn’t take a vacation from prayer. It means we should be in frequent communication with God. Don’t wait until your formal prayer time to talk to the Lord. We need to turn our temptations into conversations with the Lord. Seek to cultivate a habit of touching base with God throughout the day. May our MP3 cards prompt us to do so all the more. God’s word helps us to find words to respond to him. It’s also been said, “This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.” Let’s choose the former.

G.a- Once again, there are plenty of passages that have been quoted or referenced. Pick one that especially grabs you, and share your thoughts on it.

G.b- Write a favorite portion of the verse you picked on your MP3 card. Then do the Did it.

G.c- How many individuals or groups did you share the riches of your MP3 card with since you posted yesterday?

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Hey Dave, you said under point 11 that fasting doesn't weaken the flesh at all. But I thought that was one of the reasons people fasted. 
I'm sure it is a reason many people set out on a fast. I just know from Scripture and experience that fasting doesn't accomplish that. The confusion comes about because certain versions of the Bible use the same word "flesh" to refer to our bodies (flesh and blood) and to our sinful nature. So some people try to starve the flesh. They may weaken their flesh (body), but not their flesh (sinful nature). The Bible's directives for dealing with the flesh, our old twisted desires, is what we have been enumerating yesterday and today. I don't recall a verse related to fasting that was associated with dealing effectively with temptation. Since we are on the topic of fasting, the emphasis of the New Testament is not on doing without food; it is doing.  If you are going to subtract food, please add prayer. If you want to greatly increase your time in prayer and don't think you could fast for very long, try this to begin with. Use your body's natural desire for food to prod you to pray." I will not eat a meal until I pray for 15 minutes or more." Just going without food doesn't make you more spiritual. But it may make you more irritable and weak. So if you are going to decrease your food intake, please increase your godly intake of prayer and the word. Just a thought. 

Day 30 Overcoming Temptation

A Wise Man Knows When to Fight and When to Flee!

The Lord’s prayer has been helping to shape our prayer life in a more full and balanced way. It’s good to start out with God’s Praise (Our Father in heaven, holy is your name) and then pray regarding God’s Priorities (Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.) After God’s Praise and God’s Priorities, we come to our Petitions- for provisions (daily bread), pardon (forgive us our debts) and now we come to protection- “Lead us not into temptation.” 

Doesn’t this seem like an odd request? We are told clearly that “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt any man.” James 1:13. This is just an old way of saying, “lead me away from temptation.” This prayer makes sense in light of what Jesus said to his sleepy disciples as he agonized in prayer in the garden, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” Mt.26:41. Jesus' command to “watch” reminds me of a military watch or guard. They were to keep watch, to be alert! “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 NLT. Being watchful or alert and prayerful comes out in Paul’s following exhortation- “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Col.4:2 NLT. Looking at these last three verses, we see that we must be alert and prayerful to deal with temptation. I wonder how many times a day, people fall prey to it because they don’t pray. God wants to lead us away from temptation, not be led into temptation, so he has given plenty of guidance for victory over it throughout his word. Here are several important points to keep in mind for ourselves and others we can help.

1.-Don’t believe the serpent’s lies. From the beginning, Satan has deceived people into believing that God’s way isn’t the best way. His oft' repeated lies are-“God can’t be trusted. There’s more to life. If it looks good, go for it!”

2.-Keep a healthy distance from tempting people, places and things (Ps.1:1; Prov.7:6-10). If you can’t change your friends, change your friends. Fix your focus on enjoying God’s good ways instead.

3.-Get rid of whatever has been tripping you up. And change your stinking thinking. So don't dwell on ways to indulge your evil desires. Instead, rely on Christ and strive to reflect Him. Notice how Rom.13:14 puts this- "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature."

4.-Name the temptation for what it truly is. When Joseph was tempted by Potiphar’s wife, he said, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?!” Gen.39:9.

5.-Temptation looks far better than it ever is. “It’s might look like big scoops of chocolate ice cream covered with whip cream, but each scoop is just horse plop. Anyone for it now? Sin’s aftertaste is truly disgusting. Let the ruined lives of those who have gone after sin, remind you of this. Do you want to end up like them? See Prov.5:8-14.

6.-The gravitational pull toward the temptation gets weaker the farther you move away from it in thought and action. That’s why the Bible says, “Flee the evil desires…” 2 Tim.2:22. Since nature abhors a vacuum, we must replace the evil with the good. "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Rom.12:21. It's like going on a diet. "Get out the bad, get in the good."Replace harmful behaviors with helpful ones.

7.-Thank the devil, so to speak, for the temptation. I’m not really on speaking terms with Satan, but it is a great way to frustrate his tempting ways. Every time a tempting thought invades, let it serve as a reminder to thank and praise Jesus for his victory over sin and Satan. Singing a praise song works wonders for many and many a time. Satan can’t stand a singing saint. (Speaking of speaking to the devil, it’s been said, “Every time the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future.”:)

8.-Remember that sins of the body must be conquered (swearing, stealing, lying, cheating, drugging, immorality, etc.), but sins of the heart we will battle until the day we die. We will keep fighting the good fight of faith against such ongoing foes of pride, lust, greed, passivity, unfaithfulness, lack of love, etc. That’s not good news, but it’s the truth, and it’s a way we can demonstrate our love and faith to God. Our devoted redeemer and holy one is worthy of our devotion and holiness. Battle on! You are not alone. (1 Pet.5:8-9)

9.-Recognize, you are no match for temptation when you get too close to it. So flee it. Be alert. What’s going on in your heart? Are you attracted to a pretty woman that you have no business getting close to at your place of business? Establish wise boundaries. Here are some that wise men have established to protect themselves from an affair- "I will not flirt. I will not be huggy and touchy. I will not share my marital issues. I will not linger. I will not be go out for a meal alone with her or chauffer her alone. I will use my wedding ring as a reminder to myself and others." It’s not a sin to be attracted to an attractive woman. That just proves you’re a healthy man. But to flirt with her just proves you’re a foolish man. (Prov.6:20-7:27)

10.- Renew your mind. “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind” Rom.12:2. Write down key MP3 verses to help you in your specific temptations and review them frequently. Let the temptation again trigger you to pray, to move away, and to review transforming truths. Let old weaknesses prompt you to become strong in God’s word.

Tomorrow, we will look at more practical points from God's word on dealing with temptation.

G.a- Several passages have been quoted or referred to. Pick one and share your thoughts on it.

G.b- Write a key portion of the passage on your MP3 card for later mediation, prayer, praise and passing on. After you've written it out, do the Did it.

G.c- How many individuals or groups did you share the riches of your MP3 card with since you posted yesterday?

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Online pornography has become a huge source of temptation and destruction in millions of men's lives. Chris White is a Bible teacher who earlier in his Christian life struggled and eventually gained freedom over such. He tells his story on a YouTube video he posted. http://conspiracyclothes.com/nowheretorun/video-archive/?tubepress_page=2  Check it out if you wish. It could be a helpful resource to and others who may need your help in this area. He doesn't mention installing online filters, but that can be a big help. Of course if a guy installs such himself, he could easily uninstall it. I had a techy friend come over and put such on all the data coming into our home. Peace of mind.

Day 29...Can You Shake Hands Like Men?

As we have been working our way through the Lord’s prayer, we’ve come to a very challenging portion of it- “Forgive us our sins as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.” Sin is such a huge issue that God himself had to come down in flesh and cruelly die to provide forgiveness for our sins. Every ruptured relationship that we or others may be struggling with is rooted in sin. Thus, it must be uprooted. God is most merciful to forgive us when we confess our sins. We reflected on this yesterday- “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” Prov.15:33. We also reviewed our helpful way of encouraging ourselves to confess rather than conceal our sins. We simply write Y for "Yes" after the letter R at the end of our daily comments. Again, the letter R stands for such things as Repented, Reconciled, made Restitution, Regained my Respect in God’s eyes, the eyes of others and in myself. Speaking of the word restitution, let’s answer a question regarding it and then tackle some other questions related to forgiveness.

What is restitution anyway?

The word is used 14 times in the Bible and it means to make amends, to repay. The goal of restitution is restoring things to a friendly or peaceful relationship. A proper apology could be the one I taught my son as a child, "I'm sorry; what I did was wrong. Would you please forgive me? What can I do to make it up to you?" It is because of the Bible's wise teaching on making amends that we practice restitution when a brother would wrong another by not calling him back by the end of the following day or being late for a meeting. He is to make amends with a doughnut or a drink. (My brew is Diet Mt.Dew:) Notice that this is not some heavy fine, though the wrong was wrong indeed.(As a matter of fact, if this same issue occurs again, the wronged party is to contact another coach so that we can help the offender to overcome such.)  The doughnut or drink is an inexpensive thing, designed to foster a happy resolution. As a matter of fact, we encourage the offending person to buy a few doughnuts so he too can all the more enjoy their next time together. Why? Because this isn't about shame but celebrating restoration. All is well now. Restitution restores the respect owed to the other team member and one's self-respect (and vice versa). We can never respect ourselves when we have acted disrespectfully. 

People can try to minimize, rationalize or conceal their sins against another, but it is still a barrier in the relationship until it is broken down by confession and restitution. We are following God's example- he devises ways so that a person may not remain estranged (2 Sam.14:14). Restitution is aimed at the restoration of the relationship. This is the heart of God and our heart in this matter. God celebrates relationships restored and so do we. When a brother rights his wrong via confession and restitution, he also gets to put a Y after that R. And that puts points on the board for the team and for himself. We celebrate the strength it took to make that wrong right. Way to go!

Why do so many recommend to write a list of wrongs you need to right?

Writing helps our minds to clarify things and may expose hidden things. Paul wrote, “we have renounced secret and shameful ways.” 2 Cor.4:2. We know that “he who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” Prov.28:13. So it is wise to clean house, to gain a clear conscience. May this be our testimony- “We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.” Heb.13:18. The letter R is about helping you be a warrior of Respect and honor. So right wrongs.

But what if the person I wronged has done a whole lot of wrong to me to begin with? They may deserve a whole lot worse than you ever did to them. But as my father used to say when I returned wrong back to my brother or sister, “Two wrongs don’t make a right.” Here’s what our Father says, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord. On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Rom.12:17-21.

This is what God did for us. He overcame our evil by doing good for us. He gave far more than food; He gave us his Son that we might be reconciled to him. Reconciliation is so Godlike and of such great importance to God. Look what he has even commissioned us to do- God “reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” 2 Cor.5:18-20. May we also not count people's sins against them.

We are ambassadors of reconciliation! So if we realize during our time of worship that we have offended someone, what should we do? Jesus said, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift” Mt.5:23-24. Wow! Reconciliation is even more important than worshiping and giving. So seek to settle matters quickly. Make this “a big rock,” a top priority issue.

But what if the person is no longer alive?

You could imagine them still alive before you and confess your wrongdoing.

But what if I don’t even know where the person lives anymore?

Then you could pray, “Lord, if you want me to seek their forgiveness, then you will need to surface them.” God will orchestrate things as He sees fit. He is glad that you have a willing heart to make things right.

But what if it would only make things worse?

Then leave that with God as well. Perhaps write out a letter of confession nonetheless to get it cleansed out of you, then get rid of the letter as God does with our sins.

But what if the person is still not a safe person? I don’t want to have a relationship with him (her).

You don’t need to. Ask for forgiveness or granting forgiveness is not the same as trusting them again. Trust is something that is earned by being trustworthy.

Note: If the person you are talking to doesn't know you're a Christian, it's often good to begin by saying, "God has convicted me that what I did was wrong..." Give God the credit for such. You might be pleasantly surprised at where the conversation goes because of this. 

G.a- There might be other things that you think are important to add to our discussion on seeking forgiveness from a person we have wronged. If so, feel free to share if you wish. Or if you have a personal story you want to share, without getting into intimate details, that could be very helpful to others. This kind of sharing with others is huge. We are not modeling perfection for our team mates, but modeling what to do with our imperfections. JC Penney said, "When you fall down, get up." We want to coach people to get up.

G.b- Several Scriptures were shared again today. Pick one that especially grabbed you; write it out and share briefly your thoughts on it. Then also write it on your MP3 card. Do the “Did it” when you did it.

G.c- How many individuals or groups did you share the riches of your MP3 card with since you posted yesterday?

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Day 27-28 of Basic Training

Day 26...It Takes a Real Man to Do This!

The last two times we have focused on the powerful portion in the Lord’s prayer- “Forgive us our sins as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.” But what if I am the one who has sinned against another? Can I claim that it’s all under the blood and ignore what I’ve done even in my B.C. days? No, we should go back to those whom we have sinned against and confess such. (I’ve had to do so.) Notice this is what the prodigal son did. He had terribly insulted his father on earth and in heaven and so he confessed, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.” Luke 15:21.

The father gave him a warm embrace and extended amazing grace. But that doesn’t mean others will when we confess our wrongdoings against them. Why? Perhaps they are hardened in heart or perhaps our confession seems insincere to them. When my boy was little and wronged his sister, we told him he needed to say he was sorry. He hated doing this, so through gritted teeth and without moving his lips, he would say, “Sorry.” So later we had him say the following, “I’m sorry; what I did was wrong. Will you please forgive me? What can I do to make it up to you?” He didn’t like saying that either, but the last questions usually prompted my daughter to extend mercy and grace to the little sinner. (Hmm, wonder where he got that sinful streak? “It was the woman you gave me”:) 

By the way, isn't it amazing how both children and adults blame other people for their sins. Or they justify it or minimize it. For example, you might hear a believer cuss while on the job. His coworkers may stick it to him a bit and say- "And you call yourself a Christian?!" To which he might say such dumb things as- "Well, you guys make me so mad!" "I didn't say, I was perfect, but I am forgiven, which is more than I can say for you guys." What should he instead say to his coworkers? "You know, you're right. Please forgive me for that." This is the right and quickest way to rebuild his testimony. 

Even after being a Christian for many years, I know confession of my wrongdoings is still tough for me to do. Yet, confession of sin is foundational for growth. Relationships with God and others suffer greatly when we brush our bad behavior under the rug. Plus, we lose respect in our own eyes and the eyes of others. We tend to think we will lose face if others knew we blew it. So how can we help ourselves and our proteges to get better at this vital practice of confession that we foolishly naturally shun?  If only there was a way we could commend men for having the courage to right a wrong? There is! Thanks to our daily online fellowship and our GREAT scoreboard we help each other in ways which most Bible studies sadly skip. offline weekly groups can never do. How? We commend you for being honest. No, this isn't like a confessional booth. As you've seen, you don't need to tell all of us the details us of how you were rude to your wife and how you later apologized to her. Though, you can. Instead, simply type Y for Yes after the letter R. The letter R stands for Repented, Reconciled, Regained my Respect. Sometimes, it is wise to also call up a coach if you're dealing with a tough issue. That's why Scripture says, "Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." James 5:16. Stronghold sins need to be exposed to the care and prayer of others to be broken. 

But what will my brothers think? 
They will Respect you! You also will be helping the team score on the board. (So the team with the most honest sinners may win that day:) Just imagine what this can do for a man's marriage? Picture a man's wife saying to her friend, "My husband is not the same man he used to be. He rarely could admit his wrongs, but now he seems more motivated to do so. I don't know what's gotten into him?" I do! He is now being made to feel like a hero not a zero for admitting his wrongs. (Just now, my wife walked into my office and I confessed how I had recently been hurtful with my words. She graciously forgave me. I feel better and she feels better. Anybody want to recruit me onto your team? I might put a whole lot of points on the board for you!:) So let's normalize the fact that "we all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man" Ja.3:2. If a man tells me he is never at fault in what he says, he has the fault of lying! "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." 1 John 1:8. So we make heroes out of the men that have the guts to heroically tackle sin in their lives. It takes real strength and humility to do so, and God honors humility (Prov.15:33). So let's honor what God honors. Our relationships with all people will only improve as we quickly seek to right wrongs. 

G.a- Prov.28:13 is hugely helpful in regards to confessing sin, rather than ignoring it. So please look it up and write it on your MP3 card (Meditation, Prayer, Praise, Pass it on). Do the “Did it” when you did it.

G.b- Please comment on anything that we covered today in the blog.

G.c- How many individuals or groups did you share the riches of your MP3 card with since you posted yesterday?

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Day 25...This is Essential for Victory, Freedom and Peace in Your Life!

“Forgive us our sins as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” This is such a huge topic and issue that we are returning to it. Today, we want to focus on forgiving others and dealing with stronghold sins. It's essential for victory, freedom and peace in your life. We especially need to confess the deadly sin of unforgiveness. In light of the huge sin debt that our Lord has forgiven us, how dare we not forgive the relatively small sin debt of others (Mt.18:21-35). I know it doesn’t feel small at first, but it’s crucial that we bring closure to their sin against us, or it will close off our fellowship with our Father. Jesus highlighted this right after giving the Lord’s prayer. He said, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” Mt.6:14-15. The older brother’s unforgiveness toward his prodigal brother hardened his heart and kept him from enjoying his father’s joy and fellowship at the celebration. He ended up resenting even his father’s grace.

So if the Spirit of Christ should point out an area where we are harboring unforgiveness or are failing to reflect Christ in thought, word or deed, then follow David’s example- “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” Ps.32:5.

But if we foolishly seek to hide the enemy (our sins), rather than confessing and ridding ourselves of such, then great setbacks await us- “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper…” Prov.28:13. The strong walls of Jericho fell to Joshua and the people as they obeyed God. But they were next soundly defeated at the small town of Ai because one man saw, coveted, and stole forbidden things. He concealed his transgressions. It wasn’t until he confessed his evil that the army was victorious. How horrible to think that if I should cherish sin in my heart, that I could hinder not only myself, but the army of God and M3.   

So if you (including me) ever end up struggling with a concealed and enslaving sin, then it’s time to use another powerful, divine weapon to drive it out- confessing to another brother who can help you conquer. Breakthroughs begin when dark, enslaving sins such as pornography, immorality, drugging, drinking, etc are exposed to the light- ”Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” Eph.5:11. Such sins are sickening to your soul. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16. 

We want to be righteous men who are prayerful and helpful so that a struggling brother feels safe to open up to us. When he does, we want to lovingly seek to restore him, hating the sin, but loving the sinner. “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Gal.6:1-2. The law of Christ is His law of love. God's great love that forgave us is to motivate us to forsake our sins and help others overtaken by sin. Love is the greatest.

G.a- Once again, we’ve covered several important Scriptures. Pick one from all of the above that especially grabbed your attention; write it out on our blog and briefly comment on it.

G.b- Write out a portion of that passage on your MP3 card. Do the “Did it” when you did it.

G.c- With how many individuals or groups did you share the riches on your MP3 card, since you posted yesterday?

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Day 24... Fight Against the Enemy within the Gates!

Today we come to a surprising phrase in the Lord’s prayer- “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” But, aren't we already forgiven? Then why do we have to ask God to forgive us? Answer: God, as our Judge, has forgiven our sin debt because it was paid for by His Son, the Innocent One. Thus, we are eternally right in his sight and will be forever together. But as our Father, God is calling us to forgive others as he has fully forgiven us. We are to be like God, “forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” Eph.4:32. Today we will begin with this first phrase “Forgive us our sins.” Tomorrow we will deal with those who have sinned against us and stronghold sins.

Because of salvation in Christ, we are forgiven and new creations in Christ, but we still have an “enemy within the gates” that wages war against our soul. We must constantly guard our new hearts from the enemies of sin and Satan. Men, we are in a battle. Passivity is our downfall. 

Thus as soldier’s, we are given this manly command, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” Prov.4:23. If an enemy could capture or pollute a town’s well, the people were doomed. Thus, our hearts must be guarded at all costs from enemy attack. The corrupt nature wants to ruin us. So it is- kill or be killed. “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator" Col.3:5-10.

But what do we do when our guard has slipped and such enemies have breached the gates of our Mansoul? We must drive them out! But how? “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” 2 Cor.10:4. The first weapon to use to drive out sin is surprisingly simple- it’s confession. As we come to this part in the Lord’s prayer, with God’s help we can do a quick scan of the land of our heart. Has bitterness crept in? Name (confess) the enemy. Is it resentment, pride, lust, greed, bad language or unforgiveness to others? We should confess these as soon as we are aware of them, even in the middle of our day. When we confess such sins, God gives us a wonderful promise to claim-“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9. The waters of cleansing are waiting for us (John 13:6-11). When I confess what sins I am aware of, He then even cleanses me from what I’m not aware of- all unrighteousness. TYF! (Thank You Father!)

Thus, we don’t need to go on a witch hunt of introspection to find sins to confess. To fix our eyes on searching out sin is a dark and despairing pursuit. We are called to fix our eyes on Jesus who brings forgiveness, joy and peace. Instead, at this point in the Lord’s prayer, simply invite God to search you-

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” Ps.139:23-24.

G.a- As we have seen, there are plenty of passages that speak to us about this vital subject of sin, confession and forgiveness. (To save you time, I wrote them out, rather than asking you to look them all up.) Pick out one verse or phrase out of the many that were quoted above and share your good thoughts regarding such.

G.b- Copy down 1 John 1:9 on your MP3 card. Then do the “Did it.”

G.c- With how many individuals or groups did you share the riches on your MP3 card, since you posted yesterday?

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The above picture of warriors fighting reminds us that we are in a terrible battle. But the weapons we must use to defeat satanic forces that hold men in apathy are supernatural. They include the sword of the Spirit and the spear of the Spirit- the word of God and prayer. So we need to be prayer warriors. We're deceived by the enemy already if we think we can win otherwise. Keep praying Attack prayers. Pray that we would be MANLY men who would forcefully advance God's kingdom against the forces of darkness.

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