HIT Man Christmas

Well guys, Christmas time is here and so I thought it was time to add to the Blog.  There are a lot of different issues, beliefs and challenges about Christmas and probably not enough proper instruction.  So today I will attempt to set out some tools to help you as men to be who you are supposed to be this Christmas.


First we need to be reminded that Christmas is intended to be a celebration of the coming of Jesus, the Biblical Jesus.  This is important because we are to know the Biblical Jesus and proclaim Him and not allow our understanding of Jesus to be polluted by the thinking of men and the media of the world.  So make sure you are grabbing the Word of God with regard to this Jesus we are celebrating.


Second we need to make the hard decisions about how we are to celebrate Christmas.  What we need to do is lead our homes, our families, our Churches, our communities, in such a way that we are ensuring that Jesus is the focus and not other things which would take away from that focus.  So for example - we should not be doing a large Santa time etc....  where we over spend on gifts.  Instead we should be spending time teaching people about the coming of Jesus, and worshiping Him and exchanging simple gifts with loved ones so that we can instead make sure we have the "means" to celebrate Jesus as the greatest gift by helping those in need.  Part of the Biblical teaching of the Christian life is to be one who helps those in need.  This is part of how we can share about Jesus and Christmas is a great time to live this out.


Third we need to make sure that we do not fall into false teachings or legalisms that would cause us to miss this opportunity to proclaim Jesus.  There is still an expectation in our culture today that as a Christian I will talk about Jesus at Christmas.  So there is a great opportunity to get the message out about a Biblical Jesus.  The dangers we face are that there are some people who also take the opportunity of the season to spread false teachings and to try and discredit Jesus.  We need to be men of the Word as I said before but we also need to be teaching effectively to defend what the Bible says.  The other danger we face is those who believe that as a Christian we should not celebrate Christmas because of all the issues with the way it is celebrated by our culture.  There are those who would tell you the date is wrong and so they refuse to celebrate Christmas and other reasons.  It can be easy to miss the point.  We are not to worry about the specific day so much as to use the opportunity of the season.  We are not to get wrapped up in the distractions, abuses and mis-uses of our culture in regard to the season and instead we are to make it what we believe it should be in order to honor Jesus.


To sum it up, we are to be men who are about "redeeming" Christmas, or taking back and transforming this season into something that honors Jesus and can be used for His glory and the work of His kingdom.


Let us press on together men!


Preacherman 

Nehemiah Project for Honduras

A little info about our fundraiser to protect children in Honduras.

Please consider helping us reach our goal and help protect these children.

100 % of the funds raised will be going to cover the costs of the wall. Local Honduran labor will be used to do the project, so we will also help employ locals.

Preacherman

Is Your Church A Movement or A Museum?

Is Your Church A Movement or A Museum?: Darrin Patrick provides a powerful illustration of the important role men have played in the history of the church and their importance in the future.

As men we are challenged to live in obedience to the Bible. Churches are dying, not because the Bible is "old' or the Gospel is "weak" but because we as men have neglected our responsibility. We are called to lead and to train new leaders. We are called to be in each others lives, to help people overcome their sin and to grow in faith. We are called to lead our families with care and understanding while we teach them the Word. We are called to impact our communities with the message of the Gospel and the Hope that it brings. We are called to bring our local Church congregations together in unity to respond in obedience to the Mission we have been given by Jesus.

We are to be growing and helping other grow, we do not wait until we have "finished" growing to begin to mentor and teach, because we are to always grow and always teach. If you are unsure about how to do this, then I would suggest you start with a product like Christianity Explored or the younger version called "Soul". Then begin using tools like the "First Principles" from BILD.org in Ames Iowa. When you are ready to go further BILD also has leadership series material you can use. There are a lot of other materials out there but these ones are my preference for intentional growth and leadership training. The HIT Men will start First Principles this coming Wednesday at 7pm.

Press on and grow guys, and while you do please take others with you on the journey.

Preacherman

Nehemiah Project Update!

After just getting back from Honduras I have a lot to say about a lot of different things. God has used this trip to challenge me about a lot of things. One thing is the continuation of the Nehemiah Project for Honduras. 

A couple of the young girls at the home in Honduras, so precious and yet at risk.

Children like these young girls in the picture above have been helped by the ladies at the home in Honduras.  Without them they would be on the street in poverty, or living in the horrors of slavery and prostitution.  It is so good that they have been helped, but there are those who would break in and try to steal them away and sell them, abuse them and even kill them.  We cannot allow this to happen, the security wall that they need will help to provide an increase in protection for them.

Galatians 6:9 (ESV) says this "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

So men, let us keep on, we must continue to be who we are supposed to be. Men who care for those in need. Men who teach and preach and talk about the Truth found in the Bible. Men who stand against injustice and prevent the oppressors from taking advantage of the vulnerable. Men who challenge other men with hard words and solid examples. Men who extend tender compassion to children and love to our spouse.

So I urge you to take up the task with us and do not loose heart. We need to help protect these Children in Honduras. The women who work there are doing their best but they need a greater sense of security. Men it is our job to do what we can. So we need to raise $50,000.00 so that the wall can be completed. It is great that $15,000.00 has already been raised but we cannot stop there.

Let us press on and do good and care for those who cannot care for themselves!

Preacherman

A Revisit A Reminder A Refresher

Guys, I know that I have used this passage often with the HIT men but I really feel we need to Revisit it, so here we go.

Psalm 133 (ESV)
Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity
It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!
It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.

Really it is just 3 verses but there is such a great Reminder for us there.  At the Core of the HIT men ministry is that we are called to live as "brothers" because of of common faith in Jesus Christ.  It is Jesus that gives us such a bond and as such has given us the ability and the command to live in unity.  This is not just about us feeling better about life because we have friends, rather it is about the glory of God and our obedience to who He has called us to be.  

When men come together with this type of heart and attitude, God seems to work in powerful ways.  Men who are seeking to walk together in their faith want to be used by God, they do not want to sit on the "bench", they want to get into the game.  We are to be these men.  We are to be men who get into action.

So this is a bit of a Refresher for us.  You see the HIT men is a great idea and a great group.  But like anything, we need to make sure we are being intentional with moving forward in the mission we have been given.  We need to make sure we are always seeking to grow and to bring other men onto the team.  

Last night we were especially reminded through a video clip about how important it is for the men to be intentionally leading and investing in the younger generations.  Should all our men be involved in youth or children's ministry?  No not necessarily, but I would suggest a lot more need to be involved in those areas than we have now.  And more than those who are so young, we need to also be investing in the guys who are 5 or 10 years younger than us.

Anyway I would challenge you to take time today with the Lord.  Ask Him to help you to be who He has made you to be.  Ask God to place a fresh passion inside you to be a leader, to be a man who wants to grow and move forward to make a difference.  Then as you do that, start bringing other guys with you, influence them through your relationship and your example.

Fight on!

Preacherman

Men should Pray

First Timothy chapter 2 and verse 8 says "I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling;" (ESV) - Men we are called to be people of Prayer and Worship. Often times I hear of prayer ministries that are led by women in the local Churches. While it is good that women are praying, because we are all called to pray, often times the women are leading these ministries because there are almost no men involved in prayer.

I am thankful for friends like Daniel Henderson from Strategic Renewal International, who spend their time challenging pastors and Churches about their prayer emphasis. As men we are to be praying, not just alone in the quiet of our bedrooms, but "everywhere" and with hands raised. The everywhere needs to have an emphasis on community and public in nature. We are called to pray not just in secret but with others. We are called to raise hands, not because that is some exalted physical ritual, but because we are to be worshipful in our prayer.

So men, this week I want to challenge you. Please consider getting out of your comfort zone and being a man of prayer. A Biblical man of prayer. We will have a day of fasting and prayer tomorrow and we will have a worship based prayer time tomorrow night. this is a great opportunity for you to grow in your prayer life. To be a man of prayer takes effort and intent, it does not just happen. I believe you are up to the challenge.

at FBC we have regular men's prayer times - Tuesday mornings at 7am and the first and third Saturdays of the month at 8am. Of course our Monday night Men's Bible study and Wednesday night HIT Men groups have a prayer component as well, so please make the commitment to become a man of prayer and join with other men to enjoy a community of worship in prayer.

Press on toward the goal

Preacherman

Transformed Life

Last night at HIT Men we read Ephesians 5:15-6:9 (too much to post here but I would encourage you to read it) and talked a lot about these challenging directives we are given about how we are to live.  These verses cover so many aspects of life that there really is something for everyone.  Yet often I find that there is a lot of mis-teaching on passages like this.

Here are a few "mis-teachings" that we need to be careful not to fall into.

1. If we do these things then God will be happy with me. - We must be reminded that our "performance" will never please God.  The only way for us to please God is in a life surrendered to Jesus Christ.
2. The word "submit" used to instruct wives in regard to husbands means that women are to submit to men and that women are not supposed to question a man's decisions. - Really this "submit" word is used in other places in the Bible as well and even in this passage the meaning is "to place the other parties interests before my own, to willingly place myself under their authority".  It is used with teaching on how Christians are to relate to one another as well as how we are to relate to God.  So we are to give way to those in that authority position in our lives, but also we are to act in their interests as well.  If your Christian brother is heading towards a cliff but determined to head in that direction, part of proper submission would be to warn our brother of the impending disaster.  In the same way wives are to engage in active assistance with their husbands to ensure that they are moving in a healthy direction.  Also we must recognize that the passage calls on wives to submit to their "own" husbands and not all men.
3. I will love my wife if she submits to me or I will be less harsh with my children if they start to obey me. - The teaching in this passage is not conditional on the other person's response.  We are called to love our wives with a heart to serve them sacrificially like Jesus has done for us.  No where is our love to be given based on how our wife will respond.  Whether it is the teaching on how we are to relate to our wife, children, boss, employees, brothers and sisters in the Church, etc...  we are called to do our part regardless of where others are at.
4. Now that I understand this better I will try harder to do it. - No don't do that.  It is anti Christian to believe this.  The only solution to treating people the way this passage describes is to have Jesus Christ living in you by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.  It is Jesus that can live in and through you to transform your life and behavior to fit the Scriptures.  You cannot decide to try harder and achieve this, and even if you did, you would then be at risk of being pride filled and works oriented out of your own strength.  Set your focus on Jesus and having Him be the Lord of your life and He will transform you and make you into who you are designed to be.  

Anyway guys, we are not to seek improved performance in these areas, but seek Christ to work in and through you.  Why do we Love our wives properly?  Because Jesus is Lord of our life and has transformed us so that we can.  You could change the question to be about parenting, work etc... the answer is the same.

Why are we wanting to help protect Children in Honduras?  Because Jesus is Lord of our life and has transformed us so that we can.

Preacherman

Men should play

As I prepare to head off to our annual HIT Men Paintball retreat weekend, I am reminded that it is important for men to play.  I know so often I pick serious topics for this blog, but really it is serious.  Men are too often confined to a regular routine of work in a job that binds them into a lifestyle that keeps them from enjoying life.  Often men think they enjoy life because they enjoy their job, but this is not really the case very often.  Most men only talk so much about enjoying their job, because it is the place where they spend the most time and get the most recognition.

For a man to live in the freedom and be the man God designed him to be, he must learn to enjoy life outside of work.  He must learn to enjoy his wife, family, friends, Church, community, etc...  A healthy "play" time can go along way in this regard.  We see it often that men like to play, they have "toys" like quads, trucks, guns, dirt bikes and other such things, yet very little of their play time is healthy.  Let's take a minute to identify a couple of ways "play time" can be healthy.

1. Include your wife, family, friends, etc...  It is always better with the people you care about.
2. It should be fun for you to do, but not essential for you to do.  In other words do not let yourself become addicted to your "play time".  You should be able to say no to it or yes to it.
3. It should not cause you huge financial strain.  A hobby or past time that causes your financial trouble is not going to be fun for long.
4. You should be able to live your Faith while you do it.  If your "play time" causes you to become someone that you knwo does not please God, then it needs to change.
5. Balance, Balance, Balance ... did I say Balance?  Yes we need to remember to keep life in proper balance.  It is not a capital crime to take a weekend to go camping or hunting etc... However if we set ourselves a lifestyle where we fill too much of our time with "play" at the expense of other things then we will hurt our relationship with God and the people who are important to us.

 I have seen many times where guys get into a past time and they miss Church or men's group because of it, then they miss a few more.  They end up distancing themselves from the community of faith and one day wonder why their spiritual life seems dry and has lacked growth.  Making excuses like "well I go out with a couple of other Christians each weekend" do not fly.  All that means is you are not going down alone, you are working on wrecking your life with a team.

If you have found yourself choosing your "play time" over your time with God, Church, wife, family, friends etc...  then you are in trouble.  You can tell if you have because God will seem distant, even thought He is not.  Your wife will seem upset about the time, money and energy you expend without her, and she is right.  You will wonder why when you do show up a t Church or men's meeting that you don't seem to know many people and feel disconnected, thats because you are disconnected and you need to be around to get to know people.

Maybe I sound harsh, but the reality is men need their "play time" but they need to remember to keep it healthy.  So let's get out there and play, have fun, build relationships, and get re-energized to be back where we need to be so that balance is kept.

Maker it so

Preacherman

Leadership - A reminder

I am so thankful that I have been given the opportunity to challenge men to be who God has made them to be.  I am honored to be able to share challenges and teach them from the Bible.  Yet it would be easy to continue to teach and gather men without looking at the importance of leadership development.

Some people hear about leadership development and begin to think that maybe I am drifting from teaching the Word of God.  But this is exactly the opposite of what is happening.  You see the Bible teaches us over and over again that people are to enter into a relationship with God and then they are to be taught.  We are to help them to grow and become solid in their faith.  Part of this is to develop them as leaders and to put them into positions of leadership.  It is actually not some optional addition to our faith, it is essential.

Ok so now I have done it, I added an "essential"!  Do I believe that leadership development is required for salvation?  NO.  But I do believe that growth of the believer and the Church must include leadership development.  We are not here to just be a stand alone Christian, nor are we here to gather together and be a group of Christians that are not growing or moving forward.  Growth and motion require leadership.  As men we are called to be such leaders.  We are called to grow, and become the men God has designed us to be.  Anything less is dis-obedience and hinders the growth of the kingdom of God.

Jesus set into motion the founding of the Church, for the purpose of His glory and the growth of His Kingdom.  This happens through the sharing of the Gospel.  Then baptizing the new believers and gathering them together in community for worship, giving, growing and living life together.  But if we desire this type of Church establishment and growth to continue we must develop and appoint leadership (Elders) and replicate the whole process over and over again.

Men, it is time for us to step up.  Leaders in our own lives.  Leaders in our own homes. Leaders in the  local Church community.  Leaders in our relationships.  Leaders at work.  Leaders in our communities.

WE ARE CALLED TO BE LEADERS!

Preacherman

Protect the children

Below is a copy of the write up I did to help us raise funds to build a wall to provide security for an orphanage in Honduras.  As Men we need to take this seriously.  People have been trying to break in and steal the children.  Child slavery and prostitution are huge problems and when we know of a situation where we can help to prevent such evils, then we need to take action.  

Here is the write up ...  

In the book of Nehemiah the people of Jerusalem were vulnerable because they lacked a wall that would protect them from those who sought to do them harm. In the same way the children at the Casa Hogar Orphanage in Honduras need a protective wall.  I was deeply challenged about this issue when I discovered that the wall is not so much to keep the children in as it is to keep out those who would try to steal them.  Child slavery and prostitution are  just some of the evils that we have to protect these children from.  This orphanage gets them off the street and into a  healthy environment where they can grow and feel loved.  They make sure the children have food, clothes, education and shelter.  Yet there are those who would see orphans as easy targets to steal because no one would miss them. 

Without this caring group these 40 children would be on the street fending for themselves or in even worse situations.  Please consider how you could participate with us in helping to make Casa Hogar safe for the current children they care for and well positioned to expand to care for greater numbers of children who are in need.

Sincerely,

Pastor Bruce Taylor

Fellowship Baptist Church

http://fbcfm.net

Here is the link to the pdf of this document in full ...  http://fbcfm.net/uploads/honduras.pdf

So the question is "What are you going to do about it?" ...  really this is one of those times where we need to step up to make a difference.  We can't help everyone everywhere all at once, but we can start making a difference and saving children one life at a time or even 40 lives at a time.

 Preacherman

How about Today!

Today, have you considered today?  Really this moment in time.  This day you have before.  The hours and minutes that are before you.  How about them?  Have you considered that the time you have is a precious gift?  Please do not stop here and head off to a time management course, that would not be what I am talking about here. 

Instead of getting wrapped up in time itself, consider what do you do with the time you have been given.  It is a special gift, no one else has the time that you have, it has been given to you by God for a reason.  As men we need to start making proper use of what we have been given.  We need to stop the complacency.  We need to stop the procrastinating.  We  need to stop the excuses!  Sure we can all make excuses, but really is there any valid explanation as to why we did not use what we have been given for the purposes we have been given it?  So ....   

What about today?  What will you do with the gift of today?  How will you use the day?  Will you use it to serve yourself?  Will you barely use it, just gliding through life getting by and not doing much?  Or will you decide to live surrendered to Jesus Christ?  Will you seek to humble yourself so that Jesus can work in and through you to make the best use of your time.  

Guys, here is the challenge - GET RADICAL IN YOUR FAITH!  -  GET REAL IN YOUR LIFE!  -  STOP THE EXCUSES!  -  START BEING A REAL MAN, THE MAN YOU ARE CALLED TO BE!

I know life can be frustrating and we all have problems and issues, but we need to make war against the issues and problems.  We need to become fierce warriors who will not stop until these things are vanquished. The path to being this warrior is found in a surrendered life to the Almighty God, serve Him and Him alone!

Lets start, how about today!

Preacherman

Fathers Day

Today is Fathers Day and I have a challenge and reminder to the Dads out there.  God has given you your children as a gift, they are not a nuisance or a burden we are to bear. They are an opportunity for us to lead.  An opportunity for us to invest.  An opportunity for us to help them to become so much more.

Being a father is the 3rd most important job you will ever have and your effectiveness as a father will be influenced by the first 2.  The most important job you have is to be a worshiper of God, to follow Jesus Christ.  This is more important than anything else and the only way we will effectively help our children in this life is with a solid foundation in Jesus Christ.  The second most important job is to love your wife.  It is true, part of who you are called to be is a man who loves his wife properly and cares for her effectively.  This not only makes caring for your children more effective, but it also gives them the right example to follow as they get older.  How you treat their mother directly affects your children, even if you are not married to their mom, how you treat her will affect the kids.  If you treat her poorly and with a negative attitude then that will negatively affect the children.  Treating their mom well will have a positive effect on the children.

As a Dad, you need to be prepared to live sacrificially to make sure your priorities are in order - God, Wife, Kids ... then job and everything else.  This is how you will leave a legacy that will span generations, it is the proper investment made in the right priorities.  Even if your wife and kids do not want to go to Church, you need to lead by example and go anyway, encouraging them to join you.  You need to be a man of the Word and prayer, leading your family spiritually.

Men, pay attention to the lies that the world tells, they are always seeking to deceive you and your family, as a man, husband and father, you are responsible to take a stand for what is True and right and not allow the deception to creep into your home.

So men, today I want to challenge you to be who you are called to be.  Lead in your homes and serve sacrificially with love.  Put the needs of your wife and children before your own, starting with leading them to a relationship with God.

Preacherman

Last Night

Last night at HIT Men we had a great video by Loui Giglio where he reminded us (mostly out of the book of Colossians) about the great "mystery".  This "mystery" that has been hidden for the ages is now revealed to His saints which is "Christ in you".  Yes when we repent of our sins and by the Grace of God accept Jesus as our Lord, believing with all Faith that it is true.  Then by the power of the Holy spirit, we are indwelt with Jesus.  Also we are immersed in Jesus and He in God.  This is such a wonder and miracle.
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Because of this great work of Grace, we are not called to "try harder" or to "promise to get it right".  Rather we are to live fully surrendered to Jesus and He is the one who is to live in and through us.  When we mess things up and fall back in our selfish ways and sinfulness, it is not because we were not trying hard enough.  Rather it is because we were trying when we should have been acknowledging that we cannot do it and there is only one who can, Jesus.

So we are to surrender to Him.  We are to pray, not that we can try harder but that we can be surrendered and humble before our Lord, seeking Him and for Him to show up and live.  It is He who need to respond in our situations.  It is He who needs to overcome the issues.  It is He who can make you a better man.  etc....

The best way to fight the battles of this life is to surrender to the One who has all the victory.

Preacherman

Lest we forget ...

I was reminded recently of the great price that many have paid for our Faith.  As Christian men we need these reminders so that we keep the important things of our faith as being what should drive us.  There have been many, right from the founding of our faith who have perished because of the Truth.


Stephen one of the first deacons was killed for preaching the Truth about Jesus
The Apostle Paul who used to be named Saul and was involved in the death of Stephen, later died for his intense spreading the the gospel and planting of Churches.
Peter, the Apostle who denied Jesus just before he died, later died for his strong teaching and preaching of the Truth about Jesus
There are so many more have since died for our beliefs but of course Jesus died for us first.  Without His death and resurrection our faith would not even be.  


We as followers of Jesus, need to stand for what is True and right.  Teachings like "God Exists", "The Bible is True", "The Trinity", "Jesus is God", "Sin is real and people are sinful and doomed on their own", "Salvation is by Grace through the completed work of Jesus", "Christianity is about Jesus Transforming us to live for Him" and a whole lot more.


So I want to challenge us as HIT Men to lead this charge.  We will NOT allow Atheism to become "ok" with Christianity.  We will NOT allow liberalism to creep into the Church and weaken
Scripture.  WE will NOT stand by and do nothing while this world goes to hell without knowing about the hope that is found in Jesus.


Let us not forget the great price that was paid ... now let us go forth and enter the battle!

Men need to Trust - Complaining is for wimps!

So tonight at HIT men Pastor Brent had us watch a video and talk about the issue of complaining.  What a great reminder it was.  So often we can be like Israel was and start complaining about the very blessings we have been given.  Instead of trusting God to carry us through, we change over to complaining because how He has provided for us is not good enough.  AS people we are so prone to this selfish attitude.  Yet God has called us to a different path.

The hard path is for us, Christian Men, we are to trust God when things are hard.  Complaining is easy, trusting is difficult.  God wants us to follow Him and obey Him regardless of how easy life is or if we like our situation or not.  We are to learn the this life is not all about us, it is all about God.  So I guess we are talking about setting out eyes, hearts, minds and all we do on Jesus, we are His.

So the next time you are tempted to start complaining, check your heart.  Are you acting out of selfish motivation?  Are to getting an attitude that would be disrespectful toward God?  Maybe this moment is an opportunity to learn how to trust God more.  An opportunity to trust God in a fuller and real way.  With all of our life, all of our situations.

Let us live as real men, take the hard road of the Faith, it is where we are called to be.

Preacherman

Strong Roots

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.  See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.  For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.  -  Colossians 2:6-10 (ESV)


Men, today I want to challenge us to make sure we are strongly rooted in our faith.  This is not some level of emotional passion or a feeling.  This is based on our knowing the foundational or "first" principles of our faith.  It is being established in sound, Biblical, Christ Centered, doctrine and understanding.  We are called to walk in this concept of learning and growing in our faith.  Jesus is the source of all authority and He has given us His Word to learn from.  Be a "Man of the Word"!  I hear from a lot of guys that they struggle with getting into their Bibles.  READ YOUR BIBLE until you do feel like it, READ YOUR BIBLE right now because right now you know you need to.  We need to stop trying to fit our faith in a little box that people like to call "the morning devotional time".  If you struggle with getting up early and reading, then get a Bible on MP3 and listen to it on the bus on the way to work.  Or read at night or on your lunch break, get a Bible on your smart phone and read at coffee time.  


We need to get out to groups that will challenge us with growing in our faith.  And we need to stop making excuses for our lack of obedience.  Yes that is right our lack of obedience.  WE are told to be growing by the Word, we are told to be men of Prayer, we are told to be men of Worship.  We are told to walk together, to care for needs, to be a part of healthy Church community.  We are called to properly and sacrificially love our wives and children.  We are called to seek the betterment of our community and to share the Gospel with this lost and dying world.  Yet we would rather complain that "I feel spiritually dead" or "I just can't seem to get my walk moving".  We love to look for solutions by asking "Why has God allowed me to be in this dry desert?".  WE need to grow up and take responsibility.  God has given us everything we need to grow and have a strong and passionate faith.  All it takes is our obedience.  Thats right our obedience.  WE need to start doing what we are told to do, start being who we are supposed to be and we need to stop all the excuses.


It is time to "Man Up" and get moving forward with our faith.  Men, rise to the challenge and take on the role that God has given us.  When we live obedient lives as the Word tells us to, then our hearts will ignite with the flames of passion for our faith.


LIGHT IT UP GUYS!

Enough

ENOUGH!!!

It is time for the real men to stand up!

Now that I have your attention, we can get down to business.  Really though isn't it about time for us all to stop playing around and be who we are called to be.  We need to stop playing games in life and live that way God designed us to.  We need to stop being worried about making our earthly boss happy and make sure our Heavenly Father is happy with us.  We need to stop the climb of the ladder of success and the gathering of stuff and we need to embrace our calling.


A Godly man is called to be full of Grace.  Because much Grace has been given to him by Jesus, so in return we are to be like that.


A Goldy man is called to be full of Wisdom.  Because the Bible teaches us how to live this life and help others to learn it as well.  It is our source of Wisdom that God has given us.  We are to be MEN of the WORD.


A Godly man is called to be Strong.  Not necessarily in a physical way but this is also good.  But Strong in our attitude and way of taking care of things.  This strength that God gives us is how we are to care for those who need us, our families and friends and the oppressed and the orphan and widow.


A Godly man is called to be a giver.  This is not just about money but it is included.  Jesus paid everything for us and now all of our lives are His, all our stuff, all our time, all our investments, our homes, our cars, our bank accounts, all of it is HIS, not ours.  So why are we so often full of the answer NO when asked about giving of our time, talents or treasures?  We are called to give it all for the sake of the Kingdom.


A Godly man is called to be a lover.  God made men to love.  We are to love God, be a worshiper, praise His name.  We are to love others, our wives, our children, our friends, our fellow believers.  He loved us first and has shown us how to love, walk in His example.


A Godly man is called to be a warrior.  God instilled in us the need to rise to the challenge.  We are to be battle ready, spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically.  We are to protect what is right and we are to press forward for our Lord.  Our primary weapons are to be Prayer, the Word and Evangelism.  Learn how to fight and wage war for the King of Kings.


All H.I.T. Men are called to be "Godly Men". 


I will never ask you for perfection, all I am asking for is no excuses.


Now let's go!


Preacherman

the Gospel Saturated Man

What does it mean to be a Gospel Saturated man? Some of you may be asking yourself "Where does Pastor Bruce get some of this stuff?" Well I would like to think it is from the Bible and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In Colossians chapter 1and verses 26 and 27 the Apostle Paul tells us that the great "mystery" of salvation is Jesus Christ living in us. This is not only profound and hard for people to grasp but it is at the very core of what Christianity is all about.

You see being a Christian is not just some pledge you make at a club meeting. It is more than a prayer you prayed to keep you out of hell. It is more than a lifestyle you have chosen. It is more than a way for you to improve your life or overcome your issues. Being a Christian is about Jesus taking up residence in us by the power of the Holy Spirit.

When you reach a place that you recognize you are a sinner and need a Savior because on your own you cannot please God and have a relationship with Him. The you repent of your sin, acknowledging your wrong doings and selfishness and apologizing to God for them. Then you receive Jesus to be your Lord and Savior and He takes up residence in you by the Holy Spirit. Now it is not you who is to live but Jesus Christ in you.

This is how we can have the relationship with God that we need and desire. This is how we can be a part of the family of God and His community of faith that is called the Church. We are baptized to publicly show what Jesus has done for us. An outward expression of an inward Truth.

Now we are to live fully saturated in this Gospel. Jesus is there in everything we do, He is with you. We are to live reminded that on our own we are sinful messy people, if we forget the deep salvation we have received through Jesus we begin to live for ourselves and this is sinful. The true essence of sin is that we decide to go it on our own and not to follow God.

Jesus paid for our sinfulness, the punishment for sin is death and separation from God for eternity in hell. Because of Jesus we can be forgiven and then we have been given the power in Him to live out our faith. The Gospel should affect every area of our lives and all that we do because Jesus should be the one who now is in control not us. We are to live daily surrendering to Him that He would do His work through us today, every where we go and in all we do.

I am not looking for men who decided to change their morality, or to become all cleaned up and acceptable to our culture. I am looking for men to be transformed by Jesus and to forever submit their lives to His Lordship fully saturated by the Gospel.

You are called to be "the Gospel Saturated Man"

The Mission of the Church

I really felt compelled today to post about the mission of the Church.  In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus says -All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (ESV)  And in Acts Chapter 1 and verse 8 Jesus tells His disciples - you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.


So what does all this mean to us?  Especially us as HIT Men?  Well I would challenge us to think about the commands of our Lord and taking them seriously.  Jesus gave us the plan.  We as a group, a community of faith, a family of God, His Kingdom, His Body, the Church, are meant to follow these commands and to seek their fulfillment.  So as men we are to be a part of the local Church community as they seek to make Disciples, Baptize them, Train them and continue to expand into new Churches and areas of our regions and the world.


This is the mission Jesus gives to His Church.  As men we are called to lead in fulfilling this.  We need to be taking leadership roles in Evangelism, Discipleship, Church Leadership teams, Church planting initiatives, etc...  This is who we are to be.  Do not be afraid of this concept, most of us are not prepared for such things.  Our learning and growth in these things comes from being a part of them.  Jeff Reed from the BILD organization in Ames, Iowa says "Leadership Development does not happen in the Church apart from Church Planting", and I agree with him.  If we are not at least heading towards Church planting we will not be developing leadership because we will run out of leadership roles for people.  Church planting always makes new leadership roles available.


Men, get ready, we are called to lead the way in the mission of the Church.  Jesus command to us is not an option but a directive.  Let us follow Him together in obedience.


FIGHT ON!

Honesty & Wisdom

Thomas Jefferson said "Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom".  As H.I.T. Men one of our values is "Honesty", yet so often it is seen as an end unto itself.  We can fall to the poor perspective that as Christians we need to seek to achieve Honesty because the Bible teaches Honesty.  Of course the Bible teaches Honesty, and of course we are to seek to live with Honesty.  However I believe that it is not an end, but a beginning.  When we truly live in Honesty we are confronted with many more challenges in this life.  the world around us would have you not be so honest.  Instead the world would tell you to be honest when it fits.  Our Honesty needs to put us in situations where we make the hard choices to be honest because this will help us to grow in our faith and character.

I do not believe God wants us to "achieve" honesty.  I believe God has called us to be honest as a part of our witness to this world about how He has transformed us.  If the people of the world cannot trust us in our dealings with them, how will they ever trust what we say about God?

Men, we are called to live in Honesty, to grow in Honesty and to minister in Honesty.  This is not some optional add on to who you are, it is part of God's transforming work in you.  If you are struggling with honesty then REPENT today and live surrendered to Jesus Christ, you can begin your life of Honesty today!

Let us press on together!

Men who take a stand - Men of Grace

I wrote in the the other blog about John 8 and abiding in the Word.  But in the first 11 verses of John 8 we see Jesus presented with the question of what to do with this woman caught in adultery.  The crowd is pressuring Jesus to proclaim her death by stoning.  Yet Jesus responds differently, He challenges the one who is without sin to throw the first stone.  Jesus is not condoning the woman's behavior, but He is making a point that we are not to be judge, jury and executioner to suit our own ends.  Those people who were behind this were doing it to test Jesus, not to deal with sin appropriately in the community of Faith.  


Jesus took a stand because He knew the truth and revealed the fact that we all are sinful and deserving of death. All of us sin and are worthy of punishment and death for eternity.  Jesus then graciously tells the woman that no one is condemning her today and that she should go and sin no more.   This is to be our attitude with others.  We need to help people avoid condemnation through telling them about Jesus the one who paid the price for their sins.  Then we need to challenge people to go and sin no more, to live in freedom because Christ has set them free.  We are not to live as those who are bound and condemned by sin.


Men we are called to be those who stand with such resolve, like Jesus did.  Proclaiming the Truth of what He can do for those who are lost in their sins.  And helping those who have embraced His work to go forward as new creatures living for Him and avoiding sinful desires.

Men!  Follow the example of Jesus!  Strong and full of Grace!

Are we too safe?

Last Night was a great time at the HIT men!  We watched Mark Batterson's talk from the Right Now Conference.  His reference for the talk was Jesus talking with the Rich Young Ruler (Mark 10 and Luke 18) and how the RYR did not want to give up the safety and comfort of his wealth.

We were reminded last night that not only are we called to "NOT" do some things, that is we are called to stop sinning.  We are also called "DO" some things.  We were reminded that it is better to give up our wealth, our possessions, our power, our position and receive that experiences that God has for us.  We are called to live by faith, which should feel dangerous.

Often times I feel that the modern Church has attempted to "sanitize" everything.  This endeavor to make everything squeaky clean and as perfect as possible.  Yet in our desire to do our best we create a caged and overly safe environment.  This causes men to feel bored and that the Church may not be for them, it is for the perfect people.  Christianity should be filled with stories and experiences that include some messy stuff.  Sometimes it should scare you.  When we stop trying to control everything and surrender ourselves to Christ who is living in and through us, then the boredom and perceived safety will go away and a new sense of risk will show up.

If we believe in the all powerful God of the universe who sent His Son to save us, if this Jesus is our Lord and Savior, then we should live without fear.  The truth of what we believe needs to be shown in the life we are given to live.

Men!  STOP being so SAFE, and truly live by faith, get DANGEROUS!

Break out of the Norm!

Ok guys!  Been working through the book of John on one of the other blogs but today we will be in John 4 as well.  Not long winded about it but simple.  As Men we are called to get out of the comfort zone with our faith.  We are called to press the boundaries of what is acceptable in culture for the sake of the kingdom of God.

Our example is Jesus.  Here in John 4 He breaks so many cultural rules and "church" rules of His day.  He was talking one on one with a strange woman, not just asking for water but talking about life and everything.  He was talking with a Samaritan, this was not acceptable for a Jew of the day.  He was talking with a known adulteress, a sinner, not someone who was squeaky clean and without issue.

We are to learn from His example and take our faith into the places and situations where the culture and even the modern church community would have us stay away from.  Guy a reminder here I am NOT advocating that you begin one on one counselling relationships with adulterous women.  Rather I am advocating that you live your faith and bring the gospel message into the darkness of this world.  Go and engage the Muslim community with love and grace and the Gospel.  Go and engage the drug dealers with loves and grace and the Gospel.  Go and meet with the goth kids, the tattoo artists, the crazy rockers, the gang members, the homeless, the single parents, the politicians, the tax collectors, everyone everywhere ... even your neighbors and co workers.  We need to live as though Jesus really is who He says He is and take comfort in Him and run with the Mission He has given us without worry for how people will view us.

Come on MEN let's BREAK OUT of the sterile, weak, expectations of our society and be who we are called to be!

Question 3 for 2011

I started the year talking about the 3 questions that God has placed on my heart for 2011.  The first one was "What have you learnt from the Word today?".  The second question was "What have you shared about the Word today?".  Today we will go over the third question which is "What have you done with the Word today?"


This is not to be confused with sharing, but the living our of our faith the "doing" part of who we are called to be.  We are not only called to hear the Word but also to do what the Word says.  This can be simple acts of kindness.  It can be how we treat others.  It can be how we serve the community.  It can be how we seek justice for the oppressed.  It can be how we provide for those in need.  It can include the sharing of the Word but this sharing needs to be a part of our doing.  


I hope you guys understand, I am talking about putting some action into your belief system.  Maybe it starts with a simple kind word to a frustrated waitress at the restaurant and maybe it continues with a large tip.  That can become a living testimony.  We often look at the tip in the restaurant as some thing we give if it is deserved, maybe it should be a gift of grace going beyond what is deserved?  


It is winter here, maybe it is your calling to stop and help those who have broken down of gotten stuck.  Maybe it is your calling to shovel your neighbors snow.  Live your faith and make a difference in the world around you every day.


Let us press on together!

question 2 for 2011

I began to share las time about the 3 questions that God has placed on my heart for 2011.  The first one was "What have you learnt from the Word today?".  Today we will talk about the second question "What have you shared about the Word today?" 


This question could be worded differently but I specifically used the word shared instead of said because I do not want the ability to speak to be the deciding factor.  What ever our method of communication we are not only called to learn from the Word but also to share those truths with others.  We need to be men who share about what God is doing in our lives freely with others.  As we learn and grow we need to share it with the lost world around us, this is an essential part of our faith.  


As a Christian you are called to share the Gospel, we do not need all the answers, we do need to share the Word with others and what He has done for us.  So guys ask each other "What have you learnt from the Word today?" and also "What have you shared about the Word today?".  Let's get intentional about our calling!

New Year ... New Ideas ... Old Wisdom

As 2011 has begun a lot of people are talking about fresh starts and new ideas.  I like it when people get all geared up to make some positive changes, it is exciting.  So I have been pressed by God to move my personal life to a more intentional level.  And as I have pondered this I believe I am to share it with all of you who read this.

My "new idea" is really some "old wisdom".  My idea is really three (3) questions.  I will talk briefly about the first one here and add posts about the other 2 in the next few days.  So the first question is this "What have you learnt from the Word today?"

We are to be men of the Word, so we must be learning from the Word.  So whether you read your Bible or listen to it on MP3 or use some solid challenging devotional, we need to be challenging one another about being men of the Word.

This needs to be a strong element of who we are.  If we are called to be soldiers of the King then we should be students of what He said and His game plan for what we are to do.  I am going to start asking people "What have you learnt from the Word today?" not to persecute them, but to challenge them and hold them accountable.  This does not need to be some formal accountability relationship, it can be an outflowing of who we are called to be in community.

I know that I will not ask everyone this question every time I see them but I will endeavor to make it a regular part of my interactions with my brothers as often as I can and remember to do so.

I would encourage you to join me in this "new idea" which is really "old wisdom", old because challenges and accountability are not new at all but we seem to lack such things in the normal life of the community.

Join me brothers!