Find A Christian Man

Category: Encouragement and Inspiration

Biblical encouragement for the seasons when you need strength, hope, perspective, or simply a reminder that God is still at work. Find Christ-centered inspiration to help you keep moving forward, stand firm in your faith, and face everyday life with renewed confidence in God and His Word.

  • The Right Information from the Right Source

    Folks that are already successful in life will probably tell you that they didn’t have all the answers when they first started out, and they probably didn’t ask all the right questions. They will also tell you that they didn’t stop until they found out who and where to go to obtain the right answers. Whether it’s our pursuit of meeting our future spouses, more finances, better relationships with friends or family, or most importantly, a closer relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ, one of the things that holds many of us back from the success we desire is a lack of knowledge. The other biggie that holds us back is our lack of confidence that the right information from the right source will empower us to literally transform our lives.

    In Romans 12:2, God tells us to BE transformed. He has revealed that transformation is a part of our spiritual process, and this is truly an amazing revelation! We should come to a place of truly loving this word ‘transformation’, because any time we seek to go higher, to live greater, or to obtain more than what is already in our possession; some form of transformation will be necessary. This pearl of wisdom is the key to the next level of spiritual growth and blessings.

    WHERE you are in life at this exact moment is the precise, mirror reflection of the amount of God’s Word that you have placed into practice. Many people find this very challenging to accept. It is too much truth for them to digest, but it is true nonetheless. A person cannot rise above that which they do not know or haven’t been taught. This is why God tells us in Hosea 4:6 that His people are harmed or destroyed because they lack knowledge, and indeed many have rejected knowledge. Truth will always advance us. Jesus Christ said in John 8:32 that it will make us free. So no matter how much it pains us to hear words that do not make us feel comfortable, we need to accept the truth, because it provides us with what we need to self-correct, align ourselves in obedience to God’s Word, and advance ourselves forward with the mind of Christ. God has empowered us to do this!

    To be transformed is to make a dramatic change. God is telling us that we can change to such a significant degree that we alter the trajectory of our lives. We can be headed in one direction, and God says that if we renew our minds to His Word, we will do a complete 180-degree switcheroo to head in the opposite direction. We can go from not pleasing Him to proving what is good, acceptable, and the perfect Will of God. Through His Word, He’s empowered us to make an amazing transformation!

    Proverbs 4:7(NKJV) is such a favorite for many of us, because it gives us information that will allow reprioritization in such a way that what’s at the top of God’s list moves to the top of ours. This verse says, “Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.”  Lady wisdom is a fierce sister, and Heavenly Father tells us to make her our constant hanging partner.

    Proverbs 19:20-21(NLT) says, “20 Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. 21You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.” God’s plan will always and forever prevail. He is the Right Source, and His Wisdom is the Right Information. You must have utter and complete faith in this truth. You must also have faith that the distance between you and the blessing you seek can be bridged by renewing your mind to God’s Word. Increase your commitment to seek God’s wisdom. It will help you better understand His purpose for your life, and it will also increase your confidence as God leads you to abundant success!

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “The Right Information from the Right Source” written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • Don’t Long for the Good Ol’ Days

    “Those were the good ol’ days.” It’s a saying we’ve all heard at one time or another, and most of us agree that times of the past seemed to be a little sweeter—maybe a lot sweeter. We’re of the mindset that what we use to do and have is better than where we are today, or for that matter, where we’ll be in the future. It’s sort of a pessimistic viewpoint, but it certainly isn’t without some merit when you look at what’s going on in our world today. This less than optimistic lens is one in which lots of folks view life, but as God’s children, we are commanded by Him to focus our attention on what HE says about things. He tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 that He has a good plan for His people, a plan to give us a future and a hope. In John 10:10, our Master Jesus backed this up by making it plain that he came to give us a more than abundant life. So, no matter how bad things appear, we have it on God’s undeniable authority that better days are ahead.

    Regret can be very toxic, especially if we camp out in it for too long. I had a conversation with a sister not too long ago, and she expressed how much she wished she could have a do-over with her life. Boy, can I relate. I wish I had listened more attentively to those who gave me sound and Godly advice in my early years; if I had, I could have avoided costly mistakes. On the other side of the spectrum, those mistakes helped mold the strength of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that I have today.

    The woman I spoke with said she wished she would have waited to get married. She believes her husband was unfaithful for most of their marriage. I am pained every time I hear something like this. Imagine pouring yourself into a person that is supposed to be your best friend and main support for 25 years, and they betray you not once, but repeatedly. Like many sisters that have endured this kind of deep hurt, she says she would never consider marrying again. Some of you may be thinking, “I can’t blame her!”

    The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:13-14(NLT), “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” These are our marching orders, and they encompass an attitude and mindset that prompts us to forget the past and look forward to what lies again. This is the energy that will back our commitment to press. But even a neophyte knows that to maintain the motivation and strength to press, you must be sold-out that the joy in front of you far exceeds the pain you’ve left behind.

    Relationships gone bad can leave us depleted and emotionally exhausted. A negative attitude adds to the pile. Jesus Christ urges us to come to him when the enemy has used people against us. This is the way to avoid going totally sour on the possibility of loving again. We are not to spend our time looking back at old times with regret. We all have some wouldas-couldas-shouldas, and hopefully we’ve learned from them, but the most important thing we can do for ourselves today is to trust God’s plan for our lives. It’s not a plan that causes us to go back, but to move forward in faith with tremendous expectancy about the good that comes next! So, don’t look back with regret. Let your faith in God keep you excited as you humbly submit to His Will and plan for your life.

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “Don’t Long for the Good Ol’ Days”, written for findchristianman.wordpress.com. Copyright©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • You’re Stronger Than You Think

    The pain of a broken heart is no joke. Whether it’s because of the death of a loved one or because the person you love has chosen to move forward in the journey of life without you, it’s a hurtful and difficult thing. Emotionally, situations can be further complicated by the fact that sometimes we’re not sure how to grieve—how to move through that thick cloud of sadness without adding bitterness or blame to it. The absence of what used to be can leave such a vacancy that it seems nothing will ever fill it again. Not only is the thought of getting through the next five minutes agonizing, making it through the entire day is too much to fathom. How do you cope when everything about your life feels painful?

    We have all known people that have dealt with loss, and we’ve consoled them the best way  we knew how, but nothing quite prepares you for dealing with grief and hurt yourself. You have all these emotions, yet you still have to keep going to work, doing your everyday chores, and moving on with your life. The thing is, it isn’t the life you thought would be yours. In the back of your mind, you had always envisioned the pieces of your puzzle coming together. You might not have known exactly HOW they’d come together, but you believed they would in a way that would leave you in reasonably good shape.

    The surprise factor of loss or abandonment makes the blow even more devastating. It makes us question ourselves and sometimes even makes us question our faith. Although some believe that Heavenly Father causes suffering and uses it to punish or make people humble, spiritual maturity begs us to think higher than this. Doing so will allow us to grow and heal from love and not continue to linger in pain and fear. All suffering has its root in some plot of the enemy. Pain didn’t exist until the devil brought it into the world by tricking Adam and Eve to sin. Romans 5:12(NLT) tells us, “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.”

    Whatever one believes about suffering, it is in fact a part of life. But even though you might feel as though your mind is all over the place, and your heart is being pulled in a million different directions, pain doesn’t have to crush you.

    The pieces of your puzzle may be scattered all over the floor, but God wants you to know that it IS possible for them to come together. In Romans 8:28 (NKJV), He tells us, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”  It is possible for your life to get better. It is also possible to change into a stronger YOU. In Mark 10:27, Jesus Christ said all things are possible to the person that believes and trusts in God!

    Hurdle one is to forge even the tiniest opening in your mind and heart for hope to come in and visit a while. One of the ways to do this is by slowly but surely accepting the reality that your puzzle isn’t going to look the way you thought. When it comes to the tone and texture of your life, YOU’RE not going to look the way you thought either. It’s a new puzzle, and there are pieces that you can’t identify right now. That may be a little scary, but God very clearly tells us in 2Timothy 1:7 (NKJV), “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

    Heavenly Father has given you a spirit of power, love, and sound mind. This is a package of resilience and strength! Romans 11:29 declares that His gifts can never be withdrawn. Even in the midst of heartbreak, you’re stronger than you think. God is inside you, and through His Spirit, He’s working within your heart and mind. He’s helping you to put the pieces of the puzzle together, so that your faith in His love and power grows. Be encouraged in Him.■

    Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “You’re Stronger Than You Think”,written for findchristianman.com. Copyright©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • The Yardstick Lesson

    My daughter asked me the other day, “Mom, when people grow up, do they live by themselves?” I said, “Well, yes, sometimes they do. Some grow up, get married, and have families.” She replied, “No, not me. When I grow up, I want to stay at home with you.” As the old saying goes, “When a child is old enough to leave home, a loving mother makes the child want to stay, and a good father makes sure they don’t.” As a mother, of course it is endearing to hear your children express such sweet sentiments. You want them to feel loved and supported. You also want them to be prepared to handle the world on their own, and that’s why the yardstick lesson is such an important one.

    A yardstick is a measuring rod that is a yard long, and measures things by inches. Its use is so widespread that we frequently use the word ‘yardstick’ as an indicator or gauge for something. In common terms, we refer to it as a hypothetical way of comparing standards or benchmarks. For instance, a person might say that the frequency of a man’s contact and communication is a yardstick for measuring his interest in the relationship. Understanding the way this extremely simple measuring tool works can help us plot, plan, come close, or keep our distance.

    Some of the biggest mistakes in life are because of toxic associations. We let the wrong people get too close and sometimes push the right people away. God warns us in Proverbs 14:7(NLT), “Stay away from fools, for you won’t find knowledge on their lips.” This is a lesson that many of us learn the hard way. As adults, we sometimes wish we could turn back the hand of time or have a do-over when it comes to failing to discern. We wish that we would have recognized certain tendencies, or kept our distance to give ourselves time to see the real deal.

    We want our children to grow up with a hopeful view of the world, but today’s complexities challenge us to be incredibly smart and spiritually wise about how we do this. We have no other choice but to instill within them a very sharp discernment about things like the character, motive, and intentions of people they don’t know very well. We have to model this for them by keeping our own radar in check.

    Just as we want our children to learn to keep the wrong people at arm’s length, God wants us to be wise in this area as well. He’s given His Word to guide us. In 1Thessalonians 5:22 (NLT), He warns us, “Stay away from every kind of evil.” God wants us to stay away from evil because it has no place whatsoever with Him. David, the psalmist, wrote in Psalm 5:4 (NIV), “For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness; with you, evil people are not welcome.”  If evil people are not welcome with God, they ought not to be welcomed by us.

    Heavenly Father takes it a step further and tells us exactly who and what these evil folks are.  2Timothy 3:1-5 (NLT) says, “3 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!”

    The yardstick lesson is a much needed one to learn from God’s Word, so that we’re careful about our associations, and won’t invest time and energy into someone that isn’t of the Lord. It’s seeking God’s guidance through the Holy Spirit about who we should and shouldn’t allow into our lives. We would do well to remember that there are going to be some people we must love from a distance. Even those who may seem perfectly harmless can bring with them a ridiculous amount of toxicity, and we need to be careful and spiritually wise.

    Until we get a green light from heaven with new folks, we need to bring out that trusty yardstick, and use it. Our children can learn by our example. If we model both how to be kind and keen, they’ll learn to always seek the counsel of the Lord and keep a healthy distance from anyone that truly doesn’t have their best interest at heart. ■

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “The Yardstick Lesson”, written for findchristianman.com. Copyright©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • This Is No Walk in the Park

    What do you do when you find yourself in a place in life that you never expected? Ephesians 1:3 tells us that God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings, so He’s given us everything we need to be equipped for anything the enemy throws our way. Still, life has a way of delivering some hard punches. You can end up in places you never in a million years thought you’d be. We make mistakes we never thought we’d make. We take career paths and jobs that are a far cry from where we thought we’d be, and we end up in relationships and sometimes marry people that were not who we thought they were. This can land us in a really dark place. So much so, that some of us begin to question God.

    When the unexpected hits, sometimes it brings an avalanche of other challenges as well. Marriages fail, finances become exceedingly tight, you’re behind in the bills, and kids have needs you’re not making enough to meet. All of this coupled with dealing with the emotional pain of a broken or lonely heart can do a number on a sista’s soul. You might pray relentlessly for the Lord to take away the hurt, but that dark cloud seems to loom.

    Many women that came before us endured similar and often far worse challenges than what we face today. This doesn’t diminish or invalidate our pain, but it should remind us that trouble does indeed come, but it doesn’t last always. I can hear the words of my grandmother saying, “Honey, the Lord won’t put more on you than you can bear.” This statement was tremendously comforting to her and many seasoned spiritual veterans, but we must never overlook the reality that God’s intention is that we grow in the knowledge of His Word. Our fore-mothers were forces to be reckoned with, but they didn’t have the exciting revelation that we have today. We know more about Jesus Christ and the strength of his resurrection power than perhaps any other group of people in history. This sets the stage for our overwhelming victory, and we ought to be looking forward to it in faith.

    There are droves of Christians that believe God punishes people by placing tribulations and burdens on them, but 1John 1:5 very clearly tells us that God is light and has no darkness at all. God doesn’t place burdens on us; He invites us to lay our burdens upon Him, because He is more than able to handle them. Confronting this truth really does give us a little bit of a window into the root of the struggle. Life is no walk in the park, because the enemy is going to throw darts at us. And when our backs are against the wall, we will be forced to confront exactly what we believe about God. Do we believe Him to be a merciful God who rescues us continually, or will we believe the lie that the devil wants us to believe, and think that love equals punishment?

    What we believe about Heavenly Father’s love for us is extremely important and consequential. It is the springboard that lifts us higher in Him. If you believe that God wants you to continue to suffer, the span of your reach is cut off. It stifles not only the freeing and positive influence that you’ll have on others, but it places a choke-hold on your confidence and hopes. God doesn’t want that for any of His children. This is why He’s helping you to move to a place in your mind and heart where you don’t view the resolution of your problem as the foundation for a happy life. Faith in God’s power and love through Jesus Christ is your foundation, and the joy of the Lord is your strength!

    Whether it’s the man leaving, the relationship not working out, or money woes, God wants us strong and leaning on Him for our everything. Ephesians 6:10-12 The Message (MSG) tells us, “And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the devil and all his angels.”

    It’s true that life is sometimes no walk in the park, and with our backs against the wall and no one to depend on, it feels like we’re out there with nothing to hold us up. It can be such a panicky place, and a lot of us are worrying ourselves to poor health because we’re so filled with doubt. That panicky feeling is fear, and God has given us everything we need to flip it into faith. Heavenly Father is light. His love is light, and because there are no strings attached to His love, and it’s so effortless and free, it might feel as if there’s nothing holding us up, but He’s got us! He won’t let go, and we shouldn’t either. We must hold firm to our faith and trust that victory is ours through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

    Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “This Is No Walk in the Park”, written for findchristianman.com©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • After the Fall

    God tells us in 1Corinthians 4:20 (NLT), “For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.” Heavenly Father has to remind us of a few things in His Word, because sometimes we allow life to get in the way. We forget that He’s given us access to an extreme level of power through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. No matter what you’re facing or what you’re going through, you will always have the opportunity to become stronger through Christ. He is the true example of strength. Hebrews 4:15(NIV) tells us, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” He faced it all, and in God’s Word, He tells us how we can rise again, no matter how many times we fall.

    Sometimes, we fall really far off the path of righteousness because we’ve made a wrong choice or bad decision. We do something that nowhere resembles the kind of person we know we should be. As a Christian, it’s natural to feel really sorry about what we’ve done. We should seek God’s forgiveness in the most earnest way that we can. 1John 1:19(NIV) tells us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Only God can purify us. We can’t do this ourselves. One of the greatest lessons that our mistakes teach us is that we need to depend and trust in God’s power, because He’s working in us.

    We can become very discouraged when it looks like we just can’t overcome a certain sin. Maybe we’re struggling with sadness or feelings of unworthiness from a failed relationship, or we’re dealing with shame from losing a job or home. Some of us are not where we thought we’d be in life, and it seems that people don’t respect us because of it. In these times, God wants us to remember that Jesus Christ has done for us what no other could do. Because of his sacrifice and resurrection, we have victory no matter what our situation looks like. We are going through, and if we keep the faith, we will always come out on the other side better than we ever could have imagined.

    Through the Apostle Paul, God tells us in Romans 6:6-8(NIV), “6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” It isn’t the beating ourselves up and feeling bad that gets us in line. The thing that causes us to become stronger spiritually is growing in our knowledge of Christ and believing in what he accomplished for us on the cross.

    Through Jesus Christ we have the power to overcome any obstacle or sin, because God’s Word declares that we are no longer slaves to sin. He says that we are to be humble like little children; and like little children, sometimes we fall and get scraped up or have a bruise here and there; we may even cry about it.  But this hurt or pain we feel from falling is never meant to last. It helps to remind us of the things that don’t work, and most importantly, it reminds us that we have a loving Heavenly Father that cares about us deeply.

    The heart of God is that nothing stands between us and our relationship with Him, that is why He’s dealt with the sin issue through Jesus Christ. When we fall down through some of the mistakes, missteps, and mishaps that happen in life, we have a choice. We can either wallow in self-doubt or self-condemnation, or we can enjoy what Christ has accomplished for us on the cross, and be thankful to God for His enduring mercy and grace.■

    Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “After the Fall”, written for findchristianman.com©2020. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • Not Mine, But Your Will Be Done!

    Whether we witness it now or later, there will soon come a time in all our lives when we’ll face a crucial decision. It will either solidify the foundation on which the rest of our lives will be firmly anchored in Christ, or it will send us spiraling down into the camouflaged darkness that the world offers. We will either love the Lord and be committed to him, or love the world and all that it represents. As we see what is happening around us, we should recognize that it’s a now or never kind of urgency. While the choice is always ours to make, our Heavenly Father wants us to follow His Will for our lives. He has left the door open for those who want to walk through it, so they can freely receive the blessings of His provision.

    Years ago, there were those in the faith that warned of perilous times ahead, like the ones we’re living in now. Many of us paid them no mind, but they were spot on, and the times continue to become more and more perilous. How grateful we should be that we can take refuge in God.

    David, the psalmist wrote in Psalm 143:7-10 (NLT), “Come quickly, LORD, and answer me, for my depression deepens. Don’t turn away from me, or I will die. 8 Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you. 9 Rescue me from my enemies, LORD; I run to you to hide me. 10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.”

    When tribulation paints a picture like the troubling one that David expressed to God in Psalm 143:7-10, some Christians can truly relate. They are suffering mentally, physically and emotionally from the pressures of life, and they may even feel like heading in the opposite direction of God’s love and protection. Our Heavenly Father wants our faith to be at a point that we never consider something like this. Yes, we have an enemy that knows what buttons to push, but God tells us to keep our eyes continually focused on Him and not on what the devil is doing. At some point, we must recognize that although tribulations challenge us in ways that can be troublesome, they also press us further into our destinies; they will ultimately challenge us to make decisions about who we really are at our cores.

    The enemy sends troubles and distractions to defer our destinies and to try to cause separation between us and God. We must open our eyes and see through his tactics. At the worse times of our lives, we should draw closer to God, because it’s in the struggle that we can see His love greater and stronger. He tells us in 2Corinthians 12:8(NIV), “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

    There’s a surrendering that must take place in our lives. Some of us have been struggling a long time with loneliness, broken marriages, sadness, physical ailments, and/or one financial crisis after another. We could never have imagined that life would be as challenging as it is, or that our hearts would ache to the degree that they have. God doesn’t ever want us to be unhappy, sad or depressed. He doesn’t want us to go through hard times, but we’re human and we’re going to make mistakes. God wants us to come to Him with all our stuff, because He has the remedy. In Mark 11:22 (NLT), Jesus Christ gives us four simple words as the ‘cure all’ for all that we face. He said, “Have faith in God.”

    When we don’t trust God through tough times, we do separate ourselves from Him through a lack of faith in His love for us. Doubt, fear, and unbelief are not a part of God’s Kingdom. They belong to the kingdom of satan, so when we allow our minds and hearts to camp out in these proponents of darkness, we block the blessing God wants us to have.

    We need to get it in our cores that we are powerful individuals, not in and of ourselves, but through the Spirit of Christ that dwells within us. Life was not designed by Heavenly Father to beat us down. To see this truth, we need to surrender our will for God’s Will, and let Him have His way. Things in the world might get worse, but God has given you and me a way to get better, rise higher, and become stronger through the Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s resolve to pray with greater faith, and ask God to teach us His Will. He will show us where to walk if we give ourselves to Him. He will transform us on the inside as we remain committed to surrender to His Will, and keep our minds and hearts focused on His Word.■

    Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “Not Mine, But Your Will Be Done!”, written for findchristianman.com©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • When Heaven over Our Heads is Brass

    In 2Corinthians 4:18 (NIV), through the Apostle Paul, God gives us an incredible piece of wisdom that is fundamental to living a life of abundance and peace. This verse says, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”  The world has made a habit of focusing its attention on things like fame, fortune, celebrity, fashion, and financial wealth and power. These are the ‘seen’ things that give people a false sense of security. God doesn’t want us to focus our attention on those things because they are not real. They are temporary, and if we put too much stock in them, we will lose something that we can’t get back.

    Jesus Christ posed a very pivotal question in Mark 8:36(NLT). He asked, “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” He’s letting us know under no uncertain terms that it is very possible to gain the things that the world deems worthy and lose one of the most important gifts that we’ve received, which is our souls. There are many individuals that are oblivious when it comes to the inner sanctum of their souls, and this is one of the reasons why they can’t discern what is or isn’t real.

    One of the most important abilities to possess in life is spiritual discernment. Everyone will not have this ability. There are some people that will never be influenced or care about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and some of these individuals might claim to be Christians. As women of God that are seeking to go higher in Christ, there must be a distinct difference between us and them, and this difference is evidenced by our concern for the condition of our own souls. When we know that this earth is not our home, and that we are just passing through; and we understand that our treasures are laid up in heaven, our choices and decisions become very important to us.

    I am reminded of a professional woman I know that is always flawless. Her makeup is perfect, designer shoes and bags are her staple, and the wardrobe is always on point. She considers herself a Christian, and it is rather common knowledge that dating married men is not off limits for her. She made the statement, “I’ve been living this way for years, and I haven’t had a problem.”  This is a serious condition of denial, arrogance, and self-punishment. If we can’t discern when we’re inflicting harm on our own souls, then we certainly won’t be able to recognize when someone else is doing it.

    Obedience is a spiritual discipline that we learn to embrace, and its best teacher is consequence. A person who ignores their soul and deprives it of spiritual nourishment from God’s Word will probably not be able to discern when the devil is squeezing life’s vital essence right out of them. They’re in serious trouble and don’t even realize it. The sobering truth is that bad choices and wrong decisions will never escape consequences. No matter if someone has been living a certain way for one or twenty years, when we do something that separates us from the Will of God, and have no deep and Godly sorrow for it, we are in grave danger of making hell our home.

    We have freedom of will to live our lives in whatever way we choose, but God wants us to live a rich and fulfilling life, and Jesus Christ tells us in Matthew 6:33(NKJV) that the way to do this is to make sure that we seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness above all else. If we don’t do this, if we choose sin over love, we may look like a million bucks on the outside, but as Deuteronomy 28:23 warns, the heaven over our heads will be brass; it will be closed to us. We should do everything within our power to avoid that kind of life. ■

    Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “When Heaven over Our Heads is Brass”, written for findchristianman.com©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • Lesson #5, Never Look Back!

    In Genesis 19, we learn more about the biblical record of Abraham’s nephew, Lot. After the death of Lot’s father, he went to live with his uncle, and Abraham loved him tremendously. Lot became prosperous just like Abraham, and when the Lord commanded Abraham to move to Bethel, Lot tagged along; but their households were too big for the one area. It was necessary for them to split. Lot ended up settling near the city of Sodom, and at first glance it seemed like a nice place. It was well-watered and the land had fertile soil, which was very suitable to maintain his crops and livestock, but as this notorious record in Genesis 19 bears out, all was not as it seemed in Sodom and its nearby city, Gomorrah. One of the greatest and most wise lessons that we must learn, particularly as single Christian women, is that you can never judge a book by its cover. This is lesson number one.

    The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were filled with wickedness, so evil in fact that these cities had to be destroyed. When the Lord told Abraham this, he was distraught, because he was afraid of what would happen to Lot, his nephew, but our God will not abandon those with a righteous heart towards Him, and this is undoubtedly lesson number two.

    It cannot be ignored that with the vile wickedness of these two cities, there was only one good man living among the inhabitants, and it was Lot. Genesis 19:1 tells us that when the two angels sent by God came to the entrance of Sodom, Lot was sitting there and stood up to greet them. Then he welcomed them by bowing. Lesson number three, humility is always the dominant characteristic of a good man.

    These angels must have looked like men, but it isn’t too much of a stretch to assume that Lot may have discerned something angelic and divine about them. He offered to wash their feet, and extended generous hospitality. Genesis 19:4-5(NLT) says, “4 But before they retired for the night, all the men of Sodom, young and old, came from all over the city and surrounded the house. 5 They shouted to Lot, “Where are the men who came to spend the night with you? Bring them out to us so we can have sex with them!” Lot stepped outside and pleaded with the men of Sodom to stop their wicked intentions. He even offered his own virgin daughters in exchange for the protection of these men. This willingness on the part of Lot to make such an extreme sacrifice for these messengers of God reveals the true nature of Lot’s heart. Lesson number four, acts of kindness and sacrifice will set you up for epic blessings.

    The angels were surely more powerful than Lot could have imagined, but the kind intention to protect them was returned to him and his family. They told Lot, his wife, and his two daughters in Genesis 19:17(NLT), “Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!” The Lord rained down fire and burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah and everything was utterly destroyed, even the vegetation. As they were escaping this terrible destruction, verse 26 tells us that Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind, and turned into a pillar of salt. Lesson number five, never look back!

    When we look back and focus our attention on the past instead of leaving it behind, we may not turn into a pillar of salt, but like Lot’s wife, giving in to the temptation will invite the bitterness of sin to again put a hold on our lives. We don’t want this. There are many lessons that we can learn from this record in Genesis 19, but the tragic loss of time, momentum, and stamina by trying to erect a monument to our past—to who we used to be and what we used to do, this is paralyzing to the newness of all Christ has made available to us.

    In Ephesians 4:22, God tells us to put off our former way of life, and put on the newness that Christ offers, because this is the way we grow and become strong in the Lord. It’s how we stop giving the enemy opportunities to pull us down. It takes spiritual strength to live long and strong in this dark and evil world, and our responsibility and privilege is to reach towards Christ with every ounce of strength we have. We cannot give in to the temptation of doubt and unbelief as Lot’s wife did. She was closely related to righteousness, for Lot by all accounts truly was, but close is not enough. We have to walk this walk ourselves, and if we are truly sold out for Jesus Christ, we will never look back. ■

    Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

    “Lesson #5, Never Look Back!”, written for findchristianman.com©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

  • A Peaceful Harvest

    Hebrews 12:11 (NLT), tells us “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening – it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” There are times when we become so used to doing things on our own that we don’t think to slow down and ask God if we’re doing it His way. It’s not because we don’t care; we do! Some things slip by us. Either because we haven’t been taught, or we’ve never encountered a situation that forced us to change our approach. Maybe we haven’t had to endure so much pressure that the only way to make it through was to let God lead us every step of the way. Most Christians today haven’t had to endure this kind of pressure, but those living after the ascension of Christ certainly understood it. They knew first hand that sin is the worst enemy, both to Heavenly Father and to us. This is why they endured the discipline of righteous living with conviction. They were being trained for a harvest of unspeakable joy, and this is the same training that God has made available to us.

    God gave us His Word so that we can maximize the most out of this life. And if that wasn’t enough, He gave us His Son so that we could live and have the most abundance that life has to offer. Hebrews 12 is especially impactful for us because it applies the rigors and triumphs of the Christian journey to those involved in a marathon or race. Not just any race, the one ran by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is the course we all must look to. He finished his race and received the greatest prize that could be received. This is why his race should be our example, motivation, and goal.

    In Hebrews 12, God tells us about the great cloud of witnesses, men and women of tremendous faith who ran the race that He set before them. There are also others in our own families for whom, years ago, life was so difficult and unfair that they had no choice but to lean on their faith in the Lord. If they had not looked to their relationship with God through Christ, some would have been consumed by anger and bitterness, or quite possibly they would have lost their minds. We can’t imagine what it was like to endure all that they faced, and yet they still managed to pass on to us a legacy of faith. It is not a mistake that we should look back on the sufferings of those before us. It puts our light affliction in context, and should cause us to be more submissive under correction from our Heavenly Father.

    The Christian race is meant to be lifelong, but it is not a race without obstacles, turns, twists, and detours. It’s meant to keep us flexible, obedient, and always attentive to the directions and guidance of the Holy Spirit. With our stride steady and face in the wind, most of us become so used to running that sometimes we take this race for granted. We forget that seasons change. There are those seasons in which our spiritual strength is prime, and we experience a robust harvest of supernatural abundance. There are also seasons of quietness, where we know to be still. Then there are seasons where we don’t hear the voice of God the way we used to. This is our first clue that newness is upon us, and something in the way we’re running has to change.

    Proverbs 3:11-12 (NLT) tells us, “11 My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. 12 For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.” God is training us to walk in the victory of Christ. He doesn’t want us to miss our blessing. God wants us to have a good life, the very best of everything, but just as a loving parent disciplines their child out of love, God does the same thing for us. He corrects those He loves. Praise Him for His correction! We want the Father to be well pleased with us. This is why we should take the time and space to check in with Heavenly Father for some endurance training.

    It is not always that we’re doing the wrong thing. Sometimes we’re too distracted to notice the change in season. The flowers of blessings may be blooming in a completely different field, but we missed it because we didn’t wait for more directions, and ran right passed it. Recognize that your race must be ran with both patience and endurance. It is God who set it through the Lord Jesus Christ. He’s the Rewarder of our faith, and only by being obedient to Him will we have a peaceful harvest and win the prize. ■

    Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

     “A Peaceful Harvest”, written for findchristianman.com©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!