Mighty through meekness

Col.3:

Mathew 11:29

Mathew 5:5

Gal.5:22-23

There is an old saying that meekness is not weakness but power under control.  

Even the highest end luxury foreign sports cars only have approximately 700 horsepower, yes only 700 because weighing in on the horsepower scale at a massive 7000 horsepower is the mighty yet meek locomotive train engine. The train engine may not be as sleek, sporty and shiny as the sports car but that train engine moves down those tracks towing behind itself thousands of tons of cargo, with its consistent and steady power, it gets the job done! Meekness is often understood to be an unwanted trait, the meek are the doormat, the pushover, the wimp. However, within the context of a biblical vantage point, the meek are the strong ones that endure and will win in the end.

Jesus Christ was considered a meek man, He was fully man and yet fully God. He was totally human and totally divine all at the same time. His omnipotence was confined within the limits of His earthly body. If anyone understood meekness, strength and power under control, Jesus surely did.

As we discussed earlier, the world often betrays men as either weak and passive or the other way men are often portrayed is by overcompensating their manliness by how loud they can yell and how hard they can stomp their feet and beat their chest. This portrayal of a man says that you have to shave your head get a bunch of tattoos and learn how to fight in the UFC in order to be a man. It's basically saying that the tougher and meaner you are and the harder you hit the more of a man that you are.

However, walking in meekness with power and authority has nothing to do with how hard you can throw an uppercut. It has everything to do with how low you can humble yourself and be a servant leader. A man that can control his temper and tongue, as well as his flesh and appetite for worldly pleasures, is truly a meek man. Meekness is staying kind, humble and being sacrificial by putting others before yourself.

Meekness is not about how loud you can roar but how long you can roar. It's about consistently showing up and being the man God has called you to be in every situation.

 Have you shown arrogance or struggled with anger in your life? 

 What is one wild area in you that you need God’s help to bring under control?

How can you demonstrate meekness to someone in the near future?

Making of a manifesto

Daniel 3:13-18

Habakkuk 2:2-4

Phil.1:27

1 Cor.16:13

The word “manifesto” comes from the Greek root manifestum, referring to a statement that is clear, evident and is a bold proclamation of one’s values, motives, and intentions. Most importantly, a manifesto is a call to rebellion, a call to run with the resistance, for the man of God it is his declaration that he is resisting the   ways of the world.

Not only does the world want to emasculate a man of his role, it also offers another confusing portrayal of a man, the “manly man” that drives a big truck, chases woman, drinks lots of beer, swears, spits & gets in fights.  But, that's NOT a true man!

God is raising up a different breed of man who will stand firm and rage against the darkness and is standing up for what is good and right, one who follows after Christ with an unashamed passion and tenacity.

If you desire to be such a man perhaps your manifesto would echo similar sentiments to the one below:

I boldly and emphatically declare that I will not bend my knee nor will I bow my heart to the ways of this world. I will stand firm to resist greed, envy, pride, self-promotion, and lust. I will rise up and walk with integrity and Christ-like character and conduct, I will be the conqueror He has called me to be and take light and hope into this dark world. My mission and mandate is to know God and to make Him known. I will demonstrate Christ-like courage, kindness, and love everywhere I go.

Take some time today and start writing out your own manifesto then post it up somewhere and proudly proclaim where you stand and with Who you stand.

How does the world portray a manly man to be and  how is he supposed to act according to them?

What are some of the character markings of a true man of God?

Advancing in Authority

Mathew 28;18

Acts 1:8

Luke 10:19

As discussed previously in this Bible plan, the world and the enemy are on a mission of destruction. The battle plan to emasculate men is not merely to pull their “man card” but to undermine and mock God's very design and order for mankind. When a man is portrayed as a weak, mindless dufus in the media the Enemy chalks up another point at undermining Gods ultimate authority. Satan was kicked out of heaven for pride and wanting to be God;  his tactic to win over a third of the angels was to undermine God's authority.

When authority is undermined, it is then weakened and when it is weak it will then topple over. Satan knows that if he can take down the man, which is God’s established head of the home, he then can destroy the rest of the family and eventually a nation will tumble to him and his ways.

When a man’s authority is undermined and mocked long enough, he eventually will surrender to apathy and passivity and simply stand by and let the enemy wreak havoc. Apathy is defined as the absence or suppression of passion, emotion or excitement as well as a lack of concern.

However, God has given men authority to rise up and defeat the darkness. This authority is not our own it was given to us and instilled into us by Christ Jesus whom which all authority has been given. He has deputized us with that very same authority to be all that God has called us to be as men on a mandate to advance His Kingdom. Remember we are Mighty Men of God full of Power and Authority.

What are some areas men become apathetic in? 

What are some of the world’s tactics to emasculate a man?

What does true biblical authority look like and feel like?

Manly mantra

Phil.4:8

Rom.12:2

Prov.18:21

2 Cor.10:4-5

We live in an age where true masculinity is greatly under attack. Everywhere you look on television or in the movies, men and fathers are being undermined and emasculated, being portrayed as feminized and incompetent. The word emasculate means to deprive a man of his male role or identity and to make a man weaker or less effective.

Neither was God’s original intent for men. God has called men to be mighty and full of power and authority to push back the darkness. In the midst of this onslaught of insults against the identity of masculinity is a battle plan to have men begin to doubt and question their manhood thus causing them to diminish and dismiss their mandate. Among these insults spoken from the twisted tongue of the evil one himself are lies and insults such as “you are weak.” “you’re not enough.” “you don't got what it takes.” “you'll never measure up.” “you can't do it.” and “you're such a failure.”  We as men get bombarded daily with these attacks on our minds.

The good news is we don't have to just lie down and take it either; God has equipped us with weapons of warfare to combat the lies, the weapons are found in His Word. God has given us authority and power over the darkness; we just need to now walk in that authority. There are many verses that remind us of these truths and these scriptures are to be meditated on day and night. A simple daily repetitive scripture-based affirmation or mantra can reinforce and bolster your identity as a man of God. A mantra is an affirmative statement that you say to yourself for the purpose of encouragement and to remind yourself of the truth.

A simple mantra repeated to yourself several times a day such as  “I AM A MIGHTY MAN OF GOD FULL OF POWER AND AUTHORITY ON A MISSION TO KNOW GOD AND TO MAKE HIM KNOWN.” may be the start of  you restoring the roar of manhood.

Using a tool such as a reminder on your phone or using the ECHO Prayer App to prompt you throughout the day can assist you in the process of recalling your mantra until it is deep within the core of who you are.

 If you dare to be vulnerable, what are some of the negative inner thoughts attacking your mind?

What are the truths we can use combat the lies? 

Write out your own mantra and memorize over the next few weeks

Masculine mandate

Gen.2:15

1 john 3:8

Luke 4:18

Mathew 5:14-16

 Every man is given a mandate. When we say a mandate we are not talking about you and your buddy going to grab a coffee or attending a sporting event together; no, that's not a mandate. By definition, a mandate is an official order given to fulfill a mission and the authority to carry it out. From the very beginning, God has been issuing mandates. We see with Adam, God commissioned him to work the Garden of Eden and to be “fruitful and multiply.” God also gave Adam dominion and authority over all living creatures. God continues to issue a mandate to every man to be the protector and provider of his family. 

For the Christian, the mandate from God resounds all the louder. God mandates His followers to not only be providers and protectors but to be priests and prophets to their family. God is mandating the Christian man to point his family to Christ in all that he says and in all that he does.  A man's family is always his first and foremost mission and ministry.

A Christian man following in the footsteps of Christ should realize that Christ himself was a “man on a mission” and mandate from Heaven. Jesus boldly proclaimed His mandate and why he manifested on Earth when He read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah as He read “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news…”  Jesus was mandated to declare that the Kingdom of God had come from Heaven to Earth to proclaim the good news that the oppressed are free and the blind can see.

In essence, the mission of Jesus was to destroy the works of the devil and darkness. As His disciples, that very mandate was commissioned onto us when Jesus instructed us to…“Go into all the world” and tell of this Good News and light up the darkness. When a man knows his mission and mandate, he can walk with power and authority knowing why he is here and what he is called to be doing.  Our mission and mandate as Godly men is simple...to know Christ and to make Him known. He promised to give us the power (roar) to carry out the mandate. 

Do you feel as if you have been fulfilling the Great Commission of the Gospel?                                                                           

What do think your personal mission is for your life?

What excuse or distraction is keeping you from completely fulfilling the mandate / mission?

Ripping and roaring

Goood morning everyone!!! I'm soooo excited to share this new series with you!!!! This is very very powerfull and I pray that this will create a new "Roar" in you!!! It's called "THE ROAR IN YOU"

Ripping and Roaring

Gen.2:7

Job 33:4

Rom.8;9-11

Acts.2:2

In my opinion, there is no more masculine sight, smell, and sound than that of the muscle car drag races. I can picture it now, the sight of the thick smoke filling the air, mixed with the pungent smell of gasoline and burning rubber from tires peeling out and then there's the rumble and the mighty ROAR of the muscle car engine as it rips and roars down the track at staggering speeds.  As amazingly manly as all this sounds, there is something even more immensely manly. God wants to breathe His Spirit into the spirit of every man, just as He did with the first man Adam. God desires to place the roar of heaven inside each and every one of us, which is the power of His Spirit which ignites the true identity of a man.

The Hebrew word for spirit, breath, and wind is ruach. The basic meaning of ruach is both ‘wind’ or ‘breath,’ however digging a little deeper into the word, it is described more as the power or force encountered in the wind or the breath. 

Ruach is also often translated as “spirit" in the English Bible. We could then say ruach is the roar breathed into us by the power of our Almighty God. Every man can have a raw and relentless roar placed deep down inside of his spirit that is authoritatively declaring his identity as a man, a man on a mission with a mandate issued by Heaven itself.  With that said, I say...gentlemen let's start our engines and let's get roaring!

When was a time in your life that you felt most alive?

 What’s the manliest thing you have ever done in your life? 

 If you’re honest, do you feel the power of the Spirit alive in you?

The resilience of Jesus

Hebrews 12:1-3

In our discussion of Joseph yesterday, we touched upon this idea found in Hebrews 12:1 about the “cloud of witnesses,” So, what is this cloud of witnesses? What does that mean? Well, in Greek, the expression is nephos (“a multitude, large host, dense crowd, great company”) martyrōn (where we get our word for martyr, “an eye or ear witness”). So, a multitude of martyrs. Where they all “martyred” for their faith? No, not in the traditional sense we always associate with martyrdom. Instead, the dying I am referring to is the one Jesus described in Matthew 16:24–25, where He tells us that those who desire to be His disciples must die to themselves because “whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25 NIV). 

This cloud, this multitude we’re surrounded by, these great testimonies and God stories of the apostles, early Church, and of believers throughout history and around us right now, this holy host of disciples who have died to themselves to live in Christ, they help us run with endurance and develop deeper resilience to sin and seasons of struggle, to trials and tribulations, to false gospels and Pharisaical tendencies. How? Because every individual that makes up this cloud of witnesses are witnesses to and pointing us to the One in whom our faith is founded and finished: Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 

Jesus is the originator of our faith, the One who births faith in us, and the One who brings that which He began in us to completion (Philippians 1:6). It is to Him we look and keep our eyes fixed. 

We do this not only because He is God in the flesh, the only One worthy of our worship and our affixed gaze, but also because, as the author of Hebrews emphasizes several times, He was also fully man. Hebrews 2:17–18 (NIV) tells us, “He had to be made like them, fully human in every way, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted,” while Hebrews 4:15 (NIV) reminds us that “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.” Also, Romans 8:3 (NIV) says, “For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering,” and 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) proclaims, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 

What do all these verses I just threw at you tell us? That Jesus, even though He was fully God, was also fully one of us, and is thus the great example we can look to in order to “conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27 NIV), to “stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13 NIV), to “rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us” and “and “run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1 NIV). He understands our struggles, our temptations, our pain, our weaknesses, and by His Spirit and in His name He leads us and helps us and, as Hebrews 13:21 (NIV) says, He will “equip you with all you need for doing his will.” And not only that but He will also “produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him.”

Friends, I want to close our devotional time by sharing this beautiful, powerful, amazing, life-changing reminder. Resilient men keep their eyes fixed on Jesus Christ; we keep our hearts and minds focused on Him because He kept His heart focused on us! What do I mean? The rest of our passage in Hebrews 12 tells us that “for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame.” That joy? It was you! It was knowing that by this act by this sacrifice, by this death, He was to endure, He would grant us access into His kingdom, to be in His presence as He sits in His seat of glory. The joy of sharing in His glory with us (Colossians 3:4) disarmed the sting of His suffering on the cross. This is why the author of Hebrews encourages us to “consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself,” and remember that He did it all for us, for our salvation and redemption, to bring us into eternity as His people, His children, His beloved, “so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:3 NIV). Men, your strength is in Him and Him alone. Your resilience, endurance, compassion, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, your self-control, is all in Christ, so fix your eyes firmly on Him, follow Him, live in a deep relationship with Him!

 PAUSE: How does the cloud of witnesses help us focus on Jesus? 

 PRACTICE: Who has been a good example or witness to you of following Jesus? Thank them this week. Let them know how they’ve helped you in your walk and  show your appreciation for the example they’ve set. 

PRAY: Father, I thank You and praise You in Jesus’ name for sending Your Son. Thank You, Jesus, for dying for me. Thank You for loving me. Thank You for showing me how to live and walk and be strong. Thank You for giving me everything I need to live a life worthy of the gospel. I pray and ask You today to sustain me, equip me, and work in me to accomplish Your good purposes. Amen.

The resilience of Joseph

Mark 11:15-17

Today, I want to bring to your attention a young man who set an amazing example for us, a young man who demonstrated a resilience that was nothing short of supernatural. That man was Joseph. 

In todays reading, we see the “after the fact” moment where his resilience and faithfulness led him. Here, Joseph assures his brothers it wasn’t them who sent him to Egypt—it was God! 

Do you think Joseph always feels this way? I don’t. I’m sure there were moments at Potiphar’s house, after having been accused of sexual assault and wrongfully imprisoned, where he thought: What am I doing here? Why is this happening to me? This isn’t where I thought I’d end up! 

Like David, who throughout the Psalms expressed raw, painful emotions and life struggles, Joseph must have experienced a rollercoaster of emotional turmoil during those 17 years. There were likely moments where he felt like giving up or giving in. And yet, regardless of his emotions, he continued living faithfully. 

Why? Because even though Joseph may not have always seen the big picture of what God was doing and why God had allowed everything that happened to him until his brothers showed up in Egypt, it didn’t impact how he lived because he trusted in God, he rested in God’s promises and surrendered himself to the will and purposes of God. This should serve as an example to us. We won’t always know what God is doing and how He’s working, but we don’t have to in order to trust Him and live faithfully. 

We can remember all He’s done in the past—how He’s never forsaken us and has always been faithful. This allows us to have confident hope about today and tomorrow. Joseph remembered the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We have the Bible and we’re surrounded by what the author of Hebrews calls “a great cloud of witnesses”—the testimonies of believers throughout history and around us right now—which allows us to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1–2 NIV). We can trust it’s God who has brought us to where we are for His good purposes because “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 NIV). And this confident hope in and this intimate knowledge of God’s faithfulness and promises, of His sovereignty, wisdom, and love that nothing in this world can separate us from (Romans 8:38–39) enables us to have the same supernatural resilience that Joseph had to endure all those hard years.

You see, in the end, the resilience of Joseph was not about him. He had no power in and of himself to endure, no will or fortitude or ability to muster the strength to persevere. Joseph’s strength and our strength come solely and fully from God. Paul makes this clear in Romans 8:28–39, which we already covered, and in Philippians 4:11–13 (NIV), where he says, “For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” 

The word strength (ischyō) means to face the “necessary resistance that brings what the Lord defines as success.” It’s a term that refers to the Lord empowering us with the necessary to endure and achieve what He gives us faith for. So, in every way, faith and strength go hand-in-hand as the Lord provides faith and strength through His Spirit. 

So, the key to both faith and strength depends on us casting aside the prideful notion of self-sufficiency. This means understanding our weakness—our sinful nature and our inability to truly achieve anything on our own  (Matthew 19:26)—and embracing a reliance powered solely by God’s grace through Christ. When we come to this place, we find this inexplicable and indescribable strength of the Lord, a strength that is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Thus, humility is the secret to resilience.

You want to be strong and resilient? Walk in humble surrender before the Lord, relying on Him and His strength to provide all you need to accomplish what He has for you. Even if we don’t see the whole picture, even if we’re in the proverbial Potiphar’s house or prison, we can remember His faithfulness, press into His power, and watch as He provides all that you need, moving us ever closer each second “toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14 NIV). 

PAUSE: How can we exemplify the posture and heart of Joseph and Paul in our lives every day?

PRACTICE: Write down some key verses about the faithfulness and sovereignty of God and write out some of the key moments in your own walk where the Lord has supernaturally provided you the strength, perseverance, and resilience needed. Keep this note with you—whether in the notes app on your phone or on a paper you can fit in your wallet or bag.  

PRAY: Father, I thank You and praise You in Jesus’ name for Your grace, goodness, and perfect plans. I thank You for the power, peace, and perseverance you provide by Your Holy Spirit. I ask You today to continue to work out Your good purposes in my life even when I don’t understand them, and to daily mold me more and more into the image of Your Son. Amen.

The resilience of Job

John 1:1-5

James 5:11

"You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful."—James 5:11 (NKJV)

Although this passage uses the word “perseverance” to describe Job’s defining characteristic, the essence of resilience is clearly represented here. In the original Greek text, it’s the word hupomone; which is a compound word meaning “to bear (hupo) under (mone).” 

If you’ve ever watched a video of various objects being placed in a hydraulic press, you understand the meaning of this word. You also understand that different objects handle pressure differently. A birthday cake and an anvil are going to fare differently when pressed. When something is strong enough to withstand the force of the press, it’s a picture of hupomone; that object can hold (or bear) its form under the weight exerted upon it.

What an appropriate parallel to Job, who was subjected to a weight of suffering that few can even imagine. We know his story…his children, his livelihood, his health…and how the crushing pressure of their loss bore down on him. But Job wasn’t crushed. He held his form under the pressure of it all. He was the anvil that went into the press and won. His resilience was epic, even by biblical standards!

As men, the resilience of Job is something we’re instinctively drawn to and desire, ourselves. Why? Because we understand life gets heavy, it’s filled with pressures and weights capable of crushing us. We also understand we can’t change this aspect of life…it’s inevitable. We can, however, determine what we’re made of. 

The resilience that characterized Job can also characterize us. How? When we rewind Job’s life, we see the source of his resilience;    

"There was a man…whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil…seven sons and three daughters were born to him…he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all . . . Thus Job did regularly."—Job 1:1–5 (NKJV)

Before the pressure was applied to Job’s life, he was a man who prioritized the things of God. Despite being extremely wealthy in the world’s eyes, he was laser-focused on the Lord. Everything revolved around an ever-present awareness of his place before the Almighty. We might say that he was a “Matthew 6:33 Man,” in the sense that he sought God’s Kingdom and His righteousness in every way. There was a living connection between Job and God. This is who he was before the pressure was applied, and it made all the difference once it was.

Incredibly, the same resilience is available to us because its source is equally available to us. Resilience comes through an abiding relationship with the Eternally All-Powerful One, who sacrificed Himself to make such a connection possible. In keeping this our greatest priority in life, we will be able to bear under whatever pressures we encounter in life…not according to our strength, but according to His strength in us!  

PAUSE: What was the key to Job’s resilience?

 PRACTICE: How can we be characterized by the resilience that characterized Job?

PRAY: Father God, shows us how we can better prioritize our connection with You, and enable us to follow through on those changes.

The resilience of Jacob

Gen.32;24-28

"Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day."—Genesis 32:24 (NKJV)

Sometimes a life’s trajectory can be captured in a “moment.” Michael Jordan sinks a shot from the top of the key with three seconds left to advance past the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1989 NBA playoffs…the legend is born. Jordan had hit big shots before then. But he hadn’t yet separated himself from the other greats of his day. That changed from this moment forward. From that point on, Jordan was expected to rise to every occasion and prevail, which he did with ruthless regularity! That moment revealed he was a winner.

We see a similar moment in Jacob’s life in the verse above. In context, Jacob had come to the crisis of his life. After years of running from his brother Esau, from whom he’d stolen the family birthright, he can no longer avoid him. Jacob would be face to face with Esau (as well as a small army of 400 men) the next day, and the weight of what might unfold was pressing down on him! He does what many men do when racked with worry. He isolates himself by sending everyone away for the night.

But it’s in this crucible of crisis that a Man shows up and wrestles with Jacob. We know that this Man was none other than the Lord, Himself! As He is seen to do from time to time in the Old Testament, the Lord appears at a pivotal moment in someone’s life. This moment revealed Jacob’s resiliency. They wrestle all night long! Now, if He wanted to, the Lord could have broken Jacob in half within seconds. But He didn’t, did He? Instead, He allowed the struggle to go on for hours for a greater purpose. And that purpose was to reveal something about Jacob to Jacob.

"Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, 'Let Me go, for the day breaks.' But he said, 'I will not let You go unless You bless me!' So He said to him, 'What is your name?' He said, 'Jacob.' And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”—Genesis 32:25–28 (NKJV)

A lot is going on here, but the essential point is this is Jacob’s “moment.” He went into this encounter one way, and he’s coming out a different man. And notice, resiliency was a key factor in all of this. Had Jacob tapped out after a few seconds, he would have been the same man. But because of Jacob’s resilience, he entered into a prolonged struggle, which brought him to the place of transformation as the Lord broke him down (by putting his hip out of its socket) and built him up (by giving him a new identity). Physically, Jacob was weaker, but spiritually, he had leveled up. Resiliency was a necessary part of this process.

In our own lives, we often quit once we encounter a God-ordained struggle. But as we see with Jacob, the prolonged struggle has a purpose in God’s plan for our lives, and we need resilience to experience it. If we tap out, we miss out on the deeper work of transformation the Lord desires to do in us. We stay Jacob, the heel-catcher, instead of becoming Israel, the God-governed. But by being resilient, we can become all the Lord desires us to be.

 PAUSE: What was Jacob’s “moment” and how did it change him?

 PRACTICE: How does resilience factor into God’s desired work in our lives?

PRAY: Lord, strengthen us, equip us, fortify us, give us the resilience needed to withstand the transformative struggles that You’ve prepared for us.

Becoming a king

Mathew 8;10

The world has yet to see what God will do with and for and through and in and by the man who is fully consecrated to him. – Henry Varley

Though every generation faces unprecedented challenges, every generation, too, shares unprecedented opportunity to recover the path to life. Jesus promises that our Good Father is winsomely at work. As we respond to his radical invitation to travel together on this ancient path of becoming, we too can become the kind of kings who so trust and rely on the authority of our Brother that even his great heart is astonished. There is a place where our deep gladness meets the world’s deep need. Life is available; yet, like many great treasures, it is found in the least likely places.

The path is made available to all, but few choose it. It has always been so. 

Yet those few, those happy few who say yes will recover a life that is truly life. By day and by decade, they will recover life for themselves and those under their care. And the world will find itself in good hands, as sons become students, students become warriors, and warriors become kings—the kind of good-hearted kings to whom God can entrust his kingdom. 

The invitation is being made available to each one of you. Nothing more is needed than a willing and open heart.

May we be among those happy few who give their deep and lasting yes.  

Reflection Questions

Have you become the kind of person to whom God can gladly entrust more of his kingdom? Where are you confident in this? What frontier is God opening for you to heal, mature, or take risks?

Describe the man you would love to have become a decade from now?

What is a specific next step you are willing to risk taking to consent to the slow and steady process of becoming that person?

Closing Prayer

Father, thank you that our story begins with you and ends in the restoration of all things. 

We choose to trust that you love us with the same love you have for Jesus. 

Therefore we will not to give way to fear. 

We agree with who you are. 

We agree with what you are doing. 

We agree with how you are doing it. 

We ask for a revelation of your affection today. 

We ask that you would make the impossible possible. 

We put on the armor of God: 

The belt of truth, 

The breastplate of righteousness,

The shoes of the gospel, 

The shield of faith, 

The helmet of salvation, 

The sword of the Spirit. 

We choose to wield these weapons at all times in the Spirit. 

We accept your acceptance of us. 

We choose to live in the present moment. 

We ask for a wise and discerning heart. 

We unite our heart with your heart. 

We choose to listen to your voice. 

We ask you to father us and mother us today.

We ask that in all things in us and through us, your kingdom would come and your will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

We declare the truth that whatever I have and wherever I am, I can make it through the One who makes me who I am.

2 Pet. 3:13, Rev. 21:5 

John 17:23 

Ps. 27:14 

Ex. 3:14 

Eph. 3:19 

Matt. 19:26 

Eph. 6:13-18 

Matt. 3:17 

Matt. 6:33-34 

1 Kings 3:9-13 

John 17:21 

John 8:47 

Rom. 8:15-17, Isa. 66:12-13 

Matt. 6:10 

Phil. 4:13

Becoming deeply rooted

Mathew 11;29-30

Nothing more is required of us than that which we can do in union with God. – Cherie Snyder

What are you practicing? Our decades are formed by our days, and our days are forged by practices. The question is not if we are disciples (or apprentices), but rather, whose apprentice are we? Make no mistake, we have become and are becoming people who are formed and forged by daily practices. 

Take an inventory of the habits or regular activities that form the fabric of your days. Think of your relationship to technology and how and where you choose to engage. What are the most predominant and predictable habits of your life?  

Reflection Questions

Do you live with pauses between engagement and activity? The heart beats and it rests. Where is your rest? And your rhythm?

What habits do I practice on a regular basis that leave my soul with more strength and vitality?

Make a list of categories in your life where you lack margin. One by one, invite God to shine his light. What is within your power to move closer to health and well-being in each of these categories? And what might God want to reveal regarding the deeper issues that compelled the overload to begin with?

Closing Prayer

Jesus, I am asking that all my habits and my cultivating of practices would be brought under your care and into connection with you. I am asking you to shepherd my masculine heart deeper in daily practices that provide nourishment that is truly satisfying. Show me what needs to be taken up and what needs to be let go of. Shine your light on who can help me in specific ways in all of this. I receive your all-surpassing power and acknowledge that I cannot do this in my own strength. I receive your life, living in me, to empower me into the more. I choose to engage in these practices, to do what is in my power to access, a power that comes from you and you alone.

Become good soil

Prov.14:4

Mathew 13:3-9

Ps.16:11

Prov.8:11

Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. – Dallas Willard

The restoration of the masculine soul necessitates identifying and restoring a habitat, a particular lifestyle, in which we can thrive. By recovering a habitat that offers favorable growing conditions, the action of God joins with our human effort to produce supernatural results. As pictured in Jesus’ parable of the Generous Sower and the Good Soil, when Heaven’s power meets human effort, we can recover a life where the fruit of joy and impact is multiplied 30-, 60-, even 100-fold.  

Reflection Questions

If you’re honest, what priorities do you arrange your day around? (For example, fitness, financial gain, business or ministry success, needing people to like you.)

What are some new ways you would like to arrange your days, in small practical steps, that would orient you toward the destination you desire?

Closing Prayer

Father, I bring all of my relationships and practices under your care and into connection with you. I confess I need your guidance, your strength, and your counsel to arrange my days more and more so that I am experiencing deepening contentment, confidence, and joy in my everyday life with you. I’m asking you to speak into where and how I invest my strength in its every dimension and aspect, so that my actions would steadily align more and more with the beliefs I long to build my life and legacy upon.

Becoming a warrior

Isaiah 42:13

Without great wars, there are no great generals. Our God is indeed a warrior, leading angel armies in great victories through the ages. Let us not forget, “The Lord is a warrior, the Lord is his name” (Exodus 15:3). It is as warriors that we bring a central expression of the heart of God to a world in desperate need. Since the fall of man, an undercurrent has been pulling toward passivity, fear, and even disdain for the warrior. God knows the damage that has occurred to so many because of the warrior gone wrong. Yet the path to becoming the kind of king to whom God can entrust his kingdom must include the process of cultivating the warrior-heart of God, in the heart of a man. 

One key to recovering the ancient path is to learn courage. To become the kind of person who “drinks life like water and death like wine.” A defender of the defenseless. The kind of warrior and the kind of king who can spend himself in a worthy cause and is willing to die a thousand deaths on behalf of those entrusted to his care. It is this deep warrior ethic that must be recovered if a man is to mature into his intended place in God’s kingdom.

Reflection Questions

Where can you identify the warrior-heart God has set with you? 

Where have you seen it go sideways in your life? What have been the consequences?

Describe how you would view yourself operating out of the warrior heart set within you if it was fully healed and matured.

Closing Prayer

Father, through the death of Jesus, you have disarmed the power, authority, and rule of evil. Through his resurrection and ascension, you have established your authority over the evil one and his kingdom. Thank you, Jesus, for granting to me all the authority granted to you by our Father (Luke 10:19). I enforce your kingdom. I enforce your rule. Father, through Jesus Christ crucified, resurrected, and ascended, I enforce your authority in my kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. I agree with your intentions, and I give you full say over everything you’ve entrusted to me. I open the gates of my kingdom to your kingdom (Psalm 24:7).

Becoming a generalist

1Cor.16:13-14

In a sort of ghastly simplicity we remove the organ and demand the function. We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honour and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and bid the geldings be fruitful. – C.S.Lewis

“What does a man need to survive?” I posed this question years ago to my very young son as we were headed out on an adventure. 

After careful and honest consideration, he responded, “A wallet and a phone.” 

It was brilliant. And painful. Brilliant because of his perception of our culture, painful because the culture in which my kids are being raised gives the false perception that his response is true. Aldo Leopold, in A Sand County Almanac, offered a thought that implied part of the antidote to a world without men: “There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other is believing that heat comes from the furnace.” Something in us recoils. Right.

These spiritual dangers have become institutionalized norms in our technological age. Anything you need, you can order online, even get it shipped for free in one day via Amazon Prime. All that’s required is a few clicks. Yet in this age of über-convenience, something inside us grows soft, atrophies, and dies.

How do we avoid the spiritual dangers Leopold described? Dang, it’s hard. After all, most days it feels like heat does come from the furnace and our breakfast does come from the grocery. And on any given day, doesn’t it feel true that what we really need to survive are a wallet and a phone?

To become a generalist is to restore the capacity to do real things and handle real things, to become the kind of man who can handle himself in any and every situation, whether fixing a broken toilet or helping mend a broken heart. 

Far from a caricature, the generalist brings skill and harnessed strength to meet the world’s needs. Instead of corrupted power or learned helplessness, the generalist brings humility and confident skill. 

And in all things, the restored generalist brings life and not harm.

Through becoming a generalist, we recover essential agency with real things and take one more step toward becoming a trustworthy king.  

Reflection Questions

Where do you find yourself feeling strong in the company of men? What about these men or these circumstances allows you to feel strong?

Where do you find yourself feeling uncomfortable or weak in the company of men? What about these men or these circumstances compels you to feel uncomfortable or weak?

What parts of you as a man feel the most atrophied and in need of regeneration, nourishment, and growth? Where might God be inviting you to take back some mastery in these areas, in the name of restoring the generalist he has set within you?

Closing Prayer

God, I want to recover everything you meant when you meant me, as a man. I confess I gravitate toward places and roles where I feel strong and find myself avoiding places where I feel weak and uncomfortable. I open my heart as a man to you, God, to recover the parts of my masculine soul that have atrophied. I ask that you would shine your light on the parts of my soul that remain unfathered, uninitiated, unguided. I invite you to father me in the process of becoming a generalist. I reject every caricature of masculinity, and I invite you to expose the places and roles in which I have hidden as a man. I want to recover the foundation of true masculinity, so that from this base, in any and every situation, I can become the kind of person who can bring true masculine strength, masculine courage, and masculine love, as you intended since before the creation of the world. Paul invites us to “act like men.” Would you reveal to me what you meant by that and how it is to inform me in my path of being restored as a man? Holy Spirit, I ask for your counsel and your leadership to guide me into what is next for me on the frontier of becoming a generalist. Amen.