Mad as #@!!

Guys, if there’s one thing we all need to learn it’s to give respect to the women/girls around us.

NO woman deserves to be abused, molested, or raped.

I live with the effects of what several men did to my wife years ago. I struggle in my marriage because I can’t shed the anger. Frankly, I’m mad as hell at the men who did this to her. Today is no exception.

My wife required a very sensitive surgical procedure today, one that is difficult enough for a woman who has not been scarred by the damage of molestation and abuse. To hear her mother tell me about how I have to watch how I say everything, how I do everything, how I dress, how I even BREATHE because of what those men did…well, let’s just say I’m at a boiling point.

If this were the old west, there’d be an old fashioned hanging going down. Unfortunately, the US has become more civilized than that (now we just send them to country-club type prisons rather than actually punish them).

No woman’s life should ever EVER be scarred by abuse and molestation.

And that’s OUR responsibility!

Starting Over

Here’s a wandering thought for you…

Many people believe that it is impossible to begin again once you’ve had a moral failure. I would say that the answer is no, it’s not impossible. Oh yes, there is work required behind it, but it is not impossible. Nothing hurts worse than the collapse or loss of intimacy with a significant other. It’s just like the world ended. Yet the scriptures tell us that you can begin again. After you’ve done the very things that you said you’d never do…after you’ve compromised the very last shred of your integrity…after a moral failure of any kind…you can begin again.

There was Bathsheba-gate. King David spies her from the roof, considers how beautiful she is. This has all the makings of a TV drama: adultery, a bit of hanky panky, and a plotted murder (Uriah, her husband, in battle). Then the paperboy comes calling in the form of Nathan the prophet. All of the sudden, King David is exposed, and everything he’s done in terms of righteousness and achievement is gone. It’s nullified, just like it never happened.

David is attributed to the authorship of Psalm 51. He did the one thing, the only thing, that could be done after being caught so red-handed. He confessed that what he had done was wrong, and asked that his heart be changed…kinda like a transplant of the moral/spiritual variety.

Bathsheba lost that first child she was pregnant with, but eventually bore a second son out of the ashes of this collapse. That child was named Solomon. Solomon, as you may know, is attributed to writing the Proverbs, and throughout his life served the LORD. So yes, you can begin again after a moral failure.

Authentic Manhood

Was thinking about some scripture today as I was reading:

Judges 6:16 — The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.”

I guess to say the least this is a generation of men lost in a cloud of confusion, and have pretty much been abandoned or failed by their earthly fathers. To tell you some honest truth, my father was an alcoholic that verbally abused me. I was constantly berated, belittled, cussed at, and lectured at and today it is wreaking havoc in my marriage, my relationships with other people, and in some ways my relationship with God.

But God says to me, and to all men, “Don’t aimlessly drift through life. Don’t give in to what the world’s definition of manhood is. Come to me, through Jesus Christ, and let me show you and lead you to what manhood is all about. Be an adopted son, and let me ‘re-father’ you..” (last sentence from Bill Hybels).

God’s answer to Gideon’s question in verse 15: “How can I save Israel, for I am the least of my family and my family is of the least tribe in Manasseh?” shows us that God wants to be personally and intimately involved with all of His children, no matter the circumstances. Scripture repeatedly brings up that desire that God has. God wants to provide all of the warmth, affection, discipline, accountability, and guidance that characterizes a good father-son relationship.

Alas, and even more so for those of us who have had bad “father-son” relationships, it’s not an overnight process nor is it something that happens “automagically” when we become saved. God doesn’t just reach down and give us some sort of transplant while we’re sleeping to fix it. It takes prayer, studying the Word, and listening for God’s voice. It demands that we listen for God’s guidance, and then act on that. Why does God want to do this ‘re-fathering’ process, bringing us to a place where we’re so sure of Him, His approval and guidance, and the promise of heaven?

God wants all of us to step beyond the world’s definition of manhood to a deeper level. He wants emasculated (or girly men…you know you use that phrase…) men to become secure enough to confront timidity, confront fear, take risks and make commitments. He wants all the tough, macho men out there to stop hiding behind false pretenses and masks, stop trying to impress people.

Bill Hybels says this: “The freedom of authentic masculinity is an amazing thing to see. It produces “divine elasticity” in men. Finally they can lead with firmness, yet submit with humility. They can challenge with a cutting edge, then encourage with enthusiasm. They can fight for just causes, then moments later weep over suffering.”

The world’s definition of manhood is way off base. God’s idea of real manhood, that “divinely elastic” man is who He had in mind when He created you and I. We see so many of the traits of the divinely elastic man in Jesus Christ…one who could speak with firmness, yet submit to His Father’s will; challenge the Pharisees in public settings with hard sayings yet encourage His disciples; clear the temple of moneychangers yet stand on a hill and weep over Jerusalem. It’s the man who lets God mold him to that “divinely elastic” man who is truely being molded into a masterpiece.

From Across the Pond

I kinda dumbed into a blog that is from Australia that was talking about manhood. I thought the article had some good points in it, so here it is:

The link is to MattGlover.com and the post is Manhood: Chapter 1 the Problem

Read it and see what you think.

More about the issue of gambling

If you’d scroll thru the comments on the post “It’s Too Much of a Gamble”, you’d see that Susan from Sisters’ Weblog dropped a comment in about the issue of gambling. I happen to really like what link she left me…it’s from her notes on a sermon that Pastor Chuck at Northbrook Church gave a while back. I apologize that I don’t have her direct permission to post this, but I’m going to do it anyhow. I cut a few things off, but here is the crux of the post about gambling and the lottery, etc., and I thought these were good points:

Jesus would NOT play the lottery because:

I. IT IS MOTIVATED BY GREED – Greed and God can not exist in the same heart. (Luke 12:13-21)

People who support the lottery claim it is used for education. While a small portion of it may be used that way, is that really the reason people play it? Does Joe buy a ticket thinking “I’m going to contribute to the education of Tennessee’s youth”? I doubt it, I think Joe wants to win the jackpot.

(Bill’s side note: 38 cents of every dollar goes to PA Seniors programs, the beneficiary of the lottery in Pennsylvania, with the other 62 cents going to payouts, administration of the lottery, etc. Not a real great ratio…)

II. EXPLOITS THE POOR – Jesus loves the poor. The lottery hurts them. (Luke 18:18-23)

I learned today that in statistical studies on the lottery, it shows that those people with incomes below $10,000 a year participate in the lottery more than any other group. Middle income families a little less and high income brackets rarely at all.

Studies also show that at the end/beginning of the month, once welfare checks are recieved, that there is a spike in lottery sales in poor neighborhoods. The lottery is looked upon by the government as a way to get back the money from the welfare system.

There are more lottery outlets in poor neighborhoods than in affluent ones, because that is where the players are.

III. IT IS POOR STEWARDSHIP OF GOD’S RESOURCES – Everything on earth belongs to God. (Matthew 25:14-30)

The lottery is like playing the midway games at the fair. You know you will lose, therefore, why spend money on playing? Statistically there is a greater chance of being struck by lightning TWICE, than winning the “big one”.

That was the crux of it that I wanted to share with you all. I would just encourage you to meditate on those thoughts a little…they were good ones.

Too Much of a Gamble?

Oh, could I start a stir with this one…

I was approached in the office today by one of our survey party chiefs. He says to me: “Hey Bill, Cash5 is up to $660,000 tonight, you playin’?” Of course my answer is no. He replies: “ah, but you gotta play to win!”

Gambling never made sense to me, even when I was unsaved. Why on earth would I spend money to have a chance at winning more money? And surely, the minute I won a big sum of money, I’d be related to just about everyone in town! I could never understand why it’s such a draw. Then, once I got saved, I figured it out.

“No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” – Luke 16:13

Does God want us to be grovelling around for everything, depending on government social programs, barely having enough to get by? NO! God wants to prosper us. But here is the thing: Money is a hard master that can easily replace God as the first priority in our lives. Wealth promises power and control that it can’t deliver, and it surely can’t bring health, happiness, or eternal life. It is much better to trust God, serve God, and have eternal peace and security, than to serve money that’s here today and gone tomorrow.

Herein lies the draw I was talking about: Many think that money can bring those things. If I just had that kind of money, my bills would be paid. I’d own my house. I’d be out of debt. I’d save the rest.

Yeah, right. Not many I know who came into big money “saved the rest”.

Now, before someone comes along and blasts me for teaching some sort of commandment of men here and that Paul told us that we have liberty not law, consider:

“All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable”

Is it lawful to go buy a lottery ticket? Sure. Every state has a lottery, as long as you’re older than 18 (maybe 21 in some places) and possess enough American dollars to purchase a ticket, you can get one. But ask yourself, is it profitable? Is spending $2, 5, 10, or more on the lottery helping you? Is it helping others? Is it providing your family’s needs? Does spending that money that way bring glory to God?

If your answer to one or more of those questions is “no” then perhaps you should reconsider your stance on the lottery.

Hard statement to hear, I know. But as Christians, I believe in my heart that we are given a responsibility to do things to bring glory to God and to minister to and serve others. This may strike a nerve with you, but if that’s the case it’s not me; I’m just the paperboy.

To me, it’s just too much of a gamble.

Persisting in Prayer

Let’s look at Luke 18:1

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,…

This scripture is the beginning of the “Persistent Widow” parable. As you may recall, the persistent widow continually expressed her need to the judge until he took action on her situation. That’s what we should do with our needs in presenting them to God…be persistent. Persistence in prayer until we get an answer from God is not about endless repetition or painfully long sessions, but is instead about keeping our requests before God daily, believing He will answer them. He might delay in answering us, but His delays always have good reasons.

As we persist in our prayer life, we grow in character, faith, and hope as individuals and as a body. Are we persistent in what guidance and direction we seek from God? Are we continually interceding for our President, our churches, our pastors, and each other? Are we in need of a “shot in the arm” for our prayer life, because it has fallen apart some?

WRAP Week Prayer Directive – November 5

Today’s WRAP Week Prayer Directive:

First, thank God for all that He is able to do. This is the final day of directives for this week, and while the results aren’t landslide in nature, He is at work. Also, continue to pray that Godly men and women…but especially men…will be raised up within the local communities that will stand firm in rejection of this kind of stuff. Pray that they will be steadfast. Continue to pray for the chains to be broken from those addicted. Pray for those who are called to activism within the community (via petition drives, etc.) will be raised up and begin to take action as God leads them to. Continue to remember those who work in this industry, pray that God will continue to soften their hearts and work at bringing more people out of this place.

Thanks to all of you who participated along in this week of prayer regarding the porn industry..both for deliverance of people from it and for a change of heart of those stuck in it. I pray that we as men will continue to stand fast in our rejection of obscene materials.

Big Talk does not equal Big Walk

I really have grown to appreciate my brother in the Lord Paul’s ponderings on his blog. This post of his hit me right between the eyes the whole way through, but there’s a particular part of it I want to take and develop just a bit more. I just want to talk from the heart about it, with no real set script or agenda…more like some open thoughts I guess.

Peter, before Jesus’ arrest, was confident that he would stay with Jesus, even if it meant death, but instead the Apostle denied that he even knew Jesus. Brave talk and positive thinking do not necessarily translate into courage when the chips are down.

See, we can promote a lot of things with the words we speak. Peter certainly did it, and Jesus even knew exactly what was going to happen before the sun came up. And it did happen. I posted the other day about living “stress free” and in that I mentioned that faith is more than emotional feeling. It’s also more than a mental assent to a set of rules, beliefs or doctrines. Faith incorporates so many things, because there are times where faith crosses beyond rules and doctrines…transcends all emotional feelings, to a place of being solely dependent upon God for the results. Saying you have faith and really truly having faith are two different things, and it always seems to come to light when you get in that place where nothing makes sense, there’s no rules to go by, and your feelings have lied to you.

Guys like to fix things…admit it…and if it ain’t broke we break it so we can fix it. I’m the biggest to blame at something like that. I look around at my current situation and think “ok, what can I do to correct thus-and-such and make sure that that-over-there gets taken care of”. I get in the way of what God wants to do! Yet when I talk to others, I profess that “God is in charge.” Is He, or am I? Even when things look their worst, and the clock is ticking loudly before something bad happens, we sometimes need to take that step back and say “God, I see so much distress around me, but I hold all of this up to You.” It’s a tough place to be, because maybe you’re talking about having a utility shut off, a car running out of gas, or something like that. But God has a strange way of making things work out if we truly take the step back and walk what we say…that we have faith in Him.

My encouragement is twofold to you tonight: 1. We all have a little bit of Peter in us…in that we say things that make us sound bigger, bolder, and more secure than we really are. And even though Peter made a bold statement that he didn’t follow through with, he wasn’t the first and he won’t be the last. 2. Peter went on to do great things for God despite the big talk (and big mistake)! God can still use you and develop your faith to the place where your talk and walk line up more closely. You have to let Him do it, though. You cannot develop that place in your faith without allowing God to develop it, lest you have faith in yourself alone and not God.

Just some open thoughts. Feel free to feedback on them.

WRAP Week Prayer Directive – November 4

Today’s WRAP Week Prayer Directive:

Pray for those in your local community who have control over whether or not to sell pornography. That means local store owners, regional chain store owners, and even the managers of larger chains. Pray that they would know how to respond when it’s told they have to sell this stuff. Pray that they would know how to approach superiors when they are led to discuss this matter with them. Pray for a softening and a “resensitizing” of people to the damage that this material is bringing into all of our communities.