What Are We Supposed To Sacrifice?

Now that Jesus has paid the ultimate price for you and me and God no longer requires a sacrifice for our sin why does God still require a sacrifice from us?  Hebrews 13: 13-14 says, “So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His [Jesus'] reproach. For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come [Zion the heavenly kingdom].” 

The Cross on the Mountain by Caspar David Friedrich

Because to be citizens of heaven dual citizenship is forbidden. One cannot be committed to the this world and all its cares and wisdom while at the same time be committed to the values of heaven. We either trust in Jesus and live the work of faith or we live for ourselves in the style of this world. To be a member of the great and holy Church means we will in many respects look and act differently than this world. So much so in fact that it will feel as if we are outcasts living ‘outside the camp, bearing His reproach [the sacrifice of the cross]. We all must take up our cross and that cross is uncalculated obedience to God, sacrificing what he requires of us. But now that Jesus has sacrificed for us what is our sacrifice? 

  Hebrews 13: 15-16 says, “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” 

There are two types of sacrifice and both stem from the same root, thankfulness to God for what He has done for us through Jesus on the cross. The first is sacrifice of praise to God. The fruit of one’s lips, what one says comes from the heart. Praise does not simply mean singing the three songs at Church on Sunday morning. It is the sum total of what comes out of our mouths. Is it worthy of who God is? Is it praiseworthy of what He has made us? 

The second is ‘doing good and sharing.’ What we have received from God we freely give to those around us. If we give only criticism we have not received the grace of God. If we give only judgement we have not received forgiveness. If we give only the gospel message to the hungry then we have not received the riches of Jesus who sits at the right hand of power.

Blood Speaks?

Apparently blood speaks to God, specifically the shedding of it. Meaning the manner and context of how blood is shed says something, speaks on behalf of someone for good or bad.

The idea starts in Genesis chapter 4 with Abel’s good sacrifice to God and Cain’s evil shedding of Abel’s innocent blood. Verse 4 says, “And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering.” Cain became angry because the LORD had no ’regard’ for Cain’s offering. So in jealousy he killed Abel. The LORD responded by saying to Cain, ”What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground.” In the conversation that God had with Cain before he ended his brother’s life it was clear that it was not the difference in the tangible sacrifice that was offered but the manner in which it was offered. We get a hint of that by how God describes the nature of Abel’s sacrifice (firstlings of his flock) and by the content of God’s encouragement to Cain (if you do well). God is getting at obedience. Abel heard and obeyed while Cain, if he heard, did not obey.

Hebrews 11:4 says, “. . . and through faith, though he [Abel] is dead, he still speaks.” What is he speaking?  Obedience to what God asks. Apparently Abel understood what it was God wanted from him and he obeyed. Cain on the other hand gave something to God but it was on Cain’s terms not on God’s which translates into rebellion of heart, sin. Blood was shed at the hand of Abel and it was good by God’s testimony. It was shed in obedience in faith and received as righteousness. Blood was shed at the hand of Cain and it was also received but the message condemned the one who shed it.

This shedding of blood as a requirement for payment of sin remains a core theme throughout the Bible taking us all the way through the book of revelation where we see the saints of God overcoming by the “blood of the lamb (Jesus which harkens back to the obedient act of Abel) and because of the word of their testimony . . . .” Peter describes the nature of his service to the Lord as well as the source of his power to serve in 1 Peter 1:2 in this way, “to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood.” To obey Jesus IS to be sprinkled with His blood. We can refuse to be ‘sprinkled’ with His blood. But why would anyone refuse? To be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus would be to admit that you are a sinner, that all that you are and all that you have is not enough. Jesus says in John 14:21, “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me.”

Jesus’ blood cries out to God the Father as did Abel’s blood. Hebrews 12:24 says, “and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.” What makes it better? Abel’s sacrifice was for himself. Jesus sacrifice was for us. It can effect change in the heart of the rebellious Cain that is in all of us, to make our sacrifices based on obedience to what God asks of each of us from day-to-day as we walk with Him. It cries out that the world and all it contains is His. And identification to the One who is sacrificed represents a cycle of increasing sanctification, increasing connection, unity with who God is.

The interesting thing is that the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for our sin changes the way God uses our sacrifice. It means that our sacrifices are no longer needed to atone for our sin. Jesus took care of that part. But we are still required to sacrifice. We offer up ourselves on the altar of faith but it is a sacrifice not for a fleshly purpose to justify ourselves since that has been done once for all. But now our sacrifice has a heavenly purpose. The blood of a saint now flows from the work of the Cross. And whether by life or by death that blood flowing from the cross through you and me speaks again and again to the world. And its message is life to those who receive it and death to those who refuse and glory to God who is all in all.

“For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). Why? What is our suffering, our sacrifice used for now? A little earlier Peter says in verse 5, “you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

What Comes First, the Church or the Church’s Message?

Does the Bible describe the basic elements of what the Church looks like? What are the common elements or ingredients that cause a person to know that God is present and moving among us? We already know HOW we should live this life in Christ (e.g. uncalculated devotion to God and freely sacrificial to others) but what should happen as a result?

Well maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s back up and take a quick look at what happened in the early Church as recorded in the book of Acts chapter two: ⁴⁰And with many other words he [Peter] solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” ⁴¹So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. ⁴²They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. ⁴⁴And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; ⁴⁵and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. ⁴⁶Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

Specific things seemed to be occurring and they were presented in a certain order. But does that order reflect the priorities we should have in our experience? The first thing we see in this passage is the external preaching of the gospel displayed by Peter which at least increases the base of people who make up the Church. Secondly, those who believed were baptized and made to feel part of a distinct community. Third, it is said that this distinct group of people devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer (verse 42). In fact verses 44-47 all describe the nature of the people’s commitment to fellowship, what we might call community. In fact, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer are all forms of community and seem to be uniquely suited to knowing and reflecting God.

So it appears that the community intentionally devoted themselves to these basic elements not as individuals only but also as a group of people. They were in the Temple together (apostles’ teaching and prayer), they were breaking bread together (from house to house) continually. When the Lord is moving among His people those people not only have a hard time being apart from one another but also that the Lord moves more powerfully when those people are together: “And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

Interesting that what is described in Acts is the fact that this odd imbalance of devotion of believers to each other is not just important but key to the success of the message. In other places in this blog this unique devotion has been termed ‘freely sacrificial to others.’ But the history of the social gospel movement shows us that a devotion to community without a commitment to communicating the central message of that community could degenerate into some religious social club.

Here we can learn from Peter. The message of the cross was never popular. To tell people that they need to repent is never comfortable. People don’t want to hear that. People who are faithful to preach the message of the cross to the world have resigned themselves to God. They have died to themselves and therefore have shet their fear of what others might think or do to them. And that takes courage, boldness, a community of people who also possess an uncalculated, myopic devotion to Jesus Christ to encourage us and fall back on when we are weak.

So what comes first, the community or the message the community must carry to the world? If the message is embodied in the person of Jesus Christ as the ‘Word that became flesh and dwelt among us’ then we have only to be faithful to the message and committed to each other. And the better we share this life together as believers the greater the strength we will have to preach the gospel message. Peter was preaching from a position of communal strength with his fellow apostles. Furthermore, Jesus says that the message has greater impact if we are in proper relationship to each other. He says in John 13:35, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”  It appears that while Jesus was teaching them about the message of the kingdom of God while walking this Earth He was at the same time building the foundation for the community out of which the Church would spring.

Lest you agree too quickly it is important to note that the word ‘love’ is a bigger word than what is typically thought. Love points to a covenant relationship, a relationship of uncompromised faithfulness characterized by extreme generosity of spirit and material possession as seen in the Acts passage above. But to live that way requires supernatural power that can only come from a singleness of heart, a devotion to Christ alone.

What then is stopping a powerful move of God among us where many thousands of people are saved and made well?

1. Death to ourselves offered up on the altar of faith in Jesus Christ 

2. Practical devotion to and fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ (see #1)

Boasting in the Cross of Jesus Christ

Paul says in his letter to the Church in Galatia, “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

If I have the privilege of living to a ripe old age and all those years in God’s grace I would be honored to arrive at even a partial understanding of the depth of Paul’s words. How does one boast in the cross? 

Perhaps it means that the world and all it stands for, all it contains apart from God is of no concern to me when making decisions, when considering how to practically live out my life from day-to-day in His will while at the same time having so much concern for those around me that I am as committed to their success as I am to my own.

Perhaps it is the realization that all I am, all my natural talents, abilities, skills, money, intellect, wisdom, relationships, personality, is the perfect representation of bankruptcy of soul, that I can add nothing to God while at the same time valuing the people around me as the very treasure of God in my life.

Perhaps it is the understanding that all criticism of my life, all accusations are on the deepest level of my being true and that I am without excuse or defense while at the same time taking no offense from the actions of those around me having no reputation or ego to damage.

Perhaps it is resting in the grace given to my by the Cross of Jesus Christ and that now if I live to Him I am beyond any man’s judgement while at the same time recognizing and helping to bear the burdens of those around me with gentleness and truth. 

Perhaps all that is worth knowing is that Jesus bore the burden of all our sin on the cross and to bear the burden of another in this dark and demon possessed world is when heaven touches hell and the kingdom of God comes to earth.

Perhaps . . . .

Do We Want God To Speak To Us?

My friend Mike and I have been talking about this issue on and off for many months. Does God still speak to His disciples today? I mean, does He directly through His Holy Spirit ask, prompt, or otherwise direct His sons and daughters to do specific things? Not just profound things like, “GO BE A MISSIONARY TO RUWANDA,” but mundane things too like, “Apologize to your son for being impatient with him.” Don’t get me wrong here. I am not saying Christians should necessarily and audibly hear God say things although He has done that kind of thing many times according to the Bible. And since He never said that He wouldn’t do that again I am sure that people have heard God say something to them with their physical ears. Be that as it may, does the Holy Spirit direct us, in our ‘soul’ so to speak, and to what extent? Oswald Chambers seemed to think that we have direct access to the will and voice of God all the time. The thing that hinders our ability to hear Him is our lack of attention on Him. And what does Chambers say is the root cause of that lack of attention on God? Fear that we will have to obey. And the root cause of that fear is a lack of love and devotion to God. The Israelites had this unique problem. They did not want to hear directly from God because that would mean they would either have to obey or blatantly disrespect and disobey God.

Exodus 20:19 is says, “Then they said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.’”

Oswald Chamber’s quoted this verse in his book My Utmost For His Highest on February 12th.  He went on to say, “We show how little we love God by preferring to listen to His servants only. We like to listen to personal testimonies, but we do not desire that God Himself should speak to us. . . . Because we know that if God does speak, either the thing must be done or we must tell God we will not obey Him. If it is only the servant’s voice we hear, we feel it is not imperative, we can say, “Well, that is simply your own idea, though I don’t deny it is probably God’s truth.”

What is the solution to the silence of God in our personal lives? Uncalculated devotion to God freeing us from the fear of death. Our first priority becomes Jesus Christ rather than our concern for our own comfort, safety, and reputation.

In order to keep myself focused on Jesus it helps if I ask myself how I would feel if tomorrow everyone I knew would ridicule me for what He asked me to do today. What if I lost my job, my money, my confidence in my unique skill set that makes me feel like I can make a valuable contribution to an organization? Would I still have faith and unflagging confidence in the one to whom I am solely dependant anyway whether or not I recognize it? I find that I am under an illusion most of the time that I am independent, autonomous, self-sufficient, etc. But all those things that facilitates this false impression are all direct and intentional gifts from God that I am supposed to use or NOT USE when He asks me to obey Him today. The Israelites had it right when they thought that if they heard God they would ‘die.’ Jesus asks us to follow in His steps and take up our cross, die. If God the Father would put Jesus to death what makes us think that He will spare our affinities and affections? When we hear God our flesh must either die or reject Him.

Do you feel like Jesus is silent to you sometimes? If so what do you perceive to be the reasons?

If Today’s Church Is ‘Sick’ What Does ‘Healthy’ Look Like?

There are a lot of studies out there that say that the statistics of the Church relative to divorce, pornography, debt, etc is no different if not worse than the rest of the country. There are a lot of books written about what is wrong with today’s church. There are a lot of commentaries about what a Church needs to do to freshen up its programs, reorganize its leadership, etc. There are even more people all too willing to spout off their opinion of what’s wrong or what should be done differently.

This is not one of those posts. If the Church today really is sick why? And if the answer is yes then it begs the question, “What does ‘Healthy’ Church look like?”

I’ll take a shot at it. Click on the link below to see two different charts describing a Biblically healthy church in terms of its activity compared to the current situation of the American Church.
Healthy vs Unhealthy Church Activity

Death Is the Life of the Church

I have heard many lament the glory days of the church, when America used to have moral values. It does appear that the Church has lost its edge. It is seen as judgmental and irrelevant. Maybe that is just the world’s view or maybe they have a point. Sometimes a Church will attempt to appear relevant by having trendy programs, professionally polished music performances, multi-million dollar staging equipment for nice little Christian drama presentations. I think this issue is worth pursuing.

But Paul is telling the Church what its standard of living should be in Philippians 3:16: “Let us keep living by that same standard . . . .” The first question is, ‘What standard is Paul talking about?’ The second question is, “Are we living according to it?’ And third, “If not what should we do?”

Paul says in the next verse, “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”

To what ‘example’ was he referring? To what ‘pattern’ of walking/living was he encouraging the people of Philippi to adhere? Was it neat and tidy life at the knee of the Great Candy God? Was it a “Prosperity Gospel” . . . God really wants you to have everything you want? Well maybe we are a little more theologically savvy than that. But what was it? Was it a toned down version of the prosperity gospel I like to call the ‘Consumer gospel’ . . . here are some tips and techniques for personal fulfillment?

Let me skip ahead and get right to this ‘standard,’ ‘example,’ ‘pattern,’ that Paul insisted the Phillippians understand found in verses 10-11 in the same chapter, “. . . that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

To know God means we die to ourselves. It means we die to our desires. It means we die to our concern of how others may view us. It means we die to our rights which means we die to all taking of offense. It means we take all of life as if directly from the hand of God almighty, good, bad, or ugly. It means we walk out death to sin so that we can be raised to live in the power of Christ rather than just talking about it–words. Paul said in I Corinthians 4:20, “For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.”

To access the kingdom of God we must die . . . ouch . . . daily . . . ouch. Our new life in Jesus gives us the ability to choose death to ourselves and access the life of God through Christ. But I must be willing to die to my way of life, the way I want it, the way I value it, the way I think about it, past and present, considering it all ‘rubbish’ (Philippians 3:8) . . . all of it as nothing and worse than nothing, garbage. Why? Because it gets in the way of my healthy tunnel vision: Seeing Jesus.

How can we expect to reap the benefits of the resurrection if we refuse to fellowship with Christ in His suffering? Suffering equals the death of our desire, our flesh, at some level. And death is the only gate to the power of the resurrection. God will not allow a person to jump from fleshly comfort to resurrection power. If we are in Christ we are in Him for it all. The least of suffering for Him, in Him, is greater than the greatest of all comfort in this world. Why? Because we gain the power of the resurrection now. We live the eternal life today. Suffering and weakness releases and reveals the power of  God in a redeemed soul. To shirk a life of sacrifice is to reject Jesus.

To find true resurrection life we must be willing to exchange our old weakness for a new kind of weakness; for Jesus’ weakness. 2 Corinthians 13: 4 says, “For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you.”

Lest you think Paul had a theological lapse when writing to the Philippians or the second time he wrote to the Corinthian church let me clarify by quoting what he said to the Corinthian church the first time in 1 Corinthians 4: 13b, 16 “we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now . . . . Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.” What!?! Is your brain smoking yet?

Uncalculated Devotion to God (UDG) is death.

Being Freely Sacrificial to Others (FSO) is resurrection life.

For the record I am lousy at this. But my heart longs to do better. I really want the kingdom of God to dawn upon the world through my life. What about you?

Jesus, I ask that you would give us a glimpse of the joy we would bring to your heart through the daily sacrifice of our lives on the altar of faith in You. Help us focus our vision so completely on your radiance that we are blind to all else.

Put a Christian Anywhere and, ‘Vwala!’ a Church?

Is that true? If a person is really living Jesus’ life according to the greatest commandment manifesting UCD and FSO (that’s Uncalculated Devotion to God and Freely Sacrificial to Others for those just joining us) would the world around that person respond such that a group of devoted and reproducing Christ followers resulted?

The western Church may have it wrong. I mean it seems that there are three levels to the kingdom of God and can be put into three layers within a triangle (See chart pdf link below). The area of each layer represents quantity of activity in certain area of life. And each successive layer is a natural result of the one below it. Those three layers from bottom to top are 1) living the kingdom of God in our personal lives (UDG, FSO), 2) being church out of your home and circle of influence on a weekly or more basis (with smaller groups of people believers or not), and 3) being church with other believers who are also being church less than bi-weekly, monthly, or perhaps even quarterly celebrating how God is expanding His kingdom at levels 1 and 2 (larger group of believers). There appears to be some Biblical precedence for this.

Healthy Activity of the Kingdom of God PDF

But it seems to me that somehow the church today has its priorities relative to living the kingdom of God for the purpose of bringing the world back into right relationship to God reversed. Let’s focus on level three when we haven’t even got level one down yet say nothing of level two? Why throw energy and resources building infrastructure and shifting kingdom responsibility onto the shoulders of the ‘clergy’ to do the work of the ministry when we should be doing it ourselves? It is no wonder that pastors always seem to be preaching involvement but it is involvement to spend resources to support the existing infrastructure, church programs, boost Sunday attendance. Preach involvement all you want but activity is worthless if it is the wrong activity. Spending money to buy a building and hire staff is always easier than living the kingdom of God right now.

Living the kingdom of God right now requires faith. Faith means that I do what God asks of me. Doing what He asks of me means that I cannot rely on someone else to hear from Him on my behalf. Living UDG and FSO can be scary, uncomfortable. ”Give that family a thousand dollars . . . .” What? That makes no sense. “Have another baby?” What, no. “Confront your best friend about that issue?” Not nice. Maybe, just maybe, God through His Holy Spirit whispers to us all the time and we dismiss it. We play it safe and strap on the seatbelt of life. Step out. Make the little crazy gestures. Buy the lunch for the person behind you in line. Say you were wrong to your employee. Invite your next door neighbor, the wierd ones, over for dinner. Ask someone if they believe in Jesus. Refuse to get offended. Love your enemy. Pray for those that drive you stark, raving mad.

Watch God materialize. Experience the world upside down.

Jesus’ Kind of Weak

The Church in Corinth had somehow got it in their heads that Paul was a poser (yep, poser) because he refused to take advantage of them and lord his leadership over them while others did not mind doing that themselves. So he addressed that perspective in a second letter to them in a very unique and counterintuitive way.

2 Corinthians 13:4 says, “For indeed He [Jesus] was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you.” Paul says that Jesus was crucified ‘because of weakness.’ Whose weakness? Was Jesus crucified because of His weakness? The Biblical witness with respect to God’s plan to redeem the world found all throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation shows that Jesus is God in the flesh under total control. Just take a look at the scene of Jesus’ arrest before His crucifixion in John 18. It is fascinating to see who is really in control of His arrest, “So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground” (John 18:6). Roman soldiers and certainly not Jewish leaders typically fall face down on the ground just before they arrested people. Talk about vulnerability. Who was weak there? It was not Jesus.

Yes, Jesus was crucified because of weakness but not His, ours. The condition of humanity is compromised by sin and separation from God–weak. Unfortunately often we have the illusion that we are strong, independent, self-sufficient when in fact without God none of us would survive another breath whether we believe in Him or not.

But here is the clincher, we don’t stay weak because of sin if we believe in Him. We exchange our weakness for His weakness. Just a few verses earlier in 2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” Those new things are characterized by the character of God and the nature of His activity in this world.

So the question becomes, “What should our weakness look like?” Answer: Just like Jesus’ weakness. Paul says, “Yet we also are weak in Him . . . ” How can we be weak if we are in Christ? By choosing to live in the power of the Holy Spirit voluntarily sacrificing for others. Paul chose to be weak on behalf of the Corinthians and found that his very being was with God becoming a conduit for the power of God.

To chose to exchange the weakness that characterizes our sin nature for the weakness of God through voluntary sacrifice for others is the height and very essence of living the kingdom of God on earth. It is God’s ordained method of reconciling the world to Himself. But it requires that believers continually choose to live Jesus’ weakness rather than their own weakness. It is either one or the other and it is a constant choice.

Jump in tell me what you think.

Act Like Men

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 16:13, “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” What exactly does he mean there when he says, ‘act like men?’ It is couched with a few other very compelling and powerful masculine sentiments such as being alert, standing firm in the faith, being strong. When I think of manhood I think of Jesus and His myopic focus on God the Father. He cared only for His Father’s approval though the world, specifically the religious leaders, brand Him a glutton, a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners . . . a blasphemor and hang Him on a cross. Did you know He cast out money changes in the temple twice? How about when He publicly humiliated the Pharisees in Matthew 22:13, “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” What about when He fed the 5000 or was patient with His precocious and hard-headed disciples. What about when He took responsibility for the sins of those that were not His own, redeeming our lives. Sounds like the work of a powerful, influential, loving father to me. Sounds like a man.

Frankly I’m sick and tired of getting along and pretending that everything is just fine when it isn’t. The world is decomposing and the stink of it has filled the Church. For this world to change for the better we need Jesus-men. We need noble men who care nothing for their own comfort and everything for the health and well being of their house-holds. By the way, health and well-being does not necessarily equate to a T.V. in every room and nice college fund. We need men who can speak their mind and listen with pleasure while others speak theirs. We need men who are not afraid to stand firm together and take back their rightful positions as fathers, husbands, community leaders. We need real pastors who stop bending their neck to some sally-boy who should be wearing a skirt after being directed by his wife to tell him that the music was too loud in Church last Sunday. We need Churches to grow a backbone and stand up for what is right and what is wrong. They are real things, right and wrong. That takes real balls in a world that hates virtue, in a world that would do anything to keep good men down. If using the word ‘balls’ is offensive I apologize. But if you are not willing to be the man God has called you to be and spend your strength well I would like to quote the Apostle Paul in Galations 5:12, “I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate (castrate) themselves.” “Cowboy up, men, or be done with manhood,” is essentially what Paul is saying. Stop using your strength for penny ante garbage and start using it where it counts, in reconciling the world to God by actually living the kingdom of God on earth.

What does it mean to the live the kingdom of God? Does it mean be nice and talk pretty? No. It means be good, do good. And often that is uncomfortable. It means living a life characterized by Uncalculated Devotion to God (UDG) and being Freely Sacrificial to Others (FSO).

Not only do women need men to be strong despite what they may say but our children’s future depends on it.