Faith: Devotion
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Zacchaeus - A Lesson in Overcoming Manhood Issues
Like many men with physical challenges, Zacchaeus was always setting out to prove he was a real man. Zacchaeus worked for the Roman Government as a tax collector and with this position came a sense of power and authority. He used this power to exploit the people by overcharging them. If anyone came against him, he could tax them for everything they owned. However, even all this power didn’t satisfy him.
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$4M Oxford Study Asks Why People Believe in God
Researchers at the University of Oxford will spend USD$3.7 million investigating why people believe in God. Academics have been given a grant to try to find out whether belief in a deity is a matter of nature or nurture. They will not attempt to solve the question of whether God exists but they will examine evidence to try to prove whether belief in God conferred an evolutionary advantage to mankind.
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Calling God Father?
A few years ago, my wife told me about an incident at a lunch she had with a dear non-Christian friend. My wife asked her friend if she minded if she prayed for the meal. Her friend said, “That’s fine,” so my wife started her prayer with the phrase, “Dear Heavenly Father.” When she was finished, her friend said that she could never pray those words since her father was such an [expletive].
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Can God Really Use a Guy Like Me?
I want to serve and follow God wholeheartedly. However, I have made such a mess of my life. I have been an abusive, hateful man. I have a hot temper. I have hurt and alienated everyone close to me. I have hurt so many people. Can God do anything with me?
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Characteristics of a Godly Man
A godly man is not macho, hard, tough, womanizing or egotistical. Rather, he is a warrior, a mentor, a friend and a priest. His goal is Christlikeness. He is a builder, nurturer, instructor, provider and protector. He is strong yet sensitive and firm yet tender with his children. He is strong yet romantic with his wife. He is teachable and not intimidated by the gifts and strength in others – including those innate strengths of his wife. He is a leader and also able to follow. He leads at home; yet, he may lead or follow on the job or at church. He desires God above all relationships and will not compromise or turn in the face of adversity.
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Devotions or Devotion?
The problem we have as men is that we can have the mindset that having devotions is more a task than a relationship. Have devotions…CHECK! Next task? Devotion to Christ may mean recalling His Word throughout the day, praying simple Nehemiah type prayers in the car or quietly worshiping while sitting in our favorite chair.
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Getting Ready
Life is going to throw you a curve ball soon. I can’t guarantee when or what, but I can assure you that it will. Curve balls might include you or a family member being diagnosed with a chronic disease or a sudden death. Your boss might walk in one morning and tell you that the company is downsizing and your position is included. Another curve ball might be someone runs into your car.
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Hang In There
How much faith do you have? How do you even know how much faith you have? You can tell your faith by how you respond to the trials of life. It’s easy to have faith when things are going well. The test of your faith is how you handle life when things aren’t going so well. Until you go through a trial, you don’t know what your faith is made of.
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High-Flying Faith
Flying several thousand feet above ground with my daughter and son, the pilot decided to teach me a lesson regarding emergency landings. Without warning, the pilot, also a friend and fellow pastor, cut the engine of the four-passenger prop. He then proceeded to point out several potential landing strips for our mock emergency.
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Ice Fisher
Professional hockey demands a tough attitude. Rough play and physical confrontations characterize the action in NHL arenas.