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What are some of the most valuable assets a person can possess? A house, a nice vehicle, a fat bank account, maybe a great 401K, or perhaps a nice big screen in H D? Here's another question: Can you name a good restaurant? Or how about a bad one? The reputation of any eating establishment depends on it's name. Food, service, price, menu, etc., will make or break any restaurant. It will either survive and thrive, or call the liquidator. People are no different. Whether we own a business, need to borrow money from a bank, or need the trust of people in our lives, we have to be diligent about guarding our reputation. In Proverbs 22:1 King Solomon said, "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver and gold." Great riches! All the bling! bling! in the world couldn't buy back O J Simpson's name. Whether he is guilty or innocent is not the issue any longer. The fact is most people believe that he committed those double murders. Once a shining star in the sports world and a darling of Madison Avenue with those Hertz ads and Hollywood movies, he has been reduced to a few friends on the golf course and some family. When corporate America turned it's back on him, his earnings were slashed drastically. Now it's a sleazy book and a few TV appearances. What a sad story for all those involved in that tragedy. I'm sure as Solomon wrote or dictated this proverb he must have thought about the great stories of his father King David, Israel's legendary king. As a teenaged runt, he took on the biggest, baddest, loudest, Philistine champion of all. Goliath stood almost 10 feet tall as he would trash talk at Israel's fighting men. When no one would take on Goliath in one on one combat, David stepped up to the plate and slung that stone right into Goliath's skull. He fell like a big pine tree, and then David drew his sword, and cut off his head. (Look what I got!) (I Samuel 17) His name was great in all the land. Then years later, came Bathsheba, Uriah, and Nathan the Prophet. David's name and life took a tragic turn. Although David finished strong before his death, his reputation took a hit, and he paid some pretty hard consequences. (2 Samuel 11-12) Satan will always show us the pleasure of the moment, but he will never reveal the consequences of our decisions. Some of us already know that all to well. Our name is always less than 5 minutes away from being destroyed by what we say or what we do. Bill Clinton, Richard Nixon, Jim Bakker, Ted Haggard, just to name a few, know the sting of a tarnished name. Joseph was accused of attempted rape by his boss' wife. She tried day after day to seduce him. He stood under intense pressure saying no to an easy affair. He cared about what God thought, and he cared about what his boss thought. He tried to protect his reputation, but her false accusations got him thrown into prison. (Genesis 39) I'm sure around town he was known as the philandering Hebrew, but that was not the truth about this young man of God. He was a faithful worker in the prison, and over the course of time God elevated him to second in command of the entire nation of Egypt. He answered only to Pharoah. Pharoah placed the nation in Joseph's care (Genesis 41). I wonder what Joseph's former boss and his wife thought of that promotion. Yikes! Joseph knew it was important to have a good name with man. More importantly however, he knew it was imperative to have a good name with God. You may have tarnished your good name or may have been falsely accused of something that you have not done. Know this --The Lord is willing and able to rebuild your name with the people in your life that really matter. The Joseph formula is spelled out for all of us in 1 Peter by The Holy Spirit. "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:6-7)We do the humbling. He does the lifting up. Take God at his Word. He cares for you! A good name is more desirable than great riches. Your good name is priceless! Guard it.
Once there was a 52 year old salesman of milk shake
machines who quit his job to buy a small restaurant
in San Bernardino California. Some would say that 52
years old is not the time in life to give up a
secure job to buy a restaurant. But this diligent
middle aged man had a dream.
How many of you men
like to fly? Isn't it amazing how in just a couple of hours we can go
from 20 degrees up here in the north to 85 degrees on a sunny beach in
Florida? You can walk into a dark room, flip a switch and
Unbelief (Mark 6:1-6)
Red Sox fans everywhere
remember the wild ride to the 2004 World Series. It was a banner year for
all, full of fun-loving players and defeating the Yankees in the playoffs.
Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling had tee shirts made up for all his team
mates that year that read "Why Not Us", trying to inspire faith
in the team that they could go all the way. That year some of the
television ads between innings showed home runs, great catches, pitchers
striking out opponents, and at the end of the 60 second commercial they
flashed on the screen in big bold letters "BELIEVE". It was hard
to have faith for a World Series victory due to the fact that for 86 years
they somehow always managed to fall short at the end of the season. Contrast that same year in
the same town the New England Patriots. They were on a quest to win 3
Super Bowls in 4 years. They won in 2001 and 2003. To believe they could
do it again in 2004 didn't require a whole lot of faith. The fans had
already 'SEEN' it done twice before. As we know both teams won their
prospective championships that year. 'Seeing is believing' as
the old saying goes, but that is not faith. The New Living Translation
Bible puts it this way - "What is faith? It is the confident
assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of
things we can not yet see"(Heb.11:1). In John chapter 20, Thomas
missed a surprise appearance by the Lord to the rest of the disciples
after His resurrection. This dead Messiah all of a sudden appeared to them
alive and well. Thomas wouldn't believe their testimony because of the
horrible reality of that crucifixion. After all, that was what he had
'SEEN.' I may have been a "Doubting Thomas" myself if I were
there. Jesus later appeared to him
and said, "Touch the scars Thomas. It's really me.......But blessed
are those who have not seen with their eyes and yet believe." That is
what true faith is. The definition of faith is to trust. Unquestioning
belief or complete confidence in. Unbelief is lack of trust or confidence
in. Unbelief is very sneaky. It
can come in many forms. You can believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord, go to
church regularly, read your Bible, etc., etc. and still swim around in
unbelief for everyday things we need from God. Unbelief will keep a person
out of heaven if they don't believe in the One sent to save them. Unbelief
can rob you of joy, peace, strength, and everything God wants to bestow on
you. In Mark 6:1-6, Jesus
returns to His home town in Nazareth to do a little preaching, and a
little ministry. The people were astonished at the things He was doing and
saying. They saw Him as the son of the local carpenter, Mary's oldest son,
the nice, well behaved boy in the neighborhood. They didn't see Him as the
powerful anointed Son of the Most High God sent to redeem their lost souls
and to heal them in every way a person could be healed. The key is in verses 5
& 6. "Now He could do no mighty work there, except that he laid
His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of
their unbelief." What are the "mighty
works" He can't do for you because of unbelief? Are you going by what
you see or by what you believe? Remember unbelief is very sneaky. What are
you having difficulty believing God for? Could it be a promotion at work--
or a job period-- the salvation of a loved one-- health-- your marriage--
children-- financial matters-- how about that vision or ministry that the
Lord has placed inside of you? You fill in the blanks. The key is to not have
faith in your abilities, even though they do play a part, but in God who
will make it come to pass. In Mark 11, Jesus used the metaphor of a
mountain being picked up and thrown into the sea. Jesus had cursed a fig
tree and it withered right down to the roots. The next day when the
disciples were walking past this tree, Peter said to Jesus, 'Hey, that
tree you cursed is dead.' It was a supernatural occurrence that had just
happened and that was part of the point Jesus was making. Jesus answered Peter, the
rest of the disciples, and all of us with a profound statement in verse 22
- "Have faith in God." Not in your own abilities, your Pastor,
your parents, your 401k plan, your job, your spouse, etc.,etc. All
those things are fine, but limited. God has no limits in a world full of
natural limitations. When our eyes are focused on what's in front of us,
unbelief can grow like mold. In verse 23, He gets to the
mountain metaphor. He says, "I'm saying to you, whoever says to this
mountain, 'Be removed and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in their
heart, but believes that those things they say will come to pass, they
will have whatever they say." Now you know that they were standing
right in front of a large mountain when He said that to them. Looking at
the size of it, you know that they said to themselves, "Yeah, right.
I could never picture that happening." That is what we do as well. We
see the mountain size situations we face and unbelief just overtakes us.
The words of Jesus in verse 22 are the key- "Have faith in God."
He does the impossible! We must choose to believe that with God all things
are possible (Luke 1: 37). Our confidence and faith
are strengthened when we pray in the known will of God. In 1 John 5:14-15
it says, "This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if
we ask anything ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, HE HEARS US. And if we know that HE
HEARS US in whatever we ask, we know that we have the request which we
have asked for". This will shatter unbelief. Praying and standing in
the known will of God. Make sure to clear up any
known sin issues with the Lord. Going back to the mountain moving chapter
of Mark 11, in verse 25 Jesus said that when we stand praying, forgive so
we can be forgiven. If we don't, Jesus is indicating a block between us
and Him. Any sin, known or unknown, can block the things that we are
believing for, but not God's love or acceptance toward us. Make no
mistake, His love is unchanging toward you and He never rejects his
children. However, disobedience can
cause a wall in the relationship, especially known disobedience. This will
weaken our faith and strengthen unbelief. It will also cause double
mindedness. In James 1: 5-8, we see that the effects of double mindedness
is unanswered prayer. It reads, "But if any
of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and
without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he MUST ASK IN FAITH
WITHOUT ANY DOUBTING, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea,
driven and tossed by the wind. For that man OUGHT NOT TO EXPECT TO RECEIVE
ANYTHING FROM THE LORD, being a double minded man, unstable in all his
ways." Although this particular verse refers to wisdom, common sense
will tell us that double mindedness will hinder any request to the Lord. The wind driven surf goes
up and down, up and down, up and down. There is no stability.
We say things like, "Well I don't know if God will do this or that
for me because my parents promised things to me and never did them."
or "I'm not worthy to receive from the Lord with my past
history." Have you heard things like this? You may have even believed
these things about yourself. How can you believe for anything this way? You must replace the lies
in your mind that people have told you all your life, with the powerful
truth of God's Word. Have you been told that you're stupid? Replace that
lie with God's Word. Knowing, believing, and acting on His Word will make
you wise regardless of your education. Don't swim in the sea of
unbelief people. Exercise your faith. You serve a great God who knows what
you need before you even ask Him (Matthew 6: 32). When you were a kid
maybe you would ask your dad or mom for a dollar, after a while your next
level of faith may have been asking for $10, then $20, then help buying a
car, and so on. Start believing God for the
small things, as well as the larger things -- hills as well as mountains.
The Lord also wants to help you build your faith and mature it, that comes
with practice. Stand and have faith in God as Jesus said. Believe Him for
the impossible. Focus on His grace, timing, and power. Don't stand in what
you see, that's a breeding ground for unbelief. Stand in what you believe.
"God is able to do immeasurably more than we would ask or imagine,
according to His POWER THAT IS AT WORK IN US". (Ephesians 3:20) There is no limit to what
God can do with a faith filled heart. Even a small amount of faith will
do. He even helps our unbelief (Mark 9:22-25). Don't limit the blessing of
answered prayer through unbelief. HAVE FAITH IN GOD! Peace, Paul Soucy
In 1839 in the state of Ohio one of the most famous and controversial people in American history was born, George Armstrong Custer. Over 300 books, 45 movies, countless articles, and more than 1000 paintings have been centered around his life. He was a man's man, tough and gritty. He had a city, a county, a highway, a national forest, and many other things named after him as well. George Custer has been called everything from an American hero to an egotistical maniac. He graduated from West Point in 1861 just as the Civil War was beginning. He wasted no time and was involved in the first major battle of the war, the battle at Bull Run. He impressed his superiors so much that just 2 years later, he became a Brigadier General. He led his troops into one of the bloodiest battles of the war, the battle of Gettysburg. There were close to 50,000 combined casualties in that 3 day battle. This marked the beginning of the end for the south as this was the turning point in the war. Custer was the youngest General in the union army at the age of 23. He was involved in many battles over the next few years and was made commander General over a whole division. He was in pursuit of General Lee's army as they moved southward towards the end of the war. He received the flag of truce in his hand when General Lee surrendered to the Union delegation. He was a valiant, experienced, battle hardened soldier believing strongly in his own abilities. He thought he could conquer just about anybody. Guy's, if you were starting an army, and you were taking resumes, his would look very impressive. At the end of the war however, the need for high ranking officers came to a screeching halt. He was demoted to LT Colonel to stay in the army and took command of a newly formed unit, the 7th Calvary. Part of their job was to keep the Indian population on their reservations. In 1876, 3 columns of troops were dispatched to the Little Big Horn valley of Montana to force the Sioux and Cheyenne tribes back onto the allotted land the U S government told them to live on. Well Custer's 600 or so men arrived there before everyone else. He was ordered to wait for everyone else to arrive before doing anything. As we know from history, he ignored that order and found himself in way over his head. As he approached the top of the Little Big Horn valley, he saw about 40 Sioux Indian down in the valley. He split his men up into 3 groups to sort of surround them. Custer attacked them head on with his 3rd as the others went up and over left and right. When Custer got down to the valley what he didn't see at first was about 3000 Sioux and Cheyenne warriors. He knew right away he was in trouble. He ordered his men to retreat and to shoot their horses on top of each other to form a wall to shoot from. It was a useless effort and the slaughter was on. In less than one hour they were dead. Custer's last stand was at that time the worst military disaster in American history. Clint Eastwood in the 1973 movie Magnum Force made this profound statement a couple of times in that flick, "A man has to know his limitations". What led to George Custer's downfall? He escaped death so many times in battle that he thought he was invincible. He didn't realize where his real strength came from. The full backing of the U S government. Their authority, money, troops, weapons, training, etc, is how he could accomplish great achievements in battle. His decision to forget that due to ego and self reliance, cost him and about 200 men their lives. Not to mention the sorrow and pain for about 200 families. In the book of Judges, Gideon attacked and killed over 100,000 men with just 300 men. So what was the difference? Custer was caulky, Gideon was dependent. Custer was relying on his abilities, his education, his experience, his intelligence, his reasoning and rationalizing, not the government. Gideon didn't think he could do anything without God. We all have talents, abilities, gifts, experience, education, etc, and God wants us to use these blessings from Him. However, the difference is He doesn't want us to depend on them to accomplish the tasks he has called us to do. When Jesus had his disciples assembled, he began to teach them a lesson on dependence. In John 15:1-5 He spoke to the 12 about the principle of the vineyard. The secret to how those beautiful grapes receive their life and strength is not in the branch, but in the vine. In John 15:4-5 Jesus wanted to drill home the point that unless you always stay connected to me, you will never continue to produce life. Your college degrees, church attendance, years of service, bible knowledge, Christian programming, etc, are no match for the world, the Devil, or the flesh. These things are good and helpful no doubt, but to rely on them is to fall into the Custer trap. "Remain in me, and I in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me YOU CAN DO NOTHING". John 15:4-5 (NIV) The older I get in life and the longer I walk with God, I am realizing this truth more and more and more. We are to be led by the Spirit gentlemen in every decision we make. We need His guidance and grace to father our children, love our wives, do our jobs, read and understand our bibles, pray, love the lost, overcome habits, stay pure, and just plain old go the distance for Jesus. When we just throw up our hands and say, Lord, I need guidance and wisdom to deal with this situation at work, or in ministry, at home, or whatever. And then stand back and watch His faithfulness unfold. It builds in us genuine humility and helps us realize that dependence on Him for small and large things is not such a bad idea; in fact, it's a biblical idea. Depending on our own strength and reasoning in our faith walk will also drain your strength. It's amazing how we rack our brains about the situations in our lives to come up with a solution for this or that and we feel so mentally wiped out. We often fail to simply ask the Holy Spirit for the grace to handle something difficult, or provision, or the best way to repair something or just help loving Him more. The Devil is not afraid of Christians with seminary or bible college degrees on their walls, fancy bumper stickers on their cars, crosses around their necks, a large Christian music collection or anything else we may have. There is obviously nothing wrong with these things put in their proper place. What Satan is extremely afraid of is a man of God remaining in the vine. Knowing where his true life long strength and dependence comes from. Taking no credit or glory for fruit produced or victories gained. Giving all glory to Jesus for every accomplishment he has achieved in this life. This is where Custer failed and unfortunately where many Christians fail everyday as well. We all have limited abilities men, lets be man enough to admit it to our families, our friends, our God, and mostly ourselves. Custer's abilities were no match for 3000 Sioux warriors. Waiting for the full calvary to arrive would have been the humble and wisest choice to make. "A man has to know his limitations". We now see from parts of history, that the Native American population were not treated the best during that time. Sitting Bull, the leader of the Sioux and other fragments of Indians said after Custer's death, "Today we have killed a great warrior". Never get in over your head gentlemen. Always wait for the calvary. All the power of heaven is on your side. Let the Holy Spirit lead you into what and where for your life. Rely also on the brotherhood as well. Let the Holy Spirit check you in what and where is not for your life, that's wisdom. You never know when you may be out numbered. It's not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of host. Zechariah 4:6 Peace, Paul Soucy Have you ever heard someone say something that made you go "WHAT!" Many times the people that surrounded Jesus must of had that reaction. He said a lot of mind bending statements especially to his disciples. He said things like in John 15:13; "the greatest love displayed is laying down your life for your friends" or in Luke 18:22 speaking to the rich young ruler, "sell everything that you have and give to the poor, and you'll have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me." Jesus was and still is a master at messing with peoples thought patterns. We read in Matthew 20:20-21 the mother of James and John turned lobbyist approached Jesus and asked Him for a favor. He asked her what she wanted. She said," Place my 2 sons right next to your throne, one on the left, and one on the right." This infuriated the other 10 against the other 2 brothers. Now every mother wants the best for her boys, and to be proud of them and for her sons to be famous and great in God's kingdom. Jesus didn't rebuke her for her request. However, He told her in verse 22 that she had no idea what she was asking for. Jesus said " Are you able to drink from the cup I’m going to drink from?" "We can they answered." Notice the word they. All 3 were in on it. However, I can't help to think that mom was the major influence. Jesus went on to explain what true greatness really is. He taught in verses 25-28 in the same chapter that people in authority positions use their status to oppress and abuse the people underneath them. This comes from an over inflated ego that most sinful humans have a problem with. Authority doesn't make us great, it makes us responsible. Humility is the key to keeping us from getting that fat head that will destroy us. The key to true greatness is in being a servant. We humans are selfish creatures. We crave to be served. You don't believe me, let me ask you a question. How many times a week would you go to a restaurant if you could afford it? Jesus said to the disciples not to be like the typical person with authority ruling from the thrown and looking down on people and barking orders and commands. Can you hear me fathers, pastors, elders, husbands, parents, teachers, etc. He said in verses 26-28 "whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant." He used Himself as an example; "for the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." If anyone deserved to be served it was Jesus. However He was the one in John 13 that took the servant role and washed the disciples feet. A pure role reversal to make a point. As a dad, husband, and son, I get greater pleasure as I serve my family in practical ways to bless them instead of sitting around waiting to be served. Kids are self centered anyway but I hope to become great as a dad in their eyes from being a loving servant rather than a demanding king. The same holds true for my wife Mary-Ellen, I receive more from serving her than I would from demanding service. The more I mirror this Christ-like model, the greater I become in their eyes. Also, they hopefully will begin to reciprocate this attitude towards me and others. The greatest work however is performed inside of me. Becoming like the master and realizing that I'm not as big as I think I am. But I'm big in the eyes of the Lord, because He loves me and calls me His own. The same holds true for you my fellow servant. Remember in Matthew 14:13-16 when Jesus feed the 5000. This was right on the heels of the news that His friend and relative John the Baptist was beheaded. This was disturbing news for Jesus. In verse 13 it says that when He heard the news He departed to a deserted place to be alone. This could have sidelined Jesus by emotionally thinking of His own pain from this loss. Focusing on Himself and the heck with everyone else, which is the norm for most of us. We all struggle with the me first syndrome. However, notice the dynamics in the following verses. In verse 14 when Jesus saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. It's amazing when we get the focus off of our sorrows, our needs, our problems, ourselves and onto serving the needs of those around us, the depression, heaviness, and self-centeredness seems to melt away. Contrast this with the disciples response to being a servant in verses 15-16. As the evening approached, the disciples came to Him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." In other words, there's no stores, malls, hotels, restaurants, or anything else to meet their needs for that matter, plus we can't take care of them. Notice what Jesus had to say in verse 16. "They don't need to go away, You give them something to eat." "We only have 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish" they answered. Jesus saw the needs of the multitude, the disciples saw the their own needs. Let's face it guy's, with work, sleep, home repairs, kid's ball games, the gym, church stuff, etc. it's easy to not be concerned with serving others. It's very easy with the demands and situations in our lives to just shut everyone out, including the people closest to us and focus inward towards ourselves. Jesus had religious leaders trying to kill Him, His own mother and brothers didn't easily accept His new role as Savior in John 7, people were constantly coming at Him, Judas the disciple, who was the treasurer, was stealing money from Him, the disciples constantly didn't get it, and on and on and on. He served others despite the pressures on His life. He truly was and still is great because he was a servant. Rick Warren says that life is a series of problems. You're either in a problem, or just coming out of a problem, or getting ready to get into a new problem. If we are not careful men, we can get into the me first syndrome. It will rob you on a continual basis of joy, peace, faith, optimism, and spiritual strength as a believer. Jesus was not going to fall into that trap. He said in Matthew 20 that He came not to be served, but to serve, and that's what He continued to do. You were born to serve as well my friend. You have a call and a purpose uniquely designed by Jesus. Find it and live it out. Your life will be fulfilled like you've never seen before. Looking to serve rather than looking to be served. The higher up the spiritual ladder we climb, the more we need to be servants. Pastors and spiritual leaders need to constantly be aware of this fact. Many fall because they lose sight of the servant call and begin to get full of themselves and abuse the authority God has given them. Usually, shortly after this period continues, sexual sin is the main problem that follows because it's a me first attitude that needs to be checked. I thank God for all the Pastors serving out there. It's a tough job. On September 11 2001 there were many stories of true greatness from many servants. Some unfortunately paid with their lives. Todd Beamer was one of those servants. On a business flight to San Francisco flight 93 was one of those taken over by the terrorist. Todd and the others on board had their lives change in an instant. They were all herded to the rear to the plane while being guarded by a terrorist with a bomb strapped to his waist. Todd was able to get an air phone in the back section and connected to a GTE supervisor on the ground. He explained what was happening and presumed the pilot and copilot were already dead or seriously injured. He was informed of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks and realized their plane was probably next. Todd was a strong believer in Jesus Christ, a Sunday school teacher, a devoted husband, a father of 2 small children and 1 on the way. He asked the supervisor on the phone to relay a message to his wife that he loved her very much and also asked her to pray the Lord's prayer with him. He said he and a few others were determined to disrupt any plan the terrorist had in mind for on the ground. He said "Help me God, Help me Jesus." Then he said "Are you ready guys? Let's roll! And with that the phone went dead. That plane crashed into a field 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. It was probably headed for the White House. No one on the ground was injured or killed. Now Todd had a lot to worry about. His pregnant wife, his children, and his own life, certainly not the needs of others. However, he stepped outside his own comfort zone and thought about others rather than his own needs. Remember the above words of Jesus, There is no greater love than to lay down your own life for your friend. Also, he who wants to be great among you must be your servant. Todd Beamer was going to die and be with the Lord anyway. However, his servant attitude save many people their lives on the ground. His name and memory especially with his wife and children will always be great. How can we serve? How about buying someone lunch or have someone over for dinner. Walk with your wife and ask how you can better serve her. How about your kids homework for a half hour. Even if you don't know the answers get into their world a little. Wash an elderly persons car, or give someone a ride. The main thing is to get outside of yourself and grow. Then you will become truly great as God's man. Peace, Paul Soucy (John 14:27) It is no secret, stress is a part of our everyday life here in this broken world that we live in. From every angle of life the worries, fears, and pressures we encounter can rob us of any joy or peace we may have been trying to hold on to. The word stress was originally an engineering term used to measure how much pressure something could take before it would collapse. For example we see this in the design of bridges, submarines, levies, airplanes, etc. to calculate the breaking point of the item. People have their breaking points as well. In modern times the word has been expanded to refer to physical, mental, and emotional pressure. Jesus experienced stress. Remember Gethsemane and the cross. On these two occurrences, He was focused on the Father. Have you ever been to the breaking point? Of coarse you have. We all have as dads, husbands, employers, employees, sports fans, pastors, etc. Jesus gave to us his real peace inside of us as a gift to keep us in those times of pressure we face on a regular basis. However, we are responsible to hold on to it after we are given this gift. Jesus said in John 14:27 a powerful truth. He said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (NKJV) This is a power piece of information. Jesus said that we are to guard against anxiety or worry and against fear. These two emotional situations are the biggest culprits of losing the peace that Jesus died to give to us. Without peace, stress has the power to wear us down. Controllable stress is self induced by our own stupidity such as running late for work or some other commitment, bad financial decisions, not enough rest, complaining, avoidable conflicts, etc. We can reduce or even eliminate some of these stresses by making wiser choices. Uncontrolled stress is circumstances beyond our control, health, loss of job, wayward children or spouse, weather, or anything else out of the blue. In either case, like Jesus focusing on the Father, we are to focus on Jesus through the word of God. As the Father was the source of strength and joy for Jesus in tense and stressful moments, He is the same for us. The Father had a plan and purpose for the Lord and He new it. Jesus was loved by Him and He was never going to abandon Jesus. Our Lord knew this and it kept Him from losing His peace. Jesus is your source of strength and joy in your tense and stressful moments. He has a plan and purpose for your life. Do you know that? Do you know that Jesus loves you with more love than you can measure? Do you know that he will never abandon you? If you believe these things in your heart through the word of God, You can hold your peace in any situation. You may need a friend to encourage you through and that’s okay. Fear and anxiety will always rob our peace that allows stress to do it's destructive work in our lives. In any storm you face, thank the Lord in your prayer that He has given you His peace, real peace, not like the false peace the world gives. And remember that worry and fear usually can't even change the situation. So why even let it rule you. Thank and praise Jesus for His real gift of peace to you in those stressful situations. Stand against the Devils attack of anxiety and fear that steals your peace. Be on your guard. No one can steal your peace without your permission! It is God given. Philippians 4:6-8 is a great principle and promise. Meditate on it. "Let the peace of God rule (or be the umpire) in your hearts." (Colossians 3:15) Notice the word "LET" Peace, Paul Soucy (Proverbs 15:33) When I talk to men about some of their needs as fathers, husbands, and business men, one of their needs is to be respected or valued for their work, their position, or for their wisdom and instruction they try to impart to their wives and children in the home. Perhaps another way to put it is that what they are really looking for is honor. The bible has a lot to say about honor. The word honor, honoring, honored, etc. appears in the bible 191 times. Any word appearing 191 times in the bible must be important to God. The word honor means to hold someone in high regard, to respect, to value, to esteem. Most men I know love to be held in high regard, respected, valued, and esteemed. The question is however, yes, we love to be honored, but do we love to honor? In the book of Proverbs we see one of the principles to being honored, humility. Proverbs 15:33 states "The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor." One of the greatest laws in the kingdom of God is the law of sowing and reaping. (Gal.6:7-10) You see this all through the bible. The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom. Fearing that what goes around comes around, a biblical principle set up by God, should cause us as men and believers in general to let this law teach us in wisdom when it comes to honor. It also goes on to say, "and humility comes before honor." It takes humility to honor someone else, especially when you don't like that person. However, when we give honor to those due honor, our humility sets us up to be honored. Jesus spoke of honor, He said in John 5:22-24 that if you want to honor the Father, you have to honor Him. Many people believe they have a pipeline to God through their particular religion. If they don't honor Jesus Christ as the Son or the way, they aren't honoring the Father who sent Him. And I'm sorry but access is denied, and the Father will not honor you. (Jn.12:26) The Lord is the first place of honor. The second place for you husbands is your wife. Remember, the word honor means to hold in high regard, to respect, to value, to esteem. In 1 Peter 3:7 the Lord says to give honor to your wife as the weaker vessel. (NKJV) Failing to do so can put a damper on your prayers being answered. God knows a man's tendencies to strong arm his wife. God honors women. We need to as well, especially our wives. There are many other people who God wants us to honor. Remember, humility comes before honor. If you want to be honored, make sure your honoring those the bible says to honor. I mentioned God and our wives above, here are a few more: Each other (Rom.12:10) Parents (Eph.6:2-3) Authorities (1 Pet. 2:13-17) Widows (1 Tim.5:3) Spiritual leaders (1 Tim. 5:17) The love of the brethren is a command of the Lord. Honoring one another has nothing to do with liking one another. I've never read in scripture where we have to like one another. The military does this all the time. Respect and obedience is the way of life there and it has nothing to do with liking your superior. That humility of giving a salute and a yes sir builds character and keeps you out of trouble. This is a first hand picture of the fear, wisdom, humility and honor mentioned in Proverbs 15:33. Parents are not to be obeyed forever, but definitely honored forever. One day you will be or maybe are now in that place of raising your children. Your children will one day leave and venture out on there own. When they don't have to obey you any longer will they still honor you? If that is a problem check and see if you are honoring your parents even if they have passed on. Remember, we reap what we sow. You may not have had good parents, however, the Lord wants us to obey the command. It has nothing to do with like, it reflects God's character and will bring a blessing on you! Authorities are a necessary evil, although they are not all evil. They are established by God and keep society in check. They will answer to the Lord one day for the way they handled their authority, good or bad. Lets leave the judgment up to God as far as they go. As we honor them they see salt and light in action as we reflect the Lord through our attitudes. We are suppose to be different citizens. Widows in bible days were really in trouble without the help of their families. The church was to step in and help them if there was no legitimate family to take care of them. This would reflect to the widow how much the Lord does care about them. Today we have more government programs and nursing type facilities to care for older women. However, families and then churches must be there to help where we can. Honoring them for their service to us is right at the heart of God. Spiritual leaders are like any other part of our society. There are good ones and bad ones. Like any other authorities, they will indeed answer to God for the way they tended to the flock. No pastor or overseer has the perfect package. They will not always please everyone and sometimes that someone will be you. They have the responsibility of hearing from God and guiding the church, not an easy task. They are under constant attack from Satan, society, and their own flock. Even when you have a disagreement with them, try to honor them with word and prayer. If you have to move on to another church, leave in peace and be Spirit led. Finally, remember to practice being a man of honor. It will build Christian character in you and God will cause you to be honored by others as well. If you honor the Son, the Father will honor you! Peace, Paul Soucy (Colossians 3:21) Vince Young was a star quarterback at the University of Texas. He was chosen number 3 by the Tennessee Titans in the 2006 NFL draft. He is now the starting quarterback for the team in just his 2nd season. Vince was quoted with a statement about his father. It went something like this, "My father was my greatest role model, everything he modeled to me I want to do the opposite". Vince was raised in a tough part of Houston TX by his mother and grandmother. He credits them for saving him from running with gangs. His dad was not there very much and did time in prison. Vince was robbed of the blessing of a father. It's amazing how much our nation is effected positively and negatively due to the influence of a father. Our prisons are filled with men and women who for some may have not ended up there if a responsible father was in the picture as they were growing up. The tax burden is astronomical. On the other hand teaching your children how to live and to be accountable for their decisions takes work and commitment. Fathers are responsible to make disciples out of their kids. They need to learn to become productive godly citizens and followers of Christ. As Jesus modeled how to live as well as verbal instruction, fathers need to use the same approach towards their children. I love it when I hear my adult children utter the words to someone, I wasn't raised that way! It makes me feel like all my labor as a godly father had some positive effect on them. The way we live out our faith in front of our children guys speaks volumes to them. Kids can spot a hypocrite a mile a way. In Colossians 3:21 the apostle Paul is clear how we fathers are to be careful not to misuse our authority and power with our children or it could have a negative effect on them. It reads, "Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged." Yelling and verbally attacking our kids for their mistakes or disobedience can cause bitterness to take root in their hearts. This can form a wall between not only us and them but between them and God as well. Children relate to God many times through their father and how we reflect God in our homes is a great responsibility. It's almost as responsible as handling a loaded gun. We must always be careful how we handle our children's emotions. If you have been a bit overbearing with your kids make it right with them. They may have been wrong in what they did, but we can be just as wrong in the way we handled the situation. Disciple your kid's on the fly as well. A regular sit down devotion is okay but can sometimes be routine and boring. In Deuteronomy 6:5-7 we are instructed to love God by walking in His ways and to teach our children to do so as well. It reads "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk to them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." This is spontaneous teaching. When the Holy Spirit opens an opportunity in the car or at dinner or any other situation that may arise without getting to preachy, instruct and teach God's view on the situation and how you have benefited from doing it His way and not the way of everyone else. Live it out in front of them. Do they see you reading the word and praying. That impression on them is big. Even if they don't verbalize it their sub-conscience mind is picking it up. Last of all dad's live humbly before your wife and kid's. You are the head, God gave you that privilege and responsibility. Show your daughters how a man is suppose to treat a woman. Show your sons as well how to treat his future wife by the way you lovingly serve his mother. This is Christ in you reflecting the true heart of the ultimate father in heaven. Your future generations are depending on you. Maybe you have been robbed of a father in your life through an early death, abandonment, neglect, abuse, or any other way. Not to make excuses for him by maybe he didn't have a great role model in his life. Whatever the situation ask the Lord to help you to forgive him and help you not to repeat those sins onto your children. Pay the price man of God. Your kids are worth it and you will reap a great harvest of an adult relationship with them down the road. Peace, Paul Soucy
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