Becoming A Man Of Refuge
by on Jan 10th, 2010 at 11:55 pm
A couple of weeks ago, my brother and I were talking about emergencies and the need to be prepared. He recently went through an unexpected emergency where he realized that he would have been in big trouble had a neighbor not possessed some critical resources in abundant supply.
We discussed how much of a blessing it is when another person is able to help us in a real jam, and we both hope to do our part in becoming men who can be a refuge, even if its just in one small way, to others.
Becoming a man of refuge is, I think, a mark of biblical manhood. Men of refuge can hardly help others unless they are already seeking to be responsible in their areas of influence or wisely thinking like an ant in order to have provisions in place before inevitable needs present themselves. A man of refuge also operates according to a motive that transcends the “rules of decency” in his own society. He is driven by a motive of generosity based on the grace of God and the work of Jesus.
It doesn’t take much to initiate the process of becoming a man of refuge. All you need is a biblical understanding of generosity, a resource or two (and I’m not talking only about money in the bank), and an opportunity to bless someone else.
This week, we’ll look at just a few practical ways that you can employ to be this person of refuge, but tomorrow, we’ll start the process by reviewing biblical motives for generosity.
Man-Food For The Brain
by on Jan 10th, 2010 at 1:10 am
Now that the semester is to begin tomorrow, I’m back in the office and the “usual” routine. I have some thoughts stored up for the blogs this week and Lee is cooking up some articles as well.
Let’s not waste any more words:
“For the Sake of the Kingdom: Redefining Retirement” by Albert Mohler
I know that thinking about retirement in your early teens and twenties might seem ridiculous and irrelevant, but wisdom would direct you to consider what you are doing with your life. A poor understanding of retirement led many “Greatest Generation” Christians to drop the ball on mentoring younger generations, it’s freaking “Baby Boomers” out as they find their finances too thin to sustain three decades of golf, travel, and self-indulgence, and it’s a similar trap waiting to happen to my generation unless we understand it historically and biblically.
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Man-Food For The Brain
by on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 1:30 am
Though I’m grateful for the slower pace of the final weeks of December, I’m glad that the “normal” routine of life is quickly returning. The students will not return to this campus for another week, but I have plenty of preparatory work to complete before they arrive. Therefore, my break ends yesterday.
The slower pace of life also makes finding good articles a bit of a challenge. Many writers use the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day to get away from the daily pressure of writing. Though I’m not a professional writer, I also imposed a break on posting articles as well. Yet, there were still some stimulating pieces out there in blogdom. Here goes:
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Need A New Years Resolution?
by on Dec 31st, 2010 at 12:20 am
If you are looking for a good resolution to start 2011 with greater gusto, consider one of the seventy created by Jonathan Edwards when he was just a teenager.
Have a safe New Year’s Eve and a Happy New Year!
Speaking The Truth & Defending Another Man's Honor
by on Dec 28th, 2010 at 12:25 am
I saw this commercial while watching a basketball game on Christmas Day with my Father-in-law, and though it is executed flippantly and humorously, I also found it to have potential for useful instruction.
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Man-Food For The Brain (end of the year edition)
by on Dec 27th, 2010 at 12:35 am
Alright, men. I’m currently trying to discipline myself to actually rest during this Christmas break, which is not easy for me since I’m a workaholic. This being the case, the articles this week will be (hopefully) simple and short, but I won’t post anything unless it is worth your time to ponder.
One of the best ways to maintain a healthy posture of rest is to not write anything and instead point you to the work of others. Here are some good articles to finish the year!
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Preparing Yourself Spiritually For Christmas, pt. 2
by on Dec 22nd, 2010 at 12:55 am
Yesterday, I listed six passages that all speak, to some degree, about the first coming of Jesus. The other seven are listed below. I would encourage you to read these and carefully consider the details of each as you enter into the Christmas holiday.
- Isaiah 42:1-7 – Isaiah prophesies about this coming King by describing Him also as God’s servant. In this chapter, we learn that He will rule the earth with justice, gentleness, and He will literally be a covenant between man and God. Covenants are supposed to be things, not people, but God’s promised Deliverer will be a covenant for us as He unites us again with the God we all rejected. Jesus makes this connection very clear when He offers the wine to His disciples during His Last Supper (Luke 22:20; 1 Corinthians 11:25).
- Isaiah 52:13-53:12 – The life of our Deliverer will not be what we expect. He will surely reign forever and provide peace to the earth as promised, but this passage highlights a crucial act that must first occur before peace is fully established. God’s Servant, mankind’s Savior, must first suffer the punishment that is fixed for our sin-saturated souls. Only after He is tortured, cursed, and killed for our sins will He come back from the dead to enjoy long life and reign in glory. Get to know this passage. It is sweet to the soul and a great way to prepare for communion.
- Psalm 132 – Eventually, the Israelites lost their temple and autonomy at the hands of the Babylonians. Even after the Babylonians were destroyed and the Persians released them to return home and rebuild the temple, the children of Abraham were unable to put a Davidic king on the throne. It would have seemed to them that God had forgotten His promise to David to supply an eternally-reigning king so they sang this worship song at least three times a year for hundreds of years, begging God to “remember” or zakar in the Hebrew language. God responds by reassuring them He has not forgotten them. He will remember His promise and fully intends to bring from David’s line a “horn” that reign in power and be a “light” to the world. This song was a call for hope when the promise of deliverance seemed most at risk of being erased.
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Preparing Yourself Spiritually For Christmas
by on Dec 21st, 2010 at 1:20 am
My wife’s family has a tradition on Christmas morning that includes a nice, warm breakfast followed by the reading of Luke 2:1-21 from the family Bible. Perhaps, your family reads “the Christmas story” or you find time to do this privately. Other families will read passages of Scripture according to an advent calendar. Whatever you do, I think you should at least be preparing your mind and heart to enter into the celebration of Christmas.
This year, I am trying something new with my family, and I think you could benefit from it too even if you do this alone. We have decided to read several of the prophecies concerning Jesus’ first coming over a thirteen day period. Each day, we read a specific passage, concentrate on what God was promising in that passage, and then consider how Jesus’ arrival fulfilled that prophecy or promise.
Right now, my son is a little over a year old, so we have had a hard time just getting him to sit through a reading, let alone attempt to have a meaningful discussion about the contents of the passages. However, in time, my hope is that my child(ren) will consistently learn that Christmas is much more than what is found in Luke 2.
In fact, to read Luke 2 to understand the Christmas story is a lot like starting a season of “24” by first watching the twelfth or thirteenth episode or launching into the Lord of the Rings trilogy by reading the third book first. You will be able to understand what is happening, but you will not be able to comprehend the full weight of what has led up to that moment in time. Luke 2 is the culmination of thousands of years of waiting, watching, and hoping that God would actually follow through on many specific promises. Without first following through on these promises of Christ’s first coming, we would have no hope for the promises related to Christ’s work on earth, His work in Heaven today, and His second coming.
Today, I’ll just give you six of the thirteen passages. Since you do not have twelve or thirteen days remaining until Christmas, you might not be able to read them one at a time per day, but you can get through these six readings in one or two sittings without feeling overwhelmed. I would challenge you to gear your mind and heart for the holiday by reviewing God’s words concerning Jesus’ arrival.
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Man-Food For The Brain
by on Dec 19th, 2010 at 11:45 pm
The students have left the dorm. The parking lot is empty, and all is quiet where I am. Is it wrong to say that I love it! I like living with and ministering to 200 men, but a few days alone with the family is also great. From joy to joy for me!
Because of the holiday, the articles will be a bit unusual this week. I’ll be sending you some Scripture readings that I use with my family to prepare our hearts for Christmas. Then, from Thursday until sometime next week, I’ll be taking a break.
Until then, here are some good links for you to consider this week.
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Avoiding The Spiritual & Moral Pitfalls Of Christmas Break, conclusion
by on Dec 17th, 2010 at 3:45 am
Suggestion #7 - Plan Your Downtime
Downtime can be more dangerous to a man than any other time of the day. When we have goals, objectives, an audience, or a source of accountability, we can excel at whatever we are trying to do or be, but when there is no objective, plan, audience, or source of accountability, we can get into all kinds of trouble. I am not saying that downtime is inherently evil. Having a space of time without responsibilities can be a gift, and part of Christmas break should be to embrace that gift. You will only get four of them!
The danger for us in downtime is not in the having it as much as in not having a plan for it. Over the past four school years, I have counseled many men who have struggled and given in to viewing pornography. I often ask them to write out how they utilized the time in their past week. Without fail, the period of time in which they engaged in viewing pornography was unstructured, unplanned, or unscripted. Additionally, they were also alone during that downtime.