Vital Men Devotions

Can you tell what it is?

(Romans 8:28) ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.’

The key words here is ‘all things’. Vital Men, this is a tough one.  It is easy to recognize God’s goodness when things are easy and going the way we want them, but it is a different story when life is hard.  The character of God is that of good and only that of good.  In other words, He cannot do bad. Now don’t confuse this with Him being a ‘just’ God, because He is that too.  Discernment is needed here as there are consequences for our actions of wrong doing that will bring on pain and suffering, but this is not what I’m referring to, though God does use this to bring us into alignment with Him.

So, is God good to allow tough times to come on a person or group of people?  Sickness? Poverty? Persecution? An early death? What if He uses it to bring about something greater than what he could have without the suffering?  God is glorified and our reward becomes greater.

‘And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah,about David and Samuel and the prophets,  who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,  quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.  Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.  Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—  the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.’ (Hebrews 11:32-40)

So what is your story? How is it that God is allowing difficulty to come into your life so he may be glorified? Do you trust that He is such a Father and loves you so much that something greater will be given to you as a reward and already has through the death and resurrection of Jesus?

So, is God good?  All the time? Yes He is, all the time.  Trust in The Father to care for you so much that He is in fact working out all the circumstances in your life to wind up for the good, and not just a little bit good or just enough to tip the scale, but far more than what we can imagine.

At the top is a picture and I asked, ‘Can you tell what it is?’  I know this is not manly, but forgive me, this is the best I could find to show a picture of what has been described to me as God’s work through the brokenness and sin that exists in the world (representing the knots and tangles).  But when you flip it over you see what it is that He has been doing all along.

So today I want to challenge you as Vital Men to praise God in all circumstances.  (Psalm 47:7) ‘For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.’

Be encouraged,

Steve

I am on a journey, one that began with my wife’s belief in me.  She received an email from our YoungLife leader and encouraged me to catch the vision of biking up a mountain.  I heard God speaking through my loving wife who knew that I had mountains in my life so why not seek God in conquering them, or at least do my part as he moves them.  My wife helped shoulder an even heavier load at home in order to provide the resources and additional time needed to train.  All along the way she has spoken words of positive affirmation and encouragement and made sacrifices that have served to reinforce that she believes in me.  God knew she was the one for me and I am thankful that each day reveals that truth as we live life together.  All that she is to me I pray that I can be that for her in equal measure and not fall short.

The assembled team of six survivors has arrived at our Colorado destination where it is our mission to prepare the YoungLife camp for families that will be arriving soon to spend time together surrounded by God’s majestic mountains.  The work week at the camp will end with a crescendo as our team attacks a 100 mile ride into the mountains.   In the spirit of a road trip, a camp, and new discoveries sweetened by old ones rekindled, and a group of people dedicated to kids and families in greater relationship to Christ; I want to share glimpses of the messages that God has shared along the path so far…

Your mind can be your own worst enemy.  Focus on what you can do and ask God to work on the rest.  Belief in your heart is the start.

Whatever we focus on in life as well as within ourselves becomes magnified – magnify the Lord!

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

“Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.”

“The will of God is always a bigger thing than we bargain for, but we must believe that whatever it involves, it is good, acceptable and perfect.”

“God always gives his best to those who leave the choice with him”

“Oh, the fullness, pleasure, sheer excitement of knowing God on earth!” ― Jim Elliot

There are times you need to come in alignment with others and allow their strength to help you.  Thank you to my team who have taught me how and allowed me to draft as they blaze the trail. 

I am learning to love all the difficult and challenging situations in life as I desire to stay in a state of needing and depending on God.  Embrace the mountains in life and don’t go at it alone.

“You won’t make it alone…”

My friend expressed that when he comes to camp he spends more quiet time with God, and how he looks forward to the work that God does in him when he spends more time with Him, so why don’t I do the same when I am at home?  “I need to change my routine.” 

We listened to a little girl go on and on how amazing and awesome her bottle was because it had a ‘pop-top’… it reminded us the verse in which “Faith like a child” is referenced and how powerful perspective can be.  How different would your outlook and enthusiasm for each day be if you could find the excitement and amazement in the little things of life?

As we worked on the camp fatigue began to set in; we were all warned that it puts us at risk and could impact how we treat and interact with one another.  We were encouraged to not look inward at the selfish things we were feeling and needing but rather to more intensely look outward to those around us and see how we may play a role in meeting the needs of others.

Families, who camp together, work together, play together, worship together, pray together, and love one another stay together.

Verses from the journey:

Psalm 112:6-7(NIV) 6 Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever.  7 They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. 

Psalm 25:4-5 (NCV) 4 Lord, tell me your ways.  Show me how to live. 5 Guide me in your truth, and teach me, my God, my Savior.  I trust you all day long.

Matthew 6:27 (NCV) 27 You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.

Matthew 6:33-34 (NCV) 33 Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well. 34 So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

 Coach Chris

Coaches Motivation: 

I have come to realize that most men are playing the game of life hurt, that is why Vital Men need to continue to seek God in building deeper more intimate relationships beginning with His son Jesus and with those men He puts in our path.  Life is rich in service to others.  God put mountains in our lives for us to seek His help to overcome.

I can't do it alone...

Our bike team received our YoungLife jerseys and across the back it reads, “You were made for this.”  I don’t know if I will make it 100 miles and conqueer the mountains, but I will give great effort – it will be my best and I have a team that is committed to helping me do it.  It began with my number one team of three; God, my wife and I… Thank you, Mia.  I love you.

Do you have a favorite book, a sermon, a song, or a scripture verse that you read or listen to more than a few times?  What is it about these things that brings you back to them repeatedly?  Right now, I’m going through a book study of Richard Foster’s ‘Celebration of Discipline’ for at least the third or fourth time, and its conviction and compulsion toward a deeper spiritual life is as real as the first time I read it.  Either I forget things too quickly, or it is easy to go back for seconds when you are dining on good food.

After putting together a number of daily devotionals, I know I’ve used certain scripture verses several times and have repeated some themes a few times as well.  I’ll confess that I’m often drawn to new messages or new packaging more often than going back to something I’ve gone through before.  Does revisiting a topic make it less valuable?  Is Novelty more important than Meaning?  Though my tendency is not to want to repeat something I’ve done before, I really shouldn’t worry about it at all.  In the world of higher education, novelty seems to be the name of the game.  While some poorly conducted studies or practices may better to be revisited or revamped, coming up with something new to investigate or promote seems to be preferred and may lead some to ask ‘why is this necessary?’  Fortunately my daily work allows me to say ‘every day is different’ with a new mixture of people, places, and schedules each week.  Do you prefer consistency, variety, or a unique blend?  In my experience, each day brings new challenges and opportunities if we just open our eyes and hearts to appreciate them and discern what is good for you from what is not.  Some new things are nothing more than distractions – leading you down the wrong path.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2

Once on a retreat, we were asked to meditate on scripture and encourage God to speak to us through his word.  For some reason, I was led to Philippians – which I had read through daily for the previous month, though when I went through the first chapter again, one verse lifted for me and spoke in ways ten times deeper than it ever had before.  I was both humbled and grateful in this instance and others for how God uses his Word in so many new ways in my life.  It makes even more real the verse:

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

So, young or old, new or worn out, there is still much for us to learn and experience.  Don’t just jump on the ‘new thing’ bandwagon and be drawn into something because it is original to you – use discernment to determine its benefit.  Make a list of some impactful and meaningful messages, bible verses, and practices that build your faith and go through them often.  Share these things with others and especially your children and the next generation of believers.  If you are going through some type of spiritual desert, seek out the Living Water as you would desire a drink when physically thirsting.  Encourage others and direct them to the never-ending Spring of spiritual water that sustains your soul.

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”  And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.  He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. Revelation 21:5-7

Strength and Courage in Christ,
Clark

In what ways do I, as a sinful man, claim to walk with God?  One way that people claim to have fellowship with God and yet walk in the darkness is by serving Jesus only with their lips while living a life of hypocrisy, not living out what one claims to believe in.  It is easy to say the right words without actions to back it up.  It is also easy to do the right things before the eyes of people while continuing to walk in darkness and keeping parts of one’s life unknown, hidden and unchallenged by God’s truth.  People do this by keeping Christianity only to the level of comfort where religious involvement is only on Sundays, externally claiming to have fellowship with God, while living a different kind of life from Monday through Saturday.  Another way we claim to have fellowship with God is through being active in serving at church and busying ourselves with many activities while refusing to face up and deal with sins that God may have been prompting in our hearts to sit down, reflect, own up, confess and repent of.  It is easy to claim to have fellowship with God by doing a lot of things, feeling like we’re useful to God and to people, when in fact there’s no genuine connection with God because we refuse to get on the same page with God when it comes to specific sins He points out in our lives.  Or even though our time of solitude and devotion with God, we can claim to have fellowship with Him through that act, but not engaging our heart and be honest enough to let God’s word exposes ways that we are living in disobedient to him.  Or we claim to have fellowship with God by giving all the right answers and right realization, yet walk in the darkness by not doing anything about it to change, refusing to actually obey what that realization is called to do.

So what are we commanded to do, “walk in the light”.  To walk in the light means I need to become a person of integrity in more and more areas of my life, where God’s truth is being lived out and followed not only when I’m in church setting or with people I know, but all the time.  Walking in the light means to live my life as an open book, without remaining hidden about certain areas of my life or without sharing only partial truth to reveal what I’m comfortable to make known.  Walking in the light also means being honest and saying things as they are – being honest about what’s really going on in my heart and my life, owning up to my sinful desires, emotional struggle, physical/mental laziness, worldly ambition, mistakes I make, incompetencies or inadequacies, etc. so that I can deal with them, rather than hiding and pretending that everything is okay and I’m doing okay.  Walking in the light also means allowing myself to be known by others like my spiritual leaders and peers who are able to help me, keep me accountable, pray for me and speak God’s truth in love.

It is easy to say that those who claim to be without sin end up deceiving themselves or others.  When we claim to be without sin by just focusing on the external good acts without taking the honest look at all the filth inside our heart and thought, we become deceived into thinking that the good acts are who we are – we are this good, generous, caring, loving person.  Or when someone “claims to be without sin”, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the person says he’s perfect and good.  We claim to be without sin when we walk in darkness  and, when God’s truth exposes us, we refuse to own up by being defensive, making excuses, blaming others or circumstances, being in denial, or remaining hidden.  When we do this, we claim to be without sin because we say it’s not entirely our fault and it’s understandable why that sin happens to us. When we do this, we excuse ourselves from taking a full responsibility on our sins as if the sins are done unto us. And when we do this, we deceive ourselves into thinking that “that’s not really who I am, it’s because of (insert favorite excuse here) that I did this. Otherwise I wouldn’t have done it.”  And when we claim to be without sin in these ways, we become warped and are no longer in touch with who we really are.

This would make it difficult for such a person to experience fellowship with others, when others are walking in the light, because the presence of others will threaten to reveal the darkness that such a person doesn’t want to reveal.  There will always be hiding, deceiving, pretension or putting up a mask.  For example, I cannot be in a genuine fellowship with my friend if he’s deeply hurt by something I’ve done to him, while I refuse to talk about it or ask for his forgiveness, and wanting to pretend that everything is okay.  Or there cannot be a genuine fellowship when I’m full of jealousy and competitive spirit that I refuse to own up to or deal with.  It just won’t work.  There cannot be a genuine fellowship without truth and being in agreement about what’s going on and who I am.

So my challenge Vital Men is sit down by yourself, think about what’s holding you back from a closer relationship with your Savior, your wife, your kids, etc.  Own it!  Take it and lay it at the feet of God in prayer and ask for His help and guidance.  I’m not asking you to take your sin and broadcast it to the world, but have an open heart and He will give you the help you need.  This may take the form of a leader in your church, a friend, family member, or even the guy at work that you don’t always see eye to eye with. Remember,  God will never put an obstacle in your path that you cannot overcome so long as He’s involved.

Be Empowered.

I John 3

Spring is about to pass us by and summer is on full speed ahead. I have found that summer can move extremely fast. It can begin with a vacation, to hooking up with friends, and grilling out. It’s ball games, weekend trips, family showing up unexpectedly, to all kinds of moments that take up time and life will move all the quicker. Now don’t misunderstand that all these things are good, they just take up time.

Today I want you to think about this question. If we could only slow down enough to consider what’s  true and real? I have found in my life that it’s hard to remember days, but I can remember moments. Those that are true and real. Moments that stop life and slow it down. Moments when children are born. The moment your wife walked down the aisle in marriage. The moment your grandchildren are born. Then there are the moments when life stops. A parent, a child, moments that break your heart. Life is full of these moments when life slows down.

Jeremiah the prophet wrote about life and the need to hold moments of risk to slow down for God to work. It says in Lamentations 3:25-26 that the Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord. A season of slowing down life to risk in the wait to hear from God.

Jeremiah is not just sitting around and doing nothing. He is risking these moments to take a big step to allow God to speak to him. He is making a choice to draw near to God. Slowing down his mind and the busyness of his life to hear. He is risking the dependence of his own plans and allowing God to show him the way. He laments to God to hear his prayers and that God will hear him. I like what he says to wait quietly, to slow down long enough to hear.

I find the race to be better to be the best as the world sees it is changing in my life. I want to get off the fast track and slow life down
to hear what Jesus is saying to me. To hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. This does not mean that I still do not go out and do my job at work in the business world. It means that I’m changing my focus from me to Christ. It’s a risk to slow it down because I have to yield to my control and allow Christ to lead me.

I find this interesting in Scripture that Jesus never moved quickly. He is never on a horse moving from town to town. He is never found on a fast pace boat or does he mysteriously show up at any place until later in Scripture after the resurrection. He takes time to walk with people. He allows the moments of life to slow down to a place where lives are changed. He risks it to slow down to be with us.

Moving quickly in life takes you out of the moments of getting into people’s lives. You walk right past people and you can no longer see the moments in their own lives. This past week I had an opportunity to speak to another man about my faith. To take a moment of risk and allow life to slow down. Now this young man was in a tough space and was broken. It was and I was obedient. I shared with him the love of Christ of how he had come for him that day. All he had to do was confess his sins and believe that Jesus was Lord and that he would be saved. He asked Jesus into his life  and so his life begins new. He came to church this past Sunday excited and wanting more. What a moment to risk it and have life slow down.  That moment of the day was priceless.

In our closing thoughts today remember this men, Life will last only a little while. So savor the moments, savor the memories, of your dash (from Linda Ellis and Mac Anderson “ The Dash”). Stay the course men and risk slowing down for moments. You will never know the moment that the Lord will use you to extend his Gospel Message!

Strength and Courage,

Mike

(Genesis 4:9) I ain’t my brother’s keeper, Cain told God… Well, that’s today’s words when God confronted him after he had just killed his brother.  Cain was full of guilt and trying to shift the attention away from himself.  God is paying attention.

These are exciting times men.  There are stories being told of the name of Jesus being glorified – glorified through the lives of Vital Men like you and it is building.  It is building beyond a point that any one man or even a few men can handle.  God is doing a work around us and men are being saved and giving their lives to Jesus. Hallelujah and Amen!

Here’s the deal. These men that are wanting to commit their lives to Jesus need someone to walk with them. It is in the beginning like this that a man is most vulnerable to fall back into his old ways because it is what he knows and often the friends he has are poor influences for a Christ-follower.

Has it ever dawned on you that you are responsible spiritually to God for other people? (Romans 14:7) ‘For none of us lives for ourselves alone…‘ We live for the Lord and he said ‘Go and make disciples…’  (Matthew 28:19) There are two parts to making disciples – 1. Introducing them to Jesus 2. Showing them the ropes.

Remember back to when you started a job or a new school or went to a new place. At first you didn’t know what to do or where to go or know your way around.  It’s no different for a new comer to Christ. Someone needs to show them around; teaching them about the Bible, helping them to get plugged in to a church and showing them what kind of things to stay away from.

Here is the deal Vital Men, we need you. We have men that need a mentor.  This isn’t neccessariily a huge time commitment, it may mean meeting once a week for a couple hours and taking an interest in the life of another, praying for them and teaching them to pray and showing them around scripture.  Maybe you can both grow together and learn from each other.  It is kind of like the small group tables at men’s group – It’s mostly about a safe place to share life with each other, talk about what God is up to, dig in the scriptures and pray for each other.

The picture above I hope is received as just something funny, as one boy teaching another how to draw by peeing – showing the way.

Be encouraged,

Steve

Respond to the email if interested or go to the website for further contact info.

Remember back to standing on the curb aside the town parade with one hand over your heart and your other hand firmly pressed against your brow as you salute Old Glory; …one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”  I had the honor of participating in the 4^th of July parade last year working along-side a small group of WWII veterans to support military marriages.  Marriage is under attack and must be defended.  We defend marriage in the hearts of a man and a woman in lifting up their covenant relationship to God in prayer.

I received a call-out last year for all believers to come together in prayer each and every day at precisely the same time.  At 8PM central time you were to drop everything and pray one minute for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and for a return to a Godly nation.  Have you ever heard a large group of people or instruments come into perfect pitch on one note all at the same time?  It is piercing, breathtaking, simply a beautiful moment in which harmony and unity is made audible; it is what I believe God hears when the voices of His children are heard lifting up prayer at 8PM focused on a worthy unified cause.  I have a reminder on my calendar every day to join the chorus of prayers lifted up at 8PM.  Have you needed to scratch an itch that has been eating at you?  Is one of your itches to play a more active role in this battle for our country – pray that God would lead you to stand where you are to stand and act where you are to act and that you will respond in a way that shines light on the truth and brings honor and glory to God.

Today’s devotion is a response to a fire that is raging in me for all men beginning with the top position of our country, that God fearing leadership be revealed to impact our children with truth for the good of generations to come.  I believe in each man’s time we are called to respond and that we need to seek what is expected of each of us.  We all have an opportunity and each one of us is called to play a role.  Inaction is equal to those who are misguided and do wrong, it is time to act first prayerfully and respond accordingly; but to do nothing is not an option.  God is so very clear to define black and white lines on the way our lives are to be lived, yet the world constantly tries to blur them to gray… how will God use you in this world to push the gray clouds aside and have the son shine brightly?

It is time to lead the way, model the way, and fight the battles for our children to more clearly see their way to the one who is the way, the truth and the light; Jesus.  The quotes, thoughts and Gods Word to follow are for you to ponder and pray about to see where God leads you.  May Jesus be revealed in the character of Vital Men for such a time as this.  I had to catch myself last night to respond to a presidential message in a way that God would want me to respond as well as those around us looking for Christians to be Christ-like.  It has been a while since the saying that has graced many bracelets on many wrists around the world; WWJD, “What Would Jesus Do?”  That is the question I am prayerfully asking our loving God, and in His Word contains the answer.

Titus 3:1-2 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.

I Timothy 2 1-4 says, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

 1 John 3:4 (NCV) 4 The person who sins breaks God’s law. Yes, sin is living against God’s law.

 Luke 18:6-8 (NCV) 6 The Lord said, “Listen to what the unfair judge said. 7 God will always give what is right to his people who cry to him night and day, and he will not be slow to answer them. 8 I tell you, God will help his people quickly. But when the Son of Man comes again, will he find those on earth who believe in him?”

Isaiah 58…

As Vital Men, we are called to honor God.  Let’s begin with our hearts and let it move to our words and actions and everyday decisions.

Those who honor me I will honor (1 Samuel 2:30)

Coach Chris

Coaching Tips:    

“Attitude reflect leadership…”  Remember the Titans.  Who are you following?  How are you leading?

Next time you use or read the acronym ASAP, may you think from your heart; “Always Say A Prayer”

It has been said that if Christians really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless…

Quotations from a former leader, Ronald Reagan:

“If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.”

 “We are never defeated unless we give up on God.”

 “Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.”

 “Don’t be afraid to see what you see.”

 “Without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure.”

 “All great change in America begins at the dinner table.”

 “There are no easy answers’ but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.”

“Let us be sure that those who come after will say of us in our time, that in our time we did everything that could be done. We finished the race; we kept them free; we kept the faith.”