JUST LEAD. THEY'LL FOLLOW

"Those from every tribe of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the LORD, the God of their fathers." 

II Chronicles 11:16

The Levites led. The godly followed. As a husband, as a father and as a man I need to set my heart upon seeking the Lord. I need to be like the Levites and just go seek the Lord. Then my wife, my children and people around me will seek the Lord also. 

If you notice it doesn't describe some extraordinary act of faith by the Levites. The Bible just says that they went to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices. They left their homes because Jeroboam had rejected God (and in turn the Levites) and worshiped idols. They Levites could of been passive and just stayed. No, they had to go and they knew they had to go. They had to serve God. They had to serve God, God's way.  

God is not expecting some extraordinary act of faith from you. He just wants you to seek him. Don't wait for your spouse to say, "Let's go to church." You lead. Don't wait for your children to ask you to  pray with them. You lead. Don't wait for someone else to do the right thing. You lead. 

Father, help us to be like the Levites and just go seek you. Praise be to you in us today!

THE AGAINESS OF GRACE: II Timothy 4:2

"Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction." II Timothy 4:2

Last night my youngest son had a baseball game. It did not go well. In contrast to our last game where we almost played error free, this game was a complete error fest. One of the other father/coaches looked at me in complete frustration and said that for this time in the year we just shouldn't be having these kind of problems. As the manager (and father) I'm trying to figure out what I need to do to help the boys learn to get over a mistake, refocus and make the next play. Most importantly, I need to do it with great patience and careful instruction. 

Think of how many situations in life this truth applies. As a supervisor, manager or trainer you must be patient and skillfully instruct someone on how to do something. Even as a co-worker we need to patiently "teach". 

Spiritually speaking, we all struggle sometimes to grasp the simple truth that God's love applies to us. We all fall short. We all sin. That is not an excuse. Sometimes we struggle to grab hold of the grace of God in Christ Jesus. You might call it the againess of grace.

When we are given the opportunity to help someone live by faith we need to "teach" with great patience and careful instruction. Remember the amazing patience that God's is displaying toward you at this very moment. As Christ is patient with us, we need to be patient with others. Teach with the againess of grace. 

Father, thank you for your great patience with me! Praise be to you in us today!

GOD'S APPROVAL: II Timothy 2:15

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." II Timothy 2:15

This past week they had a uniform inspection at my son's Cub Scout Pack. All the scout's are checked to make sure they have the proper uniform and everything is in the proper place. It is fun to watch the boys proudly wear their uniforms and recite the Scout's oath. As a Christian I think I need to check myself sometimes and maybe even allow myself to be checked on occasion. 

Stop for just a moment and do a little check on yourself. I don't mean find a bunch of reason's to get down on yourself, or to recite all your failures. There is no need to make a vow to spend an unrealistic amount of time in prayer or Bible Study. 

What I am saying is to just ask yourself if you are seeking to be approved by God. The purpose is not to create a condemnation list, rather, it is to remind you where to focus yourself. We know God approves of taking time to read the Bible, to pray, and seeking opportunities to serve others in his Name. We do my best and pray for grace for the rest. 

Father, help us to seek your approval and not man's. Bless our efforts to live by faith. Praise be to you in us today!

THE FIGHT IS ON! / I Timothy 6:12

The media portrays love as some kind of idyllic emotionally fulfilling experience where every need is met. Reality is not always so kind. Sometimes it is a dogfight and the fight is not with your spouse, it's with life and the world we live in! Christianity is sometimes sold as some kind of blissful state of peace and calm. The truth is that a lot of times faith is war. 

"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses." I Timothy 6:12

Jesus told us the world would hate us in John 15:19. Faith in Christ is diametrically opposed to the way of the world. The world is all about self. We are told to love ourselves, to look out for ourselves and to be ourselves. "I got to be me!" "I did it my way!" The world blames God, religion and those who believe for much of the hatred in the world. A study by the Department of Homeland Security lists Christians as terrorists! 

We are in a fight! We are in a war! We are the enemy of the world! We can not be passive in our faith. We must take hold of the eternal life to which we were called. The truth found in the Bible about the value of life, the place of self and the need we all have to be forgiven is what we hold on to. "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst." 

Father, thank you that you sent your One and Only Son to die for my sins. Take hold of me as I seek to take hold of you! Praise be to you in us today!

WORK HARD FOR WHO? / I Timothy 6:1-2

I have worked for and under a lot of different people, some who were Christians and some who were not. My witness is all about my visable respect for them, whether they are saved or not.

"All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered. Those who have believing masters are not to show less respect for them because they are brothers. Instead, they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers, and dear to them. These are the things you are to teach and urge on them." I Timothy 6:1-2 

Of course Paul was teaching about actual slaves and we are not slaves. But, the principle of matter still holds. Work as unto the Lord. Do the best you can. Whatever you do you do as a representative of Christ. 

I once was a food server at a Mimi's Cafe. There was this one man and his son who would come in after church on Sunday nights. He would have coffee and maybe a dessert. He would leave maybe $0.50 and a tract for a tip. And he was a bit rude, too. Of course all the food servers thought he was a jerk for stiffing them on the tip and then leaving a tract. They would always complain to me because they knew I was a Christian. Finally, I told the guy that if he wanted any of the food servers to read the tract he needed to leave a bigger tip. 

Here's the deal: If you are a Christian you represent Christ. What will you be remembered for being? Will your integrity and honesty  be the impression you leave? 

Father, help us to work hard, even as working for you. Praise be to you in us today!

YOUR TEACHING AND THEIR LEARNING: I Timothy 4:16

"Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." I Timothy 4:16T

Sometimes I will be sitting on the couch reading my email or something on the computer and my youngest son will just walk over and peak to see what I doing. I think he's checking to see if I am playing video games. The point is he's watching. 

As a husband, father, coach, Scout leader and a teacher I am almost always in someones view. Watching my life and doctrine must be a constant. Doctrine is important because I act upon what I truly believe. What I believe about how people should be treated with come out in how I act. I find it interesting that this current generation is not as familiar with the golden rule as previous generations (ask a bunch of teen agers if they have even heard of it). It shows. I want my children to know that Christ laid down his life for them and that example is the example to follow. I need to follow Christ's example so that they might follow Christ's example too. 

Who's watching you? What is your life teaching them? What do you want to teach them?

Father, may our actions reflect you as we seek to live by faith in Christ. Praise be to you in us today!

WHAT CONTROLS YOU?: I Timothy 3:8

If you have ever swam in the ocean you should be familiar with rip tides. They are currents that kind of go sideways. They can be pretty strong. You could be swimming along and the next thing you know you are a hundred yards down the beach. Alcohol, can sort of do the same thing. If it controls you, it may put you in a place you should not be.

"In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain." I Timothy 3:8

First of all, let's remember the verse does not say NOT to drink. Secondly, it does not say to drink all you want. The issue is control. Who or what is controlling and or motivating you? 

As a husband and father it is imperative that Christ reigns in you and through your, in your family. The goal is to be Christlike. To love and serve our wife and children. If the desire for wine is distracting you from being godly, put it to death. 

What the Apostle is emphasizing is that a person who is given to much wine is not controlled by the Spirit of Christ but by the wine. I know someone who loves to have wine with dinner. Not one glass, but, several. He has done it his whole life. Still, the wine controls him. Soon, he's running at the mouth, saying just a bit too much and he does not listen well either. he is definitely given to much wine and it's not good. 

So, what controls you? As a husband and a father, you need to be controlled by Christ. 

Father, help us to be led by the Spirit. Praise be to you in us today!

LEAD WITH SINCERITY: I Timothy 3:8

When I was growing up my brother and I would fight from time to time. After a good scolding and perhaps some well deserved punishment, our parents would make us shake hands and apologize. I'm not sure I was always sincerely sorry (because, as you know, he started it). When you think someone is not sincere, you tend to keep and eye out for that person. 

"Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain." I Timothy 3:8 

The KJV translates the word, "double tongued". I have a friend of mine who over commits himself. So, he's a fit flaky sometimes. But, I don't think he's insincere. Whereas I know some people who will look you right in the eye, promise to do something, and will never even attempt to do what they said they would. I had a boss who was like that recently. The disunity and problems that resulted from their actions was not good, to say the least.  

As a husband and father, I must be sincere and not double tongued.   If my family can not count on be to do what I say, disunity will be the result. There will be problems as it is, that's just part of life. But, if I compound those challenges by not being reliable and trustworthy, it will just add to the degree of difficulty.

Remember, actions speak louder than words. Sincerity is sealed by what you do. When I was in college, I had the Dean of men a bit worried. I had a tendency to question authority. But, I wasn't rebellious.  I was the dorm council president my senior year. The previous president was constantly doing and saying things of questionable nature and ended up stealing money from the school. He was kicked out of school. So, when I was elected they were worried because they thought questioning why equaled being rebellious. At the end of my senior year the Dean of men called me into his office and said that I never once showed bad judgement and they learned they could trust me to do the right thing. I was not double tongued. I became trustworthy in their eyes. Sometimes that's the way sincerity works. What we do proves our sincerity.

Father, help us to be sincere and not double tongued. Praise be to you in us today. 

RESPECTABILITY: I Timothy 3:8

Respect is often misunderstood in our culture, I think. For some it means fear. For some it means to be blindly given or received. I think respect has many facets. Respect is both given and earned. I respect someone who does what they say and considers the needs of others, not just their own. I think respectability is a trait every Christian should desire.

"Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain." I Timothy 3:8

In this verse Paul is describing men who act honorably and their character proves them to be respectable. I will show respect to some people because it is the right thing to do even though some do not act in a way that warrants respect. This verse is dealing with men whose actions show them to be worthy of respect. 

As for us the question is do I act honorably? Do people respect me? I know that sounds like a bit of an egocentric question, but, I think it is a good question to ask ourselves. Do my wife and children respect me? Do they respect me or do they simply show me respect? Do I do what I say? Am I a man of action? 

I don't mean to condemn in any way, because all of us fall short of the glory of God, but, I do want us to take an honest look at ourselves. If I am not acting respectably I need to change. 

How can you act today that will be worthy of respect?

Father, by your power and grace, make us people worthy of respect. Praise be to you in us today!

HOW TO MANAGE YOUR FAMILY: I Timothy 3:4-5

Experience is respect sometimes. Being able to say to other teachers that I spent my first 16 years in education in South Central LA has always been a bit of a respect factor. When another teachers sees how I run my class, they know I am not all talk, I practice what I preach. It's all about trying to act godly.

"He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?)" I Timothy 3:4-5

There are three things Paul mentions concerning family leadership:management, guidelines and respectful relationships. 

I think management is all about planning and execution. I try to have a plan because even when things don't go according to plan I have some bearings to go by when reacting the current crisis.

My family guidelines are God's. I must be in the Word on a daily basis and I want my children and wife to see that I am. I want my life to reflect that God's Word gives me direction, not my whims. Plus, when my children live out on their own, they know to seek God's ways.

Finally, I need to "encourage" godly relationships by continually pointing myself, my wife and my children to Christ as we interact with each other. If you can love your sister and or brother, you can love most anyone. 

May God enable you to manage your family by teaching them to obey God's Word and love each other as Christ loves them.

Father, help us to love as you have loved us. Enable us to lead our families with love and grace. Praise be to you in us today!