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!

IT IS YOUR DUTY: II Timothy 4:5

"But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry." 
II Timothy 4:5

What are my duties? Maybe, the real question is: What are not my duties? 

Now, I don't want to just focus on the obvious ones like be the spiritual leader. Because, if I am not Christlike in that I am willing to serve...all I say is just bla, bla, bla, clanging cymbal.

As a husband and father my duty is to make sure that whatever needs to be done, gets done. That does not mean by delegating it all to my wife. For me, sometimes that means when I come home from work and I just want to crash on the couch, I may need to cook. Other times it means vacuuming. 

Remember, trying to lead/serve a family is not about our own innate abilities, it is about the power of God working in and through us to meet the needs of our families. He is faithful. Paul said, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13). I do believe in knowing when it's time to call the plumber, but, you know what I mean. If I see a need in my family, get it done.

Father, give us the strength and love to serve our spouses and families. Praise be to you in us today!

KEEP YOUR HEAD: II Timothy 4:5

"But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardships, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry."   II Timothy 4:5

What is your primary ministry? Your primary ministry is first to your spouse and then your family. Think about that for a second or two...If there is ever a place where you might not "keep you head" it is usually with your family. Sometimes we come home after holding everything in all day at work and we sort of vent or just sort of relax and then ,"BAM", a little drama, a little or not so little family crisis slams us right in the face! It can be hard to "keep your head" when all you want is just fifteen minutes of peace. 

I think the key is to still remember the grace of God and to let him reign. We can never let down our guard and never give up the reign of Christ in our hearts and minds. The day is not over until I lay my head on the pillow and that is not when I forget about God but when I thank God for bringing me through another day on planet earth. 

Father, bring us through this day and help us to keep our heads in all situations! 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!

REJECT PASSIVITY: II Timothy 1:7

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." II Timothy 1:7

When I think of the Apostle Paul I never picture a sort of passive, meek, super sweet and gentle guy. If ever there was a type A personality, Paul the Apostle definitely was. 

For Paul, being a Christian and being a leader entails a certain amount of boldness. The rejection of passivity might be another way of putting it. As a man, a husband and a father, I can not afford to just let things influence my family. It does not matter about my level of spirituality, I am called to lead my family. I should be the one that prays with my kids at night. I share a verse with my family at dinner. I make sure we go to church. I am called to love my wife and children and that means I must be self disciplined enough to be make sure those things happen.

I encourage you to lead your family. You don't have to be a great Apostle or a great student of the Bible. You just have to trust God. 

Father, help us to act in faith and to lead our families before you. Praise be to you in us today!

YOU ARE THE GUARDIAN: I Timothy 6:20-21

"Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge,which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith. Grace be with you." I Timothy 6:20-21

Paul was of course writing to Timothy, a young pastor entrusted with teaching and shepherding of the body of Christ. Paul exhorts him to guard them because they have been entrusted to his care. Timothy knew well what the Apostle meant because he had seen first hand the passion and conviction that Paul shepherded the churches entrusted to his care. 

The question now for us is, what has God entrusted to our care?  We, of course, have our spouses and children. I don't know about you but when I hear most people talk about their marriages it is mostly about their own needs being met. I think we are called to build each other up. We are called to protect our spouses. Does my love for my wife guard her? What about your children?  Are you guarding them? I don't mean being over protective. I mean are you teaching them to live by faith?

I also think it is important to remember that we have been entrusted with God's reputation. Whether I am working or volunteering I am a Christian. I am entrusted with God's reputation in that sphere. 

I actually think it is amazing that God has entrusted me with anything, let alone a marriage, children, the little league families and Scouting groups I am blessed to volunteer with. I can't forget that I represent Christ everywhere I go. Opportunities to see God work will present themselves we just need to remember to be ready. 

Father, help us to guard what you have entrusted to our care. Thank you for counting us worthy of your grace in our lives. Praise be to you in us today! 

RICH IN GIVING: I Timothy 6:18-19

What do you have to give? Time or money. Maybe both. Who gives you time and money? God. 

"Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." I Timothy 6:18-19

The point is that God gives us life (time) and he gives us money (resources). The question is whether we use them to glorify God or not. I am not going to be sanctimonious and act like I balance this well. I try. I am learning. But, it is not always easy. 

A few years ago I was a bit convicted about my time. I found myself being inwardly upset when opportunities to help others came up. I found that I was missing chances to serve. The opportunities were all around me, at home, at work, with my children's activities and just random situations. What I didn't like about myself was that I was unwilling to step out in faith. I just wanted to be left alone. That had to change. 

I find that opportunities to serve, to give, to be generous with my time or money are scattered throughout my day, camouflaged by circumstances. I just need to remember that God wants me to be a giving person. 

Father, open our eyes to see the opportunities to share you love with others throughout the day. Praise be to you in us today!

THE VALUE OF GODLINESS: I Timothy 6:11

You can pursue a lot of things in life. We all want the best for our families, especially our children. My daughter just completed a class at our church and at the end there was a nice ceremony where the girls all dressed up and the fathers sort of blessed them publicly. My wife and my daughter took a bit of time finding the right dress for the occasion and she (of course) looked beautiful. But, it is not the dress that I value. Rather, it is the looked in her eyes, welling up with tears, as I spoke about the woman of God I see her becoming, that I treasure. 

"But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness." I Timothy 6:11

You can pursue money or things that cost a lot of money, but that does not produce the godly contentment that Paul encourages Timothy, and us, to seek. What does hold value is the pursuit of righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Striving to be righteous and godly in our actions, acting in faith shone in love, enduring trials and responding with gentleness, this is the pursuit that produces the riches of godly contentment. 

Father, help us to seek to please you and by faith to live content knowing you will supply us our every need in Christ Jesus. 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!

THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS: I Timothy 3:16

Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:
   He appeared in the flesh,
     was vindicated by the Spirit,
   was seen by angels,
     was preached among the nations,
   was believed on in the world,
     was taken up in glory."
I Timothy 3:16

Talking about the gospel in brief. This gospel requires godly leadership. To the world it is a mystery that is hidden from their understanding. But, to those of us who have believed it is a mystery that is being revealed, day by day, as we walk by faith in the saving work of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

As a husband and a father, I am called to walk by faith with my family, day by day, seeking to be a godly man, a more righteous man. I revel in the mystery of godliness which is Christ in me, the hope of glory. 

Father, help us to walk by faith and lead our marriages and families by following you. Praise be to you in us today!

ARE YOU A MALICIOUS TALKER?/ I Timothy 3:11

I know this verse is written concerning the wives of candidates of deacons. That said, I think the message of positive verses negative  communication is valuable for everyone. Especially in this age of emails, texting, instagramming, face-booking, tweeting, and blogging.  

"In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trust worthy in everything." I Timothy 3:11 

My wife has a note (an 8.5" X 11" note) on the refrigerator titled "The Three Sieves Test". The three sieves are: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? Sometimes when I want to say something I ask myself, "Does the Holy Spirit need my help to speak to this person?" You know, something said in love, gently and in humility is totally different than the clanging symbol of truth without love.

The word in the original language (Greek) is diabolos. Sound a bit familiar? The King James Version translates it "slanderers". Satan accuses us before the Father day and night (Revelation 12:10). There is a difference between talking about and praying for someone because you are legitimately concerned about their spiritual well being and  just talking about someone and in affect just passing on negative information about someone. You know, some things tear people up and some things build people up. 

A few months ago, I participated in the draft for my son's baseball league. One of the other coaches who is on the league board made a very negative comment about the guy who was going to do the uniforms this year. I kind of lost respect for the board member because it was only meant to demean the other man. It was malicious. 

Remember to build up not tear down. Remember to speak in love, gently and with a humble spirit. How would you like someone to "share" with you?

Father, help us to build each other up in this most holy faith. Praise be to you in us today!

LET TRUTH HOLD YOU: I Timothy 3:9

The writers of the Declaration of Independence wrote, "We hold these truths to be self-evident..." and then they listed the them and led a revolution that changed the course of history. Those core beliefs have guided the United States of America ever since. The Apostle Paul reminded young Timothy that church leaders should be people who hold the truths of the faith. Holding on the the deep truths of the faith, as a husband and a father, is good practice.

"They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience." I Timothy 3:9 

When my oldest son was in middle school he attended a "Christian" school. One of his teachers questioned the validity and authenticity of the Bible in front of the students. I was, to say the least, a bit upset. I wrote him a "note" to the effect that we did not send our son to a Christian school to learn how to doubt God. We  could do that for free by sending him to a public school. Also, I told him that if he had any questions regarding the reliability of the Bible or the existence of God I would be glad to "discuss" them with him and maybe encourage him in his faith.

My youngest son is like a sponge when it comes to information. So, after watching some programs that spoke dogmatically about evolution as if it were unquestionable truth, we had some discussions about the cartoon religion called evolution verses the Creator of all things and the truth of the Bible. It is my responsibility as his father to teach him that God is the Sovereign Lord and Creator of all things and that God has spoken to us through Christ and his Word, the Bible. 

Having a clear conscience does not mean we are perfect. Having a clear conscience means we keep our relationship with God clear. This is why the daily disciplines of prayer and reading the Bible are so important. But, the truth is, they remind us that God loves us and he longs to daily commune with us. That is what we teach our children.

Father, help us to hold fast to the deep truths of the faith and keep our consciences clear. Praise be to you in us today!

GAIN WITH HONESTY: I Timothy 3:8

There is a law for contractors that you are not allowed to pay for job B with money from job A. The law is there because people see large amounts of money and think it would be all right if they just spent a bit on a new truck or new car or whatever. I saw many an up and coming contractor fall prey to the temptation to borrow from job B to pay for job A because they spent the money from job A already. I saw one man go from one of the top contractors to swimming in ponds at golf courses for lost golf balls. It was that bit of greed that got him.

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

Remember, making a lot of money is not evil. Making it dishonestly is evil. My father had a business partner that he met through church once. They were going to build and sell some spec homes (houses built on the speculation that someone will buy them once they were built). My dad put up some of the money to buy land and sold the homes. Dad actually sold a few dozen homes before they were even built. As they started building the homes the partner started buying new cars and trucks and all kinds of things. The problem is he was using the money that was designated to pay for building materials to pay for the cars and trucks and stuff. The partner ended up fleeing the area and leaving my dad with a huge problem of promised homes. Dad dealt with it, honestly. 

As a husband and father, like a church leader, I must not be someone who is pursuing financial gains dishonestly. If I do, I put my family in danger. I need to be a person who seeks to act honestly in all things. Paul says to stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around you waste (Ephesians 6:14). The soldiers belt would sort of hold the uniform together. Truth holds a lot of things together. 

Seek to live honestly. God will bless that. You will be at peace.

Father, help us to seek to provide for our families with honesty and integrity. Praise be to you in us today!

THE LOVE OF MONEY: I Timothy 3:3

My mom had a little plaque once with a picture of a monkey. The caption read, "I've been richer, and I've been poorer. Richer is better." There is a difference between enjoying what you can do with money, including giving, and just plain loving money. 

"not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money." I Timothy 3:3

Paul has been comparing the traits of a godly man who is controlled by the Holy Spirit with the traits of an ungodly man who is controlled by his desires, including the love of money. 

Ecclesiastes 5:10 tells us, "Whoever love money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income." The love of money, is when you seek to find satisfaction and fulfillment in having it. That will never happen. Only God can satisfy our souls.

Jesus taught his disciples (and therefore us), "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money" (Matthew 6:24). Jesus spoke those words while teaching about trusting him to take care of our needs. So, the idea is whether you will trust in money or God to take care of you. Trust God. 

Paul was teaching young Timothy what to look for in a church leader. We are looking at these traits as the traits of a good household, family leader too. Now we have the love of money.  This trait of being a lover of money follows a description of someone controlled by alcohol, violence and the need to quarrel. Why is the love of money harmful to a church, a marriage and a family? Because the person who loves money will put the need to have more money before the needs of their family. They will pursue "opportunities" to make more money more than they will pursue opportunities to love their spouses and children. 

A word of caution. We do need money to pay our bills. Sometimes we will work extra to provide extra or more for our families. You must know when you are no longer providing a better life with your family or just seeking more money. 

A pastor of mine once said, "Prosperity is having a little more than you need." May God grant you provision and prosperity for your family. 

Father, help us to love and serve you with the money you provide. Praise be to you in us today!

BE REASONABLE, DO IT MY WAY!: I Timothy 3:3

I am sure that you work with, or have worked with a person who is (in there world) the center of the universe. They are always right (according to them) and if they don't get their way they can be unbearable. Truthfully, they're unbearable even when they get their way. Generally speaking, they are self-centered. Not good qualities for a leader of the church, or a husband and a father. 

"not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money." I Timothy 3:3

The phrase I want to focus on today is that we should not be quarrelsome. 

I would have to say that being quarrelsome is probably an area that God has done a lot of work in my life and will continue to deal with me for the foreseeable future. The idea is to be strong in your convictions without arguing over them. Being a bit more conservative them most of my fellow teachers often puts me at odds with the popular opinion. A friend once told me that people aren't ready to hear something until they are ready to hear something. When we are unwilling to listen we are unable to hear. One side of being quarrelsome is being unwilling to listen and the other is having to be heard. 

TWhen I was maybe nineteen my friends gave me a plaque for my birthday that read, "Be reasonable, do it my way!" I have learned that other peoples ways are just as good, if not better, than my own. I once went into my pastor's office and read him a two page list of things he said wrong. I am not sure I would do that now. I might pray a bit more and maybe think about humility. 

Now that I have had my little moment at the confessional, I encourage you to look at yourself. Are you a bit contentious? Do you always have to be right? Are you strong enough to be right and not have to prove it, to everyone, all the time?

Father, help us to be humble and strong, living according to the truth. May your Spirit work in and through us. Praise be to you in us today!

LEAD YOUR MARRIAGE & FAMILY: I Timothy 3:2

I want to take a look at these verses as encouragement to men in regards to being the servant-leader of your marriage and family.

"Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach". I Timothy 3:2

I just think these are very good ideals that all men should seek to have in their lives. I believe they are all the fruit of Christ like living.

"be above reproach" - Basically, no one should have anything on me. Now, we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So, I am not talking about perfection. What we are talking about is keeping your life in order. Recently I had situation with my sons' little league baseball league. I am a volunteer manager. During our draft night, I had asked someone if they would help coach the team. There was a misunderstanding that was my fault. Unintentional, but still it was because of my actions. So, when the President of the league told me what was wrong, I just told him I was sorry, I wasn't trying to do anything but try to ask a parent to help coach. But, it was still my bad. And I asked him what he would like me to do to make things right. He didn't know. So, I called who I thought I might of negatively affected. As far as I know I made things right. 

"the husband of but one wife" - Because I am more concerned with any man as the servant-leader of his marriage and family I am going to discuss divorce accept to say, God's forgiveness includes divorce. As a husband and a father we are to be one woman men. I especially want to emphasize your heart. There is only one woman who gets to hear what's in my heart. If she isn't in the mood. No one else gets to hear it. I work in education and I used to work in restaurants. I always have boundaries, even conversationally, because I have seen men incited to leave their marriage because the other women simply gave them a little attention and a little praise. 

I think that will do for today. Men, keep things clean, and be a one women man. 

Father, help us to keep our lives above reproach and to be one with our wives. Praise be to you in us today!