3-D - Monday Update - 11-30-09.
Scripture of the Week: Romans 1:18-19; Joshua 24:14-15
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.”
“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Understanding the Scripture:
Sometimes I wonder if most of us don’t fall into the ranks of Garrison Keillor’s “Norwegian bachelor farmers”; men of great resolve (mostly for what they’ve put in the ground, and then for what they patiently wait), but men of few, if any words. Is it not time for men of the Church, leaders in our homes and communities, to rise above that image, to recognize the call of God’s voice, and step forward with courage? Sometimes there is ground to till, but today the call seems heavily weighted toward the battle.
I came away from Pastor Jeff’s Sunday message angry. Angry that we have sat idly by while the world has subtly invaded our space, our lives; space that needed to be reserved only for God’s Holy Spirit. Sitting idly by is no longer, if ever, an option.
Understanding the Times: And, knowing what to do (Men of Issachar”
To understand the times we must face the whole phenomenon of television. At a minimum, there are at least four serious considerations to be made in regard to the television:
- Its deepest intents are to take you and your family down; morally and spiritually (this is well documented).
- For television to survive it needs you and your family to spend money on things the world deems of value.
- In many, many, ways television speaks, infers, and hammers home lies. Lies are directly opposed to truth. Jesus is truth.
- Television steels our time with little redeeming value in return.
What to do, in the face of overwhelming evidence consider taking action:
- Get rid of the television!
- At the very least refuse to be entertained by the world’s trash; develop a Godly discernment and boldly talk back when the TV lies, puts immoral images in front of your family, and appeals to your worldly desires.
- Better yet, spend quality time with your children, give undivided attention to your wife, read a book or a good magazine, cook a meal for the family (don’t forget to do the dishes), take a walk and talk with the Lord, spend some time in the Word, and while you’re at it, why not just get rid of that open door to the world. Once you do two or three of the above the TV will seriously fade in its appeal.
Better than a solo endeavor, find another man with the courage to go on the same adventure, bring your wives on board, and walk the road to the TV dump together.
FOCUS OF THE WEEK:
Last Tuesday (State of 3D) Pastor Jeff threw out the challenge to find a man or two and consider a spiritual partnership for the challenges of the day. This was not a casual suggestion, as isolation – spiritual and otherwise – is a prime tactic of the enemy. We must resist the temptation to go it alone.
This week we will examine the brother to brother partnership between David and Jonathan. You can read regarding this relationship in 1 Samuel chapters 18 – 20.
MEN OF PRAYER: “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”(NIV) Compare that wording with the KJV, “The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
- Several men of 3D have proposed that we form a partnering relationship with the village of Grayling (on the Yukon River). Pray that we will see the challenge through God’s wisdom, and consider well the cost of the commitment.
- We must admit that amongst us are any number of men who struggle with addictions, abuse situations, and many forms of “eyes for the world.” We are good men, with hearts of noble intent, but a healthy repentance may be overdue. Pray for transparency, honesty, and the courage to hand over the reigns of all our lives to the Lord Jesus.
Our Commitment to Men:
- It is my firm belief that “programming” aimed at doing nice things, keeping us occupied, and using up our time, is an affront to a man’s intelligence. I personally don’t like the idea of being “programmed for.” If it doesn’t hold real value in aiding our search for truth and obedience, as men of God, then we (3D men) won’t be going there. You can count on it. John – for all 3D men
Web Site: <3DWarriors.org>