Light of Devotion - Men of the Heart Book Four

AVAILABLE August 24, 2019 Light of Devotion - Book Four of the 'Men of the Heart' series

Southern Wyoming 1872

On the run after killing her husband, Rosemary Cooper traveled west with her sister in search of a new start.

Japheth Nathaniel Taylor came west to prove himself but ended up on the run after a failed bank robbery.

Suddenly thrown together for survival, they must both hide their past to ensure they have a future.

But an unexpected stop in Cobbinsville has them under scrutiny as both their pasts come back to haunt them from unexpected directions. Now they both must face an important question:

Can they hope to find love that is true, when everything about them is a lie?

Men of the Heart news—

I would like to take a brief moment and thank everyone who has read the Men of the Heart series, (Kindled Love, Sparks of Affection, and Flames of Endearment.) Like all things in life there are hiccups—the timing of Book 4's release is one of them—and while it sometimes seems like an incurable case of hiccups, Book 4 is close to completion. It is with my lovely editor and my goal is to have it out late summer/early fall 2019.
Thank you so much for patiently waiting.

Conformed to the image of Christ...

“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son...” (Romans 8:29) God has a goal for you, and that goal is for you to be “...conformed to the image of his Son...”  The Bible tells us that this goal is predestinated for us… But what does that mean?

Simply put, it means God has already decided that you should be like Jesus. 

Think about it like this. If you pour plaster into a footprint, that plaster conforms to that footprint.

Will that plaster cast be as perfect as the original foot? No. It will be made out of plaster, and will have imperfections… From the mixture the plaster is made from, from irregularities in the soil the print was in... it will not be perfect, but it will be LIKE the original. One could identify the two as similar, just like police detectives investigating a crime can determine that a suspect is the one who left a footprint at the scene. 

As Christians, God has an expectation for us to be LIKE Christ... and we should strive to be LIKE Christ. The Bible tells us that people in the early church were called Christians first at Antioch… It was meant as a mocking term, because it meant ‘little Christs,’ but they wore it as a badge of honor. Why? Because even the world could see the similarity between them and Jesus. Even though they were simply earthen vessels and had numerous imperfections, they were recognizably similar to Christ.

On this side of heaven, we will never be perfect like Christ, but if the world can't see a similarity between you and Christ, you have some serious work to do. 

The Value of Prayer

Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer took the Seventh Calvary regiment to an area known as the Little Big Horn in June of 1876. He was outnumbered and cut off from reinforcements. The enemy forces surrounded Custer and the soldiers under his immediate command, and in the subsequent massacre all 211 men, including Custer, were killed.

Almost 90 years later, Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore took 450 men of the Seventh Calvary regiment into the Ia Drang valley in the central highlands of Vietnam on November 14, 1965. He found himself outnumbered and cut off from reinforcements. The enemy forces, over 1600 in strength, surrounded Moore. However, Moore used precision air strikes and constant artillery barrages as a shield between the enemy and his men; this screen protected them, broke the enemy’s advance, and changed what could have been a massacre into a victory.

The primary difference between Moore and Custer was that Custer did not possess heavy artillery.
In the life of a Christian, there will be times that we are under attack from the World, the Flesh and the Devil; times that the battle gets so difficult that we can do nothing but stand and take it. The Bible tells us that at those times, “…and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore… (Ephesians 6:13-14) When standing in defense, having armor can help deflect some of the blows that would normally afflict us.
Ephesians Chapter 6 tells us of the Armor we are given access to as Christians, armor that will protect us in the battle; “…having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always…” (Ephesians 6:14-18)
If we are to stand for Christ, we must learn to use our armor; it will protect us in those times that we have done all we can, and we just need to take it. While many Christians understand some of the benefits of the armor God has provided, there is one piece given to us that is often overlooked...
“Praying always…” (Ephesians 6:18) Prayer is often not understood as an important part of the Christian’s armor, but it is probably the most important one there is.
Consider again the difference between Hal Moore and George Custer. There will be times that we are in the battle, and even the armor that we have may not protect us from the fiery darts that are hitting us from all sides. At those times all we can do is hunker down and take the hits.
But, there is a God in Heaven. When we pray, His protection is like artillery from Heaven that will create a barrier between the enemy and the Christian, and can turn a spiritual massacre into a victory.

In honor of Lieutenant General Hal Moore (Retired) 1922—2017

What happened to Demas?

“Ye are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14)

The average life-span of a soul winning Christian is dwindling. Twenty-five years ago it was said to be seven years. From the time they first get Saved and active in the Church, until the FBI can’t find them to get them in Church. Fifteen years ago it was five years… Now, some say it is three…

I want to consider a Biblical character that is indicative of this problem, and can give us some answers why we see this happening—and that is Demas. He is a character in the Bible that many Christians know little about. Many of us have heard sermons in Church about Demas, usually stemming from one single verse...

“For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica…” (II Timothy 4:10)

I want to simply look at what we know about Demas, and see WHY it was that he departed from the work.

“Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.” (Colossians 4:14)

In this passage, written in AD 62, we see that Demas was mentioned as a Dedicated Secondary. He was someone who was apparently involved enough, and familiar to the Church at Colossi, to where Paul felt a salutation from him was warranted. He had just started his ministry, and was like a match that is just being lit.

“Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellow-labourers.” (Philemon 1:24)

In this passage, written in AD 63, we see that Demas was recognized not only as involved with the work, but as being Diligent in Service. He was a fellow-laborer with Paul, and obviously of great value. Often we refer to someone that is actively serving as “On Fire” for God, and in his case this was like a burning match with a clear flame.

“For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica…” (II Timothy 4:10)

In this final passage, written in AD 66, we see that Demas is being lamented as having Departed from Service. We do not know the exact circumstances of his departure, but the strong wording by Paul, as he considered it a forsaking leads one to believe it wasn’t a pleasant departure. As we consider his service we could say that he was “Burnt Out” and out of fuel, like a burned out match.

The problem that we see is that Demas burnt out too quickly. Like a lit match that can only burn so long as it has fuel, which is the wood it is made from, he was burning in his own strength and had a short life.

We need to remember this:

“The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord…” (Proverbs 20:27)

We need to be like a candle, not a match. A candle has a string wick, which is no different from wood; it will burn out quickly on its own. BUT, what the candle has, in addition, is a layer of wax. That wax is the real fuel that burns slowly and keeps the wick from burning out too quickly.

The question we must ask is simply what is the wax that will keep the Christian burning longer?

Prayer- Philippians 4:6-7

Reading God’s Word- Psalm 119:11

Church/Fellowship with believers- Matthew 18:20

These are the things that will fuel a Christian’s life so they can continue to burn brightly for the Lord. Ask yourself... Are you keeping yourself covered?

Admission to the Ark...

I recently went to see the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, KY, and I enjoyed the experience. Truly, as I considered a visual reminder of the story of Noah, I was surprised at the emotions that the experience elicited. 

As I look back, I would say that it was the tickets that really bothered me. 



It wasn't that the tickets were bad... they simply contained a story that many who visit the site probably ignore. 

Picture yourself standing near the Ark... Not this new one, but Noah's Ark. You had been warned that God's wrath was imminent, but you had chosen to ignore it. Now the Earth was roiling with massive earthquakes as the fountains of the great deep were opened, and just possibly, it had started to rain as well. You are looking at the Ark, you desperately want to board, but it is too late. God has shut the door, and you cannot enter. 

There were people who would have given anything for a ticket that would have gained them admittance... Or admittance for the children that they had wrongly taught to ignore God and to ignore God's commands. 

As I looked down at our tickets, I was not only thinking about that, but also of the last days— when tribulations come, and men look suddenly to the God they have ignored. "Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me..." (Proverbs 1:28) 

In the book of Thessalonians, Paul wrote this: "...because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (II Thessalonians 5:10-12)

God's judgement will come, sooner or later. What you must ask yourself is where you will stand when that happens.

Will you have a ticket, or be wishing that you had one? 

A day of memory

August 21- Daily Word—SPECIAL ECLIPSE EDITION— "And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst." (Luke 23:44)- Of course, there is no prophetical coincidence that I am trying to make with this—except as a form of remembrance. In this passage, Christ had been on the cross for several hours; the sixth hour was @ noon... and suddenly an eclipse darkened the sun. Why? Because God did not want to look upon the suffering of His Son—Now, I am not certain if God used a standard solar eclipse like we will see today, or if He moved His hand to blot it out Himself... but either way, from @ noon to three there was an eclipse. Today, when you look up in the sky to see the sun blotted out, remember that @ 1988 years ago, in a little town @ 6500 miles away called Jerusalem, there was an eclipse, when Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, laid down His life so that YOU would not have to spend an eternity in Hell. He died in the dark for you, so that you could live in the light. Let today be a remembrance of that.

Lessons from Shamgar

"...after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad..." (Judges 3:31) 
The Pastor who led me to Christ would only use the KJV Bible; and likewise I only use the KJV as the inspired and preserved Word of God. 
However, something that he did always stuck with me. We were out on visitation, and had an opportunity to present the Gospel to a young man. This young man excitedly brought out the NASB that his Grandmother had bought for him  right before she died.
Now, there are some who treat the KJV like an idol... similar to "Nehushtan" (* II Kings 18:4), and they would have immediately started ranting about translators, the new Greek text, and preservation—thoroughly condemning the use of the offensive version, and irrevocably ruining the chances of the young man ever receiving the Gospel.
But what did he do? He showed that young man the Gospel in that NASB; and the Holy Spirit convicted that young man of his lost condition, which later culminated in the young man accepting Christ as his Savior.
I guess a way to look at it is this; Shamgar didn't have a sword, he used an ox goad.
I always consider that when I think of the Bible; I will only use the KJV, especially for doctrine, but we should always be ready to use whatever is at hand.

The story of our lives...

The process that I use to write a book varies for each one—interestingly, that process tends to vary depending on which genre I am writing in—but, there are certain similarities that I want to discuss. With each novel, I generally have a beginning and an end already in mind, and then I write the scenes that take place in the middle.
One thing that I've noticed is how the scenes that I write will shape the character, and is not only a reflection of what the end will be, but often ends up recreating the ending for itself.
The first draft of my first book, Kindled Love, had a vastly different ending than the final published version. Why? Because I let the characters shape themselves. The choices that the characters made throughout the book molded and shaped their character, which changed how they responded to trials and tribulations—literally recreating them to necessitate a new ending. (Of course, I still chuckle when I look back at the Anna who yelled and threw things at people...)
In much the same way, our lives have a beginning and an end—one that our choices can change.
First, let us consider our story's end.
Our sin nature has written the ending of our lives eternally separated from God in a place called Hell; however, the choice we make to reject or accept Christ can either solidify that ending, or necessitate a new ending, with us in Heaven with Christ.
After that, our lives and choices are still having an impact on our story; will it involve standing with head bowed before God in shame, with nothing but a handful of ashes to show for our lives—or will it be standing with head bowed to receive a crown of Glory, as Christ proclaims, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant..." 
Those choices will both be available as your character responds to the trials and tribulations it faces in life, and you literally have the chance again to rewrite your ending.
Friend, I'm not certain where you are in your story, but just consider this: your choices will have an impact on the end of your story. Just ask yourself—what do you want that ending to be like?

"And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened..." (Revelation 20:12)

Are We Combat Ineffective?

There was a brief silence on the battlefield as the firing ceased. The smoke of battle slowly cleared, exposing numerous casualties strewn across the field. You begin to hear the ragged sound of men screaming in pain as they lay on the ruined field. Two teams of medics crawl out of their holes and move toward the shattered bodies of soldiers; one moving slowly towards the fallen enemy, while the other slowly approaches their own wounded.

You stand and watch as the medics slowly work their way through the enemy wounded, applying medical care almost lovingly; pressure dressing to stop the bleeding, morphine for the pain... Slowly, the comforted enemies screams decline in severity and volume. 

That's when you notice the other team of medics. Like the first, they are moving from soldier to soldier taking care of your compatriots. Pausing briefly between each casualty, they end their screams of pain with a quick slash of a knife across the throat.

Wait, what?

This disturbing scene is horrible to consider, yet is played out in Churches across the United States on a weekly basis. Christians who will lovingly approach the lost with a gentle hand will not have a second thought about spiritually destroying a fallen Christian. They will rip a fallen Christian to shreds and walk away believing they have done the Lord’s work. The reason for this is simple; we have lost the love of the brethren. We see the Great Commission as the end all of Christianity, and have a desire to fulfill it, but have crippled ourselves to the point of ineffectuality with our Pharisaical attitudes.

When I was in the Army we learned a very scary term: Combat Ineffective… it reflected that a unit is at 50 to 69 percent troop strength. When a unit loses strength to that level, they cannot carry out the mission that they were tasked with. That is the Church in today’s society. We have lost significant troop strength, and as a result, cannot carry out our mission.

And the blame rests solely at our own feet.

The Bible tells us clearly, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1) Unfortunately, that is not our response. Instead, we are destroying those who have been overtaken and worse yet it is often in an attempt to raise ourselves in the eyes of others.

Think of how Jesus dealt with the woman caught in adultery (John 8:3-11) We read that story and only focus on how Jesus ‘Put those Pharisees in their place,’ but miss the greater lesson on how to respond to someone who has fallen into sin. I think it was really a warning to us of how He views our spiritually arrogant attitudes, because the fact is that the Pharisees are not the only ones who are judgmental about other people’s failures to the point of destruction.

• We have too many walking wounded that we have spiritually killed instead of offering life sustaining aid to keep them in the fight.
• We do not have the troop strength to carry out the Great Commission to reach enough to replace the ones we have lost.
• As a result, we are not replacing soldiers at the rate that we are losing them.

As soldiers in the Army of the Lord, we are Combat Ineffective. The question we must ask ourselves is this: What are we going to do about it?

Scorpion and the Frog

There is a story that begins with a scorpion meeting a frog on the bank of a rushing stream. The scorpion wishes to cross, but knows that he cannot do so without drowning. He looks over and notices a frog sitting on the bank.

“Excuse me, kind sir. Would you be willing to give me a ride across the stream? I will help you find some food if you do so.”

“Give you a ride?” The frog asks, "How do I know you won't sting me?"

The scorpion held out his claws in a pose of innocence, "If I do that, I will die too."

“Oh,” The frog nodded, “That makes sense.” Satisfied, he allowed the scorpion to crawl onto his back, and they set out to cross the stream.

About halfway across the rushing stream, the frog feels a sharp sting on his back. The paralysis almost immediately sets in. The frog, startled, looks back at the scorpion and asks, “Why?” Because he knows that they both will drown.

The scorpion shrugged as his head started to go under, “Because it’s my nature...”

As we look at sin, we often get fooled by the promises that it gives us. “I won’t hurt you... I’ll help you achieve things you cannot do on your own...”

What we must remember is that it is the nature of sin to destroy. Sin will play innocent, but it will always sting you in the end.

“Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?” (Proverbs 6:27)

The unWise Wise Men

FOREIGN DIGNITARIES INCITE INFANTICIDE

Iyar 16— 4 BC

The Magi Journeying by James Tissot

There is outrage across Judea as a group of foreign dignitaries supposedly incited the murder of numerous young children across the Judean countryside.

'They rode into town late in the day...' One witness reported, '...they rode straight up to Herod at the palace. They left a few hours later—but the very next morning Herod ordered all the children under two in Judea killed.'

I'm not sure if that's what the headlines really read... or if they had newspapers—but the fact is that the disobedience of these men had grave repercussions.

Disobedience? Some may ask? And to that I say yes.

You see, these men were recorded as being wise men from the east. They traveled hundreds, and possibly thousands of miles with the information from Scripture that they should go to Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2), they had the star to guide them... which pointed at the place where the child was. (Matthew 2:9)

But five miles away, they let their 'Wisdom' take over, and went to Jerusalem instead—and we see how that ended. (Matthew 2:16-18)

Why do I bring this up? Because, in the same way there are many who are setting themselves up for an eternity in Hell, simply because in the last few steps they let their worldly wisdom take over.

You see, most people will claim to believe in God—which is proven in nature. (Psalm 19:1)

Many more will claim to believe in Christ—that He was the son of God who died for their sins. (John 3:16)

But then, at the last, they turn aside. While Jesus Himself clearly stated; "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) there are many who turn aside—they join Churches, give money, are baptized, light candles... they do all manner of things OTHER than go to Christ—and by that, reject the salvation that Christ offers.

Friend, as we consider this Christmas season, don't make the same mistake as the wise men and allow your worldly wisdom to cause you to miss Christ. Follow the Scripture, because it will lead you straight to Christ.

Cold (A Short Story)

COLD

My eyes scanned the field thoroughly, taking in every detail. I was searching for Harry. I registered the dark green of the cedar trees, and the occasional brown of a dead tree, pointing up from the snow towards the sky like a medieval gravestone, signifying the unfortunate demise of some poor traveler. My knuckles were white as I gripped the fence-post, my eyes searching.

I didn't like Harry. We had met on several occasions, (all of them bad, and on his terms.) Harry was Mr. Brown’s bull, and a rather large one at that. I felt a shudder run through me as our last meeting came to mind. He had chased me through the field, and in my terror I had leaped headfirst over a barbed wire fence, and landed square in a pile of fresh manure. My greatest desire in life was to reach the age where I could legally purchase a firearm ...or explosives. I felt a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth as I pictured Harry sailing through the air after stepping on a land-mine.

I was on my way to a patch of dense woods about a quarter of a mile from the main road that had a creek running through it. A person had to cross a field to get to it, the very same field in which Harry lived. This wouldn’t be my first time either, I had been fishing in the creek the summer beforehand, and there were plenty of fish there. Also, Harry could not move well in the woods, so he stayed away from them. I was going to go ice fishing, something I had read about, but had never done.

I crossed the fence, and started across the field at a slow jog. I came to the creek, and decided to follow it back to the patch of woods, since it would probably be safer that way.

The creek was frozen over, and as cold as it was, I figured it would be strong enough to hold me. It was not a very large creek, about fifteen feet across, and maybe four to five feet deep at its deepest points. I had decided to walk on the ice, just in case the bull was out. Hopefully he would think twice about chasing me down there.

I stepped down on the ice, half of my brain conscious of the sounds the ice was making, the other half keeping an eye out for Harry. The ice barely creaked as I put my full weight on it. Ready to spring to shore, I bounced on my toes, testing the ice. It seemed solid. I began to walk down the center of the ice, still watching out for Harry. I had pictures in my head of him seeing me, and coming down onto the creek to get me. I snickered, wondering how he would react as he plunged through the ice.

Then the ice snapped.

I tried to throw myself backwards, but it was too late. As my head slipped under the surface, the shock of cold water numbed my brain, and the thought passed through my head, 'Wait, isn't my life supposed to flash before my eyes?' Immediately afterward, a second thought passed through, 'No, it would be too boring.' I started myself, I had to get out. I thrashed around, trying to orient myself, and my feet found the bottom. I pushed hard with my legs, and came up against a hard barrier.

The ice was over my head.

I was scared now. I felt around with my hands on the ice, frantically searching for the hole, I couldn't be too far away from it. I couldn't see it because my eyes were closed, I was scared to open them, for fear they would freeze.

I began to run out of air. I could feel my chest heaving as the oxygen in my lungs began to run out. 'Where's the blasted hole?' my mind was screaming. I gave up looking for the hole, and braced my feet on the bottom, and began to ram my shoulder against the bottom of the ice. I figured that if I came through one hole, I could surely make another.

After three or four tries I felt something begin to give, so I hit the ice, and began to push as hard as I could, my muscles screaming for oxygen, fear pumping the adrenaline through my veins, giving me extra strength. My head began to feel fuzzy, as my air was almost gone, my chest heaving almost uncontrollably, the thought screaming through my brain, ' I need air!'

I came through the ice into the open air, my breath coming in gasps, as my starved lungs gulped the air. I opened my eyes, and looked around. I was about twelve feet from where I first broke through. How I got this far, I don't know. I was only about eight feet from the side. I struggled to pull myself onto the edge of the ice, and only succeeded in breaking off the edge.

I paused, watching my breath frost as it left my mouth, and looked around. I spoke aloud to myself, my voice sounding strange in the clear air, “Steve, if you don't get out of here, you are going to die.”

'No thank you', my brain responded. I began to throw myself at the side of the hole. I figured if I couldn't climb on top of it, I was gonna break a hole to the side. I finally succeeded in pulling myself on top, and crawled to shore. I climbed up the embankment, and stood up on level ground, my body shivering almost uncontrollably.

Fixed one problem started another one. In studying outdoor skills, I had also studied first aid, and it was easy to recognize the early stages of hypothermia. I knew that I needed to get moving to keep my body heat up, so I struck out heading toward the road. I had about two miles to go to get home, and I knew that I needed to get there quick. I stumbled across the field, no longer caring about the stupid bull, stumbling through the snow, my sodden clothes beginning to harden as the water froze.

For the first time in my life I began to pray, 'Lord, if you are out there, please help me.' I began by simple pleadings, but ended up on my mental knees, groveling before him in my mind. 'Lord, I won't hit my sister anymore, even if she deserves it.' After a few minutes I graduated to…'I'll even give back the five dollars I stole from Dad this morning.' The money in my pocket almost gave off its own heat with shame. I made it to the barbed wire fence, and tried to climb, but could not lift my leg, my clothes were so stiff. After several unsuccessful attempts I gave up, and just leaned over the fence, and let myself fall over into the snow on the other side.

I floundered to get up, the ice in my clothes cracking as I struggled to pull myself up with the fence-post. I finally made it up, and stood there, looking at the snowdrift that I had crossed earlier. Wanting to curse, but knowing it wouldn't help any, (especially as I was looking for some benevolent favors right now,) I walked over, and waded through the drift, and crossed over the ditch to the road.

Finally, I was at the road. If things went well, I would meet somebody on the road, and catch a ride home before I turned into a kidcicle, but in this weather, I knew that I didn't have much of a chance at that. I staggered on, in a laughable excuse for a slow jog, knowing I had a good distance to travel, part of it uphill.

I kept this pace up for about ten minutes or so, but I finally had to slow down. The extra weight from the ice in my clothes, as well as the whole experience itself had sapped my energy down to nothing, and my breath was coming in great gasps, which wasn’t good for keeping my body warmth. As I slowed to a walk, I began to hear an engine. I looked around, and saw a truck coming towards me. I almost shouted, but I didn't have the energy. 'Saved', my mind shouted, 'I'm going home.' Things were looking up for me after all. I began to pray quickly, 'Lord, don't worry about what I said a minute ago. I'll be alright.'

As the truck came closer I recognized it. It was my neighbor Corbin. The truck was a 1984 Ford Ranger he had recently purchased. My heart began to beat faster with anticipation. I was going to be alright now.

He came to a stop next to me, and rolled down his window. “Hi there Stan,” (he never could get my name right.) “It's cold out here, isn't it?”

I murmured a positive response, and then asked him if I could get a ride.

“Well there Stan, I would, but you look kind of messy from playing in the snow.” He chuckled slightly “Besides, you don't have real far to go before you get home, so you'll be alright.” With that said he rolled his window up and drove off.

My heart dropped at least four inches as I watched him pull off. I quickly looked around for something to throw. Bummer, the snow had covered everything. Consigning his soul to Hades, I began to stumble on, my frozen clothes chafing at my numbed skin. Each step I took was a profound effort, as I concentrated on walking. I knew that I had to keep moving, or I would die.

I was miserable. After walking for at least another twenty minutes I made it home. It was great to finally be home.

It took me several days to fully recover from the mild case of hypothermia I ended up with, and on top of that, I ended up with the flu. (On the bright side, I got to stay in bed and read for a few days…) I eventually recovered, and went about life much like any other kid my age.  I played with friends, and read books. I bought some fireworks with the five dollars, and used them on Corbin's house in the middle of the night.

All in all, it was a real learning experience. After that I learned not to trust in people, because they were very unpredictable. I also learned that payback has little value, (but what value there is, is fun.) But most of all, the most important thing I learned was to stay off the ice.

George Custer versus Hal Moore- The Value of Prayer

There are times that we are under attack from the World, the Flesh and the Devil; times that the battle gets so difficult that we can do nothing but stand and take it. The Bible tells us that at those times, “…and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore… (Ephesians 6:13-14) When standing in defense, having armor can help deflect some of the blows that would normally afflict us.

Ephesians Chapter 6 tells us of the Armor we are given access to as Christians, armor that will protect us in the battle; “…having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always…” (Ephesians 6:14-18)

If we are to stand for Christ, we must learn to use our armor; it will protect us in those times that we have done all we can, and we just need to take it. While many Christians understand some of the benefits of the armor God has provided, there is one piece given to us that is often overlooked...

“Praying always…” (Ephesians 6:18) Prayer is often not understood as an important part of the Christian’s armor, but it is probably the most important one there is. The best way to illustrate this is with an example:

"The Custer Fight" by Charles Marion Russell.

Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer took the Seventh Calvary regiment to an area known as the Little Big Horn in June of 1876. He was outnumbered and cut off from reinforcements. The enemy forces surrounded Custer and the soldiers under his immediate command, and in the subsequent massacre all 211 men, including Custer, were killed.

Combat operations at Ia Drang Valley, Vietnam, November 1965

Almost 90 years later, Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore took 450 men of the Seventh Calvary regiment into the Ia Drang valley in the central highlands of Vietnam on November 14, 1965. He found himself outnumbered and cut off from reinforcements. The enemy forces, over 1600 in strength, surrounded Moore. However, Moore used precision air strikes and constant artillery barrages as a shield between the enemy and his men; this screen protected them, broke the enemy’s advance, and changed what could have been a massacre into a victory.

The primary difference between Moore and Custer was that Custer did not possess heavy artillery.

The fact is, there will be times that we are in the battle, and even the armor that we have may not protect us from the fiery darts that are hitting us from all sides. At those times all we can do is hunker down and take the hits.

But, there is a God in Heaven. When we pray, His protection is like artillery from Heaven that will create a barrier between the enemy and the Christian, and can turn a spiritual massacre into a victory.

Counterfeits and Christians

“But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:14)

There are several tools that we are given to acquire discernment. Today I want to briefly look at three tools that are imperative for the discerning Christian to develop.

The first is the most obvious, and that is the Word of God. If we are to think Biblically, we must be able to look through Scripture for our answers. We have fairly exhaustively discussed the need to know Scripture; but I wanted to make an additional point…

Real Seal

Counterfeit Seal

I have heard many sermon illustrations about the United States Secret Service training their agents to spot counterfeit bills. It is often reported that they only look at the real ones; handling “truth” to the point of absolute familiarity with it, thus making it simple to spot error. While this has some aspects of reality, it is not entirely accurate. In training, they DO look at and handle real money on a consistent basis; however, they usually do it in conjunction with a comparison of fake money.

Example: “On a genuine bill… The counterfeit seals may have…” (secretservice.gov) 
It is imperative for Christians to know God’s truth; but this does not mean that there is no place for addressing specific falsehoods by critically studying them. Remember that not every person you meet believes the Bible as the authoritative truth, so being able to point out the falsehoods is an important tool as well; but subjective to the Scripture.

For Christians to effectively recognize falsehood, they must also be willing to use the common sense that God gives to them; "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil." (I Thessalonians 5:21-22)- As Paul was writing to the Church at Thessalonica, he gave a simple 4 step plan to determine behavior; TEST, TAKE, TOSS, THINK. Test to see what is good, Take the good, Toss the bad, Think about how it all looks.

Finally, consider our Scripture text; when you exercise, you are performing repetitive motions in an effort to build muscle and endurance. Exercising discernment means we are USING IT consistently in order to strengthen it. Does that mean you will always have all of the answers? Of course not; this is where the final tool, Counsel, comes from. There are numerous Biblical mandates given to get counsel from others; some great Bible verses to consider are; “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14) also there is “Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.” (Proverbs 19:20) And another "Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established." (Proverbs 15:22)

As I mentioned earlier; these are just three of the many tools God gives us; but are likely the most important ones for the Christian to have. Ask yourself; what does YOUR toolbox look like? Does it have at least these three?

“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.”

―Richard P. Feynman

Barak, Man of Honor

Barak is one of the most misunderstood men in the Bible. Just about every Bible commentary, and most preachers that talk about Barak believe that he was weak... that he had to rely on the faith of a woman to carry him to battle. They will tell you that it was for THAT cause that God gave the honor of killing the captain of Jabin's army, Sisera, to a little girl.

As we look at God’s Word, we will see that Barak was a man of great faith; the proof is found in Hebrews 11; what many refer to as the Great Hall of Faith. Barak is listed. Deborah was not. Why? Let us look at some of the key information that God has given us in His Word, and we will see not only why Barak was a Man of Honor, but what we can glean from his life to help us to become Men of Honor as well.

 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. ...And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand. And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go. And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.

(Judges 4:4-9)

Key Characteristics.

Ø  He answered the call to service without hesitation.

o   I am sure that Barak had things to do. There is no record that he was a soldier by trade, so it was possible that he had flocks to tend, or fields to maintain. However, when the call came to him, he responded immediately.

Ø  He wasn’t afraid of the odds.

o   The scene opens with an evil king, Jabin, reigning in Hazor, oppressing the Children of Israel. The head of his army was a man by the name of Sisera. They had chariots of iron, 900 chariots of iron to be exact, and were mighty soldiers. Twenty years this went on; for twenty years no one was learning to fight; (anytime a group oppressed another group they took away their weapons.) Now, twenty years later, Deborah calls Barak, and tells him to raise an army and fight Sisera. We see his response as “…If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.” (Judges 4:8) Was he saying he was scared? That he needed her to hold his hand?

No, of course not; I believe HE was ready to charge Hell with a mouthful of spit if the order came from God… but he was told to “…take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun…” (Judges 4:6) While He may have been ready, THOSE men weren’t necessarily going to believe him when he showed up and said, ‘Hey guy, God said go fight this guy.’ He wanted HER to come to tell them that it was from God, because he was a nobody and SHE was revered as the Judge.

Ø  He didn’t quit when told he wouldn’t get the honor.

o   Then she tells him one more stipulation; “…the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour…” (Judges 4:9) He has now been given one more issue to deal with; not only does God want him to go fight a superior force, but he is not going to get honor out of it. Most would have cancelled the plans at that point, because their goal is to be seen, and not to serve. But not Barak; he went, and fought, and won…

He took the next step, knowing that if God was sending him, he would win; on top of that, the reward he sought was Heavenly, not earthly.

Ø  He didn’t stop until he was certain the job was complete.

o   “And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera…” (Judges 4:22) After the battle was complete, Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, took off running. Instead of reveling in the victory, we find that Barak continued chasing him. While in and of itself it is not a extraordinary happening, if we consider the last point… the Lord had already told him, through Deborah, that “…the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” (Judges 4:9) He knew the man was as good as dead, and he knew he wasn’t going to get honor out of it anyway. So why did he chase him? Because he wanted to make sure that the job was done, that the enemy of God’s people was vanquished.

What have we learned?

1.       A Man of Honor answers the call to service without hesitation.

2.      A Man of Honor isn’t afraid of poor odds.

3.      A Man of Honor won’t quit just because he might not get recognized

4.      A Man of Honor won’t stop until the job is finished.

“And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

(Hebrews 11:32-34)

What I find interesting is that Barak STILL got glory out of the battle; not only does the Bible record his endeavors so we can study them some 3000 years later; but he is also listed in the Great Hall of Faith among other servants of God.

The only mar on his name comes from people who haven’t really read the story... 

What Gift Are You Giving Christ?

As we look at what the Bible tells us about the birth of Christ, we see there were several people who, whether they intended it or not, offered gifts to the newborn King. 

In Matthew 2 we see the Wise Men that travelled from afar to worship Christ. These men, had they continued to follow the star that was given to guide them, would likely have made it for his birth. (By order of Scripture, I believe they finally made it thirty-odd days later, but that is for another post.) They had preplanned to give Him gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.

In Luke 2:7 we see the Innkeeper. He is not mentioned by name, only by decision. There was no room for Christ in the inn, so they were offered the barn. It was not a clean and sanitary place; our Saviour was brought into this world with the smell of animal dung in His nostrils. He was given, by proxy, the gift of animal excrement from the innkeeper.

Then in Luke 2:8 we are introduced to the shepherds. They were keeping watch over their flock, and were visited by angels to tell of the birth of Christ. The shepherds immediately responded and went to see the newborn King. But what did they give Him?

Simply put, they gave themselves. They not only came to see and worship Him, but then went out and started telling everyone what they saw.

As we remember Christs birth on this Christmas day, let us ask ourselves; are we giving Christ ourselves? Or are we merely giving Him gilded treasures? Or even worse, is getting nothing but the smelly leftovers from your life? What gift are you giving Him?

Kindle eBook Christmas Sale!

Kindle eBook Christmas Sale! From December 21st through December 27th "Sparks of Affection" and "Flames of Endearment" (Men of the Heart Books 2 & 3) will both be available at a discount price through a Kindle Countdown sale. Log in to my author page for these, and great deals on my other books.
http://www.amazon.com/author/steveroberts

Joseph, Man of Honor

Joseph, Husband of Mary

Little is recorded in Scripture about Joseph. This is probably because God wanted us to focus on Jesus’ real father, God the Father. However, even with limited reference, he is a character that plays a distinctive role in the life of Christ, and is someone that we can learn from.

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.” (Matthew 1:18-25)

Key Characteristics.

1.      He was of Royal lineage. He was of the line of David. The genealogy in Matthew is based on the Solomonic line through Joseph, Jesus’ legal father, and it confirms Christ’s right to the throne of David. The genealogy in Luke is based on the lineage of Nathan, brother to Solomon and is the line to Mary, thus showing that Jesus had right to the throne from either ‘parent.’

2.      He was Responsible for his family. He had a job. This may seem laughable to some to focus on, but we will never be men of honor if we are deadbeats. There are too many men content to sit idle and draw public assistance, or worse yet, allow their wife to work and support the family.

3.      He was a Righteous man. The Bible records him as a “…just man…” (Matthew 1:19)

a.       Made worship in the Temple a priority. 80 mile trip, we know he made it at least twice.

b.      Made giving to God a priority. Didn’t use taxation as an excuse. Still made the required offering for the birth of a male child.

c.       Familiar with Scripture. Recognized OT Prophecy that the Angel spoke of.

d.      Responded immediately when God gave him direction. Three times.

4.      He was a Reasonable man. The Bible tells us he was… “… not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.” (Matthew 1:19) He did not respond in haste to the news that his intended was with child, but he “…he thought on these things…” (Matthew 1:20) He was not as concerned with vengeance as he was with doing the right thing, so he thought about what he was going to do before he did it.

5.      He was Reliable in service. There are four levels of service that we can engage in

a.       The first is Discipline; or serving because you have to. This is how we make our Children obey; it is a ‘do it or else’ mentality. If the only reason you are serving God is because you are afraid of judgment, you will never be a Man of Honor.

b.      The second level of service is Duty; or serving because you ought to; this is when you are serving because you know you should. However, this can often lead to struggles over what our duties entail. If the words “That’s not my job” ever come out of your mouth, you are not on the path that leads to being a Man of Honor. Jesus, talking to the disciples, said “…likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.” (Luke 17:10)

c.       The third level is Debt, or serving because “I owe you…” While this is a slightly higher ideal than “I have to,” it is similar to duty, in that it denotes with it a grudging willingness based on an expectation. When Paul wrote to the Romans, he stated “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1) he wanted them to understand that at the least it is reasonable for a Christian to give their lives to Christ, seeing as He gave His life for them. This is the highest level that most Christians attain, but it is not the highest one they could attain.

d.      The final level of service is Delight; or serving because you get to. It is in this mindset that we see Men like Joseph shine out above all others. They have, like the house of Stephanas, “…addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,” (I Corinthians 16:15) It is only if we can attain that level of dedication, that we have a chance to be Men of Honor.

6.      He Resigned himself to obscurity. He understood that it was not all about him, it was about Christ. He raised Jesus for God, prepared Him, literally, for His ministry. I believe that he fully understood, like John the Baptist who said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)

What have we learned?

1.      A Man of Honor is Righteous. (Philippians 3:9)

2.      A Man of Honor looks for opportunities to serve others.

3.      A Man of Honor considers a matter prayerfully before reacting.

4.      A Man of Honor does not seek vengeance, but seeks God’s will.

5.      A Man of Honor obeys the clear instructions of God.

6.      A Man of Honor is willing to let the focus be on Christ and not themselves.