Equations

Good news! I have a job interview on Monday with a local college. If I get it, I would be a teacher in the Adult Education Department. For my job interview, I must present a 15 minute lesson on equations. (Mathematical problems, such as a + b = c). All equations have one or more variables that need to be used to come up with a solution. Although I am not a Math teacher by trade, I am confident that I can teach this lesson. God is certainly answering my prayers for job interviews.

Even if Math is normally not my strongest subject, I have learned one thing about equations over the years. Never leave God out of your "Life Equation". Life equation you ask? Easy to explain. Lets say you are one of the variables in the equation (A). Lets say the answer to our equation is Eternal Life (EL). Now, A + ? = EL is our equation. Our unknown variable is (?). To find the unknown variable, we need to look no further than God Himself and the grace He offers us. A + God's Grace = EL or You plus God's Grace = Eternal Life. There is no other variable that will result in Eternal Life with our Creator. Money will not buy us eternal life. Positions in business or church or community will not give us eternal life. Our good deeds and works will not grant us eternal life. Science will never give us eternal life. Satan will definitely will not give us eternal life, he just wants to destroy our life. Only by the grace of God the Father through Jesus the Christ, can we ever hope to gain eternity in Heaven. This equation is absolute!

Becoming a Better Man

Yesterday I wrote about the importance of loving your wife and building a stronger marriage. Today I am writing about becoming a better man and a parent. If a man can improve his relationship with God our Father, then most of our other relationships, such as husband and father will naturally improve. Over the years I have tried to keep my eyes focused on Jesus. It is a difficult task with the world telling me over and over again their version of what a "real man" is. If I listen to the voice of truth, however, I can find out what a true man of God really is. This truth is found in the Bible. There are many books and organizations centered around the premise of creating Godly men. One of which is Promise Keepers! (click to link to their web-site)This organization focuses on building men of integrity. They dramatically changed my life about 10 years ago into re-dedicating my life to God and becoming a man of integrity in Christ.

Other books that have helped me, other than the Bible are: The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, Tender Warrior by Stu Weber, A Man After God's Own Heart by Jim George, 12 Steps to a Closer Walk With God by Don Umphrey, When Counting to 10 Isn't Enough by Kathy Collard Miller, Active Spirituality by Charles R. Swindoll, The Meaning of a Man by Ronnie W. Floyd, When Men Think Private Thoughts by Gordan MacDonald, Point Man by Steve Farrar, 21 Days Building Healthy Habits for Men by Dr. Criswell Freeman, The Measure of a Man by Gene A. Getz and Wild at Heart by John Eldredge. You could also pick up a copy of Align: A Nelson Biblezine, which is a the New Testament in magazine form, published by Nelson Bibles especially for men. This "Biblezine" has stories and devotionals built into the New Testament just like you would read a magazine. They are designed to help a man focus on his relationship with God and others.

I am working hard to improve my relationship with God, my wife, and my children. God tells men we are the spiritual leaders of our homes. Because of this responsibility we are to be judged according to this. I am taking this responsibility seriously. We are to be examples to our wives and our children. We are to raise our children to become servants of Jesus and of God our LORD. I pray daily that God helps me to be a man of God and not conform to the sad and selfish images of man as portrayed by the world in television and movies.

Loving Your Wives and Improving Your Marriage

How many men do you know can quote Ephesians 5:22&23 from the Bible? Many men can't quote more than 5 scriptures in full, but they can recite the first parts of Ephesians 5:22&23 which says, "Wives submit to your husbands," and "For the husband is the head of the wife.". They don't seem to recall the last part of these verses, "As to the LORD.", and "as Christ is the head of the church." nor do they seem to recall the verses about husbands. Ephesians 5: 25-28 tells husbands, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing of water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself."

God does not call men to dominate their wives, but to cherish and love them and treat them as equal partners in your marriage. Men should work with their wives to make their marriages the strongest they can be, and do everything they can to increase their love for their spouses. In that spirit, I am listing some web-sites and books that have helped my wife and me to grow in our marriage.

Marriage web-sites: VOW: A Healthy Marriage Program and Family Dynamics.org

Books on Marriage and Communication: Men are Like Waffles, Women are Like Spaghetti by Ben and Pam Farrel, Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus by John Gray, His Needs Her Needs and Love Busters by Willard F. Harley, Jr., Becoming One by Joe Beam, Love and Respect and Cracking the Communication Code by Dr. Emmerson Eggerichs, What Every Man Wants in a Woman & What Every Woman Wants in a Man by John & Diana Hagee, The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman, and The 5 Love Needs of Men & Women by Dr. Gary and Barbara Rosberg.

Books on Romance and Dating: Simply Romantic: Tips to Romance Your Husband by Family Life Publishing, 2002 Things To Do On a Date by Cyndi Haynes & Dale Edwards, Romance 101, 1001 Ways to be Romantic, and 1001 More Ways to be Romantic by Gregory J.P. Godek, Solomon's Song of Love by Dr. Craig Glickman, The Book of Romance by Tommy Nelson, and The Christian Bed & Breakfast Directory edited by Ellyn Sanna.

The most important book of all is the Bible. It has many guidelines and tips and commandments on how to love your spouse and improve your marriages. My wife and I have also attended several marriage enrichment seminars and classes in order to improve our marriage. In fact we are going to one this weekend. Men don't dominate your wife into submission, love her as Christ loves his Church.

Second Chance Cards

A few years after watching an episode of VeggieTales my family decided to start using "Second Chance Cards". They were laminated index cards with the words "Second Chance Card" written on them along with whatever decorations my children, my wife and I wanted to put on them. Originally designed for the kids, they were also adopted by me and my wife. They were created so that if our children got in trouble and were getting grounded or about to receive other punishment, they could go and get their cards and bring them to us and ask for forgiveness and a second chance. This would immediately negate all punishment as a result of whatever it was they did wrong. A condition that went with the cards, however, was that they could only use them once during a calendar month. This was big hit with the kids and for my wife and me. I liked them because it kept my children from suffering undue punishment for little things and I got to practice apologizing when I got angry and may have said some things I shouldn't have. The cards also gave the family the chance to remember that God also has given us a "Second Chance Card".

Many people, even devout Christians, often feel that they have have committed a sin, or sins, that are so great that even God cannot forgive them. They fear that they will be eternally punished and never get to spend a blessed eternal life with their Father God. They could never be so wrong. God through His Son, Jesus the Christ, has given us the ultimate Second Chance Card. This card only has one condition attached to it. We can use this special "card" anytime we choose, as long as we have a sincere heart! This "card" is called Grace!! And what a wonderful gift it is, to all of God's children. Grace negates all punishments that we deserve; "The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor his anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him." (Psalm 103: 8-13). Imagine a life where someone loves us, no matter what we have done and what ever punishment we deserve for it will be forgiven and forgotten forever. Wow!

The Bible is full of people, just like you and me, who have been given second chances by God. Moses (murder), David (adultery, bad parent, murder), Jacob (theft of birthright, liar), Lot (lived wickedly in Sodom), Jonah (fled from God's assigned task, hated others), Peter and the Apostles (selfish and always misunderstood what Jesus what trying to teach them) and Saul (murder) were all given second chances by God and they went on to become some of the greatest leaders and spokesmen for God and for Jesus. They only thing God asks of us in return is a sincere desire to follow Him and a heart that is willing to repent.
God does not ask for perfection from us. He gave us Grace, our "Second Chance Card", while we are still sinners; "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5: 8). How awesome is that? "Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always." (Psalm 105: 1-4)

Thank you God for giving me a Second Chance, and a Third Chance, and etc... I know I don't deserve it. Thank you for your never ending love for me and your bountiful grace. In Jesus holy name, Amen.

Who I Worship

My daily Bible Study today reminded me of why I choose to worship my LORD God. While others I know worship money, science, movie/music stars, Allah, Buddha, other false gods, themselves or even Satan, I choose to worship and serve the one true God. Here is why;

Psalm 95: 3-5 "For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hands are the depth of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land." Psalm 96:4-6 "For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and glory are in His sanctuary." Psalm 97:1-6 "The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice. Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundations of His throne. Fire goes before Him and consumes His foes on every side. His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the LORD of all the earth. The heavens proclaim His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory." and Psalm 99: 1-3 "The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble; He sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the LORD in Zion; He is exalted over all the nations. Let them praise your great and awesome name -- He is holy." My God is a powerful and mighty God and He alone is worthy of my worship.

I not only worship my God because of His power, but also because of His tender side. The side of God that cares for me as a father does his child and a shepherd does his sheep. Psalm 95: 6-7 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care." Psalm 97: 10-12 "Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for He guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is shed upon the righteous and joy upon the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise His holy name. Psalm 100: 3 and 5 "Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations." I John 3:1 "How great is the love the Father has lavished upon us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" My God cares for me! He does not leave me to the mercy of the world. He will deliver me from evil. I am His child. Awesome!

The main reason I worship my God though, is the fact that He loved me so much, He was willing to sacrifice part of Himself to die as a man, so that I can live with Him forever in Grace through Jesus the Christ. John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into this world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."

Satan, Allah, Buddha, Aliens, Hindu or self-created Mormon gods did not create the earth. Rock/Movie stars did not and would not die for me so that I can spend eternity with God. I cannot save myself. There is only One God and it is Him alone I will worship!