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Do you feel responsible?
Do you feel responsible?
I recently heard that (at best) only 20% of America is “churched”. Why?
My opinion is that believers (myself included) have embraced the rat race to the extent that we’re neglecting the great commission. -Before you tune me out, this is not another rant against consumerism and “keeping up with the Jones’”. I rather enjoy my lifestyle. I just think we put so much effort into attaining and maintaining our lifestyle that we have little or no time or strength left over for spreading the gospel of Christ.
I’ve been wrestling with this myself recently, and I think it’s something pandemic in the North American church. Fact is, I think many of us (believers) fall into this trap of viewing our relationship with Christ as mere “fire insurance”. Not that we’d ever come right out and admit that, of course. We figure, “Hey, I’m good. At least I know where I’m going.” -For many of us, our lives Monday through Saturday show little else of our walk with Christ. We’ve positioned ourselves in communities of like-minded people and become comfortable with the status quo.
When was the last time you took personal responsibility for spreading the gospel?
Let’s look at something found in John 1:40-42 (NLT) to illustrate my point.
“Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which means ‘Christ’). Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, ‘Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas’ (which means ‘Peter’).
In the ESV, vs 41 states: “He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’…”
Of course, many of us know who Peter was, but what I find interesting about this passage is the way he was introduced to Christ. Andrew sought Peter out first, proclaimed to him the good news, then brought him to meet Jesus. This is a beautiful picture of evangelism! More to the point, Andrew clearly felt responsible for introducing his brother to Christ.
Do we feel responsible for bringing others to Christ?
Without painting a picture of gloom and doom, I think many of us could agree on the spiritual state of our country. Isn’t it time we take responsibility for the gospel, bring the lost to Christ, and introduce our communities to the local church? God has called each of us to some form of ministry. We need to become intentional about how we live/what we’re living for, how we represent ourselves (shrugging off our fear of what those around us will think), and boldly proclaim Christ to a nation in need!
Where’s the fire?
I can remember a time in my life when I looked at other believers and marveled at their passion. I viewed them as being “on fire” for Christ. I could only say, “I don’t feel it”, and wonder how I might realize this zeal. So many of my Christian brothers and sisters have said they yearn for the same passion that drives so many to be a witness for Christ.
The Word tells us our lives indicate whether or not we are living for God. Additionally, our spiritual “temperature” can be an indicator of whether or not we are seeking Him.
Before you lose hope in Christ or confidence in your decision to follow Him, do the following. Take a few minutes to get away from the craziness of life, open your heart and mind, and ask yourself if you are diligently seeking to cultivate a deep relationship with Christ. This includes giving Him the first of your time (not the leftovers) in the reading of His Word and spending time in prayer with Him. To know him more, you must seek Him more.
When you wake in the morning, arise from bed (if only out of duty at first) ready to dig into His Word. Don’t over do it. Remember, it’s about quality not quantity. Get alone, turn the phone off, ignore the email and facebook requests, and quieten your spirit for a few minutes of reading. Take a few more minutes in prayer. The key here is undistracted time with God. Make Him the focal point of this special time. Eventually, you will find yourself trying to increase and safeguard this time with God. You’ll look back in awe, wondering how (and why) you ever started your day without this beautiful time of communion with your Father.
“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Hebrews 4:12
“How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey. Your commandments give me understanding; no wonder I hate every false way of life. Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:103-105
God’s Word is alive! He will speak to you through it. His Word will begin to transform you in ways that will provide a glimpse of the depth of His love, mercy, and care for you. You will begin to grow closer to Him and those things that were elusive to you before will become more visible and realized.
Do you yearn for more from this life? Do you secretly desire the same fervency for Christ as others you know? Let me encourage you to get into the Word. Look to Christ and He will be faithful to reward your search!
Goodbye 2012 – Tom’s Testimony of God’s Faithfulness
I said goodbye to 2012 last night with mixed emotions. I remember discussing with my wife in the fall of 2011 that 2012 would likely be a difficult year…it was! -And in many more ways than I could have ever imagined. But, the Lord’s faithfulness and sovereignty was obvious.
There was a point when so much was happening, it felt as though we were under attack! In the midst of some of the toughest of life’s storms we have ever encountered, God continued to grow my wife and I closer to each other and Himself. I must confess, at times we honestly didn’t know how we would be able to weather another hour, much less another day. Yet God was faithful and we found our commitment and love for each other strong and unshaken in Him.
Those who follow me on social media may remember my daughter broke her arm and my son needed an emergency appendectomy. Not long after, the little guy also dislocated his shoulder creating a misalignment and pinched nerve in his neck/back. Our Father carefully guided attending physicians and staff in all these situations and healed our children.
As a result of his declining health and some unexpected surgery, we thought my dad would pass during the year. Yet the Lord spared him and even improved his outlook!
Our home of eleven years had to be sold, and we needed a new place to call home. God provided well beyond our expectations taking into account our needs and many of our wants! He aligned people and circumstances, and in His perfect timing, we closed on our new home!
We’re so thankful to our friends and family for ministering to our various needs over the last year. You allowed yourselves to be used by the Lord to bless us in ways indescribable. During times of hurt and difficulty you were there and we are forever grateful in Christ for your support!
My prayer and praise is found in the following Psalm:
Psalm 40:1-5 (NLT)
“I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and He turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what He has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord.
Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord,
who have no confidence in the proud
or in those who worship idols.
O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them.”
I look forward to 2013 with much optimism. We face some important decisions, so your continued prayers are appreciated. Above all, pray for our effectiveness for God and His Kingdom!
In closing, may the Lord provide you and yours with much growth in Him and many blessings throughout this new year!
Yours in Christ,
Tom
How do you meet your challenges?
How do you meet your challenges?
Written by: Tom Matlock
Recently we covered living victoriously in Christ. This post we will consider what it means to have courage in the face of adversity. I’ll start off simply by asking you to take an honest assessment of yourself with the following question.
Do I rise to meet life’s challenges with courage?
We all know the story of David and Goliath. Reading it recently, I was impressed once again by David’s courage. We know that he was “only a boy” (1 Samuel 17:33), and that he wasn’t taken seriously by either his brothers or Saul. Still, David didn’t let that shake him.
Let’s look at the events of 1 Samuel 17 through his eyes. David shows up at Saul’s camp with provisions for his brothers. Upon arriving, he sees Saul’s army heading off to battle, Goliath’s arrival, and the hasty retreat of the Israelite army. But Goliath’s size didn’t phase David. It didn’t inspire him to panic and run as it did the ranks of Saul’s army. In fact, I can picture an element of awe and disbelief in David’s voice as he says, “‘Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?’” (1 Samuel 17:26)
Not long after, we find David preparing to engage Goliath. In this scene, we see a short exchange of words between David and the Philistine warrior. Goliath taunted David in much the same way he had been taunting Saul’s army for weeks. “’Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!’ Goliath yelled.” (vs. 44).
What was David’s response to the giant towering over him? “’You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!’” (vs. 45-47)
“As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him.” (1 Samuel 17:48)
The message of this post is simple and found in the verse above. It should describe our response to challenges encountered along the road of life. God has not called us to a life of fear, but a life of boldness in Him. When we know what the Lord expects of us, we should rise to the challenge. Not in our own strength, but in His.
For men, it’s easy to feel alone in our struggles. Battles are being waged all around us. We’ve been taking heavy fire, and seen a few casualties along the way. Leading our families is a huge undertaking. Representing Christ in the workplace is tough at times. Living a life of purity and staying committed to righteousness seems just about impossible. Combine all these and more with how busy and distracted we allow ourselves to become, and we find we are not walking as intimately with God as we should be. Furthermore, we aren’t as connected with other brothers for the mentoring and support we so desperately need.
David’s actions took real courage, but he knew his God was bigger than any opponent he could ever face. I want to encourage you to reflect on David’s story next time you are feeling weary and fearful. Consider his perspective and response.
“Who is this pagan Philistine anyway?…David quickly ran out to meet him.”
If you are saved, you are a child of the living King! Why should we fear any trial, attack, or man? There is no such thing as a white flag of surrender in the armies of God. With Him going before us, who can stand against us?
Stand fast in God brother. Connect with other Christian men who are growing in their faith. Cultivate a relationship by spending quality time with Him daily. Then watch as God increases your faith and courage. Soon you will be ready to meet your challenges boldly in Him!
Are you living victoriously?
Are you living victoriously?
Written by: Tom Matlock
Welcome to MEN4CHRIST. Whether you’re a frequent visitor to our site, or just learning about us, you may have noticed a gap in posts over the last few months. Please allow me to express my sincerest apologies for our lack of consistency. This year has been quite the adventure as the Lord has been teaching us numerous lessons. My wife and I have struggled through seemingly insurmountable (and often painful) personal challenges designed specifically to grow our faith in Christ. We’re so thankful for His grace and your prayer support through these trying times.
I look forward to sharing with you in future posts what the Lord has been teaching me. I pray they are a blessing to you and ask you to keep us in your prayers as we continue to seek Him and His wonderful changing power in our lives.
“Overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” Romans 8:37
I love the book of Romans! Often I have to remind myself of the many truths and blessings found elsewhere in the Word just to pull myself away from this wonderful book. The Spirit recently encouraged me while in Romans 8:31-39 and I would like to pass along a few thoughts.
Not long ago, I found myself struggling with large problems arising in many areas of my life. From work to finances, and health to relationships. The challenges seemed to be coming from every direction. Couple that with the fact that I really like control (a little too much) and I, without realizing it, phase God out of the picture. It’s as though I unconsciously feel like I have to deal with the struggles on my own. And with that, I fall into one of satan’s many traps designed to pull me away from the Father. Can you identify with me?
In verses 31-32, we’re reminded that God loved us enough to sacrifice His own Son. We’re further reminded in verses 38-39 of how inseparable that love for us is.
“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
Two things in the above passage stand out to me as being so inferior to the others; our fears for today and our worries about tomorrow. At least, compared to angels and demons, they seem small. I believe the Lord included them in this passage because He wants us to know He understands just how big these two things can become to us. He wants us to know that He is aware of what we are facing and wants us to trust Him through them. It’s certainly not part of His plan for us to weather the storms of life on our own. Instead, everything in our lives should point us to Christ – especially the trials. They should cause us to have a deeper awareness of our need for greater dependence on Him.
So what does this mean for us as men for Christ? The simple truth is that none of our fears, worries, stresses, responsibilities, etc…surprise Him. We must acknowledge His supreme control in our lives, continually seek His wisdom and guidance, take comfort in His immeasurable love for us, and commit ourselves to live courageously as His followers. We have already been granted overwhelming victory through Christ (verse 37). It’s time for us to live victoriously in Him!