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A woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised!
A Woman who fears the Lord will be Greatly Praised!
Written by: Tom Matlock
“Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
She finds wool and flax and busily spins it. She is like a merchant’s ship, bringing her food from afar.
She is energetic and strong, a hard worker. She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night.
Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber. She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes.
She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.
Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: ‘There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!’
Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.”
Verses from Proverbs 31 (NLT)
Is my life honorable?
Is My Life Honorable?
Written by: Tom Matlock
The Marines have made no attempt to hide their pursuit of honor. They are generally considered to be the elite branch of the armed forces. But why? Because they take orders well? There’s something more. It takes commitment to discipline and core values that have been passed from generation to generation.
But what does it mean to live honorably in the civilian world? Traits like reliable, trustworthy, responsible, and honest all come to mind. Frankly, we could probably name quite a few more. Perhaps one of the best traits someone who is honorable possesses is the ability to distinguish between right and wrong, and consistently choose right.
“It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king.” 1 Peter 2:15-17 (NLT)
For the Christian, much of our definition of honor is reflected in how a person lives for Christ. Our lives should demonstrate a consistent, unwavering devotion to God. Not only because we were bought with a price, but because it is our reasonable service (Romans 12:1). The fact is, any/all of the above traits can, for the believer, be direct results of our relentless pursuit of Christlikeness.
In evaluating our own lives, we need to carefully consider questions like:
Do I seek God daily?
Do I desire to know and seek out His will for my life?
If I know what He expects of me, am I consistent in performing His will to the best of my abilities?
Can others see Christ in me?
And here’s the big one…
Do I resemble a disciple of Christ when there’s no one else around?
If you find any or all of these to be difficult questions to answer, why not ask for the Lord’s help in prayer? Why not immerse yourself in the Word to develop godly character that is honorable? Why not seek out men to become accountable to and strive to become more like Christ?
From Paul’s letter to the Ephesians we read: “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.” 4:1 (NLT)
What this all boils down to is whether or not we take our walk with Christ seriously. Perhaps we are too comfortable with our lives or afraid of what others might think to live honorably for Him. Maybe we’re too busy.
Remember, it doesn’t matter what excuse we could come up with, or what the world thinks. Ultimately, the One who defines true honor is God. Live to please Him above all else.
When you stand before Him, will your life be called honorable?
Faithfulness is Everything?
One of the greatest fallacies about quotes is the misperception that it was Vince Lombardi who originally said, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” This well-known phrase is accurately attributed to former UCLA football coach Red Sanders. Historical inaccuracies aside, the author of the quote isn’t the only thing wrong with it. I greatly enjoy when my team wins, or, even better, if I am on a team that wins. But a man of character, who knew more about winning than I do, had a problem with the mindset of that quote as well. John Wooden, builder of 10 NCAA championship basketball teams at, interestingly enough, UCLA and at one point the all-time winningest coach in the college ranks, said that he rarely spoke to his team about winning.
“Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.” Also: “Although I wanted my players to work to win, I tried to convince them they had always won when they had done their best.”
It sounds to me as if Coach Wooden felt it was more important to be a good representative-or steward- of the talent, teaching and abilities that you had than to be a winner of games. If I’m understanding him correctly, Coach Wooden shared an attitude with the apostle Paul who wrote, inspired by the Holy Spirit, “So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries. 2 Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.” (I Corinthians 4:1,2. NLT)
Paul placed a priority on faithfulness frequently. He listed it as a fruit of the spirit. (Galatians 5:22) He praised Timothy for being a faithful in the Lord. (I Cor 4:17) He said Epaphras was a “faithful minister of Christ.” (Colossians 1:7) Tychicus was hailed for being a “dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:21) How does this matter? Well, look at Christ’s praise of the church at Pergamum. “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me. You refused to deny me even when Antipas, my faithful witness, was martyred among you.” (Revelation 2:13) Christ’s word to describe a martyr who died for the gospel: Faithful.
We are commanded to keep God’s law. We are commanded to witness and spread the gospel. We are commanded to love our wives, to teach our children the Word of God. Each of these things has a goal that is desirable. We want a good relationship with our wife. We want our friends and neighbors and children to be delivered from sin and become worshipers of Christ. But God isn’t holding us responsible for the results. We won’t be held accountable because people did not “believe our report.” (Isaiah 53) We will be held accountable if we don’t tell them- if we aren’t faithful to the commands. It is good to win. It is good to see results. But our charge is to be faithful- be a servant of a king who has granted us many good things. We must be good stewards who keep his laws, no matter the results- and then anticipate the “well done” from the Master.
Why Easter?
Why Easter?
Written by: Tom Matlock
Numbers have shown that approximately one in three people observe Easter. Why do Christians get so excited over this time of the year? Moreover, how many of them truly appreciate it’s significance?
Not long after the first man and woman were created, they disobeyed God and thus began the fall of mankind. God is holy and sin cannot be in His presence. So, therefore we would be destined to be eternally separated from Him. Easter demonstrates God’s love and perfect plan for drawing us back unto Himself.
“For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NLT)
God exists as a three in one entity. He is the Holy Spirit, Lord Jesus Christ, and Eternal Heavenly Father. God sent His perfect Son Jesus to die for us that we would be reconciled to Him and spend eternity with Him.
Long before the cross, a High Priest would offer animal sacrifices to atone for the sin of the people. When God allowed man to place His Son on a wooded cross, He was allowing for a final sacrifice that would be enough to atone for all of the sins of the world past, present, and future. Three days later, Christ rose from the grave and proclaimed His victory over death and sin!
When a person is convicted by the Holy Spirit to ask God for forgiveness of sin and surrenders his or her life to God, the atoning blood of Christ covers, cleanses, and reconciles that person to God. The new Christian can then pray, worship, love, and walk with Holy God daily. Those of us who are believers know that while we will stumble from time to time, when God looks at us all He sees is the righteousness of His Son.
So this is why Christians praise God on Easter and all year around. It is the reality of an eternity of forgiveness that we don’t deserve. It is because the Creator of all loved us so much that He willingly allowed the sin of the world to be placed on His perfect Son and for Him to be put to death so we would not be eternally separated from Him. No more sacrifices would need to be made. No longer would we need an intercessor making atonement for our sin because Christ is our High Priest.
“So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT)
Wherever you are, regardless of your faith or what you choose to believe and cling to as truth, whatever the extent of your sin, please be comforted by the knowledge that what happened for you and I over two thousand years ago is real. The gift of salvation is freely given and the Father of mercy and love still desires a relationship with you. He desires to work through you and provide you with joy everlasting.
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” 1 Peter 1:3-7 (NLT)
Many blessings to you and yours this Easter from MEN4CHRIST.
If you have any questions about salvation, or maybe you desire a deeper relationship with God, please email us anytime for more info.
Keep Denial From Devastating
It doesn’t take much searching or introspection for us to find occasions in which we behaved as if we were denying Christ. It might be the failure to direct others’ attention to God as you received praise or honor that was due to Him. It might be the time you had a chance, but failed, to talk about the gospel to a discouraged, unbelieving friend. Or, you may be reminded of the occasion when you acted without praying, consulted only yourself as if God did not factor into your plans (James 4:15, 16).
Whatever the instance, when the realization hits that we have been living no differently from if we did not know Christ- denying Him through our actions- discouragement can creep in if we do not respond correctly, if we do not look to our Savior. Look at how Jesus interacted with Peter. First, consider that Jesus, knowing all things, was aware of Peter’s future betrayal from the first time that he knew Peter. Yet he loved Peter, poured his ministry into his life, discipling him. Peter was one of the three to see Christ glorified on the “Mount of Transfiguration.” (Luke 9) Now, on this evening, Peter hadn’t repented yet, had not even committed his sin, yet here is Christ, preparing to give his life as a ransom that Peter’s– and our– sins would be forgiven. Christ already has “pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:32, NLT)
If you are tempted by discouragement as you see the contrast between the man you desire to be and the denial of Christ that comes out when we sin, recall the grace displayed in the life that Christ lived as He ministered amongst His disciples who would flee at His arrest—even Peter whose betrayal is recorded for us and all history. Our God remembers our frame. He knows that we are but dust (Psalm 103:14) Knowing this, He has prayed for us; He is praying for us. We may fall down, but we are not defeated. He is interceding on our behalf, so live boldly, strive for godliness in the power of His might.