S   I want to share something that happened to me at my job in the hope that you can learn from and benefit from it. I won't say exactly when this happened, but at some point during my career, I was asked by my boss for a meeting after a contractor I worked with had asked for a meeting with him.  For some context I had not had this boss for very long, less than year, and actually had not gone through my first year-end evaluation with him, and he was new to our facility so he didn't know me or my work.  Well the contractor who asked for a meeting with him basically told him I was not doing a good job working with him and that my peers did a much better job.  He gave a lot of specifics but that was more or less the bottom line. I was nervous about my meeting with my boss since there had been tension between me and this contractor and I knew things were not good between us, but I tried not to stress about it too much leading up to the meeting.  Unfortunately what I heard was worse than I had thought and I basically was told that in this particular area I was not doing well at all.  My contractor 2 days earlier had told him all the things I was doing wrong in my working relationship wit him, and pointed out how my colleagues were doing a much better job than I was when it came to working with him. My meeting was early in the day so I had a full day ahead of me before I could come home and share this all with my wife.  She was a great consoler encourager, and listener.  I shed a few tears. I prayed to God that night for a good nights rest and He answered my prayer. I woke the next morning and had a more meaningful, heart to heart, conversation with God than I had had in a long time.  After that and some time in the Word, I called my friend.  He was the perfect person to call for several reasons.  First he was a friend and cared enough to take the time to listen to me and offer me the truth.  Second, he knew my situation on many levels because, though was retired, he used to do the same job I did, and because he worked for the same employer he knew the people I was talking about.  Third, and most important he had a strong faith in Christ. He had several suggestions for me which I wrote down.  Some had to do with how I handled myself in my job.  He also suggested a few key individuals I should talk to for additional advise. Rather than continuing on with this story, I wanted to stop and share with you some of my key learnings from this episode which I hope you can apply to your situation.   First, I learned that as painful as it is, correction has the benefit of humbling us.  It's a reminder that there is a God and He's not me.  The Bible says humility is good James 4:10 says "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up." In Matthew 5:5 Jesus said "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." Humility is a great way to prevent pride, something the Bible speaks strongly against.  I would say humility is good whether it's forced on you or something you choose willingly, though of course it's much better if you choose it.  Look for pride in yourself and practice humility BEFORE it's forced upon you.  When it comes to your work, remember that God is your provider.  Not you.  Not your employer.  Even your abilities and your discipline and hard work ethic are gifts from your Creator.   Let me point us that correction doesn't automatically humble us.  I would say it automatically embarasses us, but we must choose to be humbled by it.  If we do NOT choose humility, we are at a high risk of one or both of two very undesirable responses.  One is to be angry and the other is to feel sorry for ourselves.  In this particular situation, I felt a strong temptation toward both of these emotions, and I did experience both of those to some degree.  I would say that talking with God and my wife about it were the best ways I found to avoid sinking deep into those emotions.   A second lesson I learned is the importance of friends, and that those friendships are not a given.  It meant so much to me to reach out to my friend for his opinion.  Though I had not been in touch with him for a while due to him moving and retiring, we had built a foundation of friendship that made that phone call possible.  It's kind of like preparing for a storm.  You can't wait for the storm to prepare, you need to have the foresight and discipline to invest in valuable friendships.   A third lesson I learned is that integrity can be independent of skills.  One comment that was made to me that everyone who was voicing complaints about certain things I was not doing well in my work also said that they respected me as a person.  That meant a lot to me.  It didn't change the need to change things, but it reminded me what was most important, and that's integrity.  You can have high integrity and lack skills.  You can have low integrity, and a lack of respect from others, and be highly skilled and "successful" in worldly terms.   A fourth lesson I learned was the importance of periodic self assessment, which includes input from others affected by you.  I've talked in the past about the importance of applying the prayer found in Psalm 139:22-24, which says "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting." While we're listening to that still, small voice of God in response to this prayer, we should be lining up our behaviors as WE see them against scripture, AND we should asking for the opinions of others.  We should check in with Christian men we respect, who know us well, for their honest opinion about how we're doing.  When it comes to our job, we should also check in with those who are directly impacted on how we're doing in our job. Don't wait for your mid-year and end of year review with your boss to find out out how you're doing.  Ask the people you work with every day.  One of my response to this event was I immediately started asking those I worked with for their input.  If you want honest input, you need to have some basic trust in place.  If that is lacking then that is your first issue you need to address.   A fifth lesson I learned is to remember the sting.  Do whatever you need to do to bring to your remembrance your feelings immediately after being corrected, so that you don't fall back into complacency and old habits.  If positive change is needed, it also needs to be maintained.  This is especially important if the consequences from your correction are not highly impactful in the long term.     A sixth lesson I learned is the importance of identity.  If the sting of correction you receive from man, in whatever form that takes, is too great, this may be an indication you are not sufficiently grounded in your identity as a son or daughter of God.  If the sting is real but not earth shattering due to your true identity being in Christ, celebrate that fact and appreciate that the same correction earlier in life would have been much more devistating.  That was true for me in this case.  It stung.  More than it should have, but less than it would have in the past.  I still had to check myself and remember that while I knew I needed to make some changes, at the end of the day, I was more than a conqueror because of what Christ had done in my life, and that I was to cast my cares on Him and to be anxious for nothing.  I also reminded myself that this was a small issue in the big picture of God's Kingdom and his plan.    My final comment on this experience is that you feel you have been knocked down a notch or two by an event like this, but as a result you grow closer to God, you have ended up farther ahead than before it happened.     E https://www.christianpost.com/news/viola-brown-credits-faith-for-helping-her-through-wars-pandemics.html   L But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul.” Ezekiel 3:21 - ESV   A   Prepping resource coming   H   Make an appointment with yourself and block that time out on your calendar     

Christian Men at Work Podcast

Ouch! The Sting of Correction-Selah58-CMAW154

S   From Sep 27   Emerging from Isolation [ 1 min read ★ ]   For where two or three are gathered in my name,  there am I among them—Matthew 18:20 Imagine, for a moment, a man ever isolated, living alone in the mountains, perhaps. Imagine him living a vigorous, adventurous, spiritual life, but lacking community. The knowledge this man would have of God, the knowledge he’d have of himself, would be modest compared to the knowledge he’d have of both, were he to have full access to relationships, friendships, brotherhood.   You see, the isolated man may know aboutGod. But, no matter how much he might read and study, he cannot know God. That takes community. We get to know God by seeing his Holy Spirit moving in others. We encounter God, we experience him, we understand him when he works through the love and sacrifice of other people. In brotherhood, we get to show God to one another. And, the more we’re in community with brothers, the deeper our understanding becomes.   The isolated man may also know abouthimself—his talents, his likes, his dislikes. But, he cannot know himself. He cannot know the man God intends him to become. That too takes community. It takes others around him, who know his story, who spend time with him, who watch him, to discern and affirm and call forth things true and eternal in him, things God longs for to emerge. It takes brotherhood to call forth the true man.       Okay, so what do we do?  Though we live in cities and towns, many of us are yet like the man isolated in the mountains. We know about God, but we don’t know him. We know the men we’dlike to be, but we don’t know the men he created us to be. This message, right now, is another call for brotherhood. It’s a call for you, brother, to get into community with other men. Find some brothers; find your place.     E   A.w.Tozer “It is not what a man does that that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it”   L   You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” Acts 20:34-35 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Acts%2020:34-35&version=ESV     A   H   Be more time focused rather than task focused.  Carve out times to do certain things.   

How to Really Know-Selah 57-CMAW153

What You'll Hear: 1. Know Your Motivation - saw Rusty Thomas preach on the doctrine of blood guiltiness at Herald Society which was included in the video Babies are Murdered Here https://youtu.be/dxDyfSHEq5g, it revealed that many there didn't have the right motivations, are you there just to be seen or make Youtube videos? 2. Study and Be Ready - watch YouTube videos, know 3 verses from different locations (Old and New Testament) on each point, know the Gospel, start with sin and judgment.  You can take things going on around you and use that, e.g. and the statue of the unknown god or ambulance driving by.  If you record your own talks you can use this to study from. Watch body language.  You can simply read scripture. 3. Good locations vs bad locations - you need crowds of people, like an event or large gathering in your town.  A baseball stadium outside. Best to have a partner to intervene or hand out tracts or bibles. Bad is where it's too noisy or where there's a lot of drinking and intoxication or protesting.  Know how the sound is. 4. If possible use amplification - you want to be heard not be yelling, you want a tone of compassion.  Use a 24Watt Aker amp. You can train your voice to be louder. 5. Learn and know the law - your rights of free speech, sound ordinances. If Police are called out you need to know where the easements are.  Police are trying to diffuse the situation.  Stand your ground, but be respectful and don't be confrontational. 6. Use a step to elevate yourself 7. Record yourself - get a Gopro camera (or Copcam).  People will be more reserved.  You can watch it later and learn from it. 8. If possible don't go alone - having a partner is motivating and safer.  You can rotate between preaching and handing out tracts. 9. Think about what to give away - homeless people will come up to you, so you may want to have snacks, or gift cards to give away.  Have tracts and Bibles.  10. Think about the weather 11. Watch out for friendly fire - often it's a false convert who challenges you and claims to be a believer.  They may be a drive-by.  Ask them how long they've been there. 12. Hecklers - they can draw a crowd.  People like commotion. This allows you to exercise patience and to reach more people. 13. Apologetics - do your studying.  Learn how to debate others and use logic and reasoning.  See the book Tactics by Greg Koukl.  See list of top ten Logical Fallacies 14. Don't Interrupt your partner - it appears you're ganging up on someone See Ray Comfort's Way of the Master course and his books and videos You can order Bibles with blank pages with your notes, have tabs ready A growing area of preaching it outside of abortion clinics.  Don't start out there. See Jeff Durbin with Apologia https://apologiachurch.com/meet-the-team/ Evangelism is a different bond because you're in the battle together It brings together different denominations

Open Air Preaching-CMAW152

 Who's Watching You at work https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=4956 "Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free." God's gift of free will is amazing Difficult as a parent, or a boss Temptation to mandate or force your will is great Reminds me of the grace I've been shown   E   L The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe. A rich man's wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination. Proverbs 18:10-11 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Proverbs%2018:10-11&version=ESV   A   Fall Feasts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXZiQ10VHNI&t=15s Feast of Tabernacles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SNoS2Qw8wA Coming soon me and Damon Hinkle sharing our testimonies on coming to be Torah Observant and celebrating God's appointed Feasts   The Name of God https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIgdziZYLxk&list=PLru2qbCMGOi4xaPtUfKykVU0HbOZK-LeJ   Pretrib and the Rapture 119 Ministries The Error of Dispensationalism  youtube.com/watch?v=5RL2hZSpKEE&t=2567s   7 Pretrib problems https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwXoMNpOhos&t=459s H - John Shirey Consider only handling emails once or twice a day. 

Who's Watching You at Work-Selah56-CMAW151

Link to Article: https://fallacyinlogic.com/10-logical-fallacies/ L Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. Proverbs 24:11 - ESV 

Logical Fallacies-Selah55-CMAW150

Sorry for being late in this episode release Lot I could talk about.  Let me provide a few updates since our last Selah episode. I gave my testimony at church.  It was not recorded otherwise I might upload it as an episode.  i'm praying I'll have an opportunity to present it again someday and have it recorded and hopefully more polished and with fewer tears. I continue to learn a lot from the Youtube Channels Parable of the Vineyard, TruthUnedited, and Nelson Walters, but I'm also trying to spend less time listening to others talk about the Bible and more time actually in the Bible, but that's a work in progress. As you know, I've been spending a lot of time with my new friend Damon Hinkle, who was the subject of the last 3 interview episodes. I jokingly tell him I'm his mini-me since I've been soaking up so much from him. He and i spent an afternoon distributing gospel tracts. We've decided to start-up and run a Men's Ministry at our church where we will focus on 3 key areas: Family, Work, and Evangelism.  We're launching it in November and I'll have more to share on that in the future. I've made up a physical cross taller than myself that I intend to use for street preaching.  On one side is painted "Are You Ready?", on the other side "John 14:6" which if you don't know it is "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Here are a few resources Damon has turned me onto that I'd like to share with you. Ray Comfort and LivingWaters.com.  I'm been watching his Youtube Channel a lot.  He shares the Gospel, often at Huntington Beach in LA, and you can get great tips on evangelizing watching that channel.  Also he has several documentaries there including God vs Evolution and The Atheists' Delusion. FreetheStates.com (Liberator Podcast).  I'm quickly becoming an Abolitionist and waking up to the failure of the so-called Pro-Life movement. Matt Trewhella, pastor in Milwaukee, with sermons available on Youtube and SermonAudio.com.  He preaches on current issues and has a great sermon called The Shot and the Tyranny of Man about the jab.  My friend Damon first turned me on to Matt when he shared a sermon Matt gave back in 1998 called The Theology of Guerilla Warfare.  This was so inspiring for me that I'd like to use the rest of my time on this episode replaying that message.  Listen sometime after the 30 minute mark where he talks about the mushy middle.  I don't want to be in the mushy middle. This is a departure from my normal Selah Episode format so I won't have an Example of faith at work, a Logo passage, an announcement or Handy Tip, just the replay of this Matt Trewhella message.  Enjoy  

A Theology of Guerilla Warfare by Matt Trewhella-Selah54-Selah149

 What You'll Hear: Damon got saved in 2009 which led to him evangelizing.  He met another evangelist in 2012 who invited him and his friend to an abortion clinic.  It was very dark. He continued visiting the clinic in 2013 more and more frequently. He met Rusty Thomas who was in the video "Babies are murdered here" He then went to the Herald Society and read the book "Abortion Violation" The Abolitionists in the 1800's were primarily Christians and were working to abolish slavery One of their slogans was "Every age has its evils, and every age has its abolitionists" Abolitionists today are involved in trying to abolish abortion and sex trafficking It's confronting sin and it's bold It's a paradigm shift that's taking place There are 5 tenents for an abolitionist, 1) Biblical 2) Body driven 3) Gospel centered 4) Providential 5) Immediate and uncompromising An Abolitionist Bill includes 1) Protecting the unborn from the moment of conception 2) No exceptions 3) Equal protection for pre-born children 4) It defies Roe 5) Abolitionist bills repeal or supercede all statutes that allow for abortion.  Go to www.FreeTheStates.com Go to the Abolitionist Society of Thomasville on Facebook 

The Abolitionist Movement with Damon Hinkle-CMAW148

S   Alone at Work? Whoever isolates himself . . .  breaks out against all sound judgment—Proverbs 18:1 Work is a place where we men are apt to live, not as our true selves, but rather as carefully crafted and false versions of ourselves. Work is a “compartment” where we try to be, not who God created us to be, but images we create all by ourselves. Why? What makes work different? Well, at work, the prevailing culture is too often (and too much) self-focused: outperform, get promoted, achieve, get ahead. It is too often permeated by greed, pride, and narcissism.    When we live according to the prevailing culture of work, we hide our true selves, for exposing ourselves would upset our plans to build our images (and our careers). So, we protect our images by cutting ourselves off. We don’t let anyone in on our fears, struggles, pain, excitement, victories, joy. This is foolish, given that many of us spend more of our waking hours at work, with work colleagues, than we do away from work, with loved ones and close friends.   Living according to the prevailing culture of work can transform our workplaces into dismal, desolate places of adversaries and mere acquaintances. Workplace relationships become characterized by superficiality and materiality. Spending years under such conditions leads to cynicism and apathy, burnout and bad choices. Purpose and meaning fade. We protect our images, but we lose ourselves. Okay, so what do we do?  Betray the prevailing culture, brother (Philippians 2:3-4). But don’t do it alone. Track down at least a couple trusted friends at your workplace and begin to fight for one another, keep each other accountable, keep each other humble, be transparent with one another, confess and repent to one another, pray together, laugh and lament together. Set up regular lunches. Grab coffee together, weekly. Start a regular prayer group or a company Bible study.   E   L   And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. Nehemiah 4:18 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Nehemiah%204:18&version=ESV       A Messianic Movement-Parable of the Vineyard-Torah Movement and 119 Ministries-The Error of Dispensationalism        H John Shirey A 5 second interruption can cost you a minute         

The Fall Feasts-Selah53-CMAW147

 What You'll Hear: After getting saved, Damon prayed and wanted to evangelize the way the Bible says to Gifted evangelists naturally without any training go out and evangelize and develop over time their techniques Most people who say this is not their gift, it's an excuse not to go out and share the Gospel Tracts is one of the easier ways to evangelize because you're giving them the Gospel in a written form in a smaller form. A tract can get somewhere we cannot.   Whenever I receive a no-postage required envelope I throw in a gospel tract and send it. Tracts are great if you're shy and introverted, or if you're in a hurry Most people who are against tracts aren't evangelizing in other ways besides their lifestyle It's the Gospel message that separates from other religions We're supposed to be faithful and God brings the increase We should be nice as well as share the good news, in some circumstances we can't do both Be mindful who you're talking with, don't give a money tract to someone who's homeless or in a restaurant Today we have a tendency to assume things without asking questions, but we should ask a lot of questions You don't have to build a friendship with a person to evangelize.  His goal is not to fellowship or get them to church but to share the Gospel, what if they die while you're waiting to fellowship? See www.tractplanet.com or www.livingwaters.com (Ray Comfort) Relationships take time, you can get overwhelmed just thinking about that If he senses that it's not going anywhere, he takes people to the law and leaves them there.  For example, he uses springboards or questions, like "what do you think happens when we die?".  It exposes their worldview. If they're hostile to God in response, he doesn't give them the Gospel because Jesus said not to cast pearls before swine. Without God we don't have a standard for morality We are made in the image of God. You're trying to put the battery back in the smoke detector to wake them up with the alarm, awakening their conscience If we just tell them that God loves them, why should they make a change and come to repentance?  By saying that, we're only focusing on one attribute of God Just like a painting bears witness to a painter, creation bears witness to a Creator At work, you have to be mindful that you are being paid for your time, but also note that people are talking about all sorts of things in the workplace Since we're commanded to share the Gospel, we don't have to wait for the Holy Spirit to convict us Questions are not offensive, because it leads to the other person to feeling like they're in control of the conversation, you'll feel like you're developing a relationship with them A question pulls out their worldview and it causes them to reflect on their on views See book called "Tactics", if someone makes a truth claim they have a responsibility to defend that claim contact Damon through the Abolitionist Society of Thomasville and an email tasot.inc@gmail.com  Be faithful and do what God has called us to do. 

Evangelism Tips with Damon Hinkle-CMAW146

S Dave Brown: men struggled with this from the very beginning with the first Adam in Genesis, sat by as Eve ate the fruit a life of passivity is void of courageous decisions The life of Jesus was an engaged, active life, marked by obedience, obedience to His father We know how Jesus turned over the money changer tables in the Temple and challenged the pharisees by healing and other activities He did on the Sabaath. We also see in Matt 10:34-35 "34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’;", but he wasn't a macho man or tough guy the way think of today and the way we glorify tough guys in the movies, like Rambo and John Wayne. Jesus was a servant.  He washed His disciples feet. He told His disciples to turn the other cheek if someone struck them. "Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God." - Matt 5:9 "18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." - James 3:18 Matthew 11:29 was the only time when Jesus talks about His heart, and He said His heart is gentle and meek So we don't fight against passivity by being violent but rather by being obedient, which means following God's Word, being Torah observant.  But we also should be ready to take a stand when necessary to stand for God and His Word and against the traditions of men which I would say is when Jesus showed the most passion   How many of you have gone tubing, where you just float down a river That's a fun thing to do on a relaxing summer day but it's a poor model for living the Christian life More than ever we need to be intentional if we're going to be obedient and be ready for the return of Yeshua. That's true of our personal relationship with our Father, and it's also true of our responsibilities He has entrusted with. As a husband, we are to follow Ephesians 5:25-28 "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. " As a father, we should follow Ephesians 6:4 "4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord." A couple resources I'd like to mention are podcasts "Parenting Today's Teens" and "The Dad Whisperer" Our work, Ephesians 6:5-8 "5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free." and Colossians 3:23 "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men," In all these roles and responsibilities we should be checking ourselves in several ways. One way is demonstrated in Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting." Another is Galatians 5:22 "22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."   Final thought on all this is that often we're passive not out of laziness but out of a sense or unworthiness. To respond to that I want to first share a couple verses and a brief devotional. The verses are familiar to all of us but we need to reminded of them and not become too familiar with them. Romans 8:1 says "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who[a] do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." Romans 8:37 says "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" Philippians 4:13 says "I can do all things through [a]Christ who strengthens me." The devotion is called First Light, put out by Pastor Brian Biggers from The Lamb's Chapel in Burlington, this particular one was sent out on July 12th and was called "Rich in Poverty" Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 1:3    Hettie Green is listed in the Guinness record book as the world's greatest miser. She lived in a one room rundown apartment in New York. She turned the radiator heat up just enough to stay alive. She ate cold oatmeal at every meal. She owned one black dress that she would take off and wash every few nights. Don't pity Ms. Green. She had millions of dollars on deposit with the Chase Manhattan bank. She chose to live in poverty although she certainly didn't have to. If this verse in Ephesians is true, then Hettie's life is a picture of the life of God's children. Living in poverty although Jesus has purchased for us "every spiritual blessing". What is included in this "Divine deposit" the lover of our soul has made for us? His Word is the catalog of all that is ours in Him. Our peace, contentment, love, joy, purpose and prosperity are just a few of the treasures He records in His Book. We will spend a lifetime and all of eternity discovering all that is ours in Him. The tragedy would be to live in any need if it was already mine. Let’s get in His Word and find our inheritance and then lay hold of it by faith. If there is one moment of regret in heaven it will be to arrive poverty stricken and find that it wasn't necessary. Let Hettie scrape by if she wants to. I don't want Jesus sacrifice to go to waste.   Thank you for being a good Father. Open my eyes to the "riches of my inheritance in Christ Jesus". I pray for grace not to waste your sacrifice for my blessing.     E   L So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. Nehemiah 4:6 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Nehemiah%204:6&version=ESV       A   Ben LaCorte To be prepared, know good Theology.  They started a podcast "Word on the Street", geared toward someone who doesn't know a lot of Theology already.  Some future topics include critical race theory, why is there human suffering in the world, what is the Christian's right role in politics, what does God say about social justice,  I don’t have enough faith to be an atheist with Frank Turek (after checking it out)   H John Shirey To be set free you need to limit the distractions.  Don't let your phone create any sounds. When at home don't have it with you every second. 

Courage Over Passivity-Selah52-CMAW145

What You'll Hear: Damon became a believer in 2009 after being a false convert earlier As a young boy he felt like he wasn't able to do what he wanted and he had a problem with authority.  He had a false conversion including a confession in church and baptism.  Soon after that He saw his first horror movie and got hooked Looking back, he sees that this was something he loved that no-one that could take away from him and he wanted an identity from things in the world and he wanted to be accepted He was trying to take something wicked and make it good, resulting in his interest in sculpting and make-up His aunt encouraged him to go to a school and so he did.  He excelled in school and after graduating tried to get a job somewhat applying what he had learned, working for a fiberglass company His co-worker was an alpha-male who recommended Damon watch a video that was about Christians being persecuted.  He went home and watched the video and it really convicted him and made him realize he was not ready for Jesus to return.  The following Friday he went to see the remake of Friday the 13th and felt nothing after seeing the movie. A pastor invited him to a play, Hell's Gates, and Damon got saved. The next time he smoked a joint, he felt the peace of God leave, and he decided he had to get rid of his old lifestyle.  It took 3 bonfires to burn up all his stuff.  He made a profession of faith at church and got baptized again. He was introduced to a woman.  They knew they would save sex for marriage and it was beautiful as they got to know each other and bond for  years. His job was no longer something that would define him, his job was a mission field Contact Damon at The Abolitionist Society of Thomasville through Facebook Parents: You've got to look at the fruit of your children even if they've made a profession of faith.  A believer's lifestyle is a lifestyle of repentance, a continual coming to God's word.  Test everything against scripture 

Freed from Horror Movies with Damon Hinkle-CMAW144

S God and wife most important relationships, but God wants us to invest in other relationships as well, in particular other men.  Jesus demonstrated this in how he invested in his 12 disciples but was closest to 3, Peter James and John, and you might say the closest was John. The Bible is filled with wonderful stories of how people relate to each other and how we should do the same (Elijah/Elisha, David/Jonathan)-anyone think of others? I put out a podcast called Christian Men at Work, and I'd thought I'd borrow from some of my interviews for this topic. From David Smith "Who's Got Your Back" interview (have a copy if you want to borrow it): "Guys tend to form alliances more than friendships, it's toxic in a lot of ways" "There should be some people in your life that you should be close to" "Biblical masculinity shows a warmth and lovingness" "A friend is a person with whom one can be sincere" - Ralph Waldo Emerson "It's the individuals we're close to that make life worth living" "A friend is one of the nicest things you can have and one of the best things you can be" "It's not about frequency" "The answer to 'who's got your back' is the one whose back you've got" "Are you a host or a guest" when you walk in a room? "I learn that when I listen to someone, not only am I learning, it shows respect" We have 4 communication skills, reading, writing, and speaking but we don't focus enough on listening "Women are more holistic, they look at the total person..women don't have these macho expectations, they're more attentive to the relationship...there's a covenant...that I value you and I care for you" Jefferson and Adams reached out to each other late in life to make amends, most guys don't do that - side note - we should take that first step for past relationships that were damaged for whatever reason (neglect, offense) "Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God." - Matt 5:9 "18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." - James 3:18 So we should make peace, and we should forgive others (can't control if they will forgive) - Matt 6:14-15 "14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Matt 18:34-35 "34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother [a]his trespasses.”" Mark 11:25-26 "25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 [a]But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”" "The concept of total independence leads to loneliness and sadness...and an earlier grave" Important elements of a friendship include listening, self-disclosure, compromise, loyalty   Dave Brown Isolation disconnects you from the family of God This has been exaggerated by Covid-19 Can lead to pornography and boredom When we're together we have a enriched and enlivened life with each other, and we're encouraged to be accountable, to be responsible, to take up our cross daily, to die to self, and follow Jesus We are called to remember what we already know, what God has done and His promises and who I am in Christ, our identity comes from Yeshua not from anyone or anywhere else    I would add that another relationship in addition to friendships that should be a part of our lives as Christian men is mentorship, be a mentor and be mentored, Paul/Timothy   Also, value our brothers in Christ, arguably more than relatives,  Mark 3:32-34 " 32 And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers [a]are outside seeking You.” 33 But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?” 34 And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!" Prov 18:24 "A man who has friends [a]must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Prov 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." Blood is thicker than water Matt 7:6 "“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces." Mark 6:10-11 "10 Also He said to them, “In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place. 11 And [a]whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. [b]Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”"   In person vs internet Quality over quantity (social media) Believers and non (different purpose) Zones Pressure to group us and put us against each other based on race, political beliefs I’m going to suggest you forget about those man-made categories and think of these zones: Work  Church  Neighborhood  E Smile and listen   L   Exhort  bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. Titus 2:9-10 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Titus%202:9-10&version=NKJV   A Ben LaCorte If you don't know an answer, it's OK to say you don't know, but it does so much to be prepared ahead of time while the soil is tilled.     H John Shirey Each evening plan 2 or 3 things you want to accomplish the next day 

Fellowship Over Isolation-Selah51-CMAW143

What You'll Hear:   From an early age, David and his wife wanted to do missions in a low tier country They worked in Africa, Central America and then after the 2010 Earthquake they went to Haiti to help and then went on to move to Haiti full-time They have a compound with a surgical clinic, a school, a church, a maternal health program, and a childhood Christian program. They meet physical needs of people first and then minister spiritually.  This is what Jesus did and something we all can learn from Not everyone is called to long term missions.  We're all called to share the Gospel and to help our neighbors.  It's very stressful in Haiti partly due to lack of electricity and the increase in violence. Before you become a long term missionary you need to be sharing with your neighbors first. As an organization they have continued to lean on John 10:10 and how their purpose is to give life. In Haiti the effect of Satan is prevalent.  There is Voodoo and a lot of death, including the assassination of the Haitian president this past week. Jesus left the security of heaven and lived as a poor man, very simply.  Yet He gave life and gave lift abundantly.   Their base manager was murdered.  Two of their team members were kidnapped for 5 days.  David's wife was attacked physically.  The gangs have taken over the country and have developed into national gangs that fight in the streets.   Haiti sealed their borders after Covid-19 broke out which prevented the spread.  The country hasn't had access to vaccines and as the country has opened up there has been a big increase in Covid-19 cases. They feel like the end is near and that the Lord will come back soon.  They left their comfortable life because they felt God was telling them that time was short and they needed to share the Gospel.  Everything they own will fit into a small car and the joy they have is unspeakable. The Bible says to number our days and be aware that time is short. Divest yourself of material things and the pursuit of money.  It's a terrible burden. The journey with the Lord is absolutely phenomenal. Go to www.LiveBeyond.org or buy his book Live Beyond on Amazon  

Haiti Update with David Vanderpool-CMAW142

S Before I get into Something that's on my heart today, I want to share something with you. I seriously considered these past 2 weeks changing this podcast to one that you need to pay for to listen to, through Patreon or Glow which partners with Libsyn the media host I use.  I've been praying for a while now that God would confirm with me that I should continue doing the podcast and that he would also show me a way I could continue to produce it in a way that it would pay for itself as well as pay me something for the time I put into it.  I'm trying to be a good steward of my personal resources and make sure that the time I put into the podcast is worth, because there's an opportunity cost with every choice we make.  I have a full-time job but outside that job I spend on average 10 hours per episode, or 40 hours every month, which of course takes from time I could be spending with my family and other things at home.  I have very low operating expenses for this podcast, about $500 per year, for 3 reasons.  The first reason is I do everything.  I don't do any outsourcing of the steps needed to plan, produce, edit and release episodes.  The second reason my operating expenses are low is that I don't pay myself and never have.  The third reason is that I don't spend any money on promotion or really anything other than producing episodes.  I'm not complaining, I love doing this podcast, but I've come to a point where I need to find a way to produce some revenue. This past week was, I believe an answer to prayer.  I received an order from a man named Jeremy for my book Jesus is at Work - Having Joy and Purpose at Your Current Job.  As some of you know, I wrote and published this book through Tate Publishing.  I had to pay $5,000 to Tate for their publishing and for the initial purchase of books.  They didn't do really anything to sell the book and then the company went bankrupt and the leaders were arrested for fraud.  You can Google this to confirm what I'm saying.  The result is that I have a bunch of copies of my book sitting in my closet which aren't doing anyone any good and I'd love to sell them. If you appreciate the content on this podcast and have been blessed by it and want to support what I'm doing, please buy my book Jesus is at Work.  Look it up on Amazon.com and you'll see it on sale for $15 from Spirit Led Men.  That's me a 3rd party seller.  If you buy it, I'll mail it to you and I'll get paid.  In the future, I'll have some other ways you can support this podcast, but for now if you could do that it would help me and you will be blessed by the book as well.   Lay Hold!  Phil 3:12-14 "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Strongs G2638 katalambano " to lay hold of so as to make one's own, to obtain, attain to, to make one's own, to take into one's self, appropriate to seize upon, take possession of" Last night watched Season 2 Episode 6 of "The Chosen" where Mary Magdalene did what Baptists would call back sliding.  She was redeemed by Jesus but felt unworthy and went back to her old life of sin and wickedness before being sought out by 2 disciples and brought back to Jesus.   It reminded me of something I learned this past year that salvation has 3 parts 1) Redemption 2) Sanctification 3) Glorification.  Redemption occurs when we're born again.  Glorification won't occur until our bodies are made perfect after we die or Jesus returns.  Sanctification is what you might call "the messy middle".   It also reminds me of another great passage from Philippians, chapter 2:11-13 where Paul says "12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."   So in this messy middle we call the life of a Christian, or more specifically for our podcast the life of a Christian man in the workplace, we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, which for me means that we should take this very seriously and realize how incredibly important it is.  God's will is NOT for us to sit back with confidence that our ticket to heaven has been bought and we should just live our life as we choose knowing we'll eventually be with Jesus in Heaven.    Verse 14 says " Do all things without [d]complaining and disputing,[e] 15 that you may become blameless and [f]harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,"   Blameless does not mean perfect but rather that we are pursuing perfect obedience to God.   In John 17:3 Jesus says "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."   Sanctification is the adventure of a lifetime, not a holding pattern until we die.  It IS eternal life, knowing God now, here, while we are on earth.   Both the Phillipians passages I've ready illustrate so well the mysterious way that God is actively involved in our lives, in our sanctification, while still expecting that we play a role in the process as well.  We are to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of us.  We are to work out our salvation because God works in us both to will and to do for our good pleasure.  Do I fully comprehend that, no.  Am I blown away by how cool it is, YES.  We don't do good to be saved.  We do good because we are saved.  And remember salvation is redemption, sanctification, and glorification.   Now I'd like to read to you the First Light devotion I got from Pastor Brian Biggers this morning that inspired me to talk about this topic for this Selah Episode.  By the way, if you haven't signed up for his devotion I recommend you do it right away.  For one thing, he just sent out an email last week indicating the church he's pastor of, Lambs Chapel, is seeking a new senior pastor because he's retiring, so go to tlcalive.com, go to the bottom where it says connect, and click on "First Light"   "I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of me."     How I love this verse and the truth that it conveys! The words "lay hold" are "arrested" in our modern vernacular. I have been arrested a few times (none recently) and I assure you it can be a rather forceful event! The Bible states here that Jesus "arrested" those of us that follow Him. Just as a policeman pursues a criminal to arrest him Jesus pursued us relentlessly to make us His. "Arresters" don't ask, and they don't take no for an answer. How thankful I am that He pursued me and "arrested" me for Himself! But, notice the rest. This verse states that He "arrested" me for something, and I am to "arrest" that which He "arrested" me for. What is it that He "arrested" me for? Heaven? Absolutely! But what about now? His Word reveals the treasury of what He has promised when I am in His family. Holy Spirit power to live, love, be at peace, have hope in my heart, live joyously regardless of circumstances among other great gifts. He promises a life of adventure as I experience His activity in me and around me. He has promised great relationships that He has planned for me. The catalog of faith benefits is almost endless! Obvious question? If He has promised all this great stuff as a result of my "arrest" by Him, where is it? I am willing to be blessed, but I don't see the goods! Go back and read the rest of the verse. You will see that His promised blessings are not automatic, nor do they fall like ripe cherries on me as a believer. What does it say? I must "press on" and "lay hold" of what my heart longs for. A passive religious attitude will leave you blessingless! (it’s a word) I hear aggression in this great Word! I hear a man saying, "if Christ died to bless me then I will go after it until I get it". I may not know how but He don't lie, and I am not going to give up on what He has promised. Do not settle (hate that word) for a less that abundant life when He died to give you something much better! Have you resigned to "getting by"? May I appeal to you from scripture? Do you not think that He who created everything beautiful from the sunset to the coastal plain to the bluebird to the smile of a newborn cannot create a beautiful life? Quit wishing and go fishing! Quit existing and start dreaming again! Decide to "lay hold" of what He died to purchase for you!       Father, forgive me for living so “little” after you planned so big. I want everything I was “arrested” for! Lead me as I press on to lay hold of your promises. Every single one of them! E   L He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, But he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough! Proverbs 28:19 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage?search=Proverbs%2028:19&version=NKJV     A Ben LaCorte Paul in Athens started with what they believed, and then pointed out the hole in their beliefs and filled it in with the true Gospel   H John Shirey Tips - it's like gardening and weeding, do a little bit often rather than putting it off 

Lay Hold-Selah50-CMAW141

What You'll Hear: Dave grew up in Ohio then began a career in the Federal Government in Wash DC In 1980 God pulled out the pins from under him.  He asked what his purpose was.  God granted Dave repentance and faith, and Dave was born again. The only Christian Dave knew was Chuck Colson.  Chuck told him that God would make it clear to him what his will was for him Later Dave went to Seminary and pastored some churches and started WACMM Not only does God save us, He continues to save us.  There's nothing that we can contribute, but all of our desires change. Life verse from John 13 "apart from Me, you can do nothing" Sign up for their email by going to www.WACMM.org  and signing up Genesis 3, as human beings we "messed the nest".  The first Adam was passive and isolated himself by blaming others.  The second Adam was the opposite of being isolated and passive. A life of passivity leads to an avoidance of courageous decisions. Both isolation and passivity has been exaggerated with Covid. The Devil draws men into pornography, idolatry, and boredom. We're in a whole dress rehearsal for heaven He's given us freedom in Christ, why would we want to go back The life of Jesus was an engaged, active life Matthew 11:29 was the only time when Jesus talks about His heart, and He said His heart is gentle and meek We are on display to the world We should all be optimistic because we know how this thing is going to end Break 1:30:28 - Next we'll talk about political idolatry We've always had this issue, it boils down to who do we trust and who do we treasure.  Psalm 146:3-6 Our hope has never come and never will come on Air Force One.  That doesn't mean we should drop out and be ignorant of the culture.  We should be men of Issachar, who discerned the times, but our allegiance is to the Lord Jesus Christ. When we see we're spending more and more time on politics that's a warning sign. We should pray for government leaders even when there's no evidence of godly wisdom. We worry about political power, when we have access to supernatural power that transforms lives Caution: Be mindful of your witness when engaging in political conversation.  Don't say things in a way that would alienate someone who is an unbeliever, as well as believers. We live in a pagan culture and the Gospel is under attack.   Be encouraged.  God is Sovereign.  Be in prayer and be in community.

Isolation, Passivity, and Political Idolatry with Dave Brown-CMAW140

Dave Hilgendorf from DaveHilgendorf.com interviews men from all walks of life who are choosing daily to be led by the Holy Spirit and live out their Christian faith at their work and because of that they are leading, prospering, glorifying God, and experiencing joy and purpose in their work, and you can too. Have you bought into the lie that your work has no real significance or meaning beyond a paycheck? How about the lie that the time you spend working is not kingdom work and not part of God's plan unless you're a full-time pastor or missionary or you're volunteering at your local church? The Devil is thrilled when you spend your work day feeling like the work you do is somehow second class spiritually. In this podcast I interview Christian men who have made a simple choice, regardless of what particular denomination their church is a part of and regardless of their job title. That simple choice is to invite the Holy Spirit to lead them at their job and in so doing to surrender their work, the biggest part of their life in terms of time, to God. The various reasons why they've made that choice may be different for every man but I believe there are two primary common reasons. The first is they know both from scripture and from a feeling deep down inside that this is God's will for them. The second reason is they know that this is the only chance they have of having a job and a career that really means something beyond simply earning money. This is the one and only way to have a sense of joy and purpose in the work they do. What kind of work they do and whether their work lines up well with their desires, talents, and strengths are both important, but they pale in comparison to whether or not God is in their work. God must be at the center of your work or your work truly will be the necessary evil the world and the Devil wants you to believe it is. The men I interview don't have it all figured out (none of us do!) and I encourage them to be real and transparent about both the victories and struggles of their journey of being Spirit led at their work. Hopefully, in this way, you'll find someone and something in every episode that you can relate to and through which God can help guide you to be closer to Him and more fulfilled and joyful in your daily worklife. Your work can truly be marketplace ministry and much more.

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Christian Men at Work Podcast

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