Here’s what it takes to fulfill the will of God

It takes Courage to Join a family (the church) that is misunderstood by the world.

It takes Discipline to accomplish the task God has set out for us His Children.

It takes Vision to overcome inevitable problems and see what God is doing in our Lives.

It takes Endurance to stick with other believers when it would be eaiser to go your own way.

It takes Love to hold God’s family together and to reach out and invite others to join it…

Tender, Tough, Sacrificial, Radical Love.

In a word it takes Character to do God’s will

The world sees marriage as a way of enhancing the lives of each others. Creating a better way of life then if the two had not been married. In the worlds view, the marriage should not hold back either the husband or the wife from living up to his or her full potential. Neither one should put the others needs above their own. RIGHT? We need to be sure we are taking care of ourselves first. If you aren’t happy then how can you make someone else happy?

Think of some of the comments you have heard in your relationship with your wife. “I’m the one that cleans the house it’s the man’s job to take out the trash”. Or “I’ve worked hard all day it’s your turn to put the kids to bed”.

Often what happens is that one or the other discovers that they are giving more in the relationship then the other. The relationship becomes all about who did what, and mentally keeping tract of who’s doing what and when. Eventually one or the other decides they are always giving more then they are getting and unhappiness begins to set in. If equal rights cannot be reached the marriage is time and again dissolved.

The world view on marriage emphasizes maximum pleasure with minimum sacrifice. Long is forgotten the vows we made to God and each other. I _____ take you _____ as my wife, for better or worst, richer or poorer, in sickness or in health. Those vows were put in there to remind us of what God knew of in advance.

Jas 1:2-4 — Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. ³ For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ⁴ So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.

The world says I love you as long as you can give me everything I want and if things start to go bad well then I’ve got an out I’ll leave you for someone healthier, happier, younger, or prettier.

If we are to look at God’s wisdom we will see it is completely different from the worlds.

In a biblical marriage, each partner looks the other in the eye and say’s “I Love you, which by definition means I commit myself to serve you, to build you up, to cheer you on. You go into this relationship knowing that it will cost you lots of time, energy and money, but I want to put your interests ahead of mine. I’ll stand at the back of the line; you go first.

In a biblical marriage there is no power struggle. Instead there is a serving contest. As husbands we should be trying to out love, out bless, and out serve our wives. The world needs to see men like ourselves living a life of sacrifice to our wives. I know that if you were to begin today a new chapter with your wife using God’s wisdom your marriage will take on a whole new dimension. Your wife will respect you, love you and treat you in a way that will make you want to continue to Out love, Out bless and Out serve Her.

I know that might sound strange but it’s exactly what I prayed the other night with my wife. Before we call it a day we usually try to pray together and I usually let her pray first (she just flat prays better). After she had prayed a beautiful prayer for the day, she thanked the Lord for the day, my mind began to think about today and what God had done that day but all I could think about was “4 Day’s Ago”. Some of you know some and most don’t that on March 14th 2008 I had a quad.

Now for some that might mean a 4X4 animal style from In-n-Out

But unfortunately I wasn’t at In-N-Out. I was at RVMC (Heart Wing) to be exact, having my heart stopped and then re-plumbed to work more efficiently. Well in my case so that it would work period. It had all come on so sudden. But as I began to pray I just had to say thank you God for 4 Day’s Ago. That was the day that God knew He needed to stop my busy life, get my attention, and have a little one on one. And oh how blessed I am to have a God that loves me that much. After having the surgeon stop my heart, make some much needed repairs it was time for God to decide if I was going to be with him or keep me here for awhile. The surgeons tried (6) times with the pattles but it took God reaching down and giving it a touch to get it going. I’M living and breathing and learning how to live all over again but I know one thing for sure. I really thanked God for “4 Days Ago“. And lately even though I still let my lovely wife pray first I’m thanking him daily just for being The Great I AM.

There are two views on friendships. Let me start with the World View. The World view looks likes this:

Like-minded, like- income people who vote like you, and have the same golf handicap.

These are safe people; they won’t start asking for counseling or financial assistance. If you keep a healthy distance from them. The relationship won’t get muddied up with commitments or expectations. These friendships work, until the bottom falls out of your-life. Maybe you lose your job or a child or a spouse. You might come down with a serious illness. What you find in most cases is that since you have no investment in there life, there’s no money in the friendship bank to make a withdrawal. The friendship usually ends and you are left wondering where do I turn for True friendship.

 Now let’s look at “Christian Friendship”

This is what the world does not understand, the concept of brotherhood and sisterhood. Christian friendship is different. You find a few Brothers and sisters, from the beginning you decide that you are going to expend yourself. You invest time,energy, and often money in them. Because you meet regularly and talk, you get into each others lives. You encourage, council, challenge and at times rebuke each other. You Make Sacrifices.

Acts 2:42-47

42 they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. they broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their numbers daily those who were being saved.

I have had these relationships, and still do to this day. I know that no matter what I can go to these Friends and share what’s happing in my life. They will listen and counsel with with me, they will challenge me when needed and they will tell me when I’m out of line. It’s because we have  been there for each other in all types of times. Good and Bad.

I can honestly say that the relationships that have come from being in fellowship with other believers have been what i consider the most genuine relationships I’ve ever had.

To Experience True Friendship’s it will require us Practice True Sacrificial Love.

Here are some points from the Saturday Men’s Breakfast March 8th, 2008

When you are Honestly concerned about others, you usually have to sacrifice something. You might Have to sacrifice your time, you might be asked to give your money, at the very least you will have to sacrifice your energy. You might have to change your plans, your privacy, or maybe your independence to help someone else. To Love as God Loves, you might need to sacrifice that which is most important to YOU for the sake of someone else.

Since we are surrounded by the constant stream of media. Sacrificial Love is difficult to grasp. Here is a list of quotes I here regularly maybe you can add your own.

“You are Number One”-”Isn’t it about time you Take Care of Yourself” “Don’t let others steel your Time” ” Save your Energy so you have more Leisure time for Yourself” “Stockpile your Financial resources so you can spend more on Yourself”

And Finally Here is a quote you rarely hear.

” True personal fulfillment never comes through self-gratification”

If we were to look at the teaching of Christ you would see that this statement fits perfectly with the way He want’s us to live.

Mark 8:35-36(NIV)

35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me and for the gospel will save it 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?

Matt 19:29

29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or fathers or mothers or children or fields for my sake will recieve a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.

Strangely enough when you give yourself to God and serve His people in Sacrificial Love, you will find a fulfillment and satisfaction the world never experiences.

This month’s Men’s Breakfast will be Saturday March 8th, 2008 in the Oasis at TRF. We will begin serving breakfast at about 7:45 a.m. Worship with Jim will start at about 8:15 followed by teaching from Scott. This month’s Topic is “Building Character by looking at Sacrificial and Radical Love.

Tonight is the beginning of this blog. I’m not sure what form it will take, my plan is to be able to communicate with as many people as possible that have an interest in the Men’s ministry of Tablerock Fellowship. As thoughts or important info becomes available I’ll continue to add to this page.