The Election Is Over, Now What? 

The Presidential election of 2012 is now over. President Barack Obama has been re-elected as the President of the United States of America.

So, where do we go from here?

The Bible tells us that we need to pray for our President. He will need our prayers as he faces the many challenges that lay ahead.

But we also need to remember that we are on a mission as Christians. So, whether elated or disappointed, I encourage you to see this generation not through a political lens, but a Gospel lens through the eyes of Jesus, because it is Jesus that we need!

“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.” (I Tim. 2:1-8)

May God continue to bless the United States of America!

Imagine if persistence and perseverance were removed from the equation of life. What would the world look like today? Would there have ever been the Abraham Lincoln that we have come to know? Would our country even exist? What about the life, ministry and impact of Jesus?

How important is persistence and perseverance?

Einstein wrote, “I think and think for months and years, ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right.” Does this tell us that we ought to think of failure differently?

It’s been said that, “Failure is not an option. Failure is a necessity. You try. You fail. You learn. You adjust!” The Bible says, “we count those who persevere blessed!” (James 5:11)

This was certainly the case with the Greek woman whose daughter was demon possessed (Mark 7).

She had heard that Jesus had left Israel and was nearby in the area of Tyre and Sidon. So what did she do? She humbly but boldly approached Jesus crying over and over, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!” which was a cry that meant she believed that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel (Matthew 15:22). Jesus answered her saying, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs”. Jesus was telling her that His first priority was to Israel. But this did not stop her! She answered, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.” Her response brought an answer from Jesus. Jesus blessed her persistence and persevering faith saying, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”

Did you know that the Lord wants to draw out persistence and perseverance in your life?

It is necessary for the growth and maturity that the Lord wants to develop in your life. The Bible says, “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:4). The antithesis of this is to allow circumstances and emotions to dictate your character, priorities and outlook. When this happens, most often that person will then bail on God, family and life itself.

Hear this, the most important area for persistence and perseverance in your life is in the pursuit of Jesus Christ, not only because there is nothing more true than Him, but because God blesses the pursuit! Be persistent and persevere in your pursuit of Jesus. Paul wrote, “…I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me … I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Phil. 3:12-14)

A friend of mine who surfs every morning on the beaches of Hawaii, told me a story about his buddy who came face to face with a large tiger shark. His friend said that what surprised him the most about the encounter was that he simply, froze!

Today with the erratic stock market, world economy, joblessness and the current season of American politics, many are frozen and paralyzed in fear. It is sapping their joy and strength – even among Christians. This is no way to live! “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Tim 1:7)

Did you know that Christians come from a long line of fearless and courageous people?

In 180 A.D., church father Tertullian wrote, “The Lord challenges us to suffer persecutions and to confess Him. He wants those who belong to Him to be brave and fearless. He Himself shows how weakness of the flesh is overcome by courage of the Spirit. This is the testimony of the apostles, and in particular of the representative administrating Spirit. A Christian is fearless.”

Fearless?

Ask yourself, “Is God bigger to me than my circumstances?” “Do I believe that God’s love is provisional and redemptive?” “Do I believe that the Lord wants to powerfully use me today?”

The Lord wants us to live fearless and courageous. Famed actor John Wayne put it this way, “Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway!”

Let me encourage you today to “Saddle Up” in three ways:

First, stand by faith that the same Spirit that indwells you is the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead! (Romans 8:11).

Secondly, take in the reality that you are a child of the most awesome Being in the universe! Jesus taught us to absorb this reality in prayer and worship. He taught us to “hallow” the name of our Heavenly Father who is Omnipotent, Eternal, and our Provider and more! (Matthew 6:9).

Thirdly,  “Saddle up” by keeping your heart for, and on, Jesus Christ -knowing that He will supply what you need. Jesus said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:33).

Keep in mind that God is shaping you to live fearless and courageous in your outlook of the future, trusting that He will provide for your needs. He wants you to be freed up to to whole-heartedly live out your life as a Jesus Christ follower, no matter where that might lead you!

Saddle up!

“Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” Psalm 27:14

“On Nov. 6, the day before my 94th birthday our nation will hold one of the most critical elections in my lifetime. We are at a crossroads and there are profound moral issues at stake. I strongly urge you to vote for candidates who support the biblical definition of marriage between a man and a woman, protect the sanctity of life and defend our religious freedoms. The Bible speaks clearly on these crucial issues. Please join me in praying for America, that we will turn our hearts back toward God.”

Do circumstances have to dictate our sense of well-being and outlook? Is it possible to live above the circumstances? These are important questions because life is not easy. Life is a struggle. There are growing pains and there are a bunch of moving parts to life. There are relationships that involve differing age groups, cultures, past experiences that influence our outlook. Life and relationships require a lot of patience, humility and communication. But what about being a Christian? Do all our troubles go away? It would be a big mistake to think so! In fact, becoming a Christian presents many other challenges in life. It’s important that we understand this and that the Lord actually wants to capitalize on them in our life.

The story of Jesus walking on the water helps us see this (Mark 6:45-52).

We read that Jesus had instructed the disciples to get in a boat and cross to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. What happened? They faced a horrible head-wind. They fought it by rowing as best they could but it drove them to the middle of the lake. What did Jesus do? In their struggle and fatigue, Jesus came to them walking on the water.

I want to encourage you in four ways …

First, there will be times that the Lord will give you a directive that will result in a struggle. In other words, the Lord will say, “I want you to get in the boat of forgiveness … caring for another … remaining committed to your marriage … giving the Gospel away …” etc and in doing so, it will be a struggle. You will face a head-wind. It will not be easy! In fact, to expect otherwise can lead to incredible disillusionment. You might be thinking, “Why even get in the boat if it’s going to be a struggle?” The main reason for you to continue fighting the good fight of faith, is that it’s a demonstration of love for Jesus! “If you love me, obey me” Jesus said. (John 14:15)

Secondly, you need to know right now that Jesus is acutely aware of what is going on in your life, and what your struggle is. He is not indifferent. He cares. He is aware. He saw the disciples rowing against the head-wind from the mountain top as He was praying. He sees what is going on in your life. In fact the Bible says that Jesus, “lives to make intercession” for us (Heb 7:25).

Thirdly, Jesus is not only acutely aware of your struggle, He will involve Himself in your struggle and bless you with Himself! This is what Jesus did. Jesus came to the disciples walking on the water and stepping into their boat, blessing them with His presence and peace. I ask, are you struggling at this time? If, so, I want you to pause for a moment and get this: your struggle is the Lord’s footing. He’s walking on it. He is capitalizing on your struggle to bless you with Himself. It may be hard to see now, but He’s with you and He will work all things out for the good!

Now, put yourself in Peter’s shoes because I want you to think like Peter did. When Peter sees Jesus on the water the Bible tells us that he wants to walk on the water too. So what does Peter do? He seeks the Lord’s approval to step out of the boat. Peter figures that as long as Jesus “signs off” on approving walking on the water he’ll step out of the boat and walk on the water too!

I love this picture, and here’s why: God has not given us the spirit of fear/ paralysis/ “deer in the headlight” existence. Christianity is a “no-parking zone.” And there are many areas the Lord has already “signed off on” that we need to simply step out and lay hold of. We don’t have to wait for approval to love, forgive, share the faith, be generous etc. As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he remained above the circumstances. He enjoyed walking on the water.

The final and fourth point is that in your struggles Jesus gets involved! He blesses you with His presence and you come to learn that your life is not dictated to by circumstances, but rather you find yourself above the circumstances as you keep your eyes on, Jesus! 

Have you ever thought, “What do I have to give?” “What contribution can I make?” “Would it even make a difference?” We’ve all asked these questions at one time or another. But what are we really saying?

More often it is not that we don’t have anything to give, but we have concluded that what we do have to give, is irrelevant and perhaps even worthless.

Was this how the disciples felt when Jesus turned to them and said in effect, “Alright, I want you to feed the five thousand!” Feed the five thousand!? It would take nearly a year’s wages. Plus, when they gathered what they did have, five loaves and two fish, you have to wonder if they thought was it even worth mentioning. “Lord you want us to feed 5,000 people and here’s what we have, five loaves of bread and two fish.” Embarrassing, right? Wrong!

And here’s why: the Lord will work with what you give Him. In fact, He will multiply what you give Him! So, ask yourself, “Am I giving the Lord something to work with?”

The Lord is able to take what is small and do something great with it! Give Him your  availability. Your attention. Your resources. Your faith. Your life! He is able to do above what we could ever ask or think. God multiplies what we give to Him to His glory!

Remember Dorothy’s famous line in the Wizard of Oz, “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”  Well,  she was right, they had landed in Oz.

I’d have to agree with Dr. David Jeremiah who recently wrote, “As I wake up and scan today’s headlines, I am often tempted to think,  “Toto, we’re not in America anymore.”

What’s happening in our country?  What’s going on in the world today?

The answer is that there is a huge battle raging!  It is a spiritual battle. It is an attack to distort and destroy God’s original design and purpose for our lives.

Think about the impact of sin …

In short, it has the potential to bring everything down.  It destroys.  It degrades.  It desensitizes.  The cost of sin is great and it must be stopped!

That’s what the Gospel is about. Behind the Gospel is a Heavenly Father who wants to stop the destructive cycle of sin.  This is why He sent His Son to pay the debt of our sin Himself, and to give us the victory over sinful habits on a daily basis.

*****

One of the misconceptions about Jesus is that He allowed some people to “walk right over Him.”  But that is far from the truth.  While Jesus is likened to a lamb during His crucifixion, this would not be an accurate description of Him during His earthly ministry.  For example, in chapter three of Mark’s gospel when an “official delegation” from Jerusalem charged Jesus with being demon possessed, Jesus fought back!  He did not allow inaccurate information about who He is to go unchallenged. He replaced the false information with accurate information. Truth was worth fighting for, and we need to follow His example!

Christians, we need to report for duty …

We need to fight the good fight of faith! We need to stand up and say, “The destructive and deadly cycles of sin stop with me!”. This is why the Lord has you in your marriage, family and work. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.”  Salt was an antibacterial–a preservative that was very valuable in the first Century.  Christians are the preserving influence to fight the good fight of faith with the salt of truth, purity, commitment to marriage and family, mercy, love, justice, and faithfully upholding the inspired Word of God.

The battle is raging … let us all report for duty … clearly, there are some things worth fighting for to God’s glory!

I want to encourage you that everything that God has said is true and will come to pass!

The Lord wants us to believe this and when we do it is called faith and faith becomes the funnel through which God blesses our lives.

You can perhaps better understand why Scripture says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6)

Think about the nature of what takes place when you CHOOSE to believe something. It immediately sets your thinking in a particular direction. What a person believes influences how they perceive things and how they live.

For example, if the fire marshal ran into your office warning you of an approaching fire you would then face a decision whether to accept the threat or not. It impacts the direction of your thinking. If you disregard the warning, you remain in your office. If you believe the warning you run out of your office.

Can you see how “belief” triggers thinking, and thinking impacts your outlook and ultimately what you do?

Now, the opposite of faith is doubt! Doubt is the lack of assurance and confidence that God will keep His promises. Doubt is not believing what God will do. It is a choice to live in uncertainty.

Remember: everything that God has said is true and will come to pass! The Lord wants us to believe this and when we do it’s called faith and faith becomes the funnel through which God blesses our lives. So, what are some of the promises God has given us that He wants us to believe and accept to be true? Let me boil down some great “God-Guarantees” for you …

#1 He will provide our needs Phil 4:19 “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

#2 He will protect us from enemies Is 54:11 “No weapon formed against you shall prosper …”

#3 He will prosper us for our highest good Ps 84:11”No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly…”

#4 He will bless us with His presence Luke 11:13 “…how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

#5 He will hear the call of the heart that turns to Him Romans 10:13 ” …everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Every day your faith will be tested on whether God will provide, protect and prosper your life. I encourage you, trust the Lord. Believe Him today. Accept His Word is true! Stand on His guarantees – His, promises! As you do, it will impact your thinking, your outlook and the way you live. When you believe Him and His word you will “please” the Lord and experience His approval and blessing.

Below is a Pt. 2 to the questions, “What does a man of God’s influence look like?” Or, “What does it mean that a man of God, leads the way?”

HIGH EXPECTATION OF THE FATHER’S FAVOR

#9 He has a high expectation of God’s favor!

He understands that his relationship with God is based upon, grace!  That he has been rescued by grace. That he is sustained by grace. That he will be glorified by grace.  Grace is God’s unmerited favor. It is His unconditional, provisional, redemptive and eternal love. God’s grace exchanges the man made “performance treadmill” of works (where a person seeks to earn God’s favor and attention), with His free gift of grace which allows for a face to face relationship and intimacy with the Heavenly Father–who knows everything about the believer and still loves them!

Therefore, a man of God enjoys the security of having the Father’s love, (which is provisional and redemptive today and forever) and his life says to others, “Our Father has us in His hands.  We are victorious in Christ!”

Men of God inspire others with an outlook that sees the redemptive and provisional possibilities. (Phil 4:13; 2Cor. 12:9; 1Tim.1:15-17; Rom.8:28-39)

CHRIST-CENTRIC

#10 He is Christ-centric!

In the first sermon preached in Jerusalem after the cross, resurrection and ascension — Peter began his message to the multitudes saying, “You men of Israel hear these words” and the first words out of his mouth were, “Jesus of Nazareth …” (Acts 2:22). Paul underscored what his chief objective was with the church in Corinth saying, “I am determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (I Corinthians 2:2). Acts 4:12 reads, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” (II Corinthians 4:3-4) “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ”  (II Corinthians 11:3). If you “confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10)

WHOLE COUNSEL

#11 He is committed to the whole counsel of Scripture.

Paul declared, “For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.” (Acts 20:27) Jesus said the Word of God (Tanach) “cannot be broken” (John 10:35). He said, “…until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished” (Mat. 5:18, NIV).

2 Timothy 3:16-17 reads, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” “Inspiration” speaks of the Word being “God breathed”. “Doctrine” tells us what is right.  “Reproof” tells us what is not right. “Correction” tells us how to get right. “Instruction” tells us how to stay right. “Equipped for every good work” tells us that God wants to transform our life!

Do we face challenges when studying the Bible? Yes. Are there Bible difficulties? Yes.  Are there errors in the Bible? NO!

There are no mistakes in the revelation of God in Scripture, but there are wrong interpretations of the Bible by man. So asking the question, “Are we interpreting the Bible correctly?” is a relevant and important one, especially when you consider the fact that the Bible contains a variety of literary methods. For example, there is the highly emotional poetic expression of the Psalms.  There is the wisdom literature in the Proverbs, which emphasizes principles not promises. There are the instructional and specific applications in the epistles, which in origin were directed to communities that existed two thousand years ago. There is also the narrative history of the Gospels.

Ultimately the Bible gives us the wisdom for Salvation in Christ, pointing us to Jesus Christ, and ultimately it is Jesus, who authenticates the authority and inspiration of the Bible!

Remember, God gave us His Word “so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” This means that God does not just want your life informed with right doctrine according to the whole counsel of Scripture, He wants your life transformed by His Word and the ministry of His Spirit. In order for this to take place you will need to think, Biblically! You will need to get the Word of God inside of you. You will need to have your mind renewed by the Truth of God’s Word. How does this take place? One way is to get in the habit of asking yourself, “What does the Bible say about ____?” “What does God’s Word say about ____?” You want to learn to “flex the muscle of recall” and “memorization” of Scripture throughout your day. You want to learn to see more and more through the lens of the Bible. This is possible for all of us! If you know how to worry, then you know what it is to have developed a mental habit. What you need to do now, is learn to switch your attention from thinking about your problems to thinking about Bible verses. In doing so you’ll not only have less to worry about — but your faith will soar!

EXCELLENCE IN EFFORT

#12 He is dedicated to giving his best effort.

Giving your best effort is the basis of excellence. On the other hand, success is more often measured by culture and weighed by name recognition, materialism and influence.   Excellence however, is what God notices and rewards whether or not there is cultural success.1 Cor 9:24-27 is a fantastic passage that identifies what excellence looks like in application.

#1 It is to give your best effort.

(Vs. 24 “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”)

#2 It is to give your best effort aligning with specific objectives and goals.

(Vs. 26 “Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.”)

#3 The catalyst that brings it all together is, discipline! Discipline is making consistent choices. This will require the right management of one’s body.

(Vs. 27 “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”)

#4 The motivation behind the application of excellence is that God is glorified!

(Vs. 25 “And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.)

MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN

Jesus said, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men!” (Mk 1:17)

What did Jesus mean by this?

For Jesus to say, “Follow me …” tells us that Christianity is highly relational. It’s a relationship with, Jesus Christ! When Jesus said, “…I will make you fishers of men” He was communicating that those who follow Him will have a unique influence upon their fellow man. He wants our lives to have an impact in the work of the Gospel. The Lord wants our lives to have a godly, healthy and inspiring influence to those around us. Boiled down, Christian’s are to lead in this way!

Here’s the question I want to pose to my fellow brothers in Christ, “What does a man of God’s influence look like?” Or, “What does it mean that a man of God, leads the way?” Below are eight points that begin to answer that question. It is not a complete list(there’s more to come), but it’s a good start!

MAIN THING THE MAIN THING

#1 Keeps the main thing the main thing (I Cor 2:2; John 15:26; John 14:6; Phil 3:12-14)

Men of God love Jesus, grow in Jesus, and obey Jesus! What is the main thing? The Son of God, the Word of God and the Spirit of God! When the main thing is the main thing: the Spirit of God is satisfied, the Word of God is prioritized, the Son of God is glorified and the Church of God is edified! When this takes place the church is a powerful influence that will make Christ known and make new disciples of Christ!

STEWARD

#2 He is a Steward (I Cor 4:1-2; 1 Peter 4:10; I Cor 6:20)

A man of God lives with a high level of awareness that he is responsible with what is not his. He is a steward of the Gospel message. He is a steward of the resources, opportunities, gifts and the time that has been given to him. He is also a steward of his own body knowing that his life does not belong to himself.

CAUSE, FIRST

#3 He puts the cause of Christ, first! (1 Cor 6:7; Acts 20:24)

This means that a man of God is willing to give up their rights and liberties for the greater good for the cause of Christ. They are willing to be disadvantaged personally, so  that the community is advantaged corporately! They are willing to suffer privately in order to avoid contributing to influences that undermine the greater good of the body of Christ. Paul wrote, “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20:24

 WILL OF GOD

#4 He understands and is committed to doing the will of God! (Eph 5:15-17)

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” 

The word “time” carries the idea of opportunity or special moments. It does not refer to time on the clock. (i.e. Chronos)

Perspective: The speed of the “game of life” is faster than ever! Information, transportation and expectation have all picked up in pace! Unless a man of God has identified the chief opportunities and priorities that are to define his life, there is a high likelihood that his his witness for Christ will get left in the dust. Ask yourself, “Lord, what are the priorities that are to define my life and glorify you?”

 LOVE

#5 He has a heart of God for the people of God (John 13:35; Acts 2:46; Rom. 16:17-18).

Jesus said “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (Jn 13:35)

This means that a man of God demonstrates love to all Christians, not just some. What is love? Love is patient, gracious and kind. A Christian is to love all who make up the most diverse family on earth. A man of God exemplifies unity in the essentials, liberty in the non-essentials, but love in all things!

TEACHABLE

#6 He is teachable and is always learning (I Tim 4:15-16; Pr. 9:9; Mt 11:15)

Eight times Jesus said, “He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”. Paul instructed Timothy, “Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” (1 Tim 4:15-16)

Leaders are learners!

Pr. 9:9 reads,“Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.” Abraham Lincoln said, “I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.”

Peter grew as a man of God, as a leader, and became more influential in his generation largely do to the fact that he remained teachable. In Matt 15:15 Peter asks Jesus to explain a difficult parable. Matt 18:21, he asked how he needed to forgive. Matt 19:27 he asked about the reward that the disciples would get for following Jesus. Mark 11:21, he asked the meaning of the withered fig tree. John 21:20-22, Peter asked questions of the risen Christ. He wanted to know what he didn’t know. The moment you stop learning, you stop leading!

It’s been said …

“The quality of your life in any area of your life will be determined by the kind of questions you have the courage to ask yourself in that area. If you don’t ask the right questions in your life you won’t get the right answers. If you don’t get the right answers you can’t build the right strategy. If you can’t get the right strategy you won’t get the right results. So regardless of what you do in life you have to ask the right questions. Questioning is an art. It is a skill that you can develop. You can get good at it.”

 INTEGRITY

#7 He is a man of integrity (Eph. 5:18; 2 Tim 2:21)

A man of God is not perfect but he is honest and authentic. Men of God do not allow compartmentalizing in their life. They are the same behind closed doors as they are in public. Integrity carries the idea of a unit of one. It comes from the word, “integer”. They are Spirit filled (i.e. controlled) Eph 5:18. God can overlook a lack of intelligence. He can overlook a lack of gifts. But God will not use a dirty vessel. 2 Tim 2:21 reads, “Those who make themselves clean from all those evil things, will be used for special purposes, because they are dedicated and useful to their Master, ready to be used for every good deed” (2 Timothy 2:21 TEV).

 PERSEVERES

#8 He never gives up! (2 Tim 4:7; 1 Cor 15:58; James 5:11; Heb 6:10)

Men of God persevere. Without perseverance there would be no redemption, church, missions, evangelism, godly legacy or family! Paul wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Tim 4:7

A man of God understands that at times their efforts will produce measurable results but at other times they will not (at least before men), and often not until the next generation. But they know that the Lord’s Spirit is always at work in and through His people and more often beyond comprehension. Ultimately, whether one’s efforts are measurable in this lifetime or not, faithfulness is always seen by God, weighed by God and rewarded by God — and glorifies God!

So be encouraged and remember Paul’s admonition: “…my beloved brethren be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58.