Men: ​

We have become a bunch of macho idiots. We have put girls in bikinis and idolized the beautiful ones and hated on the ones that don't meet society's definition of beauty. We have made sports more important than relationships - both with God and with others. We prioritize work and "getting ahead" more so than we prioritze our relationships with wives, husbands, sons, and daughters. We have set aside time for hobbies, movies, and video games - but not for family. We have degraded sex so much that it is now the equivalent of going to the mailbox. And we have done all this with a smile on our face and money in our bank accounts. 

It is time for us to be Gentlemen - gentle men.

</rant>​

Just a little excerpt from something I'm working on for our new guy's split class tomorrow. Harsh, but so true for most men. ​

Like Taft Ayers said in his tweet: Probably a good idea to watch this.​

In 1 Kings 3 we find a story of the beginning of King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived. 

In chapter 3 verse 5 something happens that doesn't happen very often - God asks a man what he wants from Him. God literally asks Solomon in a dream, "Ask what I shall give you."

As I said, that doesn’t happen very much in scripture. Moses wasn’t given a choice to lead the Israelites out of Egypt - he was told by God how he was to do it. Even God’s own son, Jesus, wasn’t given a choice in the matter of his earthly death. Sure, Jesus was God on earth and could have called 10,000 angels to rescue him, but God’s plan was absolute and Jesus had no other viable choice - the Savior had to die for our sins on the cross. 

But Solomon was given a choice - and he chooses wisely. 

Selfishly, I know exactly what my first instinct would be to ask for: I would ask God for myself, my children, and my children's children to never have to worry about money. Ever. 

Solomon could have asked for that. He could have asked for power, or status, or riches, or long life, but he doesn't. He simply asks for wisdom to govern his nation - God's people - wisely. He asks for wisdom. 

Believe it or not, God gives you a choice every day. And in terms of serving Him, there's only two choices - we either do or we don't. God has given us the free will to choose what we do with our lives, and every day is an opportunity to show people who we serve. 

What choice are you making? Are you serving God with all your heart or are you serving him half-heartedly? Because there's really no in-between.

Albert Mohler has an excellent post on his site about Christian leaders who may be ignoring modern technology in their ministries. Very telling. ​

Leaders who talk about the real world as opposed to the digital world are making a mistake, a category error. While we are right to prioritize real face-to-face conversations and to find comfort and grounding in stable authorities like the printed book, the digital world is itself a real world, just real in a different way.

Real communication is happening in the digital world, on the Web, and on the smart phone in your pocket. Real information is being shared and globally disseminated, faster than ever before. Real conversations are taking place, through voice, words and images, connecting people and conversations all over the world.

If the leader is not leading in the digital world, his leadership is, by definition, limited to those who also ignore or neglect that world, and that population is shrinking every minute. The clock is ticking.

Article link ​→

I recently took part in the Hashtag One-Day conference in Spring Hill, Tennessee, sponsored by the Spring Meadows Church of Christ there. It was a great event, and Scott Bond is doing a great thing there. But that Sunday afternoon, we had a dodge ball tournament.

Now, I'm 31 years old. Still pretty young. But my body has reminded me for the past 3 weeks that I'm not 20 anymore. I'm not as durable. I don't know really what happened, but the tendons behind my left knee have been irritating me ever since. It's taken a long time to heal up, and it really wasn't even that strenuous of an activity either.

It got me thinking (as well as other things that have proved I'm not so young anymore) about if I'm losing my edge or not. Physically, I was a pretty good specimen. I was a US Marine (still am, by the way), and could run with the big boys. Not so much anymore. As in the words of one of our older church members, "Not so limber as to hang out with them youngins anymore, eh?"

We know that not everything that happens in the Bible is chronological. We know that even in some books, within the same book, the progression isn't straight from past to present.

As Lonnie Jones pointed out at Evangelism University last weekend, I think that's the case with 2 Samuel 21.15 and following.

15 There was war again between the Philistines and Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines. And David grew weary. 16 And Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekelsof bronze, and who was armed with a new sword, thought to kill David.17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, "You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel."

Is this the same David we know? The same David who is a warrior, who always led his armies into battle for Israel?

We may just skim over this and say, "Oh, well, David's getting old. They don't want the King to die, and thus leave Israel without a leader. Smart."

But something tells me this is more significant. And while I'm sure it's not a new discovery, it is always really fascinating to look at the same story we've heard a thousand times and see a new angle.

Remember the story of David and Bathsheba from 2 Samuel 11? Most everyone does. As the story starts, the writer of 2 Samuel gives us a preface to the story:

1 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

Wait, what?

This is King David. The same David who conquered Jerusalem and kicked out the Philistines (2 Samuel 5). The same David who brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem, which was no easy task (2 Samuel 6). The same King David, who, with his armies and God behind Him, whipped the surrounding competition, including Amalekites, Philistines, Moabites, Syrians, and Ammonites.

But this was also the same King David who let himself be talked into staying at home while his armies fought.

I don't know what happened in 2 Samuel 21.15. I don't know if David is sick, if he's just getting old, or what. But he let himself be talked into not going back out with his armies and fighting in the Spring.

And, in turn, let himself be seduced by Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11.

If David had never remained home instead of heading out to battle, then he would have never began the downward spiral that is the story of David and Bathsheba. The temptation, the pregnancy, the betrayal of Uriah her husband, the murder of Uriah in battle (orchestrated by David himself). You can't make this stuff up.

The moral of the story? Don't let anyone put you on the sidelines for the work of God.

They told David he was too old, too sick, too important , or whatever - to get him to stay home. To take him away from what God had tasked him to do - reclaim the holy city of Jerusalem and destroy all of God's enemies. That was what David was chosen to do, and he let himself be put on the sidelines.

There are two men I know, Gospel preachers, who are getting along in their years. Earl Edwards, professor at Freed-Hardeman University is one, and James Watkins, retired but still preaching and a member here at Church Street. Both men are lifers. They've preached Gospel combined for more than 100 years. They're also old. But they're not stopping. Despite health problems, setbacks, and getting tired I'm sure, they just keep on keeping on. Spreading the Gospel, that is.

Don't let anyone tell you something other than what you were chosen to do. We were chosen to deliver the message of God to a dying generation. We were chosen to spread the Good News to every creature.

Young or old, sick or healthy, God commands us to GO. Will you make David's mistake and be on the sidelines?