What’s Your Reputation? (Men’s Midweek Devotional)

He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap. (1 Timothy 3:7)

You have probably heard the definition of character as “who you are when no one is looking.” You could also say that character is who you are when those who know you best are looking.

In this second chapter of The Measure of a Man, Gene Getz looks at what it takes to build a good reputation. This is rather a tricky area because some folks may enjoy a good reputation superficially because they’re able to reasonably fake it before people they don’t know well and with whom they associate only on an occasional basis. But living a life that builds a good reputation is hard to fake on a regular basis with those who know you best… such as the members of your family who know you most intimately.

Let me hasten to add that the expectation here is not that you’re expected to walk on water. As one person I recently read put it, the idea here is direction, not perfection. The question is: Are you moving in a godly, Christlike direction in your life?

In the Scripture at the top of the devotion, Paul is telling Timothy that the kind of person he should be looking for to exercise leadership in the church needs to have a good reputation. Christians are charged with hypocrisy enough as it is. And even if the charge isn’t always accurate, the mere perception can derail a life or a ministry. Worse still, we don’t want to misrepresent our Lord before a watching world.

Getz suggests that Timothy was such a person… a man with a good reputation. He highlights these three indicators…

1. People were saying positive things about Timothy.
2. More than one person was saying these positive things about Timothy.
3. People in more than one location were saying these positive things about Timothy.

It seems that wherever Timothy was and whomever he was with, he was a godly man living above reproach. Thus, he enjoyed a good reputation.

Ask Someone

Getz recommends that if you want to really know your reputation (as it relates to your genuine character) ask someone who knows you best. This might sting a little, but it’s a good way to get to the truth of who you are… and to serve you in becoming the godly man you want to become.

Ask Yourself

Just as important, we occasionally need to conduct a personal assessment of who we are and what we’re about, etc. Getz suggests asking yourself the following questions (these are great questions, by the way)…

1. Do more and more people select me as a person to share their lives with me?

2. Do people trust me with confidential information?

3. Do my relationships with people grow deeper and more significant the longer they know me and the closer they get to me? Or do my friendships grow strained and shallow as people learn to know what I am really like?

4. Does my circle of friends grow continually wider and larger? Do an increasing number of people trust me?

5. Do people recommend me for significant or difficult tasks without fear of my letting them down?

The point in all of this is not to build a reputation by duplicity and manipulation. To be sure, there are plenty of people doing that. Instead, our goal should be that as we grow in godliness, the authenticity of our increasingly Christlike character will be made evident to all. And that’s how we can represent our Lord well in this world.

Have a great rest of the week.

Your Brother in Christ,
Dale

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Southside Men’s Midweek Devotional: Becoming Faithful Men

I just started reading Gene Getz’s book, The Measure of a Man: 20 Attributes of A Godly Man. I immediately thought that this is something I would love to share with the men of our church family (and a few extras as well). As book after book (as well as human experience) seem to remind us, boys are rapidly growing up in this world without learning what it means to be a man… even fewer understand what it means to be a godly man. Too many are having to make it up on the fly… with disasterous results.

Therefore, I thought I would share some of the insights that I’m gleaning from the book and pass them on to you, with a few extra items that I hope will be a blessing to you. If your email box is already too full  as it is, you can opt out of this weekly devotion by clicking the link at the bottom of this email.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. (Philippians 3:12)

The first chapter of the book is a broad overview of everything that Getz will be looking at throughout the rest of the book. The chapter is entitled, “Becoming Faithful Men.”  That’s a key topic as well as an important title. You see, we aren’t born faithful. Just the opposite, in fact. We are born fallen in sin, broken, and far from God. If we’re blessed to be born and raised in a Christian family, we may come to know God earlier in our lives. However, regardless of our background, growing in our faith is a lifelong pursuit. As you can imagine, if our goal is “Christ-likeness,” then we all have a LONG way to go! So I like the word “becoming”, because it highlights the idea of process… not product. We are works in progress (superintended by God himself (Philippians 1:6), and our goal is to continue moving in a Christward direction throughout the course of our entire life.

The word becoming also emphasizes focus and intentionality. No one grows into a godly man by accident. It happens on purpose or it doesn’t happen at all. The Scripture above from Philippians 3:12 captures this idea. The Apostle Paul is laboring and straining to reach the goal of maturity in Christ (i.e., godliness or holiness). It’s an everyday and “on purpose” process that requires nothing less than God’s Spirit working in and through us to give us the will, the strength, and the direction to grow in grace. We won’t grow in our faith apart from the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives, and yet, the Holy Spirit won’t do the work for us. We have to participate in the process.

Finally, Getz uses the word “Faithful” to describe the kind of man he has in mind. Then, borrowing from 1 Timothy and Titus, Getz puts together a list of what we might call the marks of spiritually mature (godly) manhood. Here’s his list…

• a good reputation
• maintaining moral purity
• balance in words and actions
• being wise and humble
• serving as a good role model
• demonstrating unselfishness and generosity
• communicating sensitively in a non-threatening and non-defensive manner
• not being addicted to substances
• not being a self-centered and controlling personality
• void of anger that becomes sinful
• not an abusive person
• non-argumentative and non-divisive
• a sensitive, loving and kind person
• non-materialistic
• a good husband and father
• a good testimony to unbelievers
• pursuing godly activities
• wise, discerning, non-prejudiced, and fair
• holy and righteous
• not a new Christian

Can anyone say they’ve already arrived? Anyone doing perfectly with this list?

Over the weeks to come I hope to look at each one of these headings and offer some thoughts and reflections from Scripture regarding what these characteristics might look like in our lives and how we might, in Paul’s words, “obtain them.”

I’d like to share this closing prayer from Ken Boa…

Faithful Father, as I reflect on the redemptive history recorded in the narratives and oracles of Scripture, I see so many surprising setbacks and breakthroughs. The wisdom of Your Word invites me to view events and circumstances with a long-term perspective. When I only look at the short-term, I get muddled, confused and doubtful, because I allow my immediate circumstances to shape my understanding. But when I contextualize the events of my life in the long-term, I can see that You are indeed causing all things to work together for good to those who love You and are called according to Your purpose. Teach me to affirm that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to Your children in Christ.

I hope this “midweek pick-me-up” has been a blessing to you. Have a great rest of your week.

Your Brother in Christ,
Dale

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A Pastor’s Greatest Danger

One of the best chapters I’ve ever read on the pastor’s inner life was written by Joel Beeke, and found in John Armstrong’s book, Reforming Pastoral Ministry. Here are a few of the quotes that I really liked.

PS – You will undoubtedly notice in the quotes below that Beeke assumes that pastors are men. I hope that those reading this who disagree with that view of ministry will still profit from the following…

…one of a minister’s greatest dangers is that he handles the sacred so frequently that it becomes banal to him. As ministers, we can handle the Word of God as if it were no more than the words of men. We can take that which is holy for granted even as we live unholy lives. We can exhort others to holiness but, like the Pharisees, not move an inch in that direction ourselves. Charles Spurgeon called this fatal error “ministerialism.”

Scripture says there should be no disjunction between the heart, character, and life of a man who is called to proclaim God’s Word and the content of the message he proclaims.

We ministers are called to be as holy in our private relationship with God, in our role as husbands and fathers in our families, and in our ministry as shepherds among our people, as we appear to be in the pulpit. There must be no disjunction between our calling and living, nor between our confession and practice.

The fruitfulness of a minister’s works is proportional to the sanctification of his heart toward God.

[quoting John Owen] Our hearts must be transcripts of our sermons. Otherwise, as John Owen warned, “If a man teach uprightly and walk crookedly, more will fall down in the night of his life than he built in the day of his doctrine.”

More to come…

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Do You Hunger and Thirst for Revival?

This past Sunday evening our district of the United Methodist Church in the Florida Conference held a revival service. It was a wonderful time, consisting of enthusiastic singing, a great sermon by Rev. Mike Hudson, a focused time of intercessory prayer, capped off with holy communion. I believe I truly experienced God’s Spirit moving in my heart and mind as well as in and through the rest who gathered that evening.

Mike is sharing his sermon on his blog (in several parts) and I thought I would steer some folks his way as the message he shared is far too important to hide under a bowl (Matthew 5:13-16). Here’s a brief excerpt from his first post…

The United Methodist Church is dying.   The good news is the leadership of the church has begun to talk about it.  But do we turn to Jesus for help?

We turn everywhere except Jesus.  How many more books and seminars do we need to try before we turn to Jesus?  I have not been to a meeting or conference where we actually sought the Lord in prayer.  Prayer is the formal opening and closing activity, that’s it.  Prayer must be THE activity.   Didn’t the Apostles devote themselves to the Word and to prayer?  Do we not believe that Jesus is real?  That He is concerned about us, our church, the world and has solutions to offer us?  Are we seeking Him?

Please click here to read the rest of his post (and stay tuned for the following parts). Beyond that, if you live in the Jacksonville area, plan on attending some of our other upcoming services. We can’t make God send revival… but we can sure pray for it, pursue holiness, and share the Gospel of the Kingdom. Who knows… maybe God will hear and answer our prayers.

Grace and Truth,
Dale

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12 Point Profile of a Holy Person

I’m embarrassed and ashamed to say that after staring at it on my bookshelf for over 15 years, I have finally picked up J.I. Packer’s book, Rediscovering Holiness, and started reading it. It is extraordinary and I am kicking myself for waiting so long. (I’m also groaning over the fact that there’s a revised and updated version available. However, I’m going to resist the temptation and stick with my older copy. Ugh.)

Holiness is a topic that is near and dear to United Methodists (at least, it used to be). It certainly was to John Wesley and Packer gives several tips of his hat to both Wesley brothers. I’m looking forward to reading the whole book.

Of particular interest in the first chapter was Packer’s distillation of J.C. Ryle’s “12 Point Profile” of what a holy person looks like. It’s fantastic! I thought I would share bits and pieces of them with you below. The Apostle Paul encourages us in 2 Corinthians 13:5 to examine ourselves to see if we are “in the faith” (i.e., liberally administer spiritual assessments to yourself to see how you’re doing in your walk with Christ). I can think of no better list to measure yourself by then the following excerpts from Ryle. Before I do, however, let me quote Packer: “Being Victorian, [Ryle] said “man,” but he meant woman too.”

I pray the following truths will bless, encourage, convict, and lead you to greater holiness in your life.

Grace and Truth,
Dale

1.) Holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God, according as we find his mind described in Scripture. It is the habit of agreeing in God’s judgment, hating what he hates, loving what he loves, and measuring everything in this world by the standard of his Word…

2.) A holy man will endeavor to shun every known sin, and to keep every known commandment. He will have… a hearty desire to do [God's] will, a greater fear of displeasing him than of displeasing the world…

3.) A holy man will strive to be like our Lord Jesus Christ. He will not only live the life of faith in him, and draw from him all his daily peace and strength, but he will also labor to have the mind that was in him, and to be conformed to his image (Romans 8:29).

4.) A holy man will follow after meekness, longsuffering, gentleness, patience, kind tempers, government of his tongue.

5.) A holy man will follow after temperance and self-denial. He will labour to mortify the desires of his body, to crucify his flesh with his affections and lusts, to curb his passions, to restrain his carnal inclinations, lest at any time they break loose…

6.) A holy man will follow after charity and brotherly kindness.

7.) A holy man will follow after a spirit of mercy and benevolence toward others…

8.) A holy man will follow after purity of heart. He will dread all filthiness and uncleanness of spirit, and seek to avoid all things that might draw him into it.

9.) A holy man will follow after the fear of God. I do not mean the fear of a slave, who only works because he is afraid of punishment… I mean rather the fear of a child, who wishes to live and move as if he was always before his father’s face, because he loves him…

10.) A holy man will follow after humility. He will desire, in lowliness of mind, to esteem all others better than himself. He will see more evil in his own heart than in any other in the world…

11.) A holy man will follow after faithfulness in all the duties and relations in life… Holy persons should aim at doing everything well, and should be ashamed of allowing themselves to do anything ill if they can they can help it… They should strive to be good husbands and good wives, good parents and good children, good masters and good servants, good neighbours, good friends, good subjects, good in private and good in public, good in the place of business and good by their firesides.

12.) Last, but not least, a holy man will follow after spiritual-mindedness. He will endeavour to set his affections entirely on things above, and to hold things on earth with a very loose hand… He will aim to live like one whose treasure is in heaven, and to pass through this world like a stranger and pilgrim travelling to his home. To commune with God in prayer, in the Bible, and in the assembly of his people – these things will be the holy man’s chief enjoyments.  He will value every thing and place and company, just in proportion as it draws him nearer to God…

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Steps to Overcoming Temptation

Here’s a helpful (and short) video at Desiring God, featuring David Mathis and DA Carson on the issue of how to respond to temptation in our lives.

And while you’re at Desiring God, please make sure to check out this post on 10 resolutions for mental health.

Have a great day,
Dale

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Taxes, Part 3 (A Sermon)

Special Guest Contributor: Rev. Michael Hudson
Preached on April 29, 2012

11) And what do we do when we see these problems? We say, “the govt needs to….” Government has replaced fathers with a welfare check leaving men in many communities unwanted in the home.  Do you know what the most common denominator of men in prison is?  No fathers.  An act of “compassion” ends up destroying families and locks people into dependency for life.  The government has undermined the authority and role God gave to the family.  We think we are being compassionate by giving people money, but putting our trust in government has brought more devastation than help.

 12) I have found that in most cases, the people coming to the church have families but they can’t or won’t go back to them for help.  They need reconciliation.  Think about the prodigal son for a minute. (Luke 15:11-32)   Poor, hungry, homeless, destitute.  He needs help.  He could go to the welfare office and get an EBT card but does that bring transformation in his life?  It hasn’t for millions of Americans.  It can’t because there is no individual accountability, no care and nurture.  His problem only continues.

 13) How can we bring transformation to the prodigal son’s situation?  What is his biggest need? Reconciliation with his father.  His father is waiting for him to repent and come home.  Not only are his material needs taken care of (finest robe, ring for his finger, shoes for his feet, and a beef brisket bbq) but, forgiveness and new life are found as well.  That does not happen with a tax-funded government program.  All he has to do is swallow his pride and go home.  Do you think God is in the business of getting people to swallow their pride?  Family keeps us humble.  The family is instituted by God and is the most effective and efficient way to care for individuals in society. 

 14) But what if they have no family?  The second question I ask someone who comes into the church looking for help is, “Where do you attend church?”  Why? Because a church family is going to know you!  It is still about RELATIONSHIPS.

 15) God also institutes the Church for the betterment of individuals and society.  Through the church we have the sacraments to receive God’s grace, the Scriptures to preach salvation and the good news of Christ to society, and to know right and wrong.  How is the family and the government to know what pleases the Lord, what right and wrong is if the church remains silent?  The church is to be the conscious of the state.  To put that in the vernacular, we must speak truth to power.  The church is also instituted by God to be agents of mercy.  But she has abdicated her role to the government.

James 2 ¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

We have allowed the government to be the dispensers of mercy and charity.  It requires faith on behalf of the church to be able to supply people with needs.  The church must look to God to provide, especially when the need is bigger than it can handle.  But since we have allowed the government to handle those needs, little faith is required by the church. No wonder the church is anemic and everyone ignores what she says.   

 16) So much so that society no longer prefers to use the word mercy.  What do we call ministries that feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked?  They are not mercy ministries, we now call them “social justice”.  Do you know why?  Because you cannot demand that people give mercy, but you can demand justice.

 The church cannot seize your bank account or throw you in jail if you don’t tithe.  But the government can if you don’t pay your taxes to support their mandated charity.

 17) Mercy, in order to be mercy, must be freely given.  When mercy and love are freely given they become redemptive and transformational in people’s lives.  But if acts of love and charity or mandated, then they are no longer acts of love and charity.  You cannot require people to be merciful.  When mercy is mandated it ceases to be mercy and becomes tyranny. 

 19) Politicians are quick to promise other people’s money to demonstrate how much the care.  And we are quick to say look how compassionate they are.  If they we so compassionate they would give out of their own pocket and not take from the public’s money.  I out gave the Vice President last year in charitable contributions 2 to 1.  I’m not talking about percentage of income, I mean dollar for dollar.  But he will go around and tell me that unless I pay more in taxes I’m not compassionate.  I recommend you read  Davy Crocket’s speech “It’s not yours to give” in Bill Bennett’s The Book of Man, pg. 245. Or you can google it.

 20) But, I have plenty of colleges that think the Kingdom of God will come through a government program.  I had a seminary professor say, “You’d better vote Jesus and not you wallets!”  I don’t ever remember Jesus being on my ballot.  But what he was saying essentially was I was being selfish and uncaring if I voted for candidates who wouldn’t raise taxes.  He was suggesting that the government would be more compassionate and caring with my money than I would.  Really?  Think about this for a minute realistically.  Who will be more effective with the money God has entrusted to me in bringing about the Kingdom of God in my community?  Me or the US Federal Government?  Who will bring God more glory with the resources I steward, me or the US Congress?

 21) This is not a political problem it is a spiritual problem.  We have put our trust in government and it has given us entire communities without families, a dead church and 15 trillion dollars in debt.  My unborn grandchildren will be paying this debt off their entire lives.  That is slavery.

 22) You might say, “But Mike, this is too big a problem for broken families and an anemic church.  The government has to have some role in providing for the welfare.”  Remember the preamble to the Constitution?  It says the government is to promote the general welfare.  That happens best by allowing the family and church to do what God has instituted them to do and not replacing them.

 It is a big problem, but is the arm of the Lord too short to save?  Was the Red Sea too big to part?  Was Goliath too big for a shepherd boy?  Was the crowd too big to feed with only 3 loaves and 2 fish?  Was the grave stone too big to roll away?

Ps. 118:8-9 says, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.   It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.”

 Looking to the government to provide for us instead of the Lord is idolatry and God hates it.  It is a blatant violation of the 1^st Commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)  We must repent and look to Him to be a our source and solution.  We do that best in families and the church.

Let us pray.

Almighty God, You are the God of all nations, the God of our fathers.  Forgive our idolatry.  May the motto, “In God We Trust” be written not just on our coins but our hearts as well.  Hear our prayer for deliverance.  Come quickly and heal our land.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

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