Welcome to the Mighty Men Training Institute

I memorize Scripture in bits and pieces. Usually, I memorize a verse or two at a time and store the information away to be retrieved when needed. Putting the verse in is no problem. Getting it to come back out again is another matter. Still, I know that committing pieces of the Bible to memory and storing them in your mind and spirit is part of our basic training as Christians.

Recently, I have memorized a longer piece of Scripture, one that can help lay a firm foundation for fruitful lives as Christian men.

Psalm 1 is one of those pieces of Scripture you can hand to another person and say, "this is how life really is." The psalm contains only six verses and each one is a keg of spiritual dynamite.

Verse 1 says "be careful who you run with." It says we are blessed if we refuse the advice of the wicked, walk in the way of sinners or join the crowd who takes pleasure in mocking everything good and holy.

Verse 2 says "why fool around with hamburger when you can get steak." We find delight in the creator and sustainer of the universe, and we love to think about Him and His laws all day and night.

Verse 3 says "we will be mighty men if we rely on God for our strength." If we are marching with the Lord, our lives will bear fruit and whatever we put our hands to will work out.

Verse 4 says "No God, no power." The wicked look like they're doing fine, but their appearances are deceiving. In a strong wind, they'll disappear into the air like sawdust.

Verse 5 says "the evil won't get over." They will face God and be judged. They will try and blend in with the righteous but their attempts at concealment will fail.

Verse 6 says "God has our backs." He protects those who love Him, but if your spit in His eye, He will leave you alone to your fate.

Six verses. Two stark choices. One powerful teaching tool.

Memorize this psalm, teach it to your family and watch what happens.

Comment (2)

Every guy has tools. Hammers, wrenches, saws, screwdrivers. They are the handy helpers we use to fix things, build things, and keep things running.

There is another set of tools a man should have, especially as he exercises his role as a leader. These are mental and spiritual tools such as time in the Word and prayer. There's another tool that I believe to be essential for every man. This particular tool is an accessory to the "belt of truth" mentioned in Ephesians 6:14.

It's called a "spiritual BS detector." (BS, if you're wondering, stands for "bravo sierra" or "baloney sausage.")

This detector scans the opinions and beliefs the world has to offer and sounds an alarm if they pose a threat to us and those we love. Having a finely-tuned spiritual BS detector protects those we love and prevents us from slipping into error.

I don't point my detector primarily at doctrinal disagreements that Christians can disagree on yet still be Christians. Instead, my detector is tuned to find things that are contrary to what is taught in God's Word. When it's working right, the detector is tuned to the Holy Spirit wavelength. It looks for anything designed to appeal to our itching ears and lure us away from God. 

Here are some of the beliefs that make my detector send out an alarm, followed by an antidote from Scripture:

"There's no such thing as absolute truth."  (Roman 1:18)

"All religions are basically the same." (John 14:6)

"Marriage doesn't have to be only between a man and a woman." (Genesis 2:24)

"Actions don't have consequences." (Proverbs 11:21)

"Satan isn't real." (1 Peter 5:8-9)

"God doesn't care about me." (1 Peter 5:7)

"Jesus was a great teacher, but he wasn't the Son of God and he didn't really rise from the dead." (1 Corinthians 15:12-14)

Do you have a spiritual BS detector? If so, what sets it off?

Comment (0)

God gave the ultimate gift of himself.

What God has given to us is not ours to keep, So what are we willing to give?

God understands our needs for the things in this world,So am I putting my faith and trust in God or self?

Walking in faith and trusting God is the test that each of us must pass to live in the blessing God has for us as his children.

Our God is a loving God and wants too pour out the blessing he has in heven, the same blessings he bestoed on Abraham.

Giving back is our way of saying I love you and trust you to meet all of my needs.

All that God has intrusted to us in the world dose not belong to us any way, And how we care for those blessings allso determends the blessings we will be blessed with.

LORD you are my provider, You give because you love me.

And I give because I love you. Thank you for blessing me.

W Punt

Comment (2)

Valentine's Day is a time when we pay extra special attention to our ladies. But why?

Maybe the extra attention comes from keeping a custom. February 14 rolls around once a year, and so we do what we're supposed to do on that day. It's our duty.

Or maybe incessant pressure from marketers of flowers, candy, teddy bears and pajamagrams wears us down.

Then you wake up and it's February 15. When you tear the page of the calendar, does that feeling of courtship fade away? I hope not. I pray you're not like the guys who tell their fiancées, "I love you" when they are courting and figure saying it once covered all the years that followed.

Doesn't the lady God gave you deserve better than this? Many marriages lose their spark because guys fail to maintain that spirit of courtship. They don't understand that their ladies love to be courted - often.

The courting of your wife in a one-flesh relationship doesn't always have to involve flowers and candy. This is a courtship that takes place in the bedroom and in the kitchen. You court her with kind words, attention, courtesy, compliments, acts of service, and in making sure she has your best.

The continuous courtship of your wife honors her. Honoring your wife gives glory to God. There's plenty in it for you, too. As Proverbs 18:22 says, "He who finds a wife, finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord."

Comment (2)