Welcome to Mighty Men's Training Institute

In John 15:13, Jesus said, "The greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends."

 

As great as that kind of love is, imagine laying down your life for someone you don't even know – indeed, someone not even from your own country.

 

American soldiers, sailors, pilots and marines have been doing just that for the entire history of this nation. They have exhibited the selfless love of Jesus, who laid down his life to confront and defeat monstrous evil. For this reason, Christians can observe Memorial Day with an extra layer of understanding and gratitude for what has been done to keep us free.

 

In his song "Arlington," Trace Adkins sings the lines, "every time I hear 21 guns, I know they brought another hero home to us." That's worth thinking about.

 

Sometime during the next few days – in the middle of the barbecues, rounds of golf, family gatherings and the other activities that make up a holiday weekend – take time to reflect and say "thank you" to our fallen ones. And pray for God's protecting and guiding hand on those who are serving today (including my nephew David Johnson in Tikrit and a young man from my hometown named Peter Fritz who is in Baghdad and has seen some very rough stuff lately).

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The great Rich Mullins has a song called, "My One Thing," and it helps illustrate John 15:1-8.

 

Rich sings, "Everybody I know says they need just one thing. What they really mean is that they need just one thing more." So people chase after extra stuff like possessions, power and prestige when instead they could have a relationship with Jesus, who says, "Apart from me you can do nothing."

 

The reason we want all that extra stuff is due to role confusion. Jesus says he is the true vine and we are the branches. But we think we're the vine. Heck, I know a few folks who think they're the whole vineyard. These are the folks who prune Jesus out of their lives, or who try and stuff him into a box labeled "For Use Only On Sundays."

 

That strategy can make you look big and strong for awhile. But it can't last. You can't bear good fruit that way. It's impossible. You're not in charge. You're not the one holding the pruning shears. How many people have you known who said they didn't need God and ended up withered and thrown into the fire?

 

"I don't want to lose the eternal for the things that are passing," sings Rich. Jesus says, "Already you are clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me."

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The Bible tells about the people of Israel and their 40 years of wandering in the desert. As they were heading for a place called "the promised land" they would often encounter obstacles.

 

In the book of Numbers, we read a story about one of these roadblocks. The Edomites would not let the people pass through their land. Instead, they insisted the Hebrews go around them.

 

That's when the griping started. "We don't like our leaders. We don't like our food. We don't like all this sand." Then the people became mad at God. "He doesn't love us. He doesn't take care of us. We should have stayed in Egypt."

 

God responds to this impatience and ingratitude by sending fiery serpents to bite the people. In very short order, the same people who were grumbling at God were wailing to him for rescue. That's because they got their focus back.

 

Then Moses came up with another way to help the people regain their focus. He made an image of a fiery serpent and put it on a pole high enough for all to see. He told the people, "If you are bitten by a fiery serpent, look at this pole and live." And it worked.

 

God doesn't send us fiery serpents today, but we do often encounter things in our lives that can bite us just as hard. I had three big serpents bite me last year in the deaths of my father, my only brother and my best friend.

 

Biblical scholars see the serpent on the pole as a prophecy of how Jesus hung on the cross. That tells us how we should respond when we feel the bite. We keep our focus and attention on the Lord, the giver of all good things. We look to the healer.

 

To see Jesus, a few things are required. First, we have to be pointed in his direction. Second, we have to have our eyes open. Third, we have to look at him – not merely to see him, but to concentrate on him.  

 

One more thing is required: we have to be moving in his direction. And as we're moving, we need to remember this: That the Jordan is deep and wide, but we'll find freedom on the other side.

 

 

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  Life is complicated, and so are the problems and issues that we deal with. "There are no easy answers," many people will say. And often, they are right.

So we come up with systems and formulas to help deal with the problems of life, including sin. We have 12 steps, four spiritual laws, fivefold ministry and Rick Warren's baseball diamond.

All of these things are valuable and have helped people escape addiction and be more effective disciples of Jesus Christ. But do all of our solutions require blueprints and schematics? Does sanctification (the art of being holy) always come with directions, like one of those put-it-together-yourself shelving kits you buy from the hardware store?

There is another approach to dealing with sin. You only need two seconds to read it. It's found in 1 John 3:6 ­- actually the first half of verse 6. John writes, "no one who abides in him keeps on sinning."

The "him" is Jesus. To "abide" means to remain.

Two of the greatest writers of the faith were specialists in abiding. Brother Lawrence discussed it in his little book "The Practice of the Presence of God." Frank Laubach played "the game with minutes." He taught that we should keep God in mind at least one second of every minute of every day.

The closer we are to Jesus, the farther away we are from sin. If we keep Jesus at arm's length, that leaves a vacuum which sin will always occupy. My prayer for the brothers is that we keep Jesus close, abide in him, and make the songs of our lives sweet music to his ears.

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 The theme of narrow escapes and rescues is on my mind because of how our Navy rescued that merchant ship captain from pirates.

Have you ever had a close call, a brush with death or a life-threatening circumstance?

After a narrow escape, we think about what happened and why it happened. And the episode with the pirates reminded me of my own close call. One night in the 1980s, I was invited to a friend's house and would have automatically accepted the invitation. But the Holy Spirit told me not to go, so I called him to decline the invitation and told him why. My friend thought I had finally become a "religious fanatic."

The next day, my friend called and, in a shaky voice, said, "how did you know?" Turns out that the night before, he and his mom had been held at gunpoint by a crazy ex-boyfriend of my buddy's sister. The guy even stuck the gun in my buddy's chest and pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire even though it was loaded. They were wrestling for the gun as the sheriff's department stormed into the home. The guy later told the cops he had intended to kill everyone in the house, and then himself.

So my friend and I talked about how I knew. I told him about how I was saved by turning my life over to Jesus Christ, the greatest rescuer of all. Then I told him about how Christians - and only Christians - have access to a Holy Spirit who counsels, comforts and warns us away from danger.

Sometimes, in dramatic ways, God gives us second chances. Scripture tells us what we should do with those chances.

Psalm 118:17-18 says, "I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord. The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death."

May you be in tune with the indwelling Holy Spirit, always attentive to his leadings.

And may you be a bout the business of recounting the deeds of our mighty God!

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On this Good Friday,  I cannot think of anything better to write than Hebrews 10:19-25. This is from the English Standard Version.

 Therefore brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,

and since we have a great priest over the house of God,

let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope WITHOUT WAVERING, for he who promised is faithful

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

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  Every year the Final Four comes around, I am reminded afresh of the greatest basketball coach of all time, John Wooden of UCLA. I consider him a personal mentor, even though we have never met.

We remember him for his 10 national championships and the jaw-dropping array of talent he was able to attract and coach. Yet, his legacy is larger than basketball. Here is a man who exemplified every value we want to learn as men and every value we want to teach to our children. These values worked for Wooden (and are still working at age 98) from his small-town upbringing in Indiana to Los Angeles.

As a great teacher and motivator, Coach Wooden has done us all the immense favor of putting this value system on one piece of paper. It's called the "Pyramid of Success," and it deserves our careful study.

There are two pieces of the pyramid that stand out to me. The first is his definition of success: "Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you are capable."

The second is one of his 12 lessons of leadership: "Make each day your masterpiece."

Coach Wooden is also our brother in Christ and he's never been shy about proclaiming this fact. He knows creating masterpieces depends on close contact with the Master.

I highly recommend you dig into the wealth of teaching the coach has given us. You can start on his website, http://www.coachwooden.com/. Then, take a look at his books. My favorites are:

"Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections" - Collected quotes on a variety of subjects.

"Coach Wooden's Pyramid of Success: Building Blocks for a Better Life" - Covers each block of the pyramid. This would be a great book to take a small group through.

"Coach Wooden One-On-One" - This is a 60-day devotional and is wonderful to use with your daily quiet times with God.

 

 

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  One day in Jerusalem, the temple of God was being used for purposes that had nothing to do with God. Moneychangers and animal merchants were doing their business.

Then God's son walked in and noticed all this sinful activity. I get the impression he decided what to do at an instant. He took one look and said, "it's on now." In no time, he made a whip and started taking care of business.

We are temples as well, created by God and for God. But we also have an enemy who wants access to the temple. He says, "let me in and I'll give you a little something. I'll make it worth your while."

When this happens, it will get the attention of Jesus.

When we stray, there are times when he'll come after us and tenderly scoop us up.

But be clear: Jesus uses an incredible variety of ways to reach people. He comes at us from angles that no one else can. If your conception of Jesus is only that of a buddy or the man who will whisper sweet nothings in your ear, then you have painted a picture of a tiny harmless Jesus.

The real Jesus is capable of making a whip. And of using it.

Ever wonder what happened in the temple in the days after Jesus cleared the place out? Did it return to business as usual? Did the vendors set the tables back up and leave instructions not to let the crazy fool with the whip in again?

Now think of a persistent sin in your life. Jesus sees that sin. And he knows that persistent sin requires persistent whuppin'.

When you're under enemy attack, it may help to visualize a direct encounter between Jesus and Satan. Jesus swings the whip, Satan cringes, Jesus advances. Satan, as is his habit, runs from the scene but not totally out of the picture. He's off in the distance but still in sight. He starts to turn back toward you.

Then Jesus raises the whip again and says, "I've got more her for you if you want it!"

The enemy won't run away unless he's forced to. And no one can do the job like the man with the whip. He's got your back. All you have to do is invite him into the temple.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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My Thursday morning Bible stud brothers and I were at the front counter paying for our meals when we witnessed a bit of unexpected drama.

Our waitress Debbie was trying to get the room ready for the normal rush of group meetings. Another party of three people came in to do business - a man in a white shirt and tie with a gigantic pile of papers under his arm (probably the boss) and his two female colleagues. Another waitress was about to seat the threesome when Debbie asked her colleague to move them to a table farther back.

At that point, the man marched up to the cash register, his pile of papers in as much disarray as his emotions, "Well, I guess we're not wanted here!" he huffed, and stormed out the door, with his embarrassed colleagues right behind him.

This fellow didn't know our waitress like we do. He didn't know Debbie's generous serving heart. He also did not consider that she had to think about the needs of every customer in the place. His attitude was, "how dare this peon tell me where to sit? Doesn't she know I'm an important man?" 

I couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing. I thought I could actually see the letters J-E-R-K appear on his forehead.

Two seconds later, under some spiritual discomfort, I removed the beam from my own eye.

I wish I could say I'd never acted like a spoiled child in public when my carefully laid-out plans were foiled. But it wouldn't be true.

How do we react when we don't get our way? How can we train ourselves not to let our anger fly out of our mouths in a flash? It takes practice and a growing awareness that God's carefully laid-out plans, not ours, are what matter. We also need to try and put ourselves in the shoes of the other person. If you worked in retail job or a position serving the public, you're already in that position.

We represent Jesus Christ, and we should be constantly aware that all those people we come in contact with during the day, even the difficult people, are the same folks he died for.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

 

 

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  Last fall, when the economy began to take a nap, the government decided to rouse it from its slumber by a set of packages known as "stimulus." Under this theory, the government infuses huge amounts of money into the economy. Unlike the bailout, which was a rescue package designed to prevent the demise of certain parts of the economy, a stimulus is designed to wake the economy up and get it moving again.

Christ-followers already have their bailout in the saving blood of Jesus Christ. We screamed to God, "Save us!" And He did,

Do we also have a stimulus? I say we do: the Holy Spirit indwelling. The Spirit helps get us out of bed each day, guides and directs our steps, helps us make the best decisions and gives us discernment.

There are plenty of other alternative addictive stimuli out there, which act to dull the senses. But the Spirit stimulates all our senses. We're awake, alive and able to drink in every drop of the abundant life Christ promises us. We have POWER in the Holy Spirit. We don't want to be under anesthesia. We don't want to deaden our senses because we may miss something God has for us.

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