Blowout 2: Forgot to mention . . .

Per the last story, one other little tidbit. Someone asked me, Why didn't you call me for a ride?

Well, I forgot my cell phone!

Tough to call for help when you don't have your phone. And it is tough to ask for help when you don't pray.

As always in life, if we aren't prepared to pray, or even forget about it (heaven forbid), then we are stranded and will have to get back on our own strength. Fortunately, God is always near. And the discipline of prayer is very important.

Yes, I forgot my cell phone. But I still had plenty of time to talk to God. I'm glad he never drops calls!

Jeremiah 33:3 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'



I did notice that 20 pickup trucks passed me, but no one offered to help--but that is a blog for another day.

The Blowout

Well, I decided to ride my bike on Thursday morning. Nice and cool, a little cloud cover, some sprinkles. I get my bike down from the rack, and the front tire is flat. I noticed it was leaking, but I keep filling it up. I put some "slime" in it, the green stuff that fills the puncture, and it seems to work OK. So, I filled it up to the max limit and took off.

Got a mile down the road to Frankford and Erskine and went the Town n Country. Checked the tire. It was squishy, but not bad. Thought to myself, if I ride the full 8 miles, I will need more aid. So I plugged up the gas station air on the tire. Took 4 seconds and it was ready.

So, I'm off down the road, taking side streets around construction. I get all the way to Centennial School (near Quaker and the N. Loop), where I usually turn around to come back. I feel good, and am ready to face the Southwest wind on the way home when . . . . .

POP!!!

There I was, 4 miles from home, with a major front tire blow out. And it started raining. Briefly. But ironically funny.

Yup, can happen to anyone at any time. So, I'm trying to be spiritually minded here, and I ask "God, what can I learn from this."

My next thought was, "OK, who prayed for me, and what did you ask God to do for me!"

You ever tried to just walk and not think about anything? Yeah, I know. A man should be good at that. However, random things kept popping into my mind, and most of them didn't seem to apply much to my circumstance. Irritating songs kept interrupting moments of illumination, and pretty soon, I found myself a half mile down the road and no closer to a spiritual lesson.

So, I prayed again for guidance.

One thing struck me. I knew the tire was weak, and instead of fixing it, I waited for it to break. The tire was even flat--a perfect indication of problems. Yet, I increased pressure and pressed on like nothing was wrong. When it became evident that the problems were going to continue, I increased the pressure even more and pressed on. Finally, at a most inconvenient time, the tire finally blew up on me, and I had 4 miles and an hour to think about what went wrong.

This happens with air conditioners, roofs, computers (although they often don't give any warning), cars, and people (who often don't give warnings, at least verbally).

So, with everything else that is going on today, I got a little extra time for exercising and contemplation. I even think God spoke to me with some affirmation.

And now I am replacing a tire. It should have been done already. Has to be done now. And my procrastination led to a rather inconvenient, and frustrating, circumstance. Chose not to be angry--since I would have to be angry at myself for not correcting things earlier.

And somehow I got to hear God in my circumstance. We talked about several things on the way home. Affirmation is always nice. Being spiritually minded is always a good thing--not that I am worthy, but that God is able and present in my circumstances.

So, I am reminded of Philippians 2:5: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.

Even if it takes a blowout, let us readjust our minds to things above, not on things below.

Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

What do you want out of this study?

For those of you reading along in The Measure of a Man (and if you are not, join us!), p. 22 has some great questions and exercises on it. The one I want to post today, and would like to see your responses on the blog, is this: Write one goal you'd like to achieve as a result of this study.


Well what is it? Personally, I would like to assess my strengths and weaknesses in my Christian maturity and develop the discipline to pray daily about them.


I would also like to see the men in my church develop the discipline of daily prayer--for themselves, their families, their church, and the Kingdom!

Becoming a Faithful Man 2

On pg. 21, Getz writes "While Paul was outlining criteria for selecting leaders, he was in essence saying, 'Timothy, if a man wants to become a spiritual leader, that's great. Just make sure he's a mature man, and here's how you can determine if he measures up to God's standards as a Christian." Getz then concludes that the criteria for those who want to serve God are universal--all Christian men should strive to build these characteristics.



When I look at the list, I am overwhelmed by the sheer number of characteristics. I wonder to myself, "Is this even possible?" Then I hear a still, small voice inside saying, "It is impossible without me. But with me, all things are possible." (Phil. 4:13; Luke 1:37) And I am humbled at the idea that God would make a way for change to occur in me--not because I am able, but because he is able.



Then I read Getz' words describing the thoughts of God on this point (22): "I love you no matter what you've done, no matter where you are in your spiritual growth, no matter what your feelings. I'm on your side. I have not rejected you. You are My child. You can become a man of God, and I'm here to help you."



Ah yes, faithfulness to the task of BECOMING is very "doable" simply because we are called to the task by the One who is always FAITHFUL.

What is a man of God?

The heart of Getz' book "The Measure of a Man" is found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-10. The list of 20 characteristics on p. 20 is discussed throughout the book and is the backbone for identifying "'the man of God' who is 'equipped for every good work.'" (p. 19). 2 Timothy 3:17:

I am not much into lists because they are self-limiting. How can you possibly get all the info in a list. However, the benefit of a list is that it brings key ideas into focus. So, I think we need to take Getz' list as a starting point--and with 20 markers, it is a very large starting point. However, even if we were able to perfect each of these characteristics, we would have to realize that we would not be complete--unique and disciplined and special, but not complete.

And this brings me back to a point in the Getz' text on p. 19. How do we recognize the man of God? Well, is it the list? If so, how do we rate the list, measure it, evaluate individuals based on it, and on and on. To me, the man of God is not someone who will measure up to the list, but who is willing to explore the list and give God the opportunity to work him over. It is about attitude, not perfection. King David is noted as a man after God's own heart. If that doesn't describe a man of God, I don't know what does. Terms like "prophet" and "priest" were also used to describe God's men. And yet, the kings, prophets, and priests of old were all still in need of a savior and sacrifice. They were not perfect.

What does this mean to me? Well, first of all, if David can be a man after God's heart, then I can be also. Secondly, men of God are not measured by what they have done, but where they are going and what they are doing. And to clarify further, men of God are known by what God is doing in them, not by what they are doing in their own strength. THUS, MEN OF GOD ARE KNOW, NOT BY WHAT THEY WERE OR ARE, BUT BY WHAT THEY ARE BECOMING.

So, as I read this book, I find myself forced to deal with my imperfections and my motivations. I also am challenged to re-evaluate my direction in life. Where am I going? Am I leading the way, or is God leading the way? Am I trying to attain certain human characteristics, or am I "after" God's heart?

So, as we venture through this book together, I hope you are inspired to become more than you are today--more like God, less like the world, more into the Spirit, less into material things, more into Christ, less into yourself.

Hey! We made the Avalanche-Journal

Thanks to the Av-Jo for including us in the "blog" article on Sunday. Woohoo.

Now I guess I'd better blog some more to make it look like we're really paying attention . . .

Becoming a Faithful Man

I like the quote that GG (Gene Getz) provides on pg. 18 of The Measure of a Man. He is referring to two business managers who overheard one his discipleship studies. He notes their comments about the list of characteristics of a mature Christian.

"You know, . . . this is the first time we've heard this list of qualifications from the Bible. But we've learned from experience in hiring people for middle-management positions that these are the kind of men we're looking for. We want employees who have a good reputation. We don't want a man who is cheating on his wife or sleeping around, because chances are, he'll cheat the company. We certainly don't want a man who has all kinds of domestic problems. If he can't handle his own family, how in the world is he going to handle people in our steel mill?"

How indeed!

So, think about your own qualifications as a man of God (or child of God for you women out there). We must admit that we are all flawed, and yet God calls us to himself and asks us to serve. Why? Because we are worthy? Nope. Yet, God has a plan, and we are part of it, weaknesses and all.

And so, we are part of a bigger plan--a great adventure with God. And he calls us to be like him--more than we can be on our own. But we cannot be more without giving ourselves to God and allowing him to make more out of us.

Lemons need sugar to become lemonade.
Concrete needs sand and gravel in order to be a solid foundation.
Fuel needs oxygen and a spark before it becomes flame.

What other analogies would you add? And what do you need in order to become the man (or woman, for you women out there) that God wants you to be?

In the end, we need to realize that our current life is a reflection on our savior and our faith. We are called to be more like God. Are we really accomplishing that goal--is it even a goal for us?

I can't get Philippians 3:12: Not that I have already attained this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold for me.

What has he taken hold of? My first impression is my salvation and new nature. He has obtained this for me. Now, as Paul, I must strive to reach the fullness that Christ had already purchased for me in his blood. The victory is won--let the transformation begin!