Category: Brother Al (Page 18 of 69)

In 63:7- 64:12, Isaiah is acting as a mediator on behalf of his people.  It is a lament and a cry of help.  The content is similar to the book of Lamentations.  The prophet laments over the failure of the people, but also questions God about allowing perilous conditions to persist. These are questions asked in real pain and perplexity, not in hostility or arrogance.  Rather then brooding within, Isaiah directs his compliant upwards to God.  

Where are you, God?  Why are things so different from the way they used to be?  Why are our hearts so hard?  How can we be saved?  How much longer will you be angry with us? “This is one of the most eloquent intercessions of the Bible, as he [Isaiah} surveys the past goodness of God and the present straits of his people” (New Bible Commentary).

Isaiah remembers the way God lead his people. The Message expresses it compassionately, “He didn’t send someone else to help them.  He did it himself, in person.  Out of his own love and pity He redeemed them.  He rescued them and carried them along for a long, long time” (63:9).  But they turned away.  “But they turned on him, they grieved his Holy Spirit.  So, he turned on them, became their enemy and fought them” (v 10).  I wonder how much we have turned away from the Lord? 

Then Isaiah cries out in lament. “Whatever happened to your passion, your famous mighty acts, Your heartfelt pity, your compassion? Why are you holding back? (63:15 -MGS).  He is wondering why God is not making his presence known in their present crisis.  He goes on to ask, “Lord, why have you allowed us to turn from your path?  Why have you given us stubborn hearts, so we no longer fear you? (63:17 NLT).  Isaiah is probably wondering, “God are you giving us what we deserve.”  Is this a question we dare to ask?  

But in 64:1 he cries out boldly, “Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you!”  He is asking God to act on behalf of his people.  He recognizes God’s sovereignty in history saying, “Since before time began no one has ever imagined, no ear heard. no eye seen; a God like you who works for those who wait for him” (64:4 -MSG).  

He grieves over the condition of the people. “No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins” (64:7 NLT).  The prophet seems to accept the sinful condition of his people, as God, “giving them over to their sins.”  

Then we hear his heart felt prayer for the nation. “Still, God, you are our Father.  We’re the clay and you’re our potter: All of us are what you made us.  Don’t be too angry with us, O God.  Don’t keep a permanent account of wrongdoing.  Keep in mind, please, we are your people – all of us” (v 9 – MGS).

In the midst of all the wrong that he sees in the nation, Isaiah directs his prayer in lament to God.  This is a lesson for each of us.  The greater the darkness, the more we should bring our complaint to God.  But like Isaiah we need to plead for his mercy upon us, even though we do not deserve it.  “In the face of all this, are you going to sit there unmoved, God?  Aren’t you going to say something?  Haven’t you made us miserable long enough?” (64:12 – MSG). 

 

In Chapter 6 of Micah, the prophet is using legal language to portray a courtroom scene.  God is bringing a lawsuit against Israel. He instructs them, “Stand up and state your case against me” (6:1).   Israel put on trial before the watching world is, “epitomized in dramatic terms by its oldest inhabitants – the mountains and the hills – who have been silent witnesses to his dealings with people right from the beginning” (BST). 

“And now, O mountains, listen to the Lord’s complaint!  He has a case against his people.  He will bring charges against Israel” (6:2).  God is entering a charge.  Now Israel must bring its defense.  Earlier Micah had given a long list of their sins, but now the mood has changed.  God in his compassion addresses them as “his people” (v 3).  “The language here is personal and passionate, far more like a father’s plea to his child or a husband pleading with his wife” (BST). 

God is more concerned about restoring a relationship rather then listing all their shortcomings.  “O my people what have I done to you?  What have I done to make you tired of me? Answer me!” (v 3 ).  I can almost feel my mother in her loving discipline of me, asking “Alan, what have I done wrong that I should be treated in this manner.”  Like the Israelites, I could either shrug off my mother’s discipline or admit my fault.  God, as a loving father is asking his people to consider their rebellious attitude.  He is grieved over their behavior as his people.

God reminds them to remember all that He had done. “I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery.  I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam.  My people remember what Balak king of Moab plotted and what Balaam son of Beor answered.  Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord” (v 4-5).  The Lord is imploring them to remember how he brought them out of Egypt, preserving and protecting them on their journey to the promised land.

I wonder –  have we forgotten the mighty acts of God in our day.  We may have failed as his people  and as a nation as well.  But, I contend, God’s favor has been upon us in many ways.  I wonder – is His hand of favor being lifted in our day.  When I survey the moral stance of our nation, is God asking, “Dear people, how have I done you wrong?  Have I burdened you, worn you out!  Answer!  

There has been a deliberate attempt to question and remove our Christian heritage.  But as believers we are to remember not only the goodness of God in our lives, but how his hand of favor has been upon our nation.  Woe to us, if we forget God. One lesson from Micah 6 is not to forget.  “When people refuse to see how fortunate they are and begin to take God’s gifts for granted, they become self-centered.” (Application Bible). 

Men, do not let the angry voices in our culture cause you to forget.  Remember to, “Keep all God’s salvation stories fresh and present” (6: 5 – MGS). Be eternally thankful for his goodness.  In our day, especially celebrate and be glad for the freedom you have enjoyed.  May it motivate you to take a stand for the Lordship of Jesus in our day. We all may be asked to pay a price for our stand.  If we don’t stand for what is right, who will?

   

 

 

 

On  the 25^th anniversary of Rich Mullins’ death in 1997, I was reading some articles by people he had influenced.  My memory of his music was stirred, music from the 80’s and early 90’s that still touches me today.  As Bethel McGrew observed, Mullins would “have defied easy categorization in today’s Christian culture wars.” Mullins was indeed a “ragamuffin” Christian for Brennan Manning’s “Ragamuffin Gospel” for people of faith who are among “the bedraggled, beat-up and burnt-out.” Mullins “was flawed and broken, every bit the raggamuffin he claimed to be and more.  But he told us the truth as he could see it,” noted Russell Moore.  Andrew Greer and Randy Cox wrote about the tension Mullins felt with the evangelical establishment of his time. “Rich chafed against the paint-by-numbers parameters of the gospel music industry.  From his ragamuffin perspectiven, his choice was clear: he could either appease the mass-market demands of a religiously ‘right’ constituency by softening his creed and diluting his dialogue or he could appeal to people’s heart through honest and human exchange.” In my early days of spiritual growth, Mullins’ appeal was two-fold for me.   First, as Greer and Cox observed, Mullins appealed to the heart.  He knew and expressed emotional and spiritual suffering.  His songs expressed these sentiments.  The second aspect of Mullin’s influence on me was his searching for spirituality within the Catholic tradition (an asymptotic catholic).  He was positioned as a kind of “folk theologian in the space between Protestantism and Catholicism.” There are several songs that I especially remember.  The first Awesome God, which was almost anthem during the height the the charismatic movement.  Both Judy and I have fond memories of those days.  It is a simple refrain: “Our God is an awesome God/He reigns from heaven above/With wisdom, power, and love/Our God is an awesome God.”  I can almost hear a large crowd singing this with all their might. The second is Hold Me Jesus.  It is a haunting song of spiritual struggle.  I identified with Mullins’ struggle in this.  One verse goes: “Surrender don’t come natural to me/I’d rather fight You for something I don’t really want/Than to take what You give that I need/And I’ve beat my head against so many walls/Now I’m falling down I’m falling on my knees.”  Wow.  I still identify with these words. The chorus brings back a lot of memories: “So hold me Jesus ’cause I’m shaking like a leaf/You have been king of my glory/Won’t you be my Prince of Peace.” I remember identifying with “the leaf.”  It described my heart condition.  I was only learning to put my hand on my heart and look up to Jesus and cry for mercy.  Thank you, Jesus, for Rich Mullins’ vulnerability. The third song is If I Stand.  I can still identify deeply with the chorus.  “So if I stand let me stand on the promise/That you will pull me through/And if I can’t, let me fall on the grace/That first brought me to You/And if I sing let me sing for the joy/That has born in me these songs/And if I weep let it be as a man/Who is longing for his home.” Wow!  How often I still  have to “fall on the grace” that brought me to Jesus in the beginning.  I am thankful that God has given me the gift of tears, to weep over my own sins.  While I continue to journey, now on the homeward stretch, I long for home and for what is yet to come.  Thank you, Rich Mullins, for your influence in my life.  

The “Day of The Lord” is an expression found frequently in the Old Testament prophets.  It points to an extraordinary event.  It could refer to a present event (like a locust plague) an even in the near future (like the destruction of Jerusalem) or the final period in history when God will defeat the forces of evil.  However, in Joel’s day,  many of God’s people had come to believe the day of the Lord referred to a day of blessing.  It tended to produce complacency.   

When Joel saw the day of the Lord as a day of judgment, it caught the people by surprise.   He prophesied, “The day of the Lord is near, the day when destruction comes from the Almighty.  How terrible that day will be!” (1:15)  Then in 2:2-11, the prophet gives a vivid description of all the devastation across the land.  He cries out, “The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful; Who can endure it?” (2:11).

I want to ask – “In what way is the day of the Lord relevant for our day?  How should we prepare ourselves for a contemporary day of the Lord?  Are we as a nation approaching such an event in the near future?  In my heart I have a sense of foreboding.  Is God trying to get the attention of His church?  Are we behaving more like victims rather than bold witness to the sovereignty of God in our national affairs?”

Joel’s counsel for us in our day is to “cry out to the Lord” (1:14).  “When we are facing bitter and utter desolation, it is not our immediate reaction to cry out to God.  It is easier and more common, to withdraw and to take it out on others…….this has the effect of devouring our faith in God.  Joel’s instruction effectively tells the people to jettison any vestige of pride, self-sufficiency, anger or rebelliousness” ( Bible Speaks Today).  

Joel exhorts the people, “Put on sackcloth.” (1:13)  There is to be external actions that express the inward cry of the heart.  The prophet calls for the priest to “Declare a fast [and] call a sacred assembly.”  They are to “Summons the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord” (1:14).  “There is a suggestion here that in times of national crisis, spiritual leaders should take the imitative in calling on political and other leaders to cry out to God” (BST). 

There is a dramatic change in the second part of the prophecy.  “Then the Lord was jealous for his land and took pity on his people” (2:18).  God makes a promise: “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten – the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm – my great army that I sent among you” (2:25).

I wonder about the  present condition of our nation?  Is the Spirit of God stirring the hearts of  people in the church to come before him and cry out for God to the merciful to us as a nation?  Are enough hearts being broken for the sins of our nation?  Are we coming with humble, repentant hearts, asking for forgiveness and boldness to live as loving servants in a dying culture?  I wonder.  

My challenge to men is to take the lead in coming before the Lord. Dismiss the fear-mongering so prevalent in our nation and cry out to the Lord to have mercy.    God is looking for men who will be his witnesses in our day. 

 

 

 

“Dangerous Goodness” is the theme of a recent men’s conference hosted by Kenny Luck’s Every Man Ministries.  There are a lot of good men’s ministries out there –  Luck’s is one of them.  But I was struck by the title of this particular conference.

Luck said this about the theme:  “Male strength is a great thing for our culture when compassion and character are guided by it for the sake of others.  More than any time in history, the world is craving men who are dangerous with goodness versus just dangerous or ‘toxic.’  The power of a movement like ‘Dangerous Goodness’ is that it speaks God’s truth about manhood to all men everywhere.  When they take hold of their identities as Spirit-empowered leaders, that propels an exponential effect around the world.”

Speaking of the conference, Luck said, “Our mission and goal are simple: to create a space for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of men.  And then I hope for an expression of that outpouring in the spaces and places where God has placed those same men in cities – where they live, where they work, where they pray, and where they play.” 

Dangerous goodness is a concern I’ve had when addressing the need of men to “step up.”  It seems to me the men’s movement needs to be careful when we are called to walk the straight and narrow way of Jesus.  We can easily fall into a ditch on either side.  One side stresses the tough, macho man, while the other a more soft, sensitive, caring man.  What is so desperately needed is for men to be both “tough” and “tender” or men living both as “lion” and “lamb.” 

That is why I embrace  the theme of “dangerous goodness.”  To me it speaks of men being dangerous (tough) yet expressing the goodness of God (tender). Men will need exemplars of this male stance. When men see it fleshed out in another men, they will rise up and want to take back what has been lost with an expression of compassion and character.   

I agree with Luck: “More than any time in history,  the world is craving men who are dangerous with goodness versus just dangerous or ‘toxic.'”  I identify with the idea of men being dangerous with goodness.  Luck states, “Male strength is a great thing for our culture when compassion and character are guided by it for the sake of others.”

The issue gets down to exemplars of compassion and character “guiding” men in “dangerous goodness.”  In groups all over our country men can “take hold of their identities as Spirit-empowered leaders.” Christian men need to be encouraged in being leaders in their spheres of influence.  But they need guidance from older, more seasoned men on how to practice “dangerous goodness.”

I agree, we need a mighty “outpouring of the Holy Spirit” in the lives of men.  Then they can go out into the “spaces and places” to walk out an expression of “dangerous goodness.”  It will not be easy.  Men have a target on their chest, placed there by the spirit of our age. 

Let Paul’s farewell to the Ephesian elders inspire you. “I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.  However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace” (Acts 20:22-24).  Let us finish the race and complete the task with “dangerous goodness.”

  

 

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In this blog I want to call attention to a contemporary worship song.  It is by Charity Gayle.  I have watched the video and  it made an deep impression on this “old soul.” First the words are theological sound; second, the young lady sings with sincerity and passion.  Third, the young people in worship seem to be caught up in the words as they worship their Lord and Savior.

I find Ms. Gayle’s worship authentic, able to connect with the soul.   My spirit resonated with her spirit.  I was moved to want to stand and fight.  Yes, her audience is young, having much to learn on the  spiritual journey.  I personally would not be able to enter into their worship style for an extended period of time.  But I do believe God is both anointing and raising up a new style of passionate worship to equip a whole new generation of young people who want to take back our nation from the forces of darkness.  

I encourage you to go to youtube and enter into the worship (Charity Gayle – I Speak Jesus).  I identify with her declaring in worship, the name of Jesus, in the present day of coming darkness.  The chorus goes like this: “‘Cause Your name is power/Your name is healing/Your name is life/Break every stronghold/Shine through the shadows/Burn like a fire.” With passion she sings: “I just wanna speak the name of Jesus/’Til every dark addiction starts to break/Declaring there is hope and there is freedom/I speak Jesus.“

I don’t know if all young people realize the magnitude of the fight they are facing.  But, praise God, they are speaking the name of Jesus.  Paul tells us, “So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials.  And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way.  This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours.  This is for keeps, and life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels” (Eph. 6:11-13 MSG).  

We know that at the name of Jesus, “every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:10-11).  In the book of Revelation, before the end, we read of the song sung in heaven, “Who will not fear you, Lord. and bring glory to your name?  For you alone are holy.  All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed” (Rev. 15:4).     

So yes, we need to speak the name of Jesus.  What will this mean for men in the coming days.  First, be sure you are sold out to Jesus.  The enemy can easily identify and take out an imposter.   Second, believe with all your heart and mind that the name of Jesus means power.  Jesus prayed, “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name” (John 17:11)

Thirdly, let Jesus into your very center, giving you confident that the Lord has put his words in your mouth.  God told Jeremiah, “I have put my words in your mouth (Jer. 1:9).  Later Jeremiah testified, “his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones” (Jer. 20:9). 

Fourthly, praise God in all circumstances, even as you speak to name of Jesus.  Leave the results to him.  Paul said, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances’ (Phil 4:11). 

 

 

As a follower of Jesus, I have often prayed,  “Your kingdom to come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” I wonder how long a holy and righteous God will tolerate our indifference to him.  Have we rejected the light that has been given us? The voices of “antichrist” seem more vocal and dominant.  The display of “the rainbow flag” calls into question the creation story, while discrimination against those who live under the Lordship of Christ leads to believers being “canceled” by zealous opponents of biblical truth. 

I ask, “How long will God keep silent?”  Are we beginning to see his judgment in the unraveling of our culture?  I don’t know.  But along with the prophet Habakkuk, I ask, “How long, Lord, must I call for help but you do not listen?”  I wonder how prevalent this cry is among God’s people today?  Are we too blind and deaf to not see God’s hand of judgment in current affairs?   I wonder!

Isaiah asked the people of God, “Who talked you into the pursuit of this nonsense, leaving me high and dry, forgetting you ever knew me?  Because I don’t yell and make a scene do you think I don’t exist.”  God accuses them of looking to “no-gods” for help.  “I’ll go over, detail by detail, all your ‘righteous’ attempts at religion, and expose the absurdity of it all.  Go ahead, cry for help to your collection of no-gods: A good wind will blow them away.  They’re smoke, nothing but smoke.” (Is. 57:11-12 – MSG). 

While it may seem that God is disinterested, there will come a time when He will break forth.  Isaiah uses the vivid image of childbirth, in describing God breaking through: “I have long been silent; yes, I have restrained myself.  But now, like a woman in labor. I will cry and groan and pant … I will lead blind Israel down a new path, guiding them along an unfamiliar way.  I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them.  Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them” (Is 42:14-15 NLT).

I find this image compelling, when I consider the distress and confusion believers have as they see the influence of the gospel diminishing, as the pollsters tell us Americans are becoming less religious, and as we follow the “no-gods” of the current day.  Even though God seems to be indifferent, the time will come when He suddenly break into history in a profound way.  

What is the advice Isaiah gives?  We are to wait.  This is expressed in three different ways. 

1. “I will wait for the Lord who is hiding his face from the descendants of Jacob.  I will put my trust in him” (Is. 8:17).  While the predominant sentiment might be indifference to God, we trust in his sovereignty over history and wait. 
2. “Yes, Lord walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desires of our hearts” (Is. 26:8). While God seems silent, we deeply long for God, waiting for him, because our hearts are set on Him and find their delight in him.
3. “Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him” (Is. 64:4).

We wait, knowing that God will act in his good time.  “He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’  Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'” (Rev. 21:5).  He calls us to patience.

 

 

In an article for Christianity Today, Michael Cosper writes on “the last gift my father gave me… the gift of grief… As I grieved my father, I learned to grieve other things I’d failed to grieve in the past – and somehow that grief made me feel whole.”  Translating Matt. 5:4 from the Greek as, “Flourishing are the mourners because they will be comforted,” Cosper found comfort -“and something in me began to crack open.” 

Without grief work, Richard Rohr maintains, “the soul remains self-enclosed, rattling around inside its own limited logic and disconnected from the world.”   Cosper recalls a friend asking him, “How’s your grief work going?”  When he could not answer the question, his friend asked, “Tell me about the last time you wept over any of this.” Grief can be unfinished hurt. “The grieving mode” observes Rohr, “is different from the fixing mode, the controlling mode or even the understanding mode of life.” 

Matthew 5:48 is frequently translated, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” However, biblical scholar Jonathan Pennington argues that “perfect” relates to “shalom” which bestows the peace of God. He points out, “Shalom…is active.  Shalom is a sense of wholehearted relationship with God and an awareness of the goodness in his care and rule of the world.” 

“Translating telios as ‘perfect’ makes Matt. 5:48 an ethical command, while rendering it as ‘shalom’ invites us into wholehearted relationship with God and rest in him. It’s a vision of grace.”  “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up.  You’re kingdom subjects.  Now live like it.  Live out your God created identity.  Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” (Matt. 5:48  MSG). 

“Am I grown up?”  Do I face my inner wounds and pain as a mature man in Christ, or do I still want to cast blame and see myself as a victim?  I can get easily stuck in an inner cave of self-pity and anger. I can feel sorry for myself and blame God for not acting on my behalf.  It’s hard to admit; but I act like a “spoiled brat” at times.  I need to grow up as a man, even at my age.  

 I was helped years ago with this insight from Richard Rohr:  “Many men think they are angry, but most male anger is really hidden sadness.”   Tasting sadness is part of the grieving process.  We open our hearts to the sadness that has been buried for years.  We come to peace and rest in him.  

Here are some insights to consider as you do your own grief work:   

First, be convinced that the broken and marginalized will flourish in the kingdom of God.  You might be halfway through the tunnel.  In your pain and shame, you are tempted to turn back, denying the reality of wounded soul.  No!  Keep pressing on.  This implies vulnerability, humility, and surrender.  You can’t fix your soul sickness or sadness.  Allow Jesus to carry you to the Father.

Second, resist all efforts to put yourself in the “church” box of the strong, spiritual, self-made man.  Remember that Jesus said, “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3).  Admit that you can’t fix yourself.  Surrender to your loving Father in childlike faith.

Third, remember that it is OK to grieve as you process your pain.  I have had to do it many times.  Get it out. You have carried it too long.   Don’t hold back; ask God to be merciful, as his wayward child returns home.  

Jorden Peterson is making waves again in the Evangelical community.  He recently published a message on You Tube entitled “Message to the Christian Churches.”  Peterson has gotten a lot of attention among evangelicals, especially in his appeal to young men.  He want us to be aware of the needs of men, warning us that they are facing an unparalleled demoralization due to the West’s weaponizing guilt regarding males. 

He is forceful in his challenge. “Put up a billboard saying “young men are welcome here”.…..Ask more, not less of those you are inviting.  Ask more of them than anyone ever has.  Remind them who they are in the deepest sense and help them become that.”  He is blunt when he says, “Attend to some souls.  That’s what you’re supposed to do.  That’s your holy duty.  Do it now, before it’s too late.  The hour is night.”

I for one have an appreciation for Peterson.  He has received his fair share of criticism because he has not as of yet become a believer.  Referring to Genesis, He tell the church how to speak to young men. “The Christian church is there to remind people, young men included, perhaps even first and foremost, that they have a woman to find, a garden to walk in, a family the nurture, an ark of build, and land to conquer, and a ladder to heaven to build.”  I only question the idea of a ladder to heaven.  Our message needs to be grace filled.  

When I watch his video and read some of the articles in response, I kept thinking of Isaiah prophecy regarding Jesus. “But he won’t yell, won’t raise his voice; there’ll be no commotion in the streets.  He won’t walk over anyone’s feelings, won’t push you into a corner.  Before you know it, his justice will triumph; the mere sound of his name will signal hope, even among far-off unbelievers” (Matt. 12:19-21 -MSG). 

In my view, Peterson is like a compassionate father figure, desperately trying to wake up the church, to welcome young men, who have lost their way in the midst of the cultural cross currents that have vilify the masculine.  Peterson has stood up to an over -bearing woke culture, and is now saying, “come home” to young men.  The church as a caring, open-minded and affirming community of folks who want to live out the reality of Genesis, can make a difference in the lives of lost young men.

But it will not be easy.  it will be messy, when young men, check out “The Good News” of the kingdom and its implications for our day.  What will it take?  Came we meet some of the challenges? Are we willing as followers of Jesus, to plant the Christian flag in the midst of almost demonic resistance, and say,  “At the beginning the Creator ‘make them male and female'” (Matt. 19:4).  God’s plan from the beginning is the reality we embrace. 

All other opinions are asking men to live in unreality. They are being asked to deny their identity as men, and settle for a patchwork of woke ideology, which imprisons men in a false reality.  It will not stand the tests that are about to come upon our whole nation.    

Men need to here it straight, with no apologies.  They will need strong, affirming communities to nurture their souls.  As Peterson said, “Attend to some souls….That’s your holy duty.  Do it now, before it’s too late.”  I for one, take Peterson’s message to heart.  We can learn a lot from the common grace, as expressed by the likes of Jordan Peterson.  

 

 

New songs by Spirit-led artists can speak to my soul.  Kristene DiMarco’s latest song “Gravity” is such a song.  It is a searching song that subtly probes the hidden life of the soul.  It will make men (if they’re open to it) ask questions regarding their hidden, inner life.  The chorus speaks to the gravity of our condition: “Positivity can’t split these seas/And all my optimism won’t set this captive free/I need a King who hung on Calvary/I’ll always need a God who feels deeply/I need a God who knows the gravity.“

Paul describes the gravity of our struggle in Gal. 5:16-18 (NLT): “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.  Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.  The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants.  And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires.  These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.  But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.” 

Earlier in Romans, Paul laments, “I want to do what is good, but I don’t.  I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.  But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong, it is the sin living in me that does it” (Romans 7:19-20 – NLT).  Men, that is a pull of gravity in each of us, the pull of our flesh in conflict with the Spirit.  

Each man reading this blog knows of the gravitational pull of the “sinful nature.”  All our positivity and optimism will not release us from this pull.  The singer refers to “This innocent idolatry/Not letting You in too deep/Because who knows if You can handle me.”  In our pride (innocent idolatry), we think we can handle what goes on inside.  We prefer to manage our spiritual life, not realizing we can’t do it without the Lord (John 15:5; Psalm 16:1-2).  

“This innocent idolatry” creates an image of God being “proud of me [when I] keep my tears back behind my eyes.”  Men, we can too easily project the image of a “strong, spiritual man” to hide our real pain.  It’s okay to cry.  The song asks, “When did I decide/I’m not allowed to cry?”  My advice: spend time before God allowing yourself to feel and express your deep, hidden pains. 

The singer laments that her “innocent idolatry” causes her to “make You somehow just like me/Unable to sit in the suffering.”  Then “movin’ too fast past my grief/When you are acquainted with what I’m carrying.”  At the end the singer asks, “Don’t let this truth be lost on me/My God, He feels the gravity of everything.”  

Men, it an absolute, wonderful truth to know that Jesus suffered for you.  Allow yourself to feel your emptiness, nothingness, and hidden shame.  Then look up and out of your pit, into the eyes of love.  See the suffering, wounded heart of God bleeding on the cross for you.  Trust Him to take your pain.   Confess: “This innocent idolatry/I make you somehow just like me/Unable to sit in the suffering.”  

Men, you can break the pull of gravity?  Humble yourself as a child before the Father and let him carry you as you find your way home together.  Claim this promise for yourself: “At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home” (Zeph. 3: 20).