Blog Archives - IRONSTRIKES

Sunday Meditation

12/21/2014

This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. . .and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. Luke 2:12,18

Some people think of God as a monster. Others think of God as the bully-in-the-sky. Others think of God as remote and abstract. These images come readily to us. We would not find it difficult to invent these gods. We are not amazed by them.

Like those who heard the shepherd's report, however, we stand amazed at the Christian Image. The image of a vulnerable God, a God-in-human-flesh, does not come readily to us. Who would have ever invented this God who comes as an infant? Who would have ever dared to think such a thing of God? But this is The Story, The Image. Christians have always insisted that the central drama of the history of this planet is centered on this God-who-comes-as-an-infant.

Things have not changed since the shepherds shared the amazing news. Being a Christian still involves staying open to the possibility that God will surprise us today. Just as God surprised the shepherds that day, so God may surprise us today.

Staying open to the possibility that God will surprise us with good things is not easy for people like us who find it easier to expect bad things. But God surprises us again and again with good things. The same God who came as a baby, wrapped up, lying in a feeding trough continues to surprise us.

What a surprise you are, God!
I expected monster, bully, distant abstraction.
What a surprise you are, Infant-God!
Help me this day to be open to your surprising grace.
Help me this day to be open to your surprising love.
Help me this day to hope in you.
Help me to allow my deep longings for you to awaken.
So that I will not miss your surprises.

Amen.

Copyright Dale and Juanita Ryan
National Association for Christian Recovery

5 Things I wish I could tell my past self

12/20/2014

Do you ever reflect on the person that you once were and confusingly scratch your head? “What was I thinking?” you may ponder to yourself, but we all know we can’t go back in time. What if we could, though? What if we could hop in our time machine that we just purchased at Target (I love that place) and give our past self a tiny nugget of wisdom.

For me, I could have taken myself to a really long lunch and laid out thousands of “truths” that would have proven handy. BUT, as the famous female scholar from YouTube once said, “ain’t nobody got time for that!”. Regardless, as I was thinking of this concept, a few things came to mind. I wish I could visit my past self and tell him a few things that I hope he would remember (you would think that meeting the future you…in all his hairless glory would be memorable to say the least).

Here are 5 things I wish I could tell my past self.

1. Give more- Here is the first thing you need to know. I am not going to spoil the surprise for you, but when you get older you are going to see the miracle of God’s provision so many times that it will amaze you. God doesn’t give you things because you give, but blessing is a natural byproduct of generosity. The math with never add up on your earthly calculator, but I am telling you…giving will bring joy.

2. Being cool doesn’t matter- It’s true. Those people that you think are so cool and “popular” will some day work for a call center or have a record of misdemeanors. Don’t worry though…you will never be the cool type, so you are safe. I can also tell you that no matter how “cool” you are you are being watched and you can decide now whether or not God will have an influence on your behavior. Drop the need to impress…it is a waste of time and energy.

3. When you find “the one”- Ok…I really don’t want to give away the surprise, but I promise she is out there. You will have kids too, and they will be great. Look for the girl of your dreams in the fall of your junior year of high school. You will know…trust me. Oh…and treat her like a queen. All I can tell you is that she will be royalty and worth every ounce of energy you have…AND I know your hormones are wondering this so I will just put them at ease. She is a babe.

4. Go all in- There will be many times in your future in which you will question God and His plan. You will be glad that you stuck with His will. Go all in. Don’t give half or even a small part of yourself to your call. He will bless you and your family if you do so. Obviously your family will be your first ministry, and being a father will be your most rewarding pastorate… Don’t give up.

5. Stop worrying- You are such a wimp when it comes to worrying about your future. Stop it. I can be that blunt with you because I am you. You will give countless hours to the artful craft of concern when, in actuality, it will earn you nothing. So, when you feel an anxiety episode coming on…remember that the one who created the universe can handle your puny little problems. I know that sounds harsh, but I have skin in the game here pal.

All in all, you are doing all right kid. Keep on desiring to draw close to God and you will never regret it. There are going to be really tough times, but make sure that your suffering is never wasted or lost in the sea of bitterness. Don’t forget to kiss your wife and kids every day too. They need you.

Good luck! Oh…and put down that doughnut please.

This post was written by Rev DeCrastos. For the original post, go to: http://other-words.net/2014/12/11/5-things-i-wish-i-could-tell-my-past-self/

Why JC Penney Christmas video went viral

12/19/2014

James Cash Penney went into the retail business as a young man and eventually established a chain of stores bearing his name. He built 1,400 JCPenney stores before the stock market crash of 1929 left him in financial ruin. Penney checked himself into a hospital, where he heard the hymn "God Will Take Care of You" being sung in the hospital's chapel and became a born-again Christian. For the rest of his life, he used his influence to serve Christ by serving others.

Fast forward to November 2011, when JCPenney replaced longtime CEO Mike Ullman with Apple executive Ron Johnson. Johnson immediately fired many of the company's leaders and tried to promote sweeping culture change for the organization. Company stock nosedived. Johnson was fired after less than two years, and Ullman was asked to step back in.

It was my privilege to meet and share a platform with Mike earlier this year. I found him to be one of the most brilliant, engaging, humble leaders I've ever met. His Christian commitment is clear and bold. He has already improved the culture of JCPenney in remarkable ways. Now his company has done something especially unusual, a promotion called "the gift of giving."

The now-viral video tells the remarkable story. JCPenney wanted to buy gifts for customers, but in an unusual way. Store employees asked shoppers to find someone in the store they didn't know and offer to "buy" them a gift. One gave a woman a sofa. Another gave a couple their engagement ring. A delighted girl was given a pair of slippers. One tearful woman told her benefactors that it was her birthday. People were clearly blessed to receive, and even more blessed to give.

This post was written by Jim Denison. For the original post, go to: http://www.denisonforum.org/cultural-commentary/1277-why-did-jcpenney-video-go-viral

To my porn watching dad, from your daughter

12/18/2014

Dear Dad,

I want to let you know first of all that I love you and forgive you for what this has done in my life. I also wanted to let you know exactly what your porn use has done to my life. You may think that this effects only you, or even your and mom’s relationships. But it has had a profound impact on me and all of my siblings as well.

I found your porn on the computer somewhere around the age of 12 or so, just when I was starting to become a young woman. First of all, it seemed very hypocritical to me that you were trying to teach me the value of what to let into my mind in terms of movies, yet here you were entertaining your mind with this junk on a regular basis. Your talks to me about being careful with what I watched meant virtually nothing.

Because of pornography, I was aware that mom was not the only woman you were looking at. I became acutely aware of your wandering eye when we were out and about. This taught me that all men have a wandering eye and can’t be trusted. I learned to distrust and even dislike men for the way they perceived women in this way.

As far as modesty goes, you tried to talk with me about how my dress affects those around me and how I should value myself for what I am on the inside. Your actions however told me that I would only ever truly be beautiful and accepted if I looked like the women on magazine covers or in porn. Your talks with me meant nothing and in fact, just made me angry.

As I grew older, I only had this message reinforced by the culture we live in. That beauty is something that can only be achieved if you look like “them”. I also learned to trust you less and less as what you told me didn’t line up with what you did. I wondered more and more if I would ever find a man who would accept me and love me for me and not just a pretty face.

When I had friends over, I wondered how you perceived them. Did you see them as my friends, or did you see them as a pretty face in one of your fantasies? No girl should ever have to wonder that about the man who is supposed to be protecting her and other women in her life.

I did meet a man. One of the first things I asked him about was his struggle with pornography. I’m thankful to God that it is something that hasn’t had a grip on his life. We still have had struggles because of the deep-rooted distrust in my heart for men. Yes, your porn watching has affected my relationship with my husband years later.

If I could tell you one thing, it would be this: Porn didn’t just affect your life; it affected everyone around you in ways I don’t think you can ever realize. It still affects me to this day as I realize the hold that it has on our society. I dread the day when I have to talk with my sweet little boy about pornography and its far-reaching greedy hands. When I tell him about how pornography, like most sins, affects far more than just us.

Like, I said, I have forgiven you. I am so thankful for the work that God has done in my life in this area. It is an area that I still struggle with from time to time, but I am thankful for God’s grace and also my husband’s. I do pray that you are past this and that the many men who struggle with this will have their eyes opened.

Love, Your Daughter

This post is anonymous. The original can be found here: http://www.faithit.com/an-open-letter-to-the-dad-looking-at-porn/

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

Plastic soldiers and HVA's

12/17/2014

Our two young boys wanted a nativity set, so we got a small one to place in their room. One night my wife went to tuck them in bed, only to find that Liam (age 5) had posted little plastic soldiers to guard the nativity. “They’re making sure baby Jesus is safe,” he announced.

I couldn’t wait to share a pic of his work with some military buddies. “LOL,” one texted back. “Gotta protect those HVAs” (High Value Assets).

Liam’s trust in military strength may be misguided. It was soldiers, after all, who carried out Herod’s heinous command to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16). But his concern for the child-Messiah melts my heart.

God has some unusual ways of caring for those He loves. With heaven’s armies at His disposal, He chooses surprising methods of leading us out of trouble—or into it.

In the case of baby Jesus, “an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream” and told him to flee into Egypt (Matthew 2:13). Herod’s soldiers couldn’t catch God’s Highest Value Asset. More than 3 decades later, however, there would be no divine escape plan, and Roman soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross. Did the Father love Jesus less when He was grown? To Christ we are High Value Assets! That’s why He went to the cross.

“Put away your sword,” Jesus told the disciple who defended Him on the night He was betrayed. “Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled?” (Matthew 26:52-54).

“Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7)—the God who sent His Son to die for His HVAs.

This post was written by Tim Gustafson of Our Daily Journey. You can find more information here: http://ourdailyjourney.org

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

Emerging from isolation

12/16/2014

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them—Matthew 18:20

Imagine, for a moment, a man ever isolated, living alone in the mountains, perhaps. Imagine him living a vigorous, adventurous, spiritual life, but lacking community. The knowledge this man would have of God, the knowledge he’d have of himself, would be modest compared to the knowledge he’d have of both, were he to have full access to relationships, friendships, brotherhood.

You see, the isolated man may know about God. But, no matter how much he might read and study, he cannot know God. That takes community. We get to know God by seeing his Holy Spirit moving in others. We encounter God, we experience him, we understand him when he works through the love and sacrifice of other people. In brotherhood, we get to show God to one another. And, the more we’re in community with brothers, the deeper our understanding becomes.

The isolated man may also know about himself—his talents, his likes, his dislikes. But, he cannot know himself. He cannot know the man God intends him to become. That too takes community. It takes others around him, who know his story, who spend time with him, who watch him, to discern and affirm and call forth things true and eternal in him, things God longs for to emerge. It takes brotherhood to call forth the true man.

Okay, so what do we do?

Though we live in cities and towns, many of us are yet like the man isolated in the mountains. We know about God, but we don’t know him. We know the men we’d like to be, but we don’t know the men He created us to be. This message, right now, is another call for brotherhood. It’s a call for you, brother, to get into community with other men. Find some brothers; find your place.

This post is written by Justin Camp of Gaither Ministries. You can find more information at: www.gaitherministries.com

Copyright © 2013 Gather Ministries, All rights reserved.

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

When not to talk

12/15/2014

Say only what will help to build others up and meet their needs. Then what you say will help those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

The monks at a remote monastery deep in the woods followed a rigid vow of silence. Their vow could only be broken once a year—on Christmas—by one monk. That monk could speak only one sentence.

One Christmas, Brother Thomas had his turn to speak and said, "I love the delightful mashed potatoes we have every year with the Christmas roast!" Then he sat down.

Silence ensued for 365 days.

The next Christmas, Brother Michael got his turn and said, "I think the mashed potatoes are lumpy, and I truly despise them!"

Once again, silence ensued for 365 days.

The following Christmas, Brother Paul rose and said, "I am fed up with this constant bickering!"

The absurdity cuts to a truth: some couples can carry on a conflict that last nearly as long.

In our book Love Talk, we devote an entire chapter to “When Not to Talk.” It may seem a bit unorthodox that in a communication book we are telling our readers to stop talking but let’s be honest, some conversations simply don’t need to take place. They waste our time.

If you’ve been telling your wife for three years to clean her hair out of the shower drain and she’s still not doing do it, or you’ve been arguing for four summers about whether or not to buy an expensive barbecue grill, it might be time to take a permanent break from the conversation.

At some point you’ve got to realize that talking is not going to provide the solution.

"Marriage is one long conversation, chequered by disputes." --Robert Louis Stevenson

The point is that if your conversations are getting you nowhere, you need to give it a rest and reclaim the time you’ve been wasting on them. Of course, in some cases, there are actions you can take that do speak louder than words.

If you’ve asked, cajoled, threatened, and harassed your wife about cleaning her hair out of the shower drain when she is through showering, and she keeps promising to do so but never does, you have some options:

A) You could decide to clean the drain for her and say no more about it.

B) You could leave it there and say nothing.

C) Or you could take the hair and place it on the vanity next to the bathroom sink.

This last option is for those with a mean streak (we don’t recommend it). The only option not available to you is to keep taking about it.

The bottom line is that you need to give up the conversations you keep having over and over and over. They will grind both of you down and steal precious time from talks that could be much more meaningful.

This post was written by Drs Les and Leslie Parrott. For more information, go to their website: http://www.lesandleslie.com

Sunday Meditation

12/14/2014

Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth. Hosea 6:3

There are days when we feel God's presence. We sense God's love. We see God's power. But we do not always feel or sense or see. There are times of silence, distance and uncertainty. There are the difficult times of waiting for God to appear. In times like this we may find ourselves both longing for God and fearing that God will come.

The longing comes because in our heart of hearts we know that there is no recovery without God's gracious presence. If God does not appear, we are stuck, bound, hopelessly entangled in dysfunction. If God does appear, it will be like the sun rising - we will be able to see the way. It will be like gentle rains which nurture us so that we can grow and thrive.

The fear comes because often we do not see God as one who comes as 'sun' and 'rain' to give life. We are afraid that when God does appear, it will be to punish us, to demand restitution from us, to shame us. Because we have served vengeful and vindictive gods, we fear that it will be the god-of-impossible-expectations who will finally appear.

We do well to follow the urging of this text to 'acknowledge God'. We need daily to examine whom we serve. When we acknowledge the god-of -impossible-expectations, then we will surely fear his appearing. But if we acknowledge the God of the Bible whose coming is to nurture and give life, then we will await God's coming like the dawn of a new day.

I acknowledge you, Lord.
You are not the god of impossible-expectations.
You are not the god-who-is-eager-to-punish.
I know what it is like when these other gods come.
They bring shame, blame and fear.
I do not acknowledge them, Lord.
I acknowledge you.

Come as the dawn of a new day, Lord.
Bring light into my dark days.
Come as gentle rain, Lord,
Cleanse, renew and nurture.
Come, Lord, as the dawn.
Come as the rains.
Water the parched earth of my soul.

Amen.

Copyright Dale and Juanita Ryan
National Association for Christian Recovery

Follow the bread crumbs

12/13/2014

As I was thinking about Christmas, and that little baby in Bethlehem, I got really interested in a seed of an idea.

The measure you use will be used on you

12/12/2014

Are we called to evaluate and judge someone by what he or she did, or by what that person does, by way of consistent habit? Over the last two and a half years, in light of my own faults and failures, I have given this subject a lot of thought. After insisting that people who live wicked and impure lives will not enter heaven, as such demonstrate that they have not been born again by grace through a genuine faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul writes: "In the past, some of you were like that, but you were washed clean. You were made holy, and you were made right with God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." (1 Cor. 6:11 NCV)

In the past, all of us have done (and said) ugly-natured, despicable acts. If one were to take a snapshot of a particular sin committed, as though that act were to encapsulate a person in his or her entirety, that would be wrong. No one who ever existed is defined by one or even a few negative or sinful acts. I remember Michael Brown's mother saying, in an interview regarding the Ferguson incident, that we saw 18 seconds of her son doing something wrong on a video; but she has 18 years of knowing her son. (link) From his mother's view, Michael should not be defined by some mistakes or wrong decisions he made any more than should you or I.

We all stumble in many ways (James 3:2), and none of us has yet arrived at perfection (Phil. 3:12). If we take one act, or one word, or even one unfruitful season in someone's life, and in a fit of strain force that moment to define a person, we not only falsely and unwarrantedly objectify the individual, but we also incriminate ourselves, because none of us has yet reached sinless perfection.

When I think of Samson, I do not necessarily think of his sin with Delilah and impose his infatuation and sin with her as the totality of his identity -- who he was as a human being. When I think of King David, I do not necessarily think of his sin with Urriah's wife Bathsheba and impose his sin with her as the totality of his identity -- who he was as a human being. I could admit the same with Solomon, whose life ended badly; and the apostle Paul, who murdered Christians prior to his conversion; or any number of people in the Bible who failed at moments in their life. Are we supposed to take snapshots of people's lives and claim, "This is who you are -- this defines you completely"?

I suppose the answer would be predicated upon an individual's repentance of certain failures or sins. For example, in the case of Jesus' betrayer Judas, we are never given glimpses of genuine repentance from his heart. What do we make, then, of Judas as a human being? What kind of man was he? Though called a disciple of Jesus Christ, we find his heart to be one of betrayal, one of never really being loyal to Christ from the beginning. Betrayal as nature seems to belong to Judas' identity.

Judas' heart and life differs significantly from that of the apostle Peter. Though Peter denied he knew Jesus on three separate occasions, he genuinely repented of his sin, and was restored to a right relationship with Christ. Not so with Judas. Judas opened himself up to Satanic possession by his evil plans and motives. Instead of humbly, self-effacingly seeking repentance, he very selfishly committed suicide.

Portraying Judas as a betrayer can be derived not from a single event or a certain string of events but from the overall consistent attitude of his life. Portraying Peter as a betrayer, however, should not be derived from the three separate events of his having denied knowing Christ because his overall attitude was one of love for Christ -- in spite of his inconsistencies.

The reality is, however, that I no more want to be thought of as "that guy who did this or that" than the apostle Peter wanted to always be thought of as "that guy who denied Christ"; or David as "that guy who committed adultery and had her husband killed in battle"; or whatever you did as "that person who sinned that sin." I remember someone's statement to another person who had committed a terrible act: "This is what you did -- this is not who you are; this does not define you."

When someone's sins and failures become public knowledge there is a temptation to take a snapshot and define him or her by that event. But there exists a type of deception within the hearts of those who take snapshots and define others by them. They tend to think that because their struggles and failures and sins are private then they are not or should not be defined by them. They are not willing to be as stringent with themselves as they are with others. But Jesus said that you "will be judged in the same way that you judge others, and the amount you give to others will be given to you." (Matt. 7:2 NCV)

The apostle Paul adds, "Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." (Col. 3:13 NLT) Since "it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it" (James 4:17), and "the person who keeps all the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's laws" (James 2:10), then I think we need to extend a bit more grace to each other, not defining each other by any failure(s) but by the grace of God in Christ; remembering always that we can possibly be one false step away from any number of various offenses.

We must also keep in mind and live by the words of St Paul, to not "think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment" (Rom. 12:3); "Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God ... So then, each of us will be accountable to God. Let us therefore no longer pass judgment on one another, but resolve instead never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of another." (Rom. 14:10, 12, 13) This gracious way of living will not only serve the body of Christ better but will also be beneficial when we need the grace and mercy of Christ Jesus our Lord.

This post was written by William Birch. For the original post, go to: http://jacobarminius.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-measure-you-use-will-be-used-on-you.html