The Dangers of the Prosperity Gospel

“The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish” (Proverbs 14:11).
Every godly man wants his house to flourish, but many men become discouraged when God does not bless them in the way that they feel they should be blessed. As a result of the prosperity message so popular today, many people have come to equate financial and material blessings with God’s favor. The same doctrine was prevalent in Jesus’ day, and he reproved it (Matthew 19:23-26). God is God, and He can bless us in any manner He chooses. Why are we serving Him anyway? Is it simply out of a desire to be blessed or to make our lives easier? When rough times come, do we feel that God has abandoned us? Are we ready to jump ship? Many of Jesus’ disciples abandoned Him when His teaching became too difficult. He asked His twelve disciples, “Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the Living God” (John 6:67-69). Because God is just, we can trust Him to do what is right. The house of the wicked will eventually be overthrown, even if it appears that he is prospering in this life. Likewise, the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish, even though it seems that he is oppressed, downtrodden, and destitute. Stand firm in your faith, for God will balance the scales of judgment on the Last Day.

Are You An Enemy of God?

“The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight” (Proverbs 15:8).
Even men that have no relationship with the Lord unconsciously attempt to appease Him. They know in their hearts that they will one day stand before a Holy God and give an account of their lives. A general fear of God keeps many men “in line”. A large number of people strive to allay God’s wrath through generic prayer, baptism, church attendance, giving alms, being “good” people, and helping others. They fail to realize that their sacrifices and efforts to reach God are an abomination to Him. Since God is the One who has been offended by sin, He is the only one who has the right to declare what will pacify His holiness. Two thousand years ago, God’s holiness was satisfied when His Son Jesus died on the cross, shed his blood, and became the atonement for sin. If we try to gain access to God through any means but by the blood of Jesus, we are trespassers and uninvited guests. Only the man that has been born again and has the blood of Jesus applied to his life is entitled access to God (Romans 5:2). When we possess the righteousness of Christ, we can “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). We can be certain that our prayers are heard and a delight to God. When we see our fellow man attempting to reach God through human means, we need to inform him that God’s divine plan of redemption through Jesus Christ has already been completed and has satisfied God’s judgment and holiness.

Seeking Afrter God

“He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him” (Proverbs 11:27).
All Christian men profess that they desire the favor of God. We claim to want God to use us, bless us, and transform us, but do we really? Do our actions confirm or deny our profession? I have noticed in my own life, times of hypocrisy when I told God I wanted a deeper walk with Him with my mouth, but my heart was far from Him. The Holy Spirit within me caused me to desire the things of God, but there was a battle between my regenerated spirit’s desire to do the will of God and my flesh’s desire to commit sin. This is a daily conflict in my life and in the life of every believer. When we make a decision to follow God, we must follow through. If we half-step, we will never achieve full victory. The Holy Spirit will encourage us in our quest for godly manhood, but He will never coerce us. He will strengthen us when we fall and walk alongside us, and He longs for us to trust Him with childlike faith. When we have confidence in His goodness, we can place our hand in His and allow Him to lead the way. “With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments” (Psalms 119:10). When we seek after God with all of our hearts, we will walk in His favor. If we choose to seek after mischief, we will find it as well. The key to the Christian life is to follow after God with total abandon. It is only as we empty ourselves of our selfish hopes, dreams, and desires, that God can fill us with His Spirit and guide us in the paths of righteousness.

A Lie Doesn't Care Who Tells It

“The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment” (Proverbs 12:19).
I have often heard that “A lie doesn’t care who tells it,”– even a godly man. Once we tell one lie, we usually end up telling a few more to cover up the original. It is an easy cycle to get into and a hard one to break. Why do we tell lies? Usually, it is because they are easier to tell than the truth. When your boss asks if you mind putting in a little overtime, you say you would be glad to do it, when in fact, you know it will strain the little family time you already have. Inevitably, the truth comes out and your integrity is tarnished. My dad used to tell me, “Say what you mean, and mean what you say.” This includes telling the truth even when it is inconvenient. Our conversation must be absolute truth. Men should never have to question or wonder if we are speaking the truth or if we are “exaggerating, stretching the truth or telling a little white lie.” The very truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ is painful to many, yet we have a responsibility to share it. The Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword, and it cuts to the soul: it lacerates and exposes the thoughts and intents of our hearts. Jesus is the Truth, and is He is an offense and a stumbling block to many. Nonetheless, He is the truth that sets us free, and there is no salvation in any other. You have probably heard the axiom: “The truth hurts,” or Jack Nicholson’s line in A Few Good Men: “You can’t handle the truth!” Perhaps some people can’t handle the truth, but as godly men, that does not remove our responsibility to speak the truth in love.

Swift to Hear and Slow to Speak

“In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise” (Proverbs 10:19).
When I was a boy, I would occasionally get into trouble, and I would try to talk my way out of it. Usually, the more I talked, the deeper I got into trouble. Like a fly caught in a spider’s web, the more I struggled to get out of it, the more entangled I became. A similar experience occurs when we talk excessively. I am sure everyone knows at least one person that appears to talk merely for the pleasure of hearing his own voice. If you give these foolish men enough rope, it will only be a matter of time before they hang themselves. Interrogators use this tactic when interviewing suspects. If they can get the suspect to start talking, they know chances are good he will eventually incriminate himself. Ecclesiastes 5:3 says, “A fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.” The more we talk, the more opportunities we provide ourselves to sin with our words. James 1:19 admonishes us, “Be swift to hear, slow to speak.” I have heard several of my elders share the axiom: “God gave us two ears and only one mouth; therefore we should listen twice as much as we speak.” Good advice for old and young alike. As godly men, we should possess control over our tongues. “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles” (Proverbs 21:23). "Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise: and he that shuts his lips is esteemed a man of understanding"
(Proverbs 17:28). We have enough trouble without bringing any more upon ourselves. May we speak only that which is profitable for edification and encouragement to those around us and not talk merely to bring honor to ourselves.

Obtaining God's Favor

“A good man obtaineth favour of the Lord” (Proverbs 12:2).
Every man reading this blog desires the favor of God and wants to walk in His anointing. We would love to have Samuel’s testimony, who “was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men” (I Samuel 2:26). We yearn to be like Jesus, who increased “in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52). Job knew what it felt like to experience the favor of God. He said, “Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit” (Job 10:12). David knew both the favor of God and His judgment. “For thou, Lord, will bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield” (Psalms 5:12). “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalms 30:5). When we were born again into the Kingdom of God, we received the favor of God, and we now have total access to His throne. “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us” (Ephesians 2:13, 14). “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). The favor of God is dependent on one thing: the blood of Jesus. We cannot earn God’s favor by keeping the law, doing good deeds, or trying to impress Him with our worthiness. Our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Thank you, Jesus, for the favor we have with the Father. Because He is pleased with You, and we are in You, then He is pleased with us.

In God We Trust

“Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).
No one can intelligently deny that the United States of America was founded upon Christian principles. The Founding Fathers were –almost without exception – Christian men actively involved in a local church who professed to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. These men of God were praying men. They opened their sessions with prayer; they installed a chaplain for Congress, and they actively sought out wisdom from God when framing the government of the Republic. Our nation was founded upon the principle of religious freedom. The vast majority of the early New World inhabitants immigrated to escape religious persecution and state-run churches. It is because of this godly heritage that America is what she is today. Righteous men seeking God and His will for our nation exalted America as the greatest country in the world. Today, “In God We Trust” is no longer the motto for most Americans (more like “In gods We Trust). Our corporate sin as a nation is a reproach to God. He will not wink at America’s injustices and travesties much longer. We have abandoned our godly heritage and gone aside to serve other gods. We must return to the Lord our God. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (II Chronicles 7:14).

Don't Be A Tattletale

“A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.” (Proverbs 11:13).
When I was a child, about the worst thing anyone could call you was a tattletale. When anyone snitched to an adult, we would all sing song a nursery rhyme that said: “Tattletale, tattletale, hang your britches on a nail. Hang ‘em high, hang ’em low. Hang ‘em on a stereo.” Now that I’m an adult, I have no idea what the semantics mean (I doubt I knew then), but I know that the purpose of the rhyme was to shame the tattletale. Children are big on unity. When one child disassociates himself from the group and exposes another child in an attempt to curry favor, the pack mentality of the group seeks to get the offending party back in line and preserve the integrity of the group. When did adults lose this perspective? We may not be tattletales or talebearers ourselves, but we implicitly encourage them by listening to their gossip. Then there are the “righteous talebearers”: these are the busy bodies that share information about others, so you can pray specifically for them and their situation; however, all along their motivation is to spread gossip, rumors and discord. Talebearers are some of Satan’s greatest tools for disunity and mistrust in the church. Who wants to be real and expose his inner struggles when he knows they will only be fodder for the gossips? Godly men, we must discipline the busybodies in the church, so that God’s house can become a sanctuary and haven where men feel safe to be themselves and tackle the struggles that hinder them in their quest for godliness.