Issachar Intel

The current topic is characteristics of Biblical Heroes and how we can emulate those giant-killers. The need for solid, genuine, selfless, Christ-like “Spiritual-Rambos” is unprecedented. Without some heroes of biblical proportion our nation is likely to become a by-word and the church in America will continue to slide into oblivion. I’d like to continue this topic looking at the sons of Issachar and their valuable impact of being mentally conditioned. Check out this passage:
“Of the sons of Issachar, who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command.”  (1 Chronicles 12:32)

 If the description of the Gadites was small, the Issachar boys’ is miniscule! The above verse (and 7:5, “mighty men of valor”) is all that is said about them. Though the information is limited, the skill and contribution they brought to David was immeasurable. What price do military leaders put on good Intel!? This was probably one of the most strategic pieces of the puzzle of David’s flawless crusades. Ask any commander how important good, relevant, timely information is to his decision making process. These sons of Issachar were worth their weight in gold! They were mentally conditioned. What exactly does that look like?

Two statements are key: 1) “understanding of the times,” and 2) “knowing what Israel ought to do.” This blog will focus on the first one. In order to understand the times there must be a frame of reference, a base line of fundamental standards. One cannot truly understand current conditions without having a grasp of historical circumstances and events to overlay across present trends. When a person is mentally conditioned he has an ability to see future successes in the here and now because of the natural cause and effect relationship with obedience and submission to Almighty God that has been proven throughout history.

In the case of Israel, the sons of Issachar had to know the promises of God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the subsequent leadership of Moses through the wilderness wanderings, and the successful venture of Joshua’s direction into the Promised Land. The collapse during the time of the Judges leading into the disappointment of the Kingship gave a clear picture to these alert young men that certain actions and attitudes came with drastic consequences! They had the ability to reasonably and logically conclude that disobedience toward God and His principles would lead to negative outcomes for the entire nation. They saw that following Saul was only going to continue the downward spiral of defeat and national despair. David was not only a better option, he was the only wise choice. The sons of Issachar saw future events by understanding the former process of obedience and by refusing to embrace that failed continuance of “doing what was right in their own eyes,” the choice of Saul and the mantra of the time of the Judges.

This is a cry for men to stop coasting in neutral and put it into overdrive! We need, like never before, godly men that have a grasp of what God wants us to do here and now and to make that knowledge vocal. Oh sons of Issachar, come out and be heard! Israel had these mental giants, the times call for them again.

Gadite Gridiron - Part 1

Ok, we’ve looked at some of the ways the modern church has hindered the proper development of manly heroes, now let’s look at some of the characteristics of biblical heroes found throughout the pages of Scripture. The purpose here is to stimulate men to introduce the specific characteristics necessary and then envision themselves being that type of man, a man called for such a time as this. Here is the first group of heroes called, “the Gadites.”

 “Some Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the mountains… These were the sons of Gad, captains of the army; the least was over a hundred and the greatest was over a thousand. These were the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west.”  (1 Chronicles 12:8, 14-15)

Our first illustration is found in the book of 1 Chronicles, a group of eleven men from Gad that were quite impressive. The initial paragraph above (in italics) lists their accolades. Verses 9-13 gave the names and families of each of these 11 men, but the verses quoted above describe six key elements of what made these men Biblical Heroes. Here is that list:

        “mighty men of valor”
  “men trained for battle, could handle both shield and spear”
     “faces like the faces of lions”
        “swift as gazelles on the mountains”
     “captains – of hundreds – of thousands”
      “crossed the Jordan…when it overflowed all its banks”

 These were some really tough hombres! Notice some of the phrases used – mighty men of valor, trained for battle, faces like lions, swift as gazelles, my gracious, these guys would bring home the Lombardi Trophy every time! Did you catch how they crossed the Jordan during the monsoon season!? These guys were beasts! When you consider it would take a very strong, healthy man to cross the Jordan on a normal day, imagine the stamina required to cross it when it was overflowing its banks! There is only one way these men could accomplish such feats of wonder and that was selfless discipline. They were in it ALL the way! Men, this is your first characteristic to grab – selfless discipline.

Think about it. Ezer (the first Gadite listed in v. 9) did not wake up one morning and say, “Hey, I’m going to cross the Jordan today while it’s overflowing its banks, just to see if I can do it.” Hey, this is like trying to survive a flood! The amount of training involved, muscle development, increased respiratory and cardio function, along with the sheer determination to accomplish such a superhuman feat required a significant amount of personal discipline that can only be measured in time. Ezer had to have trained for months, crossing the Jordan at normal levels first, adding to his strength and stamina, working out steadily with increasingly more resistance and challenges until he was at his peak. Put more succinctly, it didn’t just happen! Discipline is an everyday kind of thing that requires TIME! It’s not the singular event that makes a hero, but the preparedness and commitment to do what is right consistently because it is right. This is the first lesson to being a hero – selfless discipline.

 Part 2 of Gadite Gridiron to follow.

Black Coffee vs. Half-Calff, Peppermint Macchiato with Low-fat Whip Cream

 

I’m a man. Not a metro-sexual, hyper-sensitive, skinny-jean, manicured nails, poster boy. Don’t confuse me, I realize that we are all different, having unique personalities, gifts, tastes, and proclivities that create a cacophony of humanity. I also realize that I have a tendency to glamourize the true Renaissance man, the guy that can speak fluently using just the right words at the right time, play a musical instrument, be a crack-shot with a gun or bow and arrow, and have a physical demeanor that would make an enemy second-guess messing with him. You know, a well-rounded man, just the right amount of brute strength and cultural poise. The reason I am drawn to such is because they usually produce the greatest number of world-changing champions. However, these guys are not typically drawn to our current church environments. Why? Here is issue number 2.

The second characteristic that is has become mainstream in the current church model and that is oblivious to its leadership is the overemphasis on emotions. Although real men have emotions and know exactly how to use them and control them, they are NOT the lead! In most of our modern Worship Services emotions are the pinnacle of the Sunday experience. We strive for more and more emotive responses from start to finish! Let me explain my thesis.

The most important part of our Sunday Service is … what? Well, it’s NOT the reading of the Scriptures, the explanation of the text, the application of the message, or the giving of the tithe. We certainly don’t stand up and get excited about that part of the service! In my frequent travels I observe most congregants are very disconnected with the aforementioned elements of the typical service. See for yourself, the most important part of the Sunday morning experience is the song service. We all stand up for that part. Interestingly the only time the congregation of Israel ever stood up was during the reading of the Law (Nehemiah 8:5), not the song service! You see we are placing a higher value on music than God ever intended! We should be standing when God’s Word is read, displaying physical agreement to those precious holy words that are infallible, inerrant, and God-breathed. Today we worship music, which is why we now call music, “Worship!” The shift was subtle, but effective – men are less inclined to be involved in something that is mostly “emotive” and less substantive. Music is emotional. An emotional response only lasts a brief moment, and though it is important to include emotions in our service, it should NOT be the pinnacle, the apex, or the linchpin since it does not last. A changed heart, a changed mind will always outlast an emotional high. God’s Word is the tool that changes hearts and minds, not well performed, emotionally charged music.

Let me explain it another way. Instead of feelings-based activities, sound doctrine boldly proclaimed and connected to applicable, relevant opportunities should be the center of our Worship experience. Each worshipper should find as the highest part of the service the Word of God being connected directly to the daily applications in their lives giving them answers and mental pictures of how they can fulfill God’s will for their life. They should be given a vision, a calling, and a purpose for their special abilities, insights, and gifts. Men tend to find little opportunity for the exercise of their unique wiring. Few programs are offered that allows manly men to be given a challenge. For the modern Renaissance man, the disappointment is the watering down of the godly mandates of Scripture. We are so afraid to offend that we actually offend the very nature of the typical, practical-driven man. Real men want genuine facts, clearly and boldly proclaimed, and applications for their lives. In other words, these guys want their coffee black but we’re serving them some fancy party drink and wondering why they’re not happy.

More to follow.

Are You Running Off Potential Heroes?

If this is your first visit to this blog it might be best to read the short edition right below this one to get some perspective. The topic at hand is how we are unwittingly driving away or emasculating our true male heroes from the modern church. To start with I want to clearly point out that this is not an attack or even a hint of disrespect leveled at our “women folk.” They have historically been the ones to carry the weight of actual church ministry and have always outnumbered their bearded counterparts. They were the only ones to show up at the most important grave side gathering! We are indebted to them and this is not an attack on their contributions or their value to the church. The person of the Lord Jesus was unique in that He perfectly represented the natural strengths found in both sexes. My point here is that He demonstrated a complete picture, both necessary elements for a healthy church – (1) the caring, accepting, forgiving Nurturer, and (2) a confident, strong, disciplining, masculine Leader.

Today, we only have half of that combination in most of our churches. Church life has become very emotive, feeling, and nurturing with strong emphasis on deeds over creeds.  Yes, we all know Jesus was “meek and mild, gentle and kind,” but He also cleared the Temple, making a whip out of cords and driving out the money changers, overturning tables, and notice, no one stood up to Him! He called one of his best friends “the devil,” and don’t forget the 30 years of grueling carpentry work! He did NOT look like those Renaissance pictures of some girlie-man with long hair, frail and effeminate. That image is not the Son of God that was beaten and bloodied, whipped and crucified on a rugged tree, hanging for three long hours. When you compare those classic paintings with the description of Him in Revelation 19:11-16 you just have to scratch your head.

Have you noticed the current move in our society to render real men impotent? Owning guns is now considered a Neanderthal practice, hunting is viewed even worse, and contact sports is doing all it can to lower the aggressiveness so to eradicate any possible injury although the very nature of the activity is to crash wildly into each other in an effort to win. The word I’m looking for here is RISK! The most content men alive are those that have been given a larger-than-life challenge and the opportunity to achieve that impossibility (a definition of risk). However, when men are not challenged at home, at work, or at church they can easily slide into taking other “secret” risks. These can develop into aberrant behavior and suck the very “hero-style” life out of them leaving them disillusioned and in their wake destroyed sons, daughters, and families.

A key ingredient in the development of a hero is a nebulous “something”- it’s this larger than life quality that he is willing to die for as well as live for, and it requires a large dose of risk before it clicks. This, of course, is melded with godly fear.  Without it, men go back on the shelf, living out their “manliness” vicariously through some fictional TV character or worse, some professional sports icon. The bottom line is without this hero mentality they DO nothing. You may have unknowingly shelved heroes, not to mention overlooked the supermen that are in your community, men that will never darken the door of your church because they believe “stallions go to bars and geldings go to church,” and you give them no reason to think otherwise!

Here is my first observation that points the finger at how the church has contributed to the “emasculated men syndrome.” Some of you are NOT going to like this! Just try to critically observe the “worship” music that has become very popular in many of our contemporary settings. This is NOT a rant on contemporary music; however some of the lyrics are extremely feminine, speaking of love affairs with Jesus in words that no real man would ever consider using with another man. Just stop and read some of those lines. You need to realize that men visualize Christ as our Commander and Chief, our King, our Lord, and believe it or not ladies, this is a type of male intimacy. But when almost every song is touchy, touchy, feely, feely we are unable to sing those words with any self-respect. To us, those words come out as forced, disingenuous, and it’s like an affront to how He created us as men. There are plenty of contemporary songs that appeal to men (i.e., the “Promise Keepers” litany of albums) but they are rarely used, opting for the more “emotionally charged” songs. I’m just asking for some consideration, a balance, more songs on His character, nature, holiness and less on how we feel about Him.

This phenomena in music is completely unintentional, but with men making up less than 34 % of the average church membership, and even less of them actively involved, it’s time for us to start contemplating what is keeping away those “mighty men of David.” We desperately need strong, biblically-seasoned, male heroes. This is observation number one, and there are several more to follow. Stay tuned!

Shift from Entertainment to Accountability Fellowships

In my earlier blog, I described the noticeable shift from a non-Christian culture to a more aggressive, anti-Christian culture. I would like to discuss a possible trend that could be an outcome of such a seismic change. When considering the enormous abandonment of young people toward evangelical Christianity, those few that do embrace the faith will …

Shift from Consumer-Entertainment to Practical-Accountability Fellowships

With our current climate less than hospitable toward believers, it is not mental gymnastics to conclude that “genuine” young Christians are going to be more diligent in finding an environment that will provide spiritual enrichment, encouragement, and ammunition for the fight they currently are experiencing. No longer will the large, loud, impersonal “youth gatherings” with high sensory stimulation and big-name entertainment be the draw, but rather a deep, meaningful, like-minded fellowship will become the mainstay in order to provide needed accountability and structured encouragement as well as ministry outlets. I can see a move from the mega-church phenomena to a more mid-size or even the small church venue in order to meet the needs of having personal, practical relationships (this is already starting to happen on several fronts).

I also wonder if the current bizarre popularity of social media will start to wane as people that have either grown up with, or that have become enamored with this “cyber-relationship tool” will realize it is a weak substitute for having a commitment-centered, small accountability group in the development of their Christian disciplines. It may stay active as an outlet for expression of faith, but the realization of having a more organic, face to face encounter with fellow believers for true development will replace the frequency of “having to stay connected.” (I have seen several Facebook posts about young people "fasting" from their cell phones for several days each week!)

Two of the unfortunate consequences of the mega-youth models are (1) that so few members are given any opportunity for leadership and (2) so many uncommitted can “hide” in the anonymity of the masses. Problem 2 is simply “too many wolves with the sheep” and this analogy needs no explanation. This first problem however deserves some clarification. Without personal opportunities for leadership, in other words the chance to actually make decisions and be strategically involved, there is no developed loyalty, no “bye-in.” The results of this “lack of an outlet for ministry development” has already been documented in countless books, and most of us can recite the mantra – “by the time active churched youth leave for college, more than 82% will never darken the doors of a church again!” Although we’ve read this, heard this, and lamented its reality we are not currently attacking the problem at its core – connecting our youth with actual leadership opportunities within the church, giving them true ownership! Hence the forced solution of involvement with smaller, more opportunistic fellowships that provides higher accountability.
 

If larger churches address this issue by offering more opportunities for hands-on ministry it will curb the future departure, but the “song and dance,” performance-based student ministry model will not provide the necessary elements of true disciple-making. The line in the sand is becoming more noticeable and our young people are on the front lines of this battle. Although those of us that are older can see it, they are sweating it out firsthand. For the faithful few that will remain we must provide genuine centers of spiritual development and experience. Babysitting and entertaining them is over.