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When it comes to Christ, the Bible passages below remind us that one day every knee will bow before Him, that every tongue will confess that He is Lord, and that every eye will see Him coming. Since each of us are included in EVERY, I ask the question, what does that mean to you?
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According to these passages, it doesn’t seem like this will be something anyone is exempt from. Whether it’s here on this earth, or in His presence after you’ve passed away, it is a fact that the day is coming when EVERY knee will bow before Him, EVERY tongue will confess that He is Lord, and EVERY eye will see Him coming…INCLUDING YOURS. I plead with each of you…if you haven’t given your life to the Lord yet, then please resist no longer. Set the doubt and pride aside and become a follower of Him. You could probably think of every excuse as to why you reject Him, but no excuse will ever be good enough. It takes humility and surrender to come to Him…will you make that decision today? If not, then what does the word EVERY mean to you when it comes to future events? Philippians 2:10-11 (CSB) 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow-- in heaven and on earth and under the earth-- 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Romans 14:11 (CSB) For it is written, As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God. Revelation 1:7 (CSB) 7 Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. So it is to be. Amen.
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Real Dudes,
On occasion, if I see a beautifully colored sky, and or unusually shaped clouds, then I’ll take a picture of them. Call me weird, but I truly love looking at the sky and don’t want to forget some of those images. For me, these are reminders of God’s beauty ever before me. For some, clouds have a different meaning to them. Clouds to them are a potential relief from a drought. At times their hopes are met, and other times their hopes are dashed. Such clouds looked so promising and yet they were completely empty…they provided no relief and left the hopeful parched, dry, and disappointed. How are clouds described in Jude 12?
Men, are you in a church that is drying out and dying? From the outside it looks promising, but in all reality it is empty, leaving the regular attenders and visitors spiritually malnourished/deprived/dead. What about you? What would others say about you? Or how would the Lord describe you? Would you be described as a cloud without water? What life are you withholding from others? Or are you a person that provides what is promised? Men, be in God’s word, so that you can be filled with spiritual nutrition that can then be poured into others that God allows to cross your path. Speak life into them. Show them how they can be truly filled. So, I ask you one more time…are you a cloud without water? If you’d claim to be a cloud with water, then what does that look like in your life and in your church/community? What genuine and godly relief are you providing a people in need? Practicing His Presence, Nate Real Dudes,
I had a conversation with someone recently and we were talking about the qualities of a healthy church. His comment was this, “If that’s who God is, then I’m all in.” This person got it – he understood that the Church is a representation of who God is. If the Church is following after Christ, then people will want to be all in. But if the Church is full of hypocrites, then others will receive an incorrect image of God and want nothing to do with Him. That’s how powerful our representation of Him really is. In 2 Corinthians 5:20 (CSB) the Apostle Paul reminds us that “we are ambassadors for Christ.” We are messengers of His truths, along with a picture of who He is. What message are others receiving from you and or your church? I recently watched a documentary on Gary Coleman. I was able to find a quote from the documentary on-line…it stated that “Diff'rent Strokes hairstylist Joann Stafford Chaney recalls that once Coleman's father Willie started accompanying his son to set, ‘Gary went from being cute to ugly.’ She saw the actor ‘[pick] up all the ugliness of his dad…’” Gary was known for getting all of his dad’s ugly. Gary might have started off as adorable and innocent, but the attention and fame led him and his father to be remembered as having an ugly personality. Willie Coleman’s true colors came out and his son Gary imitated him. How do others view you and or your church? As ugly? Is that a clear representation of who God is? Willie’s character was absorbed by his son. What characteristics have you absorbed and picked up from God? Are others getting a correct perspective of who God truly is? What needs to change, if anything? Something to think about and pray about. Practicing His Presence, Nate Link to the quote above… https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/diffrent-strokes-star-gary-coleman-123000964.html Real Dudes,
In Matthew 9:37-38 (CSB) we read the following…
This passage reminds us of getting involved in something that has urgency to it. It reminds us that the workers are few, and the prayer is for more to get involved, which all of us should already be involved in spreading the Gospel message to a lost and dying world anyway. This task ought to be the priority in our lives. What about tasks and events that don’t hold even close to the same level of urgency…that don’t have eternal value to them? When confronted with these tasks what should our response be? Should we drop everything we’re doing to get involved since they seem desperate for workers? Possibly…it just depends on what else you have going on in your life. If your schedule has some gaps in it and you’re not too involved in other areas, then sure. But if your plate is spilling over the edges, then learn to honor your capacity and kindly refuse the opportunity…that decision will be healthy for you in many ways. One author states that, “Honoring your capacity means recognizing how much you can do and feel good about yourself, and not overextending yourself. It's important to honor your capacity because it helps you make the best decisions for yourself, and it can prevent burnout. Here are some ways to honor your capacity:
Another author asks, “What are you willing to do to honor your capacity? Here are 5 habits to help:
If someone asked you to volunteer working at a school or community event, what would your response be? Would you jump at the opportunity to help play your part in a community-wide effort (nothing wrong with doing so if your schedule allows for it)? Would you jump at the opportunity as a way to promote yourself (“look at me and all that I’m involved in”)? Now, in comparison, think of it this way…if someone asked you to serve at church what would your response be? If Jesus were face to face with you and said “the harvest is abundant, but the workers are few,” could He count on you to fill that gap, or would you be thinking of every excuse to get out of it, and then walk away from Him? Just a reminder from Matthew 28:20 that He is always with you. He is face to face with you even at this very moment. And He is commanding you to GO! How have you been responding to Him? What needs to change? Because of my role and responsibilities at the Church that I serve as a Pastor at, I am often asking people to help serve or volunteer in different ministries throughout the church. I am always going out of my way to reassure them that telling me NO is ok. As I’m learning to honor my capacity – I too am encouraging others to do the same. I want their ultimate decision to be between them and God, rather than it feeling as though it’s a guilt trip from me. In doing so, I want to honor their capacity. Here’s where it’s between you and the Lord…what am I giving my time to? What is filling my calendar? Are these things important or just time-fillers? What is getting neglected that should be a priority to me? Have you ever spoken with God about your capacity level? How can you best honor your capacity, without neglecting the work He’s called you to? I know that was a lot of questions, but hopefully it created a time of self-reflection. We want to be all that we can be for Him and His mission, but is that possible with the way we’re currently using our time? I’m praying that we won’t do things out of selfish ambition, that we won’t experience burnout, that we won’t neglect that which is most important, and that God will be honored because we chose to honor our capacity and the capacity of others. Stay well-rested, and be ready to go when He calls on you. Long for – desire to give Him your everything in all that you do. All for His honor and glory! Practicing His Presence, Nate In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 the Apostle Paul provides for us a challenging command when he says, “give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (CSB)
Today and this month are set aside for some very important people in our lives. Today is National Custodians Day. My challenge to each of you is this…let your Custodians know that you recognize this day for them. Go out of your way to make them feel loved and appreciated. Whether it’s words, a snack, taking them out to lunch…whatever it is, get creative…AND mean it. This month is Pastor Appreciation Month. Discouragement is a tool that Satan often uses in the life of a Pastor, and in the lives of the Pastors family members. Please don’t assume their lives are perfect just because they’re a Pastor by title. They’re human just like each of us are and discouragement is real. What is it that you can do to make them feel cared about and encouraged? Ask God to give you a creative way to express your appreciation for them…and maybe even for their family members. Seeing family members get spoiled is a way to encourage a Pastor. Don’t wait for others to thank you in life…you be the first to GIVE thanks. I truly believe that’s God’s will, as He is the perfect example of being a GIVER. Praying for each of us as we find ways to express our thanks today and this month. May it become a rhythm that carries into our daily lives…beyond today and this month. Practicing His Presence, Nate |
AuthorNate Smith is a husband, a father of 6 girls, grandpa to 3 granddaughters and one grandson, a police and fire chaplain, a pastor, and has a passion to see men grow in Christ. 
#girldad including granddaughter
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