Bethel Men Of Purpose

Pardon My "Indiscretion"

2011-10-01T07:42:00.000-05:00

One of my observations over the lastfew years is that more and more people aren’t paying attention to how theiractions and words affect others and what’s even more troubling, they don’t seemto care! It’s as if they have the attitude“I don’t care what people think, I am going to be true to myself and do and saywhat I like.” I understand being “trueto oneself” but what I don’t understand is a total disregard for how ouractions affect others and how they saddle us with certain perceptions that wemay not want others to have about us. Itis time for all of us to use a little “discretion.”

Discretion has a couple of different meanings:

· Knowing how to avoid embarrassmentor distress.

· Freedom to act or judge one’s own

· The trait of judging wisely andobjectively

With those definitions in mind, let's look at what the Bible has to say aboutdiscretion. Depending on whichtranslation you are using, the word discretion is also translated “wise choices” (New Living Translation)or “thoughtfulness” (Young’s LiteralTranslation).

Discretion is one of thecharacteristics of a “good man”. Psalms112:5 tells us “A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide hisaffairs with discretion.” Discretionwill guide a man or woman in dealing with the affairs of their life so as tonot bring embarrassment or distress upon them. I can’t tell you the number of times something has gone through my mindthat I should do or say, but as I thought about all of the “ramifications” ofmy actions, and “domino” effect it would have, I would decide it’s better notto say anything!

Discretion is also something to keepor possess. Proverbs 3:21—“My son, letthem not depart from your eyes, keepsound wisdom and discretion." If we are admonished to "keep" discretion then it only stands to reason that if we aren't careful then we can also "lose" our discretion. Be careful not to lose something so valuable!

Leaders need discretion. When King David was getting ready to turn his kingdom over to his son Solomonhe prayed “May the Lord give you discretionand understanding when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keepthe law of the Lord your God.” As aleader, discretion and the ability to judge wisely and objectively is animportant characteristic. Discretion alsohelps us to be obedient to the Word of God and, it is difficult to separate discretion and understanding, becausethey go hand in hand.

One of the benefits of usingdiscretion is that it will protect or preserve you from embarrassing ordistressful situations. Proverbs 2:11—“Discretionwill protect you, and understanding will guard you.” In Shakespeare’s play Henry IV (Part 1) thejovial knight Sir John Falstaff feigns his death during a fight only to declarelater, “The better part of valor is discretion; in the which better part I havesaved my life.” Using discretion isoften “the better part” of not only valor, but of many situations in our life.

Discretion comes throughwisdom. Proverbs 8:12—“I, wisdom, dwelltogether with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion.” The wise person chooses their words andactions carefully! Think twice and speakor act once!

And I leave you with this Biblicalword picture of a person who doesn’t use discretion. Proverbs 11:22—“As a ring of gold in swine’ssnout, so is a lovely woman (or handsome man) who lacks discretion.”

How will you choose to usediscretion today?

Peace In Turmoil and Suffering

2009-07-06T07:06:00.003-05:00

People often ask how is it possible to have peace in turmoils, trials, and sufferings. For certain it isn't in our own strength and ability. It is only through the peace the Jesus gives. Hours before his death, Jesus knew the upheaval his disciples were getting ready to face. So Jesus tells his disciples "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

“Peace I leave with you” – Wow, what a statement and affirmation! How could they possibly have peace in the midst of this upcoming turmoil? The answer is simple. First of all this peace isn't a man made pact. Peace agreements made by man are consistently broken and violated. That's the world peace. It is temporal, God's is eternal.

5 Reasons we can have peace and a sense of rest and contentment in turmoil:

We serve a God who is the God of Peace: "Whatsoever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me -- put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Phil. 4:9)
We worship a Savior who is the Prince of Peace: "...And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isa. 9:6)
We are indwelled with the Holy Spirit, which is the Fruit of Peace: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace...." (Gal. 5:22)
We follow a Gospel that is the Gospel of Peace: "and your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." (Eph 6:15)
We belong to a Kingdom that is a Kingdom of Peace: "For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Rom. 14:17)

Allow God's peace to rule your heart. It is a peace that passes all understanding and it will keep you heart and mind. (Col. 3:15; Rom. 14:19; Phil. 4:7). God desires to give us peace in our lives, not turmoil and trouble, but a calm and a peace. Receive God's peace today.

"Your Faith May Not Fail"

2009-06-10T07:18:00.002-05:00

I find it interesting that Jesus told his close friend and disciple, Peter, that Satan had asked to "sift you as wheat." (Luke 22:31-32) That's just like the enemy to do everything he can to ruin us. But Jesus said, I have prayed for you Peter "that your faith may not fail." Jesus knew what Peter was going to do. He knew Peter was going to deny and disown him, yet he still prayed that Peter's "faith may not fail." He didn't pray that Peter would not deny Him, He prayed that Peter's "faith may not fail." And then he prayed that when Peter had "turned back, strengthen your brethern."

When we make a mistake, don't buy into Satan's lie that it is the end. Use it as a tool to "strengthen your brethern." Just because we fail at some point, doesn't mean that our "faith has failed." When you sin, keep your faith, repent, turn back to God, and strengthen your brothers. Use your mistake to help another. This is what Jesus prayed for with Peter, and that is what Peter did. Jesus does the same for you...can you do the same as Peter?

Build An Ark

2009-04-26T15:11:00.005-05:00

I recently attended a forum at LifeChurch called Church 2.0. The purpose of the forum was to discuss how the church can tap into the various social media that is currently sweeping our culture and society. Much of the discussion focused on innovation and was led by Greg Atkinson. Greg asked us to think of "innovators" in the Bible and then shared with us who he thought was the greatest innovator (other than Jesus of course) and that was Noah. Think about it, Noah had an unbelievable and daunting task that God asked him to do and that was --"Build An Ark". OK...and exactly how was he suppose to do it? The Lord had an answer for that too. Noah had to be a pretty incredible individual to build this fascinating ark.

Back in the early 60's Bill Cosby had a hilarious bit about the "pretend" conversation that Noah and the Lord may have had regarding "building an ark". Those old enough to remember, recall how Bill Cosby portrayed Noah's hesitancy to follow the Lord's instruction to "build an ark". Everything the Lord told Noah to do, was followed with Noah replying "right!" as if Noah was saying "do you really expect me to do that?" And the Lord would simply tell him the next step, to which Noah would again reply "right!" Where the Bible and Bill Cosby differ, is Noah didn't question God. He just "did according to all that God commanded him." I've embedded a YouTube video at the end of this article for your enjoyment.

So how do you "build an ark". Well the obvious answer is a little at a time. This was an enormous task. One man building this huge boat, seems impossible. So often, the Lord gives us an innovative idea. He wants us to "Build An Ark". It is birthed in prayer and inspired by the Holy Spirit, but too often, we are saying, "right"..."I can't do that, it's too big." And all the while we are forgetting that our God is big. He will not give us a task too daunting nor too large for us to accomplish. He will not call you to a ministry where He won't equip you and give you the ability to complete it. God's calling you to "Build An Ark".

But this is what Noah had going for him and you can have going for you:

He found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Gen. 6:8)
He was a just man (Gen. 6:9)
He was perfect in his generation (Gen. 6:9)
He walked with God (Gen. 6:9)
He did what God asked (Gen. 6:22)

How about you? What is God calling you to do? He is calling you to build an ark, and only you and God, know what that ark is. The exciting thing is He won't leave you without instructions or a plan. Just as He instructed Noah and gave him the plan, God will give you instructions and plans through His Word, the Holy Spirit, other people, and circumstances. In order for Noah to "Build An Ark" he had to listen to God. Listen to the Holy Spirit and see what He is saying to you. Allow God to innovate and inspire areas of your life. It's not always the safe thing to do. Sometimes the greatest innovations come out of the greatest risks. But you have to trust God that He is working and be willing to take the risk. Step out in faith and "Build An Ark!"

Passion and Purpose

2009-03-14T09:01:00.003-05:00

What are you passionate about; your job, kids, wife, money, cars, hobby? There is bound to be something that "drives" you. I have discovered that the things I pay attention to is usually what I am passionate about. If I am excited and zealous about a particular topic, hobby, or other activity, I will immerse myself into the study and discipline of that activity. I pay attention to the opportunities to learn and I evaluate what others are doing to be on the cutting edge. My attentiveness to my passion only serves to fuel more passion and drive my purpose. We are surrounded by a cacophony of noise that can draw our attention away from what we hold dear. Events are happening all around us and it is impossible to “pay attention” to everything. In fact the din distracts us to the point that it is often difficult to pay attention to what is really important to us.

Given that life presents us with a “cacophony” of distractions, what are some personal spiritual practices that can keep us “in touch” with our passions?

Life is a roller coaster. Filled with ups and downs, that's just life. We might as well enjoy the ride. What matters, is not so much what happens, but rather how we respond to it. As Charles Swindoll stated "I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it." Much of our reaction is learned. By nature, our response will be of the "flesh." But Paul declares "...for I have learned, whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." We can learn contentment. We can learn, spiritual discplines or practices that will keep us more than just content, but keep us passionate men of purpose.

Donald Whitney wrote a book called "Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life." An awesome book that I have read twice (I loaned it to someone, don't remember who, and haven't gotten it back so I guess I will have to purchase another copy). It is replete with practical suggestions on maintaining our spiritual life. Some of the spiritual practices that can help us stay in touch with our passions and purpose, are what I call the "Sunday School" answers, but none the less they are vital. Those are, prayer, Bible reading and study, and church attendance. When we fail to pray and read as we should, we will find our passion waning. Another practice that I have personally engaged in is "limited" fasting. By "limited", I mean controlling my intake of certain foods. What I have known for many years but just recently it has become a "Spirit revelation" in my life, is that as I allow my physical body to get out of control, my carnal man if you will, it affects my spiritual being. It impacts my God directed passion and purpose. God is dealing with me concerning this and has clearly spoken to my spirit that as I control my flesh, I grow in my spirit.

Another area that will help us to stay in touch with our passions and purpose, is similar to what Paul talks about in Philippians 3. It isn't so much a spiritual practice as it is a perhaps more of a "value" and a "mind set" and that is, "I press on". There is great value in "pressing on." I forget the things that are behind me and I reach forward to the things before me, and I "press on". I fall down, I get up, and I press on. I hit another snag, I get untangled, and I press on. I come to a hill, seemingly impossible to get over, but I press on. Perseverance through adversity, builds spiritual character. It will help us to discover what we are really passionate about, because God will continually bring us back to it.

Staying "centered" on what one is passionate about is vital. Life in general, is a balancing act and we too easily get out of balance. Our wives can be a wonderful source of information. They can give us a woman’s point of view and it helps us to stay centered. They can push us (gently of course) to stretch ourselves in areas that we normally would not try. For that we can be grateful.

Passion about success:
Have you ever wondered what is success? Do you ask yourself, have I been successful? I don't care if you are 18 or 80 most men struggle with this idea of "success". My own dad was in his 60's when out of the blue he tells me "I don't know what I have done with my life. I feel like I have wasted it." What a tragedy! But I would bet he isn't in the minority. I think most men struggle with this idea of who they are and what they have done.

There are so many ways that one could view success. How one defines success depends upon their core values and beliefs. For instance, if a person has a core value that it is important to have material wealth, then they will view themselves as successful when they achieve that wealth. On the other hand, someone who holds relationships with others as a value, then their success is achieved when they develop vital relationships with the people around them, their friends and their family. Success is defined as achieving a visible result of one’s core value. What is one of your "core values" and what are you doing to bring about a visible result of what you hold near and dear to your heart? These are questions that men with passion and purpose must ask and answer.

God bless and keep you.

Jesus is my passion and purpose,

Keith Fife

Love---The Same But Different

2008-01-24T18:05:00.000-06:00

I love apples...well not really but I say that to demonstrate how fond we are of the phrase "I love....." whatever. You can fill in the blank with apples, hamburgers, waterfalls, cars, etc. In fact we use the phrase "I love...." so loosely and freely that I wonder if we haven't lost it's true meaning.

I John 2:7-11 says -- "Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him."

John writes a command about love, but seems to contradict himself in verses 7 and 8. In verse 7 he says he is not writing a new command, but an old one. Yet in verse 8 he says he is writing a new command. Love---The Same But Different. He isn't writing a "new" command in relation to time as "new in time" or "recent". Rather he is writing a "new" command in relation to significance as "new in quality" or "freshness".

Just as these apples are the same (they are all apples), there are also significant differences. They are "the same, but different". They are different in their color, texture, taste, size, etc. John's command to love is the same as the command given in the Old Testament, but different in it's freshness.

Parents care and provide for their children, not because the law says they have to, but because they love them. We don't love our neighbor because the law of God says we have to, but because it is the right thing to do as Christians. There is nothing new about loving others. We just need to place more emphasis on loving others so that there is a new freshness.

Verse 9 is of particular importance. You see, darkness and light are incompatible. Light will always dissapate the darkness....everytime. Just as light and darkness are incompatible, so are love and hate. They cannot co-exist. They are incompatible and love will always dissapate hate.

A Comparison:

Darkness blinds. Light shines.

Hatred blinds. Love shines.

Hate is a stumbling block. Love is a stepping stone.

To love others means to treat them the way God treats them.

We can't love completely until we lay down the hate!

I Corinthians 13:5 -- Love thinketh no evil. In other words, love doesn't keep a record of the wrongs done to us. It's time we erase the tape of all the wrongs others have done to us and forgive and love them.

It's All About Serving

2008-01-21T21:18:00.000-06:00

It costs something to serve the living God, He asks for our life. Service should be a priority not just a pastime hobby. God doesn't want the "leftovers" of our life's committments. To often, we are guilty of giving God what's left after we have taken care of ourself and those close to us. It is the sins of sloth and pride that battle against service.

Hebrews 9:14 says "How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God"! Our service for God should be motivated by love and gratitude and practiced with gladness.

God has gifted each of us for service. Find your place and serve the living God!

2008 Men of Purpose Events

2008-01-11T21:06:00.000-06:00

Bethel Ministries Men of Purpose will be holding several events during the year. These are intended to support our vision of a Christ centered ministry committed to uniting men into vital relationships with God and each other through outreach, evangelism, pastoral care, discipling, and training in ways that are unique to men."Vision without action is meaningless". If you have any questions you are always welcome to contact the church at 405-390-2381 ext. 30.

"A Taste Of The Wild" --- March 8, 2008
Annual Texoma "Striper" Fishing Trip --- May 2 & 3, 2008
Father's Day --- June 15, 2008
"Toward A Growing Marriage" One Day Conference --- June 28, 2008
Men Of Purpose Breakfast --- Saturday, September 27, 2008

Some dates may be subject to change due to conflicts with scheduling, but these will be communicated as soon as possible. Check here frequently for updates.