Feb 23 

STAYING SHARP

What is a sharp character?

sharp, keen, acute mean having or showing alert competence and clear understanding. sharp implies quick perception, clever resourcefulness, keen suggests quickness, enthusiasm and a penetrating mind.

President Abraham Lincoln was asked one time, Abe you are a famous rail splitter. “If you were going to chop down a mighty Oak tree, how would you go about it.”  He replied, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe”

Men must prepare and steel themselves for any significant work.  Praying, putting on the full armor of God, seeking advice of other godly men sharpens us before any enterprise or battle we face.

Hebrews 4:12 (NLT) For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

God’s Word is truth, it is powerful and it reveals the truth about ourselves to help us have God’s mind on things as opposed to our fleshly desires.  Staying in God’s Word with keep us sharp, ready for good works. Jesus is described as the logos, God’s Word alive and He stayed prayerful, knew and quoted the scriptures to model living life well.

Proverbs 27:17 (ESV) Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

Like minded Christian men need to be in relationship with each other sharing our goals and concerns and helping each other stay sharp for successful living in a fallen world.

Every man should have a Paul, a mentor in their life; a Timothy, a protégé that they can disciple and to whom they can pass on the faith and walk; a Barnabas, someone who can encourage and be a cheer leader when they are down; and a Nathan, an accountability partner who will keep them accountable and on God’s path for successful living.

Attend church regularly, join a men’s small group, stay in contact with your Paul, your Timothy, your Barnabas and your Nathan to live successfully.  Stay sharp men!

Waiting for the right time...

You remember how it feels when you are a child and you are waiting on Christmas.

It seems like it will never come.  Recently, my youngest son, David, and his wife Jacqui were waiting on their first child to be born, a girl, who just at the right time arrived on the scene to change their lives forever.

Ask any 9 month pregnant mother and they will tell you they are ready for that baby to arrive.

Talking to Zoe’s other grandpa we commented that “God is never early, but He’s always on time!”

Ephesians 1:10 says,  And this is the plan: At the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.

The children of God are waiting for the return of Christ, just like as kids we were waiting on Christmas… or at least we should be.

Psalm 105 reminds us that at just the right time God called Abraham out of Ur to call out a chosen people.  At just the right time God sent Joseph ahead to Egypt to preserve the Jewish people through the famine.  At just the right time God sent Moses as His instrument to deliver the Jews from slavery in the exodus.

A few weeks ago, we were talking about our spiritual plans for 2023.  God has a plan and at the right time the LORD will come back and this messy old world will be fixed.

In the mean time, let’s work our plan to be obedient joyful witnesses of the blessings in Christ.  Let’s take some folks with us.  Now’s the right time.

Join us Thursday mornings at 6:30am for the FISHERSMEN ZOOM MEETING for fellowship, Prayer and Encouragement.

 

Blessings,