Pick a side and stay there

Today we had a very interesting conversation while mixing cement by hand in Mexico. Franc and I were talking about the need for men to step it up in the church and be men, not just fixtures or doormats or silent partners. As we talked our partner in mixing Jaime came back out from hauling a wheelbarrow of concrete inside. He heard us and didn't speak up at first, you see, he doesn't go to church and has not for some time. I don't know how long, maybe 4 years, maybe 10.

When Jaime finally spoke we listened attentively to hear what he had to say. He said that men in the church need to live the same lifestyle outside the church doors as they do inside the church doors. He even made a physical movement to show how they need to not straddle a fence and live one way, not two ways. Hypocrisy is what he was referring to, not just the normal sin we deal with in life, but blatant hypocrisy. We've all seen it and it is never attractive. Some of my darkest memories of youth group were the kids who talked very spiritual in youth group and the night before partied like heathens.

What Jaime said brought out a verse from Revelation, where Jesus is telling the church to be either hot towards him or cold, but not lukewarm or tepid. Franc quoted the verse in Spanish, I couldn't even though I tried. Wow! There we were, an American missionary, a young Mexican pastor from Chiapas, Mexico, and a Mexican man who had become disgruntled by the hypocrisy, yet was willing to openly share and not condemn.

Pick a side, Jesus or the world. If it were only that simple, people would be flocking to churches and begging to come in and see what this Jesus' stuff is all about. If we lived as salt and light, the world would want what we have, they would follow us around and wonder what we are up to. Too bad it isn't true, they could care less most times.

Let's give them something to wonder about men. Let's live bold lives filled with integrity and walk in faith so that others will scratch their heads and try to 'get' us. Let's live with faith and courage and leave doubt and fear in the past. Let's get excited about something more important than the Super Bowl touchdown or the March Madness tourney breakdowns.

Well, that's all. I have to go rest my muscles from the concrete mixing. Pick a side....

Calling all Men

My friend Martin and I have figured out most of the world's ills down here in Mexico while drinking a coke. Well, okay, maybe we've only solved one or two, but no one will listen to us. Maybe one of us should run for president of the US or Mexico. Or maybe not.

One thing we have figured out over the past 2 years and after having had many cokes. This is it. The church needs more strong men to come forward and live an example for others to follow. We need men who have commitment to Christ, who love their families, and who are not perfect, but authentic, real. We need men of prayer, men who can weather storms, men who don't quit.

We need men in places of leadership in the church, men who will teach, men who will serve in areas of their strength and in some areas that might stretch them. We need men to challenge each other, especially in the realm of leadership. We don't need any yesmen who say yes to every thing proposed just because the person presenting it had a nice, high tech presentation and appealed strongly to all involved. If it's a bad idea, say so. If it costs too much money, say so.

We need men who will struggle, wrestle in prayer over families in their neighborhood, at work, and in their church. Yes, wrestle, fight for other men and their families in prayer. We need men who will study the Word of God and dig in deep, not just wade in ankle deep with shallow Bible studies, but in depth , applying the whole Bible to life.

We need many good men to step up and be the example Christ desires and the example He lived.