Destined for Greatness

“Whatever the odds, never let the odds determine your destiny. God has destined you for greatness.” –Tony Evans (Kingdom Man)

Whether we feel comfortable enough to admit it in spiritual circles, men want to be great. I’ll admit it; I don’t mind...I want to be great. If you were brutally honest, I would bet that you also want to be great. But what may surprise you, and what I would like to suggest, is that far from what we often here in the biblical teaching on servant hood and humility is that God wants you to be great as well. Greatness is maximizing your potential for the glory of God and the good of others. Not only does God want you to be great in His Kingdom, He has destined you for it.

Men, God is not opposed to greatness. God is opposed to pride. Big difference, and unfortunately it is a difference not understood or embraced. Earlier in Genesis 12:2, God said directly to Abraham, “I will bless you and make your name great.” In 2 Samuel 7:9, God echoes these thoughts to David when He says, “I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth.” Keep in mind that was God talking. He was going to see to it that their names be etched in stone. God would make sure these men would not have just come here, been here, and left here. God would make sure these men would forever be known as great. Anytime God makes a name great that means He is recognizing greatness.

Jesus said in John 14:12, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these will he do.” That is not a verse preached on frequently. I’m not sure why, it’s a pretty straightforward truth. Jesus never traveled more than a few hundred miles from the place of His birth during His ministry. Yet the gospel has been spread around the world by men who have gone on to do the greater works. (Works, meaning being used by God) If in trying to be spiritual, you have shrunk away from your innate desire for significance, I want you to know, in doing so you have walked right into the enemy’s trap. The enemy doesn’t want you to realize that true greatness involves analyzing your gifts, talents, and skills in relation to God’s name and glory, and then maximizing them in an effort to expand your impact on others. God’s agenda is to advance His kingdom down the field of life, and to do so, He is looking for men who will rise to the occasion in their bid for greatness. You were made for greatness. It is okay to want it.

Meekness is not walking around with a sunken chest, head down, and doing everything you’re asked to do by those in your sphere. That’s not meekness, rather, it’s the world’s attempt to cage and emasculate a male. It is the enemy’s strategy to castrate men’s drive and sideline the starters on God’s Kingdom team. By painting complacency as a virtue and mediocrity as a goal, Satan has lulled the hearts of men asleep. Meekness is not weakness, it simply means submitting your power to a higher control, and it means submitting yourself to God’s kingdom rule.

Finally, known or unknown, you need to be great. Greatness for a kingdom man begins by aligning yourself with God’s kingdom agenda for the benefit of others. Whatever the odds, never let the odds determine your destiny. God has destined you for greatness.

Thanks for checking in again this week men. I’ve continued the Kingdom Man by Tony Evans. I’m only taking snippets because I encourage you to buy the book. I don’t take credit for any of it; I’m hoping it stirs up something in all who read it as it has me. I know He’s trying to get my attention. I don’t want to let Him down, not in this hour or any hour for that matter. Can you imagine what the body of Christ and our families would be like if all the men stood up, submitted to God, and directed their energy and attention to serving and fulfilling His Kingdom agenda? Let’s do it! It’s not about being cool or what others think. It’s not about words, but power! We can serve the living God with boldness, joy, and reward! Nothing is more honorable than being under His Lordship, and reigning and ruling your domain under His power and authority. He’s the reason for our boldness! 

We are destined for greatness. Most of us may not feel that way. We want to be great now, yet we seem so far from it by the world’s standards. I’m starting to believe the truth that I’m being prepared. People can mention that to us, but it’s hard to accept. The more I read of the great men of God, who were not so great at one time, I get encouraged. Perry Stone says, He wrote an article for years that he didn’t think anyone read, and just wanted to quit. All that research and time and effort prepared him for his destiny. He also said he used to preach to a pile of rocks and some trees for years. It takes hard work to be great! Day in and day out, everyday. Pilot Sully, remember him? The captain who landed the plane in the Hudson? From what I’ve read, what he did was a miracle. The exact speed, the placement of the wings, and the plunge had to be perfect, or else the plane would have shattered. This man had been an Air Force pilot, an accident investigator, and airline safety consultant, and had 19,000 hours logged of uneventful flight time. This prepared him with the necessary skills and mind-set to rule the realm of his plane well, rather than his plane ruling him. It was the years of hard work, day in, day out, and the striving for greatness in all he did, that finally made him great in the moment he needed to be.

Kingdom Man: I've Got This

When you step outside your door each day, do heaven, earth, and hell take notice? When you protect the woman under your care, can she do little to resist you? Do your children look to you with confidence? Do other men look to you as someone to emulate? Does your church call on you for strength and leadership? Are you a preserver of culture and a champion of society, one who keeps out evil and ushers in good? More than that, when God searches for a man to advance His kingdom, does He call your name? –Tony Evans (Kingdom Man)

In the Evans home, we have a sign. I can’t remember exactly when I started doing it, but when a problem comes up or a legitimate issue gives rise to worry or concern, I will sometimes raise three fingers. That’s all. When I raise three fingers, and without having to say a word, I can immediately see the tension leave my wife’s face or whomever it is I am talking to. It goes away because those three fingers remind them of three words: I’ve got this.

When I say I’ve got it that means whoever I’m saying it to doesn’t have to carry it, worry about it, or try to figure it out. I’ll take responsibility for it. And if it is something I cannot solve, I will provide the comfort, stability, and empathy that are necessary to get through it. It doesn’t mean that I literally and tangibly do everything. It means that I see to it that everything is done.  As a man, when you have demonstrated to a woman, children, or people within your sphere that you are dependable, responsible, or simply carry the burden, you have freed them to rest. As a kingdom man, those around you need to know you’ve got it.

It is no different than when God does for us when He tells us not to worry. Essentially, God says, I’ve got this. God’s covering over us as His sons is a model of how we as men are to cover those under us. To cover someone or to be someone’s covering simply means that you provide the protection and provision they need, as well as an environment for nurturing, and fostering spiritual and physical health. Men, when God’s got it and you are leading and living according to His principles and under His governance, your faith in Him comes through in how you relate to those around you. Essentially, you’ve got it because you are putting your trust in and functioning according to the truth that God’s got it.

We can’t expect to understand or live out God’s definition of manhood without applying all of the content of His Word. The King has given you a rulebook by which you are to govern, you are to rule, lead, make decisions, direct, guide, and align your life choices. When you lead according to what He says in His Word, He will back you with the authority you need to carry it out. When you lead according to His principles and His Kingdom agenda, you free others around you to be what they were created to be as well. Yet when you don’t, you invite a world of chaos, disorder, and destruction not only in your life, but also the lives of those within your sphere of influence.

Gentleman I hope you enjoyed this. I encourage you to purchase the book. This is would be a great small group study, and possibly one we could open up on G+.  I’m hoping to expand the reach of this blog which has taken the direction of building up men in the body of Christ. I believe the Lord is speaking to Men right now. This book came out in April, and if you look back at some of my previous blogs in March you will discover the Holy Spirit is trying to get our attention. Over the next month or so I’m going to post snippets of the book and add some commentary. I believe in letting the Word flow through me whether it’s original or someone else’s work. If it has the power to change the world or someone life, I’m going to share it.

Life is really, really, tough most of the time. It’s easy to praise God and speak the Word when everything is going along smoothly. The call of being a Kingdom Man though, is being one all the time. When we don’t feel like it. When we’re absolutely whooped, exhausted, worried about finances after a long day and someone asks for assistance or needs some stability and encouragement, while we ourselves are seeking a Word and direction from the Lord. When we just don’t know how things will work out or turn out, we have to provide the assurance and comfort that all will be well while being pressed on every side. As a man in this position myself, I do know that God always delivers. In fact the Bible says He watches and sees to it that His Word is performed. It never returns void and accomplishes all He set it out to do. Sometimes the promises aren’t enough we just have to know He’s faithful  and remind ourselves of His past faithfulness. One of His names is FAITHFUL.  Faithful and True.  We must stick to our guns figuratively, by sticking to His Word and strengthening ourselves anew in Him every morning. It won’t be long before the Word comes alive before our eyes and the mountains have been leveled. Oh praise God! Three fingers, “I’ve got this”, because He’s got it!

“Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward.” 2John 1:8 (In other words, keep the faith, you will receive your full reward.)

Shout out to Jeremy Miller @WCOG, congratulations on Baby Lucy!

Men of Fire and Courage-StandUp!

I'm honored to have Will Rice guest blog this week. We go back a few years and he's honestly been one of my only "true friends." He's been there when I was at my worst and he also saw me through on the way up.  This piece was orginally supopsed to be included in the Men of Fire and Courage series, but we had a little miscommunication. I'll blame Will and he'll blame me. If you're unfamiliar with the blog series, I would ask that you go back and take a gander at the last few blogs in March. The foucs was Manleness, what has happened to it, how to cultivate it. I'm going to stick with this theme over the next month, so stay tuned!

When Jason asked to me to be a guest blogger I was really excited. New to blogging myself, I was really taken back by the fact that someone would ask me to guest write for their blog. Then he told me what the topic was and I was a little nervous about it and not exactly sure how to approach the topic of being a man. There are so many directions this topic can go. Being a man’s man, a man of god, not being manly enough (you get the point). Jason and I spoke about this topic on the phone for a few minutes we decided that I would take the approach of standing up for something. I glad he was there to focus me in on something otherwise everyone would be reading my endless sometimes incoherent dribble of me actually searching to answer my own question of what it means to be a man, and to be honest I don’t know that I can ever nail down a solid answer.

Let me preface my story with a little bit of my take on manhood though. I don’t think that being a man requires all of the societal stereotypes of a man. For me personally I was a kid who grew up around Music Theater. I took dancing, acting, and singing classes till I was 18 and I could have cared less about sports. Because of this I was ostracized for part of my life, I wasn’t doing the typical things a boy “should” do. However now looking back that doesn’t make me any less of a man. Neither does the fact that until 30 I couldn’t grow a beard (actually it is still kind of patchy, but it’s getting there). I also love cooking; some may not think this is the manliest activity; however thanks to people like Guy Fieti and Bobby Flay I think that society has changed that perception slightly. Being a man is so much more than the activities that you choose to participate in; it’s an attitude and an instinct. Its standing up for what you believe. It’s putting your family before anything else, that need to provide.      

Alright enough of trying to make a complete definition of a man, I could keep going as I said and still never get it fully.

Well anyone that knows me and my family knows it has been quite an adventurous year for us, moving, new jobs, new daycares, and a five year old starting school. It has been really crazy and chaotic. Well it all started with standing up for something and what was right. At my previous position myself and the small staff that I had worked diligently for roughly 8 to 9 to complete an overwhelming project that had been presented to and in some ways asked for by myself. When completed the project in a short amount of time with success and quite a substantial cost saving to the entity. Was it perfect, no, but it was a great product that met all the requirements, laws, and most expectation.

As good job as we did of course you can’t please everyone and there was a person In particular that disagreed with a particular result we had and how it affected them. Well as any good person who is proud of work done I offered the opportunity for the person to present their side and for some open dialogue, however since this person wielded some power and authority within the organization they decided to take a different route and use that power to get the desired results. My job and livelihood were threatened and I was bullied (took me back to the days of the school yard bullies that I was scared to stand up against). I stood behind the job we had done and decided to stand up for myself as well. I decided that I would not be bullied and I very quickly found a new position somewhere else where my talents would be appreciated, much to the surprise of the Bully.

Not that I always do, but sometime being a man means standing up. The man doing the bullying probably thinks he is more of the man. He has power and money ect, ect, but does that really make him a man or more of a man than me? I don’t think so. I think at that point in my life it was one my most manly moments. It was my David and Goliath moment. David wasn’t the biggest or the best warrior but he did get the victory. Some people may say that I didn’t win or wasn’t a man because I chose to leave the situation. But it was a victory for me because I was able to stand up and support a job that we had done and leave with my head held high knowing that I did the legal, right, and moral thing to do.



Twiiter-@willrice81

 Life as We Know It (Will's Blog)

The Cup

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39)

The "cup" Jesus is referring to is a reference specifically to divine judgment. It is the cup of God's wrath. All of God's holy wrath and hatred toward sin, iniquity, and transgression, is about to be poured out. Psalm 75 says " In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to it's very dregs."(I’m not to thirsty myself.)

He is in the Garden of Gethsemane praying with the disciples. "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me." This is the turning point for Jesus, because what is now unfolding is unfathomable. Father God is pouring the weight and the punishment of the sins of the world onto Jesus. God is starting to withdraw Himself and turn His eyes from Jesus, because He cannot look upon evil. (All of the above; sins, iniquity, and transgressions are evils) The mental and spiritual battle Jesus is now experiencing was intense, for lack of a better word. Luke 22:44 says, "And being in agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground." The spiritual pressure that bore down upon Jesus' soul was so overwhelming that the Bible says it was agony. It was so strenuous that it involved all of Jesus' spirit, soul, and body. Those of us who know the effects of spiritual warfare on the body and mind can't even comprehend what Jesus was feeling. Imagine how he felt in his spirit? He hasn't even gone to the cross yet.... Again, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me."

This was the only way, the only bridge between God and humanity."The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent His own Son in a human body like ours, except ours are sinful. God destroyed sin's control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished..." Romans (8:3-4) Jesus was sinless, therefore meeting every requirement of the law. All have sinned and fallen short, except Jesus. He was and is the spotless Lamb of God, the ultimate, final sacrifice and judgment for the sins of the world. Past, present, and future.

Without going into a whole lot of detail, sacrifices were offered to God for the forgiveness of sins in the Old Testament. God is righteous, so when some one sins the penalty needs to be paid for, paid in blood. Honestly, I don't know why it has to be blood. Perhaps because it represents life and sin leads to and represents death? "For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life."(Leviticus 17:11) The Old Testament sacrifices pointed to Jesus, as being the ultimate sacrifice in the New Testament. What was offered to God had to be animals without spot or blemish for this reason. This explains why God was infuriated with the Israelites offering sacrifices from lame, blind, and spotted animals. Everything God does is perfect, holy, and in divine order. No one other than Jesus could have satisfied the penalty for our sins because He is divine and holy and contains no part of our sin stained nature. Sin separates us from God. It's the wall that every human being has between themselves and God, Jesus being the only way to remove it. Not ourselves, our conduct, anyone or anything else.

What I didn't mention here is the crucifixition itself. The Bible says He was beaten beyond recognition. Salvation is free, but it wasn't cheap. This is THE GOSPEL. The just and loving Creator of the universe looked upon hopelessly sinful people and sent his Son, God in the flesh, to bear His wrath against sin on the cross and to show His power over sin, in the resurrection so that all who trust in Him will be reconciled to God forever. We are helpless to change our nature and to do anything about eternity, which is why the world needs Jesus. To help us appreciate Christ's victory over sin and death, lets think about what the outcome would be without Him...Jesus would be dead, our faith would be worthless, and our message to the world a lie. Jesus would be a liar since He claimed that He would rise from the dead. There would be no forgiveness of sins, no fellowship with God, and no hope of heaven. Without the resurrection everyone's destiny would be hell. This however is the TRUTH...Our Savior LIVES, are sins are FORGIVEN, death has been DEFEATED, and we have the ASSURANCE of eternity in heaven.

"The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are headed for destruction. But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God." 1Corinthians 1:18