Are You a Joshua Man? - Men's Connect

Central Men,

We have not sent out a Men’s Connect for a few months for a variety of reasons. One of the reasons was that we were waiting for some men to write their stories so we can truly engage, equip and empower one another! Beginning this week the Men’s Connect will resume with a word from Norm Baty. In the weeks to come Mike Pelle, Brett Ahrens, Ken Glover, Bob Gunderson, Ed Studniski, and Greg Kurr will be sharing their witness with us. This will take us through August so if you are willing to witness to your faith send me a quick email and I will get you on the schedule.

This month we are focusing on what it means to be a Joshua man, i.e. “As for me and my household we will serve the Lord.” Norm introduces us to Joshua and for the next seven weeks we will consider what it means to be a SERVANT of the Lord. A big thanks to Norm for sharing with us. Part of Norm’s story is a reference to the place of pornography in his life. Recent research shows that 70 percent of men and 21 percent of women struggle with Internet pornography. There are some excellent resources to keep your home a safe place for you, your spouse and children. One such resource is www.covenanteyes.com. Mark Hall, lead singer for Casting Crowns writes, “Covenant Eyes is the first wave of defense in a person’s struggle for a pure thought life. I’ve been a member for years.”

One additional announcement; Our Director of Student Ministries, Ryan Braley, closed on a home yesterday. A lot of work needs to be done and on Friday we are having an ALL PAINTS DAY. If you can spend a few hours painting on Friday this would be a big help to one of our brothers. Simply respond to this email and I will make sure Ryan calls you with the details. A great opportunity for fellowship and fun!

Blessings this week and thanks to Norm for sharing the following witness!

Paul Johansson
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Central Men,

The society in which we live is constantly bombarding us with questions. Questions like, “What’s in your wallet?” “Have you driven a Ford lately?” "Shouldn't your baby be a Gerber baby?" "Where's the beef?" “Why ask why?” “Got milk?” Now as potentially earth-shattering as these questions and their answers may be (note the heavy sarcasm), there is a question that each one of us must ask ourselves. Whether we’re black or white, rich or poor, male or female, sick or healthy, gifted or not firing on all cylinders, there is one decision we must all make and will make in our lives. It’s the question that Joshua asked all the people of Israel to consider just before his death. The question is simple: “Whom will you serve?”

Joshua asked them to choose either to serve the Lord or to serve some other false god or gods. Jesus later made it clear that we can’t have it both ways when he said, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” (Matthew 6:24 & Luke 16:13) Jesus also said, "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” (Matthew 12:30 & Luke 11:23) Therefore we must choose to either serve God or to be against Him; there is no third option.

This hit home to me in my own life back about 10 years ago, although I certainly didn’t think of it in those terms yet. A friend of mine at work knew that I loved to read, so she brought me one of her favorite books and said that I should read it. It was a work of fiction called A Pillar of Iron by Taylor Caldwell based on true past events and people in ancient Rome. The main character was Marcus Cicero. I have no idea what kind of man he really was, but the way he was portrayed in the book was creepy. He was just like me. He had been brought up like me. He thought like me. There was just one key difference… he always stuck to his guns and stood by what he believed was right regardless of the circumstances. I didn’t. The book wasn’t anything overly profound, but God used it to get my attention. It made me ask myself, “Why does he stand by what he believes (and in the process makes a huge positive difference) and I don’t?”

I remember sitting there in my cube at GMAC-RFC one day thinking about it. Then I asked myself, “What do I believe? Do I believe in God?” Thankfully that was an easy immediate “Yes!” I had basically always believed in and regularly prayed to God, although it had always been all about what He could do for me. Next came, “Well if I believe in God then what does that mean? What do I know about what He expects of me? How should I be living?” Having gone to church here and there throughout my childhood and having had parents that tried to earnestly teach me about Jesus I came up with three main things. First: I need to attend church regularly. Second: I need to tithe my income. Third: I need to start reading the Bible, because if I’m going to call myself a Christian, then I need to know what it is that I say I believe in. The first one sat well with me, I just needed to make the effort. Now I can’t imagine how much emptier I’d feel without my church family. Tithing, well I won’t lie, that one hurt at first but I did it and in the years that have followed God has richly blessed me with more than I would have ever dreamed; materially to a point, but especially in terms of my family and friends. Having taken His challenge from Malachi 3:10, I must say that as with everything else I have found God to be faithful in keeping His promises. I’m also learning to care less and less about money, which is its own blessing. As for reading the Bible I made it my mission to read it through all the way. It took me about a year and a half the first time, but it was and continues to be a treasured thing to me to read God’s word. It’s not easy, but what’s harder than simply sticking through the whole book is what you’re confronted with when you do. The Bible is like a mirror that reflects the real you as God sees you. I can not explain my shame and horror the first time I read what Jesus says in Matthew 5:27-29: "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” That hit hard considering I was still loosely addicted to pornography at the time. Since then I have wondered many times very seriously if it would be a good idea to lose a body part or two, but then I remember that God can heal anything. I remember that Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world, but to save it. Jesus’ words in Matthew are there not to condemn me, but rather my actions and the desires of my own sinful nature. The shame and horror are there to help bring about my repentance, keep me headed away from evil, and to see a glimpse of how detestable sin is in God’s eyes.

When I decided to make those first 3 changes in my life, I was really only choosing to change one thing: Who I served. I decided to turn away from the idols of success, acceptance, security, sex, money, you name it… and to turn towards God. Thank you God for pursuing me in the midst of my sin! I would never go back to a life that was all about me.

Now for a number of months I’ve been meeting with a group of men from Central including Pastor Johansson who are passionate about reaching other men for Christ. We want to challenge you to step out in faith and commit to be a “Joshua Man”. What does that mean? It means that we want you to ask yourself who it is you’re going to serve with your life. We want you to take a stand and boldly proclaim just as Joshua did, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Not just at church, but at home, with your family, at work, when you’re hangin’ out with the boys ice fishin’. Anytime. All the time. It doesn’t happen overnight (I’m definitely still working on it!) but it’s a lifelong journey that we’d like you to begin. Join with other men who are on that same journey! When you were born God didn’t say, “Oh, oops, I forgot about him!” He has created you for a purpose to do good works that He’s prepared for you in advance. Aren’t you excited to find out what He has in store for you?! Above all He’s created you to have a real, meaningful, eternal relationship with Him. There is no greater prize, experience or inheritance than to come to know the one true King of kings and Lord of lords; to feel His Holy Spirit at work within you and to know that God Almighty, the Creator of Heaven and Earth loves you! If you haven’t already made this commitment, I hope you’ll join us!

Your brother in Christ,

Jeremy (Norm) Baty