The Characteristics of the New Generation of Fighting Men: #4 – The Reproach of Egypt is Gone

Posted by rfathers on January 11, 2010

After Israel had been in the desert for forty years Joshua succeeded Moses as the leader and the Lord miraculously moved the people across the Jordan River in preparation to enter the Promised Land.

Then God told Joshua to circumcise all the males.

Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time. (Joshua 5:2 KJV)

All the men who were previously circumcised in Egypt had died off and no one was circumcised while they were in the dessert. As the men healed, the Lord spoke to Joshua:

… This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you. (Joshua 5:9 KJV)

The circumcision ritual symbolized the renewing of the covenant that God originally made with Abraham that was to be carried down from generation to generation through the men.

The Dessert (Wilderness) Was a Transitional Period

Israel’s time in the dessert (wilderness) was a transitional period from their enslavement in Egypt – to a renewed covenant and a dependence on God. The circumcision ritual marked the end of that transition and a new beginning for Israel. That is why God wanted this done for a “second time.”

As discussed in earlier posts, before God could allow Israel to enter the Promised Land He had to eliminate the old generation of fighting men and replace them with the new generation of fighting men. Only Joshua and Caleb from the old generation were allowed to enter the Promised Land. Thus He used the experience in the dessert to cleanse them from the reproach of Egypt (Joshua 5:9).

My first question is what does reproach mean? Reproach means shame or disgrace (Strong’s Concordance #H2781). The reproach of Egypt was their lack of faith in God that He could bring them out of slavery and into the Promised Land of milk and honey. This was the slave mentality that the old generation was stuck in and caused the men to shrink in fear when God sent the twelve men to spy on the land of milk and honey. They preferred the life of slavery in Egypt to a covenant with God.

So God had to remove the shame and disgrace of slavery from Israel before He could bring them into the Promised Land.

This theme of cleansing away bondage (slave mentality) is repeated in the New Testament in Romans:

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ . . .(Romans 8:15-17 KJV)

Today God is calling for a new generation of fighting men that has left the reproach of Egypt and its slave mentality behind.

Do you still have the reproach of Egypt on you or can you stand tall and cry Abba, Father, knowing that God is your provider and protector?

Please give us your comments below.

Let us know how this post impacts you. In the next post we will cover Characteristic #5: We Are OverComers.

Please tell others about this important series on God Is Calling for a New Generation of Fighting Men.

Characteristics of the New Generation of Fighting Men: #3 – Be Radiant – Like Moses

Posted by rfathers on January 8, 2010

In Exodus 34 the story is told of Moses returning from Mount Sinai after 40 days and nights fasting and in the presence of the Lord. His face glowed so brightly that he had to wear a veil over his face when he spoke to the people (Exodus 34:27-35).

The original Hebrew word that described how Moses’ face shone is qaran (Strong’s Concordance, #7160) which means, to shine, to send out rays, to emit beams, to glow.

Why Was Moses’ Face So Radiant?

Moses face was radiant because he spent time in the presence of the Lord. However, his radiance was probably not just on the outside – on his face. The radiance was an outward sign of what was happening on the inside of Moses. The radiance that showed on Moses’ face was also manifested in his soul and in his spirit – which would have come from the time Moses spent in the presence of the Lord.

Moses time with God put him in much closer contact with God and God’s purpose. It would have given Moses a boldness in his walk with God. He would have gained clearer purpose of mind, divine wisdom in decision-making and leadership, holiness in his lifestyle and much, much more.

You too can be radiant like Moses.

How Can We Be Radiant Like Moses?

The simple answer is to do what Moses did. But of course the context is different today. We are not on Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. However, being in the presence of the Lord in our own prayer closet and in our daily living can be just as powerful.

What Was Moses Doing While in the Presence of the Lord?

Scripture tells us in several placed what Moses did while in the presence of the Lord. Let us look at seven of them:

1. Fasting: (Exodus 34:28) – As mentioned above, Moses was fasting. He was denying his body for a higher purpose of his spirit. Like Moses, today fasting should be done for specific purposes such as: to humble oneself, to get closer to God (consecrate oneself), to understand God’s Word better, to better hear from God (understand His Will and to get direction), to seek healing, to gain divine intervention (break yokes and lift burdens), and to intercede for others. Moses’ fast was a serious fast. He wanted to be right there with God so he was willing to go without food and drink to open the door for that to happen.
2. Worship the Lord: (Exodus 24:1-5) – The Bible tells us that Moses led the people in worship. However, Moses fasting for 40 days and nights (Exodus 34:28) was also a form of worship. That is, when we submit our bodies to God for a higher purpose of the Spirit, that is a spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1-2 NIV). Certainly forty days with the Lord as Moses was – will bring us to a state of worship. For us today, we need to keep in mind that worship is not just about singing songs and saying nice words – it is about lifestyle. We will explain more about this much later when we define the Characteristics of the Fighting Army.
3. Pray Earnestly: (Deuteronomy 10:10) – Communication with God today is largely through prayer. That is how we speak to God. God reveals His will to us through our spirit. Any time someone is seeking the Lord and fasts like Moses did, there is most definitely sincere and purposeful prayer going on. If you have ever fasted seriously then you know it is a time for really seeking the Lord and His will for you (Psalm 63:1).
4. Intercession: (Deuteronomy 10:10, Exodus 32:31-32) – Moses spent much time in intercession for Israel. Because of Moses’ intercession for Israel, they were saved from the Lord’s destruction (Number 14:10-38). Today, the Lord commands us to pray for each other (Ephesians 3:18: James 5:16).
5. Seek Forgiveness: (Exodus 32:30) – Moses sought forgiveness on behalf of the people of Israel to help restore them into a right position with God. It is imperative that we repent from our own sins so that God can restore us to our right position with Him (Psalm 51).
6. Experience the Glory of the Lord: (Exodus 24:15-18; 33:18) – Moses went up to the mountain to be with God. He left others behind and assigned Aaron and Hur to handle matters in his absence. When in the presence of the Lord our focus must be on Him. Too often we let the troubles of the day overshadow our time with God. This is a time of building faith and getting to know God better and better by experiencing Him. It is also a time for communion with God, a sweetness that surpasses all understanding.
7. Receive Instructions from God: (Exodus 19:3-6) – Many times God gave Moses instructions on how to lead and what to say to Israel (including the Ten Commandments). Communion with God (prayer) is a two-way street. We talk to God. He talks to us through our spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14). God also instructs us through His Word (the Bible), thus we must study His Word. For anyone who wants to know the will and mind of God, His Word is the best place to start.

If you spend the kind of time with God that Moses did – then you too will shine from the Holy Spirit working inside of you. Are you ready to shine for God? You can be like what Jesus called a light of the world (Matthew 5:14)!

Pleae give us your comments on this post below. Let us know how it impacts you?

In the next post we will cover Characteristic #4: The Reproach of Egypt Is Gone.

Please tell others about this important series on God Is Calling For a New Generation of Fighting Men.

The Characteristics Of The New Generation Of Fighting Men: #2 – What We Need To Keep

Posted by rfathers on December 21, 2009

In the previous post we looked at Deuteronomy 1:26-46 to see where Moses recounted part of Israel’s history in the desert. Moses described how the old generation of fighting men had failed and thus were not able to enter the Promised Land. That was a list of what we should leave behind – or eliminate from our lives today.

In those same verses in Deuteronomy 1, Moses also showed three points of what was acceptable to God for being able to go into the Promised Land. This is a list of what we need to keep.

Please read these two chapters to help get a full understanding of the notes below:

• Numbers 13
• Numbers 14

After God made it clear that the whole generation of fighting men had to die in the desert, He made three exceptions:

You will all drop dead in this wilderness! Because you complained against me, every one of you who is twenty years old or older and was included in the registration will die. You will not enter and occupy the land I swore to give you. The only exceptions will be Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.

You said your children would be carried off as plunder. Well, I will bring them safely into the land, and they will enjoy what you have despised. But as for you, you will drop dead in this wilderness. (Numbers 14:29-32 NLT)

Here are the three things we need to keep (See Deuteronomy 1:36-39):

1. v. 36 – Spirit of Caleb – Caleb was obedient, he believed God, he had a different Spirit (v. 24) , followed God wholeheartedly (Numbers 13:30; 14:24, 30, 37);
2. v. 38 – Spirit of Joshua – Joshua was a loyal servant, a fighter and a leader (Exodus 17:9-13; 33:9, 11), he was the future leader of Israel, he had boldness and was obedient, he believed God (Joshua 24:15)
3. v. 39 – Be Like Children – innocence, not know good from evil, Jesus told us we should be like little child if we wanted to enter the kingdom of God (Matthew 18:3-5)

In the next post we will discuss “Characteristic #3: Be Radiant – Like Moses.”

Did you gain anything from today’s post? Was it informative? Please pass this post along to others and please give us your comments and questions below.

Characteristics of the New Generation of Fighting Men: #1 – What We Need To Leave Behind

Posted by rfathers on December 18, 2009

Continuing in this series GOD IS CALLING FOR A NEW GENERATION OF FIGHTING MEN, This is the first of seven posts on the characteristics of a new generation of fighting men.

In Deuteronomy 2:16, right after the last man from the old generation of fighting men had perished – God told Moses to prepare to go into the Promised Land. This was based on God’s promise that none of the old generation of fighting men would see the land of milk and honey (Numbers 14:26-32).

In Deuteronomy 1:26-46 Moses recounted some of the history of Israel in the desert. In those verses he explained what the old generation of fighting men did wrong. Here is that list with other notes and the scripture verses for us to see what we need to leave behind in our walk with God as we become a NEW generation of fighting men. It is helpful to read the scripture to better understand the notes.

Seven Things We Need to Leave Behind –
(Deuteronomy 1:26-46)

1. v. 26 – Rebellion
2. v. 27 – Murmuring – tongue (Proverbs 18:21, James 3:3-12, Philippians 2:14)
3. v. 28 –29 – Discouragement/Fear (1 Timothy 1:7, Romans 8:15)
4. v. 32 – Unbelief – Lack of Faith
5. v. 35 – Evil Generation – as explained in …
   1. 5 Sins of the Wilderness (1 Corinthians 10:6-10)
      • v. 6 – lust
      • v. 7 – idolatry
      • v. 8 – fornication
      • v. 9 – tempt Christ
      • v. 10 – murmur
   2. They failed the test – serves as an example to us today (Hebrews 3:7-19) – Unbelief is a sin
   3. Could not Enter God’s Rest – Promised Land (1 Corinthians 10:5-6, 12; Hebrews 3:7-19; 4:1-11)
6. v. 43 – Disobedience/Going before God (Number14:40-45)
7. v. 37 – Moses Sin – Mementary Failure In Leadership (Numbers 20:1-12) v 12 – Moses and Aaron – leadership team from the beginning – burning bush
   1. Anger (Ephesians 4:26) – struck rock instead of speaking to it, blamed the people for him not being able to go into Promised Land (Deu 1:37)
   2. Contempt for the People – lost proper love for the people, spoke down to them (Num 20:10, Deu 1:37)
   3. disobedience – struck rock two times instead of speaking to the rock, public act of disobedience
   4. unbelief – did not trust/honor God “enough” (Num 20:12)
   5. pride – dishonored God: took credit for miracle of water (Num 20:10), public disobedience, mis-represented God to the people

Do you agree with this list? Are you in the new generation of fighting men? Give us your comment below.

In the next post we will look “Characteristics #2 – What We Need to Keep” – things that were pleasing to God in those same verses.

What are the Characteristics of This New Generation of Fighting Men?

Posted by rfathers on December 15, 2009

Today’s new generation of fighting men will distinguish itself by its devotion and commitment to Our Lord Jesus Christ. In this, they will be unlike the old generation of fighting men who suffered from a slave mentality when they were in the desert with Moses.

Let us clearly define the old generation of fighting men that God would not let go into the Promised Land before we discuss the new generation of fighting men that we need today.

That old generation of fighting men had its origin in the post-Joseph era in Egypt when Pharaoh sought to enslave the Israelites (Exodus 2:6-22). The Bible does not record any specific activities of the men or any organized resistance to Egypt’s enslavement effort. It is significant that the resistance of the Israelite women (midwives who feared God) is well-documented as they refused the command of Pharaoh to kill all newborn baby boys (v. 15-22). Were the men as steadfast as the women?

Perhaps they had become complacent during the privileged and protected years under Joseph and afterwards. That complacency gave way to bitterness (Exodus 2: 14) which continued up into Israel’s time in the desert possibly leading to their own destruction (Number 1439 NIV).

Nonetheless, in the post-Joseph era the old generation of fighting men does not appear to have been doing much fighting – or at least not victoriously. By the time that Moses was prepared to lead them to take the Promised Land they had clearly lost the will to fight in spite of assurances that God would deliver the land into their hands. Instead, they wanted to return to Egypt where they had been slaves (Numbers 14:1-4).

This is why God did not let them go into the Promised Land. God said they had to die in the desert and that their children would take their place in the Promised Land (Numbers 14:29-32).

Today a new generation of fighting men is needed to address the current challenges that our families and nations face. Today men need to change – not be eliminated. This is a transformational process. Every man needs to eliminate from within himself any lingering characteristic or attributes that doomed the old generation of fighting men that was lost in the desert.

To this end we have constructed seven points that describes the characteristics of a new generation of fighting men to help ourselves prepare for the challenges at hand.

In the next post we will discuss the first of those seven points, the things we want to leave behind as explained by Moses in Deuteronomy 1:26-46.

Why is God Calling for a New Generation of Fighting Men for today?

Posted by rfathers on December 12, 2009

Around 420 B.C. the Prophet Malachi warned in the last two verses of the Old Testament of a curse that would plaque the world should the heart of the fathers not turn to the children (Malachi 4:5-6).

Today we can see clear examples of what that curse could look like:

• Low standards of manhood, thus low standards for husbands and fathers
• Extreme father-absence
• High divorce rates
• Large percentage of children born outside of wedlock
• High rates of teen pregnancy
• High incidence of female headed households
• Ever increasing disrespect for elders and the rule of law
• Extreme sexual pervasiveness and promiscuity in society
• Weakening of the family and the authority of fathers in the family

These are just a few of the signs of such a curse – not only in the United States but also globally. One might argue which of these signs are effects of a curse and which are causes. The bottom line is that it is cyclical, that is, the more each problem persist – the more it helps to create and reinforce the other problems.

Nevertheless, Malachi’s warning (and the subsequent curse) shows the need for a new generation of fighting men equipped and prepared to face a different kind of enemy that impacts our manhood, our homes, our communities, our churches and more.

In the next post we will discuss the characteristics of the new generation of fighting men.

God’s Call for a New Generation of Fighting Men

Posted by rfathers on December 8, 2009

God has impressed on me that He is calling for a new generation of fighting men to face the current challenges of the twentieth-first century.

This statement raises several obvious questions such as:

1. What is a generation of fighting men?
2. Why is God calling for a new generation of fighting men for today?
3. What are the characteristics of this new generation of fighting men?

What is a generation of fighting men?

Fourteen months after Israel’s Exodus from the confines of slavery in Egypt, a census showed that there were 603,550 men who were 20 years old or more and could serve in Israel’s army (Number 1:44-46). Twelve of these men were chosen (one of the leading men from each of the 12 tribes) to explore the land of milk and honey that God had promised to Israel. Upon their return after 40 days of spying the land, 10 of the men gave an evil report that characterized the inhabitants as unconquerable giants. Although the land was plentiful and inviting, the 10 spies spread fear that caused most of Israel to long for a return to Egypt.

Only Joshua and Caleb believed in God’s power to deliver the land into Israel’s hands. The whole assembly of Israel wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb. God intervened and threatened to immediately destroy all of the men of Israel. This was the generation of fighting men that God said could not enter the Promised Land and had to die in the dessert (Number 14:29-30). It was not until the last of these men was gone that God told Moses to prepare the people to enter the land of milk and honey.

Thirty-eight years passed from the time we left Kadesh Barnea until we crossed the Zered Valley. By then, that entire generation of fighting men had perished from the camp, as the LORD had sworn to them. The LORD’s hand was against them until he had completely eliminated them from the camp.

Now when the last of these fighting men among the people had died, the LORD said to me, “Today you are to pass by the region of Moab at Ar.
Deuteronomy 2:14-18 NIV

In the next post we will discuss why God is calling for a new generation of fighting men for today.

Please comment on today’s post below. Do you agree with this call?

Do You Have A Marriage Plan?

Posted by rfathers on November 30, 2009

Today Wedding Planning has become big business from flowers, wedding dresses, tuxedos, limos, DJs, bands, catering, wedding favors, venues, honeymoons, etc. etc. Almost everyone loves a good wedding. They are fun and exciting to attend. They make you cry and they make you laugh.

The sad part about weddings is not the event itself – but the aftermath. Aside from the thousands of dollars of debt that many couples accumulate for their special day, there are often pitfalls.

One of the biggest pitfalls is to spending too much time planning the wedding but very little time planning the marriage. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why half of first-time marriages end in divorce. That’s right marriages need more planning that weddings. The wedding is just one day, but the marriage is supposed to be a lifetime commitment.

Too often happy couples are not prepared for the challenges of marriage and when faced with the reality of a life-time commitment, they are un-prepared to go the distance.

If couples would take the time to plan their marriages then they would have a better opportunity to know the person they intend to marry. They would be forced to work out some issues about their like and dislikes, they goals and aspirations and their personal visions for career, children, economics and more. But more to the point, they would discuss with each other what they really want out of life and what they are willing to put into it.

When couples take the time to plan their marriages they have the opportunity to establish joint goals and work out operating principles for their marriage.

Even for couples that have been married for many years, if you do not already have a marriage plan, it is not too late to create one.

Here are some basic components of the Marriage Plan that my wife Daisy and I created before we got married. Did you have a Marriage Plan? Let us know what you think about our blueprint by commenting below.

BluePrint for a Marriage Plan and Family Mission Statement:

1. Why are you getting married?
2. What is your family motto?
3. What is your relationship to God?
   1. How are you to be spiritually strengthened?
   2. Will you have family devotions, prayer, Bible Study? When and how often?
4. What is your family plan?
   1. How many children do you plan to have?
   2. When do you plan to start and stop having children?
5. What is is your financial plan?
   1. Are you going to tithe?
   2. What are each of your career goals?
   3. Who is going to work?
   4. How much income will it take to support your planned lifestyle?
6. What is your education plan?
   1. What are each of your educational goals?
   2. What are the time frames?
7. What is your housing plan?
   1. Where do you plan to live?
   2. What type of dwelling do you want to live in at various stages in your life?
   3. Do you plan to own? If yes, are you saving for a down payment?
8. What is your family Ministry Plan?
   1. Will you work in your church?
   2. Will you serve the Lord in other forms?
9. How will you divide the family and household responsibilities?
   1. Who is responsible for cleaning which rooms in the house, doing dishes, taking out the garbage etc.?
   2. When children come – who does what?
   3. Who cooks?
10. What are some of your personal operating guidelines?
    1. How do you settle arguments?
    2. Do you let the sun go down on your anger?
    3. What do you do if you cannot agree?
    4. Do you know how to compromise?
11. What does the Bible say about the relationship between the husband and the wife?
    1. How can the husband best love his wife?
    2. How can the wife best respect her husband?
12. What questions have been left out that are important to each of you?

7 Ways Excessive Debt Can Cripple Your Family Life

Posted by rfathers on November 23, 2009

In both the Old and New Testaments the Word of God makes it clear that a Godly man pays his debts. Thus, debt is a tool that can be used to help finance purchases or investments that one cannot afford out of his own cash reserves. However, as a tool or vehicle, debt should not be abused. Thus, God’s Word also makes it clear that we should not have excessive debt.

You have excessive debt when: (a) your debt is above and beyond your ability to pay it back in a timely and/or agreed upon fashion, or (b) payments take up too large of a percentage of your income which impairs your ability to pay for essentials.

In recent years when the housing market was booming many people financed homes that they could not afford. Thus, homes were lost and credit ratings were ruined when the bubble burst. Un-wise consumers do the same with buying cars, and running up credit cards bills and in maintaining lifestyles beyond their income levels.
God’s Word tells us:

Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, except to love one another … - Romans 13:8 AMP

How Excessive Debt Can Cripple Your Family Life

1. Excessive Debt can rob you of your joy. Not being able to pay your bills can be stressful when trying to make ends meet. The stress robs you of your joy when you cannot handle your payments. When you lose your joy, you play with your children less and you are less patient with your wife. Excessive debt can also hamper your ability to do fun things. Recreation is an important part of life and if you do not have “extra” money, you cannot afford to do those fun things you once took for granted. Going out for dinner or a movie can become a thing of the past. It is no fun watching others enjoy themselves when you are not able to enjoy yourself because of your poor financial judgment.
2. Excessive Debt can limit your ability to provide for the essentials. Struggling for money to buy groceries and other household necessities (or even having to make choices between what you need and what you can afford) can result from not having enough money to live off of and service your debt payments. This means everyone has to do with less because of being saddle with excessive debt.
3. Excessive Debt can eliminate the possibility of owning or maintaining a house. As mentioned earlier, many people in the U.S. lost their homes because of un-wise buying decisions and their inability to maintain an excessive mortgage payment. Others have not been able to ever buy a home because of poor financial management, poor credit rating, and excessive debt burdens. It is so much better to be able to play with your children in the “play room” or backyard than it is to not have either.
4. Excessive Debt can make it impossible to have new clothes and toys. Too often people have used credit to finance their wardrobe and thus have excessive credit card balances and can only pay the minimum payments. When they max-out or lose those cards then their ability to purchase new clothes for themselves and their children – and toys, piano and dance lessons, etc. – is seriously impaired. Shopping for “things” can become an addiction – be careful, or you too could be trapped into this buying with credit obsession.
5. Excessive Debt means lost opportunities. When you owe too much money, you will often have to pass on an attractive opportunity for an investment or purchase when it comes along. That means you cannot buy into a business or purchase a home or car at the right price because too much of your money is going toward servicing debt rather than building up saving and equity. Thus, you are not prepared when opportunity knocks. Additionally, with excessive debt also comes the necessity to work extra hours or an extra job to help pay the bills – which means less time for your family.
6. Excessive Debt can hostage your future. Debt accumulates interest faster and at deeper rates than most investments and savings. Nonetheless, it is more fun to watch your assets grow than to watch your debt burden grow. Your future is at risk if you practice poor financial principles or are in poor financial health. You will spend too heavy a percentage of your future income on debt payments and accumulated interest. Thus, you will be able to spend less on your children’s future (including college, weddings, birthday gifts, etc.) because you have to pay for your past.
7. Excessive Debt can prevent you from serving God. Instead of being free to serve God and give or yourself, you might have to spend too much time chasing money to pay your bills. We should see excessive debt as a tool of the enemy. The devil wants us in debt so we will be crippled in our families and in our ministries. Don’t fall prey to the schemes of the devil, practice sound and Godly financial principles.

This short entry on crippling excessive debt is by no means a complete analysis on the subject. However, it is meant to give some food for thought.

We will write more on this subject in the future.

Print a copy of this article: Excessive Debt

What are some other ways the Excessive Debt can potentially cripple family life? Tells us by commenting on this post.

Have questions or disagree – if you do – let us know by commenting on this post.

Too Sexy For Church

Posted by rfathers on August 31, 2009

Yesterday, Sunday, I had an occasion to think about what is to sexy for church. Today, Monday, I ran across a women’s blog that was discussing that same subject. Christianity Today’s Kyria.com.

In the blog they were discussing how women should dress in church and some of the personal experiences of the writers in their attempt to dress appropriately.  Here’s the comment I made on that blog:

I would like to offer a man’s perspective on your second question, “In what ways does clothing distract you from focusing on God?”  I am sure my point of view is not the only male perspective, but nonetheless here it is.  Since I got saved about 15 years ago, I have sought to sit as close to the front of the church as possible to help me to focus on God and to not get distracted by women in the church.  It is not that I attend church where women are scantily dressed.  It is quite the contrary.  Most women dress conservatively.  However, no manner of dress can stop a man’s mind from wandering (See Stephen Arterburn’s book, Every Man’s Battle).  Only the man’s focus on God can do that.  My conclusion is this: because of the presentation of women’s bodies in the “world” especially in the media and advertising, men have to really stay focused on God (and their purpose in life) to avoid temptation.  Sometimes it is not easy to stay focused on God when a half-naked woman appears in front of you in living color.  I’ll tell you that it is enough to face that battle outside of church.  I don’t want to face that battle inside of church.  So therefore, my suggestion to women (from a man who wants to stay focused on God) is to use the Apostle’s Paul encouragement to “… to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly…” (1 Timothy 2:8-10, NASB)

What do you think on this issue? Can you be distracted from your focus on God in church? Please leave your comment below.

By the way, Christianity Today has a free newsletter and a host of articles in their Marriage Partnership website. Check it out. They have a lot of valuable resources.

For men who need help staying on the straight and narrow path of focusing on God and not be distracted by the presentation of “worldly women” here are a few other resources. I have found the Every Man’s Battle book series to be very helpful and informative. Every Christian man should arm himself with a least one of these weapons.