Discipleship – Page 21 – Muscular Christianity

Ankle Deep – Part Two

Welcome to Part Two of “Ankle Deep!” We’re looking at a particular passage in Ezekiel – popping the hood to first get an idea of what’s being said and then bring it back around in order to glean from it a call to action for the “here and now” as opposed to the “there and later.” In short, I want to be moving forward and in over my head in order to ensure that it’s a God sized task being done and a God sized life being lived! No room and no time for staying “ankle deep!”

It’s Almost Science Fiction

You read through these passages and there’s almost a science fiction dynamic to them – their word pictures are that cataclysmic and that beyond the realm of the normal and the every day.

If the theme of God’s Redemptive Power, Final Judgment and a new and altogether amazing world order was limited to a few obscure passages, it would be easy to dismiss it as figurative language that required no real contemplation.

But Zechariah and Ezekiel are but a few of Divinely inspired individuals who detail, both symbolically and literally, what we can expect to see at some point when God establishes a new Heaven and a new Earth. It’s not a question of “if” it’s going to happen. Rather, it’s a matter of “when.”

Some want to react to the Reality of God’s coming by jumping headfirst into some kind of nuclear winter survival mode. Practical priorities are cast aside and a gaping disconnect is allowed to appear between what is a current reality and what is a forthcoming dynamic.

The fact that God is coming back and these visions of life giving rivers will come to fruition is not our cue to quit living, but rather to be that much more diligent in terms of producing and stewardship. Look at Ephesians 5:15-16: Read more

Ankle Deep – Part One

Welcome to a two part series called “Ankle Deep!” We’re looking at a particular passage in Ezekiel – popping the hood to first get an idea of what’s being said and then bring it back around in order to glean from it a call to action for the “here and now” as opposed to the “there and later.” In short, I want to be moving forward and in over my head in order to ensure that it’s a God sized task being done and a God sized life being lived! No room and no time for staying “ankle deep!”

The World of Ezekiel

The Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians between 722 and 721 BC. In 612, the Babylonians overwhelmed Assyria and a new power dominated the civilized world. Initially, the Southern Kingdom of Israel continued to exist, but the appetite of the Babylonians would not lie dormant for too long and, sure enough, after a series of diplomatic platitudes and allegiances, the City of David along with the wall and the Temple, were burned to the ground and the Israelites were exiled – transplanted into various locations throughout the Babylonian empire.

Among the Babylonian exiles was a man named Ezekiel. Very intelligent, very articulate and very detailed in the way he documented those things the Lord informed him of.

The book of Ezekiel contains more dates than any other Old Testament book and can subsequently be verified with considerable precision using modern scholarship including archeology and Babylonian records of eclipses and such. Ezekiel’s prophecies pertaining to Tyre and Sidon are especially fascinating given their detail and the way in which they were fulfilled to the letter (see Ez 26:3-21).

Ezekiel’s format is very similar to other Old Testament prophets. In the first section you have God’s wrathful disposition towards a rebellious people, a series of prophecies pertaining to neighboring nations and finally a section that deals with Israel’s restoration. It is in chapter 47 where you see that restorative theme in a big way in the context of a river that flows from the new Temple.

Water in the Bible

Water is used throughout Scripture to symbolize new life. Not just a patched up version of a damaged entity, but something that has been made completely new and infinitely superior to its original state. Read more

The Difference Between Spiritual Maturity and Spiritual Intelligence

It says in Scripture to do your “best” when it comes to understanding and obeying God’s Word:

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (2 Tim 2:15)

But Paul talks about how knowledge can lead to arrogance and that’s not healthy:

We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. ² Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. ³ But whoever loves God is known by God. (1 Cor 8: 1-3)

That phrase in verse two: “Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know.” How do you know something correctly? Read more

Fitness as a Subcategory of Discipleship

I like to think of Fitness as a subcategory of Discipleship. While it’s not necessarily typical, it’s Biblical in that:

• your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19-20)
• we’re commanded to imitate Christ, Who was without sin and therefore completely innocent of any kind of excess (gluttony [Prov 23:2, 21; Ez 16:49; Eph 5:1])

Our nation is overweight and out of shape. And when you look at the stats that are exclusive to those who claim to be Christians, the numbers are even more incriminating.

Not Just Aesthetics

The thing that makes this issue more than just an aesthetic problem is that self control is among the Fruits of the Spirit. If you’re supposedly championing a doctrine that includes the ability to resist temptation, what does it say about the King you represent when you cave anytime someone waves a candy bar in front of your nose? Read more

Lots of Sweet Potatoes

The Second Harvest Food Bank truck lumbered up the drive and came to a halt. Out popped the driver who disappeared into the trailer and emerged with a box on a forklift that was over five feet hight and a good four – five feet wide.

Sweet Potatoes.

Lots of Sweet Potatoes. Read more

Move. Become. Now.

I’ve always been inspired by Caleb.

You meet him for the first time in Numbers 13. He was a standout from the tribe of Judah and was selected as one of 12 men to go out and explore Canaan. Their report was positive in terms of the land itself, but the inhabitants represented an overwhelming obstacle and all but two of twelve were convinced that God had led them into a no win situation.

Caleb was 40 at the time. While he and Joshua were confident that God could do as He promised, they would both have to endure the years of wandering that were part of Israel’s sentence for their contemptuous treatment of God’s Character.

Israel’s opportunity to claim what could’ve been theirs 40 years prior takes place in the first part of the book of Joshua with the conquest of Jericho. In chapters 10-13, you see a list of victories that Israel accomplished as part of her campaign to conquer the Promised Land. In every one of these undertakings, Caleb is suiting up. According to today’s view of guys in their sixties and seventies, he should be reminiscing about his exploits rather than spearheading new ones. But he’s out there nevertheless and in chapter 14, he says in verse 10: “So here I am today, eight-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then.” Read more

The Tyranny of the Urgent

The Dictionary defines “tyranny” as “cruel and oppressive power.” When you consider the context of the title of this post, it makes sense.

Here’s the situation: You’ve got several plates spinning. Among them there are some legitimate deadlines, but you also have some things that, while they need to get done, don’t have the same sense of professional urgency attached to them. And while that might be plain when you step back and really evaluate your to-do list, it isn’t always obvious when you’re just in your “zone,” trying to get things done.

But in order for your day to be truly productive, you have to step back and collect your thoughts enough to ensure that your efforts are being deployed in the wisest manner possible. Otherwise, the “tyranny of the urgent” takes over and those things that are authentic priorities are usurped by what poses as “urgent.”

And I’ve come to discover that it’s not always obvious… Read more

The Pitch

I teach an 8^th Grade Boys Sunday School class. I’m often encouraging them to be able to state what they believe and why without stumbling and mumbling their way through a bunch of clichés and statements that don’t come across as confident, let alone compelling.

It’s the “elevator pitch.” That collection of sentences that you can articulate in the time it takes to get from the first floor to whatever floor you’re going to. A well thought out description of what you believe and why you believe it.

Recently, I decided that I wanted to help them craft what they want to say. It’s got to be something that expresses their personal convictions – I don’t want to hand them a bunch of “cue cards” and they just mimic what they hear resulting in something that comes across as “canned” rather than “planned.” After thinking about it, I decided the optimum starting point is to simply given them my “statement” and let that be the equivalent to putting the key in the ignition and see if that doesn’t get their apologetic motors running.

So, here’s my “pitch:”

It’s not a subjective collection of personal preferences or a desperate desire to fill in the philosophical gaps that comprise the human experience that drives me. I’ve had more than ample opportunity to wonder if I’m playing for the right team. At the end of the day, the bottom line is: It works. Without an Absolute Standard, the goalposts never stop moving. Without a Creator, the universe is never sufficiently explained and without a Savior, life is nothing more than a temporary tapestry of highs and lows. Christ wasn’t just a great thinker or a noble sentiment. His business card reads different than any other religious figure in that He didn’t offer commentary about God, He claimed to be God. And He proved it by dying and coming back to life. While that flies in the face of all that’s normal and possible, if He was limited to what can be explained, He wouldn’t be God.

I wasn’t there to shake His Hand when He emerged from the empty tomb. The evidence that validates His Identity from a historical, scientific and philosophical standpoint is compelling, but what ultimately tips the scales in Christ’s favor is the way I’ve been able to test and experience firsthand what He brings to the table in terms of perspective, significance and confidence. He’s God, it works and I’m sure. That’s what I believe and that’s why I believe it.

The Butterfly Effect

“The Butterfly Effect” is a book written by Andy Andrews. He starts off by introducing Edward Lorenz who presented a hypothesis to the New York Academy of Science. He is theory was that:

“A butterfly could flap its wings and set molecules of air in motion, which would move other molecules of air, in turn moving other molecules of air – eventually capable of starting a hurricane on the other side of the planet.”(1)

As you might expect, his ideas were laughed out of the venue. But thirty years later, his theory as revisited and found to be true ,to the point where it was accorded the status of a law, now known as “The Law of Sensitive Dependence Upon Initial Conditions.”(2)

Joshua Chamberlain

In his book, Andrews demonstrates how the same phenomenon exhibits itself in people. He uses the story of Joshua Chamberlain, the commanding officer of the 20th Maine Regiment who was tasked with protecting the left most flank of the Union lines at the Battle of Gettysburg. His role was crucial in that should his position be overrun, the Confederates would be able to envelop the entire Union army from a tactically superior position. Read more

The Strenuous Life – the Mindset of a “Muscular Christian”

…I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of toil and effort, of labor and strife; to preach that highest form of success which comes, not to the man who desire mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph.¹ (Teddy Roosevelt)

“Muscular Christianity” is organized according to three, broad tenets:

Know What You Believe and Why – be able to articulate what you believe and why you believe without sounding hesitant (1 Peter 3:15)
All Things at All Times – God is the Filing Cabinet and not a mere, File Folder (2 Cor 9:8)
It’s Not About You – His Agenda, His Timing, His Resources. You benefit by subordinating yourself to God and to others. In other words, it’s not about you and that’s a good thing (Phil 2:3-4)!

Taken together they serve as a solid, theological foundation that is simultaneously both practical and logical.

It’s unfortunate that much of what translates to something that’s legitimately motivating and beneficial gets lost in the midst of a conventional perspective that limits a relationship with Christ to either a Divine Emergency Procedure or a Sanctified Insurance Policy – supernatural options reserved for crisis situations and funeral arrangements.

That’s not what Christ intended.

He defined eternal life as “knowing God (Jn 17:3)” and when you make a point of positioning Him as your Motivation for everything you say, think and do, the resulting Standard of Excellence is downright inspiring.

So, what does the day / mindset of a “Muscular Christian” look like?

Here’s some Biblical scaffolding that answers that question, as far as how you’re “thinking” throughout the day in order to accommodate a godly perspective that is as Powerful (Phil 2:13) as it is Practical (2 Cor 9:8):

Reveille – Morning! It’s a good day It’s not about the mistakes of the past (Lam 3:22-23), it’s not about what’s looming on the horizon (Matt 6:34), it’s about the fact that I’m upright, God’s got a Plan (Jer 29:11; Phil 2:13), I’m destined for great things (Eph 2:10) and it’s going to be a great day (Ps 118:24).

Holy Ghost Briefing – I follow the example of my King in that I spend some time with my Heavenly Father at the top of the day (Mk1:35). I don’t just race through a couple of theological sounding thoughts, I take the time to consume some Truth and I pray in a way that combines reverence, intercession and appeals (John 1:8; Matt 6:9-13). I’m training to be godly and not just going through some spiritual looking exercises (1 Tim 4:7).

Keeping my Body Tight – my body is God’s Temple. It doesn’t need to be the size of Atlanta nor does it need to be a feather pillow. And my age doesn’t matter. If I’ve got a metabolism like that of a racecar, I’m still watching what I eat. And if it takes a little longer to get my muscles warmed up, that doesn’t matter either. I’m a pointless, puddle of perspiration when I train and I’m not clogging my pipes with ludicrous carbohydrates either. I don’t look at it as an obligation, I see it as an invitation to be excellent and in that way I’m an effective commercial for my King on top of being able to enjoy all the benefits that go along with looking my best and being able to perform at 100% capacity. Dig that!

Kiss on the Cheek – Depending where I’m at in my life, I’m either kissing my Mom and Dad goodbye as I’m heading out the door, or I’m kissing my bride and my kids goodbye. Regardless, I honor them and I treat them as the priority treasures that they are (Eph 5:22- 6:1-4; 1 Pet 3:7).

Work / School – I’m knocking it out of the park! I’m bringing my “A” game to whatever it is that I’m doing (Col 3:23) and I benefit because people are drawn to excellence and / or those who pursue it.

Going South – not everything works out the way I prefer. Sometimes my heart gets broke, sometimes I get angry. But rather than careening off into an emotional ditch, I reign my passions in and bring them under the Umbrella of my Savior’s Purpose, Peace and Power. The clouds don’t always clear, but the Son’s given a chance to break through the cloud cover and there’s enough Light to justify an even disposition and a genuinely optimistic outlook (Rom 8:28; Phil 4:6-8).

Riding Off into the Sunset – the day is done, but actually it’s not. I’m not just collapsing in front of the TV. Maybe I’ve got homework, maybe I’ve got some other commitments but I’m still engaged right up to the point when my head hits the pillow. It’s called “diligence (Prov 12:24).” Clean up after yourself (Dt 23:12-14), take care of any chores or admin, read a book (“To lead, you must read.” [Theodore Roosevelt])², invest some time in other people, invest some time in improving yourself (Phil 2:3-4).

A Good Night’s Sleep – now you’re done. And you can look forward to a good night’s sleep (Ps 127:2). There’s always going to be something else to do, there’s often something on your mind, but the “Muscular Christian” is giving the keys to his Heavenly Father as part of being a “responsible driver.” It’s not that you’re incapacitated. Rather, you’re wise enough to know that it’s God Who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose and provided your obedience is in place, you can rest well knowing that it’s all good (Rom 8:28; Phil 2:13).

The quote from Theodore Roosevelt that’s referenced at the beginning of this devotional refers to a life that is “strenuous.” At first brush, it may be tempting to process “strenuous” as being strained or stressed. It’s not. “The Strenuous Life” is the life of a Hardcharger. It’s the approach taken by a Muscular Christian. It means that you’re engaged, motivated and productive for all the Right Reasons (Matt 5:16) and utilizing all of the Right Resources (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor 2:16; Col 1:27). It’s the practical manifestation of the Divine Life that proceeds from knowing God (Jn 17:3).

Below is a spreadsheet that you peruse every morning that includes all of the verses / themes referenced above. Read through the verses everyday and start each day by getting your spiritual tires aligned in a way that positions you for some quality Gains (2 Cor 3:18) and some true Success (Josh 1:8):

						The Mindset of a Muscular Christian
Theme	✓	Monday	✓	Tuesday	✓	Wednesday	✓	Thursday	✓	Friday
Morning!		Lam 3:22-23		Matt 6:34		Jer 29:11		Phil 2:13		Eph 2:10
Holy Ghost Briefing		Mk 1:35		Jn 1:8		Matt 6:9-13		1 Tim 4:7		2 Tim 2:15
Keeping Your Body Tight		1 Cor 6:19-20		Rom 6:12-14		Prov 23:2		Prov 12:1		Eph 5:1
Kiss On the Cheek		Eph 5:22		Eph 6:1-4		1 Pet 3:7		Prov 29:15		Prov 6:20
Work / School		Col 3:23		Ecc 9:10		Matt 5:16		Col 3:17		1 Cor 3:12-13
Going South		Phil 4:6-8		Matt 6:34		Rom 8:28		Rom 8:32		Is 30:21
Riding Off Into the Sunset		Prov 12:24		Dt 23:12-14		Phil 2:3-4		Prov 6:6		Prov 20:4
A Good Night’s Sleep		Ps 127:2		Rom 8:28		Phil 2:13		Is 41:10		Ps 37:5-6

You’ll see some of what’s discussed in this post expanded upon in the devotional material included with the “Muscular Christianity: 90 Day Workout Plan.” Thing is, you don’t want to limit it to a three month training period. Being able to explain what you believe and why, applying all that Christ offers to every aspect of your life and establishing God as both the Target and the Source of your ambition is a lifelong dynamic. In other words, it’s not just a timeframe characterized by a spike in spiritual disciplines and physical training. It’s a mindset – the mindset of a “Muscular Christian!”