An Article by Vince D'Acchioli

As a God loving, bible believing, follower of Christ, I have no trouble understanding that homosexual behavior is a sin. But here is the catch—I am a God loving, bible believing, follower of Christ. I have come out of a life of darkness, done many very bad things, went on a journey to discover that my only hope was God and that ultimately turned my life around.

Because I believe in the inerrancy of scripture I have a context to work from. The problem today exists in large part as a result of the absence of a Biblical worldview—so here is the scenario:

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Don't you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people-none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (NLT)

What do I do with the above verse, and a myriad of others, that suggest grave consequences for my actions? Here are my options:

• I believe it is true, want the promise of eternal life in God’s kingdom and adjust my life accordingly
• I believe in the existence of a god but cannot believe he would be so unloving and harsh, therefore I choose to discount the authority of the written Word (following a god I want instead of the God who IS)
• I do not believe in the existence of god so therefore non of this means anything to me—I can do as I please and I decide what is right and wrong 

With a few other subtle twists those are really my main options. So here is the problem we are facing today as true followers of the God who IS. We live in a democracy—God has given us free will, which allows me to be the ultimate choice maker. People, because of our sin nature—without a clear understanding of God, will always give into the nature within them. 

So, in a democracy we “the people” are guided by the will of the masses—as the collective worldview changes so do our laws and attitudes about sin—nothing about what is happening in our nation today should surprise us given the observable absence of any effort to develop or even talk about a Godly perspective on life.

Because of the deep sin in my own past, and some I still struggle with, I am certainly not the one who should be judging here—However—I do know the Person who ultimately will. Having said that let me talk to you about an experience I had in processing the recent Supreme Court decision the other day while in prayer.

As I was having my quiet time with Him on the day our court decided on affirming Gay marriage as a constitutional right, I was overcome with emotion. It began with the predictable feelings of disbelief with a mixture of anger and resentment. Then, the Lord by His Spirit quickly helped me turn a corner by reminding me of my responsibility as a communicator of His Gospel. 

He reminded me of the awesome privilege those of us who communicate His Word have, but also the importance of seeking Him to make sure we get it right—in other words—are we really communicating His heart about the issues we face? 

So, here is the train of thought He directed me through. I felt strongly that God wanted all of us to know His incredible love for everyone—even those who were demonstrating and celebrating this important decision as a breakthrough carrying signs saying love wins. They honestly believe this is a just cause and are driven by there own perspective of what is right.

Then He lovingly suggested that the big issue is really about Him and the biggest question anyone could come to terms with, God…No God—it all boils down to the idea that God is real or He is not. If we truly understand this dynamic it will ultimately change our attitude toward our culture to be better aligned with our loving heavenly Father.

So follow the logic here with me—if God is real than which god is he? We have a plethora of organized religions who have different gods all purporting to be the one and only true god. They all have their books, documents and history to support their belief. As Christians, we believe that Jesus is the one and only Lord and we also have our own evidence largely embodied in the Biblical record.

When we begin to understand this, recognize that a truly Biblical worldview is becoming harder to find given the absence of Christian teaching and recognize that everyone has a worldview shaped by their own experience, we can better understand why we are where we are as a nation. Having said that—if we as true followers of the one and only God want to have the proper perspective we must look to what Jesus said while on the cross, Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.

In this case, a growing demographic of people in our own nation do not have a Biblical worldview. There view is driven by the nature of man…not the nature of our God. Throughout history we see those two natures in sharp contrast. The nature of man ALWAYS gives in to what he desires and feels is best. Without any Godly context it will always follow the same self-destructive pattern. 

So please hear me on this—as Christians we are not to be upset, angry or even surprised. Rather, we should have the same heart Jesus has in recognizing the lost as precious children of His desperately needing a Redeemer. The Lord reminded me that marriage was ordained by Him as a spiritual covenant. The world does not go there—it recognizes the legal aspects of marriage and bestows certain rights on these unions to be understood by those living in a secular society. 

What this court did was simply uphold what seemed right and just, given their perspective and the absence of any spiritual understanding of the issue before God. By the time God finished leading me down this pathway of thinking my attitude began to shift. He actually challenged me to shift my focus to being more concerned about my contribution to how we got here in the first place.

I am convinced He wants all of us to STOP judging and even talking about His judgment falling down upon us as though we are somehow His ambassadors of doom and gloom. God is the ultimate judge of course and He will judge in His time. He struck me with a strong sense of the importance of our focusing our judgment upon ourselves. The big question for us Christians is, what have we done to contribute to the absence of a biblical worldview in our nation?

Here is the bottom line, we must respond but how we respond is critical. For the most part, I do not think we are doing a very responsible job of truly reflecting His heart right now. In the list below I want to share some practical things for you to consider moving forward, especially as we communicate to our children and grandchildren what has just happened—they are going to need the right perspective:

• Develop an understanding of how differing worldviews are developed and their potential influence upon our culture
• Understand the importance of, and determine to develop an intimate relationship with God—it is the only way you will have His perspective
• Practice loving people—not judging them
• Refrain from talking about God’s judgment and retribution—no one cares as the world has already discounted our message
• Be more concerned about how God will judge us as a result of our own failure to impact our culture
• Ask God to help you shape a proper and sensitive response when asked your opinion about this matter
• Help to gently correct and admonish other Christians who are not communicating a responsible and loving message

 

An Article By Vince D'Acchioli

God is real—He lives in heaven and He has an opinion! Guess whose opinion don’t count.

 Some time ago I received a phone call from a woman conducting a public opinion poll. Telling me that my opinion mattered, she suggested that it would go into a data bank where it would be taken into consideration by important people and organizations who would often make big decisions based upon the information I give them.

I asked her what if my opinion is uninformed and not based upon any facts or knowledge about the issue at all—but more on how I might feel about the matter or what I may have heard?

She still insisted that it was important to collect the information. So, I said to her, let me make sure I understand what you are telling me—you are saying that my opinion, which may be totally based upon air, with no real objective knowledge about the subject, will be used to make important decisions that will affect our very future?  I asked her if she understood how ridiculous this was? She no longer wanted to talk to me.

You are saying that my opinion, which may be totally based upon air, with no real objective knowledge about the subject, will be used to make important decisions that will affect our very future?

My friend, make no mistake—this is the world we now live in. I just posted the following on my Facebook page, Too much information...too little patience = too many uninformed opinions. We are now moving into the age of IGNORANCE. It is ironic isn’t it? We have more information than in all of human history, yet in many ways the availability of all of this data has somehow caused us to be less patient. We call it overload and are not willing to take the time necessary to develop informed opinions.

Too much information...too little patience = too many uninformed opinions. We are now moving into the age of IGNORANCE

Sadly we have evolved into a culture that no longer cares about objective facts and lacks patience and the ability to apply critical thought. We now go on what we feel or believe to be true driven by popular notions, spin and marketplace manipulation of the masses. We gather data that already leans in the direction or our pre-conceived ideas, and then go with it. We are actually at a place where even the notion of objective truth is met with disdain.

Even though history teaches us that when mankind tries to make up the rules as we go it always leads to failure—we do not learn. So, you pick the hot button subject—abortion, the death penalty, the acceptance of homosexuality and gender distortion, global warming, the list is never ending. Decisions about these and a myriad of other important issues are being made based upon a high percentage of uninformed public opinion driven by special interest marketing strategies. 

I want to suggest here that many who call ourselves Christian have fallen into the same trap. Just look around and see all of the new thinking out there being driven by popular opinion. Some of our most influential Christian leaders are finding creative ways to re-interpret the Bible in order to line up with the more “open and tolerant” nature of our culture.

In what is supposed to be the most enlightened era, with access to more information than any time in history, we are the most uninformed and ignorant generation to date. Don’t believe it?—go on to any college campus and start asking students questions about important matters and then ask them how they reached their conclusions. 

In what is supposed to be the most enlightened era, with access to more information than any time in history, we are the most uninformed and ignorant generation to date

As followers of Christ let us strive to be examples of people who do not succumb to this trap—we can be informed and not give way to cheap gimmicks and fine sounding arguments that attempt to sway. I would like to suggest some practical things to consider:

• When someone sends you something they read on the internet, don't believe it until you diligently check it out.
• Become an informed voter—do not just blindly follow your political leanings without researching both sides of an issue.
• When using God’s word to defend a position make sure you know all the appropriate references and how to accurately interpret them.
• Resist giving uninformed opinions or feelings about anything—at least let people know you will study the issue and get back to them.
• Display patience with people who may not have the same opinion as you.
• Pray for Godly insight when forming a position on any important issue—remember there are always two sides to consider.

A challenge to us all would be to refrain from offering an opinion until you can adequately state the opposing viewpoint.

God IS NOT concerned about the condition of our nation
...we are.

God IS concerned about the condition of His people
...we are not.

While into a protracted time of prayer recently God gave me the above ideas and I shared them on my Facebook page. I do not think I have ever had the kind of positive response from anything I ever posted before. I am not sure why.

I have written a lot lately about the need to better understand the importance of prayer. Much of that has been motivated by a heightened awareness of how far our nation has drifted from our original Christian inspired foundation. The most obvious newsworthy event involving an important Supreme Court decision about gay marriage stands as a powerful indicator of just how far we have drifted.

So, as you might expect, there is now an urgent call to prayer for our country—and rightfully so. I want to say up front that I not only believe we must be in prayer but am one who is actively calling for it, especially among men in America. Having said that, I do believe we have a much deeper problem demonstrated by the very idea that we are making this call to prayer now.

I want to say up front that I not only believe we must be in prayer but am one who is actively calling for it, especially among men in America.

Let me ask you a question. Do you really believe God is wringing His hands about this Supreme Court decision? I hope you said NO. I believe God is more concerned about the deterioration of an intimate relationship with His people, you and I, and if that relationship were right we might not have a Supreme Court taking up the question at all.

Our tendency has been to go to a call to prayer only when significant issues pop up and it becomes a band aid approach to something that could have been prevented with on-going prayer and taking our relationship with our God seriously in the first place. We have lost our way as a nation because we have lost our way with God. When viewed in this context we should not be surprised or shocked.

This brings me to some ideas on how we should be thinking about our future. We need to stop whining about our circumstances and take a thoughtful look at how we got here. We need to examine why God’s chosen instrument for transforming culture, (His church) has failed. Then we need to go back to Him with a genuine spirit of repentance and seek His guidance on how to turn it around. Dear one—I do not think this is complicated. It does not take a very mature Christian to ascertain what we need to do to get back on track.

In recent months I have been sensing three things that I believe are weighing heavily upon our Lord. First, I do believe He is concerned about the condition of you and I, His followers. He is desperate for an intimate relationship with us and we are either unwilling or unable to develop one. Next, I am sensing His heartache over the lack of unity in the Body of Christ. It seems we spend more time disagreeing on nonsense issues and theological positions than seeking Jesus’ directive to become one.

And finally, I am sensing He really does want to see a concerted effort on our part to go to Him in prayer. He is not looking for us to click on a checkbox and promise to pray as much as making sure we understand what prayer really looks like. Last month I wrote to you breaking down perhaps the best scripture verses on prayer found in 2 Chronicles. If you did not read that you can find it on our site or click here.

So what is the take-away here? It is simply this—all of us who consider ourselves Christians have to up our game. We must get serious about our relationship with God if we ever expect His life and power to flow through us and make a difference. For those of us in church leadership—we must have the courage to face the facts—look at what we have been doing—and make the necessary adjustments in order to produce what God is looking for. This is not a time for self-abasement—it is a time for seeking Him for supernatural wisdom and discernment.

This is not a time for self-abasement - it is a time for seeking Him for supernatural wisdom and discernment.

Dear ones please hear me—in our nation today Christianity is being shaken to its very core and maybe that’s a good thing. The day is quickly coming when many of our churches and Christian institutions may be forced to close their doors. Often throughout history those are the times when the real church emerges with power and glory.

Our focus and subsequent battle must not be centered on these probabilities but rather on what God is calling US to do. We must remember that He is still on the throne and in the end we have nothing to fear.

If we fail to understand these things and continue in the direction we are going - well - someone once said, if you keep on doing what you’re doing...you will end up with more of what you got. I don’t know about you but I do not think we can afford more of what we got.

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.Joshua 1:8 NIV

If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, The Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world.Deuteronomy 28:1

If...Then
by Vince D'Acchioli

Two of the most powerful words found in God's Word are if and then. When discovered in the right context they indicate God's promises resulting from man's obedience. These two words are found in this way in many places throughout the Bible but nowhere are they more profound then in 2 Chronicles. Read it with me please:

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, Then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)

If My people
The word If in this context is a conjunction introducing a conditional clause - what follows is a clear list of conditions that, if met, will lead to a promised end. My people is a clear indication that God through this writer is speaking to those He would call His followers.

Called by My name
The meaning of called here would indicate that we, as His people, have a calling upon our lives. I am persuaded that our universal calling is, and always has been, to advance His kingdom on planet earth. The statement called by My name is further proof that this verse is directed only toward those who are followers of Christ.

Will humble themselves
This is perhaps the most important statement in the verse. It is interesting to note that the call to humble themselves comes before the call to actually pray. What does this mean? Tyron Edwards (an American theologian from the 1800s) perhaps said it best: Humility is not an abject, groveling, self-despising spirit; it is but a right estimate of ourselves as God sees us.

And pray
While the word pray should be understood by most Christians, sadly it is often misunderstood. There has been a lot written about prayer, however our best source is Jesus Himself as He has taught us in His Word. To acknowledge God, ask for specific needs and give thanks.

And seek My face
In my Strong's Concordance for 2 Chron. 7:14, the Hebrew for seek is abash #1245- "to search out (by any method), as in worship or prayer. “Presence” is a common translation of the Hebrew word face. For me this is one of the most important statements in the verse and is a natural follow on to the call for humility. We are called to worship God - to seek His presence. In my walk with Him I can honestly report that experiencing His presence is directly tied to my reaching a place of utter humility before Him.

And turn from their wicked ways
This may be the most critical IF condition on two fronts. First for most of us, especially us men, obedience to God's Word, which is clearly what is being asked for here, is very challenging. But second, we need to understand the relationship between obedience and power. James 5:16 says, The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. In this context righteousness means right standing before God. It carries with it the importance of true repentance. Could it be that our not seeing God more clearly intervening in the affairs of our nation has to do with our lack of spiritual depth stemming from our failure to obey?

Then I will hear - forgive - heal.
So here is the best part. The part where God promises to act as a direct result of our meeting His conditions. Sadly, it is also the part we focus upon without clearly recognizing the price He is calling us to pay to receive it.

Conclusion:
Dear friends, we have never been more desperate to hear God, receive His forgiveness and experience His healing in our land (nation). I am convinced that while we understand the message wrapped up in Ephesians 6:12 we continue to try to win the battle through human engineering oftentimes seen in well meaning programs, political posturing and maneuvering. Please read this verse with me and really meditate on what is being said:

Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

The message is clear - evil and dark places are all around us. The struggle against these forces will never be overcome using conventional, human engineered methods. Prayer is the answer but a comprehensive understanding of what is required of the believer who goes to Him in prayer is critical. My question to all of us - while we understand and deeply seek after the promise, how are we doing in meeting ALL of the conditions?

Finally dear ones remember this promise:

The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:5-7

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV) If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

At no time in the history of our nation have we been more desperate for God’s intervention. The spiritual and moral decline we are experiencing, while alarming, points to our need to turn our hearts toward the only one and true redeemer, Jesus Christ. Over the last several decades, there has been a flurry of specialized programs and events launched to bring about spiritual transformation. Many of these efforts, though well intended, have not brought about a sustained revival among men. I believe that God is calling men in America to pray fervently. I am also convinced that this sacrificial commitment is central to experiencing a sustained spiritual awakening in our nation.

I believe that God is calling men in America to pray fervently. I am also convinced that this sacrificial commitment is central to experiencing a sustained spiritual awakening in our nation.

Having spent the better part of the last twenty years involved in ministry to men I can honestly say that it has been both rewarding and frustrating. Rewarding in the sense that I have personally sensed a tremendous move of God in bringing men into events where they have been exposed to the wonderful truth of God’s Word. Frustrating however from the standpoint of not seeing a sustained revival among men in our nation.

I am convinced that our tendency toward event driven strategies has caused us to overlook their lack of power to produce long-term life-change. In many ways we have been “eventing” men to death. As a nation we are now experiencing the result of a kind of superficial Christianity that is not helping men understand the need for going deeper in their walk with Jesus.

In short - we will never see a spiritual awakening in this nation unless righteous men are fervently praying.

James 5:16 The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

So, what is the answer? We must recognize where we are, honestly own the mistakes of the past and determine to build men who are spiritually deep. Can you imagine what could happen if we could see Dick Simmons vision of one million men in America rising early every day to pray for our nation? Dear friends, this is no longer an option - it is critical toward seeing God’s kingdom advanced in our nation in our day.

On a personal note I had the pleasure of having breakfast with my dear friend Bill McCartney the other day. We talked about all of this and he could not agree more with the need to help men go deeper and get them praying. I had him share something very special for my men at OTI by recording it on my phone. You can click the image on the top right of this TargetPoint to watch.

In essence this coach and founder of Promise Keepers is now going around the country calling men to three non-negotiables - he says that ever day men need to be searched, fed and led. We need to allow God to search us every day and confess the sin that is in our life. We need to be fed every day by the Word of God and we need to be daily led by the Holy Spirit. This is the kind of man whose daily prayer will availeth much.

As I close this TargetPoint I want to ask all of you who are reading this to do two things: First, and most important, please make a commitment to pray for this idea every day. Pray that there will be a deep and sustained revival among men in America. And second, please consider passing this plea to others you know and encourage the same.

We must recognize that our well-intentioned human efforts to bring about transformation have fallen short in part because of our focus on programs and events. We also need to recognize where this battle needs to be fought.

Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul... Psalm 23 NKJV

Our Sunday school class is currently going through the book of Nehemiah. The sessions are reminding Cindy and me of a time when we sat under Pastor Jack Hayford and his incredible teaching titled The Nehemiah series...Restoring The Walls. Most people who have followed this man would say this series was probably one of his signature teachings of all time.

Pastor Jack would say that Nehemiah represents a “type” or “picture” of the Holy Spirit. In fact the name Nehemiah translated in Hebrew means The Comfort of God. Jesus said He would be sending the Holy Spirit or Comforter. In the above Psalm it talks about God, by His Spirit, restoring our soul. Pastor Jack suggests that the walls Nehemiah was desirous of rebuilding represent our soul and the temple represents our spirit.

Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV) For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit...

In the above verse the Bible talks about the division of soul and spirit—let’s explore this for a moment. In those days the Spirit of God was in the temple. This is analogous to the New Testament believer allowing the Lord into their life, literally God’s Spirit in us. Remember that in the old covenant God would reside in a physical place—the good news for us happened when Jesus gave His life and the temple curtain was torn allowing access from that time forward for God’s Spirit to literally be in us. We are now the temple of God.

The good news for us happened when Jesus gave His life and the temple curtain was torn allowing access from that time forward for God’s Spirit to literally be in us.

The soul, on the other hand is best defined as our intellect, our emotions and our will. Our intellect represents our thoughts, our emotions represent our feelings and our will is typically influenced by a combination of those, leading to our actions.

At OTI we have a vision for shaping men who are FULLY ALIVE...Becoming The Man God Intended. When we invite the Lord into our life we are ALIVE but becoming the Man God Intended has to do with the condition of our soul, our walls. Nehemiah knew that the Spirit of God was in that temple but because the walls were down there was little or no protection from an enemy that wanted to destroy their worship which would affect their identity, relationship with God and their destiny.

The same is true of us. When we allow Jesus to be Lord of our lives we are ALIVE at our core. However, when our soul is not built up and we allow in such things as fear, doubt, various kinds of sin that are not dealt with, it gives our enemy access to interrupting that important connection with the Spirit of God in us and destroys our worship. The result—our identity, relationship with Him and destiny are impacted.

The Holy Spirit, just like Nehemiah, wants to restore and build up the broken down places in our souls so that we have protection against the attacks of the enemy. The strong message for all of us is—the importance of God, by His Spirit, to have His way in the life of the believer. The ability of His Spirit to work in us the way He fully intends is hindered often by the ways we allow the “walls” of our life to be compromised which gives access to the enemy.

As I ponder what Nehemiah must have felt regarding the condition of this city in his time the scripture clearly reports the intense sadness and heartache he endured. I want to suggest here that if he were alive today witnessing the condition of our kingdom—the United States of America and how broken we have become—his feelings would be even more intense.

Dear ones please here me—as a nation our walls are down—many would say destroyed beyond repair. Could it be that all of this happened as the result of us—God’s people—not taking proper care of the walls in our own life? Have we allowed our souls to deteriorate to the point that we are hindering the Spirit of God having His way in us? Could it be that our national soul is simply a reflection of the collective soul of His people?

As a nation our walls are down—
many would say destroyed beyond repair

I long for a Nehemiah in our day. We are in desperate need for this kind of spiritual leadership in order to turn our people and ultimately our great nation back to worshipping the one true God, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

I am persuaded that Nehemiah understood the central place that worship held in gaining victory over his enemies and the successful completion of that wall. (See 2 Chron. 20:21-22) The same holds true today for you and me—if we are to be successful in defeating our enemy and see our souls restored we MUST understand the importance of worshipping our Lord.

Where is Nehemiah when we need him? He is here—all around us in the form of God’s Holy Spirit. The real question is, will you let Him have His way in you?

When God is the center of a kingdom or a city, He makes it strong “like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken” (Ps 125:1). And when God is the center of a soul, although disasters may crowd in on all sides and roar like the waves of the sea, there is a constant calm within. The world can neither give nor take away this kind of peace. What is it that causes people to shake like leaves today at the first hint of danger? It is simply the lack of God living in their soul, and having the world in their hearts instead. –R. Leighton

In closing, I would like to recommend some helpful resources regarding this theme:

Here is a link to Rebuilding The Real You by Jack Hayford.

Each of the restored gates represent something special. Here is an outline: https://www.jesusplusnothing.com/studies/online/nehem3.htm

If you are dealing with issues from your past that are causing your soul to be compromised here are four powerful sessions from our Men On Target Curriculum you might find useful: Links to our series on Fear, Anger, Unforgiveness and Guilt (12 minutes each)

"A Deeply Personal Testimony"
by Vince D’Acchioli

All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Proverbs 16:2 (NIV)

A couple of months ago I made a commitment to my OTI men’s group here in Colorado Springs that I was going to get up every day at 5:00 AM from now on in order to spend 2-3 hours with the Lord. This decision was born out of a conviction that, while I find it easy to speak on the subject of having an intimate relationship with God, I was not experiencing personally the intimacy I truly desired.

I am pleased to report that my track record here has been pretty good. I am truly experiencing His presence in ways I never imagined. However, a couple of weeks ago as I was praying I asked God a question. Lord, am I becoming the man you intended? As most of you know, this is the mantra for OTI. Our ultimate goal is to become the man God intended. The short answer from God to me was NO.

I am truly experiencing His presence in ways I never imagined.

Now I knew that had to be God—there is no way I would have said that to myself. What He went on to impress to me has to do with a challenge in the area of humility and selflessness. I sensed that He was affirming and even pleased with my decisions and actions to get closer to Him but He was also letting me know that I really needed to focus on these areas. Two areas I, and many men, struggle with.

For me this was a major spiritual shot across the bow—I cannot continue to contribute to the hypocrisy that would allow me to teach on something I myself do not have under control. The Bible teaches us to consider others better than ourselves and to not think of ourselves more highly than we ought. As easy as it may be for those words to roll off our lips it is very difficult to live them. We have been raised in a culture that actually honors the opposite.

It was at this moment that I remembered a quote from an old book by Dr Larry Crabb titled The Marriage Builder. To this day I believe this is one of the best books on marriage I have ever read. In the book Larry Crabb says, (I am paraphrasing here) in all human interaction we are doing one of two things…we are either ministering or manipulating. We are either interested in truly serving with no self-interest in mind—or—attempting to get something for ourselves. I remember reading that and thinking, come on—it can’t be that simple.

The more I thought about it the more convinced I became that it really is that simple and it all goes to the heart and begs the big question WHAT IS MY MOTIVE? OK, now please tune in here because this is a huge idea. I am convinced that our ability to examine our motives in order to determine whether we are inclined toward ministry or manipulation is crucial to our witness for Jesus and the ultimate advancement of His kingdom. People know the difference.

OK, now please tune in here because this is a huge idea. I am convinced that our ability to examine our motives in order to determine whether we are inclined toward ministry or manipulation is crucial to our witness for Jesus and the ultimate advancement of His kingdom.

It was at this moment that I began to evaluate my motives for all that I could remember doing over the last couple of weeks. Whether it was simply relating to my wife, engaging in a meeting with someone, sending out an email or just planning anything, I asked the question, what was my motive? I was deeply convicted that my track record on the scale of ministry vs. manipulation was very poor.

I remember a conversation I had recently with my friend Bill McCartney, founder of Promise Keepers, where he told me that everywhere he goes and speaks these days he is encouraging men that every day they need to be searched, fed and led. We need to ask God to search our hearts to make sure there is nothing in there by way of self-serving motivations, un-forgiveness or bitterness, etc. Then we need to be fed by His Word and led by the Holy Spirit. Every day.

Now, I am making a commitment every day to ask God to search me—to help me be sure that in everything I do my motive is to serve and minister and not manipulate. On a very personal note—I have had numerous occasions to write to and meet with various people since this revelation. As I asked myself the question, what is my motive, I was challenged in many of these situations to literally change gears.

Now, I am making a commitment every day to ask God to search me.

Most of my inclination toward manipulation is designed to be self-serving, I believe this is the case with so many Christians these days. I have found that every time I leave my agenda behind and truly just love and minister to those I encounter, it not only feels wonderful, but I find that God really shows up in ways I would never have imagined.

Below is a picture of a little tool I ordered for myself that is helping me immensely. It is a simple bracelet that I wear every day—it never comes off. I look at it all the time and it challenges me throughout my normal daily routine to remember this important question. I have just ordered a bunch for the men here at OTI and would encourage you to consider getting one if this message resonates with you.

You can order them on line yourself—they are very inexpensive, or I would be happy to mail one to you if you send me your address. Just email me at vince@otm.co.

NOTE: The Lord also prompted me to change my message at OTI last week and deal with this subject—the message is Live-Streamed and archived. If you want to view the brief session click here and advance to about the 10-minute mark.

I hope this message has blessed, but more importantly, challenged you. Can you imagine what it would be like if all of us asked this question before we engage others? Maybe we need to encourage men across North America to begin wearing these bracelets—remember the WWJD?

Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing. Philippians 2:3-4 (NLT)