Author: mike@bemenofcourage

Our country has become obsessed with judges on reality tv shows. From Judge Wapner in the 80’s to Judge Judy over the last 25 years, we seem to never get enough. I’d like to introduce a reality show for you called The Judge, and for short we will refer to The Judge as TJ.

TJ has a reputation of giving death sentences, even in what seems like the smallest of indiscretions. People think that TJ is mean, and that TJ loves giving a death sentence. This reputation has made him very unlikeable and disrespected.

I had the chance to observe TJ in action. His court seemed very different with what seemed like some unusual rules. In the U.S. we are innocent until proven guilty. Not in TJ’s court. Here you are guilty until you are declared innocent. Thus, there is no need for a prosecutor to attempt to prove your guilt.

Continue reading Guilty Until Proven Innocent

“People say HATE is a strong word but, so is LOVE and people throw it around like it’s nothing.” Author unknown. Recording artists for decades have tossed the word LOVE around in many of their hit songs. Tina Turner released a song in 1984 with a lyric that says, “What’s love got to do with it?” She refers to love as a second-hand emotion. People have commonly referred to love as the universal language.

Continue reading If Love Never Fails Why Do So Many Marriages?

C.S. Lewis once said, “Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny.” For the Christian, that destiny is heaven. From time to time, we all may have wondered, how am I going to survive until I arrive there? This blog post is part four of my C.O.R.E. series. The E stands for endurance. In John 16:33 Jesus says, “‘In this world you will have trouble.'” If we are going to have trouble, we must put into place a plan to endure. I will address how the Bible encourages us on to victory over this world, and what it takes to complete our journey home. Continue reading Godliness the C.O.R.E. of Christianity (Part 4)

Have you ever entered a room full of people and wondered why all eyes were on you? You feel embarrassed. You try to determine if something is wrong. You wonder if something is showing that needs to be covered! You may check to see if your zipper is down! You scramble to figure out the situation you find yourself encountering. As Christians, when everyone is watching, we find ourselves in our G.O.D. moment. God On Display. You may have been wronged, and everyone is watching and waiting for your reaction. You want to do what is right without embarrassing yourself or God. You find yourself on a spiritual stage, and a good reaction could land you the role of Jesus! You are not acting though, and you need to make Jesus the star. Continue reading Godliness the C.O.R.E. of Christianity (Part 3)

Some Christians are struggling between the Good News and fake news. The fake news phenomenon is not new to this generation. God has dealt with this for a long time. The Bible identifies the fake news suppliers as false prophets. During the days of Jeremiah, Hananiah was guilty of misleading the people. He was prophesying Judah’s captivity to be two years. God spoke through Jeremiah, sharing  that the captivity would last 70 years. As you could imagine, Jeremiah was not very popular with the people! God addresses Hananiah in Jeremiah 28:15, “Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you. Yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies.” (NIV) This struggle still exists today. People have doubts whether to believe in such things as the creation and is Jesus really the Messiah? Are we getting our in formation from the wrong source? How do we overcome this dilemma? Continue reading Godliness the C.O.R.E. of Christianity (Part 2)

Have you stopped to think what it takes to become more like Jesus? As Christians, it should be our desire to become more like Him everyday. Do we understand what training (suffering) it takes to transform our lives into a life that is reflective of Him? Continue reading Godliness the C.O.R.E. of Christianity (Part 1)

T.T. Escurel once said, “Don’t blame the hunter if you aren’t paying attention enough to spot the traps.” As Christians, are we able to spot the traps the devil has set for us in our lives? In the garden, Eve tried this as she blamed Satan for her disobedience by ignoring the devils trap. In 1 Timothy 3:7 the Bible speaks these words concerning Elders, but I believe it should be a reminder to all of us of the schemes of the devil. “And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.” (NASB) Continue reading Truth or Snare

“He didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.” I love this quote on the wisdom of a father by the great author Clarence Budington Kelland. Our children need fathers with courage and a passion for God to show them how to live a life of faith encompassed around the truth of God’s word. Continue reading Do Children Have Their Fathers’ DNA?

Groucho Marx once said “The husband who wants a good marriage should learn to  keep his mouth shut and his checkbook open.” This quote reflects the purpose of a husband as a mere ATM bank machine and the wife as an individual consumer. This quote gives the world a poor reflection of how marriage should be seen. However, have you ever stopped to consider what type of marriage you have? What are you reflecting to the world as God has brought you together as husband and wife? Continue reading What Does Your Marriage Reflect?

I am sitting at my desk reading an article from March 20, 2009, about which state produces the most toxic air in the United States. California may come to mind first since it is the locale of half of the dirtiest cities in the U.S. The Los Angeles metropolitan area  has an area that is designated “the diesel death zone” due to the amount of vehicle and industrial emissions. Continue reading Spiritual Quality Alert