Promise Keepers Canada’s Men of Integrity Devotional,

published by Christianity Today International.

Theme of the Week: A Matter of Life and Death
Monday, February 25, 2013
Dead Serious

Key Bible Verses: “Go in through the narrow gate. The gate that leads to destruction is broad and the road wide, so many people enter through it. But the gate that leads to life is narrow and the road difficult, so few people find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14, CEB)

Dig Deeper: Matthew 7:15-23

Dostoyevsky’s encounter with death made life precious beyond measure. The man who would one day author the incomparable Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov said, “Now my life will change; I shall be born again in a new form.” God had given him a second chance. Now he was focused on things that matter.
We all will face death, whether before a firing squad at age 20 or in a hospice bed at 90. The mortality rate among humans is 100 percent. The inevitability of that prospect—and what comes after—should get our full attention, should marvelously focus the mind. But it often doesn’t, because the thought of death Kamagra 100mg is unpleasant. What Blaise Pascal saw among his contemporaries in 17th century France can easily be said of our times: “Being unable to cure death, wretchedness, and ignorance, men have decided, in order to be happy, not to think about such things.”

But refusing to think about unhappy things won’t make them go away. “We do not make the universe hold its breath by holding ours,” says Peter Kreeft in Three Philosophies of Life. Reality doesn’t adjust itself to fit our likes and dislikes. It is tragic foolishness, criminal negligence, not to make the fact of death a fact of life.

—Ben Patterson in Muscular Faith

My Response: How should the shortness of life, and the inevitability of death, affect the way I live and the things I consider important?

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There were two nuns…

One of them was known as Sister Mathematical (SM),

and the other one was known as Sister Logical (SL).

It is getting dark and they are still far away from the convent.

SM : Have you noticed that a man has been following us for
the past thirty-eight and a half minutes? I wonder what he wants.

SL: It’s logical. He wants to rape us.

SM: Oh, ! no! At this rate he will reach us in 15 minutes
at the most! Wh at can we do?

SL: The only logical thing to do of course is to walk faster.

SM: It’s not working.

SL: Of course it’s not working. The man did the only
logical thing. He started to walk faster, too.

SM: So, what shall we do? At this rate he will reach us in one minute.

SL: The only logical thing we can do is split. You go that way and
I’ll go this way. He cannot follow us both.

So the man decided to follow Sister Logical.

Sister Mathematical arrives at the convent and is
worried about what has happened to Sister Logical.

Then Sister Logical arrives HGH.

SM: Sister Logical! Thank God you are here!
Tell me what happened!

SL: The only logical thing happened.
The man couldn’t follow us both,so he followed me

SM: Yes, yes! But what happened then?

SL: The only logical thing happened. I started to run
as fast as I could and he started to run as fast as he could.

SM: And?

SL: The only logical thing happened. He reached me

SM: Oh, dear! What did you do?

SL: The only logical thing to do.
I lifted my dress up.

SM: Oh, Sister! What did the man do?

SL: The only logical thing to do.
He pulled down his pants.

………………………….. [love this graphic!]
SM: Oh, no! What happened then?

SL: Isn’t it logical, Sister?
A nun with her dress up can run faster than man
with his pants down.

And for those of you who thought it would be dirty,

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The marriage of an 80 year old white man and a 20 year old white woman was the talk of the town. After being married a year, the couple went to the hospital for the birth of their first child.
The attending nurse came out of the delivery room to congratulate the old gentleman and said, “This is amazing. How do you do it at your age?” The old man grinned and said, “You got to keep the old motor running.”
The following year, the couple returned to the hospital for the birth of their second child. The same nurse was attending the delivery and again went out to congratulate the old gentleman.
She said, “Sir, you are something else. How do you manage it?” The old man grinned and said, “You gotta keep the old motor running”
A year later, same thing with their third and, after the delivery, she once again approached the old gentleman, smiled, and said, “Well, you surely are something else! How do you do it?” The old man replied, “It’s like I’ve told you before, you gotta keep the old motor running.”
The nurse, still smiling, patted him on the back and said: “Well, I guess it’s time to change the oil … this one’s black
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Promise Keepers Canada’s Men of Integrity Devotional,

published by Christianity Today International.

Weekend Bible Study

The gospel is a total paradigm shifter: “The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (v. 17). God, in Christ, has reconciled the world to himself. And we are his ambassadors, entrusted with spreading the news. At times it may seem like a daunting task, but the sovereign God of the universe is there to guide and direct us. Let’s commit to living missional lives that display this wonderful truth to each person we encounter.

Key Study Passage:

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

How does the truth of the gospel change your perspective about the world and others?

What does it mean to be “ambassadors” for Christ (v. 20)?

What are some ways that you incorporate a missional mindset into your life?

What practical steps can you take to become a more missional Christian?

Think of the people from your answer to Friday’s “My Response.” Then, pray for God to prepare their hearts and give you an opportunity to share your faith with them.
Spend Time in Prayer: Ask God to cultivate a missional heart within you; ask him to open your eyes to the opportunities around you to be involved in his mission to the world.

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Love Or Friend Ship

“L” is 12th letter of alphabets

“O” is15th

“V” is 22nd

“E” is 5th

Total of “LOVE” is 54

But similarly

“F” is 6th

“R” is 18th

“I” is 9th

“E” is 5th

“N” is 14th

“D” is 4th

“S” is 19th

“H” is 8th

“P” is 16th

Total of “FRIENDSHIP” is 108

Exactly twice of 54

So, the FRIENDSHIP is twice the value of LOVE.

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Promise Keepers Canada’s Men of Integrity Devotional,

published by Christianity Today International.

Success ≠ Power

Key Bible Verse: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.” (Matthew 20:26, NIV)

Dig Deeper: Matthew 20:25-28

Surely the possession and the exercise of power is the mark of success, isn’t it? But Jesus said that those who “lord it over” other people are actually abusing power. Instead, Jesus insisted that the pathway to true greatness is through being a servant (Mark 10:42-44). How different this is than competitive American views that see success as a win-lose game (if you win, I lose; but if I win, you lose).

By tying true greatness to being a servant, Jesus turned success on its head. True success, he said, is a win-win proposition. If others win, I win. This is the way of servanthood. This is the way of the kingdom.

When it comes to standards of success, God’s ways are not our ways. He is not at all impressed by all the things Americans are typically enamored with.

This does not mean that God’s children should never pursue significant accomplishments in their careers or in their ministries. It is possible for Christians to use wealth and power wisely, to advance the ways of the kingdom. But it does mean that God never equates wealth, power, prestige, or beauty with success.

If this is so, it raises another question. What does constitute success in the eyes of God?

—Steven Roy in What God Thinks When We Fail

My Response: How would I answer the question in the last paragraph of this reading?

Thought to Apply: A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves.—Henry Ward Beecher (social reformer, abolitionist)

Adapted from What God Thinks When We Fail (IVP, 2011)

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Promise Keepers Canada’s Men of Integrity Devotional,

published by Christianity Today International

Seeing Success Through God’s Eyes

What Others Think

Key Bible Verse: “Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding.” (Matthew 6:1, The Message)

Dig Deeper: Matthew 6:1-6

Why is it that some people feel very successful, even though the world in general may view them as failures, while other people have a deep sense of failure, even though the world may view them as very successful? Campolo suggests: “We consider ourselves to be successful if the most significant people in our lives deem us successful.” We may call these very important people “significant others.” All of us have one or more significant others, and their view of us makes all the difference.
It is possible to be a prosperous and successful business executive or a talented and acclaimed artist, and yet to have never felt that you have measured up to the expectations of your parents. If they are significant others in your life, widespread recognition and applause from within the business or arts community will not mean nearly as much in terms of your own sense of self-fulfillment as the affirmation of your father and mother. For many of us, our parents, or others in our families of origin, remain very important significant others long after we have left that family unit. For others, it is a spouse or boyfriend or girlfriend who is that crucial significant other. For others, it is work associates and professional peers.

—Steven Roy in What God Thinks When We Fail

My Response: Who do I want to please the most? How does my desire to please this person impact how I view my failures and successes?

Adapted from What God Thinks When We Fail (IVP, 2011)

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Promise Keepers Canada’s Men of Integrity Devotional,
published by Christianity Today International.
Six Ways to Love Your Wife

“Just Because” Gifts

Key Bible Verse: Husbands, go all out in love for your wives. Don’t take advantage of them. (Colossians 3:19, The Message)

Dig Deeper: Ephesians 5:25-33

It’s very likely that gifts (of any size) mean more to your wife than you imagine. Of course, the art of gifting takes high priority at the Big Five: Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas, your anniversary, and her birthday. But those are obligatory gift-giving dates.
Spur-of-the-moment gifts can be much more satisfying than Big Five gifts. Your wife may not say that out loud, but I’ll bet she agrees.

Again, I’m not talking about gifts connected to any holiday. I’m also not talking about a gift designed to get you out of the doghouse. Hus-bands, you need a plan to give your wife a gift (cards, flowers, candies, jewelry, jammies) for no reason.

Here’s what you do: Pull out your calendar and mark weeks during which there are no holidays or other days that are special to your wife. Every family calendar is different, but the idea is to find a window of opportunity to give your wife a “just because” gift. Mark that week on your calendar and then surprise her on that predetermined date with a gift box or bouquet.

When she asks, “What’s this for?” simply say, “Just because.”

—Jay Payleitner in 52 Things Wives Need from Their Husbands

My Response: I will plan to give my wife two or three inexpensive “just because” gifts over the next two or three months.

Thought to Apply: Love is not communicated in the big event but in the small acts of kindness.—Richard Foster (theologian, writer)

Adapted from 52 Things Wives Need from Their Husbands (Harvest House, 2011)

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Promise Keepers Canada’s Men of Integrity Devotional,
published by Christianity Today International.
Six Ways to Love Your Wife

Kiss Unselfishly

Key Bible Verse: Kiss me tenderly! Your love is better than wine. Song of (Songs 1:2, CEV)

Dig Deeper: Song of Songs 4:1-10

Kiss your wife anytime and anyplace. On her cheek. On her neck. On her forehead. In the kitchen. On the porch. In the car. In the supermarket aisle. When she looks beautiful. When she doesn’t.
Once in a while, hold her face gently in your hands and look at her for a full five seconds before kissing her.

Kiss across the room. Secret blown kisses between a husband and wife create a nice way to connect during a family gathering, yard sale, or kid’s birthday party.

Kiss your wife in front of the kids. They need to know that passion is a viable option within a committed marriage. Your kids don’t see that often on TV. Further, kissing your wife in plain sight builds a sense of security for your children in a world in which many of their peers have unstable family relationships. By the way, you know you’re doing it right if your third-grader says, “Ewww” or your teenager says, “Get a room.”

Don’t kiss your wife only when you want something. Do kiss her unselfishly. Make your kisses a frequent, loving gift delivered with absolutely no agenda.

—Jay Payleitner in 52 Things Wives Need from Their Husbands

My Response: When was the last time I kissed my wife for no apparent reason (with no agenda in mind), except to say “I love you”?

Adapted from 52 Things Wives Need from Their Husbands (Harvest House, 2011) by permission.

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Promise Keepers Canada’s Men of Integrity Devotional,
published by Christianity Today International.
Six Ways to Love Your Wife

Weekend Bible Study

Our Key Study Passage compares the husband’s leadership in the home to Christ’s leadership in the church. It’s a heavy comparison. And in certain church and theological circles, it’s a controversial comparison. It’s also an easily twisted comparison used by men to smugly and sometimes abusively claim authority over their wives. But no matter how you and your church interpret this passage, one thing is certain: If a husband seeks to be like Christ in the home, his love for his wife and children will be expressed through both service (Luke 22:26) and sacrifice (Eph. 5:25).

Key Study Passage:
Ephesians 5:21-32

Why is it important to carefully and slowly read verse 21 before moving on to verse 22?
What do you think it means to “love your wife as Christ loved the church” (v. 25)? What are practical ways to demonstrate this kind of love?
According to verses 28 and 29, why should a husband love his wife as much as he loves his own body?
For deeper insights into Ephesians 5:21-32, consult a study Bible. Some options: NLT Study Bible, NIV Life Application Study Bible, or the NIV Quest Study Bible.

Spend Time in Prayer: Ask God to help you understand how to apply Ephesians 5:21-32 to your marriage; express your desire to love your spouse more deeply; close by thanking God for your wife, naming specific traits you appreciate about her.

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