I know I have let this move to a back burner and those of you of following or seeing that nothing has been done for a time I thank you and want to say yes I’m still here. I have been distracted with work on my book, I have made great strives to getting trough it and once finished it will be shared here.
Something I feel that I need to talk about like I needed to talk about in my men’s small group. As men we have this need to do battle together to become closer. Women seem to be able to come together and in a circle talk things through and become close. Men we want the common experience to huddle up after to discuss then after that we can discuss things about our lives. Men do not want to be open and vulnerable in front of other me, but we are more likely to be willing to discuss those hard things and those things that cause us to have that Iron Sharpening Iron time. There are many different names that have been place on these kinds of groups of men; Band of Brother, Band, Guild, or a Foxhole.
I prefer the Foxhole, we are men who are striving together we are in that hole together I know I can trust the guys to my right and left they are there to back me up whenever I have to charge into battle. We are going to hold ground together we are going to take ground together and if we are to fall back No man is left behind. Jehovah Nissi is one of the names of God meaning God my Banner and banner can also be translated as rally point, when we are being attacked and we need to fall back not only do we not leave anyone behind we have a Home Base that is stronger and more secure in our Rally point then what the evil one can bring at us. In Genesis 17:12-13 Aaron and Hur were Moses Foxhole guys in when he was struggling to hold that staff above his head to keep the Lord’s favor on the battle they helped hold the staff and gave him a rock to sit on.
These men that we surround ourselves with whom we do life with. We need men who we see and spend time with regularly. Most of my men I see at church every week some we even serve together in kids ministry. Our trenches will not look like your trenches but we are all at war with the evil one. We also have a monthly gathering where we do dinner and hold each other up and having our Iron Sharpens Iron time. One of the best attributes that I want in myself and in my Foxhole guys are guys who can and do identify their mistakes and are willing to listen if one of the other guys calls him out on his stuff.
There are guys that you don’t want in you group because they will be the men who will draw you down and cause a lack of growth or even backsliding. These are in no particular order. We do not want complainers, complainers are those men who can’t be content or pessimistic, these men will cause us to always focus on what is wrong and not where God is leading us. We don’t want an excuse maker, that guy who always comes up with an excuse for why they can’t come help. When they only come for the fun times and never willing to do the work where else is that may doing that. We don’t want settlers, these are men who never want to grow never wants to work on anything and thinks they are good where they are. We don’t want addict not those would are striving to over come a sin but those like the settlers who are ok with their addictions and don’t want to change. We don’t want womanizers, those men who eyes wander from their wife/girlfriend, our eye need to be like basketballs bouncing off the things we need not be focusing on. Men who’s eyes linger are going to inadvertently encourage us to let our eyes linger. Finally we don’t want bums in our group, Men who don’t want to do anything or grow or be challenged, these are also like the settlers in that they are not willing to do much unlike the settler they may not be happy where they are.
We are called to stand together in Ecclesiastes 4:12 we are told that a three strand cord is not easily broken. We are also told in Revelation 2:5 that we need to repent otherwise our light may be removed from us. These men are there to help us to repent and hold us accountable.
