The Man Minute sixty second investments in Christ-like manhood
Integrity is perhaps the greatest character asset a man can possess. The tough thing about integrity is that it takes so long to gain a reputation for it, yet it can be stolen from you in a mere second if you are not thinking straight on any given day. I've worked hard to maintain my integrity, but I must confess that there have been times when I've blown it. I know I've said things about people that I shouldn't have. I know that I've taken actions at times that were simply to benefit me and nobody else. Looking back over the years I know that my attitude has been less than stellar in certain seasons of life, and it's caused others to lose respect for me. The truth is, I seek integrity, but it's hard to hit that target every time. Even still, that doesn't mean that I stop seeking it just because the path to integrity is difficult. Walking is easy when the road is level. The road to integrity is incredibly vicious because purity was never intended to be easy in a world that doesn't value it. By the grace and forgiveness of God, I will press on. The road to integrity may be less traveled, but it will take me places many will never see. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless. - Psalm 84:11 www.jasoncruisespeaks.com and www.outdoorministrynetwork.com
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The Man Minute sixty second investments in Christ-like manhood
No person walking the planet is immune to anger. We all encounter it. It's just one of those areas of life that is unavoidable. Getting angry is one thing. Staying angry is a whole different ball game. The thing about unresolved anger is that it is immobilizing. Anger is a natural human emotion. Bitterness isn't because bitterness is not of God. I've often heard the cliche, which is so true, that states, "Harboring anger is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to get sick." You're definitely going to have times where you get angry. Just make sure that the anger doesn't go unresolved. You can't afford it - it will immobilize your heart every time. Think through this verse slowly ... and notice the three consequences of allowing a bitter root to grow up in you. "See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." Hebrews 12:15 www.jasoncruisespeaks.com and www.outdoorministrynetwork.com The Man Minute sixty second investments in Christ-like manhood
The older I get, the more I try and be slow to form opinions. I especially try and be slow to form opinions about people. No matter what information you have, and no matter how you get that information, you do not really know the full story of that person's life causing them to act the way they do. I have even caught myself making character assessments about people based off of one or two short encounters with that person. The truth of the matter is that there is no way one or two situational encounters should ever be allowed to type-cast any individual. However, we do it to people all the time. What if that person was simply having a bad day? What if that person was having a bad year, or was under a ton of stress in their marriage, and thus was negatively out of character for that season of life? I would never know that sort of information - which would make all the difference in how I viewed them. All I would know is that at while at work, this person seems to be difficult to deal with most of the time. The greatest New Testament preacher ever was Peter. Nobody, not even Paul, could get the "results" Peter could get when preaching to large crowds. The funny thing is, if you ask most Christians to tell you (1) thing about Peter, you will most always get a response that brings up his denial of Christ. Peter had one bad day. A servant girl saw him (Peter) seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with Him." But he denied it. - Luke 22 Yes, it was a really bad day, but how would you like it if people were still talking about your one bad day ... to this day?? Peter had one bad day, but after that one day, he had hundreds of great days living for the Lord Jesus. My mind freezes with panic when I think about the fact that people have no doubt made assessments about my character based off of one conversation or a few short encounters with me. www.jasoncruisespeaks.com and www.outdoorministrynetwork.com The Man Minute sixty second investments in Christ-like manhood
If you think about it, there is a massive difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is beating your buddies in a round of golf. Happiness is getting a much needed, and maybe even deserved, promotion in your career field. However, the difference between happiness and joy is easy to spot. Happiness is always and forever tied to a set of circumstances, where joy is tied to a state of the soul. In speaking of Jesus' nature, Hebrews 1:9 says: You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing You with the oil of joy. The oil of joy. Joy is a condition of the soul, and that condition is fully capable of being immune to circumstances. Happiness is temporary, joy is its own missionary to a fallen world because few have it, and yet mistake happiness for the real thing - joy. When happiness has faded, joy still has a voice. Joy is a choice. Joy is a mindset. Joy is a world view. Why? Because you didn't choose it ... it chose you. The capacity for joy came into your soul at the same moment the One anointed arrived, for He was anointed with the oil of joy. www.jasoncruisespeaks.com and www.outdoorministrynetwork.com The Man Minute sixty second investments in Christ-like manhood
Merry Christmas to all my friends of The Man Minute. You haven't even realized it, but you gave me a super fine gift this year through all the emails, phone calls, and conversations about how you've enjoyed your "minute." It means more than you could ever know. My prayer for you is that this Christmas you avoid the stress of the holidays and find the peace only the Prince can bring. The Man Minute will be back sometime in January. Until then ... press on! "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel" -which means, "God with us." - Matthew 1:23 www.jasoncruisespeaks.com and www.outdoorministrynetwork.com The Man Minute sixty second investments in Christ-like manhood
It's been said that over 85% of Californians, when surveyed, believe beyond the shadow of a doubt that an earthquake of biblical proportions will hit their state one day. At the same time, however, only 12.2% of homeowners and only 8.6% of renters actually own earthquake insurance. For thousands of years people have heard about the return of Jesus to this earth, yet few have made preparation for it. Jesus is coming back one day. Not just to set the wrongs right. Not just to reinstate creation to its once perfect state. Not just to gather up all His family, and not just to defeat the devil in the great battle of Armageddon. Jesus is coming back some day because He said He would. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. ~ Jesus www.jasoncruisespeaks.com and www.outdoorministrynetwork.com The Man Minute sixty second investments in Christ-like manhood
If you have been receiving The Man Minute for some time now, or if you have heard me speak at a conference this year, there's a good chance I have said something close to what I'm about to say. However, given that psychologists say that the average person forgets something like 80% of what they hear in the first few minutes, I'm running on the dream that you've forgotten this coming profound truth and thus will catch it this go 'round! Recently I was in a conversation with an old friend in the faith who shared many miles and memories with me in my early days of salvation. We began to talk of the corporate nature of life and manhood. Not in a negative way at all, because we both see value in what corporate leaders have to say about success and how to achieve various levels of it. He made the comment, "I see a lot of men, and even pastors, who are reading, listening, and even following corporate gurus, but I don't see many of the corporate gurus reading, listening, or following what God has to say." His thoughts reminded me of something I've said many times, in that he and I were both in agreement that corporate wisdom from all the great Jim Collins and Stephen Covey types in this world can be amazingly helpful; yet, there is most definitely a stopping point with how far those wisdom-streams are to influence you. The reason: corporate wisdom streams are not necessarily anointed of God's Holy Spirit. We do know, however, the God's Word is a guarantee for truth. As men we admire successful men. I'll be the first to admit that. Every time I look at Larry Bird I have hope that even if a man can't jump, he can still become one of the greatest in his craft. I admire men like Howard Schultz (Starbucks CEO) for how he sees life and business mixed with a sense of a global call for a better world. I often sit in awe at how someone like Garth Brooks can bring millions of many people hope through a song, and yet also know so much about marketing and influence. Still, at the end of the day, I cannot allow my genuine admiration to be a blind spot where I am influenced by sources that, no matter how good, are not "washed in the blood." Why? Because corporate & cultural definitions of success and leadership change every few years. God's definition of success never changes. (Read Joshua 1 for yourself for God's conditional promise of success given to Joshua) God's definition of success is measured by obedience to His truths about life and how it should be governed, and those standards are not often mimicked, or even valued, in the corporate world. I must be wise to the difference. Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. ~ Proverbs 23:16-18 www.jasoncruisespeaks.com and www.outdoorministrynetwork.com The Man Minute sixty second investments in Christ-like manhood When it comes to a career, most men work with and around a team of individuals. Very few people actually have a line of work where they are solely alone in their journey. Most people in the workforce must work in somewhat of a team environment. Knowing this, then there are two ways in which you can look at the people around you. You can look at people who work with your ... or for you ... as a tool in which the corporation will use to achieve the goals the organization has in mind. This is by far the most common model around these days. Yet, the model that seems to turn organizations into healthy, vibrant operations is to see the people on your staff or teams not as tool, but rather as your greatest asset. When people feel as if they are genuinely valued for who they are and for what they bring to the team, they will elevate themselves as performers far and beyond anything ever dreamed by a corporate model who is simply trying to get them to perform for the enhancement of the corporate bottom line. Kip Tindell, founder of The Container Store, said, "Milton Friedman said that the only reason a corporation exists is to maximize the return of the shareholder. Forget that. Do this instead: put the employee first, and that employee will take better care of the customer than anyone else." As Christians, if we really do believe that God created all people, and therefore, people matter most, then how could we ever choose to run ... or help to run ... a business ... or a church ... in any way contrary to that fundamental belief? www.jasoncruisespeaks.com and www.outdoorministrynetwork.com The Man Minute sixty second investments in Christ-like manhood
When people hear the word "carnal" they often think of things like rampant sex, extreme greed, gross demands for independency, or even grotesque social injustice. Those behaviors are just that - behaviors. Those are manifestations of a carnal heart, much like symptoms of a virus. Vomiting, headaches, and dizziness are not the problem ... the viral infection is the actual problem. The same is true with carnality. Carnality is a disease of the heart; it is an attempt one makes to find satisfaction or fulfillment outside of the heart of God. Simply put, being a "carnal" person is really a matter of trying to do for yourself only that which God can do. It's trying to accomplish supernatural living standards through human efforts and strength. Thus, when a person attempts to live by one's own personal standards, or by one's own set of rules, life eventually breaks down and doesn't work. You were never meant to do for yourself those things that only God can do. www.jasoncruisespeaks.com and www.outdoorministrynetwork.com The Man Minute sixty second investments in Christ-like manhood
I have come to believe that Christians are obsessed with safety. Everywhere I go I hear Christians praying for safety. I understand it, so it's not that I'm being insensitive. I have a four year old son. I don't want anything to happen to him. I have a wife, I want her to find safety on the road. I understand the issue, but it seems as if Christians everywhere are striving to be safe in all their endeavors. God gives us wisdom and common sense so that we may not live life in reckless abandon. That's not the point. It seems that we've overcompensated to the point that we fear any level of uncertainty. I don't know that I've ever heard a group of people at any church gathering , who are about to go on a mission trip, pray something like, "God, take us anywhere You see fit and let us encounter any situation You see fit in order to bring awareness to Your great name." Any ship docked in a harbor is safe, but being tied up safely in a harbor is not the reason a ship was created. I have been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked ... Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. - Apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians 11:24 - 12:11 www.jasoncruisespeaks.com and www.outdoorministrynetwork.com |
Jason CruiseJason Cruise is the founder of Mission. Mission was created to "vindicate the fatherless" in a country known as Moldova. To learn more go to www.themissionvision.net Jason is a well known speaker traveling across the country sharing his love for Christ at wildgame dinners and conferences. Jason has created many valuable resources for the outdoorsmen to take them deeper into their walk with their Creator. These items include DVD's, Bibles, and Bible studies. Archives
July 2014
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