Your true identity

The past several weeks, my pastors have been focusing on true Christianity through love of others (based on 1 Corinthians 13).  Today was the final week and there was a lot of focus on how we show this love to our neighbor to our family and to our friends.  If we do not have love, then what is there to show for.  In my previous post about Identity, I talked about the problem of trying to love the body of Christ (The Church) when we cannot love our self.  The problem that we have in the body is our own identity crisis.  We are a new creation:  Ephesians 1:4-5 " For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-."  Colossians 2:13-14  "  When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross."  Colossians 3:12  "  Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." So what are we to do?  For we are all broken and sinful and continue to battle against are old flesh and against powers and principalities that desire to destroy us.  We try to do things are own way.  We hold back forgiveness.  We fail to love when Christ loved us first.  I would love to be able to tell you that I can resist all of these previous statements and that I am a mature Christian lacking none, however, I cannot.  You can ask my wife and my kids and my closest friends and accountability partners and they will all tell you that I fail regularly.  There are sometimes small victories and some good days (more like moments and minutes) that I do show signs of hope (Jesus's love shining through) but I have to admit that I get tired, selfish, hungry and angry.  I do sin every day contrary to my desire - so what hope do we have?

Our hope is not in our flesh, but in Christ Jesus.  He bore the sins of the world and took them all to the Cross.  In our sins and iniquity Christ bore all and conquered death.  For those who confess his name and bear his fruit, the Kingdom of Heaven is ours to claim.  There is no power or person that can take us away (snatch us) from the love of the Father.  We are a new creation who are called sons and daughters of God.  Galatians 3:26-27  "  You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."

Hear are some action steps for us to take:

1) Take out a piece of paper and draw a line down the center of the page  (On the left side write down this list:  Galatians 5:19-21 The Message (MSG) ^19-21 It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom.).  NOW on the right side of the page, write down this list:  Galatians 5:22-26 The Message (MSG) ^22-23 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. ^23-24 Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified. ^25-26 Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.".  Once you have done this, then check all those that apply to you and your life (your walk).  If you line up more with the left (the sinful nature - repent) if, you line up with the right, then continue to trust and obey and use your gifts to show those around you less of you and more of Jesus.

2) Get involved in a bible study (in a men or women's bible study).  Find accountability partners (those who you can be completely and bitterly honest too without being judged).  Look for mentors and look for mentees if you are bearing fruit of the Spirit.

3) Pray - continually (throughout the day)

4) Love (love others, love co-workers, love lost ones love family and love your neighbor as yourself (BUT first love yourself as a son and or daughter of God).

5)  What are some of your thoughts and ideas?

Let me know,

Dante

Do You Have Awesome Faith?

I'm finishing up leading a 5 week study with my churches youth group on Apologetics.  The first 4 weeks have been on dealing with questions like "Why Is There Suffering In The World"  "Can Science and Faith Co-Exist" and "Why Is Jesus The Only Way."  Most of these talks have been on truth, evidence and the logic behind what we believe as Christ followers.In the final session we are dealing with the topic of what faith really is?  

For years I was told faith and spiritual maturity was gaining more spiritual knowledge, understanding scripture and knowing my beliefs. I thought that the more certain I was about scripture, the closer I was growing to God.  Many followers need this constant study as a security blanket for their faith, I know this helps me stay on track.

But what happens when we experience life circumstances that do not line up with our beliefs?

When a faithful woman prays for years for a child only to have miscarriage after miscarriage.

God is good but why do massacres like Sandy Hook Elementary happen?  Why did innocent children need to be killed?

When you faithfully tithe for years and give to your church only to be furloughed or lose your job?

Yes, we live in a fallen world and sin is real.

But what do we do when these types of circumstances and life experiences defy our scriptural logic and faith?

What do you say to the great husband and father who spent years volunteering at church and giving his life to Christ only to have his wife die of cancer?

I believe that true faith and spiritual maturity happen when our faith answers Yes even when we don't have an understanding of what God is doing in our lives.  In the New Testament, Paul had every reason to doubt God.  He spent years being faithful, preaching and becoming one of the most prolific evangelists for Christ only to be rewarded with persecution, shipwrecks, beatings and imprisonment.  Just as many of the early Christians were martyred for their faith.

What do we do when circumstances say one thing and God's character say's another?

Maybe it's because we try to interpret God's character through our life circumstances and experiences and then try to fit our faith into that conceptual box.  When we should be interpreting our lives through God's character and having unconditionally faith that God has a plan?

When Paul was imprisoned and writing to Timothy, he didn't talk about WHAT he believed - a system or theology of rules to measure the truth.  He didn't have bulletproof, irrefutable evidence before he trusted God.  Paul walked by Faith not by sight.

Paul didn't say I know what I believe.  Paul said I know WHO I believe.  I know who HE is. 

Awesome Faith and Spiritual Maturity is not greater understanding of the word and our beliefs but unashamed confidence and trust in God regardless of our life circumstances.  This faith is shown through a unquenchable love, grace and empathy towards everyone and lived out in our daily lives and actions.

If you have to know everything and have all your questions answered before you trust in the Lord, we will never have this type of awesome faith.  We just have to start, step forward and trust in His plan.  Trust that God has the wheel.  That's easy to write but hard to live.

Sadly and authentically, I admit that I struggle with this issue myself.  Circumstances come up in life where I wish I could just forget about my fears, my finances and my doubts and just walk forward in crazy, awesome faith.  It's easy to surrender all the bad areas of our lives to Christ and become renewed but what happens when we're asked to surrender our lives in areas that are going really well: our careers, our financial security or our retirement plans?

What happens when we plan, commit and move in one direction only for God to pull at our hearts and lead us in another?

Maybe this makes sense or maybe it's just me rambling over yet another triple mocha?

I've met some people with this Awesome Faith and I wish I had it.

If you have any ideas or stories, I'd love to hear them.

- Lance

3 Reasons I’m Scared to Trust God

Imagine your dream job.  Your deepest passion.  That one thing that you would do whether you got paid or not.  The passion that would get you up at 5:00AM and keep you awake at night, full of excitement and energy.  You feel completely happy and on purpose when doing and living this dream.Now imagine God started opening doors in your life and mentors and friends started supporting you to follow this dream.

Would you have the courage to trust God’s calling and follow it?

Would you be willing to quit your job, take a lower salary or give up your family’s financial security to answer this call?

This is situation I find myself in and I’m scared to death.

Legacy Dad has always been a hobby, a side project, something to tackle full-time when I’m retired. One of those “Someday” goals.  I’ve never been serious about it.   But lately some doors opened, there’s some writing on the wall, influential people have come into my life and opportunities have been mentioned that could potentially lead me to take this thing seriously, take it to the next level and really start helping and impacting family’s everywhere.

And I’m doing everything to hold this back, put on the brakes and let my lack of faith control my life.

Reason 1:  Fear (Noise)

I would love to work full-time helping families, speaking, writing, coaching men, mentoring youth and doing work that really matters for the glory of God and his kingdom.  But the second I have those thoughts, fear and noise tell me all the logical reasons why this is not possible.

1. You’ve spent the last 15 years climbing the ladder to a healthy salary and position in your day job.  Are you going to walk away from that?
2. How would you support your family?
3. What if no one listens to you?  What if you fail?
4. You don’t have the experience, education, background, connections to make this happen?

Reason 2:  What If This Is Lance’s Plan not God’s?

This reason tells me that maybe I’m being ambitious or arrogant.  Is this what God wants or what Lance wants?

I wish God and I could meet up at Starbucks each Friday, have a triple tall, soy mocha and mastermind on my life.  We could laugh and dream and listen to Mumford and Sons playing on the sound system.  Then God would end the meeting by saying “Okay Lance, here’s what I really want you to do and here’s your 5 action steps to take over the next 90 days.  Don’t worry, it’s my plan, it will work.”

Reason 3:  Doubt

I don’t doubt God but I do doubt myself.  The voices in my head tell me that I’m not qualified, I’m too young, I don’t have enough experience, etc.  Everyone hears these voices right or maybe I need a psych consult?

I do have some ideas and solutions for these problems, but I’d love to hear from you instead?

How would you handle this situation?

Have you been in this situation?

Why do we doubt God?

Thoughts?

Lance

Right here waiting....so what can we do in the meantime?

If you are honest, then you can admit things like I can, that is, sometimes if I am really honest, I have to admit that I have a hard time waiting.  I am not saying that I am an impatient man (I have 3 kids under 10 - God has given me patience).  What I mean is that sometimes we have the outcome that we have in mind and not the outcome that God has in store for us.  Sometimes along that path of waiting, we find ourselves in trials and tribulations and for others we find ourselves in sin.  In some cases,  it can be a combination of both those situations.  Isaiah 40:31  (ESV) "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."  Do you remember the restaurants that they used to have around the Midwest called "Jack in the box"?   Sometimes I feel like those of us called Christians (more so  who are Christ-Followers) would like to have a "God in the Box", that is, at our disposal not His.  I think a lot of times I find myself trying to take control of situations in my life that God already had (has and will forever handle) if I would just let go and let God.   I can personally tell you from some very stressful situations that I have caused more pain and frustration in my life by not waiting on the Lord and as a result of my inability of not waiting on the Lord, I have to face those consequences that I didn't need to face had I waited for God.

Proverbs 3:5-6  (ESV) "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."  That Scripture is pretty clear and simple when you think about it.  Do we trust God in everything in our lives?  Really?  Does He have control over our finances?  Does he get our first fruits (tithing)?  When we sin, are we hard hearted and stiffed necked people or do we repent and ask for His forgiveness?  How do we overcome issues at work?  At Home? With our children? With our parents?  Do we let go and let God?

Wherever we are at in our walks it is never to let to start.  The first place that I recommend that we begin in in His Word (read it every day - no excuses) and by prayer and petition and in small groups (true biblical accountability) and preaching and teaching from our leaders and also with community.   The two pictures above are pictures that I really like because they are real pictures of God's faithfulness in our lives.  One of these two men goes to our church and is in our Men of Faith (Men's Bible Study) and the other gets it - where it all comes from and from whom all blessing flow.

The tattoo work on the left is a great story.  I am not going to tell you whether this man has come to know Christ as his personal savior or not (that is between him and God).  But what I can tell you is that the more that I get to know this man, the more that I am convinced that God calls us!  That God has a plan for each and everyone of us.  And that if we are truly to be disciples of Jesus then we have to let go and let God.

Thoughts?Dante

Wickedly True....

This past Wednesday night after work and after the kids were getting ready for bed, I snuck away to attend a prayer training meeting at our church led by a good friend of mine.  He is my ministry head for Men's Ministry and the Pastor of Spiritual Formation.  It was a good night and it was a great night.  We had a time of worship with an acoustic guitar and one of my favorite worship leaders in our church.  When training began we started to read various articles and seasons of prayer (what type of prayers we are). We then began to read Psalms 37, which at face value is a difficult chapter to swallow if you do not completely trust God, but what other choice do we have but to follow God's will for our life?The 37th Psalm reads as follows:

Psalm 37

English Standard Version (ESV)

He Will Not Forsake His Saints

^[a] Of David.

37 Fret not yourself because of evildoers;     be not envious of wrongdoers! ² For they will soon fade like the grass     and wither like the green herb. ³ Trust in the Lord, and do good;     dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.^{[b] 4} Delight yourself in the Lord,     and he will give you the desires of your heart. ⁵ Commit your way to the Lord;     trust in him, and he will act. ⁶ He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,     and your justice as the noonday.  ⁷ Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;     fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,     over the man who carries out evil devices!  ⁸ Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!     Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. ⁹ For the evildoers shall be cut off,     but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. ¹⁰ In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;     though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. ¹¹ But the meek shall inherit the land     and delight themselves in abundant peace. ¹² The wicked plots against the righteous     and gnashes his teeth at him, ¹³ but the Lord laughs at the wicked,     for he sees that his day is coming. ¹⁴ The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows     to bring down the poor and needy,     to slay those whose way is upright; ¹⁵ their sword shall enter their own heart,     and their bows shall be broken. ¹⁶ Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked. ¹⁷ For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,     but the Lord upholds the righteous. ¹⁸ The Lord knows the days of the blameless,     and their heritage will remain forever; ¹⁹ they are not put to shame in evil times;     in the days of famine they have abundance. ²⁰ But the wicked will perish;     the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;     they vanish—like smoke they vanish away. ²¹ The wicked borrows but does not pay back,     but the righteous is generous and gives; ²² for those blessed by the Lord^[c] shall inherit the land,     but those cursed by him shall be cut off. ²³ The steps of a man are established by the Lord,     when he delights in his way; ²⁴ though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,     for the Lord upholds his hand. ²⁵ I have been young, and now am old,     yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken     or his children begging for bread. ²⁶ He is ever lending generously,     and his children become a blessing. ²⁷ Turn away from evil and do good;     so shall you dwell forever. ²⁸ For the Lord loves justice;     he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever,     but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. ²⁹ The righteous shall inherit the land      and dwell upon it  forever.  ³⁰ The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,     and his tongue speaks justice. ³¹ The law of his God is in his heart;     his steps do not slip. ³² The wicked watches for the righteous     and seeks to put him to death. ³³ The Lord will not abandon him to his power     or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.  ³⁴ Wait for the Lord and keep his way,     and he will exalt you to inherit the land;     you will look on when the wicked are cut off.  ³⁵ I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,     spreading himself like a green laurel tree.^{[d] 36} But he passed away,^[e] and behold, he was no more;     though I sought him, he could not be found.  ³⁷ Mark the blameless and behold the upright,     for there is a future for the man of peace. ³⁸ But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;     the future of the wicked shall be cut off.  ³⁹ The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;     he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. ⁴⁰ The Lord helps them and delivers them;  he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,     because they take refuge in him.

Every once in a while I see things so clearly that I just thank God for His understanding and His wisdom.  Because when you read this chapter it can be very difficult for us to swallow for how bad things are going to get for the wicked.  However, as we read through this again it became abundantly clear to me a resounding theme, an action call, if you see the words that I highlighted:

1) Do not worry 

2) Do not worry about anything

3) Do not be envious

NOTE:  All of this can lead you  to a path that is not God's plan.  Instead the Psalmist gives us his roadmap for God's truth:

A) Trust in the Lord (fearing the Lord is the beginning of wisdom)

B) Enjoy the Lord, His word, His awesomeness (Delight yourself in all the ways of the Lord)

C) Commit your ways to Him

D) Trust Him more when you do

E) Be Still - that is, wait on him and not on your own agenda

F) Do not worry (fret)

G) Do not anger run you and or your life

H) Do not worry

I) Be content - Contentment (in God's plan) is the Secret to Life

J) Give generously (and when you give - don't expect or demand anything in return and whenever possible do it in secret in order that only you & God know what you have done

Let me know what your thoughts are on this,

Dante

Which wolf do you feed more

A Cherokee LegendAn old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him angry at a friend who he felt had done him an injustice, "Let me tell you a story...

I too, at times, have felt a great resentment for those who have taken so much, with no seeming sorrow or remorse for what they do. I have struggled with these feelings many times."  He continued, "It is as if there are two wolves inside me engaged in a challenging conflict.”

"One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing.”

He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. He does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him, and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.

Sometimes, it is a challenge to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit. The same challenge is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Do you ever stop to ponder….which wolf inside of you do you feed more?

------

The apostle Paul states that when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, then we are a new creation.  2 Corinthians 5:17  17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here!  Paul talks about the battle inside of each of us, the old self (our bodies dead to sin) and the new self (we are a new creation adopted as Sons & Daughters of God because of his gift of his Son Jesus Christ.

This morning in men's group's we talked about idolatry and the ideas of hoarding (both physical and mental and spiritual).   The hard part about life is that we each have our own proverbial baggage.  That is, to say, that we have stuff to deal with.  Stuff that could be given to us through brokenness from a family or from a habit or from any kind of manifestation of our past.  The key to this is to be content (or what I refer to as the secret to life verses found in 1 Timothy 6:6-8 and Philippians 4:11-13).

Which wolf (which "self") do we feed more?  The old hymn of Turn Your eyes upon Jesus is so relevant to this post:

O soul, are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There’s light for a look at the Savior, And life more abundant and free!

Refrain:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face,  And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.

Through death into life everlasting.  He passed, and we follow Him there; O’er us sin no more hath dominion— For more than conqu’rors we are!

His Word shall not fail you—He promised; Believe Him, and all will be well: Then go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation to tell!

So where to start today of doing some house cleaning in our physical, mental and spiritual lives is to put some good disciplines in our lives:  1) Read the word every day 2) memorize scripture 3) get involved in a bible study (men's group) 4) listen to preaching and teaching 5) worship and 6) pray continually - ask the Holy Spirit to reveal those "idols" in our lives that we need to remove and 7) Repent of these things and become new.

We can take a portion of such a great chapter in the Bible:

Psalm 119

 ³³ Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes;and I will keep it to the end.^[f]34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your lawand observe it with my whole heart.³⁵ Lead me in the path of your commandments,for I delight in it.³⁶ Incline my heart to your testimonies,and not to selfish gain!³⁷ Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;and give me life in your ways.³⁸ Confirm to your servant your promise,that you may be feared.³⁹ Turn away the reproach that I dread,for your rules are good.⁴⁰ Behold, I long for your precepts;in your righteousness give me life!

Make this your prayer today!  Teach me Lord your ways (Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, body and strength and love your neighbor as yourself, on these two commandments all the Law and prophets hang).  Give me wisdom and discernment and understanding.  Lead me in the paths that you want me to take.  Incline my heart for your will O Lord that I may listen and do your will.  Turn my eyes upon Jesus.  Confirm in me that I am doing your will and not mine (less of me and more of you O Lord).  Turn away those things in my life that you no longer want from me.  Behold my life and my heart and my ways and reveal to me your desires.

Thoughts?

Dante

Poison Ivy is like sin our lives

About a week ago, my wife and I were preparing to have forty counselors at our house for a cookout and time for them to share devotions (and yes, there was a cascade of swimming - literally).  Prior to the party, however, I was weeding the backyard and discovered two days later (this past Monday) that I had encountered poison ivy.  I knew that when I had rashes that were very evident on my legs (knees and calves, stomach and all over my right arm).  It burned and it was painful.  As I have been taking antibiotics, given a shot of steroids and applying steroid creme everyday (twice a day) since Tuesday, I can tell you that this was my first encounter (hopefully my last) and I will be so extra careful hereafter.  As my pastor was preaching today, we are going through a summer theme of Camp Rules (based on the Heidelberg catechism) I was struck with this analogy:  How poison ivy is like sin in our lives.  For instance, when you go to this website you will find the following test:

How it spreads

Poison ivy is easy to avoid if you know what to evade. The problem is not the plant itself, but what’s inside the plant’s stems, leaves, berries, and roots.

When the delicate leaves of the poison ivy plant are damaged by contact from people, insects or animals, it exudes urushiol oil (pronounced “oo-roo-shee-ohl”).

Once this oil contacts the skin of a sensitive individual, it rapidly penetrates the outer layer of dry skin (the epidermis) and gets into the living layer (the dermis) where the allergic reaction occurs.

It doesn’t take much oil to make you miserable. If you barely brush your skin against the plant, a rash of red pimples, even blisters, can break out. Physcians term this reaction “contact dermatitis.” In response to the irritating oil, the body produces histamines, the substance that causes an overabundance of mucuous when you have a cold. In the case of a poison ivy rash, the fluid shows up as blisters in the skin. (Note: The fluid is not the oil, rather the body’s attempt to wash it away.) 

Unfortunately, the oil is very transferable. You don't have to come into direct contact: touching your skin against clothing, pets, or even inanimate objects on which the oil has transferred can cause a reaction. See Poison Ivy Facts and Myths for more information on how it’s spread.

Stopping poison ivy before it stops you

You know you don't want to get too close to poison ivy. But how do you avoid it when you’re hiking, fishing, camping, and doing all the other things you love to do in the woods? Knowing the plant’s appearance and habitat is your greatest protection.

Unfortunately, poison ivy is an adaptable plant that may appear as little sprouts, vines, or bushes with shiny green or dull green/brown leaves. Seeing one plant is an indication that more will be in the area-usually in a proverbial “patch” characterized by marginal soil and drainage.

The good news is that all varieties share a common trait: poison ivy leaves grow in clusters of three, with two leaves growing opposite on the stem and the third at the top. Just be aware of your surroundings and steer clear of anything resembling poison ivy.

Sounds simple enough, but just knowing the plant’s appearance won’t be enough if you’re traveling through areas rife with poison ivy. You’ll have to “dress defensively” by wearing clothing that minimizes your skin’s exposure to poison ivy plants. Long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and hiking boots will help, as will gloves. Coincidentally, the same type of clothing worn to prevent poison ivy will also help protect you from ticks, which in some cases can cause lyme disease.

Some actions steps for disciples of Christ:1) Spend time in the Word daily

2) Avoid pitfalls (be part of men's group, have accountability in your life)

3) Be honest and confess your sins to God daily

4) Flee run from sin (don't try and entertain it or say that you are better than it)

5) Pray often

6) When in doubt ask Jesus and the Holy Spirit to guide your way.

Thoughts?

Dante