THE LATEST NEWS FROM FRED STOEKER
& THE EVERY MAN TEAM
I recently received this email from Jim:
“Your book Every Man’s Battle has opened my mind and closed my eyes at the same. Through God’s grace and the expounding of His word I am living a cleaner, Jesus-filled life. This life is free of mindless looking and continuous glancing at women. Quoting scripture and praying that Jesus would replace my thoughts works.
I am a Christian man of more than twenty years and have never had sexual integrity placed in the light, by church leaders, like you have done. I appreciate your openness to share your own stories, and this experience has led me to share the ideals and the book with all men I am in contact with. My children will have a greater father, my wife has a more thoughtful and devoted husband, my church is minus one average, world accepted, “I just can’t help it”, googly-eyed man and Jesus has done it all.”
I burst out laughing at that last line—“one less googly-eyed man!” Somehow, the phrase “minus one googly-eyed man” encapsulates the whole message of my ministry. Every man’s primary first call from God as he matures into manhood and discipleship is to provide his church one less googly-eyed man. After all, who can put together the terms “googly eyes” and “a real God’s man” into one picture? Who can envision a “Christian warrior” with “googly eyes?” It’s nonsensical.
Christ has marked out a race for you, and googly eyes have no place in your race:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…
Hebrews 12:1-2a, NIV
We simply can’t fix a set of googly eyes on Jesus, and we can’t run with perseverance when our googly eyes keep tripping us up with sin. If we expect to run with the Joshuas of our day and to knock down walls for Christ, we’d better act like men and walk courageously with God:
Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
Joshua 1:7-8, NIV
Recently I ran up against some huge walls in my ministry and turned to my intercession team for help. As we were praying, my pastor received a word from the Lord and told me, “The Jerichos in your life are never the issue….God can flatten every wall. The real issue is, How’s Joshua? Don’t focus on the walls. Focus on you, as you reflect on His Word. Line up with Him. He’ll take care of the walls.”
That’s a good word for all of us, because each of us is the Joshua in that race He’s marked out for each of us. So, How’s Joshua? Are you pure? Are you putting on the garment of praise every morning, and putting on God’s armor over it? Are you bending your knees in prayer, resisting the flesh that’s screaming, “I’m too busy?”
As we can see from his email, Jim wasn’t focused on the walls. He’d bravely asked himself the right question first…How’s Joshua? I’ve been fasting and praying over the past few weeks, asking both God and myself, How’s Joshua? Whether it’s New Year or mid-year, it’s always time for you to ask that question. If you do, perhaps your children will have a greater father, your wife will have a more thoughtful and devoted husband, and your church will be minus one average, world-accepted, “I just can’t help it”, googly-eyed man.
And Jesus will have done it all.
COMING UP IN THE EVERY MAN SERIES...
There will be a summer release of an Every Single Man's Workbook that will give a single slant to working through the book Every Man's Battle. It is written for any single man aged 25 years and up. Keep watching FredStoeker.com for more information.
