The Point of Purity Podcast

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 Helping men and women find hope, help, healing, restoration and redemption
leading to lasting victory over sexual addiction through a growing, vibrant, powerful relationship with Christ.

Episode #135 - "Don't Be a Quitter" 

Transcript

Are you ready to give everything you are and everything you have for your King? Yes, you may be asked to stand on the battlefield alone. You may be required to fight the fight of faith with no one standing by your side. But do you understand that when you surrender to the Lordship and leadership of God in your life you are guaranteed the victory? The Almighty, all-powerful God of the Universe is within you. Truly, you can do all things through Christ because He will give you His strength!

Welcome to the Point of Purity Podcast! I’m your host Steve Etner – author, National Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry and this is Episode #135. In this episode we continue our journey through my book entitled “Are You a Super Man of God? Becoming God’s Man of Steel”. This week’s episode is entitled “Don’t Be a Quitter!”

OK – so here’s where we’re at in our Super Man of God study. God’s man of steel chooses to do what’s right, even when the odds are stacked against him. And we saw a great example of that in the life of Josheb as he stood against 800 Philistines and saw God work a miracle.

Secondly: God’s Man of Steel doesn’t give up, even when no one stands with him. Here we met the second of three of God’s Mighty Men of Steel named Eleazer. If you were with us for last week’s episode, then you know that “the men of Israel retreated, but (Eleazar) stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day” (2 Samuel 23:9-10). One man, one decision, one God, one amazing victory.

In this week’s episode we are going to take a look at the third man whom scripture identifies as a super man of God – God’s man of steel – and were going to discover that God’s man of steel stands in the gap for those who are around him.

In the movie trilogy entitled The Lord of the Rings, the first of the three feature films (The Fellowship of the Ring) has a fantastically dramatic scene where the wizard Gandalf and his crew (including a dwarf, an elf, two humans and four Hobbits) are being chased through the mines of Moria by a fiery beast known as Balrog.

Running through the bowels of the mountain, they come upon a deep and dangerous chasm. Hard on their heels, Balrog comes charging at them, confident he has them cornered. Gandalf sees a narrow, fragile stone bridge that crosses the gap and urges the party to go on ahead of him to the other side. Once the last member of the group is safely over, Gandalf runs halfway across the bridge, stops, and turns to face the beast—intentionally placing himself between Balrog and his friends.

All alone on that bridge, Gandalf makes a difficult decision. He chooses to stand in the gap before the enemy. He makes the decision to take the full brunt of the beast’s wrath, so his friends don’t have to. As he stands there facing Balrog, the most powerful scene in the entire movie begins to unfold. Looking the beast square in the eye, Gandalf raises his staff in one hand and his sword in the other, then shouts out in clear, unmistakable words, “You shall not pass!”

In this episode, we are going to meet one more man from David’s band of misfits—another of God’s men of steel. His name is Shammah, yet another guy who was out of sorts. He had made some bad decisions in life and was definitely paying the consequences. I don’t know if he just wasn’t thinking, wasn’t considering the cost, or what (if anything) was going on in his mind, but Shammah was in trouble. So, he headed for the hills and joined forces with David. Little did he know what God was planning to do in his life.

You see, an army of Philistines had gathered at the fields of Lehi, intent on destroying a huge crop of beans. They knew that if they could drive the Israelites to hunger, it would weaken their will and ability to fight. A very cunning strategy. Starve your enemy, then when they don’t have enough strength to raise a finger (let alone a sword) to object, march right in and slaughter them. The only thing those Philistines didn’t take into account was Shammah.

Once again the enemy charges forward. Once again David’s crew of normal, ordinary, everyday guys turn tail and run. And as the dust settles, standing in the middle of the field, standing in the gap before the enemy, is Shammah. Sword drawn, a look of determination on his face, heart exploding in his chest, unsure of what was about to happen, he plants his feet and shouts to the enemy, “Bring it, because you shall not pass!”

Shammah wasn’t anybody special. He didn’t have any superpowers. He didn’t have steel claws that shot out of his hands on command. He couldn’t take over the minds of the Philistines and make them turn against each other. He couldn’t even become invisible. And yet, as he took his stand in the middle of that field of beans, Shammah—a man fully yielded to the Lordship and leadership of the Almighty, all-powerful God of the Universe—struck down the Philistines. Every last one of them.

Today God is looking for men of steel. He is looking for men who will build up the wall and stand in the gap. He is searching for men who will draw their swords, stand before the enemy and shout out at the top of their lungs, “You shall not pass!” God wants men of integrity, men of conviction, men of courage—men of steel. He wants you, my friend.

“Oh, not me. Certainly, not me!” you say. Why not? Seriously. Why not you? “Well, I just don’t think I could do it. It’s just not who I am.” May I remind you that Josheb, Eleazar and Shammah didn’t think they could do it, either? They were just normal, ordinary, everyday guys. Just like you. Just like me. Josheb wasn’t Iron Man. Eleazar wasn’t Thor, God of Thunder. Shammah wasn’t The Incredible Hulk. Don’t lose sight of the fact that these were just normal, ordinary guys who chose to fully yield themselves to the Lordship and leadership of the Almighty, all-powerful God of the Universe.

Guys, every one of us going through this study—no matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done, no matter where you are in your spiritual walk—every one of us is commanded to “be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

If there ever was a time for us to be men of steel—if there ever was a time for us to be Super Men of God who stand up for the Gospel, who stand up for the Kingdom, who stand up for righteousness, who stand up for purity and for the glory of God—that time is now!

God is calling you out, right here and right now. No, I’m not talking about (or to) the other guy in your group. I’m not talking to the guy who should be reading this book. I’m talking to you—yes, you. God is calling you to rise up against the darkness of this world. He is calling you to draw your sword, stand firm in the faith and fight for His kingdom. Fight with everything you have and everything you are. Will you take that stand? Be a Super Man and shout to the enemy, in the name of Christ, “Bring it, because you shall not pass!”

Now here’s what I’d like to do. I’m going to take a few moments here and read to you another portion of my book “Are You a Super Man? How to Become God’s Man of Steel.” Listen closely ...

“It’s a fact: superheroes can’t fight crime and save lives around the clock. Sometimes they just need a place to get away from it all. A place to relax. A place to recharge. For Superman, that place is called “The Secret Citadel” (a.k.a. The Fortress of Solitude).

“Located somewhere way up north in the frozen tundra of the Arctic stands the Fortress of Solitude. It’s a place known only to Superman, a place only he can get to. It’s that one place Superman goes when he needs to be alone with his thoughts. It’s that one place where he can truly experience safety, security, and a connection to his real home—Krypton. A super house for a super man.

“The Fortress offers Superman the opportunity to be himself, a Kryptonian, rather than Clark Kent of the Daily Planet. It is the one place in the entire universe that reminds him of who he really is, and what he stands for—truth, justice and the American way.

“The Fortress is also the one place where Superman can go to talk with his father, Jor-El. Through a special device called the Crystal of Knowledge, Jor-El communicates with his son and offers him counsel and guidance in how to deal with the problems that arise from living on an alien world. It’s a relationship that Kal-El (Superman) cherishes deeply.”

OK – thank you for investing the time to listen to that story. And by the way, if you’re interested in knowing more, let me encourage you to go to Amazon.com today and purchase your copy of “Are You a Super Man of God?”

In Philippians 3:20 we are told that as a child of God our “citizenship is in Heaven.” Now think about that with me for a moment. That means that while here on planet Earth – according to 1 Peter 2:11 – that makes us “aliens and strangers in the world.” This world is NOT our home.

That means as a Super Man of God, you too need a place to relax and recharge. You need a place where you can experience safety, security and a connection to your real home. You need a Fortress of Solitude. Guys, it’s vitally important that we never lose sight of the fact that this world is not our home.2 We are strangers and aliens in a foreign land—a land that is not and cannot ever be our friend. This world is against the things of God. It is against holiness. It is against godliness. It is against righteousness and purity. Because you are a Christian man, it is against you.

Did you know there is a perfect place God created just for you here on earth? A Spiritual Fortress of Solitude. A Secret Citadel. A Holy Refuge. A place of communion and fellowship with your Father. It’s the one place in the entire universe that will remind you of who you really are (a child of the King) and what you really stand for (godliness, righteousness, and the way of godliness).

In Psalm 46 we read a powerful description of our mighty fortress.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah. … The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress … ‘Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah.” (Psalm 46:1-3, 7, 10-11)

Run to that fortress, my friend, run to God; for it is there, in a growing, vibrant, powerful relationship with God, that you will find joy, peace and safety.

In that fortress you also have a “Crystal of Knowledge” (your Bible), through which your Heavenly Father communicates with you and offers you wise counsel and guidance in how to deal with the problems that arise from living in an alien, sinful world. But are you using it? Are you daily linking to it so you can connect with The Father? Are you dropping to your knees in prayer, communicating with your Divine Dad, and poring over Scripture, listening to what He’s telling you?

In next week’s episode we will look at the kind of house you are building. What materials are you putting into your spiritual home, and how is it standing up in the storms of life? Is it a fortress of solitude or a teetering tower of twigs ready to fall over at the slightest breath of the big bad wolf who is crouching at your door?

OK. Let’s hit the pause button until next week’s episode as we continue our journey through my book “Are You A Super Man?” If you would like to learn more about today’s study, or if you’re interested in learning more about The Pure Man Ministry, be sure to visit our website to see the multitude of resources we’ve made available to you – you can find our website at ThePurityCoach.com.

One of those resources is this book I’ve written (in which we are taking a deep-dive into in this podcast) entitled “Are You a Super Man? How to Become God’s Man of Steel.” It’s available on Amazon.com.

If you’re a man looking for a 12-week men’s Bible study that you can do with your accountability partner(s) or with your men’s small group (or even by yourself) this book is a must do. If you’ve been listening to the last few episodes, then you know that “Are You a Super Man of God? Becoming God’s Man of Steel” is a fun look at what it means to be God’s Man of Steel in a world that is Anti-God, Anti-Christ, and Anti-Bible. As Christian men we try to be the Super Man of God that others want, need, even expect us to be. We do fairly well most of the time at presenting the “spiritual man of steel” persona to those around us, yet inwardly we know we are far from being the godly man we want to be.

In this book we discover that as a Super Man of God your strength, your ability to effectively live a life that honors and glorifies God, comes directly from the SON. The closer you are in relationship to Jesus Christ, the greater your power to resist the archenemy of your soul (the devil) and watch him flee from you (James 4:7).

Yet, truth-be-told, you also have a weakness. It’s your Kryptonite, that radioactive element of your life before Christ that your spiritual archenemy uses to his advantage. The fact is, when you play around with your Kryptonite, it weakens your will and ability to stand firm and fight the fight of faith.

In this 12-week men’s Bible study you will learn how to identify your Kryptonite, steer clear of it, find your super-spiritual strength as you daily draw closer to the SON, and be the man of steel God has called and equipped you to be. So, let me encourage you to go to Amazon.com today and purchase your copy of “Are You a Super Man of God?”

And if you have not yet subscribed to this Point of Purity Podcast, let me encourage you to do so today so you won’t miss any of our upcoming episodes!

So, until next time this is Author, Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach Steve Etner reminding you that if you are going to glorify God in your everyday living, He must first be glorified in your every moment thinking.

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