A Pivotal Moment

In a few hours I will be on a mountain with a whole bunch of men. It is the time of year when the men from our church get away for a couple of days together. I look forward to this time of year. It is called Men's Advance.

When I attended my first MA I was quite the different person. First off, from where I stand now, I would have to say that the 'Josh' that went up to that mountain was weak and wounded. Whether or not I was even qualified to be called a man is hard to say. I had only recently returned (6 months) from my prodigal days.

I'm not really sure why I made it a point to go. I knew the caliber of men that went to this thing because I knew some of the men from the church. The last place I wanted to be was around a bunch of Holy Spirit-filled men that knew the voice of God. But, I had lived the past many years hiding out in plain sight. I figured I could do it easily enough for the weekend.

But, what I found on the mountain was more than I had bargained for. You see, these men that I found myself up on a mountain with were not ordinary guys. They were the men that my wife had prayed into my life. And because of her prayers, God had ordained and anointed these men to boldly step into my life. They were who God had designed to push me, challenge me, and get in my face when I needed it.

Don't get me wrong; I had lots of people in my life to do that but they all felt too close to the situation. The people I had in my life at the time all had vested interest in me. I was their son, brother, friend, and fellow minister. At the time I felt like they all wanted me to get better because of what I could do for them. I realize that was wrong thinking but that is where I was. And as a result, my ears to hear them were shut.

But, these men on that mountain were not close to the situation. I offered them nothing but the broken down person that I was. They had no interest in me other than to minister healing to me. They didn't know me other than I was new at the church. No one knew my story and I was glad about that. It didn't stay that way for long.

On Friday night, after the teaching session, about 15 of us were just hanging out in our cabin. Nothing serious, nothing spiritual...just being guys (i.e. potty humor, dumb guy type jokes). Then one of the guys pulled out some picture cards and asked us to pick one that illustrated our life at the time. I picked one that was a picture of a broken, rusty bike. No wheels, broken chains, outside next to a house. When I shared it I wanted the conversation to just move on to someone else. But, this one guy (now my best friend) asked me to explain why that picture was me. It was like the floodgates opened. Out of me poured all of the dirt from the past...all the pornography, all the lies, all the cheating. And not one of these men backed down from the sin. In fact, they laid hands on me, prayed for me, prophesied over me, and began restoring back to me all that I had lost. They embraced me as one of them. They embraced me...all broken, banged up, lost, and smelling like pig slop...as one of them.

After we came down from the mountain, a week or so later, a group of us began meeting to push each other into greatness designed for us by God. What I soon learned was that these were not men that never messed up. These were men that had made mistakes, learned from them and now knew who they were. They knew that in order to be who God designed them to be they had to stay close to the One who defined them. These were men that knew how to fight. And, by meeting with them I learned who I was...and I learned how to fight.

I do not remember what was spoken at the meeting times. But, I know what happened in that cabin with 15 guys. God showed up and, through those men, changed my life. Thank you, Father, for putting me on a collision course with those men. Men, thank you for being bold and speaking into me and helping silence the enemy by your words and prayers. I am forever grateful. That weekend was a pivotal moment for me and my family.

And in a few hours, I will meet with those men again. I am not the same weak and wounded man I was before. Now, I go to be challenged to go deeper but also to give of what I was given. Oh, for the privilege to speak and help change a man's life like mine was 3 years ago. I yearn for the opportunity.

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Pray for your spouse that God would set them on a collision course with men and women that will be the catalyst for change. The battle has only begun. Pray for more soldiers to join your fight.

Josh