Biblical Manhood – Consistency In His Testimony, Evans Olang

John 9:1-41, “25 He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

The story of a man born blind in John 9 is one of my favorite healing stories in the bible. John dedicates a whole chapter to address the healing of this man and the response from both those who saw him healed and his own testimony. While this is a notable miracle, the emphasis here is not the miracle but the purpose of the miracle. This is a picture of salvation, the testimony that lasts. This is a picture of He who initiates the salvation process and completes it. This is a picture of being born of water and the Spirit (washing and believing)

Biblical Manhood – Consistency In Prayer, Evans Olang

Luke 22:39-45, “39 Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. …41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed,…”

The Gospel according to Luke chronicles the ministry of Jesus fueled by His prayer life. Matthew mentions pray (prayer, prayed, praying) at least 19 times, Mark 13 times, John 8 times but Luke 27 times (in the book of Acts by Luke 32 times). Of the 161 mentions of prayers in the NT, 36% (59) times are mentioned by Luke either in reference to Jesus or the apostles. I believe Luke wanted us to see how effective, fervent, consistent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Biblical Manhood – Consistency In The Faith, Evans Olang

James 1:2-8, “…a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.,”

In continuing to deal with the word consistency, faith is another aspect that requires consistency. The disciples in a number of times lacked consistency to the point you read of the Lord asking them, “where is your faith”, Luke 8:25. Several instances he called them “O you of little faith”, Matthew 6:30, 8:26,14:31, 16:8, Luke 12:28. Unique challenges and length of time posed a threat to their faith often throwing them to doubting mode.

Biblical Manhood – Consistency In Keeping Your Word, Evans Olang

Philippians 2:19-22, “But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel”

We all love to work with reliable, trustworthy people, those who keep their word. As my friend Pastor Phil once wrote “At one time in American history there was a saying that a man’s word was his bond”, that has somehow changed over the years. I think this is why we want things written down (contracts, rules and regulations) discussed and agreed upon because man has a tendency of not following through what he has vowed to accomplish and needs to be kept accountable.

Lead Your Heart, Evans Olang

1Corinthians 13:1-13, “4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things 8 Love never fails”. 

We have safes we keep valuable stuff we don’t want anyone or anything to interfere with; they are very precious to us. My wife and I have a fire resistant safe; in it we keep valuable things such as marriage certificate, passports, important documents and the like because we don’t want to lose them either by theft, misplacement and/or fire. Now a fire-resistant safe is a type of safe that is designed to protect its contents from high temperatures or actual fire. Fire resistant safes are usually rated by the amount of time they can withstand the extreme temperatures a fire produces, while not exceeding a set internal temperature.

If We Only Knew, Part 4of4, Evans Olang

1Samuel 25:2-35, “32 Then David said to Abigail: “Blessed is the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! 33 And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand”

If we are going to make it, we need to be open to advice and counsel. The reason we have counsel is because someone else sees what we are blind to see, is experienced, or we are just ignorant of it. I would say it’s hard for some people to take advice from their juniors or from the ones they feel they are superior to. Advice and counsel gives you a chance to add what you are learning new to what you already know to see far beyond what you could see with your limited knowledge.

If We Only Knew, Part 3of4, Evans Olang

1Samuel 25:2-35, “32 Then David said to Abigail: “Blessed is the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! 33 And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand”

An encouraged person is alive person. Who wants to be around a discouraged person who always talks about nothing but failures and problems? I come across such people, always discouraged. You encourage them today, they will be discouraged tomorrow. When they call you, they wear you down with their discouragements. At times I’m not sure if their calling is to get encouragement or to find someone to join their pity party.

If We Only Knew, 2of4, Evans Olang

1Samuel 25:2-35, 32 Then David said to Abigail: “Blessed is the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! 33 And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand”

Going back to the text, I see two different people, Abigail beautiful and of good understanding and Nabal a fool, the meaning of his name. Abigail has regards for God, Nabal has no regards for God. Maybe in his heart he said there was no God the reason the bible says, “A fool has said in his heart there is no God” (paraphrased).

If We Only Knew, 1of4, Evans Olang

1Samuel 25:2-35, “32 Then David said to Abigail: “Blessed is the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! 33 And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand”

One of the greatest asset a woman wants in a relationship is COMMITMENT, a thing that haunts many men. Someone made a joke saying, “he saw a man standing there like he came out of a bad dream because he said the woman he cared for wanted something he couldn’t give her, COMMITMENT”.