Month: March 2023

faith

Devotional for March 23

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Trust in the Lord

9 O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
11 Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
12 The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.
14 The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children.
15 Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth.
16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.
17 The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.
18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord. Psalm 115:9-18 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

When all seems dark, when care is pressing you down, when the water rises to your neck, when you want to smile but you can only sigh, move to praise and step up to thanksgiving. Praise and thanksgiving cut through darkness and uplift the soul. Praising and giving thanks to the Lord for His faithfulness, regardless of our current circumstances, releases more of the grace of God to us. Such praise and gratitude comes from a true knowledge of God and self, not circumstances. The youngster thinks in his heart, “I will be strong and young forever,” but the wise are quick to admit, “it is better to fear the Lord than to rely on one’s own understanding and strength.”  To believe you have the right to do anything you please is to be a slave of sin. Just try to make it through one day without breaking any of the Ten Commandments in thought or deed, and you will come to understand just how impossible it is to obey God by the power of our on will alone. “It is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord” (Zechariah 4:6). We must acknowledge our own inability before we will reach out for the Savior. Thirst for the living God, and know that only in Christ Jesus can true satisfaction be found.

Question

Is there a point where all becomes easy?

Answer

I believe there is…and I will be the first to let you know when I get there.

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring us again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. from the Book of Common Prayer

faith

Devotional for March 22

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Take Delight in the Lord

1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Psalm 37:1-11 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Absolutely wonderful is the hope set before us. We are children of Light called to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Abba Father. The little child relies on the care given by his or her parents. Likewise, we need to depend on the loving care of our heavenly Father. God is infinitely better than the best human parents could ever be. Humble yourself therefore, and cease to care what people who follow the course of this world think. Shun the evil twins of pride and pretense. Take no offense and you will be freed from the need to constantly defend yourself. The one who defends himself will only have himself for a defense. Trust in God. God is a defense and shield to all who trust in Him.

Question

The fruit is the ultimate expression of the character of the tree. What is the ultimate expression of the character of the person?

Answer

True character is revealed in how a person spends their money once the necessities are covered, and how they spend their free time once all their responsibilities are meet.

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring us again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. from the Book of Common Prayer

faith

Devotional for March 21

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Only You, Lord, Make Me Dwell in Safety

4 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
2 O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him.
4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.
6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. Psalm 4 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Killing yourself to get more out of life is a silly way to live. Take the fight to the finish. Run the race to exhaustion. Swim the sea to the shore. In training however, it’s better to take the words of former 8-time Mr. Olympia, Lee Haney: “Stimulate, not annihilate!” Wisdom and prudence are required for both physical gains and godly living. Wisdom teaches us the fear of the Lord, which is a motivating deep love and reverent awe of God that naturally causes the heart to abhor pride, arrogance, and all evil. Prudence instructs us to be diligent about forsaking all sin, or it will ensnare, hinder, and enslave us. Keep the dead flies of sin out of your ointment or else it will cause you to stinketh (sometimes the King James spelling is needed). Praise God for Christ Jesus! By His crucifixion, we too have died to sin. By His resurrection, we have a new life to live for God. Let striving in our your strength cease and take your rest in the grace of Christ alone. God is good today, all day, tomorrow, and forever. If you will believe, you definitely will see it.

Question

Why do we worry about this and that?

Answer

It is easy to worry when we look at the magnitude of our problems or the size of our adversaries when we are like grasshoppers by comparison. Flip the focus. All the giants in the world set against us are nothing in comparison to the infinite God who loves us.

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring us again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. from the Book of Common Prayer

faith

Devotional for March 20

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Let All the Earth Understand the Fear the Lord

13 The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.
14 From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.
15 He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.
16 There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.
17 An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;
19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Psalm 33:13-19 (KJV)

The Morning Exhortation

Beware of the old “dangle the bait and hide the hook” strategy of our enemy. The bait is always to entice the senses and stir up the desires with sin that is pleasing to the flesh. The hidden hooks persuade with such thoughts as the wages of sin are either not important, don’t exist, or somehow can be avoided. Those who have no fear of God before their eyes live as if God can be mocked, but He who has said “as you sow, so shall you reap” is faithful and true. The momentary pleasure of sin leads to death. Understand that sin—actions, thoughts, deeds of commission and omission—lead only to death of all types—fast, slow, and eternal. Sin is by definition that which is ultimately harmful to ourselves. Therefore, sin is as hateful to God as any hateful thing would be to a human parent that harms a dearly beloved child. Better to suffer by deny self today than it is to enjoy many pleasures and multiply our suffering in the future. As we sow, so shall we reap—this is a fundamental Kingdom principle. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and to depart from sin is understanding. Choose the narrow more difficult way that leads to eternal life, or by default we will be trapped on the wide and easy way that leads to eternal damnation. Let us not grow weary in doing good. Our eternal reward is sure.

Question

How do we turn from habitual sins?

Answer

Stop fighting the flesh in the flesh. Confess, repent, and call on our Lord Jesus Christ for mercy. Words with Kingdom authority spoken in faith can do all.

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring us again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. from the Book of Common Prayer

faith

Devotional for March 19

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Our Promise for the Sure Mercies of David

89 I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
2 For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,
4 Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah. Psalm 89:1-4 (KJV)

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring us again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. from the Book of Common Prayer

The Morning Exhortation

Faith is spiritual muscle. Just as protein provides the essential amino acids necessary to build muscle, so does the Holy Bile provide the essential Word of God necessary to build spiritual life. Complacency is a sedative that causes one to permit what should be resisted. Idleness, despair, and ruin follow it in proportion to the dose shallowed, like a hangover follows strong drink. Christ died to set us free. Now He lives so that we too may live before God in righteousness through our Lord Jesus Christ. God’s free gift of righteousness works in us by our faith in God. We are called to live and walk in the Spirit, predestined to inherit eternal life in the holy city prepared by God for all those who love Him. Let us standfast in the freedom of a willing obedience to God like a sea-washed lighthouse in the mist of the darkness of this present world. The Light of the gospel has shown us the way through this dark world: deny self, pick up your cross, and follow our Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart. 

Question

What is the hearing of faith?

Answer

The hearing of faith is the process of receiving the engrafted Word sown in a receptive heart. Being watered daily, it produces a crop some 30, some 60, some 100 fold. Not all at once. First the blade, then the ear, than the full corn in the ear.

faith

Devotional for March 18

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Joy in the Fellowship of God

63 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. Psalm 63:1-7 (KJV)

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant me the fullness of your grace, that I, running to obtain your promises, may become a partaker of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. from the Book of Common Prayer

The Morning Exhortation

Remember to fight the good fight of faith. The world is full of distractions that if not guarded against will cause us to forget. Both sunshine and rain are given and allowed by God to make us stronger, but we must cooperate and engage in the battle. Stop wrestling with God and start resisting all that is contrary to His holiness. Be not like the seed sowed in the shallow soil, which had little roots. Neither be the hare that takes the shortcut to a free lunch, and ends up as the main course in the trapper’s stew. Much better to be like the tortoise that takes the slower more consistent path of righteousness, and in time has a sure reward. Wisdom teaches that the means are just as important as the ends. The value of reaching any great height comes from the patience and endurance it takes to reach it. The longer and harder the struggle, the greater and sweeter the victory. Press on Christian soldier, thy crown of eternal life awaits.

Question

What does “there is no discharge on the ground” mean?

Answer

Everything…body, mind, spirit, and soul will follow what you pay attention to most.

faith

Devotional for March 17

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

May We Always Remember

78 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:
6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:
7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: Psalm 78:1-7 (KJV)

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant me the fullness of your grace, that I, running to obtain your promises, may become a partaker of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. from the Book of Common Prayer

The Morning Exhortation

Having the Fountain of Living Water indwelling the soul is more precious than a million dollars, gold jewels, big houses, super cars, vast real estate holdings, and all the fabulous lifestyles of the rich and famous put together.  Just as gains in physical strength must be supported by how the 22 hours or so following the workout are lived outside the gym, gains in godliness and contentment need to be supported by continuing our worship of God outside of the church. We were created to worship God all day every day, not just one or two days a week. Practice the presence of God. Let your favorite songs of praise be the default melody of your heart. Magnify the Lord in your thoughts and speech. We have been called to the joy of praising and adoring the one true God. Be doers of the word and know that goodness and mercy will surely follow you every morning and take you through every night.

Question

“If” or “when,” which is the most important question?

Answer

“If” is the only important question. Settle that based on the truth as revealed by the Word of God. Then hold the decision without doubting, and “when” will always happen in God’s perfect timing.

faith

Devotional for March 16

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Your Word Is a Light Upon My Path

105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
106 I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.
107 I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy word.
108 Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me thy judgments.
109 My soul is continually in my hand: yet do I not forget thy law.
110 The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from thy precepts.
111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart.
112 I have inclined mine heart to perform thy statutes alway, even unto the end. Psalm 119:105-112 (KJV)

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant me the fullness of your grace, that I, running to obtain your promises, may become a partaker of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. from the Book of Common Prayer

The Morning Exhortation

Waste nothing. This is a kingdom principle. Submit to God and not a single tear is wasted. Neither will a single disciple of Jesus Christ be lost. The flesh desires to eat, drink, and be merry. It’s never hard to do what is fun and feels good. The chief aim of the carnal mind is to get money so that the flesh can enjoy the best of what this world has to offer. Money does increase happiness up to a certain point. Money makes happier when it covers lack, but excess amounts of money beyond what is needful has quite the opposite effect. All who deceive themselves with the love of money, chasing after the desires of the flesh and worldly success, end up only increasing their problems. Contentment with godliness on the other hand, is great gain. The bird that is early to bed and early to work gets the best of the juicy worms. The sloth that stays up late, then gets up long after sunrise and having loss track of time spent scrolling though social media, will be left with only scraps. Win the early morning by drawing close to God first thing, and it will be easier to win the rest of the day by continuing to walk in the Spirit. Submit to God, walk in the Spirit, resist the devil, and you will not fulfil the desires of the flesh. Faith is the victory that overcomes self and the world.

Question

What means the following Scripture? “A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.” Ecclesiastes 10:19

Answer

It is a warning that if the heart is set on any of these things, dullness, debauchery, and poverty of the soul are the logic ends for those with no ability to deny self and moderate what is pleasurable.

fitness

Thailand Leg Workout

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Hammie Curl on Stability Ball

It has been a while since I’ve blogged about my workouts. I’ve been too busy the last month or so. Going to change that starting today. I have been blessed with the the opportunity to spend the next few weeks in Thailand to slow things down and reset. I’ve really eased up on my upper body work as I’m waiting for an achy shoulder to heal.

I’ve been here in Thailand for nearly a week now. Not quite adjusted to the time difference, but feeling the need to get a new routine established.

Workout Description

Thailand Date: 16 March 2023 | Start: 07:20 | Finish: 0800

Warm up: 10 minutes of Jump Rope Muhammad Ali style. This used to be a part of my standard warm up 10 years ago. I don’t even know how long ago it’s been since I’ve done this. In fact, it has been over a year since I’ve even been able to do it. Extremely thankful for this, even though it is a far cry from being able to do it like I remember. It will get better.

Legs: Mostly body weight work. Leading up to my back surgery last year, my workouts had been steadily losing intensity. I feel ready to get back to hard and heavy training, however, the long period of easy work has left me with some functional weakness. My hamstrings, knees, and not to mention I haven’t run more than a few feet in years. I know the best shape of my life is still ahead of me. I just need to be patient.

I did a total of six different exercises. Alternated sides and then moved to the next exercise. Originally, I had planned on doing 7 reps per side/set for 7 total cycles or supersets. After the first cycle however, I realized that was just too ambitious. Settled on 3 good supersets. I used a couple of light kettlebells I just purchased for balance more than for the resistance. Feeling the work and hoping it that was just about right for today. Here’s what each superset looked like:

  • Patrick step ups with one outstretched 6kg kettlebell, 7 reps each leg
  • Close stance incline board squat with 6kg kettlebells each hand
  • Hammie curls on stability ball, 7 reps
  • Split squat with 6kg kettlebells each hand, 7 reps each leg
  • Tib raises, 7 reps first superset, then 10 for sets 2 and 3 (not enough work)
  • Sprinter leg raises, 7 reps, then 10, and could have done more reps for this one as well

Cool Down: Dragon roll. One minute to the left, one minute to the right. Repeated for a total of two minutes each side.

The purpose of this blog is to encourage, inspire, and connect with other like-minded Christian men who are over the age of 40. Subscribe with your email. Leave some comments pertaining to the faith, fitness, bodybuilding, and working out. Praying that all who find this blog may be blessed by it.

faith

Devotional for March 15

Bruce ColemanLeave a comment

Blessed Be the Lord, the God of Our Salvation

7 O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:
8 The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.
10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.
17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.
18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.
19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
20 He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death. Psalm 68:7-10, 17-20 (KJV)

The Prayer Appointed for This Week

O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant me the fullness of your grace, that I, running to obtain your promises, may become a partaker of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. from the Book of Common Prayer

The Morning Exhortation

We are all born like tiny little baby burger kings wanting to have it all our own way. This is one of the hallmarks of our fallen nature. It is time we put aside such childish ways for good. Will you be made whole? Jesus asks the impotent man as well as every one of us the same question. Rise up and sin no more. Learn to praise God through difficulties and rejoice in the face of your weakness. Contemplate what it means to be weak in self so that you can be strong in the Lord. You have a good understanding when such a thought bring you joy. Only those who reach the end of self ever reach out for God. Know that the command to “rejoice in the Lord always” sweetens even the bitterest moments of life. Grieve when it is appropriate to do so, yet continue to praise and thank God through it all. Not for bad circumstances, rather thank God because He is good and He works all things together for good. Having our name written in the Lamb’s book of life is enough to praise and thank God for even in the face of a long and difficult life at present. Even a long life of 120 years is but a moment when seen in the light of eternity. The more we sincerely praise Him in the least enjoyable and mundane things of life, the more we glorify God as the source from which all satisfaction flows. So rejoice when you can get out of bed in the morning. When brushing your teeth, praise God because you have teeth to brush. There are countless tokens of God’s love for us all around us, all day long, that we either take for granted or simply don’t notice. Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice! Praise God our Father because He is good! To Him be the glory and power forever.

Question

What is the difference between happiness and joy?

Answer

Happiness depends on the current circumstances and cools as the situation that causes it remains. Joy comes from trusting God in all circumstances and only increases with each personal experience of the faithfulness of God.