God is calling, LISTEN UP!

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Welcome back to the Iron Saints Podcast with your host, Dan Willis.

Good morning, Saints. It is a new week and we are right back at it. It's always a pleasure to be so excited to come back and start the week. I know not a lot of people are excited to be up at 4:30 in the morning, but I honestly was just pumped to get up and get going today, to dive into the word with you guys, to get this podcast episode out, knowing that a devotion was going to start the day. So for those of you that don't have a Bible yet, and for those of you that need a coffee, go grab one of those, one of each, and come on back. But we're going to continue our walk through Luke. If you guys have been just popping into the podcast recently, or this is your first time here, rest assured they are built so that you can do it as a daily devotional. You could go all the way back to episode 1 if you want, and you wouldn't be missing out on anything every day. If you're one of the guys that's like me where you kind of like to not just hop in midway, you like to do things from the beginning, you could go back all the way to Luke 1. They're daily devotionals and carry all the way through to the end of Luke. Right now we're Luke 9, so I mean, there's lots, lots to catch up on. But if you're one of those guys that's perfectly happy to hop in, I welcome you to do that as well. But We're making our way through Luke. We're trucking through. So let's see if we can't get a little bit further today. So last week we finished the power sandwich. We finished Luke 8, where Christ was demonstrating his authority and then sending his apostles out into the world to do good works, to do good deeds, and to become what we found was a witness to how the authority of Christ works and also to build their own faith by exercising that authority, how much their confidence grew, how much their understanding of Christ's power and position grew as a result of using that. So I'm excited to keep going. We are starting to see some confession, some prophecy around Christ's death happening. So that's a big one. But today we are going to be starting with Luke 9, verse 23. So if you guys have your Bible handy, that's fantastic. Usually I try to, well, I recommend that you guys have a Bible handy. It always seems to resonate a little bit more and hit a little bit harder when you've got a Bible in hand and you can take notes and you can, you know, write down what you're thinking. But I understand some of you may be driving or commuting, so in that case, don't worry. I always read the entire passage first, and then we will go into ripping it apart a little bit. So, um, if you don't have a Bible, don't sweat it. I will be reading from the ESV. I know everybody's got their favorite translation, but for me, I I read from the ESV, but for those of you that have your own copies at home, just do your best to follow along in whatever translation you may have. So Luke 9:28. Now about 8 days after these sayings, he took with him Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, 2 men were walking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah, not knowing what he said. As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud saying, This is my Son. My chosen one, listen to him. When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone, and they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen. So what a doozy to start the week on, right? Just you know cameo by Moses and Elijah right in the right in the middle of the story here. But I think it's telling. In a big way that God shows up when something big is about to happen. Always seems to do it. He likes to be there to make sure things get started on the right foot. He always seems to be there at the end to say this has been accomplished. And there's probably, I mean, there's a lot of men of scripture that would know that feeling, but Moses and Elijah, especially the two of them. Had a a crazy walk here on Earth and are completely aware of what it's like to have God show up. So that we have this instance where so often in Scripture people look to Jesus' baptism, where we you know you've got the dove coming down from on high. This is my Son with whom I'm well pleased. It's a story that's well known. It's been told over and over again in most film adaptations. You're gonna have that scene for sure just because it's it's the big shot, right? And yet this this scene here, for me, it it's almost more. It's never about I guess being more pertinent, more powerful, but it's definitely one that is underappreciated. I feel this passage of the Transfiguration, this passage of we get a glimpse of Christ's transformed body. His godhood, even though he's fully man, clearly for for those to see. We we have a a meeting of the powerhouses, right? You got Moses and Elijah standing there. Just this unbelievable sight. Imagine being a Jewish fisherman who'd grown up your whole life reading the scriptures, right? And you've been taught since a small child Elijah's return. You've got you've got Moses being the the the mashach, your deliverer, right? This this guy. who came and set your people free. And here you wake up, and when you awake, you see both of those guys talking to Jesus, who is adorned in the glory and righteousness of God. It would be a— it would be— I can't even compare it really to a worldly equivalent other than, you know, sometimes you're at an airport or an event and you see a celebrity. Who's your favorite celebrity, like an athlete or an actor or something? and you're just blown away like, oh, they're there. I can't believe that they're there. That's amazing. Except in this case, it's guys that have been dead for hundreds or thousands of years. And yeah, Jesus himself, the fully God, fully man, Savior of mankind, standing there illuminated with the glory and righteousness of God. My mind would have exploded to have seen it. And yet so often, even in thinking back with the last few times I've read Luke, this passage hasn't Grabbed me this way. We've been talking about the power and authority of Christ through chapter eight and chapter nine, and why that's important to us, and and how that should be a part of our walk, and why that should be a part of our walk. But this this is something altogether different. We've just been given the prophecy right before this. Jesus foretells his death. He says this is going to happen right back in verse twenty two. He said the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chiefs, priests and scribes, and. Be killed and on the 3rd day be raised. Now there's nothing else added to that. There's no, the apostle said, oh no, not like this. There's no, it is very much just the Lord saying that and that's what it is. But here it's not just Jesus saying it, right? This is literally God from on high saying, this is my Son, my chosen one. Listen to him. In the time that's to come, for him to speak that to Peter, it is an absolute crazy foretelling of some of the stuff that's about to happen. But this idea of God is not shy. He's not a God of modesty. He is not a God of being meek. When he wants it to be known, he makes it known. And sometimes he Sometimes he does that with a boom. Sometimes he does that with a loud voice and a storm or a massive miracle. But sometimes he also does it with a still small voice. Sometimes he does it with an urging or a yearning or a tugging at the heart. So I pray for you guys today. If you're just coming back to the podcast and you're getting back into the Word, good on you, brother.

Yeah.

It's no small thing to come back to the Lord and wrestle with him daily. And it's an amazing blessing for sure. Maybe you can do it. For those who have been walking this journey or you've been doing devotion for years and years and years and years, this is for you too. Take the day today and really just pray on it. Consider what you're reading, consider where your life is, and consider what the Lord might be saying to you. Now, I'm not talking claim a prophetic seat. I'm not, I'm not talking you speak the word of God and have been appointed the deliverer of your, your town, your city, or your family. But there are roles that God has given us as men. As a father, as a husband, there's roles that he's given us within our congregations, our churches, and our communities. And God is always calling us to those. He is always calling us to recognize first Christ is the Son of God. He is the chosen one, and he's given us instruction of what we are to do. That great commandment is not for fun. It's not tacked on as a suggestion. It is a commandment. Do this thing. You also have the Great Commission, and the commission is, is one that you choose to take up when you choose to follow Christ. Take the moment today, guys. I'm going to pray for us in a second here, but take a moment and, and just think, where does God have me? What does God want from me? What is God trying to show me in my life? Is there sin that I'm trying to tackle that I need to tackle? Is there a blessing that God is trying to give me that I am rejecting or, or unaware of? Take the time today, guys, and wrestle with it. Find God in your day. Find God speaking to you. Maybe it's a booming voice. Maybe it's a small whisper, but whatever it is, listen. All right, guys. So the website is up now. For those of you who haven't seen it, it's sharpensiron.com. So S-H-A-R-P-E-N-S iron. Iron.com. If you guys go to the website, there is a place to put prayer requests in there as well. You guys can go to any of the social media channels. They're all listed down below in the podcast description wherever you are listening to this. So you have the option to send out prayer requests. I'm happy to pray anonymously. I'm happy to pray with just your first name. And I am happy to just let it out there if you're somebody who's confident and okay with that. But I do ask that You guys lift these brothers up in prayer alongside, and if you have prayer requests, know that I am happy to be praying for you on the podcast. So, Lord, thank you so much for today. Thank you for the saints, the men that are part of this community that are listening to your word, are wrestling with your word. First and foremost, Lord, it is about your Son who you have chosen, who's given us life everlasting. Who has given us joy unspeakable, and who has given us trials without end, so that we may become steadfast and ourselves grow to Christlikeness. I pray for all the men in this community, Lord. I must have received six, seven, eight prayers last week of men who men whose marriage is struggling and suffering, and there's a whole variety of different reasons. Sometimes it's work, sometimes it's neglect, sometimes it's fear, sometimes it's. Anger. Sometimes it's adultery. Sometimes it's just distance and a feeling of falling apart, Lord. And our marriages are holy, Lord. You've set it apart as something special. You've set it apart as this blessing, this union that we ask you of and you gladly give. You didn't speak in vain when you said, let no man tear asunder that which God joins together. I lift up these marriages, all the ones that have come forward in prayer, and I'm starting to realize how much more, Lord, that there are those who have these ongoing problems. I know that season all too well with my own bride, and I just pray, Lord, that you're in those marriages, that you're working on those men's hearts, you're working on those brides' hearts, and you're pulling them back together. These marriages are not some small thing, Lord. They're a representation of your relationship with us, and when we come to that realization, it just means so much more. It makes it that much more important for us to cling. He never quit. He never gave up on us. And I pray that that would be the heart of the men in this community, the men that hear this, that they would never give up on their bride. Never, no matter how bad it gets, never give up. I pray that those who are facing illness, disease, For themselves or their loved ones would see a great healer in you, Lord. I pray that for those that are seeking direction, that are seeking your call for them, go and do this thing, that they would find it in the word, Lord, that they wouldn't trust their own discernment and judgment because that can often lead us straight off a cliff. I pray that they would go to your word, that they would wrestle in prayer and make sure that any calling they hear, they see it in the word. I pray that they have the patience for those who have a still small voice from you to hear that still small voice. Pray for those who get the loud booming gong from you, that they would not pull back in fear, but rather draw close. Pray a blessing over all who are listening today, Lord. Pray that they have an amazing day and a powerful week pursuing you. In your name we pray. Have a fantastic week, guys, and I will catch you tomorrow with another episode. Take it easy.

Thank you for listening to the Iron Saints Podcast. If you are looking to share your prayer requests, check the description for social media or email to contact the show. Blessings on you all until next time.