Josh 6:1-2 Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. 2 And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.

We’ve all heard the story.  Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and God gave Israel the city. Prior to the battle we find Joshua talking to God, asking for guidance. Taking Jericho was crucial because it would show that the God of Israel was greater than the gods of the Canaanites.  Jericho was the first city in Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land, it covered 8 acres of land total, and was totally surrounded by walls 30 feet high and 20 feet thick. Certainly this was going to be no small task. Joshua took time to talk to God, and God delivered the city into their hands.

Next on the list to conquer was a small city called Ai. Next to Jericho this should be simple. Why send the whole army?
Josh 7:3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.

The men of Ai killed 36 men of Israel in what should been a very easy victory. There was sin in the camp, a man named Achan had taken gold, silver, and a garment after God had plainly instructed that none of the “accursed thing” be removed from the city.
After the loss, we find Joshua on his face wondering why Israel lost. God told him about the sin, Joshua corrected the problem and Israel went on to conquer Ai.

When we have a large need the first thing we do is consult God. We realize that the problem is out of our control, and we wait for Him to take care of the situation for us. But what about the small things? If its just a small need we tend to take matters into our own hands. If Joshua would have went to God before the “easy” battle, God would have told him of Achan’s sin and he could have fixed the problem before the battle.

We need to ALWAYS consult God in the big things and the small things. Whether we believe it or not, we really don’t know what’s best for us.
Jer 10:23 O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
God wants us to follow His will whether the battle is large or small. God will give you the battle, if you give it to Him.

The Dallas Cowboys just opened a new football stadium this fall. Reportedly costing $1.15 billion dollars to build; covering 3 million square feet and seating 105,000 fans.  The grand opening of the new arena was well publicized and well attended on a recent Sunday night game. Their opponent was New York Giants, one of their fiercest rivalries. Though the new stadium looked fabulous and the crowd was in their favor, the Cowboys lost the game in a last second field goal by the Giants.

What does this have to do with anything? I was thinking about the setting … all of the elements seemed to be in the home teams favor. To most onlookers it would seem that the Cowboys would come out winners if they only were focusing on the surroundings, the hype, the media, the lights, the stars, and the grandeur of it all. But, no matter how everything seemed, they still had to face their opponent before victory could be rewarded. They still had to face the GIANTS.

Take this situation and apply it to our lives. We go through the day taking care of our responsibilities, things look good, they seem fine and in order to anyone we encounter. We go to church, we sing and worship, we give offering and support the congregation. A smiling face, a firm handshake, a friendly hello is what everyone sees. However, like the football team, we must still face the Giants before we can have victory.  We all have giants in our lives no matter who we are, or what we lead others to believe. The giants are there.  Depression, disease, disaster, debt… on and on the list can go until we find the Giant that lurks in our life. We can’t ignore them and we can’t claim the victory without facing them head-on. We can pretend that they aren’t there, however we will still be challenged by them daily in our thoughts, our actions, even in our sleep at times.

Facing our Giants: we don’t have to do it alone. David didn’t have to face Goliath alone.
To those watching, they only saw a small, young boy without much experience or skill stumbling through the field towards the giant. But David wasn’t facing Goliath alone, and he knew that. “Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied” (1 Samuel 17:45). David knew that he was not going into this battle alone, and we must realize that we are not alone either.

Looking back at the football game, many times the media only talks about one star player on a team. They may only focus on the quarterback or the running back as if they are the key to victory. The truth is that it takes more than one to win the game, to prevail in the battle, or to defeat the enemy. No one person can do it alone. It doesn’t matter how talented, how athletic, how intellectual or spiritually perfect someone may seem. We are all human and we all have faults, and we all need a savior to help us not only face our giants, but defeat them as well.  “ For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”. (2 Timothy 1:7)

The ALJC Men’s Conference was held on September 4th and 5th at First Apostolic Church of Maryville in Maryville, Tennessee.  Around five hundred men from all around the United States attended the two day conference, and it was packed from the platform to the back.

The theme of the event was “Blueprints of a Man.”  Five ministers covered  points of a man’s walk with God from Genesis to Revelation.  Bro. David Poole started things off by speaking about why man was created: to serve God.   Because man has a purpose,  God expects certain things of him.

An Apostolic man walks differently because he walks with God.  God is the center of his life, and his purpose is to serve Him to the best of his ability.  A man should also speak differently because of his relationship with God.  He should be thinking of Godly things, not worldly, and this should be reflected in his speech.  An Apostolic man thinks differently.  He is thinking on Godly things, and should treat others accordingly because he is looking forward to his reward in heaven.  Lastly, an Apostolic man looks different.  He should dress to please God, and not man.

In other words, an Apostolic man should be focused on God and eternity instead of this world and this life.  By focusing on God, a man brings change to his life, and through that change he affects the lives of those around him.

Bro. Holder stated that the Spirit was so strong in these sessions that it was not easy to sit still. Men were wanting to run and shout, but because of the close quarters could only jump up and down.  It was amazing to see five hundred men worshipping in this manner.  The praise going up to heaven sounded like a roar.

In conclusion, The Blueprints of a Man Conference was an awesome experience for those who attended.  It was a wonderful opportunity for men to learn how to act according to the scripture, “ Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” (First Corinthians 16:13)