“And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment” (1 Chronicles 12:32).
The men mentioned in 1 Chronicles 12:32 were part of the gathering that assembled to make David king of Israel. They were assigned the duty of prophetic discernment. Their mission was to be able to observe, listen and to ultimately ‘discern the times’, and to know what the will of God was for God’s people at any given period of time. These descendants of Issachar were bold men…brave men…uncompromising men…unwavering men.
When I was a young man I relied on the spiritual direction of spiritual men, role-model fathers who counseled me in the directions I should take, and the things I should do in my life. They were the ‘Issachar men’ in my life. Through their counsel, I was able to avoid so many of the pitfalls that require so great a price in the lives of our young men today.
Many of our young men today are part of a new generation of people who have broken all contact with God and have been molded instead by the entertainment media’s ungodly influence. The spirits of our young men are wallowing in the muck and mire of profanity, adultery, fornication, and pornography.
1 We have watched in horror as movies went from no cursing, to bleeping out cursing, to promoting vile profanity.
2 We have watched in horror as dancing went from the Twist, to the Bump, to the Grind, to anything goes.
3 We have watched in horror as pornography went from illegal, to age-appropriate, to free-web access.
4 We have watched in horror as dating couples went from kissing, to shacking up, to multiple partners and free sex.
In generations past, we looked up to men like Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Desmond Tutu, and Nelson Mandela, but today our young men are looking up to Pee Diddy, Jay Z, Nate Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Q-Tip, and Slick Rick.
But all is not lost. There are still spiritual men in the world who offer a new direction and a new purpose for our vulnerable adolescents. They are the men who serve as good interpreters of life…the men who are being called on to understand and interpret our changing times. They are God’s Issachar Men.
1 God is calling for the Issachar’s of His church to stand up and be counted. The church is calling for men who will direct God’s people as leaders of His Kingdom.
2 God is calling for men who will minister powerfully with the intensity of God’s spirit and an enthusiasm generated by the excellence of their spiritual training.
3 God is calling for men who will be spiritual fathers, who will discern the times and to give right counsel to those who seek it.
And men…you can’t volunteer for that duty because the ranks of this army are made up of draftees only. The price a man must pay to walk in those ranks is considerable, and the men that occupy that role have not only talked the talk, but also walked the walk. They are the veterans of spiritual warfare, who, like Paul can say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). Like Paul, they bear the marks on their souls. Paul informed the Galatians, “From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus” (Galatians 6:17).
It is these men that have fought the good fight, who have finished the course and kept the faith, that God can trust to offer good counsel, moral integrity, and spiritual fortitude to the young warriors that are the mighty men of God today.
It is these men who have been inspired by God and are ready to inspire others.
It is these men who have been taught in the temple, and are ready to teach others.
It is these men who have been blessed by God with the gift to discern the times and to help others.
God is calling His Issachar Army to step up and be counted:
He is calling for an army that is motivated by His love,
He is calling for an army Anointed by His Spirit,
He is calling for an army Sanctified by His Blood,
And He is calling for an army guided by His grace.
Thank God for the ‘Issachar men’ whom God has raised up in these sensitive times. Our spiritual hats are off to all of you men who have stood against the gates of hell with vigor and faithfulness in the strategic years of this new millennium; who have stood the test of time and refused to succumb to Satan’s tyranny; and who have remained loyal to the guiding principles of God.
But now, brothers, there is much work to be done…and there is little time to waste.
Young men all around you need spiritual mentoring…not tomorrow, but NOW.
Young men all around you need spiritual counseling…not tomorrow, but NOW.
Young men all around you need spiritual blessings…not tomorrow, but NOW.
They need the bold intervention of today’s Issachar men to steer them in the right direction.
God is calling for Issachar men who will work when others would just whine.
God is calling for Issachar men who will offer healing to the hurting,
Cleansing to the corrupt,
Assurance to the accused,
Love to the loathed,
Compassion to the incarcerated,
And direction to the misguided.
God is calling us to battle, and we are His trumpets for this new millennium. But 1 Corinthians 14:8 says, “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” Though Paul is referring to the futility of speaking in unknown tongues to the unsaved, we too who are the ‘called of God’ must be certain that our ‘trumpets’ give off a message that is clearly understood. God has sounded the call to arms, and He is challenging us to carry the right message to our youth…a message of repentance…a message of salvation…. a message of sanctification…a message of spiritual survival.
God is calling for ‘Issachar Men’…
Reliable men; Valiant men; Brave men; Bold men;
To embrace our youth and strengthen them with the Word of God.
A generation of young men may have already been lost to Satan and his tough tactics. Dare we close our eyes to the cries of this next generation? If we are Issachar men, men who understand that these are the terrible days of Jesus spoke when He said, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places….”, then it is time for ‘Issachar men’ to ascertain the signs of the times. It is time for Issachar men to proclaim what the saints of God ‘ought to do’:
We ought to stand against those who
Deride the Miracles of God;
We ought to stand against those who
Depose the Authority of God;
We ought to stand against those who
Detest the Glory of God;
We ought to stand against those who
Despise the goodness of God.
We are Issachar men, and “…the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.” (2 Cor. 10:4) Therefore we must teach our youth that those who trust in God must stand against the enemy.
When our youth gaze on us: they must see that no misfortunes will scare us…
That no troubles will torment us…
That no sorrows will terrify us…
That no disappointments will provoke us…
That no burdens will restrain us.
Because the fervor and passion of our service is propelled by our love for Christ; and the promise of His coming again. You do know He’s coming again don’t you?
Are we Issachar men? Will we stand on the Word of God as the only Truth worth defending in this 21st century? Will we teach that Christ is the answer for all of earth’s questions, the solution for all of earth’s problems, the satisfaction for all of man’s hungering, the refreshment for all of our weariness, and the Healer for all of our sins..?
Be bold then my brothers…Issachar Men!
Be godly in character,
Be Humble in spirit,
Be Pure in your motives,
Be Faithful in your commitment,
And compassionate in your heart.
Be baptized into the body of Christ, and become, to this generation, the visible evidence of the invisible work of God’s grace…. role models of righteousness!
Won’t you join God’s Issachar army?
