It's Loonie!
Congrats! :-)
Friday, September 21, 2007
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Wondering?
I was recently perusing the blogsphere, and came across a website that is one of the many 'discernment' websites out there. I will say that this website has some good information on it, and I do not doubt that the owners are attempting to inform the Christian community of abuses, heresies etc.
However, I do have a concern with some of these websites, especially this one. It seems that these folks scour the web for blasphemous, heretical, and/or ridiculous items that are being advertised, or practiced by the so-called 'church' in the West. While that may be OK, why do they link to the various photos, and videos that display these things? I found many of these links (which I stopped checking out after a few), are sensual and promote women in a less than acceptable light.
Some of the links are actually erotic in nature, and I found myself shocked that a 'discernment' website would link to these. I believe that having all of these links on one site is more conducive to giving people a central link to find them, as opposed to providing a warning to caring Christians.
We must be cautious in our desire to expose false teaching, and abuses -- let us not become just like the abuses we seek to expose, inadvertently advertising these sites, rather let us pursue "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." -- Philippians 4:8
However, I do have a concern with some of these websites, especially this one. It seems that these folks scour the web for blasphemous, heretical, and/or ridiculous items that are being advertised, or practiced by the so-called 'church' in the West. While that may be OK, why do they link to the various photos, and videos that display these things? I found many of these links (which I stopped checking out after a few), are sensual and promote women in a less than acceptable light.
Some of the links are actually erotic in nature, and I found myself shocked that a 'discernment' website would link to these. I believe that having all of these links on one site is more conducive to giving people a central link to find them, as opposed to providing a warning to caring Christians.
We must be cautious in our desire to expose false teaching, and abuses -- let us not become just like the abuses we seek to expose, inadvertently advertising these sites, rather let us pursue "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." -- Philippians 4:8
Monday, September 17, 2007
Stuart Smalley is Wrong
We are so inundated with news and media 'stuff' that we either get overwhelmed, desensitized, or enamored with the goings on in our world; here is a sampling of things from the news...
No comments are really required -- however, should anyone think that we (mankind) are just getting better and better...
Child-Killers
Who needs God?
The 'Arts'?
Gender-Bending
And this is just a perusal of the recent 'news'...
Since I have been out of circulation for a while, I guess I am just shocked by the news that I have been reading about! How true is Paul's (God's) assessment of mankind!
Romans 1:16ff -- For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, The righteous shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
And should you think that I am placing myself above all of this, I fit right in with the rest of humanity! Truly the need for a Savior is obvious. Paul recognized this in his struggles with his fallen nature:
Romans 7:18-25a -- For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
It is truly by grace ALONE through faith ALONE that we are saved, we could not bring anything to the table, and if we believe that we somehow need to 'contribute' we simply do not understand the nature of man, or the grace of God! And there is nothing we bring to the table to 'keep' us saved! Even Paul realized this as he stated in the Romans 7 passage quoted above.
Man is fallen and only a perfect Savior is capable of bringing salvation -- anything else is simply filthy rags....
Stuart Smalley is wrong -- remember his tag line? I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me! Sorry Stu -- none are good enough, save one...
No comments are really required -- however, should anyone think that we (mankind) are just getting better and better...
Child-Killers
Who needs God?
The 'Arts'?
Gender-Bending
And this is just a perusal of the recent 'news'...
Since I have been out of circulation for a while, I guess I am just shocked by the news that I have been reading about! How true is Paul's (God's) assessment of mankind!
Romans 1:16ff -- For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, The righteous shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
And should you think that I am placing myself above all of this, I fit right in with the rest of humanity! Truly the need for a Savior is obvious. Paul recognized this in his struggles with his fallen nature:
Romans 7:18-25a -- For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
It is truly by grace ALONE through faith ALONE that we are saved, we could not bring anything to the table, and if we believe that we somehow need to 'contribute' we simply do not understand the nature of man, or the grace of God! And there is nothing we bring to the table to 'keep' us saved! Even Paul realized this as he stated in the Romans 7 passage quoted above.
Man is fallen and only a perfect Savior is capable of bringing salvation -- anything else is simply filthy rags....
Stuart Smalley is wrong -- remember his tag line? I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me! Sorry Stu -- none are good enough, save one...
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Thoughts
In our reading, my wife and I have been going through 2nd Corinthians, a book that I really enjoy. We came to this passage, which I have read many times, but it seemed to have jumped out at me this time.
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. 2nd Corinthians 2:14-17
How often we, (man), are worried about 'offending seekers' with the message of the Gospel, what with its emphasis on substitutionary death, blood and a Savior who took upon Himself our sins. According to some, who call themselves Christians, this is akin to 'cosmic child abuse'. The discussion of the barbarism of crucifixion and the sacrifice of our Savior is deemed 'too offensive' for the modern and advanced palate.
Yet, here, Paul says that the message of the Gospel is death to those who are perishing, and life to those who in Christ. Yes, the ENTIRE message, of a sinless, blemish-free Lamb of God being nailed to a tree and suffering, to die for my sins, IS offensive -- it makes us realize, as did the Israelites as they stood before a slain animal, that sin has consequences, and an innocent died for me.
We somehow think we are more 'civilized' than any generation before us. Yet, as I read through the New Testament, what I find is that the 'civilized' society of Paul's day was as offended by the death of a Savior as we are. Maybe the concept of 'blood' didn't make them as queasy as the modern genteel society we find ourselves in, but the concept of sacrifice was plain offensive.
The reason that the modern 'seeker' finds the message offensive is not because they are somehow more civilized than any before them, but because they are unwilling to take an honest look at themselves. If they accept that Christ died this gruesome death on the cross for them, this will imply that they are truly THAT bad. No one, especially in our modern, Oprah, Dr. Phil, therapeutic gospel society wants to look at the cross and realize the sin that placed our Savior upon it was OURS!
So, like Paul, pastors must steel themselves to the fact that our message will ALWAYS be death to the death for some, and life to life for others -- we are not called to be successful, or popular, rather we are called to be faithful jars of clay carrying about in our lives the inestimable message of the gospel!
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. 2nd Corinthians 2:14-17
How often we, (man), are worried about 'offending seekers' with the message of the Gospel, what with its emphasis on substitutionary death, blood and a Savior who took upon Himself our sins. According to some, who call themselves Christians, this is akin to 'cosmic child abuse'. The discussion of the barbarism of crucifixion and the sacrifice of our Savior is deemed 'too offensive' for the modern and advanced palate.
Yet, here, Paul says that the message of the Gospel is death to those who are perishing, and life to those who in Christ. Yes, the ENTIRE message, of a sinless, blemish-free Lamb of God being nailed to a tree and suffering, to die for my sins, IS offensive -- it makes us realize, as did the Israelites as they stood before a slain animal, that sin has consequences, and an innocent died for me.
We somehow think we are more 'civilized' than any generation before us. Yet, as I read through the New Testament, what I find is that the 'civilized' society of Paul's day was as offended by the death of a Savior as we are. Maybe the concept of 'blood' didn't make them as queasy as the modern genteel society we find ourselves in, but the concept of sacrifice was plain offensive.
The reason that the modern 'seeker' finds the message offensive is not because they are somehow more civilized than any before them, but because they are unwilling to take an honest look at themselves. If they accept that Christ died this gruesome death on the cross for them, this will imply that they are truly THAT bad. No one, especially in our modern, Oprah, Dr. Phil, therapeutic gospel society wants to look at the cross and realize the sin that placed our Savior upon it was OURS!
So, like Paul, pastors must steel themselves to the fact that our message will ALWAYS be death to the death for some, and life to life for others -- we are not called to be successful, or popular, rather we are called to be faithful jars of clay carrying about in our lives the inestimable message of the gospel!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Post-Op Day 1 (in many ways)
Well, I am at day one after my cataract surgery -- The doctor found a small retinal horseshoe tear, and repaired it via laser in his office. Other than that -- the surgery was successful so far. They predicted that I would have no better than 20/60 vision, yet at day 1 I have 20/50, and may continue to improve.
I am still healing in the right eye -- it is still quite fuzzy, but the doctor said it is getting better every visit -- I am probably looking at 2-3 months for complete return. This eye has also developed a trauma-induced cataract which my doctor will have to remove at a later date.
I CAN READ! Trust me -- this passage from Amos never struck me so hard -- Amos 8:11 Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord God... when I will send a famine on the land — not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord, They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it.
I was hearing the Word of God (I will soon tell of the phenomenal preaching done in my absence!), but being able to pick up the Word and just READ IT was missing for the last 2 months.
I will be reflecting on this two months of blindness as strength allows -- I do not want to overdue it, as I am not out of the woods yet. Lots more gray in the hair, and a weight loss of 15 pounds is a reminder of the track that I have passed through... Yet God was faithful in SO MANY ways through it all...
Thank you all for your many prayers, and Bugs: it looks like I might actually SEE you while you are here! :-)
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Color!
This week I finally got some good news. My pressure was stable enough to stop taking pressure meds. And 9 days between doctor visits.
Also began to see color in earnest. Some shapes visible as well. Not bad for 3 weeks post-op!
Psalm 42 has been echoing in my heart. Still have a long road, but can visually see improvement.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Update
update:
Note: I corrected the dates... Ray...
07-24-97 Emergebcy retinal surgery
08-02-07 Hyphema occurs hyphema - I experience an "8-ball"
08-09-07 IOP spikes at 54! normal is around 12-15. Emergency trab surgery, trab
I also have a cataract on the good eye!
Vision slow in coming back. Posting a chore - this post took 1 hour to rough out.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Sabbatical
I will be going in today for retinal surgery. I may be offline for a while, potentially up to a month. I have not shut down, merely taking some time until I get my sight back.
Thanks to all for your prayers...
Thanks to all for your prayers...
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Update
To all: I am going in for an emergency consultation with my ophthalmologist tomorrow morning bright and early. The good eye has gone downhill. Thanks for the prayers -- Hope to be back with you soon!
Friday, July 20, 2007
Status Part Deux
I am contemplating the next series of posts that I will write, but in the interim I would ask for prayer. I am having, (as I mentioned in a previous post), eye problems with my remaining good eye. I am going in on Wednesday of next week to determine what is wrong, and what the treatment may be.
While I rest completely in Christ, I must admit that I am a bit concerned. Anyway, I am not sure I will post before then, but if not -- my visit is next Wednesday at 1:00pm.
Any suggestions for a series of posts would be welcomed; I might not be qualified to post on some things, and if that is the case I will be upfront and say so.
Well, until later...
While I rest completely in Christ, I must admit that I am a bit concerned. Anyway, I am not sure I will post before then, but if not -- my visit is next Wednesday at 1:00pm.
Any suggestions for a series of posts would be welcomed; I might not be qualified to post on some things, and if that is the case I will be upfront and say so.
Well, until later...
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Men at Work VII - Fathers
I thought I would close with this series on men addressing the aspect of Fatherhood.
I am shocked and horrified with the news nowadays -- it is common to read about a man killing, maiming, raping or abandoning his children! What a world we live in -- no longer are children safe within the arms of their father! Truly, Romans 1 is reflected in our society today!
Sadly, many of these men never had fathers in their lives, and so therefore, they never had a role model to look up to. And so many, even in the Christian community, are/were 'latch-key' kids, growing up with a limited access to their fathers. Many were raised with their moral and ethical foundations formed by the TV and their peers, in lieu of their father.
The church today and for the last several generations, has not held men accountable as fathers. They teach men to go out and act out their adolescent fantasies, somehow believing that this will bring men back into the church. What we end up with is a bunch of immature adolescents, not fathers and husbands.
Men do not need to be 'enabled' to act out their fantasy of being Claude Van Damme, or Stephen Seagal -- they need to be taught what a father's role is in the family. A man is to teach his children -- catechize them, lead in prayer, and be the one who heads up the evening Bible Study with the kids. Dad needs to be viewed as the spiritual leader of the home. All too often, even within the Christian community, fathers come home, plop down on the couch and pick up the remote -- their interaction with their children limited to taking them to football, softball and other activities which have supplanted a family's time together.
Christian men should first and foremost, model the life of a Christian for their children. Secondly, he should teach them of God and His holiness -- a reverent fear and awe that should be reflected in the life of the father. Third -- dad should love mom, and exhibit that love and respect for his wife so that his children see it. What a great model -- men can point to their marriage as a model of Christ's love for His people -- the marriage is the picture kids, albeit imperfect.
I have a problem with a men's ministry that is focused solely around men acting out their childhood fantasy -- be it motorcycle riding, hiking, shooting, hunting. Men's ministry should be focused around Christ, and our relationship with Him first and foremost, then it should focus around men's role within their families and eventually moving outward to their role within the church and society.
But when we have men's ministries that are nothing but a cover for 'activities' that we want to do, I think we have missed the mark. Let's get our men ministries back in line with Biblical foundations -- holding one another accountable as fathers and husbands, lifting one another up in prayer and modeling Christian manhood for our families!
Finally, I say to you father's -- love your children enough to impart in them a love for and reverent fear of God. You are not being loving by allowing your children to 'find their own path' to God. You are being hateful. If you are truly redeemed, that means that you believe that Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one comes to the Father but by Him -- why would you enable your children to figure that out on their own?
We need more Godly fathers -- NOT more self-confident posers...
I am shocked and horrified with the news nowadays -- it is common to read about a man killing, maiming, raping or abandoning his children! What a world we live in -- no longer are children safe within the arms of their father! Truly, Romans 1 is reflected in our society today!
Sadly, many of these men never had fathers in their lives, and so therefore, they never had a role model to look up to. And so many, even in the Christian community, are/were 'latch-key' kids, growing up with a limited access to their fathers. Many were raised with their moral and ethical foundations formed by the TV and their peers, in lieu of their father.
The church today and for the last several generations, has not held men accountable as fathers. They teach men to go out and act out their adolescent fantasies, somehow believing that this will bring men back into the church. What we end up with is a bunch of immature adolescents, not fathers and husbands.
Men do not need to be 'enabled' to act out their fantasy of being Claude Van Damme, or Stephen Seagal -- they need to be taught what a father's role is in the family. A man is to teach his children -- catechize them, lead in prayer, and be the one who heads up the evening Bible Study with the kids. Dad needs to be viewed as the spiritual leader of the home. All too often, even within the Christian community, fathers come home, plop down on the couch and pick up the remote -- their interaction with their children limited to taking them to football, softball and other activities which have supplanted a family's time together.
Christian men should first and foremost, model the life of a Christian for their children. Secondly, he should teach them of God and His holiness -- a reverent fear and awe that should be reflected in the life of the father. Third -- dad should love mom, and exhibit that love and respect for his wife so that his children see it. What a great model -- men can point to their marriage as a model of Christ's love for His people -- the marriage is the picture kids, albeit imperfect.
I have a problem with a men's ministry that is focused solely around men acting out their childhood fantasy -- be it motorcycle riding, hiking, shooting, hunting. Men's ministry should be focused around Christ, and our relationship with Him first and foremost, then it should focus around men's role within their families and eventually moving outward to their role within the church and society.
But when we have men's ministries that are nothing but a cover for 'activities' that we want to do, I think we have missed the mark. Let's get our men ministries back in line with Biblical foundations -- holding one another accountable as fathers and husbands, lifting one another up in prayer and modeling Christian manhood for our families!
Finally, I say to you father's -- love your children enough to impart in them a love for and reverent fear of God. You are not being loving by allowing your children to 'find their own path' to God. You are being hateful. If you are truly redeemed, that means that you believe that Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one comes to the Father but by Him -- why would you enable your children to figure that out on their own?
We need more Godly fathers -- NOT more self-confident posers...
Status
Sorry I have not posted recently -- I am in Canada on work assignment for the week. I would ask for prayer from my friends out there -- I am having eye issues with my remaining good eye. As some might rememer, it was about a year ago that i had a retinal detachment, and the good eye is acting up. I go to see the doc on my return to Dallas.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Man At Work VI - Friends
So far we have looked at the role of a husband in marriage and also at the sad state of men's ministries in today's world. We should understand that we are called to be more than simply 'macho' men, who are engaged in a royal battle, trying to win a beauty (a rough paraphrase of one of the books that I read). We realize that our model for manhood needs to be found in the pages of Scripture.
So, we know that a man is to be self-sacrificial in his love for his wife, he is also supposed to care for and train up his children (more on that later), and be the provider in the home, both from a physical and spiritual perspective.
Let's look at another observation -- men should have others to which they are accountable -- unfortunately, the word 'accountable' has been so emptied of meaning in many parts of Christendom. We overuse and misuse this word. In most instances, it is only used in a negative sense -- i.e. "I am accountable to some men in the church regarding my addition to pornography".
However, if we look in Scripture, we find that men were accountable, not simply in a negative fashion, but also in a positive way. That is, men loved and cared about their fellow workers in the harvest field, and depended upon one another -- they were 'accountable' in their friendship, and the dependence they had upon one another.
As we read the book of Acts we find that Paul always traveled with men whom he depended upon, as did the rest of the apostles. These men understood that they needed relationships with one another, and even our Savior sent them out two-by-two. This kept these men on task, and provided comfort and fellowship for them as they faced persecution, the rigors of the mission field, and the loneliness of being 'on the road'.
Now we find that, in their humanness, sometimes things got a bit rocky for these men; all we need to do is look at the incident between John Mark, Barnabas and Paul (Acts 15:36ff). Interestingly, later in his life, Paul asked for John Mark to be sent to him 2nd Timothy 4:11, that he was "...useful to me [Paul] for ministry".
So, they were human, and struggled at times with their relationship, however they were in relationships.
Updated: I realized that I did a poor job of putting this post together, and seemed to jump from relationships into a rant about men's ministries. I have updated the post to more accurately and consistently reflect where I was going with the thought.
How different their focus was from the men's churches that have 'sports'-themed everything, and ropes courses! In these types of churches the relationships that are built often have little to do with Christ and our unity in Him, and more to do with a common school, or hobby. Relationships developed in this manner are often not Christ-centered, but rather man-centered.
We somehow believe that, to get men into churches and relationships, we need more 'manly' themes and focus, when in reality what we need is a Christ-centered focus. We need to be teaching men to be the husband, friend, disciple, witness, that Christ calls them to be. When we bring men in with secular, carnal pursuits, the bulk of them will never go beyond that -- we need to call men into relationships with one another that are based upon Biblical principles, and hold our ground against a fast-encroaching worldly mindset that says that what we really need to do is have 'car-shows' and 'football-parties' to 'lure' men back to the church.
How about just preaching the word, holding them accountable as men, and showing them the principles of Biblical manhood? Doesn't that seem like it would be more effective? Why do we believe that we can 'lure' men to Christ using (frankly) deceptive means? God will draw men to Christ -- and He will not use bait and switch techniques! And when men come together with Christ as their focus, we will find our churches revived!
P.S. I am not against anything geared towards men -- we have a motorcycle ministry, and other events, but these are SIDE things, not the focus of our church. The focus is, and must always be Christ.
So, we know that a man is to be self-sacrificial in his love for his wife, he is also supposed to care for and train up his children (more on that later), and be the provider in the home, both from a physical and spiritual perspective.
Let's look at another observation -- men should have others to which they are accountable -- unfortunately, the word 'accountable' has been so emptied of meaning in many parts of Christendom. We overuse and misuse this word. In most instances, it is only used in a negative sense -- i.e. "I am accountable to some men in the church regarding my addition to pornography".
However, if we look in Scripture, we find that men were accountable, not simply in a negative fashion, but also in a positive way. That is, men loved and cared about their fellow workers in the harvest field, and depended upon one another -- they were 'accountable' in their friendship, and the dependence they had upon one another.
As we read the book of Acts we find that Paul always traveled with men whom he depended upon, as did the rest of the apostles. These men understood that they needed relationships with one another, and even our Savior sent them out two-by-two. This kept these men on task, and provided comfort and fellowship for them as they faced persecution, the rigors of the mission field, and the loneliness of being 'on the road'.
Now we find that, in their humanness, sometimes things got a bit rocky for these men; all we need to do is look at the incident between John Mark, Barnabas and Paul (Acts 15:36ff). Interestingly, later in his life, Paul asked for John Mark to be sent to him 2nd Timothy 4:11, that he was "...useful to me [Paul] for ministry".
So, they were human, and struggled at times with their relationship, however they were in relationships.
Updated: I realized that I did a poor job of putting this post together, and seemed to jump from relationships into a rant about men's ministries. I have updated the post to more accurately and consistently reflect where I was going with the thought.
How different their focus was from the men's churches that have 'sports'-themed everything, and ropes courses! In these types of churches the relationships that are built often have little to do with Christ and our unity in Him, and more to do with a common school, or hobby. Relationships developed in this manner are often not Christ-centered, but rather man-centered.
We somehow believe that, to get men into churches and relationships, we need more 'manly' themes and focus, when in reality what we need is a Christ-centered focus. We need to be teaching men to be the husband, friend, disciple, witness, that Christ calls them to be. When we bring men in with secular, carnal pursuits, the bulk of them will never go beyond that -- we need to call men into relationships with one another that are based upon Biblical principles, and hold our ground against a fast-encroaching worldly mindset that says that what we really need to do is have 'car-shows' and 'football-parties' to 'lure' men back to the church.
How about just preaching the word, holding them accountable as men, and showing them the principles of Biblical manhood? Doesn't that seem like it would be more effective? Why do we believe that we can 'lure' men to Christ using (frankly) deceptive means? God will draw men to Christ -- and He will not use bait and switch techniques! And when men come together with Christ as their focus, we will find our churches revived!
P.S. I am not against anything geared towards men -- we have a motorcycle ministry, and other events, but these are SIDE things, not the focus of our church. The focus is, and must always be Christ.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Apologies
I am sorry it has taken a while to post -- my back went out a few days ago, and I am unable to sit for any length of time. I am hoping to be 'repaired' soon! :-)
Prays are welcome!
Prays are welcome!
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Men At Work - V - Marital Roles III
This is my beloved wife!
This will be the final post as regards marital roles. I have previously discussed the role of the wife in submission to her husband's leadership, and in the last post, I addressed a few of the husband's responsibilities. I would like to close out this section with a some final thoughts regarding this:
Ephesians 5:25 - 33 -- Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
1. Men are often told that they are the master of their home, and therefore, their needs are the most important. This is where the whole 'male headship' aspect of Christian homes can be taken out of context. Yes, wives are to submit to the male headship in their homes, but, as I posed in the previous post, men have the greater responsibilities towards their wives.
2. Notice that Paul directs men to love their wives as they love themselves; if we ONLY did that, we would see a tremendous difference in our wives! But then he goes on to say that we are to nourish and cherish our wives. As the last post noted, one aspect of nourishing our wives is to be the spiritual leaders in our home, spiritually nourishing them with a steady diet of the Word, and prayer. Another, and I feel equally true aspect is to provide for our families physical needs. Many men today allow their wives to be the primary breadwinner in the home, even if they have children that need to be tended to! Men are to provide for their wives. This is not a statement about women working outside the home, rather it is an observation regarding the number of women who provide the primary income for the family. I realize that I sound like a Luddite, and maybe I am, but I know that the Bible speaks of men providing for their families, and while you can examine Proverbs 31 and see an industrious and productive woman, I think that it is imperative for men to be the one who provides the leadership, not just in the home, but in getting and keeping a job!
Many men today are content to let their wives do the work, and they can be housedads. I disagree with this -- children need to see a home where leadership and sacrifice are modeled by the father. This provides a healthy image of our heavenly Father for children. You would not believe how many people I have counseled at church who cannot fathom God as their heavenly 'Father'. This is so often due to the fact that the father they knew was lazy, self-centered and ofttimes cruel to his family; frequently forcing mom to be the one doing all of the sacrificing. This should not be!
I also recognize that there are times when a man may be unemployed while his wife retains her job, but this should be a situational issue, and not the normative pattern. Men need to provide for their wives.
3. Now notice that a man is to cherish his wife! Do you cherish your wife? Does she know it? Our wives need to know that we cherish them; they should have no doubt about this! Proverbs 31:10 - An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. How many of us think of our wives in that manner? Is your wife more important to you than your job, your bank account, your buddies, your life itself? Why not? When a woman is cherished, she will respond.
Men, I challenge you to love and cherish your wives, sacrificing your wants and needs for hers, and ensuring that she knows you are providing self-sacrificial love and leadership to your home. Drop the machismo act and the swagger, and begin leading in the manner of Christ! You may be surprised at your wife's response!
I state here publicly that I try to love and cherish my wife to the best of my ability. There is no one I want to spend time with more then her. We share everything in our life, and she is both a sincere critic, and ardent supporter. We have a marriage that is truly made in heaven!
And that is my prayer for all Christians!
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Man at Work IV - Marital Role II
Last time we left off with the highly contentious statement that wives were to submit to their husbands. Unfortunately this is often as far as most men go in listening to Ephesians 5. And sadly, many pastors that I have heard speak on this really focus on the submission of wives.
Part of the reason (at least in my experience) that many women in the church are unwilling to submit to male headship in their homes is because of the failure of men to live up to their roles.
Let's look at Ephesians 5:25 - 33 -- Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
I want to simply address a few points in this post:
1. - Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. First and foremost, husbands LOVE your wives. Do you love your wife? This means that you do not tear her down in front of others with such wonderful monikers as 'the ole ball and chain'; or 'the wife'; or any other demeaning title. Second -- do you give yourself up for your wife? Do you sacrifice for your wife, or are you one who HAS to have his night out with the boys, or is constantly busy with work or other activities, letting your wife take care of all the home duties and fending for herself? Are your interests more important than hers, and are you constantly trumping her desires with your own?
2. - Notice that Christ sanctifies His bride by washing of the water with the word. Men, are you the spiritual leaders in your home? Are you the one who instigates prayer and study of the Word? Most men that I know are NOT the spiritual leaders in their home -- the women pray and read the word, the men sit on their duffs with the remote watching 'man shows' (i.e. westerns, kill-em-alls), or sports. I know that sounds like a caricature, but it is true in my experience.
So, we have looked at two parts of being a man and a husband -- first: love your wife, and sacrifice yourself for her. Second: be the spiritual leader in your home -- practicing the disciplines of a Christian man, and leading your family in that area.
If men would do just these two things, they would find a wife who was much more prepared to fulfill her role within the marriage. We will look at more next post.
Part of the reason (at least in my experience) that many women in the church are unwilling to submit to male headship in their homes is because of the failure of men to live up to their roles.
Let's look at Ephesians 5:25 - 33 -- Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
I want to simply address a few points in this post:
1. - Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. First and foremost, husbands LOVE your wives. Do you love your wife? This means that you do not tear her down in front of others with such wonderful monikers as 'the ole ball and chain'; or 'the wife'; or any other demeaning title. Second -- do you give yourself up for your wife? Do you sacrifice for your wife, or are you one who HAS to have his night out with the boys, or is constantly busy with work or other activities, letting your wife take care of all the home duties and fending for herself? Are your interests more important than hers, and are you constantly trumping her desires with your own?
2. - Notice that Christ sanctifies His bride by washing of the water with the word. Men, are you the spiritual leaders in your home? Are you the one who instigates prayer and study of the Word? Most men that I know are NOT the spiritual leaders in their home -- the women pray and read the word, the men sit on their duffs with the remote watching 'man shows' (i.e. westerns, kill-em-alls), or sports. I know that sounds like a caricature, but it is true in my experience.
So, we have looked at two parts of being a man and a husband -- first: love your wife, and sacrifice yourself for her. Second: be the spiritual leader in your home -- practicing the disciplines of a Christian man, and leading your family in that area.
If men would do just these two things, they would find a wife who was much more prepared to fulfill her role within the marriage. We will look at more next post.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Men at Work III - Marital Roles
So, we have looked at what men's ministry is not; but what should it be? What should we be inculcating in our men?
Let's start by looking at the marriage in general. I heave heard Ephesians 5 taught in a number of ways -- one way, traditionally by Fundamentalists, is to emphasize the word SUBMIT found in the 22nd verse, while downplaying the verses that spell out a husband's role. "Wives are to SUBMIT to their husbands"; a second way is to go back one verse to Ephesians 5:21, and emphasize the submission of one to another, "we are to be in submission to ONE ANOTHER". This is generally taught in mainline denominational churches.
Because of this faulty and unbalanced teaching, men are often not taught the gravitas of marriage as a witness to the world of Christ and His bride. We often end up with men who are domineering and egoists, or men who are incapable of, or unwilling to, make leadership decisions in their home, often these men are ruled by their wives and children.
So, let us first look at the wife's role. This is well-known, and contentious, but I pray that as we explore this Scripture, men will begin to see their role in a different light. I 'preached' this passage on Saturday to a couple renewing their vows.
Ephesians 5:22 - 33 -- Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
This immediately grates upon the nerve of any feminists that read it (even women who would not describe themselves as 'feminists' are often so steeped in the feminist mindset that they react exactly the same way). It uses that obscene word "submit". In our day and age, no woman should ever submit to anyone else, and ESPECIALLY not their husbands! Yet, here it is, not matter how much the liberal community attempts to change the wording, the meaning, and context, it says the same thing.
The word translated 'submit' is hupotasso, and it means what it says. As we look through the New Testament, we find this word used in a number of other places. Here are a few that are interesting:
Luke 2:51 -- And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
Now, who is this 'He' that is being discussed? It is Jesus, the Christ -- and here He is hupotasso towards His parents. Even though He is the Second Person of the Godhead, he submitted Himself to the earthly parents that had been chosen.
1st Corinthians 15:27, 28 -- For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.
Again we find Christ's submission.
It seems that it is perfectly acceptable for the Savior to submit to His earthly parents for a time, and submit to His Heavenly Father, bringing to culmination to great plan of salvation, yet we must not use that word about wives!
In Ephesians 5 Paul clearly states that marriage is a picture of Christ and His Bride (the church). The church submits to the Savior, who gave Himself up for Her, dying on a tree for her redemption; a Savior who is active in the sanctifying work of His Bride. Wives should submit to their husbands for the same reasons. As we look at the role of the husband in the next post, we will unpack this more.
Let me ask you a question -- considering the value that society places on marriage in general, and on roles within marriage in particular -- it is any surprise that we have such a man-centered theology permeating the church? When egalitarianism is all the rage, we lose the ability to understand our role as the Bride of Christ, thinking ourselves peers with our Savior (not that we would ever word it that way).
We preach man-centered sermons, accompanied by man-centered singing, and man-centered gatherings. The truth is that our churches betray our egalitarian mindset -- everything the church does is often built around man and his comfort as opposed to Christ and His Glory! We even have some heretics who preach that we are all little gods,equal to Christ, and these people are considered 'Christians' by many in the church!
By bringing back the fullness of marriage in its Biblical context we will once again display to our children, and the world the picture of Christ and His Bride. And we will again understand the position of the church in relationship to Her Bridegroom!
Let's start by looking at the marriage in general. I heave heard Ephesians 5 taught in a number of ways -- one way, traditionally by Fundamentalists, is to emphasize the word SUBMIT found in the 22nd verse, while downplaying the verses that spell out a husband's role. "Wives are to SUBMIT to their husbands"; a second way is to go back one verse to Ephesians 5:21, and emphasize the submission of one to another, "we are to be in submission to ONE ANOTHER". This is generally taught in mainline denominational churches.
Because of this faulty and unbalanced teaching, men are often not taught the gravitas of marriage as a witness to the world of Christ and His bride. We often end up with men who are domineering and egoists, or men who are incapable of, or unwilling to, make leadership decisions in their home, often these men are ruled by their wives and children.
So, let us first look at the wife's role. This is well-known, and contentious, but I pray that as we explore this Scripture, men will begin to see their role in a different light. I 'preached' this passage on Saturday to a couple renewing their vows.
Ephesians 5:22 - 33 -- Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
This immediately grates upon the nerve of any feminists that read it (even women who would not describe themselves as 'feminists' are often so steeped in the feminist mindset that they react exactly the same way). It uses that obscene word "submit". In our day and age, no woman should ever submit to anyone else, and ESPECIALLY not their husbands! Yet, here it is, not matter how much the liberal community attempts to change the wording, the meaning, and context, it says the same thing.
The word translated 'submit' is hupotasso, and it means what it says. As we look through the New Testament, we find this word used in a number of other places. Here are a few that are interesting:
Luke 2:51 -- And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
Now, who is this 'He' that is being discussed? It is Jesus, the Christ -- and here He is hupotasso towards His parents. Even though He is the Second Person of the Godhead, he submitted Himself to the earthly parents that had been chosen.
1st Corinthians 15:27, 28 -- For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.
Again we find Christ's submission.
It seems that it is perfectly acceptable for the Savior to submit to His earthly parents for a time, and submit to His Heavenly Father, bringing to culmination to great plan of salvation, yet we must not use that word about wives!
In Ephesians 5 Paul clearly states that marriage is a picture of Christ and His Bride (the church). The church submits to the Savior, who gave Himself up for Her, dying on a tree for her redemption; a Savior who is active in the sanctifying work of His Bride. Wives should submit to their husbands for the same reasons. As we look at the role of the husband in the next post, we will unpack this more.
Let me ask you a question -- considering the value that society places on marriage in general, and on roles within marriage in particular -- it is any surprise that we have such a man-centered theology permeating the church? When egalitarianism is all the rage, we lose the ability to understand our role as the Bride of Christ, thinking ourselves peers with our Savior (not that we would ever word it that way).
We preach man-centered sermons, accompanied by man-centered singing, and man-centered gatherings. The truth is that our churches betray our egalitarian mindset -- everything the church does is often built around man and his comfort as opposed to Christ and His Glory! We even have some heretics who preach that we are all little gods,equal to Christ, and these people are considered 'Christians' by many in the church!
By bringing back the fullness of marriage in its Biblical context we will once again display to our children, and the world the picture of Christ and His Bride. And we will again understand the position of the church in relationship to Her Bridegroom!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Agent of Change
We interrupt our regularly scheduled posting to bring this breaking news:
Polls Say: Gays Can't Change!. It seems that 56% of the 515 respondents (HUGE poll, isn't it?), believe that gays can't change their orientation.
No news there! But the wrong question is being asked -- it is not "Can Gays Change?", but "Can mankind change?". You see, this is where the Episcopalians and others have missed the boat. By stating that gays cannot/should not change, they are stating clearly their disbelief in the Gospel.
Before anyone jumps up and hollers that I am a homophobe, hear me out; this is not about gays or straights; this is about man and his sin. Gays cannot change, that is no surprise; it is God who does the changing of one's heart. As a matter of fact, not only can gays not change, but neither can adulterers, murderers, pedophiles, liars, and sinners of all ilk (including yours truly).
If we preach that sinners are the architects of their own change, we are doing a tremendous disservice to the Gospel. The proclamation of the Gospel is that Christ has come to deliver us from our sins, that it is the monergistic work of God that creates the change in us. Jesus, in responding to Nicodemus in John 3 says that no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born-again. Why is it that we are so unfair to the gay community?
We tell these people they must change, yet we claim that it is God who is at work in the change. We cannot have it both ways -- we must pray for the Lord to change the hearts of ANY who are caught up in sin, and in rebellion against Him, not only the gay community, and we must know that it is not 'up to the sinner' to make the change in their heart, or worse, convince them that there is nothing wrong, they are simply 'wounded'. (Oh, how I have come to hate the misuse of this word in the church!)
UPDATE: Dr. David Powlison addresses much of this mindset in today's Gospel presentation. He does a much better job than i ever could.
It all comes down to who is in charge, doesn't it? Is God the agent of change in our life, or are we the captains of our own soul and masters of our destiny?
Polls Say: Gays Can't Change!. It seems that 56% of the 515 respondents (HUGE poll, isn't it?), believe that gays can't change their orientation.
No news there! But the wrong question is being asked -- it is not "Can Gays Change?", but "Can mankind change?". You see, this is where the Episcopalians and others have missed the boat. By stating that gays cannot/should not change, they are stating clearly their disbelief in the Gospel.
Before anyone jumps up and hollers that I am a homophobe, hear me out; this is not about gays or straights; this is about man and his sin. Gays cannot change, that is no surprise; it is God who does the changing of one's heart. As a matter of fact, not only can gays not change, but neither can adulterers, murderers, pedophiles, liars, and sinners of all ilk (including yours truly).
If we preach that sinners are the architects of their own change, we are doing a tremendous disservice to the Gospel. The proclamation of the Gospel is that Christ has come to deliver us from our sins, that it is the monergistic work of God that creates the change in us. Jesus, in responding to Nicodemus in John 3 says that no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born-again. Why is it that we are so unfair to the gay community?
We tell these people they must change, yet we claim that it is God who is at work in the change. We cannot have it both ways -- we must pray for the Lord to change the hearts of ANY who are caught up in sin, and in rebellion against Him, not only the gay community, and we must know that it is not 'up to the sinner' to make the change in their heart, or worse, convince them that there is nothing wrong, they are simply 'wounded'. (Oh, how I have come to hate the misuse of this word in the church!)
UPDATE: Dr. David Powlison addresses much of this mindset in today's Gospel presentation. He does a much better job than i ever could.
It all comes down to who is in charge, doesn't it? Is God the agent of change in our life, or are we the captains of our own soul and masters of our destiny?
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Bugs
I am finally getting around to blogspotting my old friend Neil Shay, aka Bugblaster. He probably thought I didn't care, or was simply overlooking him! Nothing could be further from the truth -- I am just not good at blogspotting (there are many things, concerning blogging, that I am not good at)
Anyway, I don't want to just throw out a simple blogspot, but I would like to point you to his wonderful expositional work on Leviticus (a man after my own heart, I love the book of Leviticus)! Look on the right-hand bar, halfway or so down on Bugs blog -- the series is called "Shadows... Jesus Christ in Leviticus".
Highly recommended!
Anyway, I don't want to just throw out a simple blogspot, but I would like to point you to his wonderful expositional work on Leviticus (a man after my own heart, I love the book of Leviticus)! Look on the right-hand bar, halfway or so down on Bugs blog -- the series is called "Shadows... Jesus Christ in Leviticus".
Highly recommended!
Monday, June 25, 2007
Men at Work Part II
So, in the last post I looked at the Men's Ministry 'Industry' a bit. This post will address what Men's Ministry should be focused on. As I said in the last post -- far too much so-called 'men's' curriculum is focused around becoming one of the Three Musketeers, or William Wallace as opposed to becoming one of the disciples of Christ.
I have searched through the Bible to discover where these people get their Biblical grounding for the machismo that they present, and I have not found it. Instead, I find that the perfect man, Jesus Christ, embodied both a fearlessness, and a compassion that is lacking in these books.
So, first and foremost, a men's ministry should be about teaching men, Biblically, how to be leaders from a Christ-centered perspective. Now, this may not be as exciting as swinging across a chasm on a piece of fishing line, but this is what is lacking in so many men's lives.
As we teach our married men how to be godly leaders in their home, our single men will begin to understand this responsibility as well. As we speak of godly fathers, our childless men will begin to see what a compassionate man is like.
Here are several books that I recommend for men's studies. The Measure of a Man by Gene Getz; The Disciplines of a Godly Man by R. Kent Hughes; Tender Warrior by Stu Weber, and Point Man by Steve Farrar are good places to start. Once you have begun to develop an understanding of what a godly man is, then you may begin to dig deeper and start working through some more doctrinal books, some of the Puritan books, i.e. The Christian in Complete Armor by William Gurnell.
We are to be leading the men in our churches to a more Christ-like life, NOT teaching them to be middle linebackers for the Steelers!
I have searched through the Bible to discover where these people get their Biblical grounding for the machismo that they present, and I have not found it. Instead, I find that the perfect man, Jesus Christ, embodied both a fearlessness, and a compassion that is lacking in these books.
So, first and foremost, a men's ministry should be about teaching men, Biblically, how to be leaders from a Christ-centered perspective. Now, this may not be as exciting as swinging across a chasm on a piece of fishing line, but this is what is lacking in so many men's lives.
As we teach our married men how to be godly leaders in their home, our single men will begin to understand this responsibility as well. As we speak of godly fathers, our childless men will begin to see what a compassionate man is like.
Here are several books that I recommend for men's studies. The Measure of a Man by Gene Getz; The Disciplines of a Godly Man by R. Kent Hughes; Tender Warrior by Stu Weber, and Point Man by Steve Farrar are good places to start. Once you have begun to develop an understanding of what a godly man is, then you may begin to dig deeper and start working through some more doctrinal books, some of the Puritan books, i.e. The Christian in Complete Armor by William Gurnell.
We are to be leading the men in our churches to a more Christ-like life, NOT teaching them to be middle linebackers for the Steelers!
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