Great Men are Great Readers

From our July Church Newsletter.

6 Rules Every Man Must Break

Four Pillars of a Man’s Heart

Sun Stand Still

Midlife Manual for Men

When Good Men Get Angry

Why Men Hate Going to Church

The Kingdom of the Cults

You might be asking, what in the world is with that list? Well, that is just a sampling of the books I am currently reading. Guys, what are you reading beside the Bible (I hope you do read the Bible every day at least)? Now I know some of you are not “readers.” You might think that you haven’t read anything since leaving High School. But, can I give you some advice that I learned many years ago. Great men are Great readers. I have discovered through the years that God uses godly books to help shape me into the man that God desires me to become. They help to expose weaknesses, strengthen strongholds, deepen my walk with God and  broaden my thinking. A true man of God seeks to regularly digest good books.

So I ask again, what are your reading? Perhaps you might try some of the ones from the previous list (although Kingdom of the Cults is not for the faint at heart). Seek to discover Great godly men who are also Great godly authors. Discover what God wants to do in and through you. Stand Strong you MAN of GOD!

Fathers as Warriors of God

From our May Church Newsletter.

Well, here we are. The one month in which there a day that we as men can call our own, Father’s Day.  Now, Father’s day is no where near as important as Mother’s Day, but to us, it is a day in which we can reflect back upon what we have done and will do with our children. A time in which we should ponder carefully our roles as fathers and husbands. It really doesn’t matter if your children are still living at home, or have a family of their own, we fathers still carry significant influence with them. 

Fatherhood is a time in which we as men are given the honor and privilege to pass the torch to the next generation. It is a time of great importance, not just for our children, but also for our nation as a whole. For the last few generations, fatherhood has taken a great beating. We as men have relinquished our roles, redirected our desires, and redeveloped what it truly means to be a man in culture today. 

Every man has a warrior spirit within him. It is high time we release that God-given warrior within. But, to release that warrior, we must first discover our full potential and what it truly means to be a God-warrior. In other words, we have to dig deep within ourselves and allow God to form us into the warrior He designed us to be. That design is none other than to be made into the image of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the perfect male warrior model and it is HIM that we must look to for our guidance and training.

Let us all, from this day forward, be known as warriors of God.

Men of God as Disciples

“To be a disciple of Jesus is the highest honor to which a man can aspire. When Jesus called Peter, James, John, and the others, He called them to become, what? Disciples. When Jesus left earth, the marching orders He left behind are to do, what? "Go and make disciples.

The word "disciple" comes from the Greek word mathetes, which means "pupil" or "learner." When used in conjunction with Jesus, it came to mean "an adherent to the person and teachings of Jesus." A disciple is called to live "in" Christ, equipped to live "like" Christ, and sent to live "for" Christ. Discipleship includes both the moment of salvation and the lifelong process of sanctification.” Patrick Morley

A question you need to ask yourself is this, am I ready to be a “disciple?” Men, that is exactly what should define you as a Christian Man. Why do we call ourselves “Crusaders?” Is not a Crusader a man who will rise to the challenge when called upon to do so? A crusader is one who incorporates the very essence of “in, like, and for” Christ at every moment of his life. Men, let us rise to the call and boldly pronounce that we are indeed MEN OF GOD! Let us boldly make a stand and firmly resist the lure of this world. Let us boldly go forth into the unknown to take back what the enemy has stolen. In essence, it is time for the world to see what we truly are, Warriors of Christ!

What is a Crusader?

A Crusader is one who campaigns vigorously for political, social, or religious change or one who engages in a holy war on behalf of a religious cause. Men, that is exactly what God is calling you and I into, a religious war in which we must contend vigorously .  We must come to the realization that we are in a war for our very lives, our families, our country, and for the very thing in which we believe, God. As such,  I feel that we are being called upon to take a stand much like Joshua did when he said in Joshua 24:15, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” The war is at our doorsteps. The call to take up arms has been sounded. What is your decision? As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!

So what is God calling us to specifically do? I feel that first we need to hit our knees and seek God’s face through prayer and the daily study of the very words of God. It is a call to know what God says. Second, we need to fearlessly and strongly  follow our commander-in-chief in doing what He calls us to do. What is that you ask, To Protect and To Serve. Are you ready to protect and serve our Lord and Master?  Then let us link ourselves together as Men of God!

I just got back from a powerful trip to the Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s conference and it was awesome to spend time with my brothers in Christ learning how to deal with all the struggles of  being a man in today’s culture. Being a man is tough. Dealing with the daily juggling of jobs, kids, wife, and church can really make you want to throw your hands up in the air and just say I give up. To throw in the towel, raise the white flag, and just stop fighting. But that is exactly what the world wants you to do, to just quit. But God has other plans for you. Plans that involve you being able to overcome yourself, the world, and all that Satan wants to throw at you. Now here is the key, YOU CANNOT DO THIS ALONE! You are not designed to fight this fight by yourself. That is why each one of us, men, need each other. We need each other to become transformed into the man that God wants us to be. Let me share three concepts with you to help you in this process ...

· We need “genuine” fellowship with other Godly men.

· We need “heartfelt” encouragement from other Godly men.

· We need a “renewed” sense of commitment to God.

Let us stand strong together as true men of God!

What is a Man?

What is a man? Ask that question anywhere and you will get all kinds of answers. A man is to be strong but sensitive, great husbands, fathers, and sons. He is to bring in the money, fix all that breaks, and be the leader in the home, work, and at church. A man should know every sports stat, drive the fastest car, be the best shot, and still be able to spend “significant, quality” time with your wife and children.

But is this “really” what a man should be all about? I would dare to say NO! Now, don’t get me wrong. We should strive to meet many of the above, but they should never be our main focus. What you do is never who you are. That flies in the face for many of you, but let me tell you who you really are. You are “A Blood-Bought Child of God,” if you have accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. If there is any example that we as men should follow, it is that of Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate MAN. Praise God!