male – Auriesville Tubthumper

The Phallic Male

My apology to you for the length of this post, however I couldn’t see my way to breaking it to several shorter blocks. I felt the entire message had to be completed.

This goes out to my fellow men.

How does the doctor know? How does he know if the baby is a male or female?

That is a rhetorical question. Of course, he looks. If there is a penis then its male. If not it’s female. End of story. Only lately has there been confusion around the subject. It gets debated and politicized. In this post we will observe what the ancient wisdom of scripture days about it.

Zakar: this word means “male”. If we go deep and look at the sematic roots of the word it means sharp or pointed or in other words the male protrusion, penis or phallus. The Arabic take on the word is close in being Dakar with the same meaning.

When we look at scripture it places the male identity and sexuality firmly in anatomy. Where it should be. It does not place it in a realm of psychology or sociology. Modern psychology says that you are a male if, “you feel like one”. Modern sociology says you are a male if, “you do the things they consider to be male things”. The Bible on the other hand, describes and defines manhood by the phallus. It’s just like the doctor saw it as long as it is a natural phallus and not something brought about by some perverse sex change operation. Male is the Zakar as mentioned above. There is a female counterpart described as Negevah or “bored through or pierced. You can see the plain description for the parts on the human body the Lord created. You can also see that one was made to fit with the other. Is that surprising? This identity was based on the equipment we were born with. With that said, most males have little to no awareness of this identity until puberty begins to set in.

The phallus also was a determination of religious service. Spiritual service in the Old Testament was regulated by gender. Because it was determined and regulated by gender it is offensive to most in our society today. The feminists have had a hug impact on this and they have had a planned agenda and movement over the last several decades. A lot of this agenda has led to the sissification (is that a word?) of men but that’s another subject for me sometime. You know what I mean. I have driven down the road and been unable to tell if the being on the sidewalk moving in a way a sissy would walk is a man or a woman. Enough on that for now. My point being that the feminists make all gender differentiation into political discrimination. When a feminist reads the Bible they see sexual discrimination and do not see the true message intended.

Let’s observe how religious service was regulated by gender back in that time. 1. They celebrated animal offerings at feasts and the offerings were made on the basis of gender. The heads of households on Passover were to bring a male lamb. “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats”. (Exodus 12:5) 2. For a guilt offering only a female sheep or goat was allowed. “And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin.” (Leviticus 5:6) 3. Peace offerings could be made with a male or female offering. (Leviticus 3: 1,6) 4. All free will offerings had to be male sacrifices. “Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats.” (Leviticus 22:19)

Feminists have pointed out correctly the fact only the males were required to bring a sacrifice. “Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord God.” (Exodus 23:17) ^“Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the Lord empty.” (Deuteronomy 16:16)

Only males were counted in the national census. (Numbers 1:2,20,22) Only males could be Priests. (Exodus 28:1)(Leviticus 8: 1-3) This is probably another issue that raised the ire of the feminists. But get this: Only males could be killed in mass murder and used as cannon-fodder in war. (Women and children were allowed to live. Deuteronomy 20: 13-14) Men also had to pay more money than women to make the very same vows. (Leviticus 27:3, 5-6) Now isn’t this unfair? Why is this?

The Bible indicates there is no conflict between sexuality and spirituality. We are addressed by God in the Bible with terminology that describes who we are. We are Zakar. We are Phallic males. By possessing a penis it places us with unique requirements before God. It also determined how we are to worship Him.

Your gender was also a symbol of dedication and connection. It is no secret that the erect male organ has always been a symbol important to religion. I don’t really need to go into that much. The phallus was the male organ singled out as the unique site for the very first blood-letting and wound that a young man must face. “This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.” (Genesis 17:10,14) The ceremony became a male marker for his dedication to God and for his connection to the community. The community of Israel. It was a sign of the Abrahamic Covenant. “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” (Genesis 17:1-8) The circumcision ceremony was also a symbol of God’s faithfulness in the provision of male offspring who could, in turn, produce more offspring to continue The Covenant. It was a daily reminder to every boy and man as to who he was. That he was different from the Gentiles and why he was different. Sexuality and gender marking took a spiritual significance.

Today’s society does all it can to separate the phallus from any spiritual categories. Our society does nothing to separate the phallus from other sexual exploits and in fact sexual innuendos have reached a fever pitch in our society. If it feels good then do it, is the norm. It needs to be pointed out that in no way is the suggestion here that true sexuality and spirituality should be united like it was with the sacred prostitutes of the pagan societies of the past. Actually the Apostle Paul had to address the Corinthian Church because some believers were still having intercourse with sacred prostitutes in Corinthians 6: 15-20. He encouraged marriage, abstinence, etc. but then had to tell them not to deprive themselves because they moved to the other extreme. I guess there is hardly ever a good balance in anything.

Christianity in our current society is not able to openly deal with the male phallus in its full activity like it was in the Old Testament. Most secular therapists have not given much attention to the spiritual side of things that surround a complete understanding of the phallus. They deal the sexual dysfunctions and addictions without a consideration of the larger and deeper connections that could be relate to worship, spiritual bondage or demonic activity. Monick wrote, “People are uneasy with the correlation of sexuality and religion. Christianity, especially has separated the two in a way that would make them appear to be irreconcilable. Psychiatry continues the disjuncture, emphasizing it with pathological labels. The church elevates religion, devaluing sexuality. Psychiatry does the opposite by elevating sexuality and devaluing religion. The union of sexuality and religion is like an electrical connection. Wrong joining leads to disaster. No joining produces no energy. Proper joining holds promise.”

The fight between scriptural theology of sexuality and irreconcilable psychology can cause men to do harm to themselves in secrecy. It is believed that without proper teaching on the phallus they will have inherent spiritual tensions. This can be due to a spiritual god-hunger that is mysterious and powerful and will seek fulfillment in any way they can. This could drive men into sexually deviant behavior. Thus many men never graduate from the locker room school and are still caught in an adolescent philosophy. Men get stuck in a phallic stage. Unbridled sexuality becomes harmful for men. Women too, however this is about men. When the phallus is given over to its full-blown spiritual power with no restraint, it will become an idol!

Therefore, in the scriptures, God makes it clear… The phallus, though being a symbol of God’s faithfulness and provision, must be regulated, lest it become a very mysterious taskmaster. This must be kept in check.

How do we keep the phallus in regulation? “And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.” (Deuteronomy 6:24) We are to observe the statutes. We are to fear the Lord our God. In our society today we see that with the onset of Aids and other diseases they are advocating abstinence, restraint and clean (monogamous) sexual partners. And this is exactly what God was trying to do in the Law. It was to regulate our sexual behavior because of the inherent potential for destruction when left unregulated. I will encourage you to read Leviticus 15: 1-33 to note the value placed on the emission of semen by the male along with nocturnal emissions. It is obvious that what happens to a man’s semen is important to God. In Proverbs 5:18 we note how important our sexual lives are to God as well. Our God know our hearts and He knows they need regulation otherwise we do what we will.

God seeks to orient our sexuality for our best interests and for His glory. He placed a major prohibition with regard to the male phallus and the keeping of creational distinctions. The first one had to do with bestiality. The book of Leviticus is very clear on this subject. It is also very clear on the subject of homosexuality. God put these in the Bible because he knew we would be in those situations of temptation. The Bible simply calls them what they are: abominations. Our society calls them other things like addictions, compulsions, obsessions and disorders. The Bible also covers the subject of incest and modesty as well. These regulations have been ignored and now we have a society that is outwardly sexually compulsive but inwardly bored.

The real location of the lack of regulation or beginning of adultery is always in the heart and mind. Jesus made this clear in the scriptures. So the phallus is stimulated by how the mind conceives the ultimate sexual experience and the role of fantasy plays a big part. Men primarily fantasize about having access to beautiful women without risk and without rejection. This explains the popularity of pornography and addiction. Pornography plays with our minds at the very deepest levels.

When we think of the Phallic Man one that comes to mind is Samson. Samson’s fatal flaw was his phallus. Samson liked and fell in love with good-looking Philistine women. The first time he gazed on one of the daughters of the Philistines, he wanted her simply because she looked good to him. (Judges 14:3) And most of us know the story of Samson and Delilah. Another Philistine damsel. Delilah got to Samson the same way the other women did, by using the old line of, “If you really love me you would.” The she cut his hair off and the soldiers gouged his eyes out and imprisoned him. And the ending worked out because his hair grew back and he was able to pull the pillars down. Samson was a high testosterone, man’s kind of man. He was Zakar to the core. The only problem was that he never made it beyond the phallic stage. He got stuck like many men do. Even when the spirit of the Lord was upon him he failed at controlling his phallus. He was hopelessly controlled by his phallus which allowed him to give in to his fantasies about beautiful Philistine women.

Here is some good advice about having some sexual sanity and controlling our phallus by Earl Wilson, a clinical psychologist.

“Sanity returns when three things happen. One, we control our sexual behavior rather than being controlled by it. Two, we use sex for its intended purposes- pleasure and procreation rather than to meet other psychological needs. Three, we keep sex in its proper perspective and don’t take it too seriously…. There is a certain type of insanity with using sex for other than its intended purposes. I strongly believe that sexual sanity come when sex is engaged in by a man and a woman who are married and deeply committed to each other. People who engage in sex apart from these constraints run the risk of becoming enslaved to their sexuality and thus having it lose its meaning. This is a waste and approaches insanity.”

We never outgrow our phallus. It stays with us all our lives even though its power may wane. It’s been said, “The flesh never gets better, it just gets deader!” So it is with the phallus.

The phallic stage is only one of six and men can find themselves in several stages at once or in one solitary stage. This was a discussion at our men’s ministry meeting this month and based on the book, “The Masculine Journey by Robert Hicks.

Come back for the third stage of manhood called Gibbor: The Glorious Hero. The Warrior!

Click here to jump to The Warrior!

The best to you,

The Tubthmper

The Noble Savage

“Do impulses toward sadistic cruelty lurk in the depths of every human psyche?”- Anthony Storr

“Man with all his noble qualities still bears in his bodily frame the indelible stamp of his lovely origin.”- Charles Darwin

The Creational Male is the first of the six stages of manhood. We are definitely not saints because for every heavenly thought we have there is the downward pull of our devilish and sinful flesh. We could have the most noble desires and within us is seated the unexpected savagery of man. Margaret Mead said, “We as men (and all of humankind) are noble savages“

This first stage on the masculine journey is the only stage that also includes the females 0f the world. Every other stage is totally exclusive to males. The use of the word Adam is uniquely creational and we are creational kind of guys. We were not created to be alone or to benefit ourselves and we owe something back to our creator. It is written that man does not live on bread alone. (Deuteronomy 8:3) We are the Lord’s earthly representatives. We should have a relationship with the living God and we should also have a benevolent relationship with the earth and our fellowmen. (Which includes women.) “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” – Jeremiah 10:23 Genesis 1:28 tell us of our duty regarding wisdom, care and stewardship of God’s creation. We have accountability. We are to include justice, kindness, and humility before God. This was given to Adam. If we men try to run away from our Creator and try to run from our responsibilities we are really running from ourselves and running from what it means to be manly. All men have the holy spirit following us around. When we realize what it is that we are rejecting and running from and know that it is the creator and the character of Christ we fall down prostrate and see the Creator that we were created for. This is called repentance, it’s in the Bible and repentance is a manly thing. If we don’t accept this we will never be the men we should be.

Turning again to the word Adam, we find that we are to have a certain relationship with women, our feminine counterparts. “ And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” (Genesis 2:18-25) There is much more to this than the thought of opposites attract because the Lord created men and women as opposites. What a mystical and magical thing there is with this relationship. It’s as if God certainly had a sense of humor. If you are married you know exactly what I mean. And as a man, when I get out of the shower in the morning and look in the mirror at the equipment that was made on me I can tell I was created to go with another.

Please remember your worth, men. Because we are creational we have a dignity and we have a value. Our worth does not come from our performance or what we achieve but rather it comes from our being, from our birth. We have incredible value just because we are, because we were made, not because of what we accomplish. It should be encouraging to know you have value and the value is for no other reason than you are you. When we get disgraced and our dignity gets dinged which is really called pride in our society, it just tells us who we are and what we are, Creational Males.

Well, that original high esteem and dignity we were made with by God didn’t last too long. Probably if Adam had not sinned we would have been immortal. Young men always deny the sense of mortality that us older men begin to feel and realize. It’s that foreboding sense of mortality and the deterioration of the human body that God said would be limited because of the curse. We thought we would live forever and not have a heart attack, lose the ability to do things on our own, or literally lose our minds. When you pass a cemetery just know that people are just dying to get in there. I am amused when people are talking about the end while getting legal affairs in order and they say, “If anything happens to me”. Hey brother, I’m here to tell you, “something will definitely happen to you, you will die.” Every one of us will die and turn back to dust. (Numbers 16:29 and Psalm 90:3) We are dependent. Yes we are. My very breath is in my creators hands. (Ecclesiastes 12:6-7) I sleep trusting Him to keep me breathing during my sleep. The very sleep is His gift. (Psalm 127: 2)

Lastly we should address this noble savagery. “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” (Galatians 5:16) Whether male or female we humans always have the battle raging between flesh and spirit. The intent of the heart in men and women (all humans) is evil from youth. “And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.” (Genesis 8:21) It is very hard to explain how in “civilized countries” we have the surprising level of violence, greed, human degradation and depravity we see. Underneath our noble presence and our refined culture lurks a sea of horrific evil. We may appear to be saints but underneath is a savage. How is this? Why is this? Should we be surprised by the savagery of our souls?

We are made in God’s image, yes we are. We posses immense capability for good. However, because we are creational beings we also have a freedom of choice that allows us to be drawn to unholy paths and become the most evil of creatures. Until we realize the evil we are capable of it is difficult to believe the presence of Christ means so much. It’s sobering to know what it is we are saved from. For folks to think the world is made up of just good or bad people is a naive. To say we are the good guys is crazy, We need to remember what is written in Ecclesiastes: “We have vanity, we have evil, and we even have insanity in our hearts.”

In the end we die and our physical bodies go back to dust where they came from. Our soul does to either Heaven or Hell. And yes there is a Hell. See my post called Hell is Real. So I’ll end this one with the fact that decay always wins. (Psalm 49:10-12) “For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.”

Credit goes to The Masculine Journey by Robert Hicks.

Come back for stage two which is Zakar: The Phallic Male. Click here to jump to stage two.

Yours truly,

The Tubthumper

The Masculine Experience

Many years ago I read a book that I enjoyed. Back then it was far less apropos than it is now. It went into defining manhood and the many stages of getting there. I am lead to reflect on that book for a few posts and share some of the things I enjoyed. We will also consult the main instruction manual which is God and His word.

All men start life at the same place when exiting the womb but where we end up is all up to each of us.

So what defines manhood? Is it possible to define? Can we all come to an understanding of what it means to be male? Is it possible? Yes, it is. We have many, many years of research into men’s issues to look at and the Scriptures contain a wealth of information and God’s design for us as men. The instruction book is available. We just need to read. The best thing a Christian man can do is read God’s word. I have found that whatever issue major issue we have the answer is in there.

We know that life is not static and the author of the book addressed that as the basis for his writing. By the way, the name of the book is “The Masculine Journey” by Robert Hicks. Mr. Hicks wrote about how as we grow and move through life our journey has a changing landscape. If you are a man in your twenties you will be much different than a man in his forties. If we observe well we can see the difference in each stage and based on the research from the past along with God’s word we can know what is appropriate during each stage we enter. I believe it is important to understand what stage we are in and the appropriate way we are to live and that’s why I am pondering all those things I learned man years ago. The one thing that really stayed with me is the learning that some men get stuck in one stage and never get out or advance to the next stage. You all know what I am talking about. Have you ever seen a 60 year old guy that still acts and thinks like he is 20? (Or how about 16?) When a man gets stuck in one stage of his life and does not mature and move on with some wisdom he becomes unable to deal with the realities of life. These are the guys that become a sad excuse for men. Over the years I have been able to pinpoint what stage men are in that live around me. I have also been able to pinpoint what stage I am in. Because of the many years that have passed since I learned this material I have been able to see myself change from one stage to the next and know where I am in this journey.

So what are the stages we are referring to? There are six. The first stage we enter is the “The Creational Male”. We were all created by God for a purpose and when we were born we each were given unique abilities and characteristics to lead is along the way and help us develop to our greatest potential as men.

Stage two you men can relate with easily. This is where we become or for some reading this became “The Phallic Male”. In a previous post I mentioned how society and our culture here in the U.S. have handled male sexuality. I believe I referred to it as the “sissification” of men. Our culture can deny, denigrate and pervert male sexuality all they want but listen up. We as males remain sexual beings from our most primary level. God designed it that way. Sometimes I think God had an interesting sense of humor. If you read your Bible you will learn that God doesn’t expect us to be any other way. Even though we go through this stage and it is designed by God there is a critical message for you. We are not to fixate on this phallic thing! We are to learn how to channel our sexual energy constructively. That in itself is an interesting subject. I once read about how to do that in the business world with a process called sexual mutation. I cannot get into that now though. So have you ever known a man that got stuck in the “Phallic Stage”? I have known many. I have known enough to draw my own conclusion that leads me to think this is the stage most dangerous for men to get stuck in.

Stage three, if you can move beyond the phallic stage is “The Warrior”. This is where we channel our strength, our fighting spirit, our natural competiveness (that God instills) where needed during our continual development as men. Once again this fighting spirit is not always directed and exercised appropriately.

Now on to stage four which really works some deep inner development and is called “The Wounded Male”. When we pass through the warrior stage getting wounded is all part of the process. There consequences and casualties when in war. It is from this wounding that we learn to understand the needs of others around us. I guess I could call it my school of hard knocks.

Stage five brings me to my fellow men that are not afraid to go against the grain to do what is right. This stage is called “The Mature Male”. A mature man is very purposeful. He possesses a high regard for the dignity of other human beings and the mature man has balance in his life and an understanding of the truth. This man is not afraid to go against the grain to pursue what is right. The mature man’s life is an exciting time of growth that gets more enjoyable as each day passes. If you get stuck, or have gotten stuck in a previous stage and have not reached this stage at the appropriate time in your life then you are stagnate and certainly not handling the realities of life well.

The last stage in our life as a male is “The Sage”. In this last stage we become wise and mature. This is where the real men make the finest contributions to our family, to our church and community. We will as the complete man be in command of our soul with the help of the Lord. We have arrived.

Can you see yourself in any of these stages? Can you identify?

I want to explore this much further and much deeper in future posts. It may develop into several different series. I’ll see how it goes.

I hope I have peaked your interest. Watch for more on the journey.

“The Tubthumper”

Where are the “real” men?

Will the masculine man return to America? — Will our civilization survive the decline of manliness? What does it really mean to be a man?

Where are the men? Where are you? I mean, where are the real men? The sad commentary today is that men are either wimps or cruel barbarians.

First things first, if you are a woman this entry has nothing to do with you. I have great respect for all you do and are and in many ways you are stronger than us men. But this is a man thing. The only thing I can say to you ladies is that I don’t understand why you tolerate some of the bums and barbarians that try to call themselves men. That’s your business I suppose.

Now let me talk to the males in the house.

Back in the day, men understood what manhood was all about. Excuse me for being blunt. I have watched over the last 20 to 30 years as males have been feminized and sissified. I have watched the protectors of women and children slump down to a place of “every man for himself”. I have watched as men no longer spend time leading their families because they are distracted with their personal activities. In short I have witnessed our men turn from our Judeo Christian examples of manhood to pure examples of paganism. Men no longer are the protectors. Men no longer are the leaders. Men have given up their place as the headship and the women have taken over out of need. I am sorry to say I am ashamed of my fellow man. I am sorry if I am stepping on your toes, but, if the shoe fits, wear it.

Do young men of today even know what it means to be a man? There are no fathers anymore and with no fathers there will be no men. Think about it. The statistics show that over 42% of male babies born today are born with no fathers. The broken home syndrome of our society is taking its toll. Even if there is a father connected to the household he is distracted with his selfish activities like sports and entertainment or hobbies. The men of today are distracted beyond words from fulfilling their responsibilities. Back in the day… sons and fathers spent the day together. They worked together, they played together and they ate together and so the father was able to lead and teach. Times have changed. Men of today are not interested in leading. Men of today are interested in escaping reality. (I’m sorry guys but I call them as I see them.) I see a majority of men around me practicing slothfulness and living on unemployment checks from the government while they enjoy time fishing and hunting while the wife slaves at the job and then comes home and cooks and cleans for them. I know several men that for months and months told me there was no work to find. I can tell you that like magic when the government checks stopped and the next time I saw them a job had been found. They should have been doing whatever it takes from day one to provide. It may have meant mowing lawns or digging ditches but you must do what it takes. I know what you say, “I can’t do that I have a degree”. To that I say, “who’s guiding you?”

I have several Amish families as neighbors and I watch them. I can tell you they have clung to something precious. In the Amish culture men are still men and Amish men teach their sons how to be men. I admire that about them. The sons are always with their fathers working from the time they can walk. Their sons are always beside their fathers on the Sabbath and worshipping. The Amish father is still the spiritual leader as well. Maybe not having a television is good.

We need to get back to rising up mighty men of God. If we don’t our societal failure is immanent. Strong men need to be men of faith and leading the way in worship and prayer. He needs to be teaching his faith to his children and passing it down. We know from history that when society moves to paganism failure is soon to follow. We need men of courage. We need to get away from this feminization of men. Will our sons of today be ready for the battles of the future? Will they be ready for battling enemies both physical and spiritual?

Are you a male? Are you a man? Are you a real man? Are you providing the teaching your children need? Are you providing the protection for your family? Are you providing the basic necessities for your family? Are you leading your family in worship of the Lord? Don’t neglect these responsibilities. Equip yourself and engage. Don’t be distracted or self-centered. Be engaged and involved. We read in 1 Cor. 16:13-14 what god wants in man, “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity.”

So we can see from the authority of God that we are to: 1) Be watchful, 2) Stand fast in faith, 3) Act like a man, 4) Be strong and 5) All this is to be done in a spirit of love.

God is the creator and the source of strength. We must submit to God’s rules and when men do not fulfill their roles and responsibilities a society will break down. Christian men need to follow the pattern of Christ. Christ laid down His life for us. Jesus is the sacrificial lamb. He rules, protects, leads and guides. He is the guide for all Christian men. Christ defines manhood. A biblical man understands what love is. Love is sacrifice! A man must be sacrificial. In Ephesians 5:25 it says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it”. This is the ultimate sacrifice. Christ loved the church so much he died for it and He says that is the way we are to love our wives. If your boat was sinking and you could only get one person off would you send your wife away and go down alone. Or would you say, “Every man for himself” and jump for your life? When the Titanic went down many years ago the majority of men were standing on deck watching the women and children row away as they sacrificed themselves and went down to their death. I hope it’s not as bad as I think but I see the situation today as if it happened again the women would be the ones standing on the deck and the men rowing to safety. O lord I pray this is not the case.

The life of a Christian man is all about self-denial. We are to take up our cross and follow Christ and His ways. (Matthew 16:24) After God and family you come first!

Can we ever inspire our sons again to act like men? Be a valiant man. Don’t be AWOL like so many men are. Tell your family what Christ told us, “I will never leave you or forsake you”.

Please men… just man-up!

The Tubthumper