MAN UP!!! AND SHOW UP!!!

Renewing your mind part 3
Man up dude!!! see yourself as the warrior God sees you as.

Once again, as so many times in the past, God shows up to school me when I'm simply about my business. This week I had the pleasure of working in a small community an hour or so away from home. I had two jobs to do around a half mile apart from one another. So as I was contemplating the events of the day later that evening a similarity, between the two jobs, came to mind. Both customers were the man of the house. One was in his sixties, and the other was maybe forty. Both responded much the same way when I mentioned my faith or questioned their take on faith. The elder, when I expressed that God had shown favor on him in the deal my manager was giving him, was quick to credit his wife's prayers. He went on to say how his wife prays to God, and the saints very regularly. He was sure that his "wife's" belief was to blame for the blessing..lol.. In the second home I was aware of encouraging words and bible verses, on notepaper, littering the bathroom walls. In the course of conversation I asked him "Are you a believer?". He gave me a sheepish look, then stammered around. So I simply addressed that I had noticed the scriptures on the wall. With that his reply was, "My wife is".. I hadn't yet told him about my specific bent on the subject, and I assume he was a little taken back by my question. So here in lies the subject of today...

Godly men afraid to be uninhibited for God....

The above scenarios are very much the norm in Christian culture today. Churches are full of women who attend alone, or with their children, but the men are absent or very disengaged. Watching the very thing we are created to do, worship, and you will see a dynamically different response from one gender to another. Why? We are both spirit beings, who have and mind, and body... I believe there are several factors one of which we can lay at the women's feet. Now hear me out, I don't think it's your fault. It is actually the default, because we men dropped out. and that is...

Feminizing of Christianity and Jesus..

Somewhere along the waves of time, and history, we began painting this picture of Christians, and our Savior as being a week-ling. We started presenting a gospel that basically took the manliness right out of the equation. Church buildings are mellowed out, the decorations are definitely inspired by the finer sex. Again please know I know this is because we men fail to input. However, I believe many women would agree that if we were to try to masculinize the house of God, it may be right on the edge of heresy. We have paintings and artwork portraying Jesus as a peaceful, gentle, man with long flowing hair. A white robe and tender to the eyes. I have a little question about that portrayal of Jesus. Do you feel that a man of that stature would draw the kind of men to himself as He did? Can you see the modern portrayal of Jesus walking down the beach of the sea of Galilee (a rough and tough area of town) and waltz up to Peter, James, and John and say "drop everything you know and follow me", and they would? The Peter I read about in the scriptures doesn't sound like someone who just follows any handsome fella that comes along. This is the very man that cut the ear off of the guards that came to get Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. Peter was a fisherman, a Galilean. They took nothing off no one. What about the Jesus that was able to tough it out in the wilderness for forty days? Survivor man you got nothing on Him. What about the Jesus that said "I have not come to be the peacemaker, but to divide"? What about the Jesus that told His disciples that they were to sell their things and buy a sword for their travels? Does that sound like a weakling minded Jesus? What about the Jesus that threw a righteous fit in the temple, and sent all the merchants running for their lives? We don't hear that much about the MANLY Jesus. Jesus is our supreme example, and He was a bad mambajamba :).. He was a man's man. I believe when force needed applied, He obliged. When tenderness was fitting, He was a lover. Jesus was and is what is needed. Yes Jesus took the whole enchilada at the cross, but that was by choice. He did that for me, and He did that for you. If you asked any man that views himself a man if he would lay down his life for his kids, the answer would be without question. If any man was asked to take a bullet for his family he would, because that's what a man does. That's honor, and that is love. It takes a rough and tough man to take the beating my Savior took, and hang on the cross...for me,and you..
We forget this side of Jesus, and we teach our boys that they are never to defend themselves. They are to be like Jesus and turn the other cheek. Why, again, did he tell the disciples to get a sword? Last I checked you don't hunt animals or build church buildings with a sword. The disciples were strapped, and Peter was obviously packing. So Jesus had security. He just knew when the time was right to follow His father's plan.

Man of War, and a man after God's own heart....

David was known as a man of war. This is why God didn't want him to build the temple. He wanted his linage to be the builders, but the blood on David's hands was too much. However, it also says that David was a man after God's own heart. Now I don't know about you, but if I was created in his image I also want to be after His heart. That's a one-two punch. How is this possible? How can a violent man of war be labeled as a man after God's own heart? David was sold out. David was all about what God wanted. Did he make mistakes? Absolutely! He had some big ones, ones that got people killed, but he was quick to repent, and move on after God's will. One of my favorite scenes is where David is dancing before the Lord in his ephod. Literally danced in his underwear. At least in cloths not becoming of a king to be seen in public. But he didn't care, he was doing it unto the Lord. When challenged by his wife, he said he'd do it again..praise the Lord!! Oh, by the way, she went barren and never had children because of her ridicule. Just saying, what do you think God wants more? A half naked man dancing before Him, or someone who's afraid what people might think?

I believe all of the original disciples, save one, died martyrs for their faith. Each one was man enough to stand up for what he believed even if it meant dying. Surely we can put our hands in the air to praise the one and only true God. Surely we can boldly proclaim our faith and walk with our heads up high. We are gladiators, we are warriors for the Kingdom. Who will portray the manliness of Godliness if we don't. How will our sons know how macho Jesus was if we cower behind the fear of what others might see as sissy. Get em up, shout it out, and be willing to be busted and bloody for God. March on, and suck it up. HE'S CALLING YOU OUT!!!!

Man up and be what God called you to be, a worshiper, a lover, and a defender of the word...

Be Blessed.