Authentic Manhood

In Men’s ministry these are the buzz words of all buzzwords. Authentic Manhood; it sounds impressive and yet simple. Yet it no doubt has a certain mystique or mystery to it. Men wonder what it really means and how they can get to the top of this magnificent summit. Then they believe, they will have concurred life and everything that stands in the way of their feeling like a man.

Is it really possible that there is a Christian version of the Dos Equis guy hiding within all of us? Say it with me now; “Stay thirsty my friends.” I doubt it; at least I don’t see how that works. Funny thing is that even the Dos Equis guy is poser. We all know he is just a rip off Spanish version of Sean Connery anyway. Besides we’ve seen Sean Connery do much cooler stuff. So needless to say, I am not buying it.

Let’s take a look at the famous buzz words for a bit. Authentic means real or genuine. Manhood is the state of being a man. Why not just call it what it is then; being a real man. 

I’m a real man. That’s right, I said it. That’s the statement we are all trying to make. If we are going to discuss authentic manhood let’s just keep it simple. What does it mean to be a real man? Let’s be real with it instead of trying to fancy it up with some sort of mystique. We don’t need to be like the Dos Equis guy and hide it behind some sort of ripped off identity.

What does it mean to be a real man? This is me asking you the question and challenging you to figure it out for yourself. I am going to give you my answer. Feel free to use it if you like, but please make it unique to you in your own way. My answer is found all over the ministry I lead. You really don’t need to look any further than our logo and its all there. A real man follows Jesus and leads his world. Please allow me to work my way though that definition with you all.

It takes a man who’s got a pair to actually follow Jesus, especially in our world today. Let’s get one thing straight, right here and right now. I said follow Jesus, not believe in Jesus. The rich young ruler believed in Jesus, but he didn’t have the “boys” to go and sell off all his stuff and follow Him. So did countless other people, including Judas and some of the Pharisees. Plenty of men believe in Jesus and few men follow Him. If you are going to ask yourself the question of I am a real man, you ought to start here. Do I believe in Jesus or do I follow Him? There is a real difference between the two.

Now to the second part of the definition; the word leads. If you don’t think Jesus is calling you to become a leader then you probably aren’t following Him. In fact I can guarantee you are ignoring the last words He spoke to all of His followers. “Go into the world and make disciples…” If you’ve got a way to make disciples and not be a leader I would love to hear about it. So then, how does one lead? If you focus on Jesus and follow Him, leadership is an automatic outcome. Surely it can’t be that simple? John Maxwell defined leadership as influence. So if you follow Jesus then you influence people, you teach them and encourage them to follow Jesus with you. Yes, for heaven’s sake (literally) you live by example. Leadership is as simple as following Jesus.

The last part of the definition is his world. I can’t tell you what your world is, that’s between you and God. I am willing to suggest that it ought to start close to home though. Let me just say this; a real man cares about his family and is willing to bust his tail to get his family life right. That may mean your wife and kids, or it may mean your parents or neighbors. For some of us our family is our friends. Your world is your mission field, it’s your responsibility and it’s as big as you’ve got the guts to make it.

Sure, I could have come up with something a little easier and something that sounds like a lot more fun. I know it may not be the most attractive definition of what it means to be a real man, but there you have it. A real man follows Jesus and leads his world. It’s really the only way I know how to put it. There is no promise of conquest or success, no monetary measuring stick and it doesn’t come with a fake persona to hide behind. In fact the persona most important in it isn’t yours. It’s that of Jesus. Am I suggesting that being a real man isn’t about you? Yes, I am. That is exactly the point. You my friend are flawed and so am I. Being a real man isn’t about me or you, it’s all about following Jesus.

Stay thirsty for that my friends.

ryanreeves@menofjesus.org

What does President Bush have in common with many Russian citizens, and why does it matter on March 4th 2012?

After meeting Vladimir Putin for the first time in 2001, prior to September 11^th, President George W. Bush informed the world that he trusted the then Russian President. He informed us of this in his response to a question from a reporter after their meeting. He said that he had “looked into his eyes and seen his soul” and that gave him cause to believe Putin to be trustworthy.

Today on March 4, 2012, many of the citizens of Russia placed their trust in Vladimir Putin and elected him President, again. While the results of the election are being contested and challenged as invalid, I am confident in making the assertion that many Russians did indeed trust him enough to vote for him. He will win with around 58% of the vote, and his closest rival will carry only around 20%. That’s a huge margin of victory, a landslide win. I hope you noticed that I said that they elected him again. This again isn’t the same as the ones we are used to here in the US. Putin did not win a second term; no, he won the office for the second time. Putin was President of Russian from 2000 – 2008 just as was President Bush. His term ran out in 2008 and he “stepped down” into the role of Prime-minister. His intent to run for President again in 2012 was always clear, as was his role in leading Russia during his four year “break”. Can he really be elected again as President?

Yes and by a landslide.

President Bush has changed his opinion of Putin since their first meeting in 2001. The Russian people however, do not appear to have done the same. So why does this matter now in 2012? Russia no longer has a President, yes they do in title, but this dramatically changes Putin’s status. He is now much closer to a Czar, Dictator, Emperor or King and many Russians are more than comfortable with that reality.

Most Presidents come with an agenda. Bush had one, so does Obama, agree with either of them or not, you can certainly agree they had agendas. Putin’s is a little different. His agenda is imperialism. That simply means he wants total control and to forcibly grow the empire of Russia. I’m not making that up.    

Here is what the world can expect to see from Russia’s new emperor. You can take this to the bank.

·         He will rebuild the Russian Military in a fast and furious manner.

·         He will get rid of term limits and make his role more permanent.

·         He will “expand the empire”. That means invade and takeover other nations.

·         One of the nations he attempts to invade will be Israel and he will fail in biblical fashion.

When I say you can take these things to the bank, I mean it. The only one I question is his getting rid of term limits and that’s just because he may not have enough time in office to do so. Putin may get overly ambitious and be wiped out in his attack on Israel before his terms would run out.

Why am I so confident in this and why am I sharing it? I am confident in it because I believe the Bible tells us (at least in part) that these events will take place. No, it’s not the end of the world, or the battle of Armageddon, but it’s in the Bible. I am sharing it because I want you to watch it unfold with eyes wide open and I want you to witness the glory of God when this battle takes place.

What you need to know is this; Putin won’t go after Israel alone, he will take several other nations with him, including Iran. The odds will be so stacked against Israel that no country will come to their defense. Not even the United States, book it. God doesn’t need us to save Israel. He can save them on His own. There will be a destruction of biblical proportion where the nations who attack Israel are leveled. I am not even going to pretend to know what that will look like, but I am guessing it will feel something like David killing Goliath and then cutting off his head, and the heads of his three brothers (yes, that happened too).

You can call me a nut job all you want, but when you see it happening, just realize that you are watching the hand of God acting in biblical proportions, especially in the defense of Israel. I think you will know what to do from there.         

The death of Osama Bin Laden

I will not celebrate the death of Bin Laden, but I will congratulate our military for a job well done. 

Jesus said in Matthew 5:44; But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,. 

Bin Laden was much more than just an enemy; every American knows that to be true. He did more than just persecute, he killed with cowardice. He took our loved ones from us, he took our peace of mind, and today we know that in turn, we took his life. Many Americans will sleep easier tonight after hearing this news. Some have taken to the streets to celebrate and I don’t blame them. I do believe Bin Laden’s death is a good thing. I will admit there is a part of me who wants to crack open a beer and run into the street to celebrate with my fellow Americans. 

Unfortunately I can’t do it. I can’t raise a glass to the death of this man. I can and would though, to those in our military who worked so hard to make it happen and to keep us all safe. I will congratulate our men and women in uniform on a job well done. They have done what they needed to do, in order to keep us safe; that’s clear and I am thankful for it. 

So why can’t I celebrate the death of Bin Laden? Perhaps it’s because I remember September 11^th 2001 and I wish none of it ever happened. I wish we didn’t have to seek and destroy this man, along with those who followed him. That might be part of it. I think the real reason is that I know evil. I know this man was evil and I know that evil isn’t going to sleep easy tonight. I know that our military and Special Forces both at home and abroad are fighting a never ending battle. It’s a battle that must be fought and one that will cost more of our lives. 

I also know that our world is at a point of turmoil, our country is walking a thin line, and despite tonight’s news evil is growing stronger. I’ve read the book and I know how it ends. I don’t know the details but I know we are all in for an ugly ride. I know God wins, but I do see the writing on the wall that tough times are on the way.

Right now we need to remember the words of Jesus. We need to love our enemies and pray for those who are standing against us. Why? Because Jesus said so. Biblical wisdom is profound and we don’t often understand it easily. Sometimes we just need to do what God tells us to. I am reminded of King David’s reaction to the death of his enemy, Saul. He mourned his death, even though the man had been trying to kill him for years. Comparing Saul and Bin Laden in not something I am about to do. They are very different men, one pure evil and one a King once anointed by God. Bin Laden was evil. He was being led by Satan and Satan is still leading his followers. 

I am not saying we need to mourn, what I am saying is that right now is the time when we need to be reverent of God and respect his word. David was reverent of God when his enemy was killed and God blessed him. We need God’s blessing right now more than ever. 

Proverbs 24:17-18 says; Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him.

Please my brothers and sisters; hear what I am saying. Now is the time for us to get it right. Pray. Pray that God will turn the hearts of our enemies to Him; that they would repent and seek God’s mercy. Pray that our nation would be reverent and humbly seek God’s grace. Pray that our nation would seek the heart of the LORD and that we would turn from our own sin. 

This Thursday is the national day of prayer. Let’s act like this isn’t a coincidence. Take this opportunity to be humble and to seek God’s blessing by obeying His words. 

Originally posted on May 2, 2011 on our previous blog.