Arise Men of God!

 This is a re-written version of a post by the same title which has had 638 views in 2021, making it my second most popular post! The original can be read  HERE.

 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NASB)

 We live in a world that is increasingly hostile to Almighty God, His church and His followers. Society is falling deeper into the depths of immorality and all types of ungodliness, some of which were unthinkable a few decades ago. Two particular targets of hatred by the world are the Christian family and the role of men within it, which has brought a decline in Bible believing families and men of faith willing to stand firm. The role of Christian men as heads of the family, husbands, fathers and providers has been undermined by the rise of modern gender politics. Yet the attacks of gender campaigners are not the beginning of the decline of men within churches.

 For decades men have been sold the image of Christ as a weak almost effeminate man with soft hands by the media, and God as a white haired old man akin to an eccentric grandpa’. Just look at recent movie and television history for examples of this. Sadly these images have filtered into our churches and Christian media. Another area of concern is music; so much of modern worship music paints a soft unmasculine Jesus for us to worship – the lyrics lend themselves to more feminine attributes. These elements do not encourage men to stand up and be counted in church, it just isn’t manly. Take an honest look at the story of Jesus; He is a man’s man who worked hard with His hands, He learned a trade, His best friends were common working men. If our churches tackled these issues, giving a true representation of our Lord, more men would attend and stand up for the gospel.

 God directed my reading over the years to scriptures that have excited my heart, about men of God, Hezekiah and Asa to name only two that I have written about in previous posts. The more you read about such men in scripture you will find strong courageous manly individuals, who are not afraid to stand up for God. God’s Word is a great source of stories about strong Godly men. It is our best weapon in our armoury as men of God in this world:

 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (NASB)

 Dear reader, by immersing ourselves in the Bible we are on the way to becoming Mighty Men of God. With His Word immerse yourself in regular prayer, seeking His guidance daily in your role as a man of God in the home, in work and in the church fellowship. Stand firm brothers, shoulder to shoulder supporting each other as we serve Him no matter what the world says. Dear sisters, I know many of you pray for your men, excellent! But please double your efforts in the coming year, that more men will come to the frontlines of the battle.

Alan Kearns is a Christian father and grandfather from Scotland. He was raised in the mining villages of Fife and came to know Jesus as his Lord and Savior in 1984. A major influence that leads Alan to Jesus was his Christian mum, grandparents and an aunt. Alan writes regular devotionals in his blog Devotional Treasures

https://devotionaltreasure.wordpress.com/

 Photo by Aaron Burden on Freely Photos