And by "real men" I am not talking about a cross between Chuck Norris and Clint Eastwood who can single handedly defeat a battalion of Navy Seals. I'm talking about men who are submitted to God's Word and honor Him by loving their wives and discipling their families. Real men who love the Gospel that was purchased with Christ's blood enough to speak out against the gospel invented in the minds of therapists. A Gospel about perpetrators that need righteousness, not victims that need self esteem. A Gospel where the stakes are heaven and hell, not happiness and health. A Gospel with a Savior Who is a substitute for wicked sinners under God's just wrath, so much more than an example for spiritual seekers to follow.Lord please give us men who speak as prophets and not as pragmatists. Dead men walking who know that the only source of life for those who are dead in sin is the breath of the Holy Spirit. That the heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart and the only thing that can change that sinful heart of stone is a supernatural transforming work wrought by God's Holy Spirit.
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules Ezekiel 36:25-27).
Everyone knows that the the visible church today isn't in great shape. In fact, many would say that it's in as bad of a shape if not worse as when the Reformation took place. Here, Phil Johnson tackles this subject at the 2010 Shepherd's Conference.
Please click here for other messages from the 2010 Shepherd's Conference.
2 comments:
Hahaha, I loved this post!
As a "European" man I'm tempted to try and defend my fellow European men. BUT. I have to say that I think Cameron has a point. Especially here in Scandinavia and especially amongst the professing christians. Though not all European men are a bunch of shelia's and are ashamed of the Gospel.
I grew up in Northern Ireland on a protestant housing estate surrounded by terrorists and gangsters (they are usually the same thing!)
There, being soft was not an option.
The day after I came to faith at the age of 17, I was visited by a gang of the local hoodlums who wanted to test whether my new made confession of faith in Christ was real.
They set about kicking and punching me up and down the street.
Taunting me with "What ye'gonna do abou'it?" I remember all I could say, as they were kicking me was "I love you guys! Understand! Jesus died for you!"
When I was able to get to my feet, I stood and preached to them about the new joyfilled life I had in Christ, the forgiveness of sin and that God was real and I knew him. That He would do for them what He had done for me, if they would suurender their lives!
I thank God who is Sovereign, for this inccident. It was a gift from God to me. It set the pace of my life with Christ. The Lord Jesus is worth so much more!
I have often thought that if only more believers in Christ recieved a really good "kicking" at the hands and feet of bad men, the day after they made a confession of faith, then the state of the visible church would be greatly different.
Maybe that could be the next big gimmick for the church growth people?
In the words of one of "Norn Iron" most well known sons "NO SURRENDER!" All for Jesus! So be careful with the "Real-men" comments, my brother. :P
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