Rise Up O’ Men of God – It’s Time2Stand

May 2013

              Fellowship and prayer with one another, especially as men, is much needed, but in our striving against the flesh and sin, we cannot rely upon another man to do the work that we must do. We must, with a repentant, humble, and contrite heart, seek to passionately worship our God, love and sacrificially lead our wives, love and train up our children, edify the church of Christ, and compassionately and diligently reach the dying world. The duty is for every one of us, therefore, it must begin through a powerful working of God’s own Spirit through us in the home. We must be on our knees in prayer and communion with Christ, wielding the sword of the Spirit, and in sacrificial dying to self, as Christ, unto our families eternal good. We must ask, “What is our aim? What is our charge? For what and where must we attack? How must we go?” For is it not for the glory of God in and through the person of Christ Jesus? Game time is over; the need to be men has never been greater. May we heed these beginning words contained herein and store them deep into our soul for constant usage. These feeble words but only scratches the surface of our battle call. “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” 2 Tim 1:7

            May the “goal of our instruction be of love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith”.[i] May we strive forward in a devoted and serious prayer life.[ii] May the reality of 1 Timothy chapter three become us in an authentic and powerful way and walk of life.

            May we, the men of this generation, “discipline ourselves for the purposes of godliness.”[iii] “For bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things. Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.”[iv] May we, the men of this generation, move forward with the message of the cross to all with great respect and patience for each one.[v]

May those of us who act as elders and leaders, embrace and take deadly serious our own sins, for if we “continue in sin” we shall be, and should be, rebuked in the presence of all. “Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.”[vi] Let us not preach any other ‘gospel’ – no gospels of cheap grace, no false gospels of health, wealth and prosperity and no name it and claim it gospels of blasphemy – no never! “If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.”[vii]

            May we never, never think that we can become complacent in the fight against sin, especially our own selfish, self-seeking, pride-filled sin in the home. “But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.”[viii]

            Let us press on in true love for our wives, families, church body and those perishing apart from Christ. May we not be deceived – our every idle words spoken in disgust, anger, arrogance, carelessness and in unloving ways to our wives will be brought to our memory and a mighty weight will stand against us. “For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.”[ix] May we, the men of this generation, be strong in the love of our wives. If we are noted for anything, this should be our brand – they loved their wives. “And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.”[x]

            Let us love and take heed against worldly fables and knowledge. For knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.[xi] May we, the men of this generation, live contrary to the world and follow Christ to the foot of the grace of the cross, and once there, pick it up.[xii] May we follow in like manner as the Apostle Paul. “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”[xiii] “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.”[xiv] “For although I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.”[xv] “Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”[xvi]

Our obedience to Christ and loving service to our wives is not contingent upon their response back to us, but a holy call to be as Christ is to the church – sacrificially dying to self even if we feel wronged. The same goes with the teaching of our children, the edification and instruction of the church and the preaching to lost men. We are not good fathers if we are not being like Christ to our wives; we are not good fathers if we are not lovingly training up our children in godliness and the fear and admonition of the Lord. This job is ours and ours alone; this is not the job of the pastor, nor the schools, nor another man’s wife, no never!

^“So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh – for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Romans 8:12-14

^“Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.” James 4:17

^“Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” James 5:16

^“My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” James 5:19-20

Men, it is up to us to embrace the call of Christ in taking grace, mercy and love into every facet of our home. It starts with us; may we arise to the call and stand in the gap.

            May we all, the men of this generation, rise up. For the Time-2-Stand is now. Rise up O’ men of God.

 ”I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.” Ezekiel 22:30