I know a place, a wonderful place
Where accused and condemned,
Find mercy and grace
Where the wrongs we have done,
And the wrongs done to us
Were nailed there with Him,
There on the cross
At the cross
He died for our sin
At the cross
He gave us life again
While doing an online search for model kits to give the boys for Christmas, I stumbled on this cool kit. I doubt my boys would appreciate this under the tree, but I'm thinking this would make a great family project at some point, and a great way to teach the theology of the Tabernacle.
Wow. I was searching for a little inspiration on putting together a family devotion for Thanksgiving and I found this little jewel by Dr. Ray Pritchard. A great, concise teaching on Psalm 131, which has been described as "one of the shortest to read, but one of the longest to learn".
Buried in there is this this little prayer about simplicity:
I asked God for strength, that I might achieve;
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health, that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity, then I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy;
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life;
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing I asked for, but everything I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am, among men, most richly blessed.
There's something kind of refreshing about the austere quality of this workbook-style resource for training boys into men of Christian character from Plain Path Publishers.
If you and your son are used to slickly produced material with vibrant colors, "hip" graphics, and bite-sized information, you may well be underwhelmed by this meaty, no-frills presentation.
However, if you can get past the surface, you're in for some powerful Biblical principles.
Each of the chapters gives an overview of a principle, specific examples, Biblical underpinning, exercises & questions to discuss, and (my personal favorite) a personal evaluation section.
I don't agree with everything in every section, and much of it will seem a bit "old-fashioned" at first glance--but that has more to do with our cultural norms than with the material itself.
Overall a great resource to help you and your son set manhood goals.
| Christian Manhood | |
| Author: | Gary Maldaner |
| ASIN: | B0019M4A86 |
| Genre: | Religion & Spirituality/Christianity |
| Recommended: | Yes |
| Score: | 8 out of 10 |
| Summary: | A Guide for Training Boys to be Spiritually Strong Men |
Look at I Corinthians 16:13,14.
This is part of Paul closing exhortation which we need to heed as men today. These verses have five significant applications to fathers and husbands.
"Watch ye" for as long as we are in this world we are in the place of danger, we are surrounded by pitfalls and snares on every hand. (See Mark 14:38.) We dare not trust ourselves and we cannot trust the world through which we journey.
"Stand fast in the faith" is a command we must embrace for so many people blow hot and blow cold. We must embrace the whole counsel of God, understanding doctrine as we walk in truth. The wife and family desperate need our consistency and stand on the Word of God. (See Matthew 4:4; 11 Timothy 1:14.)
"Quit ye like men" was a reproof from Paul because some of them were acting like babies; some were divided into sectarian groups. He had fed them with milk and not meat for they were fussing, quarreling Christians. (See I Corinthians 1:1-10.)
"Be strong" reminds us of I John 2:14 which speaks of young men in the faith who were strong, overcame satan, and were men of power for the Word of God abided in them.
"Let all your things be done in love" brings to focus again the great importance of a walk in divine love. (See Ephesians 5:1,2.)
The political season always brings about the bandying of the term "family values". Here's a little article on God's Family Values.
In view of the true condition [born twisted and practice sin moment by moment] of all people, including children, what should a Christian father do? He must read the Bible. Christian family values do not come from politicians, judges, or professors, but only from the one book which is in accordance with reality--the Bible, the very word of God. Therefore, a Christian father should study the Scriptures daily and diligently so God's family values will be coming from God the Father through the human father into a family. If a Christian father refuses to study the word of God daily and diligently, he will have nothing to offer his family in terms of family values. He will instead subscribe to and teach the secular orthodoxies prevalent in the world.
It's "birthday season" around our house. We have a string of months in a row (Jan - April) where I and the kids have birthdays. (My wife is the oddball with a b-day in October)
I think we tend to be rather normal for suburbia...we do an occasional "go all out" event at a kid-oriented fun center, or a themed dress-up party now and then. Most years are rather low key, consisting only of those family traditions we have established over the years.
However, a lot of the rites of passage stuff I have embraced is predicated on birthday thresholds and the celebration of arriving at a new "stage". In that sense, certain birthdays are seen as a big deal in our household.
With that in mind I present a couple of short opinion articles on celebrating birthdays as Christians. I am still digesting these but would be interested in other's opinions.
Should a Christian Celebrate Birthdays? Article 1
Should Christians Celebrate Birthdays? Article 2
I've been fascinated with the concept of virtue for awhile and have done a bit of research around it as I have worked on a "Virtues Game" for my kids. I'll try to share some of the resources I've discovered in the future, but for now here is an article that helps frame the discussion of virtues in Christian terms (since it is not intrinsically a Christian distinctive).
Many of the Greeks including Aristotle and the Stoics argued that moral virtue was developed according to human achievement and that the goal in mind was personal happiness. Others argued that moral virtue was inherent, the natural disposition of the soul. But both of these ideas, while sharing some similarities with Christianity, are in fact at odds with Christianity’s essential ethical orientation. The “virtues” which the NT espouses have God’s character as their source, the Spirit as their efficient cause in the believer, Christ as their model, and love as their goal.
The really staggering Christian claim is that Jesus of Nazareth was God made man -- that the second person of the Godhead became the 'second man' (I Cor. 15:47), determining human destiny, the second representative head of the race, and that He took humanity without loss of deity, so that Jesus of Nazareth was as truly and fully divine as He was human.
Here are two mysteries for the price of one -- the plurality of persons within the unity of God, and the union of Godhead and manhood in the person of Jesus. It is here, in the thing that happened at the first Christmas, that the profoundest and most unfathomable depths of the Christian revelation lie. 'The Word was made flesh' (John 1:14); God became man; the divine Son became a Jew; the Almighty appeared on earth as a helpless human baby, unable to do more than lie and stare and wriggle and make noises, needing to be fed and changed and taught to talk like any other child.
And there was no illusion or deception in this: the babyhood of the Son of God was a reality. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets. Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as is this truth of the incarnation.
-- J.I. Packer, "Knowing God"
Confession time...my family and I (not the youngest) have watched the Lord of the Rings movies, Narnia, and *gasp* Harry Potter. A couple of them have even read some of the Harry Potter books. I just don't get why certain fantasy movies are accepted in Christian circles and some are considered anathema. Yes, I've read the Christian books explaining why one is acceptable and the other not, but I just don't totally buy it.
The latest movie starting to generate some Christian anti-buzz is The Golden Compass, and although I haven't really researched it yet, I stumbled on this blog post from the "Confessions of a Bad Christian" blog that captures my feelings on the subject pretty well:
Paul was aware of the opposition to his faith and to the God he believed in. He was informed about the philosophies of those who opposed his faith. He engaged them in intelligent and probably spirited debate. The book of Acts honestly records the results.Give this post a read and see if you agree that God can use even this movie for His purpose if we will just let Him. If you think I'm totally off base here, let me know...
...
Maybe that is why we are often more comfortable decrying the culture instead of engaging it. Most of us don’t like being labeled as airheads (The Message) or as a babbler (NIV).
I'm sword shopping! Strange as it sounds, I am researching for the purchase of a sword for my oldest son's 16th birthday. He received a shield at 13 and now it's time to take it up a notch...leading to his pronouncement as a "knight" when he turns 19.
I'm sure I'll have many posts in the weeks ahead as I dive into the complex world of sword buying.(ever notice how whatever field of interest you get into, there's always a lot more there than you bargain on?)
In the meantime, here's a segue to a tool that no man should be without: e-Sword. From the author:
e-Sword is a fast and effective way to study the Bible. e-Sword is feature rich and user friendly with more capabilities than you would expect in a free software package. The fact that e-Sword is free is just one of the blessings and does not speak of the quality of the software. I make my living writing software and I believe I have put forth my best effort in this endeavor.
Some commentary on Philippians 2:19-30 by Ray C. Stedman that reminds us that our identities are not lost in Christ, but truly realized:
Did you notice something about these two men, Timothy and Epaphroditus--two quite different personalities, weren't they? But the same essential character in each, for the secret of these two men is not that they struggled and tried to live heroic lives with a devil-may-care attitude. But shining through each man's life is the splendor of Jesus Christ. Their personalities, you see, were not destroyed. They were enhanced by the presence of Christ. ...
He does not destroy the essential man; he indwells it, he enhances it, he glorifies it. The result is true manhood, true womanhood, attractive and beautiful and easy to live with. Man as God intended man to be becomes manifest in the world.
Sometimes this fathering gig can get a little overwhelming. A lot of the time I have this creeping feeling of inadequacy for the job. Sure I can take care of the physical needs easily enough...food on the table *check*...roof over the head *check*...
But emotional and spiritual needs are a little harder. Meeting each of my four kids "where they are", understanding their hearts, and providing the guidance they need seems like a daunting task most days. Of course, in and of myself I am insufficient. That's why this verse from 2 Corinthians 3:5 is such an important verse for a modern-day dad to grasp:
Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God2 Corinthians 3:5
Some of us have great difficulty in thinking of the Lord Jesus as a Man forever. Is that an assured truth of Scripture?
Well, let us look at the Scripture evidence step by step.
On the resurrection day He came forth from the grave a real Man in a human body, not a body of flesh and blood as He had before the Cross, but of flesh and bones (Luke 24: 39); a body in which He could eat (Luke 24: 43); a body which bore the marks of His suffering and which could be handled by Thomas (John 20: 27).
In that same body He was "carried up into heaven" (Luke 24: 51). "A cloud received Him out of their sight " (Acts 1: 9). A spirit could not be said to be carried up nor are clouds necessary to receive such out of human sight. He was still a Man.
Shortly after Stephen saw Him in glory. His testimony was, "I see . . . the Son of MAN standing on the right hand of God" (Acts 7: 56).
Later still Paul writes of Him as "The Man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. 2: 5). He does not speak of Him as the One who once was the Man Christ Jesus. He is a Man to-day.
The millennial age is to come. It is to be put not under angels but under Man in the person of the Son of Man. This is the argument of Hebrews 2: 5-9. Clearly, then, He will be Man in the coming age.
At the end of the millennial age He is to deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father, and become Himself subject (see 1 Cor. 15: 24-28). Bearing in mind that He is God equally with the Father we might with astonishment ask how this can be, save that we remember that also He is Man. As Man, He fills perfectly man's place of subjection without for one moment ceasing to be equal with the Father. Our blessed Lord is essentially God, yet for eternity He takes the subject place, only explicable by the fact that to all eternity He is also Man; and as such the Head and Sustainer of the redeemed creation, which is the fruit of His work.
(from: http://www.stempublishing.com/index.html )
