A Few Good Men

***I intended this post to be up 7-18-12, but much has been going on since the concept began....which happened to be while I was lying in bed preparing to sleep.

As I lie here (supposed to be on my decline to sleep) contemplating many of the things/events of today and the impact they made on me personally, I can't help but think of the status of our society and the world in general we live in. It seems the more I try not to be overwhelmed by the storm, that much more hail and rain floods the scene.

Let me highlight some of these subjects of which I speak. Today set out to be an exciting day, mainly due to an appointment I had been eagerly anticipating to for the last few days. A group of brothers from my church closed the evening by gathering with our friends and families, set out on a purpose driven mission. We (the band of brothers) made a resolution that we will do everything in our power to lead by example, be courageous men of God, and hold each other accountable (starting at home) in order to leave a positive legacy for generations to come.

Throughout the hours leading up to that point, a large variety of topics were presented through various media sources: an article on new welfare restrictions targeting "luxuries" such as tattoos, booze, gambling, strippers, etc (YES, you read it right...STRIPPERS...read for yourself at http://www.wfaa.com/news/national/162920086.html); several robberies in broad daylight via the news; assaults on elder women; the next episode of Big Brother (just plain stupid); an interview with Elton John where he stated how he had seen his friends dying all around him, yet he was not willing to give up his lifestyle; and the list goes on.

All of these seemingly random thoughts pooled together to the focus of how mankind (emphasis on MAN) has not only dropped the ball, but has walked off the field in the most crucial minutes of the game. Men in general have nearly completely failed to earn the right to be called men. Man...the being whom God made in His own image, has tried to redefine the very attributes of a man in order to fit their own agendas. Today's "man" is a pimp, playah, hustlah, ballah....blah blah blah. He has women waiting on him had and foot. He impregnates multiple women, and leaves them to deal with the outcome on their own. I'm going to stop there, because the descriptions will continue to get much more graphic. You get the point though, I'm sure.

"Where have all the real men gone?" would seem to be an appropriate question at this point. The answer to it is "we are still here and determined as ever!" There are more than a handful of us willing to carry on the call as did Gideon and his soldiers. A man is a person of his word. A man is a person of action. A man is a person of integrity. Even greater than a mere man is a godly man. Man was created and called to lead; that goes for households, businesses, and most important, in the footsteps his Creator has set for him.

I will conclude this post with two questions and two statement that will hopefully get your gears turning. How can a man be a godly man without God? If you are a male and reading this, will you get in the game and do what it takes to earn your title? On July 18, 2012, 20+ of us made the pledge to step up our game to the standard Yahweh set for us, and hope many more will fall in line as well.  Therefore, in the words of Joshua "as for me and my house, we WILL serve the Lord!"  (Joshua 24:15)

The Stand

I'm going to start this off with a quote of lyrics from a "no-nonsense" young man whom I admire for his rawness...his non sugar-coated approach.   "I ain't apologizing for not compromising. And I don't rock w/ that 'prosperity gospel' either.  The Gospel's about Christ, not us. So we REALLY need to advertise Christ, not stuff!" (a portion of lyrics by Bizzle from a song entitled Violin off his newly released album Martyrs In The Making).   These few lines of words are a large portion of what is wrong with today, especially in America, and even more so in the Christian community.  You see, we are constantly pushed, poked and prodded to "go with the flow", "compromise a little", "just do it", "just do you", "be about your money", etc.  In other words, we are pressured to be without standards and forfeit what is truly precious in exchange for stuff with temporal (if any) worth.  That spotlights an issue though; whether ignorANT to or simply ignorING the truth, the result is the same....and it's not good.

Let me first clarify a few things and then break it down even further for non-Christian individuals and/or people who claim Christianity but really are not Christian. Yes, I am about to put The Gospel in plain English for some of you. Yes, I am going to offend most of you. Yes, I am going to check all of you, but please keep in mind this post came to me first. Therefore, I am not exempt from the message in it.


Christian Identity:

• belief in the existence of one Supreme Creator who is not limited; the Eternal YHWH (I AM) who has presented Himself in 3 distinct persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
• belief that the scriptures of the Holy Bible are the ONLY, authoritative, collective, inerrant written Word of God breathed through His servants (2 Peter 1:20-21); the Bible is the standard set and the main source of communication by God
• aware of the presence of sin, and the need for repentance (whole-heart remorse for sin committed followed by turning from it) and God's grace
• understands that Christ's death on the cross has given redemption to those who accept it, and that it is not a license to continue sinning
• belief that the soul of a person is eternal, and will spend eternity in the presence of God (which is true life) or severed from Him (death and damnation)

The Gospel in a nutshell:

• Man sinned (broke God's law), thus embedding and passing sin to all mankind
• death came to all
• God created a remedy to end the reign of death and reconnect man back to Him

*summary in John 3:16-18 & Romans 5:12-19

This all being pointed out, the title or branding "Christian" seems to be tossed about rather loosely.  People seem to be under the assumption that if you go to church, you're a Christian; if you pray, you're a Christian; if you grew up with or around Christians, you're Christian; if you can say "Christ", you're a Christian.  Wrong on all accounts.  The definition of a "Christian" is a person who is Christ-like; a follower of Christ Jesus and His instruction; one who has accepted Him as Savior AND Lord (can't just pick one or the other).  The importance of knowing the name Christ Jesus is far less crucial than Him knowing you personally and having an intimate relationship.  No relationship can exist without communication.  Therefore, if you do not make a concerted effort to read, study and adhere to His Word, you are not a Christian (1 John 2:4-6).  That's what He said!  No, really....read it for yourself!  Just know that if you don't decide to read, study, and stick to it, there is still no excuse for not knowing when the time comes.  We are and will be held accountable for the things we do or don't do according to His instruction, so, no, I'm not judging (which will be a topic I blog about in the near future).

Closing this one out, I know there are a lot of damaged and confused individuals out there who will simply accept whatever they are told or given in order to receive a false sense of validity.  My aim/duty is to present truth and reality in hopes that all will come to receive them.  The saying is so true, "if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything."

In The Beginning . . .

I am a rather blunt individual.  Not mean; not "extremely opinionated", just blunt.  I believe firmly that the truth hurts those who reject it.  For example, when you are hurting from a failed relationship or keeping a firm grip on your past, the healing process can only begin when you open up to the complete reality of the situation; the Truth.

So as a head-up, if you are the super sensative type that thinks if everybody doesn't agree with your agenda, they are judging, this may not be the place for you.  I am NOT your judge....not even my own.  I'm sure we can agree, none of us here are perfect.  So, let's get that understood from the jump.  Aside from obvious popular belief, we all have one supreme reigning Judge, Promoter and Executioner.  It is simply illogical to have the notion that each individual human (ever to have been present on the Earth) will not be held accountable for their thoughts and actions during their short span of "life" here.  This is not to be miscontrued as the good works of a person sets their status or place in heaven.  This is more of a self-check statement to us all; none of us are better than or more important than the next.

Now that is out of the way, and there's really not much more to say about me (read the "About Me" if you really want to know all there is to know), it's time to dig into deep discussions and get a charge from the source of all power.  They say "you can lead a horse to the water, but you can't make it drink."  Please know, my mission is not to change you as the reader of this blog or as an everyday individual.  That's between you and your Maker.  I am here to give you hope.  I am here to give you positive feed and influence.  I am here to give you good news.  Stay tuned, and feel free to join in conversation as it comes.