Good News Press - 5
Authentic Manhood in the End Times by Howard Green Continued from Page 1
Now in the last decade or so, it seems like there
is an all out frontal assault on men. Hollywood
for the most part, likes to portray men as poorly
mannered, sex crazed, egotistic bumbling idiots.
Thinking of television in just the past few years
or so, men have been portrayed like goofballs in
shows such as: Married With Children, Friends,
Everybody Loves Raymond, and The King
of Queens to name just a few.
Think about the men the actors in these shows
portray. They are usually very immature, selfabsorbed, simple minded, and foolish. The husbands and fathers portrayed on these shows are
reduced down to having the same intellect as a
sideshow clown. I have news for Hollywood; the
world doesn’t dictate how Christian men should
live—only Jesus can do that.
Reality shows are the big thing now. The
Hills, The Bachelor, Real Housewives (of wherever), Jersey Shore, and Keeping up with the
Kardashians are just a sampling of shows that
highlight what a degenerate mess this world is
in. Most of the “males” on these shows are
simply boys who know how to shave, in my
opinion.
It’s not just the television shows, because the
commercials have some of the most sexually
charged, provocative, and debased content available for all to see. I say that because although
I’m not a sports fanatic, occasionally I will
watch a big game like the Super Bowl or World
Series with my sons or daughters.
One minute you are seeing the replay of a great
touchdown and before you know it,
there’s a scantily dressed woman on the screen
in what is supposed to be a commercial about
cars. Wardrobe malfunctions, sexual innuendo,
and materialism are the rule—not the exception.
I used to turn my head, now it’s just better to
turn the filth off.
I had the opportunity to go to an Indianapolis
Colts game last year. I was with another guy and
we were having a great time. All of a sudden,
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the huge fifty foot tall television screens on the
four sides of the stadium zoomed in on the
cheerleaders who had very little on in the way of
clothing.
I simply turned away and decided that looking at
my bag of peanuts was irresistible! As funny as
it sounds, I wanted the young man next to me to
know that my eyes are reserved for my wife and
my heart belongs to her and the Lord. I didn’t
put on a big show or overreact. I simply looked
the other way; it wasn’t what the usual male reaction is supposed to be according to the world’s
(low) standards.
“I have made a covenant with my eyes; how
then could I gaze at a virgin?” (Job 31:1).
The point is this: The world sends the wrong
message to our sons and daughters: Money can
satisfy all of your needs. Men are cool if they
drink a particular brand of beer. Young
men, this is the kind of woman you need. Young
lady, if you dress like this you will get attention.
The list of wrong messages never ends. I want
my children and all of our youth to know that
they don’t have to live the lies that the world
sells them.
Sin can be pleasurable for a season, but it always
leads to death. This world system is corrupt with
lies from the father of lies, so I want to disengage from it at all costs. Notice I said
“disengage” the world, not the people in the
world. To me, that is one of the most exiting
parts about being a Christian man. Guys, you
and I have the opportunity to be salt and light in
a very dark place.
Do you understand how rare, distinct, and revolutionary living for God’s glory is—in a society
that is fixated on self? If you live as a disciple of
Jesus, you will be like an exile or stranger from
a different planet. Engaging people with the love
of Christ and living a holy life as a man of God
in this dark society is not what the world expects
the average man to do.
As Christian men, we are expected to act and
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behave a certain way. When we walk according
to the Spirit and not the flesh, we will be like
aliens compared to the men who live for their
own pleasure. There have been movements such
as Promise Keepers and others that bring men
together under the banner of Christianity. I don’t
have a positive or negative opinion of men’s
conferences because at the end of the day, it is
the Lord who looks at the fruit of such efforts
and that’s what matters.
I do believe men should be part of a local
church. Men should be involved in corporate
Bible study or a small group. We should also
have brothers in our lives to encourage us, and
to whom we mutually accountable. Iron sharpens iron and there is something very unique
about men getting together to lift up Jesus’
name.
I can hear some of you guys saying, “Howard,
this is men’s ministry 101,we do all of this.” I
get it, but I want to reiterate the importance of
fellowship because I believe one of the ways the
enemy tries to devour us is through isolation or
trying to go it alone. We need brothers both
young and old in our lives with whom to walk
this Christian walk