Man to Man

Tom Sawyer got his friends to paint a fence that he was supposed to paint. Bill Clinton persuaded a nation to elect him president twice. Abraham Lincoln led this nation to reject slavery.

First Timothy 3 gives specific guidelines for pastors, bishops, elders, deacons, and leaders. "He [a leader] is to be the husband of one wife (it does not say one at a time) be above reproach, and have his own house in order, for if he cannot manage his own house, how can he manage the house of the Lord."

Do you use the Bible as the standard by which you and your family live? The word "standard" begins with the work "stand." If you don’t know what you stand for, you will fall for anything.

So the Word must be hidden in each man’s heart as the leader so that he may be able to best protect his family from carnal influences.

Second Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that the Bible is very valuable for living a life pleasing to God. I am challenged by God’s Word to think, speak, and listen as a "leader in love."

First, I must be a leader in my own life. For me that means changing how I think, speak, listen, and act. Learning what genuine love is according to God’s Word (1 Cor 13; John 3:16-17; 1 John 4:8) is the actual foundation for how I am supposed to be.

I need to be open to others’ criticism. I need to be assertive but gentle. This is NOT me. I need to try to improve through specific practices.

Here’s the challenge I offer each of us. Do a self-evaluation. Am I quick to follow, isolate or lead? Is love (agape) my prime motivation? Do I read the Bible daily, study it, listen to Christian radio, and attend church regularly? Am I meeting with three or four men weekly to help me become a better man and Godly leader?

A "servant leader" does what is NOT easy. This means getting involved in areas that are not comfortable. A servant leader’s motto is "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)

Examine yourself and come together to take the challenge. Become the leader God wants you to be.

I couldn’t help but chuckle as I looked at the funny drawings of the mother duck leading her ducklings across the busy Boston streets. I wondered at the trust these ducklings had in their mother as she led them correctly and safely.

The storybook "Make Way For Ducklings" is a cute story about a family of ducks in Boston. But leadership from the Biblical sense is very serious and an awesome challenge given to MEN by Christ.

The Word teaches us that we are given the responsibility of loving our wives, training our children in the Lord, offering Biblically wise counsel to our families, spreading joy, and serving our families humbly.

The servant leader, then, must exemplify the person of Christ who did not count it loss to be made slightly lower than the angels. We should wash the feet of our wives and children like Christ washed the feet of the disciples.

Men’s small groups and men’s ministries force men to examine themselves to identify areas for improvement

Each week I ask myself: "If I were a flower, would Jesus cherish my aroma and beauty or crush me under his foot?"

Leadership is a great responsibility fulfilled only with Christ’s help. Men need to be challenged to examine the ways they love, serve, and relate to emotions. Moreover men need the Word to be hidden in their hearts.

Take Christ’s challenge. Lead.

Doc’s Prescription: Joy

By Dr. Ross Geldart

Men, how have things been going for you recently? Could you rate them from poor to great, on a scale of 1 to 10?

Consider situations like on the job, in your neighborhood, with your wife, with your children, with your in-laws and with other family relatives? How have your big plans for life worked out for you? Has it been good or not so good? Has God been important in your life?

Do you know who Jesus is and what He has done for you? Do you personally know of His love and concern for you? Does He fit into your life and plans? Or does He seem to be unreachable?

I know that most of us have had our share of disappointments and frustrations, anger, and bitterness.

We see and experience it every day, even in the ordinary things we do. For example, when we are driving our car (too slow to start-up, slowing down, or shifting lanes). Do we show courtesy for others or do we drive crazily with our horns blowing and an upraised finger? You know what I mean.

To the degree we allow anger, bitterness, and pride to lay a guilt trip upon others, we certainly are bringing

displeasure to God. It has been said that as a man becomes embittered he is actually ruining his own life. Do we see somebody else as always being the cause of our troubles? Is it your wife's fault? Are you bitter because you believe your father let you down?

So, what can one do to change all this stuff? First, recognize that the buck stops here. Ask the Lord to forgive you of any sins in your life, for the Bible says that not one person is without sin except Jesus Christ Himself. Then, invite Jesus to come into your heart so he may become the Lord over your life.

Jesus has instructed us to cast all our burdens upon Him and let Him literally be in charge of all our problems.

The Apostle Paul tells us we need to "die unto our self" so we can live "in Christ". What does that mean? I see this as meaning that if we will put our "self" or our "ego" to rest, and stop trying to be "in control" of our life and in control of everybody else’s life, then we can enjoy our new life of "living in Christ".

That means God is literally in control of everything we experience from that point onward. We need to recognize that when we think we are in control, that is really the time when we are the most out of control.

James says we should "count it all joy for the testing of our faith, for the testing of our faith works for patience, and patience works for endurance."

Let us know and see how God's plan for each of our lives is truly being worked out moment by moment so that we will become the men God has intended for us to become, from the very beginning of time.

Men, if you want real peace, joy and freedom in your life, that is the way to go.

Is it a sin to have stress or to say that you feel pressure? Are you a weak Christian if you experience these feelings? In short, NO!

We are told in John 14:1 "Let not your hearts be troubled, you believe in God believe also in Me." So stress is natural but how we react to stress (being stressed out and loosing our cool) means that we are loosing sight of He in whom we trust.

There are several ways to reduce stress. One is to take a break and take a walk. Mild exercise like this will give you an outlet for stress. Second, learn to breathe. Take a deep breath for a count of five and then let it out in a count of ten. Repeat it several times. Also, hum a hymn or favorite chorus or put on some good music to sooth the soul. Fourth, find a hobby that you can do on your free time that removes you from stressful situations. And finally, get in the practice of praying and leaving your burdens with Christ. Stress is natural but the Lord is supernatural.

Stress damages health. Trust Jesus and get the victory over your stress.

                                Hours per week         Rate per hour         Value

Nursemaid......         44.5                             $2.75                         $122.38

Dietitian............         2 .0                               5.00                             10.00

Purchasing Agent     3.3                               4.50                             14.85

Cook.................             13.1                             4.10                             53.71

Dishwasher...........        6.2                             2.00                             12.40

Housekeeper..........     17.5                            2.50                             43.75

Laundress............           5.9                           2.25                             13.28

Seamstress...........           1.3                           3.50                              4.55

Practical Nurse......       0.6                           4.00                              2.40

Maintenance Man....     1.7                           3.00                              5.10

Gardener.............           2.3                           2.50                              5.75

Chauffeur............           2.0                           3.50                              7.00

Social Secretary.....      2.0                           4.00                              8.00

-- Larry Burkett

Do you have an idea for the newsletter? Give us a call and start writing. We’d love to hear from you!

Contact us at:

Calling All Men * P.O. Box 80530

Stoneham, MA 02180 * 781-279-7070

Contact Man to Man at the above address

Editor: Michael A. DeAngelis

E-mail: manmannews@aol.com

Contributors: Al Cialella, Dr. Ross Geldart