The root of the word “authority” is “author.” (An author is a creative source of more than just books.)
True authority is given to an author only for his original work. Jesus Christ is the one and only original Author and perfecter of our faith. He is the WORD that was in the beginning. He is our one true Authority! His perfect Word renews us to the extent that others may read us like a letter from Him, a letter written not with ink but written by the Spirit of the living God on the tablets of our hearts. In our men’s group we are humbly letting God’s message be written on our hearts to the extent that others will see His hope growing in us; thus we are becoming the light and salt of Christ’s Word to those around us, especially to the members of our own households that God has placed under our authority. We are learning how to become real men and real leaders. We are making ready to give an accounting of the hope others see in us. We are letting the truth of Christ guide us.
Being a great father is a demanding job and it must be done with diligence and purpose of forethought. To be responsible fathers, we must first be in submission to God’s authority contained in His written Word. We must then unselfishly press on to serve the greater good of those who God has placed under our authority. As fathers we have been given the responsibility to minister to our families. In one sense of the word we are “authors” living out the stories of our lives one day at a time. We must be careful not to be the creators of novels of fiction but be the authors of truth. When we come before the Great White Throne of God, will we like how our biographies are recorded in the book of life? If not, now’s our chance to change the way our script will read. Men, we can still make a difference in the way our futures, and our children’s futures are recorded; so let’s go forth with renewed purpose to change lives for the better. We should not always think that our way is right, but rather we should petition God openly in prayer for enlightenment. As we endeavor to be better fathers, our job will be a difficult but rewarding one that we must do unselfishly. Our yes must be yes, and our no must be no, and our promises must be kept. We need to be men of integrity because Godly families need morally sound fathers who are also responsible and caring leaders.
We can better learn how to be great fathers by making choices of our will to join with other men who are submitting themselves to Godly authority. There is a group where men do just that and they would welcome your coming to join them to be fed and encouraged from God’s Word. That group is called: “The Fellowship of the Unashamed.” We meet every Saturday morning at 6:30 AM in the classroom at the CFM church. We gather there learning how to lay down our own lives, not in weakness but in strength, to become Godly leaders. We receive Godly wisdom and advice from others who have our best interest at heart. We are learning to think “outside the box” the world is trying to put us in. The truth is this: we are learning that we cannot stand alone and expect to succeed. We are learning why we often fail when we try to stand on our own. The answer may, or may not, surprise you. We fail when we become emotionally, lustfully, and selfishly involved. We then choose to go against our own wills and allow ourselves to do what we already know to be wrong. Does this make us guilty? Sure it does. Does it bring us conviction? It should if we still agree that selfish and lustful indulgences are bad. If we don’t, we have a problem. What’s the solution? We must want to change. So come and learn with us how to change for the better.
If you already have conviction in your heart that’s urging you to be a better father, you might think this letter is written especially for you, and perhaps it is. Satan hates it when men teach other men how to better direct their families using Godly wisdom. This does not mean that we should learn how to pander to our children’s every wish and become their good buddies or how to do our wives every bidding. No Sir! It means that we must learn to moderate our selfish ways for the good of our families by taking up our crosses and fortifying ourselves all the more with the wisdom of God’s word.
When we come together as men, we sometimes bring various degrees of shame with us. Few of us have revealed to others the exactness of the shame we carry from our past; and specifically, it’s not necessary that we do so to be forgiven. But it is important for us not to separate ourselves from the presence of Godly men where we can receive the edification, strengthening, and building up of one another that enables us to stand strong against our weaknesses.
If we think that what we’ve done in our past or what are still having trouble with, is worse than what others have done, we are falling into a trap that will ensnare us and only perpetuate our demise. We must not let our past sins keep us from the fellowship of those who can take up our cause and offer up petitions to God through Christ on our behalf. It is only a matter of our will to take the first steps necessary for repentance and forgiveness of any areas of darkness still held out in our lives. We must make our choices correctly. Therefore, we must swallow our shameful pride and assemble together to be fed from the word of God, and for desert we can have a nice helping of humble pie, which may be served up to us by others who have done battle with those same spiritual forces of wickedness still plaguing us.
Now, I would like to share with you a little personal testimony.
When I attended the Great Dad’s seminar two and a half years ago, I was coming from a place of separation in my own personal walk with God. And in part, I felt a bit out of place being in that assembly of seemingly strong men. Where were their troubles? What did I have in common with them? Well, my attitude soon changed when I experienced what happened during one meeting. The subject of what fathers have done to hurt themselves and their families came up. And as the speaker gave examples of infidelity, drunkenness, pornography, child abuse, anger, and hostility, something began to happen in the room. We began to hear a ripple of low sobs and moans as, one by one, convictions from our past memories returned to us. Our responses were spontaneous unrequested confessions, which exemplified our contriteness and willingness to seek continued change. Immediately, I no longer felt like an outcast cut off because of my own past. I realized I was in the company of convicted sinners like myself who wanted God to rule in their lives and that was reassuring to me. I felt as if I had returned home like the prodigal son, and through my tears I smiled and thanked God for the blessing. I was doubly blessed by seeing some young unmarried men there, correctly preparing for their futures. I was being fed and I wanted more. I didn’t want the fellowship and encouragement I was receiving to end. Fortunately an invitation was offered to me to attend a weekly men’s meeting called the “Fellowship of The Unashamed.” So I eagerly accepted and I started attending those meetings. Those men’s meetings are a blessing from God to all of us, especially to some of us who had previously thought that we would rather be separated from such social gatherings.
We give our testimonies freely and seriously as we feel moved to do so. We endeavor to fight the good fight. We examine our hearts and put Godly wisdom into action. God is teaching us how to become beautiful before Him and how to become true witnesses to all men. We are gaining in personal strength as our faithful walk in Christ grows and this helps us to stand firmly during times of stress. We are learning how to give an accounting of the hope that is in us through Christ. We are also learning to go forth boldly without shame into our worlds. We are committed to raising up Godly families for the cause of Christ in our homes and we are becoming more active in our Churches. We are being fed through our sharing of God’s Holy Word, brother to brother. We are re-writing our futures. Come and enjoy.
Galatians Ch. 5 Verse 19, “The deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outburst of anger, disputes, dissentions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of GOD.”
THEN MEET TOGETHER WITH US TO SEEK THESE BETTER THINGS:
Galatians Ch. 5 Verse 22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Godly authority is being passed down to us through our pastor, elders, and leaders in the men’s meetings. We learn how to correctly handle our authority as fathers to better head our own families. Our coming together as men is an important aspect of our continually learning to be better leaders and witnesses in our communities. We are able to be men, unashamed to share our life’s concerns. We come together in faith wanting Christ’s ways to be firmly planted in our hearts.
Titus 3:5 “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” He came not to judge but to save. Referencing John 12:47
In the light, what you see is what you get; in darkness, it’s what you don’t see that gets you! Come into the Light. Expose the deeds of darkness!
1 John 1; Vs 6-7 “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
COME AND ENJOY