All Hail The Righteous Men!

 

I'd like to think that I am not the only woman in America that longs for the days when men were celebrated for their strong, masculine traits -- when terms like "toxic masculinity" were not in our lexicon, and adjectives like violent, misogynist, and homophobic were not automatically associated with successful, confident men. I'd like to return to a time when traditional male traits were not equated with causing harm to society or limiting feminine goals or being accused of intimidation by force. 

Maybe it's because I remember what it was like to look upon men as heroes and warriors; men who stood for moral courage and boldness; who were fearless in defending the defenseless and willing to show strength in the face of evil. But these kinds of men were also gentlemen, with a combination of qualities like honor, courtesy, and justice; men who were also able to exhibit love and tenderness while protecting those they held dear. Thank God these kinds of men still exist among us, but I decry the "woke" generation's attempt to eliminate them from our social fabric. And it is because I have lived through decades watching this degeneration of the male image that I want to praise "real men" who are not afraid to be what they were created to be.

And I'm deliberately using the phrase "created to be", because I believe God had a specific plan when He "created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them". You see, I still believe in what Holy Spirit empowered John the Baptist's father Zacharias to prophesy over his unborn son, and I think it shows what God intends His creation of man to be. It certainly shows the characteristics of His Son, Jesus, who [as the Bible reveals in His totality] is the model of a perfect man; descriptors like Mighty, Valiant, Merciful, Holy (Set apart), Righteous, Knowledgeable, Forgiving, a man of Peace, and a Warrior. 

As I scrolled through the Web, trying to figure out how and when our culture began to redefine what made a man, the overwhelming majority of topics spoke of the inequality of the sexes; how our gender stereotypes need to be altered; and the negative impact of stereotypical expectations of masculinity on boys and men. That's where the culture is going on this topic. 

And in my opinion, perhaps the desire to question the definition of masculinity began after the Vietnam War, when for the first time in our country's history, there was definite opposition to the image of the American male as the moral protector of innocent people and a righteous warrior against evil. But, if we are honest with ourselves, that open opposition and debate marked the beginning of our cultural decline and open rebellion against God. I can just imagine the delight Satan took in watching us turn our back on what had been the traditional role of men for centuries.

In a 2015 blog post, I described this cultural shift: "If, like me, you are "of a certain age", then you are most likely becoming discouraged about our culture's disparagement of manhood. Our little boys are dissuaded against playing with toy guns; of displaying any form of aggression or boldness; and of emphasizing their decidedly genetic tendencies to protect "the fairer sex". For pity's sake, they can't even point a fake finger gun at anyone without their school record classifying them as a "danger" for their entire academic career! 

We now live in an age where men are no longer allowed to be "men". They must now subject themselves to a lower status for all the years that they supposedly "kept women down."  The culture not only wants to blur the line between the sexes, but appears to promote the erasure of any line at all ... we are all free to "be" whatever we feel like on any particular day; and heaven forbid you are decidedly one sex or the other.  But you most definitely do not want to flaunt any characteristically male behavior.  No sir, that's strictly taboo these days, because, don't you know ... it always leads to unnecessary violence"!

And what it did was restrict the role of soldier, fighter, and protector to the confines of a computer screen. Little boys who had previously played "soldier" or "cops and robbers" to express their natural role of defender or guardian of morality were no longer allowed to act out those natural traits, but had to repress them and constrict them to a computer app. And, here we are, eight years later, and schools are forcing children to eliminate gender pronouns from their vocabulary; teachers with an agenda encourage children to consider gender reassignment therapy; and men dressed in suggestive female costumes entice and seduce children to take part in their fantasies during story time. 

So, it's time to remind the world of what I wrote about one courageous mom named Simcha Fisher; a mom with common sense and (whether she knows it or not), the wisdom to know that God made boys in His image.  In an article titled, Boys With Sticks, Fisher lays out her argument for letting "boys be boys".  She writes:  Are we so afraid of the power of violence to overtake us that we are uncomfortable with its harmless expression in children’s play?

Yes, we are, and it’s making a mess of the world. It doesn’t make violence go away when we always tell boys, ‘Put that stick down.’ Instead, it’s making a world where people -- boys and girls alike -- have no idea what to do about unjust violence. [And we have certainly seen how ugly that can get in these last few years].

Boys playing with sticks is not a meaningless game. It’s something that little boys absolutely must be allowed to do, if that’s how they want to play. A boy who wants to pick up a stick needs to know that he can, and he may, and that his affinity for sticks is not a bad thing. He needs to know that a stick is a powerful thing, and that the world needs men who know how to use their sticks. 

Ultimately, what we have done is effectively emasculated our boys and men into becoming ineffective warriors.  For, warriors is what they are called to be.  It may sound old-fashioned, but I can remember when men could take pride in being their wife’s protector; in being a father who provided for his family; or a brother who watched over his siblings -- when policemen were celebrated for their service to the public's welfare; and a soldier for defending his country. As trite and simplistic as it may sound, I am left wondering if the astounding popularity of shows like Outlander are not a result of both men and women longing for a return of warrior/heroes who aren't afraid to stand for right and wrong; who are willing to die to protect their wife and family; and who will remain immovable in the face of injustice and evil. 

Actually, that's a pretty smart play by the devil.  If he can convince us that without warriors, there will be no violence in the world, then he has leveled the playing field in our spiritual warfare.  Of course, you recognize that I am looking at this issue through my Biblical worldview.  But I don't believe my view is really that far off from Simcha Fisher, who says this about the warrior mindset:  Boys who are never allowed to be wild are boys who never learn how to control that wildness. Boys who are not allowed to whack, and be whacked, with sticks never learn what fighting is like. What’s so bad about that? Well, they may end up hitting someone weak, with no idea how much it hurts to be hit. Or they may end up standing by while the strong go after the weak – and have no idea that it’s their job to put a stop to it. 

While Simcha's statement may not perfectly align with my Biblical discernment of God's plan for His male creation, I certainly think her description of what it means to be a boy can yield the opportunities to learn both compassion and what it means to stand steadfast for righteousness and justice.  This is perfectly stated in Micah 6:8, which tells us, "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"  Of course, that last part is vitally important in accomplishing the first two admonitions.  And there is the unspoken truth that with these responsibilities as protector, provider, and warrior, God has set the boundaries for men ... it is all to be done to glorify Him. So little boys must be given rules to play by, and to know where their sense of power comes from. When we abandoned that important principle of male identity, we set chaos in motion in our society.

I must say that I am glad that I am of a generation that still honors the traditional roles of men and women.  I love knowing that my husband takes his role as my protector and provider seriously and with pride. His name actually means "Peace-loving Warrior" and he embodies those important traits of Biblical manhood.  I am thrilled to see my nephews following their calling as police officers. And I am encouraged by seeing my Godson [pictured above] live out the warrior spirit that is inherent in his young personality. This world is spiraling into increasing chaos and unmanageable violence. Satan has his warriors on the battlefield... we better be training up ours for the fight of our lives!

#whatitmeanstobeaman #Godlymen #Biblicalmasculinity #menaswarriors #longingforheroes #it'soktobeaman

1 Corinthians 16:13-14    Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.
 

 

Daughters of the King: Rise Up! Protect and Uphold the Worth of Women!

I will admit that I didn't pay much attention to the recent celebration of International Women's Day (referred to as IWD) ... it's just never been on my radar, even though it has apparently been celebrated for over 100 years. That may have been because my spirit didn't identify with the socialist roots of its creation, nor the message of gender bias that have become woven into its modern commemoration. Don't get me wrong! I believe in the value of women and embrace my gender in all its strength, power and wisdom. I am proud to stand for the rights of women because I believe that our spiritual enemy, Satan, seeks to destroy our importance in God's redemptive plan for mankind. And my self-worth comes from who my Creator has revealed that I am to Him. 

But before I talk about my concerns regarding what I see as the attempt to eradicate the divine purpose of women, let me share a quick revelation that I just received this morning as I sat down to write this blog post. As you may or may not know, my husband and I have been anointed by God to offer an Inner Healing ministry to those who have spiritual wounds that keep them from achieving their purpose in life. More than once, someone has asked me if I knew there was a "huge angel" standing guard over me. They obviously could see in the spirit, what I could not. Although I couldn't see him, my spirit recognized the truth of what was revealed, and I have been confident that I truly do have a guardian angel because of the importance of helping people to be set free from their bondage. 

I then decided that I wanted to acknowledge this heavenly protector and asked Holy Spirit to reveal a name, so I could relate to him in a more personal way. The name I received was Ezer, knowing it meant "strength and power" in Hebrew. That seemed a fitting name for a guardian angel, right? And I was happy to accept that as the fullness of who he was. Well today, as I was meditating on what to write and doing research on the current state of the war against women, I ran across this statement on a website called The Herald: "Genesis 2 says Eve was made to be a helper, or an ezer in the original Hebrew language. Ezer shows up 21 times in the Old Testament, including 16 times as a description of God, Himself. Those references are strong and kind --- they are in relation to war, overcoming oppression, and defending and rescuing God's people".  Because our ministry involves spiritual warfare in the lives of all people (Believer and nonbeliever, alike), I am grateful that God has assigned Ezer to me. 

That being said, I am discerning that we need legions of guardian angels to protect the divine creation of women. There is a worldwide agenda that is seeking to redefine what it is to be a woman. And they are starting with our children. The website, Christianconcern.com, recently published an article that reported parents of a 4-year-old child enrolled in a Church of England primary school withdrew their child after the school promoted a book, titled "My Shadow is Pink". Parents were told [without consultation] that the book would be used as "a stimulus for the day", encouraging children to change what they wear as an expression of their inner gender identity that is their true self [the shadows]. The book is promoted by an extreme education group, who undertake training in schools with the aim of "smashing heretonormativity" [which is the Biblical model of men and women, and the alignment of biological sex, sexuality, gender identity and gender roles].

There are increasing testimonies from parents who are confronting school official wjp are departing from traditional and Biblical teachings on sexual identity. The education system and curriculum are being weaponized against parents in order to cause confusion among our children as to their gender identity and to further the transgender ideology. Parents who believe that we are born either male or female are being silenced. There is a concerted effort to erase the biological differences between boys and girls, and it seems to me this confusion is heavily biased against women. 

Consider the emergence of "drag queen story hours" in our schools and public libraries, where males dress provocatively as women, seductively encouraging children of all ages [from toddlers to middle school] to engage with them. That is biological men disparaging women. And there are a growing number of transgender men competing as women in the arena of sports. Biologically, they are not equal in strength or endurance. Once again, women are being disparaged. And the effort to disparage women [or regard or represent them as having little worth] has risen all the way to the Supreme Court, where the newly elected Justice, Kentanji Brown, refused to identify what a woman is, claiming she couldn't because "she's not a biologist".

The problem is that once God was removed from our schools, it left a vacuum that our age-old enemy, the devil, was only glad to fill with his lies and deception. Encyclopedia.com defines masculinity and femininity as "socially constructed concepts" that convey values and social status. Therefore, it doesn't matter what sex you were identified as at birth, just adopt the values you want to be. The Wall Street Journal featured an opinion piece in which they stated, "The clear message of gender ideology is that, if you’re a female who doesn’t “identify with” the social roles and stereotypes of femininity, then you’re not a woman; if you’re a male who similarly rejects the social roles and stereotypes of masculinity, then you’re not a man. Instead, you’re considered either transgender or nonbinary, and Planned Parenthood assures you that “there are medical treatments you can use to help your body better reflect who you are.” According to this line of thinking, certain personalities, behaviors and preferences are incompatible with certain types of anatomy". See the confusion this ideology would cause in an impressionable child?

So, while this ideology doesn't focus exclusively on changing the identity of females [only], it certainly seems to target the transformation of God's divine creation of the female species. And why? Think about it from a Biblical perspective. From the beginning, God's enemy targeted the woman. He didn't tempt Adam; he directed his attack towards Eve. Again, I ask why? Could it be because it has been a matter of the Seed War that God proclaimed in Genesis 3:15 ... And I will put enmity (open hostility)between you and the woman, And between your seed (offspring) and her Seed; He shall [fatally] bruise your head, and you shall [only] bruise His heel. It would be a woman who could biologically give birth to the One who would defeat the devil at the end of the ages. 

Now, as his time grows ever shorter, the devil must make sure that he destroys women's ability to give birth. Gender confusion leads to powerful drugs that inhibit our God-given ability to pro-create. He's already limited the population by convincing women it is their right to kill the fruit of their womb. And what better way to sow confusion into the next generation than trying to convince them men can have babies? But would it surprise you to know that this gender confusion existed 3000 years before Christ!?! 

In 2016, the United Church of God published an article on their website, Beyond Today, in which they quoted Rivkah Harris, author of Gender and Aging in Mesopotamia: The Gilgamesh Epic and Other Ancient Literature. Harris wrote that the pagan goddess Ishtar [also known as Inanna] was "androgynous, marginal, ambiguous . . . She is betwixt and between . . . Central to the goddess as paradox is her well-attested psychological and physiological androgyny. Inanna-Ishtar is both female and male . . . [in one place stating] ‘Though I am a woman I am a noble young man’”. Perhaps it was to discourage the influence of Ishtar worship that God gave the Israelites this command in Deuteronomy 22:5 ... A woman shall not wear a man’s clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is utterly repulsive to the Lord your God. I'm pretty sure this is alluding to more than just clothing.

Since time immemorial, women have had an Enemy that has been seeking to destroy our place in the world; our divinely created identity. He wants to bring about the ultimate in cancel culture. That is to eradicate the worthiness of women. And it has to start with the children; to confuse them, and ultimately to groom them to deny the unique and sanctified role that gender plays in the human race. I implore all women and men to rise up against this gender ideology! Step back and look at the big picture. This is not about being "phobic" against any group of people. It is about preserving the important physiological, biological, and spiritual identity of what defines a woman, and what defines a man.

In my Biblical worldview, God does not make mistakes. He created each one of us unique and precious in His sight. It's time that we speak up and eradicate this dangerous ideology from our educational system. Let it be known that I identify as a biological woman, and I am vital to this world -- just as I was created, and just as each of you are. Let us not forsake the Designer's blueprint for humanity. The designed can never outdo the Designer.

#Goddesignedwomen #genderideology #genderconfusion #biblicalwomanhood #biologicalgender #Goddoesntmakeamistake

Genesis 5:1-2    When God created man, He made him in the likeness of God [not physical, but a spiritual personality and moral likeness]. He created them male and female, and blessed them and named them Mankind at the time they were created.