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Steve Strang and Pastor Steven Earp stand by the memorial at Vaughan Foods in Moore, Oklahoma, the site of a recent tragic beheading.
During my lifetime, I have heard of only a few incidents involving the beheadings of people. They have always taken place in foreign countries, and they have usually been executed by radical Muslims. That has changed drastically in recent months as the beheadings of Americans by the terrorist group ISIS has become well known.
On Sept. 21, the head of ISIS called on Muslims around the world to randomly behead innocent people. Tragically only a week later, a 54-year-old woman was beheaded at Vaughan Foods in Moore, Oklahoma. This horrible tragedy shows us that the genuine threat of radical Muslims in this country is imminent. It is not something that only people in Iraq, Syria or Afghanistan need to be concerned with. If it can happen in quiet Moore, Oklahoma, it can happen anywhere.
It's incredible to me that some in the politically correct crowd refer to this as workplace violence. The man charged with this horrific crime, Alton Nolen, 30—a recent convert to Islam who had been yelling Islamic slogans and posting tirades on his website—evoked the idea of more than a simple scene of workplace violence.
On a recent business trip to Oklahoma City, I visited my friend Steven Earp, a pastor in Moore, Oklahoma, and asked if it would be possible to drive by Vaughan Foods. It was quiet that day, and everything looked like a normal workday. But to think that the beheading of the woman took place only eight days prior—a incident that caused a firestorm among the national media—made it seem very surreal. The photo accompanying this story shows me posing with Steven by the street where a small memorial had been placed by well wishers. You can click here to hear Steven's thoughts on the tragic incident.
In the next issue of Charisma, we focus on spiritual warfare. An article by John Eckhardt talks about the "behemoth spirit." Eckhardt, overseer of Crusaders Ministries in Chicago, explains that behemoths are spiritual strongholds that must be broken in order to see millions of people released from darkness and come into the glorious light of the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
A behemoth is any system large enough in size or power to oppress multitudes of people," Eckhardt explains. "It can be a religious, political, cultural or economic system—and even a blend of those, as in the case with communism. Behemoths are erected by the enemy to keep the gospel out and multitudes of people in darkness." As Jennifer LeClaire, our news editor, wrote in a recent column, it's abundantly clear that the behemoth of Islam is rising.
"Iraqi Christians are facing extinction as leaders of this demonic movement gain momentum in a holy war that aims to establish a caliphate (an Islamic-ruled state) led by a religious and political leader (caliph) who is a successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad," she writes. "Whether you call it ISIS, ISIL or the Islamic State, the behemoth of Islam and its radical jihadist adherents are releasing heart-gripping fear through propaganda and beheadings of men, women and children in a quest to dominate the nations of the Earth."
Examples of this are the spiritual forces of evil—in the form of radical Islam—that have been unleashed mainly in the Middle East but also have invaded our country.
We need believers everywhere to pray that God will overcome this spirit before there are similar tragedies.
Steve Strang is the founding editor and publisher of Charisma. Follow him on Twitter @sstrang or Facebook (stephenestrang).
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Brian Houston, pastor of Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia, has issued a statement re-affirming his traditional position on same-sex marriage.
Houston's reaction follows his appearance Thursday at a news conference in New York City that gave rise to media reports suggesting Houston had a "shift in tone on gay marriage."
The mega-church pastor was in New York for a Hillsong conference at Madison Square Garden.
"I encourage people not to assume a media headline accurately represents what I said at a recent press conference. Nowhere in my answer did I diminish biblical truth or suggest that I or Hillsong Church supported gay marriage," Houston said in a statement published by theChristian Post.
"I challenge people to read what I actually said rather than what was reported that I said," he continued. "My personal view on the subject of homosexuality would line up with most traditionally held Christian views. I believe the writings of Paul are clear on this subject."
Hillsong Church operates 12 campuses around the world, including facilities in Los Angeles and New York City, where gay marriage is legal.
"I was asked a question on how the Church can stay relevant in the context of gay marriage being legal in the two states of the USA where we have campuses. My answer was simply an admission of reality -- no more and no less. I explained that this struggle for relevance was vexing as we did not want to become ostracized by a world that needs Christ," Houston said.
"I made the point that public statements condemning people will place a barrier between the Church and the world (and I note that Jesus came to save and not to condemn), which is why at Hillsong we don't want to reduce the real issues in people's lives to a sound bite."
"This -- like many other issues, is a conversation the Church needs to have and we are all on a journey as we grapple with the question of merging biblical truth with a changing world," he concluded.
Does Hamas' Renewed Tunnel Digging Concern No One?
Monday, October 20, 2014 | Israel Today Staff
An official Hamas newspaper, Al-Risalah, openly and proudly acknowledged this week that the terror group had renewed the digging of attack tunnels connecting the Gaza Strip to targeted Jewish communities in southern Israel.
And this just days after the international community pledged billions of dollars to Hamas-ruled Gaza, and while Western leaders are again putting pressure on Israel to restart peace talks with a Palestinian unity government that includes Hamas.
A reporter for Al-Risalah wrote that he personally visited one of the tunnels now under construction. Like many others, the tunnel had been destroyed by Israeli forces during the summer’s Gaza war. That these tunnels are being restored, at great financial cost, is seen as a victory in Gaza, even though they are likely to lead to another devastating war.
Israeli commentators have responded to the situation with great frustration. Western blindness and willingness to tacitly support Palestinian terror, so long as not too many Israelis die, has become the norm. But many Israelis are increasingly upset that their own government is playing along with this dangerous diplomatic game.
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Israel for everything from the failed peace process with the Palestinian Authority, to defending itself against its enemies, to a variety of global issues worldwide, the nation continues to prosper.
In his first interview following last summer's military operation in the Gaza Strip, posted byIsrael Hayom, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon quotes Dr. Moshe Beilinson, the former deputy editor of an Israeli newspaper, whose response to the question, "When will it end?" still applies: "When the last of our enemies understand that we are here forever."
That's a lesson most Israeli youth learn right out of high school when they begin their compulsory military service -- three years for men and two for women. They soon learn they're defending their own homes and families. It's a lesson they'll live out the rest of their lives, many as reservists in conflicts such as took place this past summer against Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
Experience has made Israeli leaders -- and the people for that matter -- very pragmatic. It's been an uphill battle from the start, which in itself has helped create a strong, determined people, a mélange of every culture, who have learned to live and work together in a country where ancient meets modern.
In his latest article, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yoram Ettinger writes, "Israel is increasingly appreciated and embraced -- not ostracized -- by the global community." It's a perspective you'll rarely find in international media.
Ettinger quotes a recent article in Entrepreneur, describing the ingenuity of the Israeli people.
"The pool of STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] talent in Israel is huge. There are 140 scientists, technicians and engineers for every 10,000 Israeli employees, compared to 85 per 10,000 in the USA…Israel is flush with entrepreneurs…filled with people with courage, drive, creativity, boldness and tenacity, who will move mountains to achieve their goals and dreams."
Israeli innovation in medical research, agriculture, solar energy, aerospace engineering -- the list goes on and on -- has improved life for people in many countries.
So while the world condemns Israel at every juncture, God continues to prosper and bless the nation, the people and the land itself as foretold in the Bible.
Polls continue to show that Israelis for the most part are optimistic about the future. And well they should be. The challenges of life here in Israel help people care for one another and appreciate the simple pleasures.
That camaraderie can be experienced every Friday night as families and friends gather around the table to thank God for His bountiful provision during the work week and for Shabbat (the Sabbath) and the rest it brings.
"Wisdom is better than might, although a poor man's wisdom is despised and his words not heeded. The words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard, rather than the shout of those who rule among fools." Eccl 9:16-17
The Word of God is a treasure trove of the wisdom for life, together with the principles needed for the community of God's people to live out their destinies, according to His ways. Solomon was anointed with extraordinary wisdom. Yet, in all his observations (Eccl 3:11), he was quick to note that the extents and depths of God were beyond the best of our human capacities.
Among his reflections in Ecclesiastes is the story of a small community that was attacked by a numerically superior force (Eccl 9:14-16). Within that city was a poor man who possessed the wisdom that saved the city. Yet, once the status quo was restored, no one remembered him.
Repeatedly Solomon points to truths reflecting the need for the practical, often hidden wisdom to reorient our distorted, short-sighted view and value of things. He notes that a living dog is better than a dead lion and that a dead fly can cause the perfumers ointment to putrefy and smell vile.
Solomon also discerns (Eccl 9:18) that while wisdom can prove mightier than weapons of war, one sinner can destroy the inherent good. So it was with the story of the poor, wise man, who saved the city. The wisdom of the poor man who saved the city did not conform to the prevailing popular perception of things.
God's available wisdom too often can be constrained and overshadowed by distorted prisms and be sought from the wrong places.
The Right Thing the Wrong Way
Jacob went through many years of hardship by reaching for the right thing the wrong way.
While his clever deceits pushed the envelope, he faced setbacks because there was always someone a little more clever than he was. Despite his dramatic, life-changing encounter with the Angel of the Lord, as he finally acknowledged that he was in over his head, when faced with reuniting with Esau, his ways influenced and were passed on to his sons.
The sons of Jacob defiled what God intended for their generational blessing and destiny, when deceitfully they took things into their own hands over the matter of their sister Dinah and Schechem.
The story of Joseph is one of God's anticipatory redemption of the calling that flowed from their great-grandfather Abraham. It was marked by hidden wisdom, the prophetic wisdom that God invested in Joseph. However, at its start, within his own household, this wisdom was despised and resented by all, but Jacob.
In reading the history of God's people, from generation to generation, it has followed the same sequence. God demonstrates His power and blessing with a generation that finally "gets it" and establishes something eternal, only to have it marginalized, with the "God-essence" squeezed out with a misguided, but prevailing "conventional," often contemporary wisdom.
What seems to result is short-sighted, as the real significance of what God has done succumbs to defilements and myopic diminishments. When deliverance comes through "hidden" wisdom, the reality is that it had already had been evidenced in the prior generations. The cycle of recovery comes through a generation getting "beyond themselves," in repentant humility, in their quest for that "something more" dimension in God.
The Cultural Threshold
There is a threshold that has been sought by cultures and generations. It is the threshold that taps the resources of God's glory. It is the chasm that is bridged when the limitations of the natural are superseded by the supernatural. "The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither is bread to the wise nor riches to men of intelligence and understanding, nor favor to men of skill."
Eccl 9:11
When released, dramatic change results. No power on earth can stand against it. Yet, not unlike the time of the tower of Babel, cultures and generations possess a power, blinded against God, that transcends the sum of it parts.
This power ties into the dynamic of the tree of knowledge that was perverted in the garden. Counterfeits have abounded. It is why God told Abraham to leave his family and the country of Ur, the land of the Chaldeans where sorcery had its roots.
God's glory and the release of His hidden wisdom will not abide or compromise with either the occult or pop wisdom. It operates on a spiritual level far beyond the counterfeits and illusions of a watered-down status quo. This threshold must be overcome in God to see the true reality of God operating. When this takes place, it releases what we call revival or the ongoing manifest Presence of God among a people.
In his interactions with the rulers of the lands where sorcery dominated, Abraham began being recognized as the man with a quietness of wisdom that commanded the respect of having as its source, the one true God. When a culture, religion or the occult faces the purity of God, Light will always dispel darkness.
Throughout the history of God's people, it has always been a choice of the real or the counterfeit.
The Source of Blindness
To understand the gap to be bridged, we need to understand the biblical concept of iniquities. While some simply count iniquities as sin, which they are, they are more than that. Some also view iniquities as generational sins, which indeed they are.
However, again and again, the context of iniquities is cultural. Iniquities are something deeper and ingrained in the traditions of men, taken on and passed on not only by a generation, but by a culture of people.
Iniquities are the hidden, often deemed acceptable sins of a people. The story of the sons of Jacob and their response to Schechem and their sister Dinah is a story of sons embracing the conniving, deceitful iniquities of their father.
Yet in Micah 7:19 the word of God tells us that God will "subdue" our iniquities. It will come from our pure, humble response and grasp of His presence.
The fine line is in closing the door to iniquities, while sinking deep roots of our cultural identities -- in God. "You shall teach these things diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." Deut 6:7
Iniquities are in essence hidden masks. They replace the gaps of our understanding of the ways of God with distorted human understanding. They become snares and hurdles to the pure presence of God. Examples of iniquities impeding the wisdom that only God can provide are the cleverness, conniving, pretense and limitations of human reasoning. Their subtle roots are removed only by the diligent mix of seeking God as first priority and repentance.
The roots of iniquities are found in the subtleties of pride. It is why the word of God places so much importance on humility. Humility is the cloak needed for a generation to overcome the transgressions that have become the established way around them.
Throughout Proverbs we are warned about pride. Prideful enlargement is equated with death by Habakkuk (Hab 2:5). While the Lord is the God of increase, the right thing done the wrong way is wrong. Likewise, Samuel rebuked Saul with the observation that stubbornness is as the sin of witchcraft. In like fashion, Jesus again and again told his followers to "fear not." Each of these factors are subtle, generally condoned behaviors that mask the operation of the pure, "hidden" wisdom reflected by the poor man, which is readily available, but too often remains dormant in the word of truth.
The Wellspring
There are factors that accelerate the process by which a generation of God's people peel back and grasp the wisdom required for times of change. It begins with recognizing the need. The process both begins and advances by tapping and becoming immersed in the Wellspring.
When God's people come together in unity and humility, seeking the Lord, then revelation is imparted. With Solomon's insight of there being nothing new under the sun, what is fresh and new for the needs of a generation is in reality ancient wisdom, hidden in God's word. "Teachers who have been instructed in the Kingdom are like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old." Matt 13:52
Paul wrote the Colossians (2:9) that in Jesus is the embodiment, the fullness of the Godhead. In Him are the depths of the wisdom that Solomon, despite all his own extensive anointing in wisdom, recognized as the wellspring of wisdom that is beyond any human capacity. Jesus is the Source.
Tapping the Source
Jesus made it very clear that a key role of the Holy Spirit is to impart truth. Jesus told His followers that when the Holy Spirit came, He would guide us into Truth (John16:13).
The acceleration of this process of tapping the hidden wisdom that releases God's supernatural into otherwise impossible situations will combine an unequivocal cultural identity in God, a clear grasp of God's heart and the cause, a mobilized following, embracing the Holy Spirit as teacher, and a bedrock priority to our faith.
Cultural Identity. From the beginning, God's people have served as a distinct culture within the surrounding cultures. Their identity has been as a people of God. This is the observation that Jesus made in John 17 when He said we would be in the world, but not of the world. We are citizens of God's Kingdom and God's ambassadors demonstrating His reality and life to a world without hope.
Grasp of the Cause. God has always intended those who are known by His Name to be a people of influence, bearing the mantle of Abraham, to be blessed to be a blessing. God's priorities and focus will result when our hearts become truly aligned with His heart. That means time spent with Him and spiritual maintenance.
We are people of Truth, bearing witness to the standard of Truth established by the One who is the source of Truth. We are catalysts changing the spiritual climate in our sphere, penetrating the darkness with His light. This is the driving purpose for both individuals and the community of His people.
Mobilized Following. The role of leadership is mobilizing God's people in their life-purpose to make a difference in the surrounding society. One of the most subtle spiritual immobilizers has been the dichotomy between the sacred and the secular whereby the success of spiritual leaders is judged by the ability to raise money. Fund-raising and increase may be involved, but the goal is not money, it's the by-product. Nor is the primary goal congregational membership or attendance at services, but rather the mobilization and equipping of every true believer into God's specific calling on their lives.
The Holy Spirit as Teacher. The only way every believer can be activated and guided into the fullness of their purpose is by introducing them to a proactive prayer life and the role of the Holy Spirit as their Teacher Who guides them into the truths bearing on their life-purpose.
The Priority of Faith. For the most part, the way of the Kingdom is a paradox to the way the world normally operates. Bedrock to our faith is the fine line between recognizing that it is not what we can do for God, but rather what we allow Him to do through us. That truth, together with accessing God's hidden wisdom, rests on a humility, which is required to be truly led by Spirit, rather than becoming ambitious zealots whose efforts are the result of human confidence and achievement.
The alignment of these factors, both individually and as a community, will open the gates into the secret place of His presence. They become the catalyst for the release of God's manifest presence. From that will flow the hidden wisdom from above, against which no other power can stand.
The Secret Place
I've long recognized this type of resolute identity with those who have found that "secret place" of regularly abiding in God's presence. Leaders I've worked with in persecuted nations who have spent time in prison for their faith have found that secret place. It is clearly not a matter of "what you know," but rather "Who you regularly abide with."
Joseph found that secret place in God as a slave and then, due to no fault of his own, experienced spiritual backlash and became a prisoner. Having lost his family and his freedom when enslaved in Egypt, Joseph never had an issue with his identity. It was recognized by all those around him. Everyone saw that God was with him and that he extended the blessing of God to those he served (Gen 39:2-4), making all that he did to prosper. His identity was firmly established in God. He operated as a culture within a culture.
Despite Joseph's lowly position, an authority and influence flowed from his identity, his faith and his purpose in God. It flowed from the hidden wisdom that came from the secret place of God's presence, a place that Joseph learned to abide in and use as the navigator through the challenging corridors in his journey to God's place of opportunity and destiny. Pure faith and humility will always close the gap and open the gates into God-opportunities. "He who speaks from his own self seeks his own glory, but he who seeks the glory of Him who sent him is true and no unrighteousness dwells in him." John 7:18
Morris Ruddick has been a forerunner and spokesman for the call of God in the marketplace since the mid-90s. As founder of Global Initiatives Foundation and designer of the God's Economy Entrepreneurial Equippers Program, Mr. Ruddick imparts hope and equips economic community builders where God's light is dim in both the Western and non-Western world.
He is author of "The Joseph-Daniel Calling;" "Gods Economy, Israel and the Nations;" "The Heart of a King;" "Something More;" "Righteous Power in a Corrupt World;" and "Leadership by Anointing," which address the mobilization of business and governmental leaders called to impact their communities with God's blessings. They are available in print and e-versions from www.Amazon.com,www.BarnesandNoble.com and other popular outlets.
Global Initiatives Foundation (www.strategic-initiatives.org) is a tax-exempt 501 (c) 3 non-profit whose efforts are enabled by the generosity of a remnant of faithful friends and contributors whose vision aligns with God's heart to mobilize the persecuted church to be the head and not the tail. Checks on US banks should be made out to Global Initiatives and mailed to PO Box 370291, Denver CO 80237 or email us atsign@strategicintercession.org for access information on our secure web-site. Likewise, email us to schedule a seminar for your congregation on the wisdom the persecuted church has for the times emerging in the West.
Reproduction is prohibited unless permission is given by a SIGN advisor. Since 1996, the Strategic Intercession Global Network (SIGN) has mobilized prophetic intercessors and leaders committed to targeting strategic-level issues impacting the Body on a global basis. For previous posts or more information on SIGN, check:http://www.strategicintercession.org
In this season of spiritual darkness, are you having witchcraft dreams? (Flickr/Christine Zenino)
It started a little later than usual, but spiritual witchcraft is rising—and rising rapidly—in South Florida this October. My community is home to a large population of witches, pagans, Wiccans and other heathens who practice one form of witchcraft or another. Your community may not have palm trees and beaches, but it's likely got a few witches, pagans, Wiccans and heathens practicing witchcraft.
When I first moved to South Florida, I battled Jezebel and her witchcrafts (see 2 Kings 9:22) with limited success for at least a year before I learned to discern the attack of this spiritual enemy at its onset, submit myself to God's Word, resist the devil and command it to flee in the name of Jesus (see James 4:7, AMP). Now, I am much quicker to sense witchcraft operating in the spirit, but sometimes witchcraft attacks in your sleep.
Witchcraft Dreams
Earlier this year, I wrote an article called When Jezebel's Witchcraft Keeps You Up at Night. I wrote it in March, which, along with October, is a prime time for witchcraft manifestations. In March, it has more to do with the spiritual climate that stems from false Mary worship. In October, it's more about the witches, pagans, Wiccans and heathens practicing witchcraft.
As I explained in my article earlier this year, the enemy has used a different tactic in 2014. Since the spiritual forces of darkness could not slow me down by day, the attacks are coming at night. I've started having what I call witchcraft dreams. A more complete way of explaining it would be to say I've experienced dream activity inspired by witchcraft rumbling in the spiritual climate.
While we watch kids dress up as witches and knock on doors asking for candy, bona fide witches are celebrating their holy day and Witches' Sabbath. October 21 is also Samhain, a Gaelic festival that marks the finale of harvest season and the start of winter. One Paganism/Wiccan expert explained, "It's a good time to contact the spirit world with a séance, because it's the time when the veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest."
Symptoms of Witchcraft
People who are especially sensitive to the spiritual realm can sense witchcraft in the atmosphere. As demonic activity increases, people report feelings of oppression, fatigue, strong spiritual warfare against the mind that makes you feel like quitting, and even physical manifestations for which doctors can't find a reason. Are you experiencing any of these things?
When witchcraft is particularly heavy in the spiritual climate, my eyes actually burn. Everything seems like a much bigger deal than it really is because witchcraft works to take your eyes off Jesus by magnifying the problem. The enemy can use people to release witchcraft against you through word curses, but this spiritual force seems to sometimes hang over your head like a dark cloud—unless you break it.
In my book, Satan's Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft, I write: "We need the gift of discernment to truly understand what we're battling. We can't effectively take authority over false authority in the name of Jesus if we can't discern what we're taking authority over. Sure, there are the generic 'I bind every spirit that is not of Christ, in the name of Jesus!' prayers but my experience tells me those will only take you so far in battle."
Combating Spiritual Witchcraft
Just because you are exhausted, feeling oppressed, are battling in your mind, or otherwise sense a struggle doesn't mean that you are necessarily battling witchcraft. You need the Holy Spirit to show you what is going on. That said, if it's October and you are consistently facing these symptoms—and specifically if you are having vivid nightmares suddenly—you should ask the Holy Spirit if witchcraft plays a role.
With nightmares and bad dreams, it could just be that you ate too much too late at night, that you are processing internal fears in your soul, that your subconscious mind is dredging up strong emotions from your past, or some other natural cause. However, it could also be spiritual witchcraft. If it is, what do you do?
I wrote more about this in a past article called Overcoming Witchcraft Attacks Against Your Mind and Body. If you are experiencing nightmares, I'd also suggest reading that and also remembering and confessing this: "You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day (Psalm 91:5). And this: "When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet" (Prov. 3:24).
Pray over yourself before you go to sleep—plead the blood of Jesus and command these spirits to cease their operations in the name of Jesus. And if you wake up with one of these bad dreams, do it again. The spiritual climate is intense for these next couple of weeks, but we are overcomers by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. Amen.
Click here to download a free chapter of Jennifer's new book, Satan's Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft.
She was a single Christian friend (totally just friends), venting her frustration about immature men. It was casual, because that kind of venting is common. It was over coffee. It cut deep.
"Christian men ... ugh."
As a male Christian college student with no wife, no steady job, and no financial independence, I squirmed with unease and insecurity. She wasn't attacking me; just issuing a general complaint to the universe. The words effortlessly flowed out of her mouth like she had said them a million times before, and I wasn't prepared for the adjectives that would be slung in the conversation: "Immature." "Childish." "Lazy." "Weak." "Pathetic." Wait for it ... "Man-Boys."
At a level, the tone we use to speak about young Christian men today would be self-evidently disrespectful in another context. And to state the obvious, it cuts the deepest when coming from our single female counterparts. There are a slew of legitimate reasons a single Christian woman would be tempted to rag on immature men. (1) Secular women offer a pre-packaged and intuitive man-boy bashing liturgy. (2) She (or a friend) dated a guy, got burned, and reinterpreted him through the lens of hurt as a "man-boy." (3) Taking jabs at immature men is a fun and easy way to sequester the chilling reality of singleness.
It's understandable, but can I please say this? It's not OK. The term "man-boy" (sometimes "man-child," "baby-man," etc.) is a slur. It is used to personally demean and debase a class of Christians. It is a put-down. It expresses contempt and exhibits haughtiness. And, worst of all, it defines the value of humans in God's image according to their gender performance.
The Problem Is Not Laziness
"But," you say, "there are a lot of Christian men who exhibit disappointing behaviors." This is true, but I'm not convinced categories like sinfulness or laziness, common explanations, properly capture the issue. Perhaps laziness points beyond itself—maybe it is symptomatic of a more systemic problem. Let's interpret the classic "man-boy" behaviors through a lens other than laziness:
Delaying marriage can help: avoid shared physical, emotional and spiritual space, and retreat into personal space.
Neglecting the Bible and church can help: avoid divine intimacy, and retreat into personal life.
Floating without ambition can help: avoid work hours, and retreat into personal time.
Playing video games chronically can help: avoid external reality, and retreat into virtual reality.
Living at home can help: avoid external pressures, and retreat into internal comforts.
Modern-Day Fig Leaves
"Lazy" is a surface-level description. "Avoid" moves us toward an explanation of the heart. Scripture tells us that the heart is always active (Gen. 6:5;Deut. 11:6; Jer. 17:5, 9; 1 Pet. 1:22), so our description of the heart should always be in the active voice (I'm not saying avoidance is the problem, but it helps us get a bit deeper than the laziness concept).
"Avoid" is a door to a slew of other active words and a host of other realities of the heart: fear ("What if I fail?"), anxiety ("I can't handle this!"), depression ("I hate myself/life"), feelings of insufficiency ("I am not enough"), self-deprecation ("I am stupid/dirty/undesirable"), shame ("God and neighbor are disgusted with me"), and a thousand more. "I would rather escape than publicly be put to shame" (cf. Rev. 6:16).
These categories give us a new perspective. "Man-boys" aren't first and foremost struggling with being men, but with being human. Singleness, solitude, laziness, video games and Mom's house are modern-day fig leaves—self-made coverings for men who are stripped of competence and deeply ashamed of their inability to engage with the realities of life because of their experience with the Oppressor (Is. 14:4), who seeks to spread confusion and chaos among God's people (John 8:44; 2 John 7; Rev. 12:10).
The Solution Is Not 'Try Harder'
The need of the day is not for the church of Jesus Christ to rip away the leaves but to start clothing them with the God-made garment of the gospel (Gen. 3:21). The solution to immaturity among young Christian guys is not remembering truths or tightening regulations, but a Person who did not avoid our realities but rushed into them for our sake: Jesus (Luke 2:52; Phil. 2:6-9)—Jesus, with his intercession, charity and grace.
Surely women aren't to blame for male immaturity or responsible for changing men. But what can single Christian women do about this phenomenon of immaturity—for their brothers in Christ—besides vent and name-call (Matt. 18:15; 1 John 3:14)? Here are some ways that they can help:
1. Intercessory Prayer
Pray for more fathers to take seriously their role to teach their children how to engage the world and not avoid it. Pray for men in general to do the same for guys without fathers. Pray for men to change, not merely at a behavioral level, but at a heart level—to move toward God and neighbor in the midst of indwelling sin and external oppression (Luke 10:27).
2. Charity
Speak well of others (Eph. 4:31). Treat the immaturity of young men the same way you would treat any other issue in the church: with diligence, faithfulness and love—the very same traits Paul includes in his imperative to "be men" (1 Cor. 16:13-14). This means that women are not reacting with cynicism or using the term "man-boy" (Eph. 4:29).
3. Faith
God is disciplining immature men to grow them up (Heb.12:11). He doesn't need your snide comments to help (Prov. 11:12). Trust that God has not abandoned men to immaturity, but is finishing the work that he began (Phil. 1:6).
4. Grace
All temptation is common to humankind (1 Cor. 10:13). The fear that exists in a man's heart may manifest itself in different (gender-specific) ways in your life. No matter whom you date, he will be a sinful man (Rom. 3:23) who is immature and afraid, and if he is a Christian, God is overcoming evil that is against him and in him (Phil. 2:13; Rom. 16:20). I'm not saying Jesus wants you to date a loser. He doesn't. All I'm saying is this: Don't just date a gospel-centered Christian; date like a gospel-centered Christian (1 Pet. 4:8).
Philosopher Søren Kierkegaard said that nature has affectionately equipped women "with an instinct so sensitive that by comparison the most superior masculine reflection is as nothing" (Sickness Unto Death, XI, 162). Sisters, prove Kierkegaard right. Outdo us in prayer, charity, faith and grace, and we men will try to outdo you in godly discipline and ambition. Then, perhaps mutual awe of the One "who helps us in our weakness" will bloom in due course (Rom. 8:26).
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