To my knowledge I haven't reprinted outside articles in my weekly blog.  This article was so illuminating that I felt to share it with our "gentlemen" readers.  Of course, ladies may enjoy it as well!

Gentleman

Today, we use the word 'gentleman' very casually, without understanding the depth in its meaning. Any audiences, large or small, are addressed by the terms ladies and gentlemen. On looking at the real deep meaning of the word 'gentleman' we realize how carelessly we use it. The word 'gentleman' has evolved over a long time. The word is associated with esteemed values and principles that should be possessed by a man to be called a gentleman. The connotation of the word 'gentleman' has changed over time. It once implied a man of conduct, a man of virtue while it has become an everyday word of the present times.

Gentleman's Characteristics
Being a gentleman does not depend on the social standing of a man. It is his behavior, which makes him a gentleman. According to an old story, a woman had requested the king to make her son a gentleman. The king had replied to her saying that he would only be able to make him a nobleman and only God would be able to make him a gentleman. During the Shakespearean Era, a man who bore a coat of arms was considered a gentleman. During the olden days, wearing a sword was one of the visible characteristics of gentlemen.

With the passing time, the word 'gentleman' began to be linked to a wider range of characteristics. Today, one may associate a gentleman with gentleness. But the real significance of the word was a man's characteristic of gentility. A gentleman is one who treats others, especially women with respect. It is he who bears great regard towards womanhood. It is he who understands her and treats her honorably. A gentleman is characterized by his courtesy and concern towards women. He gives ladies their due respect and acts with humility. It's the decency in a man's behavior that characterizes him as a gentleman.

A gentleman is someone who does not take an undue advantage of his power or the weaknesses of those around him. He is a man who does not compel others to do anything against their wish. A gentleman never offends others physically or mentally. He never inflicts pain. In a broader sense of the term, a gentleman is the one who cares for the people around him, helps them with their problems and strives to remove every obstacle that impedes their lives. Easing and comforting everyone around remains the major concern of a gentleman. He is thoughtful and has foresight. His wisdom helps him stay away from blunders.

Other characteristics of a gentleman include his humbleness, his prudence, his calm, his patience and his principles. A gentleman never boasts of himself. He is merciful and tender. He can keep his cool in all types of situations. He never looks at people with prejudiced eyes. He refrains from getting into conflicts or debates. He keeps himself away from badmouthing people and making unreasonable allegations. He dislikes gossip.

Above all, a gentleman bases his thoughts and actions on healthy philosophical principles. He submits to pain and understands that certain things in life are inevitable. He accepts death as a part of destiny. He adheres to righteousness throughout life.

"Stupid Is As Stupid Does!"




In the words of Forrest Gump, "stupid is as stupid does."  Christians, just like non-Christians, can do some of the dumbest things.  The real public relations problem for the Lord is that often those dumb things are done with a follow up comment, "God told me to do it!"  The phrase, "God told me..." can be a defense mechanism for rebellious and/or immature people.  It isolates the person from correction, they think.  Evidently the Apostle Paul was dealing with just such issues in the church at Corinth.  In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul deals very specifically with the audible public gifts of speaking in tongues with interpretation and prophecy.  In our day as in their day these guidelines need to be followed.  Listen to Paul in the following verses.  I Cor. 14:23 "Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all.25And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you."




Paul makes it very clear that when these gifts are in operation, it is important for the common good that there is an order and propriety to their function.  Later in this chapter Paul even says that when a person says, "God says", the other prophets who are present must judge it.  This would include preaching as well.  This propriety represents to us the character of a safe and orderly God.  His heart and requirement for accountability should not be seen as a domination so much as guidelines to liberation. It should work far beyond verbal gifts and even beyond the church gathering.  No one is to be above judging and correction if necessary. That would cover the spectrum from the pope to the pew.  While it is wonderfully true that we can all be used as redeemed vessels to speak on God's behalf, it is also true that we can all miss it!  Yes, we can and probably have all said and done "stupid things" in and around church circles. I know I have, many times.  There is even great freedom in knowing that!  We hold this treasure in earthen vessels so it is a part of the process of the function of the "earthen vessel church."  Insecurity doesn't like to be told that it is wrong.  Security and maturity are sisters that respond to correction with gratitude and grace.  





Overcomers

2 Peter 2:18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. 19While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.

The Apostle Peter tells us that in the last days there will be powerful false teachers who will have such power that they will be able to lead believers astray and actually "overcome" that person.   The word "overcome" is defined as: "to defeat, beat, conquer, trounce, thrash, rout, vanquish, overwhelm, overpower, get the better of, triumph over, prevail over, win over."  The late Minister Derek Prince said, "we will either be overcomers or we will be overcome." We will live our lives overcoming obstacles, false teaching, false prophecies and other forms of spiritual warfare or we will be ourselves overcome.  

Jesus said in Revelation 3:21 "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne."  Again in Revelation 2:26 Jesus said, "And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—"  It has been said that the Christian life is a marathon, not a sprint.  They don't give trophies for those who start a race.  They only give rewards for those who finish.  Jesus says we must overcome to finish.  That means we will be challenged, even attacked.  We must overcome the temptations, challenges and attacks.  It is a war in which we are engaged.  In war there is a phrase called "the fog of war".  Regardless of the training in objective and tactics, once the bullets start flying and brothers in arms start falling, the fog of war sets in.  Confusion seems to be the only thing that is certain.  D Day was a prime example.  Almost everything went wrong that could go wrong.  Yet, in the midst of the fog of warfare people who overcame stabilized themselves and returned to the truth of their training.  They didn't allow themselves to be overtaken by all the "what ifs and yeah buts."  They made a decision to believe in and practice their basic training.

We are in a spinning world of chaos and confusion.  It may even look as if what we have learned as foundational Christian teaching isn't working.  It's all the fog of war!  For centuries and centuries the Church has been bombarded.  It has looked bleak time and again.  Yet for those who chose to believe and live by the Truth of God's Word regardless of circumstances, they overcame and gained their place among the overcomers that have spanned the ages.  

Rattlesnakes in the House!

I can't get released from continuing to address the end time scourge of false prophets and false teachers.  Those who know me know that I am a reasonably positive person.  I don't enjoy going on this long on what might be considered a negative topic.  Yet, I still feel a need to address this critical topic.  In the event that you may think I'm putting too much emphasis on it, let's take a look at the following instructions about false teachers:

2 Peter 2:12 But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, 13and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, 14having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. 15They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.17These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. 18For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. 19While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. 

Notice the last sentence.  "for by whom a person is overcome."  False teachers have power.  Their lofty words and enticing promises are alluring.  The Word says people will be "overcome and brought into bondage."  These people are confessed believers.  Many of them will be church members.  I see these last days false prophets and teachers as demonic raiding parties attacking those on the borders of the church, the outskirts.  They are distant church members who have withdrawn from the safety of the inner sanctuary of the Church family because of disillusionment, disappointment or wounds.  They haven't dealt with their offenses as Jesus has told us.  They are distant, festering and vulnerable, easy pickings for the devil.  Don't set yourself up for deception.  

Go to those with whom you are at odds.  Discuss your concerns with your leaders.  And when you see and discern false prophets and teachers working their way into the life of the church, treat them like a "rattlesnake in the house!"

Safe Grazing!

Matthew 24:11"Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come."

Again this week I am returning to Matthew 24 and specifically focusing on the term "false prophets".  What a frightening term.  Yet, we dare not wish it away.  Why?  Because Jesus used it!  More and more I am trying to keep in my focus, the Words of Jesus.  While I hear the words, teachings and commentaries of Godly men and women, I'm trying to keep those words in my peripheral vision.  I want only the Words of Jesus to be my guiding light.  1 Timothy 4:1 tells us, "Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons." NLT
"Teachings that come from demons."  Hmmmm, how is that possible?  It is possible because God's word tells us it WILL happen.  It is not something that could happen but will happen.  As we said last week, this downward spiraling process will occur among church people,  not in the world.  

What will these false teachers and false prophets look like?  They will be very attractive people.  I mean that with and emphasis on "attractive".  They will be attractive to Christians.  What would make them attractive?  Their words are enticing to the "itching ears" of believers who do not have a solid foundation, others who have a root of bitterness toward the Church and those that are just plain gullible.   Their teachings will have attractive elements of Truth but will be off base just a little in the beginning.  One of the things that false prophets will do is to undermine the mission and  the authority of Jesus' Church.  The Church was and is being built by Jesus.  He said He would build it.  It is his idea, it has a family structure given from his throne.  It has his mission at its core.  It is centered on Christ and magnifies only Him.  False prophets slowly lead believers away from Jesus and His Church and toward a promised kingdom that is supposedly much more advanced than the church.    They carefully criticize the true Church and church leaders while building their own kingdom and feathering their own nests.  Sound familiar?  It should because it is the same spirit that was in Absalom.  He sat outside the gate of the real Kingdom and declared he had a better idea.  He cast doubt on the credibility of his own Father, the authority structure set in place by God, and led a group of people to disaster.  Such will be the end of those that are captivated by false prophets and teachers.  We must endure till the end!

Make sure you are in a God ordained local church.  By the way, there isn't a perfect one.  Make sure that your primary spiritual diet is not coming from outside the protection of the Church.  If a sheep starts graving too far from the fold it becomes vulnerable to wolves. May God grant us wisdom!