Jan | 17 | A legacy of daring

COURAGE

A legacy of daring

2 Samuel 23:8-12
These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-Basshebeth the Tachmonite, chief among the captains. He was called Adino the Eznite, because he had killed eight hundred men at one time. And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel had retreated. He arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder. And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. So the people fled from the Philistines. But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory. NKJV

I have spoken to a number of Christian men’s groups in the united Kingdom. All I have spoken to are pretty much the same demographic: Old, knackered, hopeless and grey faced, all sporting signs of a group terminal illness whilst eating a ‘Full English’ for Jesus at the golf club. The bag piped wailing of these, my poor brethren, is always the same: “We cannot understand why what young men we have left in the church won’t join us?” I almost always ask these good men to list me their top five living Christian heroes. We rarely start the list, never mind finish it.

I have stopped speaking to Christian men’s groups in the UK.

Why aren’t the young men joining such men’s groups? Well, most of the young men that we do have left seem to have had their spiritual testosterone drained out of them by politically correct effeminate leaders and then, lured by ‘Jesus is my girl friend songs,’ simply want to ascend the heights of church greatness by forming a band and becoming signed up as world-wide recognized ‘worship leaders.’ Whatever they are? The rest, that oh so very small group who are looking for a fight of any kind, and manly male leadership to take them there, mostly leave the white teeth smiles of the safe and mild mannered males which are left to walk shoulder to breast with the new disorderly lot, yes leave them, and go seek their excitement somewhere else. Why is the church emptying itself of masculinity and making little real impact? Well one reason is that we have no legacy of daring to leave our men or model before them. The only legacy we seem to be leaving is flower arranging and soup kitchens.

WWII Lieutenant Colonel Mad Jack Churchill, when asked why he took his claybeg (a basket hilted Scottish claymore sword) into battle with him, responded by saying: “In my opinion, sir, any officer who goes into action without his sword is improperly dressed.” Apparently the ‘Kilted Killer’ Englishman looked quite the site charging up the beaches into enemy positions, with his sword slashing silver, the gunfire explosions flashing across his silver buttoned battle tunic, bagpipes, revolver, machine gun, hand grenades, arrows and long bow all hanging around his neck and by his side. Yes, longbow! Now then, space will not allow me to recount the continued heroic exploits of this battling highly decorated British eccentric, both on and off the battlefield, but suffice to say that despite a long life of fearless exploits, he was disappointed to have died peacefully in his 1996 bed, aged 89 years. I wonder if when some of David’s mighty men simply placed their foot on the battlefield, the enemy quaked with fear and their own now emboldened followers quickly stepped up to the battle line. Mad Jack Churchill, the kilted killer, also believed that an assault leader should have a ‘reputation’ which would at once demoralize the enemy and convince his own men that nothing was impossible. We Christian men of spiritual war need to ask ourselves if our lives do the same. Are you an assault leader? Can you convince others that nothing is impossible?

It seems to me that in the early part of the 21st century, we have made our churches a breeding ground for wimps. Get in line. Sit down. Be nice. Be careful what you say and how you say it, what about your pension plan wimps. It grieves me greatly, and I for one will not march to the beat of that doleful drum. I am nearly 54 years of age at the time of my writing and not dead yet. This is a continuing testimony of my written intention to at the very least, leave a ‘legacy of daring’ to other nobodies who might come after me and succeed (or die in the attempt) at doing something extraordinary for Jesus. I tell you tonight friends, that if your vision is not far bigger than you, your contacts, your bank account and your life expectancy, then all you have is a plan. God however, gives visions! Go get one and then go fulfill it!



Listen:- it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth.? Acts 23:25-27

Pray: -  Lord Jesus Christ, please don’t ever let me ‘play it safe’. Help me to live! And live my life for you. Give me a vision from heaven that only you can fulfill and with it give me faith, give me determination, give me victory or give me a glorious death. Amen and let it be so.

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