The argument against man begins with population control, which is in direct opposition to God’s original intent.

The second argument is closely related, suggesting that man is the cause of “global warming,” or now, since pseudo-science fraudulently “cooked the books” (pun intended), the proposed argument is “global disruption.”

The claim that man is destroying the Earth is another attempt to control the increase of man economically.  The claims that we are using up the resources of Earth are simply out of step with the evidence.

God’s original intent for man was to dominate the Earth, which means we are to steward and care for the Earth.  I believe that we must properly manage our cultivation of the Earth.  We should develop and manage our resources with wisdom and responsibility; however, we must continue to draw upon those resources for our use and for the expansion of mankind.  The resources of Earth are placed on deposit for our use and increase.

God is wise enough to create the world in which we live with more than enough to sustain, and even prosper, mankind throughout our existence.

Next:  Work Is an Original Intent of Man

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This article is an excerpt from the book Fivestarman—The Five Passions of Authentic Manhood by Neil Kennedy.  To learn more about Fivestarman or to order your copy of Fivestarman—The Five Passions of Authentic Manhood please visit www.fivestarman.com.

You are free and welcome to re-publish, re-post, and in general share this article with any and all, so long as you keep all credits and links intact. For reprint rights, please contact us at info@fivestarman.com.

Within every man are purposes and passions that are uniquely male, yet we are being told that there is nothing inherently special or purposeful about manhood.  Women, liberated from dominated positions, have increasingly taken a lead role in society.  By September 2010, there were more women employed than there were men.  Touting this fact, the cover of the Atlantic Journal headlined this bold title, “THE END OF MEN.”

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t blame women for stepping up to exercise their liberty from oppressive or ignorant men who have abused them, or from lazy men who have not provided for them; however, radical feminism has violently attacked any semblance of a men’s uniqueness, rather than embracing their own special feminine identity.

Some men have surrendered their roles and special assignments, even taking on the mannerisms and roles of a female.

We are doomed to repeat the failed patterns of life if we do not discover the truths of authentic manhood.  Insecurities will overwhelm us if we do not gain the confidence that comes from purpose.  To become an authentic man means that we need to find the original intent of manhood.

First of all, we must have the foundational belief that we were created with the Intelligent Design of purpose.  Without a Creator, we are meaningless; our existence is flatulence in the wind.

If man is designed and purposed by a Creator, then the Creator defines him.  We must start at the beginning to discover His original intent for man.  Anything less is the ultimate arrogance.

How can the creation mockingly respond to the Creator, “Why did you make me this way?”

“Let us make man….”

After the formation of Earth and the gathering of waters, dry land appeared.  Before God released the agrarian system of provision, He designed the purpose of the Earth.  The Psalmist said, “The Earth was made for man.”

God used clay to mold, fashion, and frame the shadow of His image into a piece of living art.  Then He breathed into man’s nostrils the element of life.  Man became a living being.

The very first statement that God spoke over man gives us insight into His original intent, “Be fruitful and increase.”

Within your genetic code is the drive to succeed and increase.  Within you is the purpose of reproduction.  Within you is the increasing desire to grow your numbers.  As Solomon said, “No man is ever satisfied with his income.” It is diametrically opposed to the original intent of man not to want increase, numerically or economically.

It’s not greed to desire increase; it’s God’s original intent.  Greed is born out of covetousness, which is the desire to have another man’s possessions at his expense.  Greed is born out of a narcissistic attitude that fails to understand God’s provision.

The flaw in covetous thinking is the basic economic theory that my gain comes at the expense of another person.  Modern economics is built upon the idea that the pie is only so big for a few elites to eat of it.  Society does not trust the God of Creation to be wise enough to deposit within the Earth enough resources to sustain and prosper all people.

Solomon said, “As goods increase, so do consumers” (Ecclesiastes 5:11, author’s paraphrase).

God repeatedly declares over man His intent to populate the earth.  Yet, if you listen to the arguments of the fringe, they espouse controlling the increase of man, claiming that we are overpopulating the Earth.  Their idea is that man is inherently bad for the Earth.  Abortion becomes a sadistic means of controlling populations, just as euthanasia will soon be an acceptable means to serve their purpose.  Abortion is called, “choice.”  Euthanasia will be called, “mercy.”

It is always interesting to see the hypocrisy of the living argue against more people “living.”  They love only themselves.  If they really believed that mankind was bad for the Earth, they could easily eliminate at least part of the problem.  Their argument is silly.  Claiming to be wise, they are fools.

Next:  Man Is The Economy

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This article is an excerpt from the book Fivestarman—The Five Passions of Authentic Manhood by Neil Kennedy.  To learn more about Fivestarman or to order your copy of Fivestarman—The Five Passions of Authentic Manhood please visit www.fivestarman.com.

You are free and welcome to re-publish, re-post, and in general share this article with any and all, so long as you keep all credits and links intact. For reprint rights, please contact us at info@fivestarman.com.

As prologue to this video, Tony writes,

“Being a Coach has given me some unique opportunities to be a part of some great people’s lives. Growing up, both my Mom and Dad were teachers who went the extra mile for their students and for our family. They were my first examples of mentors and that taught me about leadership. When I was in junior high, I had an assistant principal who showed me what it meant to really care about me as a person – not just a student. Let me tell you how his influence impacted life.”

The Mentor Leader may be purchased at Amazon and other book retailers.

At that encounter, Jesus agreed to go to the Gentile’s home to personally minister healing to the servant.  You may recall that the Centurion acknowledged the imposition of his request for Jesus to enter his home.  Although Jesus was willing to do so, the act would have broken a tradition that forbid Jews from entering the house of a Gentile.

In light of this long-standing tradition, God orchestrated a series of events that involved an angelic visit to Cornelius and a spiritual vision to Peter. After Peter was convinced by the divine vision that he was not to call anything impure that God had made clean, he received an invitation from Cornelius to visit his home.

Cornelius prepared by inviting his relatives and close friends to hear the message of Peter.  The result was amazing – Cornelius and all of his guests were saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, evidenced by the supernatural experience of speaking in unknown languages.  This evidence proved to Peter and his Jewish companions that the Gentiles were indeed accepted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Did you get that? The Gentile church was started by first reaching a strong man!

A recent Christian Science Monitor article reported that one of the key components that marked a growing congregation was that men made up more than 60 percent of the attendees.

The greatest evangelistic effort of any church should be by focusing on men, because men give the greatest return on investment of our time, energy and evangelistic dollars. Not only is it the Biblical model but also statistics overwhelmingly support this claim.

David Murrow points out in his book, Why Men Hate Going to Church, that, “when a mother comes to faith in Christ, the rest of her family follows 17 percent of the time.  But when a father comes to faith in Christ, the rest of the family follows 93 percent of the time.”

More than 90 percent of American men believe in God, and five out of six call themselves Christians. But only two out of six attend church on a given Sunday. The average man accepts the reality of Jesus Christ, but fails to see any value in going to church.

The problem is that the Church has built its ministry strategy to men as simply another program filled with Bible studies, feminine-style communication, and love songs to Jesus. That will not work!

Why? Because men do not follow programs. Men follow men!

FivestarMan is not a program, nor is it a ministry. FivestarMan is a movement – a movement to resurrect authentic manhood.

See Related Article: Resurrecting Authentic Manhood

I’m reading a book by Bob Buford entitled “Halftime”. The premise of the book is that he spent the first half of his life being successful. He built a flourishing business, earned all the money he needed and was admired by many in what he had accomplished. His personal, business and spiritual life were the model of success. The second half of his life he wanted to move from success to significance making a lasting impact and legacy that would far outlast any personal success and even his years spent on this earth.

Buford states; “None of us knows when he will die. But any of us, if we wish, may select our own epitaph.”

The one Buford has chosen for himself is simple – 100X.

100X means “100 times”. Taken from the parable of the sower in Matthew 13.

3 Then he (Jesus) told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”

Simply stated, Buford wants to be remembered as a seed that was planted in good soil and was multiplied a hundred fold.

That’s exactly how I want to live. As I live my passion, my commitments to my family and the ministry that God has placed in my care, I want to leave a legacy that is a symbol of a higher yield both in my life and in my death. Fruit that will remain not just in the short term – but for an eternity.

100X — An epitaph that is not just carved into the granite stone of a tombstone, but that lives in what I have accomplished through how I lived my life and lasts for an eternity.

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About the Author
Phil Schmidt serves as President & Executive Director for Latin America ChildCare (LACC), a ministry of compassion that ministers to the needs of children living in extreme poverty. In partnership with a local church, LACC provides educational, spriritual and physical care to more than 100,000 children in 21 countries throughout the Latin America & Caribbean region.

Visit Phil’s blog at www.philorischmidt.com. Learn more about LACC at www.lacc4hope.org.

Following are six behaviors that increase self-esteem, enhance your self-confidence, and spur your motivation. You may recognize some of them as things you naturally do in your interactions with other people. But if you don’t, I suggest you motivate yourself to take some of these important steps immediately.

First, greet others with a smile and look them directly in the eye.

A smile and direct eye contact convey confidence born of self-respect. In the same way, answer the phone pleasantly whether at work or at home, and when placing a call, give your name before asking to speak to the party you want to reach. Leading with your name underscores that a person with self-respect is making the call.

Second, always show real appreciation for a gift or complement.

Don’t downplay or sidestep expressions of affection or honor from others. The ability to accept or receive is a universal mark of an individual with solid self-esteem.

Third, don’t brag.

It’s almost a paradox that genuine modesty is actually part of the capacity to gracefully receive compliments. People who brag about their own exploits or demand special attention are simply trying to build themselves up in the eyes of others — and that’s because they don’t perceive themselves as already worthy of respect.

Fourth, don’t make your problems the centerpiece of your conversation.

Talk positively about your life and the progress you’re trying to make. Be aware of any negative thinking, and take notice of how often you complain. When you hear yourself criticize someone — and this includes self-criticism — find a way to be helpful instead of critical.

Fifth, respond to difficult times or depressing moments by increasing your level of productive activity.

When your self-esteem is being challenged, don’t sit around and fall victim to “paralysis by analysis.” The late Malcolm Forbes said, “Vehicles in motion use their generators to charge their own batteries. Unless you happen to be a golf cart, you can’t recharge your battery when you’re parked in the garage!”

Sixth, choose to see mistakes and rejections as opportunities to learn.

View a failure as the conclusion of one performance, not the end of your entire career. Own up to your shortcomings, but refuse to see yourself as a failure. A failure may be something you have done — and it may even be something you’ll have to do again on the way to success — but a failure is definitely not something you are.

Even if you’re at a point where you’re feeling very negatively about yourself, be aware that you’re now ideally positioned to make rapid and dramatic improvement. A negative self-evaluation, if it’s honest and insightful, takes much more courage and character than the self-delusions that underlie arrogance and conceit.

I’ve seen the truth of this proven many times in my work with athletes. After an extremely poor performance, a team or an individual athlete often does much better the next time out, especially when the poor performance was so bad that there was simply no way to shirk responsibility for it.

Disappointment, defeat, and even apparent failure are in no way permanent conditions unless we choose to make them so. On the contrary, these undeniably painful experiences can be the solid foundation on which to build future success.

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Reproduced with permission from Denis Waitley’s Weekly Ezine.
To subscribe to Denis Waitley’s Weekly Ezine, go to www.deniswaitley.com
or send an email with Join in the subject to subscribe@deniswaitley.com
Copyright © 2005 Denis Waitley International. All rights reserved worldwide.

As parents, we can help our kids become champions as we commit to laying a solid emotional and spiritual foundation for them, and as we make the effort to believe in their potential to become all who God has designed them to become. Here are Pat’s “10 Building Blocks for Helping Your Kids Become Champions in Life.”

1. Encourage them to think the right kinds of thoughts.

Every action – whether good or bad – begins as a simple thought.  Therefore, it’s vitally important that we teach our kids to exercise control over their thought life.  Kids who become champions learn to think positive thoughts, correct thoughts, big thoughts, pure thoughts and unique thoughts.  Train your kids to think on only things that are good and beneficial.  See Philippians 4:8.

2. Encourage them to set goals.

We need to help our kids set realistic, specific and attainable short-term and long-term goals. In order to be a champion in any area of life, kids must be taught that goal-setting is the way to turn their dreams into reality.

3. Encourage them to choose the right kinds of friends.

To a great degree, the kinds of friends your kids choose will determine how they think, speak and act.  The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:33 that “bad company corrupts good character,” and it’s our job as parents to help steer our kids in the right direction when it comes to the friends they choose to associate with.  “Coach” your kids by offering occasional words of advice, words of wisdom and words of encouragement, and you’ll help them choose the right kinds of friends.

4. Encourage them to never give up.

Some of the most successful businessmen and women, athletes, and leaders today are not necessarily the most talented or most gifted.  Take David Eckstein of the St. Louis Cardinals for example.  David is 5’7’’ and weighs 165 lbs., which is considered too small by today’s standards in any professional sport.  All his life, David was told he would never make it in baseball, but he never gave up.  His persistence in the face of overwhelming odds paid off, and today he is seen as one of the premiere shortstops in the major leagues; he was an integral part of the 2002 Anaheim Angels World Series championship team.  When we help our kids become the kind of people who never give up, not only will they be amazed at what they can accomplish, they will become a conduit through which God can work in mighty ways!

5.  Encourage them to live by faith.

In John 10:10, it’s recorded that Jesus said that He came that we “may have life, and have it to the full.”  Without Him, it’s impossible to be a true champion in life, and this message must be communicated to our kids.  They need to know – and see by our example – that living by faith is an exciting adventure, and that by giving their lives to Christ, then,  and only then, will they be able to live life to the fullest.

6.  Encourage them to say the right kinds of words.

More than any other way, people judge us by the words we speak.  Kids need to understand that, whether they like it or not, the person who speaks clearly, articulately and confidently is much more likely to become a champion in life.  As parents, we can help them speak this way by encouraging them to speak words that are positive, speak the truth in love, listen before they speak and steer clear of using profanity.

7. Encourage them to take responsibility for their actions.

True champions understand that they are responsible for their actions.  Instead of whining and complaining about their difficulties, they strive to do their best with the hands they’ve been dealt. We need to help our kids take responsibility for their actions and decisions, which means we will need to let them experience and learn from failure.

8. Encourage them to turn their failures into strengths.

When troubles come, we need to help our kids learn to make the most of them.  We need to teach our kids how to give their failures to God and allow Him to use them for His glory and for their benefit. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:10 that he delighted “in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” When our kids are at their weakest is when God has the chance to be His strongest in their lives.

9. Encourage them to go the extra mile.

Kids need to understand that hard work will help them overcome many of life’s obstacles.  They can have unbelievable intelligence, great connections, and have opportunities fall out of the sky, but in the end, hard work is the true enduring characteristic of a champion. We read in 1 Corinthians 10:3, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”  The glory of God is what motivates true champions to go the extra mile in all areas of their lives.

10. Encourage them to remember that character counts.

Kids need to understand that if they want to be champions in life, then they must be people of honesty and integrity.  It’s almost impossible to overestimate the importance of character. An absence of character is responsible for much of the trouble the human race has experienced.  We must teach our kids that character – what they do when they know they can get away with anything – is vital not only to their success in life, but also to being useful to the Lord.

Adapted from Who Wants to Be a Champion?: 10 Building Blocks to Help You Become Everything You Can Be (2005) by Pat Williams, Howard Publishing.

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By Jim Burns, Ph.D
In response to the overwhelming needs of parents and families, Jim Burns founded HomeWord in 1985. HomeWord is a Christian organization designed to provide assistance to adults worldwide as they help young people make wise decisions and lead positive, vibrant, Christian lifestyles.

Printed by permission of HomeWord.  For additional information on HomeWord, visit www.homeword.com or call 800-397-9725.

The mother of a 15-year old Seattle girl is furious because her daughter had an abortion with some assistance from the nurses at her school and she was never informed. She only found out after the fact when her daughter had an unrelated health problem and finally revealed she had terminated a pregnancy.

The girl attends Ballard High School in Seattle which has a teen health clinic inside. The clinic is run by Swedish Medical Center and administered by the King County Health Department.

According to the girl’s mother, who did not want to give her name, her daughter was given a pregnancy test at the school clinic which was positive. She was then told by the nurse that she could have an abortion at a nearby Planned Parenthood clinic without her parents’ knowledge.

The girl then called a taxi, which picked her up at the school and drove her by herself to Planned Parenthood. The mother says once at the clinic a Planned Parenthood worker discouraged her daughter from informing her parents. She claims the worker told her that if she kept quiet the procedure would be free, but if she told her parents they would have to pay for the abortion.

The mother acknowledges she signed a consent form at the beginning of the school year giving the school permission to administer health care off campus. She assumed that meant in cases of emergency. Nowhere on the form is abortion mentioned.

A King County Health official would not speak about any of the details surrounding the case, but did say that no laws were broken. In Washington State a girl of any age can get an abortion without her parent’s being notified. It’s one of 15 states without either parental consent or parental notification laws.

The county health official also says that schools routinely send kids in taxis when they’re taken off campus for medical procedures.

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What’s missing in the above article?

There is not one mention of a male. The argument of abortion has been segregated from men. Society has alienated us from the conversation. We are given no “right” to speak to this subject.

Completely absent in this story is a reference to the father of the child who fathered the infant that was aborted, nor the father of the 15-year-old child fleeced by the public school and the eugenic engineers of Planned Parenthood.

Where are the fathers?

It is time for authentic manhood to give voice to this scourge on our society. Our strategy will not work by yelling or demanding to be notified.  We must circumvent the process by not giving woman the “choice” to slay our children.

Solomon addressed it this way, “Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers.”

We need to teach our sons that they deposit “life-giving-seed” and they should protect their “streams” from an unworthy woman. We should place an extreme value on the seed of mankind. Man is progenitor of humankind. We are responsible for the sowing of seed.

Let’s circumvent the argument. Let’s resurrect manhood so that our sons value themselves and their seed again. Let’s teach our sons to be gallant in their relationships, respecting themselves with the dignity of the life-giver.

Contrary to what most moms and dads think, teens really do want rules. Rules help keep them headed in the right direction and prevent them from ending up in a place that they don’t want to be. When coupled with consequences, they help the teen more easily resist temptation and the inappropriate scheming of their peers. Having a good reason to say “No” comes as a relief to a teen raised to know basic moral values. Deep down, teens understand this, no matter how much they push against the rules, bend them, break them, and balk at them.

To be effective, rules need to be based on the boundaries you establish in your home, which are even more important and foundational for a child to learn. Boundaries aren’t the rules; they are the fence posts placed around behavior. They are the delineation of how a family’s beliefs are to be lived out; the “I will” and “I will not” statements that are the basis of our daily living and interaction with others. They help everyone in the family take responsibility for their own behavior, improve their choices, and know if they are headed into dangerous territory.

Boundaries define what you will and won’t accept, and should come from what you believe is right for your teen at this stage in his life and for your family.

An example of a boundary might be: “We will treat each other with mutual respect.”  If you believe that respect for one another has merit (I certainly do), then your boundary will include showing respect to those you live with, and teaching family members to respect authority and those outside the family as well. Being respectful means: not taking things without asking, not talking badly about another, not leaving a mess, not calling names or mouthing off.

On the positive side, being respectful means: celebrating one another’s successes, helping each other out when it’s needed, asking permission before using something that is not yours, or standing up for other family members. You fill in what you consider to be respectful and disrespectful practices.

Did you notice in this example that boundaries are about every member of the family, not just the kids? They are more about setting an accepted lifestyle and mode of interaction for everyone in the home, versus specific do’s and don’ts. If the boundaries are completely understood, then rules almost become redundant. For instance, “respect” would also cover issues like theft, honesty, caring for others, taking care of one’s belongings, etc.

Boundaries insure each family member takes responsibility for themselves and their own actions.

Boundaries include what your child already knows, what you’ve taught them all their life. But sometimes teens get confused by “childhood” rules within those boundaries and rules which are lifelong.  For instance, the boundary, “We will avoid unnecessary risks and dangers,” would include holding mom’s hand as you walk across the street as a child. This would of course not be appropriate in the teen years. Rather, it would shift more toward wearing a car seatbelt, a bike helmet, and not taking medications without a parent’s permission or doctor’s prescription in the teen years.

But another typical boundary, “We will avoid illegal activities,” is a lifelong boundary. It never changes, other than according to changes in the current laws. The goal, then, is to make it clear to your teen which boundaries and related rules are now appropriate for him, according to the values you hold dear and just common sense (you may have noticed that teens don’t always have a lot of common sense).

Boundaries aren’t just to corral behavior, but they are also for protecting teens from their peers on the other side of the fence. For instance, a teen girl should establish her own personal boundaries in regard to her body and not allow others to cross those boundaries with her.  Talk to her about those boundaries, so she solidifies them in her mind before the situation arises.

How to Establish Boundaries

Parents can begin to establish boundaries by picking their top ten or fifteen deeply held beliefs and then identifying boundaries for each. Think about and write down different real-life situations and how far things can go before your family boundaries will be violated.  Having too many boundaries can confuse the whole family and make it impossible to grow and adapt, so keep it simple.

Here are some examples of boundaries (yours may be different):

• We believe our home is a refuge, where there should be mutual respect for one another and for each other’s belongings, time and personal space.We believe in truth and honesty, so we will tell the truth (including the whole story). We will not bend the truth, gossip untruths or exaggerate.
• We believe that having positive and uplifting communications is important, so will not use inappropriate language, cussing, swearing, off-color stories, or yelling in anger.
• We believe that there is nothing good that can happen after midnight, so everyone should be home.
• We believe that excellence is important, so we expect everyone to do their best in what they do, including work, chores and school.
• We believe that faith is an important part of life, so we will participate in the activities and the fellowship of others in our church.

Boundaries Demand Rules and Consequences

If you wonder why teenagers behave irresponsibly, well, it’s because they are irresponsible.  And, they will not become responsible or mature, or wise, until they engage in the process of dealing with the consequences of their choices and behavior.  It is a cycle that needs to happen over and over before a teen comes to full maturity.

So, the next job is to create specific rules and then consequences for breaking those rules. That’s a job best developed by the whole family, so they feel as though they have contributed. You’ll be surprised how harsh your teen will make their own consequences, so it will be your job to make those more reasonable. And don’t forget to make the consequences escalate for each continued breach of the rules and match consequences with the severity of the infraction.

Keep In Touch

The point is this: your teen needs to learn how to make good choices. When they know in advance what the boundaries are, what the specific rules are, and what the consequences will be, they’ll more likely be able to make a better choice. At the very least, they’ll not be shocked and feel “ganged up” on when consequences are applied. “Mom’s might ground me for this” simply isn’t a concrete deterrent. Instead, “I’ll lose my cell phone for a month” is a clearer and more direct deterrent that will stick in the teen’s mind.

Boundaries are important. But teens are still prone to test them in every possible way.  So, as you develop and enforce healthy boundaries it is important to spend time with your child on a regularly scheduled basis to discuss them. This makes it clear to them that no matter what decisions they make; your relationship will not be affected.

Set up a weekly breakfast or dinner where you can talk, one to one. Avoid rehashing past mistakes but talk about better choices that can be made in the future and how those will positively impact your teen’s life. Help them begin to set goals and think about their purpose in life.  And be sure to begin and end your discussion with making sure your child understands that there is nothing they can do to make you love them more, and there’s nothing they can do to make you love them less.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mark Gregston is an author, speaker, radio host, and the founder and director of Heartlight, a residential program for struggling adolescents located in East Texas.