“Rise up, O men of God! Have done with lesser things. Give heart and soul and mind and strength to serve the King of Kings.” I remember singing that hymn when I was a kid. I remember hearing my dad singing with his deep, bass voice and watching his facial expression when he sang. I’m not sure why, but it always made me feel proud of him. It made me want to be like him. I wanted to be a strong and resolute man, just like my dad.
Remember when the liberal news media coined the phrase “the war on women” several years ago? It was an attempt to convince a large part of the population that the culture had stacked the deck against women and that masculinity was a toxic trait. That lie seeped into the highest levels of our government and, sadly, has also infiltrated churches. The goal of this philosophy was never to empower women. The goal was to degrade manhood.
There has never been a day when real men are needed more than they are needed today. I’m speaking of men of integrity, men of commitment, men that are ready to go to battle for their church and their families. There is an urgent need for men to stand up and speak up for biblical values. We need men to prioritize church life over everything else that the culture is foisting on our kids. We need men who aren’t ashamed to walk, talk and carry themselves like men — loving, kind, respectful, strong men.
In my early days of ministry, one of my mentors was Pastor Richard Walters. He served Temple Baptist Church for over two decades, and I served under his leadership on the Temple ministry staff. Bro. Walters was a strong man. His preaching was strong. His leadership was strong. But his demeanor was kind and loving. There was never a doubt where Bro. Walters stood on any issue, but there was also never a doubt that Bro. Walters would be your friend. When he came to visit with me about joining the Temple staff, I can distinctly remember one of the qualifications he demanded. His voice still rings in my ears. “Bro. Parrish, I only hire strong men on my staff. Real men. If you get your feelings hurt easily, you might want to pass on my offer to join our team.” God used Bro. Walters in a great way to impact thousands for Jesus in the Little Rock area, and He used Bro. Walter’s leadership to influence my life.
Don’t let the world lie to you. God wants real men on His team. This world, this country, our churches and our families need real men to lead them. We need real men to lead who are following Jesus. He was the ultimate leader, and Jesus was all man and all God.
“Rise up, O men of God! The church for you doth wait — Your strength unequal to the task, but Christ in you is great! Lift high the cross of Christ; Tread where His feet have trod; As brothers of the Son of man, Rise up, O men of God!”
