Today I met a Great Man - Paul Kowd

Gents,

Last weekend I met a man that is one of my Heros. He's from the Riverina, on the Murrumbidgee.

I have just attended a weekend course, on Walking Closer with God, by Ellel Ministries. 

Over the weekend, you meet folks from different backgrounds, ages and churches. It's great. 

So Naomi and myself are sitting down at breakfast in the dinning hall and introducing ourselves to this guy Paul. 

What follows next almost takes my breath away when I think about it. 

I ask Paul what's his story, what does he do, and tells us he works for a community NGO supporting young adults in vulnerable situations. We dig a little deeper and he reveals in a very humble, unassuming manner, the following:

He was violent, in trouble with the police many years ago. Was recommended by the doctor with the police restraining him to meet with the local Priest. He objects, but agrees to under duress. The Priest takes him aside and suggest he just starts reading the Gospel of John - bit by bit. 

Paul agrees to and within weeks he's transformed. 

So what does he do, he senses God's unction to go and help people - he visits prisoners at Goulburn Jail, he works at various refuges and flys to India and volunteers at Mother Terea's hospices and hospitals.  As he tells me ( and this we're having to pry out of him) he's moved by recounting the story of holding a man in the hospice who's dying and he telling the man through the interpreter that he wants him to know that he's travelled half way around the world to tell him God loves him and that his life matters. 

Here Nim and I are sitting across the table in the presence of a man who from the outside, is a typical man's man, from the country, no pre-tense, no non-sense. And inside of me, I just want to jump over the table and hug the man and tell him that he's my hero.  Where are more men like this!?

He tells me he has a 21 year daughter, she's working in Canberra, but is going to die this year due to a disease. He's proud of her, but struggling with the time ahead. 

About 18 months ago we worked through a book at Ironmen called "Wild at Heart" which talked about  the elusive prey - a man's heart. One of the things that really spoke to me in that book, was the idea of experiencing the weight and presence of another man.  And with Paul, being with him was one of those moments, to be in the presence of not just a good man, but a "great man".  

Wisdom of the world

Gents,



I have just come from watching the tail end of “Q & A” on the ABC. It's a great show that brings up great (and from time to time, not so great) topics and questions from the lay person to the panel of leaders, practitioners, sages and those who are considered wise and “thought leaders” of this world.
Tonight's panel were from the writers league. Greer was one of the panelists along with 3 British writers/actors of whom I have only seen one before in a couple of movies.
No surprise, some question (which I had not heard before I turned on the TV) was related to the book “50 Shades of Grey”. Watch now:



This is the summary of the book:
Fifty Shades of Grey is a 2011 erotic novel by British author E. L. James. Set largely in Seattle, it is the first instalment in a trilogy that traces the deepening relationship between a college graduate (22 y.o), Anastasia Steele, and a young business magnate (27 y.o), Christian Grey. It is notable for its explicitly erotic scenes featuring elements of sexual practices involving bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, sadism/masochism
Now the panel, in all of it's wisdom and grandeur were putting answers like these to the audience of several hundred and on national television the following to this book:



“I hate grocery shopping, so if you can get some soft porn at the supermarket, then great!”
“I'm waiting for the book 50 Shades of Gay!”
and then one of them went on about how in the “olden days” we couldn't talk and express and experience what this type of book covers, and so this gives us an avenue to explore and converse with others.....



and this book is becoming the fastest selling modern book to date, possibly outstripping the Harry Potter series. If you really want to get a sense of the discord and warped sense our hearts and minds are gagging for in books and media, then the plot of this book can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifty_Shades_of_Grey
I skimmed through to the 3^rd paragraph and had had enough. Let me guess, the couple end up separated, but “liberated” and released from their fears and anxieties, ready to grow into mature sexually progressive people, ready for the next great sexual exploration life, maybe graduating to the repressed “Bride Stripped Bare” wife!
And we consider this the wisdom and thought leaders of our “modern progressive society” “forward thinking”.... we pay them millions of dollars to attend conferences, sit on boards and organisations, interview them for their opinion, and this is what we get.
Watch now:



18-21The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It's written,

   I'll turn conventional wisdom on its head,
   I'll expose so-called experts as crackpots.
So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn't God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation.
 22-25While Jews clamour for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom, we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. Jews treat this like an anti-miracle—and Greeks pass it off as absurd. But to us who are personally called by God himself—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God's ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. Human wisdom is so tinny, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God. Human strength can't begin to compete with God's "weakness."
 26-31Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That's why we have the saying, "If you're going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God."
(1 Corinthians 1)

My comments may sound harsh against the panel. That is not really my intention, as I don't know them personally, their story or background. What I am trying to highlight Gents, is that wisdom of the world is folly and warped. And God says this: “The fear (respect and honour) of God is the beginning of Wisdom”. Listen and feed on His words about you and your life than cotton candy “progressive” junk. Follow the worlds wisdom and see where it leads to.....

Transforming the Mind

Gents,



"So a man thinks - so is he" (Proverbs 23:7 - NKJV)



" I can't afford to entertain thoughts about myself that not of God " (Bill Johnson - Bethel Church)



" Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good , pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)



"Like it or loathe it marketing is part of everyday life. The average Australian is exposed to around 3,000 advertising messages a day and advertisers spend $12 billion a year persuading us to buy stuff we never knew we needed. It's the oxygen of competition. So if you feel like coming up for air or can't get enough of it, you have come to the right place. "
http://www.nationaltimes.com.au/opinion/blog/the-pitch



"Want to know how to wear jeans like a fashonista?
"Tired of him finishing first in bed? We're here to help"
"Ask him or lose him"
Cosmopolitan.com.au



"While we know this news leaves a hole in your daily routine of clicking on our features, videos and girl galleries (and if it doesn’t; maybe if you’d partaken a bit more we wouldn’t be shut now), here’s a bunch of other sites we hope will fill the void:
Zoo Weekly
Top Gear
Empire"
fhm.com.au



"Give dad the moments he loves"
news.com.au



Okay Gents, here's a question: If you and I were exposed to messaging across all forms of media and communication, that were from God about his view of you, your life, your family, your work, your future, for a year, what frame of mind and health (across all aspects) would you be in?



For example:



" I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future"



" I have come to save you and not condemn you"



"Forgive others, just as God forgives you"



"For you have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms"



"I wish above all things that you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers"



"For you can do all things through my Son Jesus who strengthens you"



"For you can overcome all things"



"This is my son, in whom I am well pleased"



"Nothing will separate you from my Love"



I could go on.... and His Words and Thoughts do....



Our thoughts define what our behaviour is about to become. Advertising and marketing strategy understand this all too well and are paid handsomely to influence our thoughts which lead to peoples behaviour towards that product or service.
In many ways, we are held captive by our thoughts, rather than taking these thoughts are making them captive to Jesus Christ






3-6The world is unprincipled. It's dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity. (2 Corinthians 10:3-6 Message)



 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)



Let's take pornography for example, heres a excerpt from Encyclopaedia Britannica:

pornography, representation of sexual behaviour in books, pictures, statues, motion pictures, and other media that is intended to cause sexual excitement. The distinction between pornography (illicit and condemned material) and erotica (which is broadly tolerated) is largely subjective and reflects changing community standards.



Now, what's wrong with this explanation?
Satan corrupts the thoughts and arguments, to normalise dysfunction. Better still he corrupts one of the greatest and most precious aspects of a man's life and dresses it up as liberation and freedom much like a fish hook with bait on it and catches us, pulls us out of our normal life and onto a dry land where we are stuck and flapping about, dying with too much of what we had adequately under water.



What is the difference with Porno and Erotica? It's just a "rational" way to justify our addictions.



Better still he crafts messages and a "rational" argument to women to be liberated and free of oppression and to embrace abortions and sexual liberty as a format of "freedom and women's liberation"



(BTW - Freedom is not the ability to do what you want, but rather the ability to chose to do the right thing, otherwise you're a slave to your desires and thoughts, irrespective of the outcome.)



7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Philippians 4: 7-8



If I am to take captive of every thought that is not of God, so that my actions and life follow, then following Philippians 4:7-8 is a good way to go.

That's what Romans 12 is referring to, The Transforming of the mind.

Gents, don't be like me and lulled into a false sense of normalising dysfunction and having what I call "lazy syndrome" where you have timidity about accepting His Word and His Thoughts as the superior governing authority.  Satan has corrupted man's thoughts (Garden of Eden is where it started....).



7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7 - NKJV)

Legacy & Character

Hi Guys,

Take a look at Wednesday's AFR(www.afr.com.au) article on the recent death of Robert Maple-Brown.

He was a "founding father " in the investment and funds management sector for Australia.

He died leaving a legacy of $285M, but set up billion dollar investments, married to his now widow of 45 years, sat on many charities as chairman and the company he founded along with his own Maple-Brown Family Charitable Foundation support more than 100 charities.
He drove the same old saab for 13 yrs and upgraded only once in his working partnership.
He supported the christian charity that helps dementia sufferers.

People in the industry said this about him:
"he was someone people wanted to emulate...if i only had one word, it's be 'integrity' and that's hard to find in the financial community these days"

To top it off his family of 3 children and 11 grandchildren have asked that instead of flowers at the funeral, that donations be made to Sir David Martin Foundation.

Guys i can't help but be accutely reminded that the Character  of a man is not measured by his wealth or extravegance, but by his actions throughout his life. There is not a 'one off' good deed, or several wives, but a man who walked out character.

Rebuking and Teachability

"An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips" (somewhere in Proverbs)



"An open rebuke is better than hidden love" (Proverbs 27:5)



"Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy" (Proverbs 27:6)

"A single rebuke does more for a man of understanding than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool" (Proverbs 17:10)



"So don't bother correcting mockers, they will only hate you,
But correct the wise and they will love you" (Proverbs 9:8)

"Pride leads to disgrace, but humility comes wisdom" (Proverbs 11:2)

"Pride leads to conflict, those who take advice are wise" (Proverbs 13:10)

"True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches honour and a long life" (Proverbs 22:4)

"Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock" (Matthew 7:24)

"But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand" (Matthew 7:26)

It's an interesting topic this one I think, in as much that our Australian and Western society has had a reformation on self help books and finding our "Best practices" for our family, health, business, management, process, marriage, sex, education.. the list goes on.... of which there is much wisdom (and rubbish) in them, but for us guys, I keep coming back to this question: 

"Am I able to rebuke someone?"
"Am I able to be rebuked and cop it?"
"Am I teachable?"

Proverbs spends much of it's time talking about obtaining wisdom and holding on to it. Teachability, being able to be rebuked it would seem are 2 core characteristics that we need, if we are to obtain wisdom. Kind of makes sense, if you start out without knowledge and need it to become wise.  



Jesus spends much of his time teaching people (firstly he would do stuff, and then teach afterward about what he had done, which is an interesting discussion in itself), for which many said " this is a hard teaching" or flatly wanted to kill him for it. 
You could surmise that the Pharisees were not teachable?

Coming back to my original three questions, in my head I believe Yes to be the answer to all three, but how do I know? What examples can I point to?

Another really good question I think to ask, is: how do I handle small rebukes or being told off at work or being chastised for small things? How does that compare to others around me?

Do I cough up and admit when I made a mistake?

Guys, I would love to say I am humble and open and take criticism well, but I am at times, one prideful beast of a man. And I don't like it. To the point where I can see it as a character flaw that can take me out of the game. I don't say that lightly. Pride and confidence in this discussion are at opposite ends. Pride and being proud in them selves are not bad. I am proud of my accomplishments for example. But my pride is a flaw when it comes to saying sorry to my wife first.

Is there a difference to wanting to learn, versus being able to accept criticism and being chastised?

I think so.

There are 3 guys in my life that I don't think are have the 2 characteristics we're discussing.

1 responds like a teenager when being chastised

1 believes they know all things and indirectly lets everyone in the room know they are the smartest kid on the block

1 can't take orders from management or people more senior than him

Each of them seek education and have spent much time educating themselves. One of them is a ferocious reader. But I observe traits that prevent them from accepting a rebuke and being taught by someone under them. 

It makes me think, is that me? Am I like that?

Do you have a friend/colleague that you can trust to rebuke you?

How willing are you to be taught even it they are below your pay grade, age or position?

How willing are you to be rebuked and taught by God?

“For the Lord disciplines those he loves” (Proverbs 3:11)

“But God's discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness... no discipline is enjoyable while it is happening- it's painful. But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained that way” (Hebrew 12: 10-11)

As men, we need to remind ourselves of this stuff on an ongoing basis and have it as part of core character traits, because we'll either: 

- Be stuck on that island of pride all with no-one around

- Be the smartest (and dumbest) guy in the room, because we are the only one there

- Reduce our capacity to live out the Dominion mandate by being as productive as an infant

- Fall in satan's hands - you and I might accept forgiveness through Jesus Christ, but where to from there?  How can you and I ever be corrected and taught if you know it all or can't see "the plank in your own eye, over the speck in your brothers?" Do we not need teaching and rebuking once we accept Christ into our hearts?

- Pass on a poison legacy to your kids

Here's some thoughts/practical actions:

• Ask someone you trust: are you teachable? What areas are your weaknesses?
• Have the guts to rebuke someone if it's legitimate – check your motives before you do
• Learn to shut up when someone is teaching / telling you something – even of you already know. (i.e. don't shut them down, or finish their sentence – I used to do that all the time and still do occasionally)
• Keep your heart soft towards God: “Out of a mans heart, spring the issues of life” - how many walked away because of a hard heart.

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