'Young Men Rise Up'

"If your food supply was my blog entries, then you would have perished months ago!" ~Br. Samuel French, OP

Is this what a real man is like?

Eight German teenagers have been admitted to hospital after a test of courage in which they drank chili sauce more than 200 times hotter than normal chili sauce. According to the Scoville scale, which measures the hotness of sauce, the sauce they drank measured 535,000 - compared with 2500 for normal Tabasco sauce.

Now blokes, we have all been there, haven't we? The call has gone out, the challenge had been laid down, and to prove that you are a real man, a man's man, a strong man, a courageous man, you have to go through with the dare.

To be a Christian man means being a man's man too. Christianity is not for the faint hearted. It is not for the weak or for the woosy. For it is not easy to be a Christian, is it? Being a Christian is a constant test of courage.

Check out 1 Corinthians 16:13-14:

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.

What a real Christian man looks like

To be a Christian means being on guard, ready to fight in a spiritual battle.

To be a Christian means to stand firm in the faith, always trusting in, believing in and relying upon Jesus; no matter what.

To be a Christian means to have the courage to stand up and be different, even if that means you will be rejected.

To be a Christian means to be strong with Christ's strength, even when everyone around you thinks you are weak.

To be a Christian means to do everything in love; to serve and sacrifice, give and guide, protect and provide, just like Jesus did.

The call has gone out, the challenge has been laid down. What will you do when your courage is next tested?

Be a man. A Christian man. Stand up and stand out for Jesus today.

Easter Reflections

“Signs of great Faith: Saying grace in a KFC” – Sam French

Have you ever believed you did something God could never forgive? Or do you ever have thoughts that make you feel so ashamed you do not dare talk with God about them? I know I do.

The second reading today (Hebrews 4: 14-16) reminds us of one of the most important truths in the Bible: that Jesus, though fully divine, was fully human. And though he never sinned, this Scripture passage tells us that he was tempted, as we are, in every respect. Think about that!

Jesus was once fourteen. He was once seventeen. He was once twenty-two. There is no temptation that you can consider that Jesus can not understand. He was made up of flesh, blood and bone. He experienced pain and stress. He felt joy and love. He ate bathed, sweat and laughed. He even had erections.

He was real.

When you experience trauma, fear, isolation, pain, or serious temptations, know that Jesus has been there. He knows what its like. And that is why we can approach him in any circumstance, and always find compassion and grace.

Remember: (1) you cannot hide from God, and (2) you don’t have to!