#6 Emasculating the Father

By Dr. Stephen Phinney

The Father makes it clear that He is “the Beginning and the End.”  If we were able to find all the spoken and inspired words describing God, in the Word of God, we still would not come close to describing the Father of heaven.  It will take eternity for us to discover all the attributes of God.  This is the primary reason why we should be so excited about going to the Father and spending eternity with Him.  I have my order in for multiple interviews myself!

The Hebrew word picture for “father” is strength or leader of a house.  This Hebrew word includes that of a natural father.  It also is used for the founder or the first ancestor, as well as an author or maker of anything.  “Father” applies to the one who provides care, i.e. like a father to the needy, a master, or a teacher.  “Father” is also for the God whom we choose to follow.

This word comes from two primary ancient pictures: 1) Alef--ox, strong or first and 2) Bet--house.  The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet (beginning of the house) is Alef.  This word also means the leader of a family or tribe.  This is where the English speaking descendants get the letter A.  Aloof is a derivative of Alef, meaning “gentle” or “to tame an ox.” 

Bet is the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  The ancient word picture of Bet is tent, a house, or a family.  The word Bet is also used as the number 2 (two) in the Hebrew numeric system.  The reason this is a significant factor is that Alef (first strong leader) and Bet (house or family) clearly reveal the importance of a father embracing his strength (first priority) and applying his strength within his home (second priority).  The word “authority” comes from Alef ta Bet.

Many people, including His own children, attempt to emasculate God by making Him out to be passive, inactive, and an egalitarian--feministic.  Since people in general tend to rebel against authority and tend to view authoritive figures as immovable and harsh, they work diligently at forming an image of God to be that of a non-gender.  Well, I have news . . . God is masculine.  He is all male. This might be why 100% of the references of God in the Word are He, His, and Him.  There are no references of God being shim, she, her, or it--just He.

God is not only a Father, but a Leader.  He leads the world in the same fashion as a Father.  Being a Father and Leader to the people is all the same to Him.  In fact, His leadership is for the generations.

In order not to emasculate our heavenly Father, we must embrace the fact that He is in full control.  Ephesians 4:6 says, “One God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”  Knowing this, we can see clearly that God the Father covers the basis of our manhood.  He is our Father, Leader, Provider, Protector, Educator, and pure example of maleness.

Manhood is a difficult concept for most men to understand.  Many men are clueless as to knowing what it means to be a man.  There is no way men can truly understand their manhood unless they take the time to know the Father.  By knowing the Father and understanding how He functions, men will be able to see what it looks like to be man.

Men of our society today typically gain their view of manhood through the counsel of women.  This is why men have lost their way.  They look to women to gain the details of their role as a man.  This is nothing short of emasculation through feminism.

We need to be called back to the original design—the plan that is only revealed by the Father.  Since most men do not have a male role model to replicate their manhood after, they attempt to “invent” their own form of manhood.

The Bible gives us clear directions and examples of manhood.  Men need to be men of the Word and devoted to the power of prayer.  Through these two, they will be groomed to accomplish their primary mission in life--demonstrating the design of the Father.  A father initiates actions that replicate the Father.  When men do this, they bring glory and honor to the Creator of men.

By modeling the behavior of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, we will exemplify the truest and most honorable man who ever lived, or ever will live.  How can we lose?  As men, we can shape our families, women, children, and communities by following the rules and guidelines of the Father.

NEXT: Servant Leaders 

Emasculating the Father.  Copyright © 2013 IOM America. Permission to reproduce for educational purposes. Please keep author’s name intact. 

All Scriptures, unless otherwise stated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

#5 Men of Authority

by Dr. Stephen Phinney 

What is the real definition of a “wimpy man?” It is a man who defies submitting to authority and defiles by not asserting authority. A man who submits to authority takes on the most difficult task known to man--that of doing what he is told. A man who asserts authority opens himself up to the most vulnerability known to man--rejection from defiant followers.

Men of war must clearly know the words of commands, understand them, embrace them, and then carry them out to a tee. One of the primary reasons for wars being lost on the battlefield is that the commander did not make the orders clear, distinct, and/or understood. The second most common mistake of war is the troops not being trained to carry out the orders. This we can be assured of: Christ, as our Commander in Chief, will clearly communicate His orders to us. But, He does leave it up to the leaders in the field (leaders of the church) to train and equip the troops for warfare. We call this discipleship, mentorship, and equipping.

Men of our generation are reluctant to submit to authority. Men as a whole have adopted the deception that they can be their own leader and can somehow live this life on their own. Men who function like this have fallen as prey to the first tactic of warfare--getting the troops to turn on their commanders. The exactness of obeying commands is the key to being an effective warrior in the battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Authority establishes order. Without order, a kingdom will collapse and be taken over by an enemy. Authority is the fiber that holds everything together within a kingdom and gives functionality for the followers to appropriate. God is a God of order and His order provides a pathway for His work to be accomplished.

Since we understand there is an authority structure within the heavens, would it not be easy for us to understand that authority on earth would be equally as important? In fact, it is the authority of heaven that ties heaven to earth. A man who does not accept this will view authority as a humanistic attempt to manipulate or control the people.

All of mankind is under authority, even if they don’t acknowledge it. Even Satan is under authority and cannot accomplish anything without God’s permission.

The best way to understand authority is through understanding God’s order of creation. In the beginning there was God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. Then we discover the “sons of God” (angels)--Lucifer included. Upon creation, He formed Adam and then Eve (from Adam’s side). This is how we understand the structure and flow of authority (Genesis 2:7-24).

The sin of Adam was that of passivity. Because Adam “took from the woman and ate,” he demonstrated a behavioral confession of his passivity. He had direct authoritive orders from God NOT to eat from the tree in the middle of the garden. But because he listened to the voice of his woman, instead of God’s voice, the ground became cursed by God. God’s order of business has not changed. God expects man to first listen to the Lord, wash his wife with the Word, then lead his family with the directives of the Lord. Needless to say, most men today are afraid of their wives and listen to their counsel and guidance before they listen to church leaders, or God Himself.

Today, men lack assertiveness, initiative, courage, vision, and drive. The first place to start is in the beginning. Consider applying the follow guidelines:

1. Choose a mentor who is clear in the Bible teachings that are accurate and Christ-centered. 
2. Confess your passivity to God and commit to Him that you will be a man of initiative, courage, vision, and drive.
3. Do not keep company with those who promote worldly ideas. It only breeds confusion. 
4. Study the Word and discover everything you can on the topics of authority and leadership.
5. Commit yourself to a men’s small group for a period of one year.
6. Be a part of a local church--be active in the Men’s Ministry.
7. Commit to keep your priorities straight--God, wife, children, church, job, and then friends. 

NEXT: Emasculating the Father

Men of Authority Copyright © 2013 IOM America. Permission to reproduce for educational purposes. Please keep author’s name intact. 

All Scriptures, unless otherwise stated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.