Have You Equipped Yourself?

What is ”The Strange Him!!”? The Strange Him!! is a MAN who has conviction, courage, and strength. A “MAN” in today’s society is totally different than a “man.” A MAN is one who protects, provides, and leads. These MEN are truly strange to most people, and this newsletter is an observation and celebration of that MAN. Thank you for your support, and hopefully, you will like what you read. If you like this content, share this newsletter with another “strange” MAN. You can share the newsletter by simply clicking on the Facebook, X, Linked In, or email buttons above. Stay Strange, my friend!!

Have You Equipped Yourself?

Last week, in the newsletter titled “Why Have We Lost Our Way?” At one point, the author charged each of you to “stand up.” Over the week, I have thought about that, and I need to clear a little ground first. While it is true that we must all start to stand up to push back against darkness, what we need to do before we can stand up and “fight” is to be equipped. Every man alive will face battles, and these battles will always be orchestrated by the instigator of chaos, the devil, and his demons of rebellion. There are four gotta-have-can’t-do-without things that we men must have to equip ourselves for battle. Some of these things are specific, while others will provide an overview of multiple tools one must possess. Over the next four weeks, we will jump feet first into examining each of these fundamental keys for your life. To be a man who is equipped for this war against darkness, one must:

1- Believe

First and foremost, believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. This is the cornerstone of becoming equipped. Without this key piece filling your life, the battle against darkness is futile, and the enemy will forever keep you flanked and outmaneuvered. If you have never surrendered your life to Christ, the gospel will be presented in next week's newsletter. If you have never trusted in Jesus to save you, please do not miss next week. If you have a nagging in your heart right now, contact me at [email protected], and we can communicate one-on-one. If I can't answer your questions, I can definitely put you in contact with a man of God who can. 

Romans 10:9-11

New International Version

⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ¹¹ As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”

2 - Prepare Yourself

Put on the full armor of God…Everyday!

Ephesians 6:13

¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

• Belt of truth: The truth of God's Word, which sets us free from lies 

• Breastplate of righteousness: God's righteousness protects us 

• Gospel of peace: God's peace gives us comfort and hope 

• Shield of faith: Trusting in God's protection and promises 

• Helmet of salvation: Remembering our salvation and the hope of eternal life 

• Sword of the Spirit: The Word of God, which is our only offensive weapon 

3 - Be Bold

The Bible says that if we believe in Jesus, we are to walk like Jesus. How did Jesus walk? Jesus walked boldly, and we are expected to do the same. By being bold, God expects us to share the gospel without reservation, to stand up for what is right, to help those in need, and to protect those who cannot protect themselves.

Proverbs 28:1

¹ The wicked flee though no one pursues,
    but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

4 - Be Dangerous

The Bible doesn’t point blank, say, be dangerous, but it is implied throughout the entire book of the Bible. The world has made being dangerous a bad thing. Bruce Lee once said, “The most dangerous person is the one who listens, thinks, and observes.” One of the most controversial people in our world right now is Dr. Jordan Perterson. Regarding the idea of being a dangerous man, he has recently said, “A harmless man is not a good man. A good man is a very, very dangerous man who has that under voluntary control.” In a coming newsletter, we will examine some dangerous men from the Bible and explore some men from ancient times while comparing them to the men of our modern world.

I petition you to consume yourself with becoming the man God designed you to be. Join us next as we will start at the very beginning: Trust in Jesus to be the savior of your life. After that, we will begin to unpack the rest of the truths listed above that God holds for his men. God created us to be an image bearer of Him, and to be that image bearer; our lives must hold these four essential principles. Without these, we are men without purpose and will always fight a losing battle. You don’t want to fight and lose. Let us find out how we can prosper in the life God has planned for us. See you next week!

If you don't follow The Daily Blade, listen as you head into work tomorrow. I promise that you will be inspired by a straight and to-the-point teaching of The Word of God. The Daily Blade is a short-form podcast(usually about 5 minutes) hosted by Joby Martin, the Senior Pastor of The Church of Eleven22, and Kyle Thompson, the producer of the Undaunted Life podcast. It aims to help Godly men embrace their anointed roles as men of God! You won't be disappointed. After just one listen, you'll be hooked, and it will undoubtedly become a great starting point for your morning. 

I would be remiss if I did not promote the podcast Undaunted.Life, as a few things I use regularly in my writing, comes from the dialogue of this podcast. This is Kyle Thompson’s podcast. Yes, the same Kyle Thompson that co-hosts “The Daily Blade”. Most content created “for men” fails to equip men to be spiritually, mentally, and physically resilient in the face of life’s obstacles. The content is usually too feminine, secular, broad, or corny. Undaunted.Life produces content specifically designed for the rugged Christian looking for ways to more closely follow after Christ and improve as a man. The men that consume our content stand ready to push back spiritual and cultural darkness. We will seek the Lion of Judah.

As always, I am going to plug my cult. There is just something that bonds men when they do hard things together. It is because of this bond that these men are a special part of my life, and I am a better man, physically, mentally, and spiritually, because of the men of this group. F3 groups are popping up nationwide. This is a great way to find a great group of MEN. Find a group of guys for you!

I am also going to continue plugging GORUCK. This is an activity you can do with a group or by yourself….anywhere you go. Get Heavy…GORUCK!

The Art of Manliness is a men's interest and lifestyle website with content geared to helping men become better men. You can find anything here, from how to grill a steak to how to fall asleep in 2 minutes. It is just an interesting place for men to learn about men's stuff.

Thanks again for subscribing, and stay Strange, My Friend!