“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let him rule… So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”​    Genesis 1:26a-27

Over the past thirty-six years in ministry I’ve had the privilege of being involved with a variety of unique opportunities to serve our Lord. Through these experiences, I’ve come to understand that when you get the man you get the entire family. MMC is excited to spend most its efforts promoting a theology that encourages men to become strong leaders in their homes, communities, churches, and our nation.

Unfortunately, too many men are in crisis.  Our personal observations and current research suggest that some of the cultural challenges men are facing include: loneliness, emotional isolation, confusion over their masculinity, spiritually unprepared, and they have difficulty with intimacy and trust.

Of utmost importance to MMC is the ability for us to communicate God’s plan and purpose to men so they know God at a deeper level and begin to make Him known.  In Genesis, we find that God desired man to reflect His likeness.  Man, was to engage in God’s creation with all the love, grace, mercy, kindness, and perseverance that was provided to him by his Heavenly Father.  God gave man a supreme task to rule over His creation – to take responsibility for the welfare of those things He entrusted to him.  “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of (rule over) it.” Genesis 2:15

The key thing was for man to be obedient to God – his creator.  God asked that man be obedient and not take of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We often see this portrayed in pictures and in print as an “apple” tree.  However, we are not given any information as the “type” of fruit tree it was. As man looked on he let his wife partake of the fruit from this forbidden tree.  “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” Genesis 3:6

Then man blamed God and the woman for his lack of leadership and obedience.  Adam said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Genesis 3:12

Unfortunately, Adam’s sin has continued through the generations.  Today, many men are not fully engaged with their household or their faith.  They have allowed women to take on the major leadership role in the home resulting, in the, dilemma we now face.  David Murrow in his book, Why Men Hate Going to Church states, “Men are not connected to their families or church.  They find contemporary church life as boring and irrelevant. They have delegated the responsibility of their family’s spiritual life to the woman.”

Statistics tell us that when men connect with their faith, 93% of the time the entire family will become faith-filled.  When only the woman is involved with faith issues, we know that only 13% of the time she will be successful in bringing the entire family to faith.  God’s plan is that men lead the family in issues of faith and they are held accountable to fulfill that plan.

I’m excited for the future.  Our ministry team has had the privilege of meeting with tens-of-thousands of men who now realize the importance of becoming connected to God’s word.  The power of the Holy Spirit is moving through this land as more men realize the importance of having a personal relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ.

Please pray for our ministry that we can be fruitful in 2017.  Our first quarter is filled with numerous opportunities to serve many churches and men’s ministry programs.  Your prayers of encouragement, gifts of support, and feedback enable us to be effective and efficient in the work before us.

May God bless each of you this year and that your lives will impact others for God’s glory.

Personal Application.

How can you help your pastor to better connect with the men in the church and outside the church?  Maybe you can pass along this devotional and tell him we are willing and able to assist him with this task.

Jim Grassi, D. Min.