Manly Man

     BASE Jumping.  Rock climbing.  Skydiving.  These are what they call "adventure sports".  You've probably seen tv specials showcasing videos of people crashing and burning (sometimes literally) when attempting the extreme. 

Why do these adventurous people take such big risks?  I can only guess that it's because they love what it feels like to cheat death, to tiptoe to the edge of injury and disaster and live to tell about it. 

            Doing something that the average person is too scared or too weak to do or doing something that no one has ever done before means they are strong.  Tough.  And no one can argue with that.  (Although we can argue that they're a bit crazy.)

  Now I want to talk about Jesus, as usual.  I think that there are a lot of assumptions about Jesus floating around out there and that one of the big ones is that He is weak.  When people picture Jesus Christ, they picture someone quiet, kind and gentle.  And He is those things of course.  But He is so much more!  He is strong, tough, brave and powerful beyond our wildest imagination.  He is good and He always wins.  Jesus is infinitely more tough than Chuck Norris, Jack Bauer and Seal Team Six all rolled into one.

 If surfing is tough, what do you call walking on water? (Matthew 14:25)  Or controlling the weather? (Mark 4:39)  Or willingly submitting to crucifixion?!!! (John 10:18, Matthew 26:53) 

     And strength?  Jesus is the image of the invisible God, He created the universe, He is eternal, He is self-existent and He holds all creation together. (Colossians 1:15-17)  He didn't just cheat death.  He beat it.  He kicked it in the teeth and then shot it in the heart!  Jesus Christ rose from the dead and never died again!  He's alive this very moment. (1 Corinthians 15)

              And He deserves to be respected and taken seriously.  If His power alone doesn't convince you then maybe your eternal destination will.  He died to pay for all of your failures and mine.  All you have to do is admit you need Him.  "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36

      Jesus Christ is the MAN!  And you can be proud to serve Him!