It was a great honor to be listening again to Pastor Gilbert Foliente during the Act Like A Man Summit held last September 13, 2014 at Victory Greenhills. I won’t forget that he actually is the first pastor I have ever listened to in Victory U-Belt when I was still a college student in UST - still a non-believer during that time. Years had passed and I am a Christian now, he still has the same effect on me. He is still the same witty and funny preacher who is full of wisdom of the Lord. I honor you, Pastor Gilbert!Below are the 4 things I learned about manhood from Pastor Gilbert during the summit.
Please feel free to share this to all the men in your life.
1. Real men are secure with the Lord.
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:26-27
Pastor Gilbert reiterated to us the importance of knowing that we are created in the image and likeness of God. He said that this is one of the greatest gifts God has given us – to be created in His own image and likeness.
Perhaps this is also why we, including our bodies, are considered sacred. To add, seeking to destroy someone is considered as a grave sin. Killing someone is tantamount to destroying a creation to whom the very image and likeness of God had been endowed.
Pastor Gilbert told us that our security must come from the Lord. Fundamentally speaking, our self-image must be rooted with the fact that we are created in God’s image and likeness – and not with any superficial and temporal things we can find in this world.
2. Real men provide.
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
Genesis 2:15
I appreciated it when Pastor Gilbert specifically pointed out that work is not a result of the fall. Even before the fall, God already appointed Adam to become the keeper of the Garden of Eden. We are made for work. Thus, work must not be despised nor be considered as a punishment. It is a gift, a special appointment, from the Lord. Other creations can’t do it – only us.
Years ago, I was able to read a popular book called “Wild At Heart” by John Eldredge. He said that while Eve was created inside the Garden of Eden, Adam was created outside it. For him, this spells a lot of difference. Man is wired to go outside the house, haunt and come back with food for the family. The woman, on the other hand, is intended to be inside the house and become its keeper. Though modern times had tweaked this a bit, I believe we are all still wired in this pattern. This observation by Eldredge, I believe, supports the claim of man being the worker, hunter and provider for the family. With the woman, he forms a wonderful teamwork.
3. Real men protect.
So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. 9 Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”
Ruth 2:8-9
Don't be confused. Boaz is not Ruth's father. Because of this passage, I was able to get a sneak peek of the love story of Boaz and Ruth. It is one of the greatest love stories in the Bible. Boaz is the man! In this passage, he gave specific instructions to Ruth for her safety.
There’s also a passage in the Bible that talks about a time when Boaz found Ruth sleeping near his bed. But Boaz, being a real gentleman and a man of God, did not take advantage of Ruth. He was after her purity. Real men are protectors – not defilers of women. Aside from this, real men are protectors of his whole family.
4. Real mean lead.
But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
Genesis 3:9
This is a short but a truly insightful passage. I believe that God knows who ate the forbidden first, being the omniscient God that He is, but why did he ask the man first about it?
Is it because Adam is His favorite and that He cared less for Eve? Nah. I believe it’s got to be more than that.
Adam is the one appointed to take care of everything in the Garden of Eden. I believe that means including Eve. Being God’s appointed, it is but just right to ask him first about their whereabouts and what the two of them had done – regardless of who ate the forbidden fruit first. It’s interesting how Adam responded to God’s interrogation afterwards. Here’s Genesis 3:9-12. (Bold, italics and underline mine) Look closely.
He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
God’s query is a simple question answerable by a yes or a no. “Have you eaten from the tree?” Interestingly, the man answered with a statement, which I believe now, even in the present time, which is trillions of years (or more) after the creation, can be described as a statement that is somewhat defensive and passing the blame on others – first on the woman and second on God.
When Adam was expected to take responsibility, he pointed his fingers to Eve and then to God.
Real men are secure with Lord. Real men provide. Real men protect. Real men lead. Thank you very much Pastor Gilbert Foliente for the lessons that you shared to us. Thank you too to Pastor Dennis Sy and his team who are behind the Act Like A Man Summit 2014!
A-hoo!
1. Real men are secure with the Lord.
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:26-27
Pastor Gilbert reiterated to us the importance of knowing that we are created in the image and likeness of God. He said that this is one of the greatest gifts God has given us – to be created in His own image and likeness.
Perhaps this is also why we, including our bodies, are considered sacred. To add, seeking to destroy someone is considered as a grave sin. Killing someone is tantamount to destroying a creation to whom the very image and likeness of God had been endowed.
Pastor Gilbert told us that our security must come from the Lord. Fundamentally speaking, our self-image must be rooted with the fact that we are created in God’s image and likeness – and not with any superficial and temporal things we can find in this world.
2. Real men provide.
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
Genesis 2:15
I appreciated it when Pastor Gilbert specifically pointed out that work is not a result of the fall. Even before the fall, God already appointed Adam to become the keeper of the Garden of Eden. We are made for work. Thus, work must not be despised nor be considered as a punishment. It is a gift, a special appointment, from the Lord. Other creations can’t do it – only us.
Years ago, I was able to read a popular book called “Wild At Heart” by John Eldredge. He said that while Eve was created inside the Garden of Eden, Adam was created outside it. For him, this spells a lot of difference. Man is wired to go outside the house, haunt and come back with food for the family. The woman, on the other hand, is intended to be inside the house and become its keeper. Though modern times had tweaked this a bit, I believe we are all still wired in this pattern. This observation by Eldredge, I believe, supports the claim of man being the worker, hunter and provider for the family. With the woman, he forms a wonderful teamwork.
3. Real men protect.
So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. 9 Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”
Ruth 2:8-9
Don't be confused. Boaz is not Ruth's father. Because of this passage, I was able to get a sneak peek of the love story of Boaz and Ruth. It is one of the greatest love stories in the Bible. Boaz is the man! In this passage, he gave specific instructions to Ruth for her safety.
There’s also a passage in the Bible that talks about a time when Boaz found Ruth sleeping near his bed. But Boaz, being a real gentleman and a man of God, did not take advantage of Ruth. He was after her purity. Real men are protectors – not defilers of women. Aside from this, real men are protectors of his whole family.
4. Real mean lead.
But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
Genesis 3:9
This is a short but a truly insightful passage. I believe that God knows who ate the forbidden first, being the omniscient God that He is, but why did he ask the man first about it?
Is it because Adam is His favorite and that He cared less for Eve? Nah. I believe it’s got to be more than that.
Adam is the one appointed to take care of everything in the Garden of Eden. I believe that means including Eve. Being God’s appointed, it is but just right to ask him first about their whereabouts and what the two of them had done – regardless of who ate the forbidden fruit first. It’s interesting how Adam responded to God’s interrogation afterwards. Here’s Genesis 3:9-12. (Bold, italics and underline mine) Look closely.
He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
God’s query is a simple question answerable by a yes or a no. “Have you eaten from the tree?” Interestingly, the man answered with a statement, which I believe now, even in the present time, which is trillions of years (or more) after the creation, can be described as a statement that is somewhat defensive and passing the blame on others – first on the woman and second on God.
When Adam was expected to take responsibility, he pointed his fingers to Eve and then to God.
***
Real men are secure with Lord. Real men provide. Real men protect. Real men lead. Thank you very much Pastor Gilbert Foliente for the lessons that you shared to us. Thank you too to Pastor Dennis Sy and his team who are behind the Act Like A Man Summit 2014!
A-hoo!
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