Keeping God's Promises

In his closing comments of 1st Corinthians 16, Paul addresses the character of the people at Corinth, writing:
13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
14 Let all that you do be done with love.
15 I urge you, brethren--you know the household of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints--
16 that you also submit to such, and to everyone who works and labors with us. 

The NASB translates verse 13 like this: "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong."

The way God lays it out in His Word is that God has a purpose for everyone, and that each person on the body has a role.  There are roles in which women are appointed and gifted to perform, and certain roles that men are called to do.  We can accept how God has equipped each of us in order to do His will. And, husbands and wives have a responsibility - together - to build a home on His love and His principles, so that they may be strong as a couple.  We can seek the Lord to give us His direction.

+++++

In 1st Timothy 6, one man of God, the apostle Paul, wrote to another man of God, Timothy, and shared principles that are applicable to all of us today:
11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

My wife was doing some housecleaning the other day and came across an old Time Magazine from 1997 - the cover story was entitled, The Promise Keepers. The cover posed the question, "Should they be cheered - or feared?" Dr. Rod Stodghill wrote the story in 1997, prior to the massive Stand in the Gap meeting in Washington, DC.  In the article, which I thought was a relatively fair assessment, he had laid out what occurred in an emotional men's meeting at a church in Lawton, OK.

The scene is repeated in similar small, regularly held fellowship groups around the U.S. (about 20,000 at last count) and has been displayed in spectacular proportions in stadiums across the country, last year congregating an average of 50,000 men at each of 22 sites for a total of 1.1 million souls. Male souls always, for the Promise Keepers are intent on carving God's masculine face back onto the spiritual tableau where they believe the model of divine fatherhood has eroded.

Stodghill certainly doesn't ignore criticism of the men's movement, and mislabels it as a political organization, saying, "Such patriarchal fervor has already set off political alarms. Thus, as proof of their arrival on the national political scene, the Promise Keepers have attracted a dedicated group of watchdogs wary of any threat to civil liberty posed by these men who have found a very male god..." He quotes Promise Keepers leader and founder Bill McCartney: "Guys are gonna leave with a new resolve, saying, 'I'm gonna take responsibility, and it's gonna show up in the church, in families, in the community, in the workplace.'"

He echoed the age-old criticism about how a man is called to lead his family: "The group's mission is vague and unsettling regarding its relationships with women. It calls for men to take 'spiritual leadership' over their wives, for example, and suggests that women follow. Feminists say this is a throwback to the days of women's servitude and oppression."  Quoting PK co-founder, former Colorado University head football coach Bill McCartney, the writer says:

McCartney insists that a man's "leadership" at home actually translates into "servanthood" rather than domination. "You can talk around it, but the man has a responsibility before God," McCartney says. "He must stand before God and give an account. Did you take spiritual leadership in your home?... You know what a woman is told [in the Bible]? Respect your husband. O.K.? The way she would do that is that she would come alongside him and let him take the lead, and he in turn would lay down his life. He would serve her, affectionately and tenderly serve her."

And, Stodghill notes that women were vocal supporters of the PK movement.  He also notes Promise Keepers' embrace of the concept of racial reconciliation, and writes:

For now, Promise Keepers seems intent on framing the issues of gender and race in the most biblical of contexts. And while the sonorities of Scripture can work miracles in individual souls, they can also alienate non-Christians and create confusion and paranoia in an already heavily secularized America. Even so, liberal watchdogs are probably overstating their case when they argue that Promise Keepers is part of a Trojan-horse strategy of the religious right. The men involved at the grass roots see only their own souls at stake. Indeed, America can benefit to a degree from the Promise Keepers' brand of healing.

But, after the apex in 1997, Promise Keepers seemed to have completely disappeared.  The large stadium events were gone, and there was seemingly still a presence, but for whatever reason, PK was no longer a force in evangelical Christianity.

That is until 2019, when the men's movement attempted a comeback.  There was new leadership put in place and the announcement of a rally at the massive AT&T Stadium in Dallas.  Even though that event was cancelled due to COVID, a virtual replacement drew over a million men in 85 countries on six continents in all 50 states, according to a news release for Promise Keepers.

The organization also is committed to Biblical unity between men of different racial backgrounds, and held a special "Promise 6 Sunday" last year, which emphasized this promise, one of the Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper: "A Promise Keeper is committed to reaching beyond any racial and denominational barriers to demonstrate the power of biblical unity."

And, less than two months ago, the organization held its Promise Keepers Virtual Marriage Summit, which drew "tens of thousands of men" who heard from another impressive lineup of speakers on a Saturday morning; that event was followed by a three-week Promise Keepers Marriage Challenge, which was centered around the PK app; a special replay event will be available through the PK website this Thursday night at 6pm Central and features Gary Chapman, John and Lisa Bevere, Tim Ross, and more.  And, a Couples' Session on Valentine's Day weekend will be available again on Thursday, April 1 at 6pm CT.  Check out PromiseKeepers.org/marriage to learn more.

So many men, myself included, have benefited from the ministry of Promise Keepers, and thousands of men are expected to gather in Dallas at AT&T Stadium this July for a live event July 16 and 17. You can check out the Promise Keepers website to learn more. 

Out of my experience with Promise Keepers, I learned more about what it means to be a Christian man. God has specific roles for men and women, and in the marriage relationship, we are called to love our wives deeply, to walk in spiritual leadership, and to serve them enthusiastically.  And, men have the responsibility to lead in the church diligently with integrity.

The message is still relevant, as or more relevant than the sweet period between the first event in Boulder, CO in the early 90's and the culmination of the first wave, you might say, in Washington in 1997. The organization's website states:

More than ever, America needs a revival of godly men. Our nation faces problems that can only be overcome when men of integrity — promisekeeping men — fulfill their destinies as godly husbands, fathers, and leaders.

Promise Keepers is here today to reunite, rebuild, re-imagine, and inspire the hearts of men.

The site says: "Promise Keepers will go back to its roots established in the early ‘90s."  Sometimes ministries need to do that, you know.  Sometimes individuals or families need to check out the basics.  And, if needed, to rebuild a different way.  For instance, Promise Keepers was doing multiple stadium or arena events each year for a season.  Now, it's doing one large event a year.  But, what wasn't there in the 90's is available: the virtual component, enabling this ministry and others to reach people on a massive scale.  We always need to check ourselves to make sure that we are faithful to God's original call and that all we do is inspired by Him.