By
Dr LAWRENCE Emwosa Osifo
THE STRENGTH OF A MAN
By
Dr LAWRENCE Emwosa Osifo
EMWOSA WORLD OUTREACH PUBLICATIONS
aghatemwosa@gmail.com
WordPress Emwosa.com
The Strength Of a Man
Dr LAWRENCE Emwosa Osifo
All scripture quotations are from the King James Versions unless otherwise indicated or in certain cases, they are the author’s own paraphrase, based on the leading of the Holy Spirit.
First printing – March 1997
Fourth EDITION – 2014
Latest EDITION and printing – NOV. 2020
Now printing – Sept 2021
ISBN 978-O67-569-5
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2005
No portion of this book may be used in any form without the written permission of the author, with exception of brief excerpts in magazine, articles, reviews, etc.
Published by:
EMWOSA WORLD OUTREACH PUBLICATIONS
No. 23A, Isibor Street, Off Stadium Road,
Benin City – Nigeria
PHONE: 08027892423; 09127889067
CONTENTS Page
PREFACE 04
Chapter One It is for Women 05 – 22
Chapter Two: Duties of Man 23 – 34
Chapter Three: Influences on Man 35 – 60
Chapter Four: How to be a Strong Man 61 – 72
Chapter Five: The Effect of Yielding 73 – 78
Chapter Six: A More Excellent Way 79 – 100
PREFACE
The strength of a man
STRENGTH
Strength is the quality of being strong. It is the POWER of resistance of the mind (spirit) and by the body (physical).
Strength is a necessary tool and a requirement for successful achievements in all life endeavor.
Strength is required to overcome or to resist an adversary and to also attack or fight an enemy. In Judges 8: verse 21; Zebah and Zalmunna said, rise yourself, and fall upon us: For as the Man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camel’s necks.
From the very day a man is born, the world begins to hunt for him. The world and the powers that rule over it know what the man shall be. In Genesis 3: verse 15; God says; I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman, and between your seed (evil spirits) and her seed (man); he shall bruise Satan’s head, and Satan shalt bruise his heel.
“If you have Strength”; Your hand shall be lifted up upon your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off. And then you will be able to produce; make progress and accumulate wealth in life.
CHAPTER ONE
Needed every hour
The strength of a man is required every time for functioning by mankind. Strong men are needed every time by the world. Men of muscle; brain and power; these are needed every hour. I believe you would like to be one of such Strong Men.
A Strong Man; is never perturbed by any circumstance. A Strong Man; is able to build his home. A Strong Man; is able to acquire his needs, A Strong Man; has the ability to defend his home; properties and then live peacefully and successfully.
The strength of a man is his God. The strength of a man is from his God. The strength of a man is to glorify or do the will of his God. Your God is your savior from both physical and spiritual troubles of life.
The strength of a man; like the beauty of a Woman; lies within him. Strength is required by man to rule over his domain, build his home, labor for his needs and to overcome forces against his good living. Every woman needs a strong man as a husband.
TO HELP THE WOMAN
The strength of a man is to help the woman; or the “Weaker Of Man” “The Woman is the creature of God who is weaker than the man” “The Man is the creature of God who is Stronger than other animals.
Note that the strength of a man is not in his physique.
God made the “man” stronger for the purpose of him ruling over His other creations. Therefore “man” is naturally made stronger and given the mandate to oversee other created elements. In Genesis 1: verses 26-27; God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creep upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
According to the story of creation; God made mankind in male and female species. The stronger of these two kinds is the man while the other is simply “Weaker Of Man” (WOMan)
The strength of a man is ‘For helping the weaker vessels’
Exodus 2 verse 17b; says; “…But Moses stood up and HELPED them, and watered their flock”
Your woman would love you more if you can ‘Help her’; ‘Understand her’; ‘strengthen her’; ‘Build her’; ‘Attend to her weaknesses; ‘Nurture her’; and ‘Defend her’.
The Strength of a Man is to HUSBAND a woman.
“A man who is not able to marry, but has the desire” and “a man who marries more than one woman at a time” is not strong.
A man who is not able to marry lacks the ability to help or cater for the weaker vessel.
A man who marries more than one woman; has only enlisted the other ones to help him curtail the excesses of the first because he lacks the strength or the wisdom or ability to personally contend with her immoderation or to understand and help the weak.
-THE STRONG MAN DOES NOT GET OFFENDED –
A Christian brother stopped me on my way after he had read “The Beauty of a Woman”. He said, “My brother, please don’t be offended about what I want to ask off you.” “Why should I?” I asked, but I was praying within me; “Lord help me not to be offended in deed.” He continued. “That book you wrote; ‘The Beauty of a Woman’; I …I hope you did not copy it from some other books?”
“No” I replied. Still smiling; “Why did you ask that anyway?”
“That book!” he added, “I mean that book; the Beauty of a Woman; is wonderful and excellent. I got blessed when I perused through. It is both inspiring and interesting”.
“Thank you” I replied. “I give all the glories to God”.
The strong man does not get offended. Whatever the affecting circumstances; he recognizes that, the power of man’s achievements is the Lord’s doing.
Zechariah 4 verse 6; Says; he answered and spoke unto me, saying, this is the word of the LORD unto Zerubba-bel, saying, not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit says the LORD of hosts.
This was the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes (Mark 12 verse 11).
The strength of a man is his ability to let God take all the glories, honors and adoration’s and none to humans.
God is the author of everything and man is just a copier. All things are of God and from God. I am just a temple for the Holy Spirit.
My prayer is that every reader would understand and receive this manuscript as from the Holy Spirit of the Lord and not man. I am just but a channel of God’s communications to some men.
Man is God’s channel of blessings to the earth.
Man is God’s scepter of authority and ruler-ship over the universe. Only strong men are useful vessels in the hands of the creator. God said to prophet Jeremiah; Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with you to deliver you says the LORD.
See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdom, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant….. And they shall fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you; for I am with you; says the LORD, to deliver you (Jeremiah 1 verses 5-19).
Man is God’s representative on the Earth; to fight and overcome the powers of evil – enemy of the universe.
To effectively perform this duty; “MAN” must have the attitude of “STRENGTH “This was repeatedly said to Joshua in the Bible; “Have I not commanded you? … Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1 verse 9
THE MAN
Various terms or words are used to describe the “Man” in the Bible or in the Word of God: such as: Husbandman, Shepherd, Farmer, Builder, Manager, Watchman, Teacher, Pastor, King, Priest and Prophet.
All these offices, occupations and positions require sterling qualities, characters, and attitudes that exhibit “Strength” and ability for leadership. Without them a man will fail to possess his possessions and cannot be recognized as strong and successful. And he cannot be useful to God – his maker or to man – his neighbor.
Man is useless without his strength. God created man strong and to exhibit strength as in::
1. To ‘Manage’ the Affairs of Nature –
And God said let us make man in our image, after our likeness: And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle. – And over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth – (Genesis 1 verse 26).
God actually created man for this purpose; to manage the affairs of the Garden of Eden.
2. Man is made to ‘Rule over and Govern his domain’.
God blessed them, and said unto them, be fruitful, multiply, replenish the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth – (Genesis 1 verse 28).
Good leadership attitudes, characters and qualities include: ‘Humility’, ‘Undaunted efforts’, ‘Simple mindedness’ and ‘Sincerity of hearts’, ‘Believing in the rights of others’, (bearing and forbearing), ‘Active’, ‘Neutral in Judgment’, and ‘Dependability’.
A bishop then must be blameless – the HUSBAND of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach and not given to wine.
He must not be a striker; not greedy of filthy lucre – but patient, not a brawler, not covetous – The one that rules well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity.
If a man knows not how to rule over his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?
Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have good report of them, which are without, lest he fall into reproach – the snare of the devil – (1st Timothy 3 verses 2; 1-7). The above outlined attitudes; characters and qualities make a man what he really is – Strong and powerful.
Without them the man is thus regarded as weak.
3. Man is made to be a ‘Victor’. Who overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? – (1st John 5 verse 5).
However, man cannot perform creditably well without the knowledge of the Holy Spirit of the almighty God. Daniel knew this and he said; and such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits – (Daniel 11 verse 32).
The Way Of Man
God loves the man that would always depend on him. – One who always say; “‘Let the will of God be done”. Or “the way of the creator is my way too” Those who love your law have Great peace: and nothing shall offend them. – (Psalm 119 verse 165).
God taught Abraham to depend on Him. And when Abraham was ninety years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abraham, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be perfect. And I will make my covenant between you, and Me and I will multiply you exceedingly (Genesis 17 verses 1-2).
Adam sinned against the Creator when he decided to do things in his own way. And he said, I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself …… (Genesis 3 verse 10). He was ignorant.
Ignorance is sinful and deadly it is a manifestation of weakness in man. Ignorant men are thoughtless and wicked. They get deceptive, envious, and faithless.
Ignorance is one of the many causes of bad mistakes, misunderstandings and failures in many homes and businesses. Therefore; my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst (Isaiah 5 verse 13).
Humility
The humble man is ‘one who does not depend on his human knowledge, personal acquisitions and status.
Humility is a display of divine intelligence or “Strength” Peter did not depend on his experience as a fisherman: …And Simon answering said unto him, master, we have toiled all the night, and taken nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net. (Luke 5 verses 5).
The strong man is someone who has resigned to God for leadership and performance ability. 1st Samuel 2 verses9; says; by strength; that is; by physical power and material possessions; shall no man prevail.
For man to succeed he must depend wholly upon his creator for strength. For thus says the Lord God, the holy One of Israel; in return and rest shall you be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength: (Isaiah 30 verses15).
STRENGTH
Strength is the quality of being strong. It is the POWER of resistance of the mind (spirit) and of the body (physical). Strength is a necessary tool and a vital requirement for successful achievements. Strength is required to overcome or to resist an adversary and to also attack or fight an enemy. Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, rise yourself, and fall upon us: For as the Man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camel’s necks – Judges 8 verse 21).
Your hand shall be lifted up upon your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off (Micah 5 verse 9).
The strength of a man is his power to achieve success or to make progress in life. Jacob wrestled with God to change his own destiny. That was an exhibition of strength. And Jacob was left alone: and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And he said, ‘Let me go, for the day, breaks. And he said, I will not let you go, except you bless me. And he said your name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince you have power with God and with men, and has prevailed – (Genesis 32 verses 24, 26, 28).
The constituents and instrumentality or determinants of the strength of man include:
His wife: – Who or what he has his soul-tied to. – “Woman”, “Work”, “World or Possessions”; is what he is married to.
Oh man; Who is your wife? Is it idols, charms, drugs, gambling, fashion, businesses, games, animals, etc.? Whoso finds a wife finds a good thing; and he obtains favor from the Lord (Proverbs 18 verse 22).
A wife means; a “Willing; Interacting Fellow Ever”.
A wife is only compactible; suitable and favorable to a man if she is a human being. That is, your commitments as a man must be natural and in agreement with the Word of the righteous God.
His wisdom: For wisdom is a defense and money is a defense: …wisdom gives life to them that have it – (Ecclesiastic. 7 verse 12). Wisdom is a display of knowledge. Knowledge is power. The wisdom of a man can ultimately be classified as powerful if it is creative and not crafty, canny or deceitful.
His word: Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof – (Proverbs 18 verse 21). If the word of a man is the truth; it will give life. If the word of a man is full of lies; the effects will be counterproductive and deadly.
His wealth: The rich man’s wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty – (Proverbs 10 verse 15). The wealth of a man makes him influential. The kind of wealth – physical, spiritual and material; exposes or attracts a man to similar connections – people or places.
His way (His God or idols): When a man’s way pleases the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him (Proverbs 16 verse 7). The way of a man is what his soul loves and gets committed to obey and worship. His way is what he believes strongly in and is willing to die for.
His works: – Proverbs 22 verse 29. The man who is diligent in his works shall stand before kings. The kind and nature of work a man does; puts him in or out of a class.
His world: Woe is me that I dwell in Meshech. My soul has dwelt too long with the people who hate peace – Psalm 120 verses 5-6.
His win: – Things that excite him. He who wins a soul is wise. – Proverbs 11 verse 30. Any man who is excited with gambling, alcohol, harlots, stealing, never end up well.
His will: – his plans and purposes – Your will be done Oh Lord – Matthew. 26 verse 42. If God’s will is allowed; He causes the man to excel greatly. The power of success of a man is greatly enhanced by his knowledge of the word of God, his faith in God, love for God, his desires (wills), diligence and discipline towards God.
The strength of a man is manifested or exhibited in his: Humility, Understanding, Sincerity, Belief (faith), Activities (works), Name, and Discipline, (patience, persistency in seeking God by fasting, prayers and sowing unto God). – The strength of a man is exhibited in his husbandry.
A STRONG MAN is one that is greatly blessed and well favored and protected by God.
Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD: and in his law does he meditate day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.
He shall brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper. – (Psalm 1 verse 1-3).
He is a man with creative ability, faith, knowledge and wisdom, who knows how to pray persistently and pursue his goals, purposes and aspirations without being discouraged, And he spoke a parable unto them to this end that men ought always to pray, and not to faint – (Luke 18 verse 1).
His ways: his works and his walks (lifestyle) please God. For without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He rewards them that diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11 verse 6).
He abides in Christ whatever the situation:
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me. – John 15 verse 4.
A strong man does not fear. He recognizes the powerlessness of the devil and he is able to resist evils. A strong man does not tell lies to deceive others – (1 Samuel 15 verse 29). He is not double minded. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1 verse 8).
He does not accept or seek human applauds or ovations (Herod in the Acts of apostles, allowed human praises and he died being eaten by worms).
The strong man is able to recognize, identify and rectify his mistakes. He forgives easily his offenders. And David said, what have I to do with you, you son of Zeruiah, and should you this day be adversaries unto me? Shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? For do not I know that I am this day king over Israel? Therefore the king said unto Shimei, you shall not die, and the king swore unto him – 2nd Samuel. 19 verses 22-23
He resurrects his talents; redesigns it, expands it or multiplies it where necessary. He encourages himself and others in the Lord in times of distress. “…But David encourage himself in the Lord his God. (1st Samuel 30 verse 6). A strong man is kind; he is merciful and good.
When you are kind and merciful, God will strengthen you; provide and protect you. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing well, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him – (Acts 10 verse 38).
A strong man is careful, and watchful. He does not fight back or avenge for himself against his fellow man physically as an enemy.
THE MINDSET OF A STRONG MAN
A strong man is mainly concerned by two matters in life. One: that he is living. Two: that he is progressive.
To be living means that he is saved or protected from mysterious death and after his departure from this physical world, his offspring continue to uphold his good name. In other words, his place is not made desolate by evil works. The triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment. – (Job 20 verse 5).
To be progressive means to prosper, physically, spiritually and materially; and as well possesses peace. A man that prospers without peace has not actually prospered and is not living well. Prosperity is good productivity.
Ability to bear Godly children, have righteous wealth, health and of course absolute PEACE. The most important issue in life is that one has PEACE. To be peaceful, one must be strong. Without strength, the husbandman as a shepherd would never be able to gather and cater for his flocks.
A man that cannot pray to be answered by the Holy God is weak and his household is at risk.
And David said to Saul, ‘your servant kept his father’s sheep, and when a lion and a bear came, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and SMOTE him, and slew him’ 1st Samuel 17 verses 34-45.
As a farmer: A lazy man will never be able to sow much seed. Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger …….. (Proverbs 19 verse 15).
As a manager: Without strength, a man will not be able to manage the affairs of nature. Without proper management, his output will be scanty and lean. The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing – (Proverbs. 20 verse 4). A man with lean and scanty output is poor and powerless and despised. Every man wants to live a life devoid of regrets, sorrows, sickness, setbacks, oppression and poverty, etc.
Every man is to be seen as strong.
A man that is not strong is cursed and he is being controlled by the powers of darkness. These curses or evil spirits or negative attitudes make him to work and walk contrary to the will of the God, who has created him.
The curse or evil nature or unhealthy character makes him poor and wanting, unproductive, impotent, wicked and undesirable to both humans and God. Sometimes it may not be too pronounced. God wants every man to be STRONG and have freedom. Have not I commanded you? Be strong and of a good courage: be not afraid, neither is dismayed: for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1 verse 9).
Dead men are not considered as being strong; because they are not able to act. Just like the saying goes, that ‘dead men do not bite’; so dead men cannot flex their muscles. Any man that chooses to live is therefore considered as strong.
If any man wants to be alive and protected, let him renounce occult and evil works and turn to the God of righteousness for peace.
Many men have been frustrated to death by problems of life. Some have committed suicide. Some drank themselves to death.
Some being confused fell into one accident or another. Some are dead while alive; either being lunatic (talking to themselves in the street), in abject poverty or simply confused through manifold thoughts.
Some are drug addicts. A man that is alive is only qualified by strength. If you faint in the days of adversity your strength is small (Proverbs 24 verses10).
This book is therefore written to teach the man what is strength and to provide Godly solutions to a meaningful effective and progressive living.
You would love to live a joyful, peaceful happy and a productive life. This is the will of God concerning you as a man.
Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers (3rd John 1 verses2).
Satan would use everything – anything and any person to fight against a man; – the wife, the parents, the brothers and sisters, the neighbors, the friends, the environments, the known and unknown enemies are all instrument the Devil uses to make sure he brings a man down.
CHAPTER TWO
DUTIES OF MAN
Duties are performed with strength. The success of the kind of work a man does, attest to and determine how strong he really is.
And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. (Genesis 2 verses15).
His duties include:
1. Keeping the home from the attacks of the enemy through prayers.
2. Providing for the needs of the home physically and spiritually.
3. Enforcing obedience and discipline in the home through teachings.
Man is made to husband and head the home. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and He is the savior of the body – (Ephesians 5 verses 23).
As the head of the home, the husband, functions as a leader, a guide, caretaker, counselor, adviser, peacemaker, provider, captain and defender.
The man who is the head – the husbandman and the shepherd must be strong to be able to withstand both internal and external forces of attacks against his family, flesh, farm and flocks. The man must therefore strive to be alive to perform his God assigned duties always. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseer, to feed the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood. (Acts 20 verses 28).
A HUSBANDMAN
The word HUSBAND helps to define the constituent of the strength of man. “H” for Humbleness or humility, “U” for understanding; “S” for Simple or shepherd nature “B” for bearing “A” for Affectionate “N” for Neutral or Natural and “D”- for Dependability.
When “MAN” is added to “HUSBAND” as in HUSBANDMAN, a GREAT quality is derived which is the PATIENCE of the farmer. Be PATIENT therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and have long patience for it, until he received the early and latter rain (James 5 verses 7).
Christ exemplified all these virtues.
He was Humble enough to wash His disciples’ feet thus; teaching them Understanding. – He was led like a sheep; very Simple to the cross. Very Bendable; he did not fight back.
In Affection he said father forgive them for they know not what they do. Neutral in judgment – He did not condemn the woman caught in adultery.
Finally He died on the cross for all of us to be freed from Satan’s prison. Naturally also; he was creative – healed the sick and delivered the possessed. As a Dependable man of God, Christ is the solution to man’s problems. He manifested Patience to teach his disciples. Patiently when Lazarus died, He waited for some days before he went. He did not panic at the tempestuous wave.
As FARMER; A husbandman is a shepherd (pastor) and a farmer (caretaker). He has the enviable qualities of a bearing, gentle and caring nature.
As FATHER the husbandman recognizes that his vineyards are: his wife, children and business. Feed the flock of God, which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; – Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock (1st Peter 5 verses 2-3).
The good father cares for his children. He trains up his children in the way and fear of the Lord.
Abraham was a good example: For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him.
They shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he had spoken of him. – Genesis. 18 verses 19
A good husband is a father. He is honest; he has understanding; as in; being wise. He is strong; as being longsuffering; and not easily provoked. He is bold; active and not slothful in business. He has determination; being diligently initiative, innovative and creative. He is a motivator; burden bearer and a good guide to his family. A good husband lives with his wife cheerfully with wisdom. He loves and honors her. He does not flex his muscles at his wife to beat her as a slave. Ephesians 5 verse 25; says; you husband dwell with her according to knowledge, giving honor unto your wife, as unto the weak vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. Husbands love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.
Man should be able to bear the burden of the woman’s weaknesses without physically retaliating on her or handling her as a slave.
A KING
Man is a king, if he is strong; reasonable, wise and intelligent. A Christian is a child of the KING of kings. He is a king. He has powers.
A man’s home is his kingdom.
As a king, your duty is to lead and guide your subjects – wife and children aright.
A good king is not a tyrant. If any be blameless, it is the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; (Titus 1 verses 6-8).
In your home, as a king, your duty is to educate your wife in the way of righteous living.
You should be shoulder and head higher than your wife. – Able to counsel her wisely. – Training her to grow in wisdom like your child according to the will of God.
Never ever leave your decision for your wife to take it. No king leaves his decision to his subject. In a home where the wife overrules, things never fall into place. Discipline is never complete. And God is against such a home.
Except your wife is truly born again, wise and with knowledge of the word of God, things can never work normally if she presides over your home.
They are not originally created to play the kingship role. Where the woman presides the people are cursed if she is not born again.
As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they that lead you causes you to err; they destroy your pathways.
Your men shall fall by the sword and your mighty in war – (Isaiah 3 verses 12, 25).
I pray that you would not allow your family or home to be under a curse. – Hosea 4 verses 6
A PRIEST
The man as a priest has the responsibilities of making sacrifices for his home.
He sacrifices by prayers and supplications to God for his household. He stands in the gap for them against spiritual offences.
And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said. It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually (Job 1 verses 5).
As a priest a man should be making the Sacrifices of prayers of righteousness unto God daily for his household. The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger. – (Job 17 verses 9).
If you are a drunkard, a smoker, a womanizer, and a slothful fellow, your authority as a priest cannot be so effective. Your character will in such status make you an object of reproach. The man as a priest must constantly maintain the family altar.
Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD. Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at first: there, Abraham called on the name of the LORD – (Genesis 19 verses 27; 13 verses 4).
You must be able to lead your family in prayer warfare against the attacks of the enemy. And he spoke a parable unto them to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint. Pray without ceasing – (Luke 18 verses 1; 1st Thessalonians. 5 verses 17).
Prayer means talking to God.
Whatever you want effected or affected in your home or life, you tell it to God. If your wife is bad, you tell God to transform her. If she is good, you ask for her improvement. If you want anything – job, children, success, you tell it to God. That is prayer.
A PROPHET
Where there is no vision, the people perish. (Proverb 29 verses 18). As a prophet the Man must have foresight and great and profitable plans for his household. – He must be able to project forward into the future of his home, and plan well; the children, and their welfare. You should be able to let your wife know and see practically that you are dependable physically and otherwise. Not by any physical or spiritual oppression on her, but by your ability to teach her with the knowledge of God and by your faith in God.
Although a prophet is without honor in his home, your ability to remain undaunted and composed at the face of every trial makes you strong and honorable before all; especially your wife. Your steadfastness; will speak well for you at the end. For example when your child is sick, you should not be the first to be crying like a woman. When Christ rebuked the ragging sea in (Matthew 8 verses24-27) the disciples bowed before him saying; “What manner of man is this?”.
When my daughter was just crawling; less than two years old; she got terribly sick. My wife took her to the hospital. The doctor said to her; “this baby must be admitted”. My wife told him; “my husband will not allow her to be admitted; let me go and ask him first” The doctor then said to her “woman; if you take this child home today; she may not see the next day”. So she came back home with the baby; and I said to her; “let us pray and see what God will do before tomorrow”. Thanks be to God; the child saw the next day and she is over thirty years old now.
BORN FOR ADVERSITY
Job said that all the days of a man are few and are full of troubles – (Job 14 verses 1). Every man is born and empowered to overcome adversity. From the day a man is born to earth his troubles and trials begin. Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. (Job 5 verses 7).
A man is born to lead. As a leader he is faced with challenges. These include; hardship, trial, temptations and tribulations.
Let’s cite two examples from the bible:
1. Moses was born at a time when Pharaoh made a decree in Egypt that every male child should be killed. And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying; every son that is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive. …. (Exodus 1 verses 22).
2. Christ was born in a manger.
And this shall be a sign unto you; you shall find the babe wrapped in a swaddling clothes, lying in a manger – (Luke 2 verses 12). Thereafter, Herod made a decree that all male children, born at that period be put to death. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceeding wrath; And sent forth and slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from: two years old and under, according to the time he had diligently enquired of the wise men (Matthew 2 verses 16).
I want to congratulate every man for what He is. In many societies especially in Africa, when a marriage is not blessed with a male child the home is not yet considered to be fruitful. Wives would do everything to have male children. It is usually the male child that bears or carries the “family name” from one generation to another.
It is a special privilege to be a man. From the very day a man is born, the world begins to hunt for him. The world and the powers that rule over it know what the man shall be. Genesis 3 verses 15; says; And I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman, and between your seed (evil spirits) and her seed (man); he shall bruise Satan’s head, and Satan shalt bruise his heel.
Being what you are, AS A MAN, you are of an immense value. You are therefore admonished and reminded that you are born to war and you have to be alert and alive to win. You must therefore be strong to live in the world and to perform your duties as a HUSBAND.
ALL MEN CANNOT
Husbandman-ship is not an easy venture. Except by the special grace of God, no man can boast of its mastership. But he said unto them, all men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given; For there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs, of men; And there are eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuch for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it let him receive it (Matthew 19 verses 11-12).
When a man gets married, he has not married just the physical woman but also the spiritual family of the woman. The danger in this matter is that; since the body is the temple of the spirits, the woman may have been possessed of more than one spirits.
In Genesis 1 verses 26; for example; when Adam was created to husband the garden. He was told to govern both the animals in the air, land and sea. Likewise when a man gets married to a woman; he may also have along with her; “her ancestral spirits” and “familiar spirits.” – Divers characters in one person.
The spirits are responsible for character control of the individual. This is the reason for the differences in the physical and spiritual conducts of the various human beings. These also determine the degree of natural influences on the man. Without God’s grace any man cannot really; acceptably succeed in life.
THORNS AND THISTLES
The man has many duties (I would not call them problems) to handle. When God created man, He gave him specific assignments in (Genesis 1 verses26-28) but when man fell from grace, his burdens were increased.
In Genesis – 3 verses 15-10; God said; And I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman, and between your seed (demons) and her seed (man); He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.
Unto the woman He said, I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in sorrow you shall bring forth children; and your desire shall be to your husband, and he shall rule over you.
To the man; Adam; GOD said, because you have hearkened unto the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying you shall not eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth to you; and you shall eat the herbs of the field. In the sweat of your face shall you eat; till you return unto the ground; for out of it was you taken; for dust you art, and unto dust shall you return.
The man will have to:
(1), Fight against Satan,
(2), Cater for his wife
(3), Sweat for his belly.
From the air, the land and the sea, the devil will send spiritual missiles against him. If his wife is unwise she will become an accomplice with the enemy of the man. Job 2 verses 9; says; Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
Parents, brothers and sisters, also on their own part will bring their burdens. The friends, neighbors, jobs, co-workers, clubs, cults and churches will bring their own demands. The man is thus entangled; being stressed, and oppressed from every angle of life.
In all these, the ability of the man to stand tall and be divinely approved to God is: his strength.
CHAPTER THREE
INFLUENCES ON MAN
Job 14 verse 1; says; Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. Man is born for adversity. He is constantly in warfare. This warfare is so organized that weapons are design for and against him. These activities are either the resultant of his choices; (will or way); in life or natural factors
In John 9 verses3; Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
Depending on his reactions and conduct towards the nine influential agents of life, the man would be regarded as either strong or weak.
The nine principal influences operational on man have been listed out in chapter one.
HIS WILL: – His strong desires and attitude towards life. When a man is lazy, he will become poor and wanting. Fear can also cause a man to be weak. Abraham was fearful and he tempted his wife to sin. Strong man does not tempt his wife.
When a man is righteous he prospers
When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into your holy temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. (Jonah 2 verses 7- 8)
In my secondary school days, my ‘Fine arts’ teacher made me to draw a picture pointing a finger to myself, with the inscription “your greatest enemy is yourself”. This statement agrees with the adage, which says,
“Man is the architect of his own fate”.
Man has a great deal of influence on himself depending on his characters, cravings and choices in life. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and your seed may live. (Deuteronomy 30 verses 19).
God has asked man to choose life. But Satan, through Job’s wife asked him to choose death. Then said his wife unto him, do you still retain your integrity? Curse God, and die (Job 2 verses 9).
But job being aware of God’s choice; for him, chose life; as he said unto her; You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. What? Shall we receive ‘good’ at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not job sin with his lips – (Job 2 verses 10). Job knew the commandment of the creator.
He that will love life, and see good days let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. Let him eschew evil, and do well; let him seek peace, and ensure it. The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous; His ears are open unto their prayers.
The face of the Lord is against them that do evil – (1st Peter 3 verses 10-12).
When a man is egocentric, he makes his life complicated. Proverbs 11 verses24; says; there is he who scatters and yet increases but he who withholds more than is necessary tends to poverty.
Fear, faithlessness, laziness, ignorance and sin could enslave a man but righteousness exalts a man – nation (Family) – Proverbs 14 verses 34.
HIS WORLD – RELATIONS
– His environment and people he lives and relates with. When a man loves the world, the love of God will diminish in him. A man without the Holy God is dead even when he is going about in affluence. His life and family will always be in crisis. When he yields to temptations and torments from the enemy then he has fallen as a weak man. Evil spirits constantly throw fiery darts at the heart of man; especially the Christian.
If a man is worldly, unwise and unsaved the darts are effective.
Such darts or attacks could lead him to failures and then death. And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul (Acts 23 verses 12).
The enemies of a man are they of his own household (Matthew 10 verses 36). Satan usually possesses the hearts and spirits of unregenerate men with evil powers to trouble others. Joseph’s brothers sold him into Egypt. They wanted to ruin his dreams. But from prison God raised him to the throne. At the throne he manifested his strength in forgiveness when he forgave his brothers. – Genesis 37 verses19-20; 50 verses18-21
Daniel’s enemies were the astrologers and magicians in Babylon – Daniel 6 verses6, 8 &, 9. But Daniel’s strength was his faith in the God of creation – (Daniel 6 verse10). And his enemies bowed to him; (Daniel 6 verses26-28).
Satan also stood against Job to frustrate him and make him despise God who is the strength of a man (Job 2 verses4). But he stood determined and his later end exceeded his beginning.
Oppression from an enemy could be very effective. It may work to frustrate a weak man; but it enhances a strong man. The victory of an enemy depends on the man’s fears or his lacks of faith. For the thing, which I greatly feared, has come upon me, and that which I was afraid of has come upon me. I was not in safety; neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came – (Job 3 verses 25-26). Fear can enslave a man to his environment. But faith will promote a man beyond his enemy’s imagination. Then said I, woe is me for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips.
I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts – (Isaiah 6 verses 5).
A man’s environment – people, place and events usually have great influence on him. Do not love the world and the things of the world; if any man loves the world, the love of the father is not in him 1st John 2 verses 15). If any man is in the midst of drunkards, gamblers, liars, etc.; evil communication will corrupt his good manners – 1st Corinthians 15 verses 33). He that loves wine and oil shall be poor – (Proverbs 21 verses 17).Show me your friends and I will tell you, ‘who’ you are.
HIS WEALTH: – Possessions.
A wealthy man is strong. When a man has money, he commands men. When a man is gifted he is influential. The rich has many friends. When a man is poor every one despises him. But sometimes too much money makes man to forget Godliness.
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. But with God – the true judge, who knows the heart – all things are possible.
So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart – (1st Kings 10 verses 23-24).
A man’s Wealth is his bank account, his wisdom or his folly; and His gifts – (these include the knowledge of; or any special trade). The gift of man could make him influential. A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men (Proverbs 18 verses 16).
For example, as a Christian, one may have the gift of healing, miracles, and prophesy, etc. by which he is able to bring souls into God’s kingdom.
Daniel’s wisdom and Joseph’s gift of dream interpretation were used to deliver the people of God.
Also Solomon’s wisdom (1st king 4 verses29,32) and David’s faith (1st Samuel 17 verses46-50) are very much useful even today in Proverbs and Psalms.
HIS WAY – HIS GOD
When the ways of a man please God, He makes him to overcome. God is the strength of man. (Psalm 18 verses 3). Proverbs 16 verses 7; says; When a man’s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
Depending on which God you serve your strength will be manifested. The Almighty God is righteous and powerful. Idols are impotent and powerless.
Jonah 2 verse 10; says; the Lord spoke unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
Psalm 125 verse 1; says; they that trust in the LORD shall be like mount Zion that shall not be moved. Psalm 23 verse 1; says; the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
The way of a strong man is his God.
The God of a man or the God that the man knows and serves will determine how far he could go in life. Pharaoh mightily honored Joseph because of the Spirit of the Holy God that was in him (Genesis 41 verses37-45). In like manner, Nebuchadnezza promoted Daniel in his kingdom – (Daniel 2 verses46-48).
As a man; when you are favored to be a counselor, governor, president or one who is in any position to minister to others, you can do well by applying either the Joseph or the Daniel’s principle. They sincerely and truly gave themselves to the God of all creations.
They did not mix up idols or cult practices with the service of the great God. Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat. The feasts of the heathen kings are usually dedicated to idols; hence Daniel refused to eat their meat.
HIS WISDOM: –His knowledge. A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down his trusted strongholds – Proverbs 21 verse22
A wise man is a strong man. He cannot be oppressed or stopped by any opposition.
HIS WORD: There is more hope for a fool than a man who is hasty in his word. The word you say and how you speak determine your strength.
HIS WORKS: The hand of the diligent will rule – Proverbs 12 verses24.The kind of work one does determine his ability and strength.
HIS WINNINGS: – His craving. The things that attract him are such that could weaken him.
A winner is a strong man. – He who wins a soul is wise (Proverbs 11 verses 30)
HIS WIFE – ATTACHMENT
What or who he is married to. The greatest influence on a man is his wife. – His heart beat. The kind of wife you have can also affect you. If your wife is born again she can pray to support you for your progress. But if your wife is idolatrous, she will make you to forsake God. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: And his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart (1st Kings 11 verses 4;3). Behind every successful man there is a woman. Women are very influential on men. Some men have become robbers, and cheats, due to the abundant and excessive demands from their ignorant wives.
Some men have become hostile and wicked, drug addicts or even died as a result of the ill treatment they receive from their wives at home. Some men go drinking, womanizing, smoking, gambling as a result of running away from their nagging and unloving wives, etc. There are many men who have been made wealthy and progressive by their industrious and wise wives. A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that makes ashamed is rottenness in his bones (Proverbs 12 verses 4). I believe you would want to be counted among the fortunate few men of velour.
Then give not thy strength unto women or thy ways to that which destroys kings oh man that wants to live long and prosper in all good ways. (Proverb 31 verses 3).
EIGHT KINDS OF WIFE
There are eight kinds of ‘wife’; grouped according to their influences on man; by their virtues, and characters, as in: – The foolish, the ignorant, the unsaved, the wise, the literate, and the saved.
1; UNSAVED, FOOLISH AND IGNORANT WIFE: The unsaved wife who is also foolishly ignorant can be very tormenting to a man ………..- (Proverbs 30 verses20).
If a woman is not ‘born again’ and she is also foolish then the tormenting effects from such woman becomes almost unbearable. In fact, it will be like hell on earth.
The unsaved woman can be very inconsiderate being without the knowledge of God. Such a one does not fear God and she can be very demonic.
Examples are Jezebel and Delilah – And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the philistines; Saying, come up this once, for he has showed me all his heart. Then the lords of the philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she calls for a man. And she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him (Judges 16 verses 18-190’.
2; UNSAVED; WISE, BUT IGNORANT WIFE: The unsaved wife who is wise but ignorant can act very deadly, as her moves cannot easily be determined. Being worldly wise, she can be very stubborn thinking that she knows more than the man than to submit to him. She is influential and can be dangerously inconsiderate like Jezebel … Ahab’s wife said unto him; do you now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let your heart be merry: I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezerite. And she set two men – sons of Belia, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, you have blasphemed God and the King. And they carried him out, and stoned, that he may die (1st kings 21 verses 5, 7, 10).
3; UNSAVED, FOOLISH, BUT LITERATE WIFE:
The unsaved wife who is foolish but literate can be a ready tool in the hand of the enemy, like Delilah. She is both greedy and covetous. She can mix up with the world and would want to control the man because of her knowledge. And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the philistines came up to her, and said unto her, entice him; And see wherein his great strength lies, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him. And we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver. – (Judges 16 verses 4, 5)
4; UNSAVED, WISE, AND LITERATE WIFE:
The unsaved wife who is wise as well as literate can be a little considerate. But her moves could be very dangerous.
Jezebel as example; did not recognize the power of the almighty God. Being scientific and sophisticated in nature she is easily blown about by every wind of doctrine. 1st Kings 19 verses 1-2; says; Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he has slain the entire prophet with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a message to Elijah, saying; So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time. –
5; SAVED BUT IGNORANT AND FOOLISH WIFE:
The saved but ignorant and foolish; is like the wife of Job. She told her husband to curse God and die (Job 2 verses9). She being ignorant of the nature of God’s dealing with man could make very foolish and offensive utterances. Her attitudes and actions could be very tormenting but she does not mean any harm. She is just without knowledge. Many Christians die or miss their miracles ignorantly. . …. You shall be no priest to me: seeing you have forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children (Hosea 4 verses 6).
In their zeal, but unintentionally they readily accommodate false prophets.
6. SAVED, LITERATE BUT FOOLISH WIFE: This one may be considerate, but somehow has zeal without knowledge also. She may know the promises of God but she is not wise towards God.
Example is Sarah, Abraham’s wife. She could; and did impatiently push her husband into error.
And Sarah said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarah (Genesis 16 verses 2).
Rebecca the wife of Isaac, and Eve the wife of Adam are other examples.
When the woman saw that the tree was good for food; that it was pleasant to the eyes; a tree needed to make one wise, she took of the tree thereof, and did eat, and gave unto her husband with her; and he did eat also. – (Genesis 3 verses 6).
7. SAVED AND WISE BUT IGNORANT WIFE: Sarah was always compromising with Abraham to cheat on God; saying; “she is my sister”. She also talked Abram to go into Haggai. If she is not sanctified, this kind of woman can be slightly difficult and very burdensome to a husband. Except for the grace of God such ones could easily backslide and become a ready tool in the hand of the enemy. And Sarah said unto Abram, my wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid unto thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee. (Genesis 16 verses 6).
8; SAVED, LITERATE AND WISE WIFE:
This is a Wife of faith and power. – Virtuous wife. The hearts of her husband doth fully trust in her (Proverbs 31 verses 10-11). Her home is like heavens on earth. This kind of woman can stand as man in her home. – Non-compromiser. Such as:
RUTH: Ruth said, entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou go, I will go: and where thou lodge, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. (Ruth 1 verses 16).
Esther: Then Esther told them to return Mordecai this answer, Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise: and so will I go in unto the King, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish – (Esther 4 verses 15-16).
The Shunamite Woman – And she said unto her husband; Behold now I perceive that this is a Holy man of God. He passes by us continually. … And she called unto her husband, and said, send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again. II Kings 4:9 & 22
Deborah: and she said I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that you are taking shall not be for your honors. For the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kadesh. (Judg.4:9).
A WOE MAN
“Woe unto the man that wish to enslave a woman or the Weaker Of Man”. A woman wants to be loved, admired, pampered, and be cared for like a baby. The Weakness Of Man is the Woman. As the baby is ignorant of the problems of the father; so is the wife unaware of many troubles the husband maybe going through. The man being flesh and blood can also be offended or be wearied.
The woman being ignorant of this always causes the man to be offended continually. There is no way that a man can satisfy any woman without Christ. The unconverted woman has the double nature of the man. Man’s nature is tough and rugged. The bible puts it as: the heart of man is desperately wicked and indiscernible (Jeremiah 17:9).
If some women have money they are happy and would want to rule over the men. Without money they become stubborn and disobedient – they would want to destroy the marriage. But if a woman is allowed to rule there will be problem. Though some are tough and harden in heart; they are not wise to rule. A woman must be led. She is created to follow.
God made the woman beautiful to be admired and cared for by the strong man. Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but are commanded to be under obedience, as also says the law (1st Corinthians 14: verse 34). No matter how spiritual some women may be, they must have the love of money.
Except the woman is truly saved, wise and knowledgeable, the man in most cases suffers torments from the wife who feels enslaved. The ignorant wife easily misunderstands the man’s desires. The unsaved ones do not quickly obey, being without the fear of God in their hearts.
The foolish one behaves often like a baby frustrating and annoying. If a woman is too literate, she wants to rule over the man. If she is too rich, she gets wild and uncontrollable. If she is too poor she becomes hostile and not cooperating. Generally, the unsaved wife can be very traditional and superstitious in approaching any issue. She fears the unknown. Her heart is inclined toward idols if religious.
The ignorant person normally is as deadly as the live cobra in a bag. Being without knowledge, this person is also devoid of the fear of God. Therefore such a woman is like an imbecile, and is always unmindful of her actions. This is the reason God said that His children perish for lack of knowledge. Being ignorant they easily fall into the trap of the devil. When they are wrong the devil makes them happy and thus they feel they are doing well. If a man has such a wife, he should be extremely careful what he says and what he does. Being without the fear of God, such a wife can easily be offended. The unsaved woman can make any move to kill the man any time.
A man who is not born again and is married to an unsaved woman is in hell of troubles. The man is not protected, and the woman is a serpent when unconverted. The saved individual should endeavor to grow in knowledge or else, such a one cannot be very different from the unsaved person.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge: And to knowledge temperance: And to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity; For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2nd Peter 1: verses 5-8).
A man should understand these things, for the ignorance of them could be very dangerous. Knowledge and wisdom can greatly enhance ones strength internally and externally (Proverbs 4: verse 7).
BITTEN BY SERPENT
A man who is not living under the same roof with his wife is like an animal. He is weak no matter his wealth and physical strength. He has no defense. There was a man who was prospering in his business. He decided to have extra wives. His manner of operation was that he kept the other wives outside. He usually moves from one house to the other on different nights to sleep with the different women. One fateful morning, we began to hear crying and wailing from the house of one of the wives, which was actually the real wife. The matter was that the man had died in one of the wives’ house. Mysterious Serpent bit him at night in the bed. There are many cases of men dying mysteriously like the man in the story.
The word of God said that whosoever breaks the hedge shall be bitten by serpent. This man broke the hedge of God’s protection around him by marrying many women like King Solomon. He received shame and dishonor at the end.
There was also the case of a man who borrowed money to purchase a motorbike. One night the bike was stolen as he was in a corner having an affair with a harlot. The real and true story was that the harlot actually staged the robbery. But the man went home crying shamefully that night to report to his real wife his misfortune.
The philistines blinded Samson, with the aid of the woman he loved.
Woman is the Weakness Of a Man. But the virtuous Woman is the “Wisdom Of Man”.
GOD’S WILL AND WISDOM
Then the disciples asked Christ. If the case of a man is thus, why was marriage instituted? (Matthew 19: verse 10).
God is very wise but His wisdom; to men is very foolish. No man can live without a serious check on him.
There are principalities and powers ruling in high places. Their activities are to catch straying men and consume them. God therefore being very wise would not allow a man he loves to be too loose. …… – Genesis 2: verse 18
He that is married has gotten a favor of the lord (Proverbs 18: verse 22). Hence Christ replied the disciples that only the man that is gifted that can marry. He says unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another; commits adultery: whosoever marries her who is put away doth commit adultery. His disciples said unto Him, if the case of man is so with his wife, it is not good to marry. But He said unto them, all men are not able to receive this saying, except they to whom it is given – (Matthew 19 verses 8-11).
OBJECT OF CHASTISEMENT
The help that God created the woman to give to the man is more than he is able to comprehend. In other words, the man does not know the usefulness of the wife.
Lets illustrate this in parables. The bible did not record it that Paul (Saul of Tarsus) was married. Yet he did exploits for God. He even spoke extensively on marriage. Paul had the revelations of the glory of heavens. He almost would have boasted in these revelations. But God forbade him. He was given a thorn on his flesh to quench his pride.
Your wife is given to you as a thorn on your flesh to help you through life. She is to serve as a chastening agent of God to you. God loves you if you have a wife. God does not want you to be careless and boastful or else you become careless and vulnerable to Satan’s attack. – Oh man! Appreciate your wife, –
Therefore just like the thorn on Paul, your wife is to help to check your glorying in the abundance of revelations coupled with blessing that you receive from God. How does she check you? How is she your helpmeet? How does she chastise you?
For example you are a president of some sort. Once upon a time, you fell into a slight argument with your wife. Under normal circumstances, no human of any class dares talk to you outside anyhow. But here you are; your wife abusing you; calling you names. “Bloody president! Shameless president!”. The next thing is that she comes closer and pulls your tie. “No outing for you today;” “You dare treat me like your slave?” She begins to abuse your mother and father. Yes this happens in the closets of many homes – to kings, ministers, governors, etc. ‘”Don’t tell”: is the slogan. But only your wife can do so. No mean subject of yours dare try this.
Now you look at yourself – your highly esteemed personality; is thus humbled by a woman. It is God’s doing.
Your title: – The president of so and so nation or company. You may want to boast but your wife has humiliated you. You can’t brag on yourself. Then you begin to say “Dear, I am sorry” “please stop-stop shouting” “Do you want the stewards to hear about you?” You have to play it calm.
She has nothing to loose. But you have your honors, – position and power at stake. Thus she is able to check your ego. She is able to teach you to be humble, meek, patient and gentle with others. Patience, meekness, gentleness, humility and other good virtues are the constituents of the strength of man.
CHECK-MATE
The most dangerous time in the life of any living man is when he begins to exalt himself. Pride comes before a fall. If you haven’t a thorn on your flesh, you would be tempted to speak proudly, rudely and arrogantly to others and of course to your own hurt.
May be you are a teacher, principal, manager, pastor, etc. Now you are at the office or school or in the church, a subordinate commits an offence. As you want to react negatively, the Spirit of God in you reminds you; “What about your stubborn child, wife, etc. at home? Think about them”.
Your home helps to check your conducts and actions outside.
This is the reason many experienced or aged men and women are careful, gentle and moderate in their actions.
Youths who are not married; and not experienced, are usually very rash, and in most cases impatient and unmindful in their decisions and conducts. They could afford to throw stones inside the market place, knowing fully well, that their wife or any loved one is not there.
God loves you for enabling you to marry; for whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives (Hebrews 12 verse 6). One of the most effective weapons of God’s chastisement on man is his family. He uses children and wife to speak and direct man’s affairs in life.
Your kind of wife determines your strength. God has given the wife to help form and shapes the character of the man. Hence there is usually the negative and the positive factors. For example when the man is too hot the woman is in most cases cool. When a man is hard working; the wife tends to be rather lazy. They are so made to checkmate the excesses of one another. It is the Lord’s doing. In all of these; God is Omniscient and thus He knows better. No matter your kind of wife, she is God’s best choice for you if you are ‘born again’.
MASCULINE AUTHORITY
You can never totally master a woman but God can give you the grace to be with any woman, whom he has given to you, only, that you have to continually abide with Him. If you do not abide in His word you can do nothing. Only the creator of the heart of man that can teach you, empower you and guide you on how to relate with the things He has created. As the weaker vessels, women’s understandings are very limited and hence man must learn to communicate effectively to their senses. Never speak in parable to your wife. Never take it for granted that she understands you at once. Be careful and be slow to reporting your wife to any person whether a pastor or whoever. Study their nature for effective dealings with them. If you as a man are therefore wise and able to rightly lead your wife then you are strong. It is only a strong man that can bind an enemy and win a friend.
Your leadership should not be tyrannical, or bossy. Your wife is not your secretary; messenger or house girl and you should not treat her in any mean way.
She should not be kicked about like football or like an errand girl. Your wife is your very intimate partner in progress. You must learn to discuss your ideas and projects with her, as well as to wisely apply her godly advises. You must learn to listen to her as well as appreciate her good works.
Praise her sometimes to encourage her to do more. Women are like babies, they loved to be acknowledged and appreciated. There are some women whom you need pamper with love, but others; one must require extra wisdom to relate with them. There are some women, to whom you must not tell all your dreams, experiences, and or make all your plans with, if you want to do God’s will in life. Samson was not wise enough, thus he got blinded. But lot did not look back with his wife so he lived to see another day. Abraham did not tell Sarah that he was asked by God to go and sacrifice Isaac; he would have failed God. You need to know these things or else you may be foolishly endangering your life.
A strong man is one who is able to do the work of God righteously and as well resist evil. For example Christ did love Peter for what he said concerning the son of man. But Jesus Christ did not hesitate to rebuke the devil in Peter when he said that Jesus Christ would not die. For open rebuke is better than hidden love at times, when applied with wisdom. – Proverbs 27 verse 5.
Jesus Christ still loves us even when we are sinners. He knows our ignorance. The bible said that he knew man and he would not put his life in the hand of man.
When a man is subject to God, his household and others will also submit to him.
You must love your wife. Be very sincere to her in all that you relate to her. You may not tell her all secretes, but love her truly. There may be some official or state secrets you must not tell even your wife.
However, you must not have any skeleton in your cupboard. Such as having other women outside or children outside or planning to divorce and remarry or do whatever that is sinful before God. Your hearts and thoughts and actions must be absolutely sincere and opened before the God of all spirits. Do not despise your wife and do not be suspicious of her actions and movements. You have to be honest as a man. Honesty demands that your wife knows the nature of your business, and discretion demands that your wife be constantly aware of your destinations. Honestly, also, you must not be hypocritical. That is; your relationship must be sincere, true and cheerful. No reward for hypocrisy but God loves a cheerful giver of love and friendliness. Your agreement with your wife must be without grudges. Follow peace with all men, and holiness without which no man shall see God. (Hebrews 12 verse 14).
God wants us to prosper, hence he expects us to put away the evils of our doing. He opens also their ear to discipline, and commands that they return from their iniquity.
If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures. But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword and they shall die without knowledge. – (Job 36 verses 10-12).
Only righteousness exalts a nation or a family. When there is no righteousness in our relationship there cannot be any effective prayers, powers, progress or peace; but afflictions, crisis and deaths. The word of God is very clear on how we must relate to one another as husband and wife. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. Husbands love your wives; even as Christ also; loved the church and gave his life for it; so ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife loves himself. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife and they two shall be one flesh. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband – (Ephesians 5 verses 19,23,25,28; 31,33).
CHAPTER FOUR
HOW TO BE A STRONG MAN
The purposes of the warfare against man are to affect, weaken and then kill him. The effects on him depend on his reactions to the trials and temptations of life. He will be branded strong or weak depending on his characters, attitude and his reactions to the influences of life.
BE POSITIVE
A man would regret or rejoice as he reacts to matters of life. Regretting could make him angry, worried, discouraged, and revengeful. Rejoicing could make him active, joyful, peaceful, powerful, patient, kind, loving, and progressive. – the joy of the Lord is your strength. – Nehemiah 8: verse 10
Positive reactions produce life. Negative reactions produce death. Each victory you win will enhance your further victory. You are therefore advised to be positive and encouraged. – Looking forward to a mark of high calling.
The victory, peace and joy desired are in moving forward and upward. So David inquired of the Lord, saying, shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them? 1st Samuel 30: verse 8.
Life is progressive. Death is retrogressive.
When a man is disturbed positively or negatively as the case may be by the circumstances of life he is compelled to make one or more of the following moves:
1. Resort to the social family (church or clubs or cults) for solace:
2. Go to extended family for counseling and encouragement;
3. Relate with women or wealth for comfort.
4. Go to God for strength.
DECLARE YOUR STAND
The stand of man is his life assigned duties. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man – (Ecclesiastics 12 verse 13).
A man must be able to declare his stands to everyone if he wishes to be celebrated as strong. He has showed you, oh man, what is good; and what does the LORD REQUIRE of you, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God – (Micah 6 verse 8). The Strength of a man is his ability to declare his stands to:
1. His extended families (in-laws, fathers, sisters etc.),
2. His immediate family (his wife and children)
3. His social family; – (friends, co-workers, neighbors etc.).
He must be able to make them understand what and who he is standing for – whether Christ or Satan. One who is standing for Christ is never wavered or disturbed by any circumstance. But one who is not fully standing for Christ has these three alternatives; all of which are from the devil.
1, He may go to drinking, smoking, or gambling in clubs (social family).
2, He may go to women and money (external family).
3, He may go to find solace with extended family (mothers or fathers or sisters etc.).
Whichever one of the three alternatives to Christ he has chosen, will determine his disastrous end. In any of these three negative choices, he has manifested a weakness. Weaknesses in man usually result to anger, impatience, doubts, worries, hatred, anxiety, fears, failures suffering and death.
But the strong man will abide with Christ.
He is not a victim of circumstances. He is resolute. He is never controlled by crisis. He loves Christ more than all else. Christ is his adviser, counselor and advocate. When there is trouble between himself and his wife, he simply does not fret. He would not fight back. He would not run to find comfort from another woman, or mother, sister, father, or in-law.
He would not go to friends; to drinking, but to Christ. He does not in any way accept or accommodate ungodly counsels. He has manifested his strength in this case by love. By love; he is made wiser, he is able to forgive, he is able to bear and forbear, he is able to pray etc.
WORRIES AND ANGER
Worries enslave a man into unclean and unhealthy habits like: smoking, drinking, idolatry, ignorance and foolish actions, impatience and adultery. These in turn result to his inability to plan, coordinate, communicate well, and control his emotions, or overcome temptation. The strength of a man is the ability to control and overcome anger and worries. In other words he should be able to handle and master situations and circumstances if he does not fret.
When a man who is nothing wants to make himself recognized (when a poor man wants to exercise authority on his wife) he becomes hostile and aggressive to his environment. But hostility and aggression are weakness in man. For these are destructive weapons of the emotion. The strength of man is not determined by aggression but by his ability to reason coolly and to wisely overcome the tempestuous. There is the saying that the empty vessels make the loudest noise.
In our society, insignificant people and mostly impetuous personality usually shouts to attract attention. Those seeking to be recognized are sometimes ruled by emotions and not by reasoning or divine wisdom.
Anger is derived from the word aggression. Aggression means violent behavior.
Anger is a very powerful offensive agent that does affect the spirit of man dangerously and disastrously. Anger opens your heart to attacks from the enemy. It is a strong enemy against man. Any man who is able to conquer his violent spirit is a great man of spiritual velour. Wrath kills the foolish man, and envy slays the silly one (Job 5 verse 2). Proverbs 14 verse 17; says; He that is soon angry deals foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.
Anger is a thing of the heart. It is manifested in the spirit as a result of envy, hatred, offence, impatience etc. When you envy or hate someone, you often get offended by his or her actions. If you do not despise somebody and if you are not jealous you would not desire to retaliate on the individual. Anger is the first stage of a desire to hurt one’s neighbors, or to revenge on somebody. Anger is an animal nature, which usually manifest in the degenerated man. If a man is able to suppress anger he is able to keep his family.
In this case it is not possible for both the wife and the husband to agree to part with the marriage at the same time.
MOSES’ ANGER
A strong man does not offend with his tongue. He entreats for friendliness. Moses spoke harshly and his follies were discovered. The children of Israel were crying and Moses called them rebels. God then passed judgment on Moses: “You shall not enter into the Promised Land”.
The LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, take the rod, and gather the assembly together, you, and Aaron your brother. Speak to the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth water. You shall bring forth to them water out of the rock: And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, you rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand and with his rod he smote the rock twice: The water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron, because you believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation unto the land which I have given them. (Numbers 20 verse 7-12).
Ecclesiastics 10 verse 1; says; “As dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour; so does a little folly him that is reputed for wisdom and honors. Moses; who was reputed for wisdom and honour; is now made a stinker by anger. God had expected better performance from Moses after all the trainings He had given him. – The teachings of patience and endurance from palace to wilderness. Moses ought not to have abused his people – cursing them and getting angry. Hence God said of Moses; “He did not sanctify Me before the congregation of Israel”.
WRITTEN FOR OUR LEARNING
The case of Moses here is for every man to learn from. The pastor who for any form of greediness and desire for honors gets offended and begin to fight his followers should quote the case of Moses to counsel himself. He should seek God’s face afresh. The husband, who for the lack of money, for nagging had to abuse his wife, should not begin to quote scriptures but to repent. There are some men whose prayers are that their wife should die, due to the abundance of the oppression and troubles, which they receive from them. The strength of man is not in his power to wish and speak evil but in his ability to desire and entreat God’s blessings. Moses prayed to God to spare the children of Israel when they initially sinned against God. If you curse your wife, children or any person thinking you are doing God’s service then you are lying. God expects a better reaction from you – prayers and patience. Ecclesiastes 5 verse 6; says; suffer not your mouth to cause your flesh to neither sin; nor say thou before the angel, that it was an error: Wherefore should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands.
REMEDIES
Solutions to anger include: Forgiveness, love and fear of God. David, when he went out to fight battle, as he returned, he found out that his people have been captured. Added to this, the people whose wives and properties were taken away said they would stone David to death. The bible recorded it that David encouraged himself in the Lord. But many men, rather than encouraging themselves in the LORD; would either be angry or resort to the bear parlor, thinking in their heart that the only way to forget the quarrels and insults and abuses from their wives is to drink and forget their sorrows. This is the deception from the devil. When the drinking or alcoholic affect is cleared off, when the drunkard becomes sober, then sorrow will return. Intoxication makes a man to damn the consequences and scatter his home. But when you get so careless; to resort to smoking, drinking, flirting, fighting, quarrelling, gambling etc., you are weak.
One might want to blame the woman in some instances but over 50% of the family troubles could be attributed to the ignorance of the man. Proverbs 24 verse 10; says; if you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.
Most men who drink, smoke and womanizes have little strength, little faith and little courage; and some are just foolish. The object of attack in the home is the man. He is the shepherd and husbandman. When the shepherd is smitten the sheep will scatter.
When the husbandman sleeps or is slothful, tars and weeds will overtake his crops. For example without the husband it will be difficult for the woman to achieve an enviable percentage of discipline in their children and home. A man, rather than be worried, angry or discouraged, should learn to encourage his family to be strong, active, and wise to seek knowledge. No good father ever encourages his child to be wicked, stubborn and lazy. So a husband should be to his wife. There are some women who are lazy in nature, ignorant in actions and wicked at heart. Such conducts generate anxiety and anger in man. But do not be worried neither should you be angry or discouraged. 1st Corinthians 15 verse 58; says; therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord .
The husband should encourage his family to do good works.
What about chastening? You do not use cane in anger neither do you use blow but the wisdom of God. Wise counsels could be more effective than flogging. Whipping wounds the body but soft words break the hardened heart for good purposes.
WATCHFULNESS
When next you are tempted to be angry with your wife, you should ask yourself these questions: Why do the actions, conducts, attitudes, behavior etc.; of my wife offend me? Why am I married to her? Is it not for pleasures? Why should I put this marriage asunder now? Don’t I still love her? Why is the love missing now? Where is the first love? Is she wise? What does the bible say about the offender, the weak, and the unlovable? What does the bible say about marriage? Etc.
As you ask yourself these questions you would discover that deep down within you that there is no cause for your getting offended. The matter with you now; if you are offended; is that you have through impatience and carelessness lost the fear of God in your heart. Now the enemy seems to be gaining the upper hand over you. You now want to retaliate on whosoever is the offender.
This is not the will of God but the adversary’s. He wants to put your marriage asunder. He wants to spoil your name. He wants to take you from the heritage of God. The devil wants to prevent your expected miracles and blessings. It may be at this time God wants to heal your impotency or remove your poverty or affliction. Just be patient a little, and you will soon become a winner that you are made to be.
TESTIMONY
There was a day I was teaching some students behind a friend’s house. Suddenly I began to hear shouting and cracking of things. I quickly rounded up and ran to the scene of the commotion. It was one of my friends against his wife. The wife was calling him names. He was brandishing on her. “You must leave my home today.” “Enough is enough”; etc. The quarrel was increasing in tempo when I quickly intervened. I called the man aside and began to counsel him. His confession was that he wanted to do a thing to her that she would have lived to remember.
He wanted to retaliate on her as much as she had offended him. She had called him a lazy poor man. Actually the man hadn’t a job at that moment. He was kind of partially living on his wife then.
However, I counseled him not to wash his dirty linens in the public place. I told him that a man is a burden bearer and that there is hardly any home without quarrels. But the strong man is such that is able to bear the insults from his wife. I then prophesied to him that his miracle was closed at the door. The devil was aware of this. The quarrels between them were programmed to avert the incoming miracle. I prayerfully settled them with the word of God; in Hebrews 12 verse 14; that they should live in peace with one another.
My prophecy was true. The next day the man was invited to take up a job. The devil is very tricky. He knows every trick to put the home asunder. Give him no chance to prevent your miracles or to scatter your home. Hebrew 12 verses 1, 2, 7; says; wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight, and the sin, which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our Faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. If you endure chastening; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is that whom the father chastens not?
CHAPTER FIVE
THE EFFECT OF YIELDING
The enemy (devil) can influence a man by using situations and circumstances in life. The effects of the influences on any man depend on his reactions to matters of life. The devil used Job’s wife as an agent of temptation – Job 2 verse 9. David’s wife and also Abraham’s wife were used too against their husbands. When there is nagging, murmuring, grumbling, complaining, cursing, abusing, evil counseling, etc. from the wife, the best alternative for the man is to run to God for solace. He that dwells in the secrete place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty – (Psalm 91 verse 1).
But when you run to alternatives: cults, alcohol, women, money etc.; You may have reasons but you have yielded and such is your weakness and you have sinned thereby. It is the deception of the enemy (devil) for you to choose any alternative to Christ. Satan has the tricks of twisting the Word of God to deceive the ignorant heart. A man’s heart becomes foolish and ignorant when he is worried, anxious or angry and discouraged. For example, in (Proverbs 22 verse 13) the slothful man out of fear and perhaps past failures, says there is a lion in the street. He finds enough reason not to labor. But he is simply lazy and indolent.
In the same manner if one should quote the scripture for any reason for running to the drinking hall or to women he is simply weak in nature.
Some men readily defend themselves by quoting such verses as: “It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house. It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman – (Proverbs 21 verse 9, 19). Such scripture are not bad when quoted in context, and wisely too. But the man that wanders out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead (Proverbs 21 verse 16).
When one quotes any scripture or makes a proverb it should be for the singular purpose of running to God at the corner of the housetop or in the wilderness. But if otherwise, (to seek pleasures) there will be troubles, trials, travails and torments at last at the housetop, or in the wilderness. For he that loves pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loves WINE and OIL shall not be rich – Proverbs 21 verse 17; 23 verse 20-21.
The poor man is a weak man. For the poor is hated even of his own neighbor. The rich has many friends (Proverbs 14 verse 20). If a man runs from a contentious and angry wife to the corner of the housetop or to the wilderness for the singular purpose of communing with God and seeking counsel from the Holy Spirit then he is safe (Psalm 91 verse 1).
But if he goes there to mourn, fret, worry and meditate contrary to the will of God; then he has gone there to invite troubles. There is a way, which seem right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death; – (Proverbs 14 verse 12). Such is the destination of the weak minded individual. The effects are that: his mourning will attract the consolations of the extended family. And his meditations usually will attract alternatives to the nagging wife.
If the extended family is idolatrous, they will counsel him to always come to them. And in due course, he is influenced and his end may become disastrous. This is the reason you find some mothers, in-laws, etc. confessing of being responsible for their son’s death, poverty, or home breakage. If the social friends are ungodly then their counsel is that he comes with them to the drinking and gambling hall. This weak natured man is thus enticed, and the result will be drunkenness, chain smoking, bad gangs, armed robbery and eventually divorce, and death (Proverbs 10 verse 28). When the meditation of the weak nature man strays to the alternative, he goes to other women. The effect of this latter action is that: By means of whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life (Proverbs 6 verse 26).
And now the question is: Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burnt? (Proverbs 6 verse 27-28).
Certainly he will be burnt. Such is the effect of yielding to decide for the alternatives to go after strange women. In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: and, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart. She is loud and stubborn: her feet abide not in her house: (Proverbs 7 verse 9-11). He goes after her as an ox goes to the slaughter or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; – (Proverbs 7 verse 22, 23). Whosoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding his reproach shall not be wiped away (Proverbs 6 verse 32-33).
KING DAVID’S ADULTERY
This book cannot be complete without considering or referring to the case of David, the second King in Israel. David was described in the bible as a man after God’s own heart. But David the man of war, who slew Goliath the man of valor, fell to a woman. In 2nd Samuel; Chapter six, David rejoiced home expecting a welcome embrace from his wife. But contrarily she will not yield to his advances any more. There was contention; accusations and counter accusations from his angry wife. In chapter eleven David had to go to the corner of the housetop. He dare not go to war or worries and confusion would kill him.
Probably due to this quarrel and unloving attitude from his beloved wife, David began to meditate on the housetop. “How I wish I could get a better wife, I would never go into this daughter of Saul forever”.
“Immediately, the devil said. “Raise up your head” David did, and behold there was Bathsheba bathing. And it came to pass in an evening tide, that David rose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof the King’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon (2nd Samuel 11 verse 2). This was the genesis of David’s problem. Immediately he went into Bathsheba; the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, and said; I am with a child (2nd Samuel 11 verse 5).
He had to kill Uria to cover up his adulterous sin. And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uria. And he wrote in the letter, saying, set you Uria in forefront of the hottest battle, and retire you from him, that he may be smitten, and die – (2nd Samuel 11 verse 14-15). David’s son – Amnon raped his half sister (King David’s daughter). And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, come lie with me, my sister. And she answered him, no, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly. ………. 2nd Samuel 13 verse 11-12. … Absalom killed Amnon (2nd Samuel 13 verse 32). Thereafter he planed a coup to succeed his father (2nd Samuel 15 verse 12). David was publicly disgrace: Abused by Shemei (2nd Samuel 16 verse 5) and shamed by Absalom. So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel – (2nd Samuel 16 verse 32). In the battle against his father, Absalom died (2nd Samuel 18 verse 14). The above chains of family problem result from the adulterous act of king David. He was not strong enough to conquer the wife at home. This can also happen to any man. It was the grace of God that David did not personally die in this troublous period. A man’s strength is his ability to overcome family trial and temptations. Job was strong enough not to look upon a maid in spite of all the ill advises from his wife and the misunderstandings from his friends.
I have made a covenant with my eyes, why should I look upon a young woman – Job 31 verse 1. As for me, is my complaint against man? If it were so why should I not be impatience? – Job 21 verse 4. Job’s heart wasnot troubled; he was not impatient; therefore evil spirit could not gain any access into him. Impatience and anxiety usually opens the door for evil spirits.
CHAPTER SIX
A MORE EXCELLENT WAY
In times like this when things are tough; the tough man wants to get going. In a perilous time like this; many men want to be seen as strong. Some men cheat in order to survive; so that they would not be branded as weak. Some men wanting to prove strong do break into banks and stores for hasty wealth. Some marry many wives so that they could be regarded as strong in the society. Some borrow and refuse to pay back. These also claim to be strong.
Some do ritual killing for the sake of acquiring more wealth. They want to have more houses and more vehicles so that they could be regarded as strong. Some make charms to be able to win elections or pull crowd. They want to be admired as strong men also. Some go to idols and native doctors to seek for protections. They want to stay alive so that people could see them as strong.
Very few others, who are wise, call unto the name of Jesus Christ. These ones recognize that at the mention of the name of Jesus Christ every other powers bow. These few wise ones believe that sign and wonders follow them that have Christ; and believe in His Word.
Those who put their trust in man usually have weak strength.
Those who trust in money have very limited strength; for money though powerful is not able to solve all problems. Those who put their faith in idols are simply like the idols – they have eyes but cannot see. They have mouth but dumb. They have ears but deaf. Those who have Satan as their gods are in deception. They have mirage strength. The people who know the God of creation are wise and powerful. They depend on the Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent God. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall be corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their, God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever; (Daniel 11 verse 32). The supernatural Power of Jehovah protects them that have faith in Him.
The strength of any man is his ability to resort or retreat to God when there is crisis. He manifests unwavering faith in the word of God. The knowledge of the word of God makes the man – humble, undaunted, simple, bold, active, natural, disciplined, meek, attractive and nice. That is a HUSBANMAN.
God is the strength of man, because He is the Almighty defender of man (Psalms 22 verse 19). He prevented men from taking the wives of Abraham and of Isaac. He did not forget Joseph in the prison.
He did not forget Daniel in the den of lions. He said when we pass through the flood; it will not over flow us and fire will not burn us.
You shall not be afraid for the terror by night; nor the arrow that flies by day; A thousand shall fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come nigh you. You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the dragon shall you trample under feet. With long life will I satisfy you and show you my salvation (Psalm 91 verse 5, 7, 13, 16).
If we know this God, He can always transform our wife’s heart and our world, and make our enemies to be at peace with us. We know him when we keep all his commandments. For all the law is fulfilled in one world even in this. Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself – (Galatians 5 verse 14). We can only love when we are born again, by receiving Him as our Lord and savior.
A MORE EXCELLENT WAY
1st John 4 verse 7-8; says; “Beloved let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God. He that loves not knows not God; for God is love” Many people want to obtain power or strength by all and various means. There is a more excellent way. But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way (1st Corinthians 13 verse 31).
The more excellent way is charity (Sanctified character) – which is Agape love:
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have no charity (Sanctified character), I am become as sounding brass, or a twinkling cymbal. Though I have the gift of prophecy, and understanding all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profits me nothing. Charity suffers long, and is kind; charity envy not; charity vaunts not itself, is not puffed up, do not believe itself unseemly. Seeks not her own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil. Rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoice in the truth; Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things.
1st Corinthians 13 verse 1-8; says’ Love endures all things. Charity never fails: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail. Whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away
PURE LOVE IS PRACTICAL
Even though you open up your mouth to tell somebody “I love you” a thousand times, only the practical exhibition will tell it better.
Love forgives, love teaches, love corrects, love bears, love prays, love helps, love encourages, love believes, love is faithful. Love respects and uses knowledge, ‘love does not fear and love is not suspicious.
Love can humble a man to do any mean job no matter the reactions of the onlookers as long as God is being glorified. For example the husband can help to clean up the house and the children as well; without waiting for the wife to do every job. The love that you manifest, which is a mark of your strength as a man, is not the carnal type of love. Not the love for her body or face. The beauty of the woman is not on her face but her heart condition; her character and attitude. No woman is externally complete in beauty. Her face will get wrinkled; her pointed breasts will be crumpled and flattened.
Therefore; your love towards your wife should be for God’s sake. She is given to you by God to care for. She is weak and unwise. You therefore; have to consider the priceless soul, which must not be allowed to perish. If you look at the face of the woman, no matter how attractive she may be, you would not naturally love her especially when she is angry. You have to look beyond her facial expressions and see her ignorance. Then you are able to care for her with the Godly kind of love. Then you will be able to forgive her also, whatever the past sins or unfaithfulness in ignorance.
LOVE CORRECTS OR TEACHES WITH WISDOM
Sometimes a man may be tempted to stop correcting his wife and want to let her go astray as she wishes. The devil would say “Stop correcting her, she is adamant. You just can’t make her to obey; she is out to frustrate you. Can’t you see she would not listen”?
The strength of man is his ability to continue in sound doctrine and to continue to correct and teach his wife and others in his household;, to forsake ignorance and unrighteousness. Hosea 2 verse 14; says; I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.
The same character is applicable to the pastor. You are at times tempted to stop preaching sound doctrine. This is the trick of the devil. Sometimes it is better to still entreat an evildoer and speak comfortably unto her. The mind of a child who is foolish, in most cases cannot bear rebuke. Some men are not so wise enough as not to openly and sharply rebuke their wife. They quote that open rebuke is better than hidden love. But the wife does not like this neither does she ever reason it this way. The foolish hates open rebuke. Their minds are weak and thus must be treated with wisdom. Ecclesiastes. 7 verse 16; says; Be not righteous over much; nor make yourself over wise, why should you destroy yourself?
God instructed Moses to take the serpent by the tail. This handling the serpent by the tail is the wisdom and strength of the man.
The unconverted person is like a serpent and such should be handled with care. If one is married to an unbeliever, the believer has to be very wise; be able to bear; love unconditionally and to teach the other partner patiently to love God.
LIFT HER UP
The rod of Moses was a kind of wife to him. The bible records it that whenever Moses lifted up the rod during the Israelites battle against the Amalekites there was victory. When he puts down his hand (rod) they were beaten.
What are the significance and the relationship between the rod and the wife of the man? Read on. When you are able to lift your wife up, value her, cherish her, love her, make her important in your family, desire her and exalt her, you would experience a peaceful and enviable home. You will become a man of miracles. No matter what she does against you, rather than destroying her; teach her, and encourage her to do the will of God. Wisdom demands that you be extremely careful with your baby. You should not offend her either by words or actions. When you mistakenly do, knowledge demands that you immediately reconcile – either by speaking some kind words or by some affectionate and loving actions. But should the baby offend you, be wise not to be angry. Rather forgive.
Teach the baby how not to offend either by sound speech or by good conducts. By so doing the relationship between the wise and the foolish, between the learned and the unlearned, will be lasting and strong. This is the strength of the man.
He does not offend by his knowledge (not puffed up”); by his wealth (humility), by his power (weak and gentle); etc.
Christ came to Peter and his friends who had backslide when He was crucified. First He taught them to fish. Secondly, He made fire and prepared food for them. Then He invited them to come and dine. After which Christ instructed Peter to do His will with love.
The point of note is that: Christ had earlier warned Peter that he would fall into errors and thus should be careful. The natural man would almost be mad against his wife, should she betray him like Peter betrayed Christ. But Christ did not remind Peter of these things; instead he taught him the true love. Gentleness with your wife is your strength.
LOVE IS WISE
Ecclesiastics (the preacher) said if a knife is blunt, wisdom is required to make it cut.
When a man is married to a seemingly useless wife, and if he is a wise man, he could make her useful. There is no wife that is useless. God has not created anything or anyone to be useless.
Even the darkness (the night) is useful to the wise man. The wise can learn from an ant. You may be complaining, “Oh! I am married to a bad woman, she is ignorant, stubborn, wicked, etc and thus I despise her”. As a man who thinks himself to be most unfortunate, I want to tell you that you are most fortunate. You may ask why? Yes, you are very lucky for your wife has shown her true nature to you; hence, she is not of the serpentine generation.
The serpent is very tricky and if your wife is not bad to you then you are most unlucky for she is not in her true nature. One day you will find out, perhaps the reason she is very good to you now is that you have got much to expend on her. Jesus Christ said that he came for; the weak, the ignorant; the sick, the stubborn, the helpless, and the disabled or afflicted.
If your wife is bad, then she must have one or more of the above qualities. That is why God has given her to you. God has seen in you the ability to teach her, carry her, encourage her, heal her with your love, strengthen her with your wealth, mold her, etc. You need to be appreciative to her maker. As a man given a wife by the Lord, God has given you a good thing – expensive talent or priceless pearl; that you must invest and multiply back unto God.
This is a great investment. How do you invest your talent? Good; you must manifest the TRUE Christian virtues or begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit of the holy God; Forgive her, bear with her; be kind to her; so that she will learn to love Heaven.
All men shall know by these that you are indeed a strong man. Do you know any man married to an invalid? Such is a strong man – The husband of a wife that is very weak, the wife who can do nothing to encourage the husband and yet the man still loves that wife. This is what God had done for us all. We being weak and he being strong still loves us. For thy maker is your husband the LORD of hosts is His name; and thy redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. For the LORD has called you as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when you were refused; says your God; – Isaiah 54 verse 5-6
LOVE IS PATIENT
Patience is an invaluable virtue that every wise man must possess. If you are not patient as a man then you are weaker than a woman. God describes women as weaker vessel. This means that the most intelligent woman reasons like a baby. Babies get easily offended; babies want their things quickly; without reasoning. The natural woman in our community does not care where the man gets his money.
All that matters to her is that she must be clothed, be fed and must be admired. Babies do not care whether their parents are jobless or not. All that matter to them is that they must be catered for. If you are not a patient man, you cannot love your baby. Babies need excitement. If you love them, pet them, tell them good things, they will obey you.
A strong man applies such wisdom to his wife, neighbors and laborers. A little headache, the wife would want the man to know about it. A strong man must care. If the man fails to care then there will be trouble. When she buys new cloths or plaits her hairs, she expects the man to admire her and comment. If he does not comments she begins to nag. Being described as weaker vessel; mean that the woman has low mentality no matter her educational attainment.
The man therefore needs patience to be able to teach her, love her and control her. Weaker vessels like the china plates; clay pots and other earthenware’s are fragile and must be handled with care and patience. So is the woman.
There is no weaker vessel than an impatient fellow.
The word of God said that, “There is more hope for a fool than a man who is hasty in his word.
In other words, a man that does not think before he speaks is worse than a fool.
Foolishness is the quality of a baby or a weak vessel. The reasoning faculty is impaired. The creative ability is very limited. An impatient man acts without serious considerations of the repercussion of his actions. At the slightest provocation from the wife, or children, he begins to issue them quit notices. If he is a manager of a company, he does the same to his workers. When there is a little delay in answer to prayers, his commitment is instantly withdrawn from the service of God. (God also withdraws his power and peace from whoever draws back).
Thus an impatient man is a looser for he easily quit. He that faints in times of trials has little strength You may begin to discover the reasons you are always having problems with your wife, children, clients, laborers, fellow Christians, co-workers, etc. If you have been like that in manners, there is nothing impossible with God. Only that you have to pray for his grace to be patient. When you are patient with God in prayers he will build your strength physically and spiritually. He will pour upon you the Spirit of Grace and supplications – Ezekiel 12 verse 10.
I would therefore counsel the bachelor for example, to be extremely patient with God when he seeks to marry. Impatience can lead to wrong and disastrous choice of partner. The businessman also, requires patience.
Pastor must be patient with God to enlarge his coast. The unfruitful marriage by patience can become fruitful. In fact patience is greatly required in every facet of human endeavor. Never do anything or take any decision in haste, no matter how interesting or attractive it may seem and especially when it does not agree with the spiritual word and standard of God.
LOVE HAS BEARING – Ability to endure –
A man must practice bearing and forbearing. One of the names of Satan is ‘destroyer’. Women have this nature in them. When they get offended, this spirit starts to manifest in them. They would want the marriage destroyed. They become unmindful of the repercussion of their action. If a man is not equipped with the bearing capacity, he is tempted to act. And in most cases when he acts the fault becomes his.
It takes strength to bear with the weak. This is why you find marriage, which may have lasted up to ten or more years even dissolving.
LOVE FORGIVES
There are many things that must be forgiven, in marriage. Talking of true marriage where the man really paid the dowry on the wife;
“Many waters” have passed under the bridge. The in-laws may have been hostile. They may have done a lot of demanding on the man and caused many offenses. In the eastern part of Nigeria for instance where it seems as if the wife is being sold like a commodity in the market. Now the wife may be disagreeing, wicked, possessed of evil spirit, stubborn, not submissive, and disrespectful, etc. You may have now discovered that she pretended. Not truly a virgin but she claimed to be. Now she may be ignorant of many things that you have expected her to know. You are to forgive her.
Your ability to forgive your offenders makes you a strong man. When you retaliate for whatever the reason, then you are weak. Perhaps you have done so much for her, and her family, and now she does not seem to be appreciative, still forgive her. Christ came to his own, He healed the sick, performed abundant miracles; they still crucified him. But He prayed to the father to forgive them that they were ignorant of their actions.
LOVE PRAYS
Prayer changes things.
Daniel went to God thrice a day through prayers; when decrees were passed against him in Babylon.
Any man that cannot pray is worse than the dead person. Such a one is usually subjected to the control of unseen wicked forces. This is the reason you find some men after falling in to gutter when they get drunk, the next day, they go back to drinking.
Some men are not able to stay without gambling or flirting with women. There are some, who are not able to care for the wife and children at home. Yet they could spend thousands for gambling and other women outside. This is a curse. Most of these men never know what they are doing until they are sober. Some could spend as much as ‘five thousand naira’ for a plate of food in the hotel; while their wife and children are suffering at home. (1st Timothy 5 verse 8).
Prayer keeps a man alive: By prayers a man is able to overcome oversight, overrule and overthrow the foolishness, ignorance, wickedness, and the ungodly counsel of the unregenerate wife.
Adam was not strong hence he died with Eve. Abram also could not overthrow the evil counsel of Sarah and he yielded to temptations.
Women brought their idols to Solomon’s kingdom. Ahab joined Jezebel to serve Baal and Molech.
Ananias must have also yielded to the covetous desire of Sapharia and he died.
Samson told his secrets to Delilah and he got blinded. But Lot refused to look back with his wife. David danced to the glory of God not minding Saul’s daughter. Strongmen are wise men. They prefer to please God like Lot and David, than to yield to their ignorant wives.
PRAYER HUMBLES A MAN
Prayer humbles a man while pride humiliates a man. It makes you to possess a repentant heart like David.
If Moses had apologized to the children of Israel before going to God for forgiveness perhaps he would have been allowed to enter into Canaan. He should have reconciled first with his brethren before going into praying through to God. Bless and do not curse. God was unhappy with Moses for this reason that he cursed those whom God had not cursed. Even Balaam was able to discern it that these ones should be blessed rather than be cursed. No man should curse his wife or children. No leader should curse his subjects. No pastor should curse his congregation, especially collectively or as a group. The strength of any man is his ability to say, “I am sorry” to his subordinates or subjects when he wrongs them. A man should be able to say to his wife, “I am sorry my dear for shouting on you or for what I have just done”.
A pastor should be able to tell his congregation: “That message that I preached I exaggerated in it. God did not actually say so and so.” Moses should have been able to come back to the children of Israel “Oh Israel, forgive me, for calling you rebels. God did not instruct me to strike the rock. He only told me to speak to the rock. I am very sorry”.
This is a serious case.
I wish to counsel all men to see it seriously and to practice it never to curse their wives or their children or their subjects; as rulers; or their laborers; as managers; or their congregation; as pastors. Your wife may be very rebellious in nature. Your children, laborers, students, congregation; they may be more rebellious than the children of Israel in the wilderness. Please do not call them rebels any more. Take example of wisdom of ministration from Prophet Samuel, he said to Saul “Rebellion is like witchcraft” then to the children of Israel, God forbid that I should stop to pray for you. Yes, husband should continue to pray for his wife and children; the pastor for his congregation; and the manager for his workers, etc. Your ability to pray for your wife is your strength. She may be wicked but the will of God for every one is salvation. Therefore; your ability to pray for your enemy is your strength and the will of God. Forgive, like David forgave Saul always. Prayer makes a man wise, bearing, accommodating, faithful to God and hardworking. Prayers make you able to love the unlovable, able to confess positively, able to overcome persecutors, able to abide in Christ at all conditions.
The strength of a man is his wisdom, his ability to control only one wife, his ability to bear with the folly of the unwise, his ability to control his wealth, his ability to maintain discipline children his ability to remain humble amidst great ovations.
Women are very soft and subtle; the eating of the fruit of the serpent had sent the serpentine spirit into them from generation to generation. Thus your ability to take her by the tail is your strength. If you fight back on a woman you begin to loose your battle. Here is wisdom; you have to be bearing, patience, and forgiving, wise, knowledgeable, kind, loving and of course very prayerful.
WISDOM IN BATTLES
The strength of man is his ability to use wisdom as a defense. In most cases we act foolishly; in our conduct and then we begin to complain. In an environment where there are many enemies of the gospel, I believe the wise Christian should learn to pray in his closet, without being loud sometimes (Matthew 6 verse 6, 7) One should not begin to pray aloud and in a disturbing manner to his next-door neighbor claiming that he is fighting against the kingdom of darkness. We do not war against flesh or blood and our weapons are not physical. Often times than not; the unbelievers misunderstand us and the wordings of our prayers; they push us to raise physical weapons against them but we must not in any way yield to their actions. If we resort to shouting ignorantly, and using unpleasant languages then we are using physical weapons. This is the reason you find various oppositions against so called Christians in their communities.
Any wise man that wants to succeed must learn to work secretly. God said that in quietness should be your STRENGTH.
A strong man does not make noise. The adage says that, “what one eats should be seen in or on the body and not on the ground. Ignorance is a weakness in man. Since we fight against spirits, we should learn to also avoid undue attentions. Follow peace with all men and humble yourself before God. And he will exalt you. Trust you not in a friend; put not your confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lies in thy bosom (Micah 7 verse 5).
A fool speaks all his hearts.
John the Baptists may not have been beheaded if he had been a little discreet with his utterances against Herod. The bible says we should not be over righteous not to die before our time. Ecclesiastes 7 verses 16&17; says; do not be overly a fool nor be overly wise. Why should you die before your time. Ecclesiastes 7 verse 18; says; he who fears God escapes them – all evils.
I am the almighty God walk before me and be blameless. – Genesis 18 verse 1
ABIDE IN CHRIST
Christ prayed, Father forgive them for they know not what they do. – Luke 23 verse 34
By this act; God has highly exalt His name that at the mention of the name of Jesus Christ other powers bow; as recorded in Philippians 2 verse 10.
There is no greater power than this that all other powers bow to the name of Jesus Christ. If you must remain strong you must learn to forgive your offenders and direct your prayer unto God. Let heaven recognize your voice. Your word must not be filthy and offensive to others. Your words must not be destructive to others except against your spiritual enemy. No human being is an enemy of man but the evil spirit in man is.
With prayers you will be able to control your tongue. With prayers you will be able to forgive your offenders, love and agree with your wife. Only With prayers you will be able to wisely resist your enemies. You cannot physically fight against your enemy. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood. If your enemies are oppressing and suppressing you, only by continually praying and abiding in Christ you can overcome (John 15 verse 4).
Genesis 15 verse 1; says; Do not be afraid, I am your shield and exceedingly great reward, As you abide in Christ by prayers then you would be able to resurrect your talents and your gifts. You can discover your gift when you pray.
Your abidance in Christ is a manifestation of your love towards God and man. Your abidance in Christ shows you have a high level of God’s consciousness.
This is your faith in God. By your faith in God you are able to please God (Hebrews 11 verse 6). When your life is pleasing to God, He bestows more goods to you.
The increase in your wealth increases your strength. The wealth and of course your strength in this discourse is the power of God in you. By the power of God in you as a man, your life can be preserved. Your family will be peaceful and progressive.
By your wealth you are able to command men. You are able to hold your wife. By your wealth, you will be able to Help; Understand; Strengthen; Build-up; Attend-to the weak; Nourish and Defend your home.
By your wealth (God in you) you are able to HUSBAND THE WOMAN AND RULE IN YOUR WORLD.
Other books that would also impart and inspire you:“The beauty of a Woman”; “Exceptional Woman”; “Power of your Mindset” and “How Leaders Can End up Well” by Dr Lawrence Emwosa Osifo
08027892423; 09127889067;
Emwosa.com
emwosa.com 
Leave a comment