Six Principles of Manhood

By Kevin Cunningham

As we take closer looks at the world that we live in today, there are a lot of things we can see, but we might have a hard time making sense of those things that are seen. Our society is ever changing and morally degrading its way into things...The only recourse of action to take is a serious introspection to...be responsible for the things that are left undone and unaccounted for. Our world is in dire need of repair and restoration and it must begin within the confines of our immediate families...We must start with the head and roots of our family, which is the Man.One of God's most effective and greatest resources is a man who is fully dedicated and willing to stand in the gap and call those things which be not as though they were. All it takes is one man!

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jul 10, 2008
• ISBN: 9781456716752

Kevin Cunningham

Pastor Kevin Cunninghamunderstands that man's call is far greater than what is being exemplified in the world today. He isthe Founder andPastor of Vision Of Victory Evangelistic Ministries, Inc. in Chicago, Illinois. He is the last of 11 children born toBishop Charles and (late) Operitus Cunningham of Chicago, Illinois, the father of five children, andmarried toDeirdre for 13 years.He has aBachelors in Marketing/ Psychology Minor, a Masters in Education, and is pursuing a Doctorate in Education. Pastor Cunningham's vision for global evangelism and passion for Christ inspires many people to follow Jesus Christ and give Him all that they have for the glorifying of His Kingdom.

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© 2008 Pastor Kevin Cunningham. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 7/3/2008

ISBN: 978-1-4259-8309-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4567-1675-2 (e)

Printed in the United States of America

Bloomington, Indiana

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

This book is dedicated to…

…my two sons, Keith Ian and Jeremiah Kevin Aieynde. My highest aspirations are for you two to be the Men that God has purposed for you to be. My deepest desire is to see both of you grow in the Lord, conquer all fear, and be strong in His grace.

…my loving and beautiful wife, Deirdre - I thank you for your drive, support and tenderness that were shown to this endeavor. I hope that your needs will forever be met by the Hand of the Lord.

…the two men who have given me patterns of success in being a true Man of God. First, my own father, Bishop Charles D. Cunningham - thanks for showing me the value of being faithful in the home and in the church. Your example taught me to be there for my family and ministry no matter what.

…Kenneth R. Collins I - thanks for all of the charges in the spirit, the mantle of consecration and prayer and showing me how to pay attention to the little things that do mean a lot. You showed me the art of consecration and prayer and how to discipline self under extreme pressure.

…I also want to take time to mention my mother, Mother Operitus Cunningham - thank you for those times of instruction by your bed side; telling me how to love my wife and showing me how to satisfy her needs. You are truly missed, yet remembered.

…Elect Lady Rachel Collins for still believing in the gift that is in my belly that was imparted by your late husband. The legacy will continue.

Jesus we love you and we still need the power of your love to teach us how to be men of God!

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE

EVERYBODY IS NEEDED

CHAPTER TWO

I NEED YOUR HELP

CHAPTER THREE

PEACEMAKERS

CHAPTER FOUR

ENEMIES OF PEACE AND UNITY

CHAPTER FIVE

GOD’S CREATED SOCIETY

CHAPTER SIX

FIRST THINGS FIRST

CHAPTER SEVEN

AMERICAS’ GOD

CHAPTER EIGHT

GOD’S FAMILY

CHAPTER NINE

ALL IT TAKES IS ONE MAN!

CHAPTER TEN

OBEDIENCE

CHAPTER ELEVEN

DANGER, DANGER!

CHAPTER TWELVE

THE POWER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

STRIVE

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

GOD’S MAN; CREATED WITH PURPOSE

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

SIX PRINCIPLES OF MANHOOD

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

PRINCIPLE I: BE BORN AGAIN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

PRINCIPLE II: BE FAITHFUL

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

PRINCIPLE III: HAVE A PLAN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

PRINCIPLE IV: BE WISE

CHAPTER TWENTY

PRINCIPLE V: TAKE DOMINION

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

PRINCIPLE VI: BE SOBER

FINALLY MY BRETHREN

INTRODUCTION

As we take closer looks at the world that we live in today, there are a lot of things we can see; but we might have a hard time making sense of the things that we see. Out society is ever changing and morally degrading its way into things that are unexplainable to its citizens. The only recourse of action to take is a serious introspection, reach an agreement with self and be responsible for the things that are left undone. Mankind must begin to walk in the spirit of wholehearted sincerity and unrehearsed truth if we want to initiate positive change within ourselves, and eventually in others. If we can see the problem, then we can also use our collective wisdom and strength to fix it. So, let us be straightforward and open-minded as to what we are challenged to repair.

Do you see the killings of our youth and the grievances in the inner city that go blindly overlooked and ignored? Unreported violence, gross despair and open abuse are daily operations that confront our inner city districts. Do you see the failing economy and rancid lies to cover its broken tracks; the total dishonesty that hinders true restoration? Do you see a broken political system that is operated with the sleight of deceitful human hands? Politicians and their cover-ups have handed us a bold and costly debt of trust and confidence in them.

Can you see the twenty-five year old mother struggling to pay her monthly bills and keep her five young children in school and her older boys out of the street gangs? Do you see the unmerciful aggression in the inner city that this struggling mother deals with daily? Can syndicated talk programs give her an answer? Who can give her an answer to her problems or a solution to her predicament? Where is the father of the children? When was the last time the son got an encouraging word, or even a warm embrace, from his absentee father? How can these young and frustrated mothers get food and earn a living without feeling defeated, insecure and hopeless? Can someone give an answer to these questions?

Do you see your public school system failing or succeeding? How can these overpopulated, underachieving and understaffed schools receive the appropriate funding to educate our children? Why is money so scarce for something so important? Are inner-city schools failing at a more alarming rate than suburban schools? If so, what is the government doing to alleviate such ills? Does it not make good sense that the persons who need more help receive such needed help? Who is responsible to aid the poor and make sure that the need is satisfied for this group of people?

Where are our young, masculine, innovative and enthusiastic men; those who have aspirations of becoming someone of worth and esteem? Are they prepared for the challenges that manhood will present? Our young men are the backbone of future societies and their gifts should be cultivated to increase the future stock of America. Can our current methods of operations create effective changes for these young men?

Are our politicians concerned with our need for honesty and trustworthy candidates? Can we trust what they say and be secure about our future? Are our senators, council men and women honest about the affairs of our communities and society? Are our politicians visible, aware and moved into significant action for the people that voted them into such an imperative office? Can our voices be heard through such men and women of public service?

Our young girls that stand on the brink of womanhood are ignored and we as a community of humans are responsible for their social and psychological development. What is the emotional and mental status of these young ladies who stand on the brink of womanhood? Does anybody care or does anyone know? AIDS and other diseases are on the prowl, waiting to attack at any given moment. What can we do? Teenage pregnancy: is it necessary to talk about it any more, or have we given up on the notion of celibacy?

Is drug dealing and usage of drugs and alcohol on the rise? These are critical issues and questions that are important. How can the most powerful nation on the face of the earth be so blind to what is a national crisis? Will the USA return to its first glory and reclaim the status of the greatest country in the world? Or, will we decay from within only to fall?

Are drug users and drug pushers heroes and role models that are apprehended by the presumed bad guys called police? How are the penal institutions really caring for inmates? Are penitentiaries working? Or are they creating more monsters? Why are there more minorities in jail than in colleges? There are more prisons being built than schools and reading programs; but is there anyone who cares?

Where are the manly role models and mighty men of virtue? Can we detect truth from deception? All of these questions can be answered and they deserve our attention immediately. Let us search our heart to find some answers fast because this is the life of most Americans in our communities. Unfortunately, their story is one that is not popular; so consequently, it cannot be candidly told.

Is there anyone out there who has an honest answer for these current problems? We need somebody, anybody, to rise up and elevate our hope and alleviate this distressing cancer of sin and despair from our society as a whole. "Rove to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, look, now, and learn, search her squares; if you can find a man, one man who does right and seeks the truth, then I will pardon her, says Yahweh." (Jeremiah 5:1 - Jerusalem Bible). God promises to forgive the sins of the entire country on the basis of the actions of one man. One man can make the difference in society, in families, in churches and in schools. One man has the ability to create changes and improve his surroundings. One man made an eternal difference on Calvary. One man, with an eagle eye focus and a bulldog determination to affect the nations and generations to come, can and will create a legacy of change.

There is a man who created and sustained positive change in the lives of countless millions, and He is alive today to do the same thing He did years ago: Jesus the Christ our Savior. He is and will always be the propitiation for our sins and the sins of the whole entire world. One man can initiate transformations and beneficial change and give godly vision in the lives of millions of people. All it takes is one dedicated man to incite and invigorate a nation, community or ministry to do all it can do to ensure justice and progress.

This is exactly what Christ did: He incited the desires of others to become something greater than they were. Christ challenged others’ faith to produce divine work in their midst. He creates positive changes in the lives of people so that they can create a change in others. He invigorated the weak and they became strong. He motivated the downcast and they responded with joy. How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. (Acts 10:38) Jesus was and will always be a life giver and the most powerful catalyst for change.

The wonderful news for us today is, the same Christ that was alive back then is still here today, ready to do the same thing for any one in trouble. Jesus was and still is flawless and irreproachable in all of His glory. Jesus Christ our Lord and our Savior is the perfect man and the most excellent model for every man on the face of this earth. Mark the blameless man and behold the upright (Psalms 37:37 AMP). When all else fails, men must fully observe the man that never compromised his vision nor his impeccability to state truth, or to live his moral convictions, and do the exact same thing. All it takes is one man!

CHAPTER ONE

EVERYBODY IS NEEDED

Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: (I Corinthians 12:22).

The current conditions of our society exist in perilous times and certain distressing situations that consistently dominate our news, lives, communities and churches, and seem to go unanswered. Our social order has many important echelons and these echelons have different components that all possess significance and virtue in their very own right. They are individualistic in nature, yet they cannot survive or thrive without the fundamental nature of the other social constructs, and thus make a strong whole.

There is an old maxim that says ‘the whole is not greater than the sum of its parts’. The parts that make up the whole are what make the entire body what it is. Details in a term paper make the whole entire paper what it is, as a body of perfected work. The qualities of the parts determine the degree of excellence of the complete whole. Therefore, if we want to make any improvement in our lives, communities, churches and society, we must focus on each individual part and improve it. To reform and reinforce our ministries, we must improve every member, function and auxiliary. Deacons, nurses, prayer warriors, teachers, mothers and all other members must do an upgrade and an overhaul in their personal lives if the church is to do what it was created to do.

What makes an entire school thrive and work are the teachers, administrators, custodial workers, LSC, parents, textbook companies, paraprofessionals, and the students. If one of these needed groups of people are not in existence, or if they are not organized for maximum success, it puts stress and pressure on all the other parts to do their work and the work that they were originally designed to do. We need all of the branches and divisions of the school to be productive in order for the purpose, the mission and the vision of that school to become a reality. All of the components of that particular school must be fitting and highly functional in order to maintain a high level of productivity and high quality works.

Likewise, our society must take a broader look at the facets that make it what it is, align our purpose and priorities according to our assets, and maximize all of our skills to ensure productivity. The Word of God states in the book of Ephesians 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

This is a very important Biblical and societal truth that is communicated by the Apostle Paul, the vessel of the Lord, unto the church at Ephesus. This truth is stating that all of the parts of the body must be working at its level of maximum performance in order for the body to have structure and unity, and yield positive results. Working together is the only way that we as humans can accomplish the foreordained goal of the Lord. Working together creates the power to attain things that can only be reached with collective efforts. No man can achieve great and wonderful things by himself. No matter how focused, gifted and wise one-person can be, the extra voice of understanding and the sober wisdom of someone else are desperately needed for success. We need the focused efforts and innate talents of others to help us do the things that are needed for change and growth.

The goal that the Lord has for His people is to be perfect in one. How good, how delightful it is for all to live together like brothers :( Psalms 133:1 Jerusalem Bible). Dwelling together in unity is the spiritual place and arena where God commands and orders the blessings of the Lord to land, take over, flourish, and abide. Unity is the spiritual atmosphere wherein God lives and works. He does not operate and dwell in the midst of contention and hatred. Just like the climate must be right in a certain condition for the rain to come, there must be a level of peace and faith for God to truly move. The environmental factors must be fitting for the omnipotence of God to deliver, heal, and bless the saints of God. The atmosphere must be conducive for godliness in order for God to show up and demonstrate His raw power.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the term ‘unity’ is defined as the quality or state of being or being made one. Being one with the Lord in thought, purpose and actions is the highest aim of a man of God. This is true success for all men of God: to have a oneness that is perfected with the Father. If we want the success that Jesus had, we must seek the relationship that He had with the Father. That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (St. John 17:21).

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary also defines ‘oneness’ as being the same in kind or quality; united. We must have the same kind of thoughts, plans, and purposes, as well as the same quality of thoughts, plans and purpose to have unity. There was an unprecedented oneness and unity between the Lord and the Father that created the intelligence, power and willingness to do the divine work that was needed in the world. This level of oneness and unity between the Father and the Son produced an unlimited access into the powerful miracles and wonders of the Lord. And this same unity is needed in the world, ministry and in society for the world to see that face of God.

Unity is a sign and symbol for the world to see and take note of. The world will know that we are the sons and daughters of God when they see our love for each other and our unity. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (St. John 17:22-23). If there is no divine love, oneness, or building of a whole, how can the world see that our leader is Christ and what we truly believe? Our constant manifestation of agape love is a powerful witnessing tool that is geared for use in these evil times.

The spiritual weapons of the enemy come in many forms and sizes, but the one that can easily be detected is the weapon of separation or division. Satan divides the house and then he conquers it. He separates by offering differing qualities and kinds of thoughts, plans and purposes. Eve’s desires became different than those of Adam’s, and Adam’s thoughts no longer reflected those of God. Satan was able to disconnect humanity from the eternal source of dominion and victory by generating a different flow of desires and plans. Satan separates the marriages by means of money, power and sex; and then he tries his best to destroy it. He can divide the church through petty desires, filthy conversations and prayerless parishioners. He casts himself between two people by way of false accusations and cools our love for others. Satan knows that, without agape love, we can not stand against him with power. Satan causes separations and divisions for the purposes of killing, stealing and destroying the lives of the saints of God. Hatred destroys, and love builds and sustains. Jesus prevailed in His mission through the power of God’s righteous love. So, we need men to rise up in the spirit of love and truth to destroy the wiles of the devil through heartfelt dedication to the word of God and continued prayer.

"Behold, how good and how pleasant