Old Testament                                        

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King David fought many battles.  It was hand to hand combat with swords.  The greatest of the men that fought with him were called mighty warriors.  You can read about them in 2 Samuel 21:15-22 and 2 Samuel 23:8-39. 
 

God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 that “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord,  They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.   IN THOSE DAYS WHEN YOU PRAY, I WILL LISTEN.  If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.”
 

Jesus Christ is described as the Lamb of God, but He is also described as the Lion of Judah.  Jesus was a man’s man.  He died for what He believed.  He died for those who are unable to save themselves.  He never backed down from self righteous leaders that wanted him dead.  He was a man of integrity and honor.  He completed the work that God had given him to do, never quitting until the job was finished.  Jesus is our example.  God’s men are men’s men!

Too often, we think that to be men of God is something much different than what God expects.  The men of the Bible are men’s men. Let’s read about one of them. When you come to Jesus Christ you do not give up your manhood.  What God wants from his men is within your reach—it isn’t hard.
 

You probably just need to make a few choices to let God be God in your lives.

In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment.
 

•     Cornelius was a man’s man.  He wasn't a wimp; he was a captain of the Italian army.  You know on TV when you watch a show about Jesus, the soldiers on horses running around with their swords stabbing people.  Cornelius was one bad cat because he was a leader in the army.
•     He was a DEVOUT, GOD-FEARING man, as was everyone in his household.  He GAVE generously to the poor and PRAYED REGULARLY to God.
•     This guy had to have been the real deal because his household was devoted to God also.  This included servants.  Now, take a look at this.  Cornelius didn’t have a Bible; he was living while it was being written.  Because he wasn’t a Jew he hadn’t been raised under the law of the Old Testament.  The important thing is that he was DEVOUT, FEARED GOD and PRAYED REGULARLY.  HE WASN’T SELFISH, FOR WE WAS A GIVER.  Cornelius, believed in God with all of his heart—that’s what devout is.
•     The Bible tells us that the beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord.  Simply, this means, that God is God, we are not.  God is able to do anything and we must respect God with all of our heart.
•     Fearing God means a deep reverence for who He is. If we love God we aren’t to fear what he is going to do to us, but we must know that He is the boss and means what He says. God’s anger comes upon His enemies, not His kids.
•     Cornelius prayed regularly.  There are phony prayers and real prayers.  He prayed the real thing because as we read further, they were heard at the throne room of God.
•     God saw Cornelius’ heart, he saw his actions, he heard his prayers.  God will hear any man’s prayers when he has a heart like Cornelius.

One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him.  “Cornelius!” the angel said.  Cornelius stared at him in terror “What is it sir?”  he asked the angel.  And the angel replied, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have been received by God as an offering!  Now send some men to Joppa and summon a man named Simon Peter.  He is staying with Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.”

   

• Now Cornelius was a tough guy and look at him here—He is talking to an angel.  He is seeing visions from God in the middle of the afternoon.
•     Cornelius is a man’s man.  I think that too often we think that to be committed to Jesus men somehow have to become less of a man.  We think that men of God must be in churches with stained glass windows, walk around in a monk’s suit with folded hands.  This isn’t true.  We as women can think wrongly about the role of a Christian man, as well as the men thinking wrongly about their role.  Sometimes we women want to make our men too soft, too sissy.
•     Cornelius saw visions, talked with angels.  Guess what, God wants to give visions to men today, men just like Cornelius.
•     Cornelius could have been a cowboy.  Tough men who have strength, endurance, perseverance, grit—wonderful qualities that God admires!
•     And look at this, guess who was going to give Cornelius the answers, again it wasn’t the man in the church with the stained glass windows walking around with his hands folded in a monk’s suit.  No, it was Peter. Peter was the rough talking, bold acting fisherman.  Peter was a man’s man by anyone’s definition.  And who was Peter staying with, Simon, the tanner.  Think about how bad it stunk in Simon’s house with all of those dead hides.
•     The scene of this story is one of tough men.  Soldiers, fishermen, and tanners.Jay heeling  Hmm think about that. Any cowboy would feel fairly comfortable in that setting.
•     Women like tough Christian guys.  Women need men that they respect and men that lead.  Women want men to have the qualities of leadership that Jesus exampled--strong but gentle; focused but still laughed; angry at sin and sad over sin; always loving, always forgiving—always confident.  It is incredible to see the excellence of Christ’s leading.

"As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of his personal attendants.  He told them what had happened and sent them off to Joppa." Acts 10:1-7

   

• Now here is the good part—Cornelius didn’t reason away his vision.  He was man enough to obey the angel of the Lord.  He wasn’t embarrassed to tell men that worked with him what had happened.
•     Cornelius obeyed God totally and immediately.  We as the people of God have to get over ourselves.  Maybe God isn’t talking to us, because in most cases we think we are too busy or to full of ourselves to listen.  Even if we did listen, would we obey, or would we be too proud to face the possible ridicule and scorn of our peers? Do we have the courage to admit that an angel talked to us?
•     Are we so unsure of our belief in God that we cower when faced with the decision to obey God?  Do we believe the Bible or not?  Come on, we need to get off the fence and either believe and obey or forget God and do our own thing. What good is our faith if it isn’t real?
•     God’s word is so plain and simple, if we would just take if for its face value and believe and do. This is a story about a tough, tough guy, who feared God and prayed regularly.  God wants his men to be men, to be like Cornelius.  God used a soldier, God can and wants to use cowboys just like he used this soldier.

God wants his men to: 

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Be devoted to HIM.

Fear HIM.

Give generously to the poor.

Pray regularly.

Listen to HIM.

Obey HIM immediately and totally.
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Cowboys, you can change your world if you choose to be Cornelius Cowboys.  God knows you can do it.

2 Samuel