“Cracking the Man Code”
Pete was recently reading his wife Suzan’s prayer journal and this entry caught his attention: “Prayers continue for eternity. The prayers of the righteous live even after death. Prayers are a sweet smelling fragrance to our Lord.” Suzan knew her man of God and his calling to minister to men. She always walked him to the garage door whenever he went to deliver a message and said, “go give ’em Heaven!” The phrase “man of God” was used in the Old Testament as a title of honor meaning “one who speaks for God.” God has commissioned, equipped, and empowered his Men of God for the “great commission” in Matthew 28:19-20. For we are God’s workmanship, His masterpiece created in Christ Jesus unto good works which He has ordained that we should walk therein.
In 2 Timothy 3 Paul said to Timothy, “all scripture is God-breathed (given by inspiration of God) and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly perfected unto all good works.” God will lead us, and guide us, and empower us when we need his words on our lips. He rebukes and corrects with his Word so that we can return to an upright position and walk in fellowship with our Lord.
Five years ago Phil van Horn said to Pete, “You need to write a book to remind men of God who they are in Christ. I want to help you write it.” Phil leads the Influencers in La Crecenta. He is an entertainment agent and an Emmy award winning journalist. Phil was a field reporter for ESPN for many years and is qualified as a writer and commentator. Every project is a team effort. Each member of the team makes God’s purpose happen. Another team member Mike Yorkie provided valuable assistance with Pete’s book. He has authored and co-authored over 100 books. His projects included a book that he helped to write called “Every Man’s Battle.”
When Phil offered to help Pete write a book five years ago, he took articles and messages that Pete had given him about men in our culture. The book is called “Cracking the Man Code” and is now available on Amazon. Three years into the project Pete said, “I’m done with this book.” His wife Suzan had just completed her treatment for breast cancer. Pete wanted to dedicate his efforts to taking care of his wife and his ministry. The drafts they had written at that time were rough and unpolished. When Mike Yorkie got involved with this project, the team that God brought together resulted in a book that communicates so much more than the fellowship and instruction we receive in the Influencers meetings every Wednesday and Friday morning.
There were innumerable obstacles over the last seven to eight years standing in the way of writing this book. There were times when Phil lost all of his material possessions including his company and his livelihood. Through the trials and troubles of life our anthem has been, “he gives and takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
The definition of a “friend” in the eyes of the Lord is “anything that points us to our Lord Jesus Christ.” Pain and trials are our friends to teach us that what God said to the Apostle Paul, “My strength is made perfect in thy weakness, My grace is sufficient for thee.”
When Mike Yorkie read the draft of the book, he knew that he had discovered a “diamond in the rough.” Pete had written the forward that said, “as soon as I started this book, bad things happened.” Mike understood when he read about “casual Christian men” that Pete had his finger on the pulse of men in our culture.
There has never been a time when ministering to men has been more needed than today. There has never been such a deficiency of men’s ministries in our churches than today. Many years ago the movement called “Promise Keepers” awoke men out of their sleep. Then after several years, men in the church went back to sleep. The purpose of this new book is to awaken men of God from sleep. To call each man as a new creation in Christ Jesus, complete in him as a man of God.
This book was a labor of love and a team effort for God’s glory. It’s a tool for men to forsake our culture’s man code. As Romans 13 says, “awake from sleep, the night is far spent. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light” This book points men back to the word of God for doctrine, for reproof and correction, for instruction in righteousness for such a time as this. That the man of God may be equipped, completely furnished for the purpose for which God arranged from eternity past that we should walk in fellowship with Him.
May God richly bless you!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael