Transcription
I said, "Give Ton a big praise! God, what a wonderful song!" And, uh, he, he wrote that song. And, uh, that came from a session that I did some months ago in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was there. And, uh, I did a session on the kingdom of God, and he caught the vision. He caught the message.
"Let's hold hands together. Prepare our hearts for the word of God. Amen. Are you ready? Yes. Are you sure?" I am so proud of, uh, this great conference because so many men have said to me how blessed they've been already. And, uh, thank you so much for allowing us to serve you. Uh, tonight is going to be a rough ride, but it's going to be a good ride, 'cause we're going to give some answers this morning. Is that all right?
I, uh, I thank God for Bishop T.D. Jakes. I know we, we, we, we say this a lot, but, you know, he is one of the greatest gifts God gave our generation. And I think we ought to just thank God for him. [Applause] I said, "Thank God for T.D. Jakes!" [Applause]
Are you all ready? Let's hold hands together. Tell your neighbor, "If you knew, if you knew how rich I was going to become, you would take me for lunch today." Take me lunch today. Absolutely! You don't know who you're standing next to. You really don't. Praise God. Thanks.
Let's hold hands together and pray. The word of God says, "Wherever any two shall touch and agree." Let's obey that word right now and hold hands with your brother. Your brother needs you. When our meeting ended last night, Bishop Jakes said, and he kept repeating it, "It's a very important statement: Strengthen your brother." Brother, I mean that. Men are so isolated that we won't open ourselves sometimes to let our brothers strengthen us. So we need to stand together. Holding hands doesn't mean you are... that's why Christ loved to touch people all the time because they need encouragement. They need the strength of one another. And, and we need to strengthen each other. Amen.
Let's pray. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for your promise. Thank you for giving us your Holy Spirit to be with us forever. Thank you for giving us your word that is our compass and our life. Help us to feed on your word today, and may your name be glorified. May your kingdom come in our midst today. Thank you again for your presence here and your promise that when we come together in your name, you are there in the midst, not to entertain us, but to bless us. So I ask you to permanently damage our [Applause] ignorance by the power of your revelation knowledge. I submit myself to you again. I cannot teach, I can only talk. You are the teacher. And you said, "We need no man to teach us, for there is an anointing that teaches us." Let that Spirit teach every hearer, not only those in this building, but those who will listen to these CDs and, and DVDs. Lord, change thousands of men's lives beyond this place, and begin it with us. And don't challenge us, change us. Don't entertain us, Father, but transform us by the renewing of our minds, that we might know what is your perfect will. In Jesus' name, everybody say, "Amen."
Well, you may be seated. You may be seated. Thank you very much. Uh, I'm coming on. I promise. Tony Mason, who you... yes, he is one of my sons in the faith. And, uh, he is probably one of the most biblical writers of music that I know. His songs are not written to appeal to entertainment, but to instruction. And if there's anything I'd like to encourage you to do is to get one of his CDs out there. He's a tremendous writer. Most of the teachings that I have taught, he captured them in songs, and that's what's on his CD. So I want to recommend you do that. And, uh, I'm going to just give these two away here. Tony, if you don't mind, I'm going to give these to the bishop so that he could really hear your music in his, his SUV. Uh, Tony is offering a special on the CDs. So, there, he said. So make sure you grab those. And, uh, can I give somebody this? Don't hurt yourself. Wow! Give him a hand. He plays [Applause] football. Gosh, he's good.
Get your notebooks, please, and let's go to work. I want to thank Dr. Bishop T.D. Jakes for the privilege of being here. He can invite anyone to speak to these conferences, and I'm sure many people want the opportunity. I'm busy, and he's busy, and all of us are busy. But when I considered this invitation, when I got the letter, Jamal gave me a phone call just to check to see if I got it. And on my desk, I had about 15 other invitations. And, uh, many of them are in places where I would like to be, countries where my heart is, in the third world nations. But the Holy Spirit told me that I must come to this one because of the men. So I'm here, uh, because God wanted me to be here. Thank you so much for the privilege. I don't take this lightly, and I am honored to be here.
Um, this is part two, so we can switch the screens, brothers, and let's go to work. Um, many of you men picked up some materials yesterday, and that was so encouraging to me because men don't read too much. And I see that you were investing in yourself by obtaining those books and CDs and DVDs yesterday. I hope all of you in this room would get a copy of "He Motions." I recommend that you shouldn't leave here without that book. As a matter of fact, I would like to suggest that that book becomes your textbook for this conference, written by Dr. T.D. Jakes. Get a copy of that book. Don't, and don't just take one for yourself, but take one home for maybe your uncle, or your father, or your son, or your brother. Invest in someone else too. It's a fantastic book. I recommend it. I think that, uh, we need books that can help men get instruction. And I encourage you to make sure you don't leave here without that book. "He Motions" by T.D. Jakes. I read it, and it inspired me, impacted me, and encouraged me. And, and I'm stealing some stuff from it, anyhow, too. So, uh, the only problem is when I preach it, it sounds better than when he preaches it. [Laughter] So, but make sure you get a copy of that. It's a powerful book.
Uh, the book that I want to recommend, the material I'm teaching you yesterday and today, uh, from chapter one in this book called "Understanding the Purpose for the Male Man." "Understand Purpose for the Man." This book is, is really a 27-year project for me, working with men over these years. So I want to recommend this book to you. Along with the book on women. And the book on women is important because most men don't understand women. And I believe that some of the best books are found on women are written in our generation by Dr. T.D. Jakes. And I believe that this book will be a good assistance to some of those as well. But this one deals with the five needs of a woman. And, uh, in this book, I talk about the fact that the first need of a male is sex. Men don't want sex. What happened? You're going quiet on me. They went in shock just now. The number one need of a male is sex. I didn't say no one need of a man, 'cause man is a spirit being, he needs God. But the male is the body he lives in, and that body's number one desire is sex. But the number one need of a woman is not sex, it's affection. And sex is not affection. That's why most women are angry after you had a climax. Anybody still here? Do you know why she's angry? Because you got your needs, man, but she may not got her needs, man. Because affection is not sex. So that book deals with those issues. And the other needs, you can study those, and you can have a good relationship with a woman if you understand needs.
Uh, this book is a book that I want to recommend to you as well, called "Living Your Glory: How to Bring Out Your Real Man, Your Real Gift." And, uh, this is our bestselling book on prayer. Half a million copies were sold already, and we're still getting an exciting response from the publishers on the power of prayer. I wrote this book because I wasn't getting my prayers answered. The smallest meeting in every church is the prayer meeting. When I discovered the secret of prayer, the Lord began to show me how to get answers every time I prayed. I decided to share it with millions of people. So I hope you get a copy of that.
Uh, this is the newest book called "Understanding Your Potential," revised version. Recommend it to all of you men. And also, "The Spirit of Leadership" is a book that you definitely want to get. Along with the book on "The Kingdom," and this one on the 26 differences between a man and a woman. And that is "Love and Marriage." It's a powerful book that I put together from 27 years of teaching on marriage and relationships. And in this book, I talk about the 26 differences between a male and a female. We are completely different. In my devotions this morning, I met with some of our men in my hotel room. We were praying together, and I was sharing with them how different a man is from a woman. And I talk about it in this book. I want to give you one hint of the difference between a man and a woman. And that is, a man is a logical creature. A woman is an emotional feeler. Look at me. I want you to get this because a man is a logical thinker. He's completely opposite to a female. A woman feels things. A man thinks things. Because of that, a man is a calculator. He calculates everything. That's why men do not think on their feet. When a woman asks a man for his opinion, he normally says, "I'll tell you later." That's because he needs to calculate. He needs to analyze. He needs to think. Women make decisions on the spur of the moment. A man needs a couple of days. He's a logical thinker. Listen, that very thing is his strength. God gave the male the ability to be logical by nature because he was designed to be the leader of the family. And to be a leader, you can't be emotional. You have to think, calculate. You have to assess, analyze. So you, as a male, and me as a male, we are not living on feelings. We don't live on feelings. We live on our logic. That's a strength for a male because of his position. But it's also his weakness. That is why most men are unfaithful to their wives. Let me explain why men are normally unfaithful. Because a man, because he's logical, he has to live on decisions. A woman, because she's emotional, she lives on feelings. So a man lives by what he decides to do. A woman lives by what she feels. So a man is motivated by decision. A woman is motivated by fear. This is very important to hear this. This is why a woman will be thinking about committing adultery, but she'll be afraid to do it because she feels that it's not right. A man, on the other hand, is opposite to that. When a man has an opportunity to commit adultery, he calculates it. I got you. I know. And because he's logical, he actually logically analyzes how he can get away with it. And his plan is so tight that when he has finished planning it, he knows, "I could do this." So a man is not motivated. I'm going to say something very important here. Write this down. By fear. A man is not motivated by fear. He's motivated by logic. So he's motivated by his decisions. This is why you will never feel like you should be faithful to your wife. You'll never feel that 'cause you don't operate on feelings. You would never feel that you got to be faithful to a woman. Therefore, the only way for a man to be faithful to his wife and to his children is a decision. I am telling you the most important thing you ever heard about faithfulness. Faithfulness doesn't have a feeling. There's no feelings in faithfulness. And the Bible never tells a woman to be faithful. I can't find it in the Bible. It keeps telling the male to be faithful because he's logical. So every day you have to decide to be married. I'm giving you advice to protect your wife. You will never feel married. Write that down. A male will never feel married 'cause we are logical. You have to decide to be married. So you can feel that you'll have a day when you stop being tempted by women. It will never go away. You got to decide you don't want them. [Applause]
All right, I'm trying to give you advice. Let me tell you how dangerous logic is for us as men. Even when a man makes a mistake, he can calculate how to explain it to the point where he believes it. [Applause] That is why when you committed adultery, you violated the marriage vow. By the time you was finished explaining it to your wife, she felt like she caused it because you calculated. You were logical on every point. You told her, "When I wanted sex, you didn't give it to me." "Every time I come home, you're sleeping." And you calculate the whole thing, explain it to her, and then she began to believe it herself. It's getting quiet. Early in the morning, all the men lift your right hand. If you're sure you are a male, lift your right hand. Repeat after me: "In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, I will make, I will make the right decisions from this day forward. From this day forward." Amen. Amen. You got to decide to be faithful.
All right, I want to just pick up where we left off yesterday. And I want you to write these statements down. We're talking about the purpose for the male man. First statement is that men work harder than their forefathers, and yet they cannot feel the pride of being the provider and the protector. And that's where we ended last night, yesterday, rather. That men have lost the privilege that their fathers had, the privilege of being respected and honored by the women and the children in their lives. Number two: Men feel underpaid, defeated, and unappreciated, and that makes them angry. Most men feel unappreciated and underpaid, and that frustrates them. And point number three: Men deal with the toll of two-career marriages and what it takes on them. I think the toughest thing for a man sitting in your chair right now is the fact that the house that your grandfather had is not the house you live in now. Your grandfather came home to his wife. You come home to your house because she's working also. So the home that your grandfather had is not your home. And that's tough. So it's difficult for you to tell your wife, "Where's my food?" because she's also making the bacon. And so you're frustrated. Point number four: Men compete with women for positions at home and work. Some women make more money than their house, their spouses, their husbands. And therefore, the men are afraid to talk in the house. The job used to be to the male that he's in charge because he brought home the bacon. But that position is now in question. It used to be that the women used to be the one in the kitchen. Today, we're not sure who's supposed to be in the kitchen. Sometimes the logic is, whoever comes home first starts cooking. There's nowhere in scripture where it says a woman's place is in the kitchen. It's not scriptural. As a matter of fact, my studies of the Bible shows me something shocking. And that is, the, the, the cooks in the Bible were, were men. I remember, you know, when, when a man is about to die, whatever he asks for, got to be the best. What do you think? If he's on his dying bed, right? I'll now forget that the patriarch Isaac, he's about to die, decided he wanted to eat his last meal, and he didn't ask for his wife to cook it. He wanted his son to cook it. He said, "Cook that porridge that you cook all the time, that good one." In other words, the men cooked a lot in scripture. So you want to be a good man of God, you got to learn to cook. How many of you men would like to be like Jesus? Let me see your hands. Are you sure? Okay. Jesus Christ was a cook. The Bible says one day when he rose from the dead, the disciples out in the boat, and they were fishing, they caught nothing. And he came walking on the water. He was on the shore. He saw them, and he knew they caught and didn't catch anything. So the Bible says he got a fish and he cooked it. You still want to be like Jesus? But men and women are competing for positions, and the roles have been changing.
Now, here's what I want you to get this morning. The male defined his identity through the roles he performed in society. And that's where most men get their identity from, by what they do. Secondly, the male defined his manhood by the roles he performed historically. That is a reality. And thirdly, if identity and value are defined by roles, then the loss of roles is the loss of identity and self-worth. Please get this CD. Listen to it again. I'm going to say it again: If you got your identity and your value from things you do, then when the things you do are destroyed, then your identity is gone, and your value, your self-worth is also gone. And so you end up being nobody. And most males are in that state right now. They're not sure what to do to be a man anymore because the roles have gone that made them a man. So you have to get to the point where your manhood has nothing to do with the roles you perform. Making the most money in the family doesn't make you the head of the house anymore because you don't make the most money for most cases. Owning the house doesn't make you the male man headed the home anymore because in most cases, the woman either owns half of it or all of the house. So that's destroyed. And so the average male cannot find his male manhood identity because he doesn't know what makes him a man anymore. Everything is gone. And that's why most of you, like I was, you're struggling with what does it mean to be a man? You live with a woman who has a Ph.D., she makes $600,000 a year, she owns the house you live in, she bought you your car, and the TV is hers. And you got to be a man in that house. That's tough. And the woman you're going with right now picks you up in her car, pays for your meals. I mean, this is tough. And you're thinking about marrying that thing. That's intimidating. That's fearful. So your identity is gone. When the roles are gone, what's the result of this conflict? Number one, write this down, please. Number one is the loss of a sense of purpose. Males have lost a sense of purpose. There's no meaning in their lives anymore. Number two: The loss of identity. They're not sure what it is to be a man anymore. Number three: The loss of self-worth. They don't feel valuable anymore. Number four: The loss of self-esteem. They don't feel that they are in high estimation among women anymore. And number five: A loss of value. They don't feel valuable to the marriage and to the women and to the children anymore. It's amazing how many men would walk out of their families and leave their wife and kids, and the wife just keeps on trucking, and she brings the kids up by herself. And then the kids graduate from college, and the guy comes around at a graduation, walking real cool, never bought them up, never paid anything, but he shows up at graduation and he wants to take pictures with the kids. And the kids look at him as if he ain't worth nothing. "Where were you for the last 10 years, sir?" See, and they begin to lower your value because you lose that when you lose your value to the family. Number six: The result is the man lost a sense of clear expectations. When you don't know what's expected of you, you become frustrated. And number seven: A loss of spiritual compass. When a man loses his identity and his value, his spiritual compass goes out of whack. So he doesn't know how to be a spiritual leader anymore because he has no value. If there's one thing a male needs, it's respect. The only problem is our society have destroyed everything that gave the male respect. Remember I told you yesterday that a man was respected because he bought the house, the man was respected because he bought the food, he was respected because he took care of the kids, he's respected because he paid the bills. But today, the woman owns the house, buys the food, pays the bills, and brings up the kids without you. So what is she going to respect you for? And that's why most of us in this room are frustrated because a woman talks down on us and talks down at us because she doesn't see us as valuable anymore. As a matter of fact, most women tolerate men, and men know it, and it's frustrating. Number eight: A loss of a sense of authority. When your identity is gone, your worth is gone, your value is gone, and your esteem is gone, then your authority left with it. You have no authority in the house, no authority among your kids. And that's why your kids talk back at you. A 14-year-old will curse you in the face, and you say, "I'm your daddy." "I know you're my daddy, but you ain't living here." See, there's no authority. You tell your kids, "If you don't behave, I'll put you out." "This is my mama's house, not yours." See, your authority is gone. The whole thing is messed up. I'm going to help you before you leave. Number nine: A loss of self-pride. And that's the worst thing that can happen to a human is when you lose your pride. And most men, the one sitting behind you right now, is struggling with a loss of pride. He has very little to be proud of. Let me tell you what makes a man feel like a king: when a woman begins to say to him, "How wonderful you are." It takes a queen to make a man a king. [Applause] But the problem is, the queen curses the king, she devalues the king. So the man is suffering from a lack of pride. I mean, what is there for you to be proud of right now? Think about it in your environment. What is there to be proud of? The house ain't yours. Her car is her own. She's got her own bank account. She's got her own job. She got promoted twice ahead of you. What do you come home and tell her? "Honey, I just got a $50,000 raise." No, no. Very little to be proud of. And so you, you find that your manhood is constantly being eroded by the environment of our social structure. And number 10: This is the most important one. The loss of passion. When a man loses a reason for getting up in the morning, you got yourself a dying society. No more passion in the male. That's why the males are in gangs, or they're drunk on the streets. That's why most men are on drugs. There's no reason for living anymore. They lost it because everything that made them important is gone. So they say, "I might as well just chuck it." So they take drugs, they drink alcohol, they, they have sex with prostitutes. They just kind of throw it. He said, "But brother, you got a good family." "Yeah, but they don't respect me." So I'm sleeping around. "Hey, you got a good family." "Yeah, but I'm going to take cocaine because ain't no reason for me to be around because they don't need me." What do you do with this kind of man? Well, here's the answer. What's the key to getting your manhood back? Write this down in bold letters, please. The key. The key to regaining your manhood is purpose. Sounds very simple, but it's not. As a matter of fact, the key to identity is discovery of purpose. This motorbike gets its identity from the purpose it was made. The purpose for this motorbike creates its identity. The shoe on your feet gets its identity from the purpose it was made. You don't identify your shoe as a shirt, why? Because it's not made to wear on your back. Please hear me. If, if you don't get this, you're going to mess up. You're going to mess up. Brothers, you don't give this bike purpose. The bike came with purpose. So a male man cannot get his purpose from his [Applause] wife. He cannot get his purpose from his job. You don't buy your shoes and then decide, "I'm going to put them on my feet." They came with that. You don't make a shoe a shoe, it came a shoe. Oh, I'm talking now. And that's why we're suffering. We are asking the women to make us a man. We're asking society to make us a man. We're asking our children, "Make me a man." And God is saying, "They can't make you a man." Your salary can never make you a man. Your job can never make you a man. Your title can never make you a [Applause] man. If you call this motorbike a boat, it will still [Applause] be. You see, opinion cannot change purpose. I need another session, Bishop. I need another session. I beg. Just think about it. Listen, because if people call you names and you accept it, it's evidence that you don't know who you are. Your manhood is not tied to social commentary. Oh, Lord have [Applause] mercy. Write this down. Number three: You, your masculinity is found in your purpose. It doesn't matter how much money my, my wife makes. I am the head of the house, not because of how much I make or don't make. And I am a masculine man, not because my wife tells me so, or not because them women you running around with tells you so either. Number four: Your value is found in your purpose. Let me tell you something. Do you know why the bike is valuable? Because it gets you through traffic with ease, better than a car. That's why it's so valuable. Your value comes from your purpose. Why is this microphone so valuable? Because its purpose is to capture and amplify sound to those speakers. So the volume, this microphone is based on the purpose it [Music] performs. If I go to your car right now and take the battery out, what happens? It shuts down. So your battery's value is tied to its purpose. Its purpose is to provide power to turn the generator, to turn the engine. If you remove the battery, its purpose ceases. The whole cast off. That means if you take a real man out of the family, oh, I got it. Then the whole family shuts down. The car is still there, but it ain't functioning because the battery that provides the power is gone. When Jesus comes back to Earth, the prophet says he will focus on one thing. He'll return the hearts of the fathers back to the family. In other words, the family looks good, but it ain't functioning. Number five, write this down: Your function is found in your purpose. The male must find his purpose, and he cannot get it from a woman. He cannot get it from magazines. He cannot get it from football players. He cannot get it from basketball players. He cannot get it from a sport. He cannot get it from muscles. Your function is found in your purpose. What are you supposed to do is found in your purpose. Let me give you a little example of roles versus purpose, how different they are. Write this down. Very important, and take this back home and teach it to your children. Pastors, please write this down and take it to your church and teach it for the whole church. Let the women hear this. Number one: When roles change, so will your identity. Therefore, roles are always temporary. You know, right now, I am performing a role. I am teaching from a podium. In a little while, I'm going to perform another role. I'll probably go for lunch, so I'll be at a eater at a restaurant. And after that, you know, I might sit down with some men and talk. So now I'll be entertaining. So, in other words, the roles are always temporary. Right now, you may be making a lot of money, but you may lose your job next month. So if you tied your manner to your job, man is temporary. You're supposed to be a man whether you are broke, ain't got no job, or is a billionaire. Talk to me, somebody. If you took this motorbike and put it in the poorest country in the world, in Haiti, it'll still be a motorbike. Doesn't matter where you put it, it is still what it is. Come on, brothers, talk to me. No matter what. Tell your wife, "It doesn't matter if I lose my job. I'm still the man of the house." Shout loud. Oh God, help me. Number two: Men must think in terms of purpose, not roles, for their identity. Make this conference be the place where you build and eonia this morning and say, "God, that's it. I am, I'm a man, not because they tell me so. I'm a man because that's what you produced." Number three: Man's identity is found in his purpose, not roles. Therefore, man's underlying purpose transcends culture. It transcends tradition. It transcends roles. And I just destroyed everything that they made you a man from. Oh, you are not a man because of culture. You're not a man because of traditions, things that you did traditionally. He's not a man because of the roles that the social society tells you to perform. I want you to leave this building today, leave this comfort, go back to your home a free man, free from comship, free from traditions, free from expectat role. I'm a man whether I am doing nothing. If your car is not running, it is still a car. That's why my wife loves me so much. You know, I'm a real man. She didn't make me a man. She found one. I'm going to say that slow. My wife didn't make me a man. She found one. And for 27 years, she keeps saying to me every day, "I'm so glad I married you." I said, "You bet your bottom dollar you're glad you married me. You got yourself a man." Who needs a woman to be a man? He needs a woman to prove he's a man, not to be one. I'm going to say that slow. A real man needs a woman to prove he's a man, not to be a man. See, if I'm a man, I can prove it by being faithful to a woman for 90 years as proof. I can prove it by giving her children and then paying their bills. Write this down. If males understand the purpose and the responsibilities God has given them in his design for them, they'll be fulfilled as men. For the sake of time, let me just give you something very fast. Purpose, culture, and traditions. I think that's what men are suffering from right now. You are suffering from the fact that your culture is putting pressure on you. And your culture is an amazing thing. Your culture destroyed you and then tells you to be something that it destroyed. That's why 90% of the guys in jail are men, and the other 90% ain't get caught yet. We are angry animals because society keeps putting pressure on us but doesn't help us because it destroyed what they ask us to be. So number one: Purpose transcends culture and tradition. Number two: Purpose is permanent, but roles are temporary and transitional. And number three: Purpose is inherent, but culture is and tradition are products of human activity. God created you a man. Society didn't create you a man. God created you a male. Culture doesn't make you a male. That's why some males are having cultural problems, cross-dressing, being one thing in the day, something else in the night. Culture is confusing them. The only solution is to discover your purpose. Purpose is the source of meaning. Purpose is the source of identity. Purpose is the source of value. Purpose is the source of worth. Purpose is the source of significance. Purpose is the source of identity and destiny. Purpose is the source of life. Purpose is the source of design. Very important one there. Purpose is the source of uniqueness. Purpose is the source of potential. Each one of these is loaded and it's a session all by itself. When you discover your purpose, you discover your meaning, your identity, your value, your worth, your significance, your destiny, your life, your design, your uniqueness, and your potential. Just by discovering one thing. And that's why we, I, I wrote those three books on potential. You discover your purpose and your potential. It's key to becoming a great man. Now look at that list carefully. Purpose is the source of meaning for your life, identity for your life, value, worth, significance, destiny, life, design, uniqueness, and potential. Imagine if you don't know your purpose. That means you don't know your identity, your meaning in life, your worth, your value, your significance, your destiny, your life, your design, your uniqueness, and your potential. And if you don't know your purpose, you try and find these things other ways. Why would a young man join a gang who comes from a Christian home? Because he can't find his purpose, identity, worth in that family. So he goes searching for it. Purpose is the number one priority of God. My favorite verse in the Bible, Proverbs 19:21, says, "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." That means whatever God created you to be, that is the most important thing to God. It prevails over everything. God says, "No matter what you plan, my purpose for your life will prevail over all your plans." According to this verse, I learned three things from this verse. Number one: Purpose is more important than plans. Number two: Purpose is more powerful than plans. Number three: Purpose precedes plans. In other words, God said, "Before you even was conceived to make plans, I already had a purpose for your life." So your purpose is more important than your plans for your life. Therefore, it's critical for you to discover God's purpose for your life as a male, so that you won't have to make the wrong plans for your life. What is purpose? I give you a definition here real quick. Purpose is defined as, in the Hebrew original intent, what is God's original intent? It's called purpose. Number two: Purpose is defined as the cause of creation. It also is defined as the motivation for creation, or the desired result of a thing. Purpose is defined as the reason for existence. Purpose is defined as the predetermined destiny of a thing. Purpose is why a thing exists. So if you want to know what a real man is, what a male supposed to be, you have to find out what was in God's mind when he made the male. It has nothing to do with legislation in government, nothing to do with culture, nothing to do with traditions. It has to do with what was in the manufacturer's mind. That's where you get your purpose from. As a matter of fact, uh, purpose is the original intent why a thing exists. Therefore, the role of a thing is different from the purpose of it. Purpose is permanent, roles change. When I go home to my wife, I'm a husband. When I'm in my son and daughter, I'm a father. When I'm in the church, I'm a pastor. The roles keep changing, but I am always a man. [Applause] Clap your hand, all you great men. So if I have a job, I'm a man. If I lose my job, I'm a man. If my business folds up, I'm still a man. You should never allow your identity to be consumed by your role. Your purpose protects you from your role. That's something. I'm going to say it again. Your purpose protects you from your roles. Why? Because your roles could change. Today you might be making more money than your wife. Tomorrow you can lose your job. When you lose your job, you come in with your pink slip and say, "Honey, I am still a man." Clapped right there. That's a good place to clap. "I am still a man." Why? "I am not a man because I have a job." My purpose protects me from my roles. Purpose is the source of design. It is the source that dictates your destiny. Purpose is also the source of product. This one is very critical. Whatever the purpose of a product is, determines the design of the product. In other words, whenever you want something, you build something to get it for you. You just got it. One person got it. Let me say it again. Purpose controls what product you produce. When they made this motorbike, they decided, "We want a vehicle that can have two wheels, that can be handled by one person. It doesn't need to have a whole lot of weight and all the pistons, all that stuff spread out in a big car. He wants something that can go through traffic or can ride in the mountains." And so the purpose that they wanted controlled the design of the product. There's something that God wanted done that made a male necessary. Oh, man, help me. The male is not a biological accident. There's something God wanted done that made the male necessary. And so God designed you perfectly for what he wanted you to do. That's why you are different from a [Applause] woman. That's why it's very dangerous to try and make this motorbike a truck because it ain't built to carry 10 tons. I got to talk for a second about this. If you try to make this motorbike a truck and you tie 10 tons of dirt in a car behind the motorbike and you try to pull it with the motorbike, it will destroy the motorbike because it's not built for that purpose. That means if a male tries to be a [Applause] female, no matter how he breaks his wrist, wears ponytail, Aries in his air walk funny, no matter what he does, he can't pull it, baby. He can't pull it. He can't pull it. He can't pull it. Oh, Lord. Oh, Jesus, help me. [Applause] Lord, you know when God made, listen, I got to go, but listen. When God made Adam and Eve, it's strange. God made two males. Let me prove it. He made a male, and then he went inside the male and took out another male. At the first male, the Bible says he formed from the dust of the ground, he formed. But the second male, he went inside the male, and he pulled out another male. And the, the Hebrew word is different. The Hebrew word says he built. So men were formed. Women were built. Oh, Lord. And while God was building the woman, he made a few [Applause] adjustments. Slight [Applause] adjustments. And when he brought her to the other male, the other male looked at her and he went, "Wow." And then he says, "She got bone just like my bone, flesh just like my flesh." [Applause] Oops. He saw something different. He said, "But she's different down there." So he said, "She's a man." But I'll call her man with the womb. Oh, let me go home now. I will call her the womb man. That means if you ain't sure you are a man, all you got to do is check. See if you got a womb. And if you ain't got a womb, you're a brother. Shout, "Amen," somebody. [Applause] Brother. So no 70 bishops can vote a womb into your body. No legislation in Parliament or Congress can vote a womb into your body. [Applause] So don't worry about all the arguments. When a guy comes up to you and tells you, you know, "Hi," tell him, "You got a womb." No. Then stop faking it. Come on, clap your hands and shout, "Oh, Hallelujah!" Purpose is the source of product. God knew what he wanted, and he made the male to be a male, and he made the fetus male, the male that carries the fetus to be the fetus male. You know, sit down for a second. I got five minutes. Five minutes. I love you guys. I love you too, buddy. Purpose is inherent in the product. Write that down. This motorbike comes as a motorbike. You don't make it a motorbike. It's inherent. That means no matter how many operations you have. Oh, Lord, help me. Purpose controls everything I'm talking about. So your manhood is not up for [Applause] vote. That's why we brought you here. We got you away from culture, got you away from their women, took you away from them traditions, hide you in a warehouse and say, "You are a man, whether they like it or not." Now scream, [Applause] man! We ain't [Applause] sit down quick.
There are seven principles I want you to write down real quick. Number one: God is a God of purpose. Number two: Everything in life has a purpose. Number three: Not every purpose is known. Number four: Where purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable. Number five: If you want to know the purpose of a thing, never ask the thing. Oh, man. That's why most men are not men yet because they keep asking other men, "Who's a man?" You ever seen the brothers hanging around the blocks? You ever hear them talk? How they talk? They say, "What's happening, buddy?" The guy says, "What's happening?" And he goes, "What's happening, man? What's happening? What's happening? What's happening? What's happening?" See, nobody knows what's [Applause] happening. If you ask this motorbike, "Why do you exist?" It can't tell you why. Because number six is critical: Purpose is only found in the mind of the manufacturer. Your manhood is buried in the mind of God. Society has no right to define [Applause] you. Therefore, purpose is the key to fulfillment. You can only be fulfilled when you find out why he made you as a male. I want to close with these four minutes. These four minutes. I'm supposed to finish at 10:30. Let me just finish. I want to close with a verse of scripture. Can you turn to it, please? This is where I found the purpose for man. Because the purpose of man is inherent in God's creative process. God is not wondering why he made you. It's very clear. The purpose for the male was established in the mind of God and expressed through his intentions for males. The purpose for the male man is inherent in God's original assignment for you. I'm going to show you why God made you, and I'm going to then pray for you, and I'm going to quit. Very simple. Genesis 1:26 says, "Let us make man in our own image. Let them have dominion." He's talking about the whole species. So man is the species, but it comes in two models: a male model and a female model. The models are different because of their purposes. In the Book of Genesis 1:27, next verse, it says, "So God created man in his own image. But he made them in two different models. In the image of God created him, male and female created them." You know, Ford Motor Company makes motor motor vehicles, don't they? But they make trucks and cars, but they are all called motor vehicles. But God made man, one species, but he has two models: male and female. Now, a truck and a car perform different purposes, but it's the same company producing the same products, but different purposes. Are you with me? So God made man. My wife is a man spirit being, but she lives in a female body because her function as a female is different from mine. Is that making [Applause] sense? So the word "man" is referring to the species. Spirit beings have no gender. There is no such thing in scripture as a male or female spirit. It does not exist. So my wife is a man spirit being, but she lives in a female body. I'm a man, but I live in a male body. So the products are different, but the company produces the same quality of essence. So this verse, "He made them male and female," and God blessed them. Look at 2:15. Now, here's where God brings the whole thing home. He says, "And God took the man," what man? The male man, "and he put him where? In the Garden of Eden. And God commanded him three things: Work, cultivate, and protect." Say it: Work, cultivate, protect. Now, God only made one human being from the soil. He never went back. There are 6.7 billion people on Earth today, estimate from the United Nations, and he only made one. Six billion. He only made one. He never went back to the soil. And the first one he made was a male. Now listen to me carefully. God never gave Eve any instruction. This is heavy. God only spoke to the male. He gave the male all the information.
There it is on the board. And God took the male and put him where? In the Garden of Eden. And said unto him, "Work, cultivate, and protect." That's verse 15.
Verse 16, he says, "And keep this command." So he gave, gave man Eden. He gave man work. He gave man cultivation. He gave man protection. And he gave man his word. I just gave you a mystery. The male exists for five things. My, the male exists for Eden. He exists for work. He exists to cultivate. He exists to protect. He exists to instruct. That's your manhood right there.
Look, listen. The word "Eden," I researched it for three years. I wrote a book on it. It's out there. It's called "Understanding the Purpose for Praise and Worship." The word "Eden" means moment. It also means spot. It also means presence. So the word "Eden" is not a place. That's why scientists and archaeologists cannot find Eden. Listen to me, Bishop. Eden is, is not a place. They can find all kind of things, but they can't find Eden. Why? But the word "Eden" means spot, moment, and presence. In other words, the Hebrew definition is very complicated. It actually means the spot for the moment where the presence of God is touching Earth.
So Eden is an environment where the presence of God kisses Earth. So Adam was placed right in the middle of the presence of God. That's why he didn't need to pray and fast and sing and nothing. He was walking in it constantly. And the reason why it's called moment, because it changed location. It was here for the moment, there for the moment. Wherever Adam went, the thing went. So God took the male, and the first place he put him is in the presence of God, not the presence of a woman. So the first presence a man needs is not the presence of, of a woman.
So a male who is outside of God's presence, stand up on your feet for a minute. Is a dangerous male. Hold hands to one another. Quick, quick, quick, quick, quick. I feel an anointing flowing here. Oh God, oh God. Look at me, please. No distraction. Don't let the devil distract you. Look at me. The first place God put Adam is in His presence. Eden. Look at me, please. Eden is not a place. It's an environment. That's why they can't find it.
And Adam sinned. God took the presence back up. Listen, please. Listen. This is so critical. Everything that God created, every product that God created, he designed an environment for it to function in. God created the sea before, before he created fish. God created the soil before he created trees. God created the firmament before he created birds. God created Eden, Genesis 2:8, before he created man. In other words, God always prepared the environment before the product, because every product is designed to function within an environment. If you try to ride this bike through the ocean, that's not the environment for it.
Listen. Therefore, fish need water to function. Plants need soil to function. Birds need the air to function. Plants don't want soil, they need soil. Fish don't want water, they need water. Birds don't want the air, they need the air. So the male doesn't want God's presence. Listen, hold hands, please. Quick, quick, quick. Hold hands. Listen to me. Listen. If you take a fish out of water, it malfunctions and dies. If you took a plant out of soil, it malfunctions and dies. You take a bird from the air and put it in a cage, it malfunctions, can't fly. If you take a male out of God's presence, Eden, he malfunctions. And that's only number one. I'm dealing with that.
That's why when you read the Bible, the temptation of Satan was a very interesting temptation. It wasn't the fruit he was after. He was trying to get them out of Eden. The last verse of Genesis 3 says, "And the Lord God drove them from the garden." And ever since then, we've been malfunctioning. Gentlemen, if I could leave you with one thing before I leave this country, it'll be this. The most important thing you need in life is what the fish need for water. You don't need a wife first. You don't need work first. You need Eden.
Again, lift your hand, please. That's why Satan doesn't care if women worship. He doesn't care if women go to church. Satan doesn't want you to do what you're doing right now, lifting your hands. He's afraid of males worshiping, because when men start worshiping, they start functioning. Lift your voice and begin to speak in tongues. Worship God. Praise Him where you are, because that's your first need is His presence. Come on, worship Him. We love You, Lord. We bless You, Lord. Not ashamed to praise You. Not ashamed to worship You, for You are faithful. You are holy. You are righteous. We come into this place to worship You. We came to this retreat to worship You. We came to seek our Father. We came to seek His presence. We came to seek His presence. We came to seek Your presence, for in Your presence, there's fullness.
I love You, Lord. I praise Your name. I lift up holy hands in the sanctuary and I shout to my God. Just like David did. You are my strong tower. Oh, that men would praise the Lord. Oh, that men would lift up holy hands. Oh, that men would bless His name. Go ahead and bless it out loud. If men bless it, men... Don't be afraid, man, to praise God in your house, in your kitchen, in your car. Just praise it. Don't be ashamed as man to praise God in public, because it's your secret weapon. That's why David was so powerful. David was not afraid to sing and praise God and to dance before his... Oh, that men would bless the Lord. It's your purpose. Don't let nobody praise Him for you. Go ahead. Don't look at me. You praise Him. Praise Him by yourself. Praise Him as a male. Let God know you love Him.
Eden. Brothers, brothers, listen, listen, listen, listen to me. Listen to me. Forgive my little extension here, but listen to me. God says He dwells in the praises. That means if you want Eden to come to Earth around you, you can't stand there spectating. He dwells in the... Lift your hands and bring Eden in this place. Just one more time and give God praise and praise.