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Being a Man in a modern day world

2011-01-26T22:23:00.001+08:00

Being a man in modern day world is the single most difficult thing in life for a Christian man. It has it's good times but Men also face many battles. As men we are constantly faced with problems after problems, unfortunately the only person that know what problems we are facing, are other men. Our wife doesn't know, our kids doesn't know, only you and God and other men know the horrorable battles we face both inside and out on a daily basis.

If we don't conform to the other men of the world, then we are considered a 'wimp'!
If we don't participate in drinking with friends or going out with the boss for a drink, we are considered, 'not a team player'!
If we don't have one or more girlfriends or date outside of marriage, then we are considered, 'stupid'!
If we say we are a Christian, then we are considered 'one of those' or 'weak'!

How can we win? We don't have to win! The only thing matters is that we are doing what's right and that we can leave a good legacy for our family & friends to live by. All else in between shouldn't matter. We must always think of what matters the most. Although we do not like talking about death, when you are at your last breath, when nothing matters anymore, will you say, 'Man, why didn't I live a better life', 'why me', 'why now'. There are things I would have done different, if I had more time. Or would you say, ' Man, life is truly short', 'I had no idea that my time will come', 'I have had a good life, my family is going to be well taken care of, I did good as a man, I know my son and daughter will grow up to be good kids' On our last day we must give an account for all of our actions, whether good or bad. Would you say you have lived a Godly life? or would you say,' why did I give into temptations?

For the next six weeks, we hope to show you how we as men are perceived, our mistakes as men, and how the devil comes to devour us and take our life. Print the word document below and take it with you to work, school or when you are just sitting by yourself. Read each weekly section and then take the remaining time and mediate on it. As you read through the word document, notice how it models your life and look for the pitfalls that Satan is throwing at you. Take the lessons you've learned from the other modules and apply them with this module so that you can learn how to be a Godly Man in modern day America. Click the link below to download the word document, good luck and we will see you in six weeks.

Being a Man in Modern Day America - Download word document here

Laws Given to the Knights by King Arthur

2011-01-26T13:59:00.000+08:00

God make you a good man and fail not of beauty. The Round Table was founded in
patience, humility, and meekness. Thou art never to do outrageousity, nor murder,
and always to flee treason, by no means to be cruel, and always to do ladies,
damsels, and gentle women succour. Also, to take no battles in a wrongful quarrel for
no law nor for no world's goods.

Thous shouldst be for all ladies and fight for their quarrels, and ever be courteous
and never refuse mercy to him that asketh mercy, for a knight that is courteous and
kind and gentle has favor in every place. Thou shouldst never hold a lady or gentle
woman against her will.

Thou must keep thy word to all and not be feeble of good believeth and faith. Right
must be defended against might and distress must be protected. Thou must know
good from evil and the vain glory of the world, because great pride and bobauce
maketh great sorrow. Should anyone require ye of any quest so that it is not to thy
shame, thou shouldst fulfil the desire.

Ever it is a worshipful knights deed to help another worshipful knight when he seeth
him a great danger, for ever a worshipful man should loath to see a worshipful man
shamed, for it is only he that is of no worship and who faireth with cowardice that
shall never show gentelness or no manner of goodness where he seeth a man in any
danger, but always a good man will do another man as he would have done to
himself.

It should never be said that a small brother has injured or slain another brother.
Thou shouldst not fail in these things: charity, abstinence and truth. No knight shall
win worship but if he be of worship himself and of good living and that loveth God and
dreadeth God then else he geteth no worship here be ever so hardly.

An envious knight shall never win worship for and envious man wants to win worship
he shall be dishonoured twice therefore without any, and for this cause all men of
worship hate an envious man and will show him no favour.

Do not, nor slay not, anything that will in any way dishonour the fair name of Christian
knighthood for only by stainless and honourable lives and not by prowess and
courage shall the final goal be reached. Therefore be a good knight and so I pray to
God so ye may be, and if ye be of prowess and of worthiness then ye shall be a
Knight of the Table Round.

The Emblem of the Knights
The emblem of the Knights of the Round Table worn round the necks of all the
Knights was given to them by King Arthur as part of the ceremony of their being
made a knight.

The Order's dominant idea was the love of God, men, and noble deeds.

The cross in the emblem was to remind them that they were to live pure and stainless
lives, to strive after perfection and thus attain Holiness. The Round Table was
illustrative of the Eternity of God, the equality, unity, and comradeship of the Order,
and singleness of purpose of all the Knights.

The Round Table

2007-01-20T17:41:00.000+08:00

Accounts differ about the origin of the Round Table, at which Arthur's knights met to tell of their deeds and from which they invariably set forth in search of further adventures. The Norman chronicler Wace was the first to mention it, in his Roman de Brut of 1155. There, he simply says that Arthur devised the idea of a round table to prevent quarrels between his barons over the question of precedence.
The design displayed on the Winchester Round Table dates from 1552 and was made to impress the visiting Emperor Charles V. adapted Wace's account and added to it, describing a quarrel between Arthur's lords which was settled by a Cornish carpenter who, on hearing of the problem, created a portable table which could seat 1600 men. Both Wace and Layamon refer to Breton story-tellers as their source for this and there is little reason to doubt them. This being the case, the origins of the table may well date back to Celtic times, and even be traceable to the age of Arthur himself. In the later medieval stories.

The large wooden table in the Great Hall at Winchester dates from no earlier than the thirteenth century, when it may have been made at the command of King Edward III, who was considering a revival of the Round Table as an order of chivalry. In the end, he dropped the idea and created the Order of Garter instead, but the table remains. Made of oak, it is 18 feet across and nearly 3 inches thick. It weighs nearly 1.25 tons.

Orders

2007-01-20T17:40:00.000+08:00

Knights associated in groups which they called orders. They vowed loyalty to the king they fought under and formed military organizations to defend his land and property against the enemies. The knights would go on crusades throughout the land to assure this freedom for the king. Any knight in those days who became a knight also had to take religious vows to live as monks as well as defending the king.
To become a knight, you had to go through three stages ; page, squire, and knighting. When a boy turned 7, they would leave home and start their training for knighthood. As a page, he joined the household of another knight or a nobleman. There they would train him how to use and handle small weapons. They also taught him manors, and behaviors of a knight. Then at 15 or 16 they would advance to squire. In this position he would be a servant to the knight who had become his master. Training progressed and advanced to that of a mounted soldier. This would come in handy when he was called to assist his knight in battle. This would usually last around five years. Then the squire was eligible for knighthood. Any knight could bestow knighthood on another. They would simply put the armor of the squire on him. Later it became more complicated with a tap of the sword and the words, "I dub you knight"

Knights lived under a strict code of chivalry. This meant that he had faith and a deep love of the Christian religion, even to the point of death. They also had strong loyalty towards their land of birth, and gave generously to all. They had a duty to protect women and the weak. Knights always fought for good over evil and never surrendered or flinched in the face of the enemy.

Chivalry

2007-01-20T17:39:00.001+08:00

The word, "chivalry", comes from the French word, "chevalerie", which means "skills to handle a horse". The ability to handle a horse, especially in combat, was of utmost importance to a medieval knight. As the Middle Ages progressed, the term "chivalry" began to take on new meanings.
The protection of the poor, women and children, and defense of the church were just some of the chivalry codes that a knight was supposed to always obey. In combat when nobles and knights were taken prisoner, their lives were spared and were often held for ransom in somewhat comfortable surroundings. This same code of conduct did not apply to non-knights (archers, peasants, foot-soldiers, etc.), who were often slaughtered after capture.

Life of a Knight

2007-01-20T17:38:00.000+08:00

Training for knighthood during medieval times usually began at an early age. Often the prospective knight was sent to live with a relative or lord who had the resources to train the young boy as a page, to use of weapons, most importantly, the skills to handle a horse in combat. A knight-in-training would often serve as a squire (assistant) for an established knight, attending his needs, helping him don his armor, and making ready his horse and weapons.
Once his training was completed and he reached "fighting age" (usually around 16-20 years old), he would ceremoniously become a full-fledged knight.

The ceremony became more elaborate as the Middle Ages progressed, until only the richest nobles or a king could afford to "knight" someone.

The new knight now served his liege lord (which may or may not be the king himself), bound to offer military service up to 40 days a year in peace time, more, as needed, in war time. Military duties included castle guard, serving in the lord's "bodyguard", and participating in battle.

Apart from military duties the knight could also participate in administering justice (as part of assizes--a medieval form of our modern juries), managing his estates (which was his prime source of income), and continuing to hone his combat skills in tournament.

History of Knights

2007-01-20T17:37:00.000+08:00

Like most periods in history, the era of knights evolved gradually. The term "knight" originates from the Anglo-Saxon name for a boy: "cniht". Indeed, most early knights were not much more than hired "boys" who performed military service and took oaths of loyalty to any well-to-do nobleman or warlord offering the most promise of money or war booty.

In the chaos and danger of post-Roman Western Europe, the population had very little organized governmental protection from brigands and conquering warbands. Knowing there was safety in numbers, local lords (who could afford it) gathered around them young, fighting-age men to fend off rebellious vassals or conquering neighbors. These men, in turn, were rewarded with war booty for their service and loyalty. Soon, grants of land were made so the young soldiers could receive an income from those lands and afford the high cost of outfitting themselves with the accoutrements of war, such as horses, armor, and weapons. The era of the medieval knight had begun.

It wasn't long before some knights began to treat their land grants as hereditary rights (usually transferring ownership to the eldest son upon death), thus beginning the rise of knights as a "landed" class whose importance went beyond simply being a military "free-agent". Knights soon found themselves involved in local politics, the dispensation of justice, and numerous other required tasks for their sovereign, or liege lord.

About This Blog Template

2006-11-17T00:25:00.000+08:00

This template has more of a dark and cool feeling...

It shows the mysterious side of a person...

-The picture of the knight was taken somewhere from the net...
-The picture behind the knight was taken from a template called darkside from blogskin, it is edited by me by adding the knight and removing the words and the scary looking face using adobe photoshop...
-The header picture is reused from the same author...
-The whole template is pretty much a replication of that authors skin... BUT mine's more cool while hers is more gothic...
-My template can stay in the center of the page...
-I'm using blogger beta for this template...

Introduction

2006-11-17T00:20:00.000+08:00

This blog is for viewing purposes only... as i realise how 'nice' i've actually made my private blog to look like... i wanted to 'show off' my work...

so here it is! every information in the side menu have been censored to prevent people from finding my private blog. Like i said, it's a private blog!