An Honorable Life

Friday, May 1, 2020

For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed.  For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.  It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you.  For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.  Respect everyone, and love the family of believers.  Fear God, and respect the king.  1 Peter 2:13-17

Adolph Hitler, the Fuhrer of Germany in the early/mid 20^th century was a passionate man who had little or no compassion for others.  He knew what he wanted to accomplish, and his actions proved his methods built a life and legacy without honor; the man was a monster.

It matters WHAT you accomplish with your life, but, frankly, it is just as important, and perhaps, more important, HOW you do it.  All the good (supposedly) intentions in the world are useless unless they are met with actions which honor the good you intend to do. 

It is said that an honorable life is where integrity for doing right meets living.  Peter expressed this in six memorable words:  Fear God, and respect the king.  Of course the word “fear” means to honor, or revere, in the sense that we keep in mind God is sovereign, holy, and almighty; we fear (or honor) God, by not neglecting God’s way in our own actions.  In so doing we put to silence foolish accusations.

There have been plenty of movements in recent years that are honorably conceived, such as Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, and others of social-justice, that have plenty of strong basis in Scripture.  Accomplishing racial, gender, and economic parity in the realms of freedom and human dignity are goals worthy of Godly standard.  But, as stated previously, HOW these are achieved are also vitally central to the results.  When a protest against some ungodly oppression, or practice of one group toward another turns ugly, there is little honor for our God. 

A prime example of this is the collapse of decency and restraint in the early 1990’s when the “Rodney King riots” in Los Angeles errupted over a police chase and savage beating of the suspect was caught on video.  The ensuing inconclusive action by the legal system preciptated violent riots in which more than 50 people lost their lives over 6 days.[1]

It is one thing to protest violence, but when your protest is conveyed by violent means, it isn’t fighting fire with fire; it’s adding more unholy fuel to a raging downward spiral of hatred, fear, and unleashed evil.

The apostle Peter had a moment like that in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Judas led the Roman Guard to arrest Jesus, betryaing the son of God with a kiss on the cheek.  Peter protested by swinging his sword and cutting off the ear of Malchus, servant of the High Priest[2].  Peter’s intention to prevent the crucifixion of Jesus was righteous; his actions were not.  Had Jesus not stopped the hostilities by healing Malchus’ injury, there might have been a dozen crucifixions that day.  Added violence never solves anything; it certainly can neve be called “honorable” in anyone’s life.

For You Today

The difference between loving peace and making peace is as wide as night and day.  Loving peace merely requires thinking and supposing you’re right in the way you conceive peace ought to look.  To be a peace maker requires putting your motives and methods on trial in your heart every waking moment, and living with what the court of conscience rules.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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Title Image:  Military.com      Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

For other posts on 1 Peter 2 see Honorable Behavior Part 1 and Part 2

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[1] Rodney King Riots in Los Angeles Began on This Day In 1992

[2] John 18:10

Nelson Mandela: Trouble-Maker - Man of Peace

Friday, December 6, 2013

For I know the vast number of your sins and the depth of your rebellions.  You oppress good people by taking bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.  Amos 5:12 (NLT)

Nelson Mandela was a trouble-maker!  He stirred the waters of unrest and righteousness for those who would keep the status quo on apartheid.  Fox News[1] carried the following in memorializing the first black president of South Africa:

Stamps were issued with his likeness, songs written about him, statues erected in his honor everywhere from Johannesburg to London and more than 50 universities around the world awarded him degrees.  Even a species of spiders was named in his honor.

Ironically, the leader hailed as a symbol of peace at one point was on a U.S. terror watch list because of his affiliation with the ANC [African National Congress], which was designated a terrorist organization by South Africa’s apartheid government.  He was finally taken off the list in 2008.

Mandela, although initially committed to non-violence, had, in fact, once been involved with the militant wing of the ANC, which was founded in association with the South African Communist Party and carried out a campaign of violence against government targets.

The man who died an anti-apartheid hero, world statesman and symbol of the strength of the human spirit was born Rolihlahla Mandela in a village near Umtata in the Transkei on July 18, 1918.  Rolihlahla literally means "pulling the branch of a tree" but more colloquially, "troublemaker."

Pulling the branch of a tree can create quite a mess.  Twenty-seven of Mandela’s 95 years on this planet were spent in prison for making trouble.  He looked at the way oppressors increased the misery of the poor and disenfranchised, and, like Amos, decided to do something about it.  The oppressors put him away; God objected!

Released from prison two decades ago, Mandela became the first black president of South Africa and an icon of grace that changes hearts and nations.  

He once said:

No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion, he wrote in his autobiography….People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.[2]

Today

Are there some low-hanging tree branches near you that need some pulling?

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[1] World mourns Nelson Mandela, former South African president and anti-apartheid leader, FoxNews.com, December 05, 2013

[2] Ibid

We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us!

Walt Kelly drew the Pogo^© comic strip for several decades.  I read it in my childhood, little-suspecting that it was a political cartoon – often about the way we are polluting the environment.  The forlorn opossum said many wise things about how we are shooting ourselves in the foot politically, economically and environmentally.

While the saying “we have met the enemy and he is us” may not have originated with Walt Kelly, it is widely-associated with his character, Pogo. 

I have an idea the original thought is entirely Biblical.

The Psalmist named the enemies in verses 6-8:  these Edomites and Ishmaelites; Moabites and Hagrites; Gebalites, Ammonites, and Amalekites; and people from Philistia and Tyre.  Assyria has joined them, too, and is allied with the descendants of Lot. (NLT)

If you take the time to run down this list of “ites” you can find former allies of Israel who are now their enemies.  Much like England and America were at odds in the late 1700’s and now are great allies, or the Russians who are on-again, off-again friend or foe to the U.S., the people of the Middle East are as fickle as the winds of national interests.

When an Israelite looked across the battle line towards the enemy, he likely was staring at a third or fourth cousin.  We look into the eyes of the invader and we meet our DNA.

So Who are God’s Enemies?

The prayer of Asaph (Psalm 83) asks God to destroy His enemies, the enemies of Israel.  Considering how often Israel was disobedient and arrogantly wandering away from God, it hardly seems like a safe thing to have that prayer answered.  Often, Israel’s actions placed her more in the enemy camp than in God’s loving embrace.

And this brings me to us….the “good ol’ US of A”.

I’ve often heard nationalism substituted for Christianity.  And it is in no short supply, prayer-wise, around July 4^th.  We pray, O, Lord, protect our beloved nation from its enemies and Yours.

But…are we really on that kind of strong, friendly terms with God?

·        A nation with moral issues that would make ancient Greeks and Romans blush?

·        A nation consuming the world’s resources like we own them?

·        A nation willing to abort its own children like ancient Molech?

·        A nation where ethics are unimportant; just don’t get caught with your hand in the till?

I digress:  We have met the enemy and he is us!

Chuck Colson wrote:  “…indifference to truth is at the root of the moral collapse in American life.”[1]

Colson’s thesis is sadly being proven accurate in our day with little light at the end of the tunnel.  It will take a revival of miracle proportions (well aren’t they always?) to turn this nation and world around.  It will take sackcloth and ashes kind of repentance I have never seen in my lifetime.

But is there hope?

Revival doesn’t begin with towns or groups or religious denominations.  Revival begins in the hearts of people….one at a time.

Are you one of those who will pray?  Today would be a wonderful day to begin laying aside the Prayer of Jabez (for all kinds of blessings), and begin praying the prayer of contrition, confession and godly sorrow.  Who knows, perhaps it can change.  

Then, perhaps, we can say:  we have met the friends of God and they are us!

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[1] Colson, Charles W., Burden of Truth (Defending Truth in an Age of Unbelief), Wheaton, Tyndale House, 1997, p.x

Frog In a Microwave

Next I turned my attention to all the outrageous violence that takes place on this planet—the tears of the victims, no one to comfort them; the iron grip of oppressors, no one to rescue the victims from them.   Ecclesiastes 4:1 (TMSG)

The “frog in the kettle” is not a new concept.  I’ve never put the theory to a test.  It seems somehow quite cruel, placing a perfectly innocent toad in a saucepan of tepid water to make him feel comfortable (at first), only to slowly turn the heat up and watch him adjust his body temperature while he cooks; he’s content to do this – until it’s too late!  Cruelty aside – crock-pot frog is not my idea of Sunday dinner or fun!

But, perhaps we’re looking at it from the wrong side of the stove.  Have you ever considered what it is like to BE the frog?  No?  Maybe there’s a reason for that.  Is the temperature just right for you; everything going quite well?

Whatever your life has been like recently – or in the long haul – remember there are plenty of ways to get cooked without noticing it – until it’s too late.

The Roman Emperor, Nero, had to sign his first death warrant as a very young man.  Historians report that the significance of that event almost overwhelmed him with grief.  He was affected for months afterward.  Years later Nero had become so accustomed to death by the simple stroke of his hand he could sign the death warrants of his own mother and brother without flinching…frog sauté.  Nero’s conscience was cooked!

We “get used to” a lot of things; like good Marines, we adjust, we adapt, we overcome.

What is it to which we are becoming accustomed?

·        More murders per hour of TV watching?

·        More and stronger profanity on the silver screens?

·        More and increasingly explicit acts of sex to view right in our living rooms?

·        More comfortable with the government program that “takes care of me”?

It does seem that the issues which come to mind when we talk “frog in the kettle” are almost entirely negative – harmful, taking life from us by degrees. 

From Saucepan to Microwave

Life moves exponentially faster today – we seem to be able to dispatch our frogs better than ever!  Psychologists call it “desensitization”.  We lose our ability to feel the pain – so we’re not bothered by what used to bother us – as much!  We’ve moved from the saucepan slow-cooker to the microwave express!

What Bothers You?

Here’s what bothers me; every time I hear myself saying:  but I’m just one person, and besides you can’t save ‘em all.

When I do a self-check and find myself bailing-out on an issue because the tepid water in my saucepan is so warm, fuzzy and happy that I’ve become complacent about the way anyone else is being treated, I want to scream – Russell….SAY something!

We are not “islands unto ourselves”.  Created to be in community and fellowship with God and each other, the ripples my neighbor’s stone makes when it hits my pond is a cry for justice, righteousness, or even simply human touch.  As the body of Christ, believers are not to sit by as our culture’s microwave cooks our neighbor.  When my neighbor hurts, I have to ask myself, why don’t I hurt?

Today

Jesus is always waiting for us to take a “first step”.  Years ago I asked a young man named Dennis why he had responded to the invitation to accept Christ.  Dennis told me, I’ve wanted to be a Christian for awhile; I finally got up enough nerve to put one foot in the aisle, and I guess Jesus picked up the other one and helped me walk.

I think Jesus does the same stuff today, but not if you’re too comfortable on that microwave turntable.  

What will it take for you to move one foot out on the aisle of serving Him today?

Let’s take a first step!