Vow of the Modern Knight

The Knight

We live in a day when we are in need of knights. We need warriors who are willing to fight for things that truly matter. As a knight for today, I take this oath.

A knight does not serve himself. He serves a king. I surrender myself totally to the King of Kings. I will obey him in every area of my life. I withhold nothing from myself. I completely and totally surrender. I will obey His every command. I will go on every quest, no matter how dangerous, no matter how deadly, no matter the cost to myself.

Isaiah 6:8, Luke 9:23, 12:51, Romans 6:22-23, 12:1, Rev 19:11-16

A knight is a warrior. We live in a world at war. I pledge to fight. I pledge to defend myself from the attacks of Satan, using the armor God has given me. I will use the weapons God has given me, the sword of His Word and prayer. I will not fight alone, but with my King. I was not meant to fight alone, but alongside my fellow knights. I will lead when others will only follow. I will not get caught alone and be an easy target for the Enemy and his minions. I will fight alongside others. I will defend those who cannot defend themselves. I will join the King on His mission to storm the gates of Hell itself and set free those held captive there. I understand that this is a dangerous mission and that many have fallen in the undertaking of it. That is why I will surround myself with prayer, with the armor of the King, and with knights who do the same.

Exodus 15:3, Ephesians 6:10-18, Romans 8:37-39, Rev. 20:10

The Virtues of the Knight

The first virtue of the knight is integrity. Someone once said, “Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking.” I will strive to be a man of integrity. I will be the same man whether I am being watched or not. Whether I am with my family, with my church, with my friends, or with myself, I will do the right thing. I will live my life built on a foundation of the King of Kings and His Word. I vow have integrity in every area of my life. I will obey the King in every area of my life. No area will be off limits to Him. I will have integrity in even the small things. No exceptions, just obedience.

Matthew 7:24-27, Psalm 24:3-5, Psalm 25:21, 41:12, Proverbs 10:9, Titus 2:7-8

A knight will be a man of courage. I will not let fear hold me. I refuse to be imprisoned by its power. Fear is a great weapon of the Enemy. I will not stay a hostage of my fear. The Enemy cannot stand with the power of the King. The servants of the King are far stronger than the minions of the Enemy. The Enemy is already defeated. His tactics are of the weak and desperate. I will not let my fear control me. There is no bravery without fear. I refuse to surrender. I refuse to die. I will be a man of courage.

Proverbs 28:1, Hebrews 13:6, 2 Timothy 1:7, 1 Corinthians 16:13, Matthew 14:27, 2 Kings 6:16

I will be a knight of compassion. I will seek to truly help the poor, not just give a token dollar to appease guilt. I will fight for justice for those who are oppressed. I will strive for freedom for slaves. I will try to provide food for the hungry, drink for the thirsty. And I will treat those that I meet daily with compassion.

Luke 4:18-19, Isaiah 58:6, Matthew 25:31-46, 1 John 3:17-18, James 1:27

As a knight, I will strive for self-control. I will discipline my body, my mind, and my heart. Satan will try to take me out of the fight through self-indulgence. I will fight him through self-discipline. I will read and memorize Scripture. I will read devotional books and books to help me lead others. I will keep my guard up. I will flee temptation. I will control my body and my weight. I vow to discipline myself.

1 Timothy 4:8, Galatians 5:22-23, 2 Peter 1:5-8, Hebrews 12:11, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

A knight will speak with honesty. I will not tell a lie, no matter how small it seems. My world will be my bond. I will keep the commitments that I make to the best of my ability. I will in no way deceive anyone for any reason. My “yes” will mean yes and my “no” no. My word will be trustworthy.

Ephesians 4:15,25, Ephesians 6:14, Matthew 5:33-37

As a knight, I will strive for humility. I will remember that I am only a servant of the King. I will think more of others than I do myself. I will give glory to Jesus in all things. Max Lucado wrote, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less.”

Matthew 20:25-28, Philippians 2:3, Colossians 3:12, James 3:13, 1Peter 5:5, Psalm 8:3-4,

Proverbs 16:18

As a knight, I will live with purity. I will keep my mind and body pure. I will not allow myself to be diluted by the lusts and desires of the world. Many things in this world are intended to corrupt man and take away the pureness of his heart, mind, and soul but I will fight against these things to keep my purity. I will keep my eyes clean. I will keep my mind pure by memorizing the Word. I will also be pure in my devotion to the One and Only King in Heaven. No other idols will take me captive or break my whole devotion to the King of Kings.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20, Psalm 119:9, 1 Timothy 4:12, Mark 7:21-23, Matthew 5:48

Another virtue of the knight is perseverance. This world has many hardships. I will joyfully endure them, seeking only to be transformed more into the likeness of the King. No matter the trail, I will seek only to be obedient and to become the man I was meant to be. No matter the battle, I will continue to fight. I will endure and help others to endure. I will seek out relationships that will help me keep to the path.

James 1:2-4, James 1:12, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Hebrews 12:1, Romans 5:1-5, Matthew 7:24-27

A knight will strive for patience. A knight will show understanding. I will let mistakes go, since I have made my share. I will try to empathize with others, especially in their anger, to see things from their perspective and attempt to root out the deeper issues, knowing that sometimes people just need an ear to listen.

Proverbs 16:32, Ephesians 4:2, Galatians 5:22-23, James 1:19

Another virtue of the knight is loyalty. I swear allegiance to the King. I will let nothing stand between Him and me. I will loyally defend my brothers and sisters in Christ through accountability, transparency, and prayer.

1 Samuel 20:42, Hosea 6:6 (NASB), 1 Chronicles 29:18

A knight will work with excellence. In all things, I will work to please the king, and therefore do my best. Hard work is also a virtue of the knight. I will not flinch. I will not hesitate. I will not leave it for others. I will do the work that needs done. I will be a servant for all. I will work not to earn the love of my King, since I cannot do so, but I will work as my act of gratitude for what the king has done for me.

Ephesians 2:10, Ephesians 6:7-8, Matthew 25:14-46, Luke 17:7-10, Revelation 2:2

Relationships of the Knight

The King. I will obey the king in all areas of my life. And I will love the king with everything that I am and everything that I do. I will study His Word and apply it to my life. I will seek daily to build a closer walk with Him.

Deuteronomy 6:4-5

The lady. I will treat women with respect, as daughters of the King. I will only seek deeper relationships with those that will help me grow closer to the King. I will seek to do the same for her. I will put her above myself and my work, understanding that the first person I should serve is her. And I will love her with self-sacrifice and undying commitment despite wavering emotions or what I get out of it. I seek not a servant nor a princess, but a partner.

Ephesians 5:25-33

Children. I will disciple my own kids. I will make it my first priority to help them to be loyal to the King. The best way to love them is to love their mother. I will help sons to see their strength and to become warriors. I will help daughters to see their beauty and their value.

Ephesians 6:4

Church. I will lead the church by being a servant. I will stand as a shepherd to guide, and a watchman to protect. It is not my church, but the King’s. I understand that I cannot lead from above; I must be with them. I will feed them. I will make disciples. I will seek others with whom I can walk through life. And I will train up other leaders to serve the King and His church.

Jeremiah 23:1-2, Ezekiel 3:17-19,

The lost. I will follow the King in His mission to seek and save the lost, by whatever means necessary. I will remember that I am not superior to them, but “a fellow beggar showing others where to find bread.”

Matthew 28:18-20, Acts1:8

The World. I will not be swayed, deterred, or distracted by the world and following the crowd. No matter how unpopular, I will obey the King as He leads me. I will not seek the world’s interests or possessions.

Exodus 23:2a, Galatians 1:10, 1 John 2:15-17

The Enemy. I will fight the enemy until all my strength is spent, and then I will rely on the strength of the King. I will seek to storm his strongholds and set free his captives. I know that he has lost the war. I will still fight the battles.

Ephesians 6:10-12, Revelation 20:10

Himself. I will feed myself through His Word. I will keep my armor strong and my sword sharp. I will keep my vows on the above virtues. I understand that I cannot help others if I have not taken care of myself.

Psalm 119

In adding my name in comment, I take this vow.

Stupid

Republican Todd Akin, who is competing in Missouri's Senatorial race, must be so stupid, I'm amazed that he never choked to death on his own tongue.  He's so dumb, he's practically Joe Biden.

He said that abortion for rape should not be a consideration, because any woman who was a victim of "legitimate rape" could not get pregnant.  Apparently, his parents never told him about the birds and the bees.  Either that, or he endured some type of head trauma that caused him to have a total lobotomy. 

Mr. Akin, I assume you've never met a rape victim.  I have.  I've done counseling to rape victims.  So please, stop making wild conjectures and theories and speaking about things you are more than ignorant on.  Also, who ever spends time reminding this idiot to breathe, stop it.

Mr. Akin, I almost wish I lived in the "show me" state just so that I could not vote for you.

Who's the Hater?

So people keep calling Bible-believing Christians haters.  They say we hate people not like us.  Let me make a few clarifications.

1) Westboro Baptist Church do not count as Bible-believing.  In fact, Peter warned about them in the Bible.  2 Peter 3:15-16 (NIV) "Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction."  They don't speak for us, because they are "ignorant and unstable."

2) There is an old saying in the Christian Church: "Love the sinner; hate the sin."  If I truly believe the Bible, (that all people are sinners (Romans 3:23), that God loves everyone (John 3:16) and sent his Son Jesus to take the punishment for our sin (Romans 6:23), that we are all equally guilt (James 2:10), and God wants to save everyone (2 Peter 3:9),) then I have a responsibility.  If we all either have to accept God's forgiveness by changing our ways and being obedient to him, or we have to suffer the punishment for our sins.  We are all the same.  One person described the way we Christians should be as "One beggar telling another beggar where to find bread."  Others have described it as throwing a life preserver to a drowning man.  This is our job, to love our fellow sinners enough to storm the very gates of hell itself to tell them of the same chance for rescue that we have.

The reason I point these things out is because I'm sick of being falsely labled.  But I also have something else to ask.

Are WE the ones that hate?

My sister was recently attacked for taking her infant daughter to get lunch and take it to "Dada."  Why was she attacked?  The lunch was chicken.  She was called ever foul thing these people could think of.  They should be embarrassed at their behavior.  And all just because her baby missed her daddy.

But the reason I particularly write this today is because of the news yesterday.  In our nation's capital, a man walked into a Christian organization and opened fire.  Why?  Because of their stance on family values. 

A few in the media are defending the man, who is likely to be charged with domestic terrorism.  They're calling this Christian organization a "hate group."

I'm sorry, but who had the gun?  Who was the one trying to kill people?  Why are THEY being accused of hate?  It seems to any reasonable person that the gunman is the hater. 

Here's an idea.  Instead of trying to defend his actions to support a political agenda, why not just call him a madman and be done with it.

Sick and Tired

Ok, so I just wrote a post on how I'm sick of racist crap after that skin head shot up the Sikh temple last week, you know?  Well, this morning, I turn on the news to see another racists comment.  From who?  Vice President Joe Biden.  (I still think the worst thing about the President is he seems to surround himself with idiots to make himself look smarter.)

Speaking to a group of African Americans, the Vice President said about Republicans, "They're gonna put y'all back in chains."

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?

Did Biden just say that Republicans want to make slaves again.  Last time I checked, Abraham Lincoln was A REPUBLICAN.  It was Southern Democrats (known as Dixie-crats) who were pro-slavery.  They started the War of Succession (known as the Civil War) over their desire to keep slaves. 

And now, democrats try to make race a divisive issue.  Just look at the way they treat Col. Allen West, calling him a traitor to his race for being a Republican.  I'm sorry, which party is the one saying "You!  You're black.  Get in line and do what we tell you."  THAT sounds more like slavery to me. 

So for the record, let me say it again.  I hate racism.  And I hate this racist fear-mongering from pigs like Biden.  But I guess what really upsets me is that this isn't coming from some nameless, faceless journalist or blogger (from either party).  This is coming from someone that we should be able to respect.

So, with all due respect Mr. Vice President. shut your mouth.  And please, Mr. President, PLEASE, find a running mate that isn't a complete moron.

Just a quick prayer

I don't normally do this, but I feel the need to write a quick prayer to God.


Father, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to dwell in your followers.  Because I rely on His power so much.  I can feel Him working as I write and speak.  So much of the good that I do is because of His power and not my own.  There have been so many times when I was overwhelmed with His presence, because You had something you were wanting to do, and I just happened to be present, little more than a tool in Your hands.  That is such an amazing thing, and something so few people get to be a part of.  I am in awe that you choose to use a nothing like me, so that your power comes through.  I love you.  Nothing in life compares to you.  So thank you.  In the name of your Son Jesus I pray.  Amen.

Racism rant

Sunday, a skin-head Neo-Nazi walked into a Sikh temple and opened fire, killing 6. 

This is incomprehensible to me.  Not just the violence, but the hate.  I just wasn't raised like that.  In fact, the only time I ever threatened violence upon another individual was because I heard a friend of mine say the "n" word.

I love the movie Remember the Titans, but in truth that's impossible for me to imagine as well.  I just wasn't raised to notice differences.  My mother told me this past week a story I had not heard.  When my parents married, and later had my sister, they lived on the Wind River Indian Reservation.  Mom told me that sometime after we moved from there, they moved in next door to a black family.  They sent my sister to the yard to play.  They watched her curiously, as she had never seen a black person while on the Indian Reservation.  They wanted to see how she reacted.  All she knew was they had a daughter about her age, so she made a friend. 

So many of these differences are imagined.  They are taught to us by others.  I don't know who taught this particular skin-head to hate (though most learn from their parents).  But I never learned that.  In fact, I hate it when people point it out.  When they said on the news that Obama was the first black president, I didn't believe them until I looked it up.  I never noticed.  I never thought about it.  He's the president of the US.  That's an amazing feat.  Why does it matter that he's black?

I thought the same when they said Tony Dungy was the first black head coach to win a Super Bowl (Go Colts!).  It's an amazing feat.  Why does it matter that he's black?  When they asked Dungy about it, I loved his response.  "Lovie (Lovie Smith, coach of the Chicago Bears) and I were talking about that before the game.  We said that that was an amazing thing, but it means so much more to us that we are both Christians who proved that you could win God's way."  He ignored the race issue and chose instead to give glory to God.

I'm tired of all the racist crap.  I'm tired of Neo-Nazis and others who think that everyone should treat anyone different than them badly (look at Rwanda).  I'm also tired of racists pretending to be good people, like the moron on the news a few weeks ago who claimed that Republicans make voter ID laws because they are racist.  His reasoning?  Blacks and Hispanics can't read well enough to get an ID.  I'm sorry, did you just say that other races are too stupid to read?  Then you call the other people racist for reasoning that all men are created equal and not pitying the inferior people?  I hate to tell you, but it's still racism if you believe others are less than you and therefore need your help.

I want to contrast this with another event from Sunday.  Our community put on a "Family Day" at one of the local parks.  It wasn't about race.  It was about people getting together instead of separate.  There was no consideration about the ethnicity of the person in line before you at the concession stand.  It was just about people having a good time.

Why can't we all just get along?  We can.  We do, all the time.  So let's all join together to tell the politicians from both sides of the aisle who get on a power trip from this crap to shut up and leave the rest of us alone.

8-1-12 and the First Amendment. Win, lose, or draw?

Social Media has been active lately, all revolving around chicken.  Well, not really chicken.  About religious beliefs and whether people have a right to them.  If a private citizen was asked about his religion by a religious magazine, can you hold an entire company accountable?

Some organized boycotts.  I'm fine with that.  I've long said that.  If you don't agree with a company, don't go there.  If you don't like how Wal-Mart, for example, does business, don't write your congressman.  Just shop elsewhere.  Because it doesn't matter what you say about a company.  They are going to watch their bottom line.  So I love the fact that people are boycotting.

Others, to show their support, organized a day to do so.  Yesterday, people bought chicken.  We have three Chick-Fil-As locally.  At least one ran out of Waffle fries!  I have friends across the country who reported what theirs looked like.  A friend in Maryland went to one, and had to go to the Wendy's across the street, because they only give him and hour for lunch.  Wendy's, he said, was also slammed because of the overflow.  Someone in Louisville, KY said that local news reports were advising people to detour around every one of them in the city, because they were so packed that cars were blocking traffic in a several block radius of them. 

I wanted to see for myself.  I didn't want media bias or others propaganda.  I drove by the least busy of the three in my city.  Cars were wrapped around the block for the drive through.  Those going inside took up the parking lot of the restaurant.  And the McDonalds next door.  And the strip mall behind it.  And that end of the Target Parking lot.  And that end of the parking area of a kids' play place.  I know because I watched people walking to and from their cars.  I know because as I drove around, I looked in the window and saw that many could not even fit inside the fast-food place.  I've never seen so many people in such a small place.  I myself did not go in.  I couldn't have gotten inside.

As you know, I often report on the loss of freedoms, especially First Amendment rights.  This was a day for either side to make themselves heard.

And yet, this was also a day to watch religious freedom vanish.  Under ObamaCare, 8-1 was a day when religious associated charities and medical services are now forced to violate their religious freedom.  Catholics in particular object to birth control in all forms as a religious belief.  Now they are not just forced to distribute, but pay for something that violates their religion.  But this goes beyond just the Catholic Church.  According to the ObamaCare definition of birth control, this includes the so called "Morning After" or "Abortion" pill, RU486.  That's right.  Pro-lifers now have to pay for abortions. 

My question is why?  Yesterday, people were allowed to buy or boycott chicken, based on their belief.  But they are forced to purchase and distribute something that destroys a human being.  What's worse, this wasn't covered on the news because of chicken.

So Freedom of Speech and Freedom to Assembly were upheld yesterday.  But Freedom of Religion and the Right to Life were not.  Hm...

So what do you think?  Win?  Lose?  Draw?  I'm a natural pessimist, and I tend to value the unborn over waffle fries, so I'm leaning toward loss.  But please leave a comment letting me know what you think.  Start with any of the three options, then explain why.