President Obama and the debate

So, I DVRed the debate, and have not finished watching it yet, but allow me to point a few things out.

The President said low gas prices are a sign of a bad economy.  No wonder he acts so much like Jimmy Carter!  Well, if my being able to afford gas and groceries are the sign of a bad economy, then bring it on!

The president said he's against gender discrimination.  Yet two of his appointed positions were sued for gender discrimination and sexual harassment, with the lawsuits saying that they "ran things like a sorority."  Women are paid 18% less by the Obama administration.  They have disproportionately lost jobs under Obama.  When asked about that, he equated contraception to women's jobs.  Apparently, he views women as wombs for hire.

The president wants to raise taxes to raise revenue, but historically, higher taxes=less revenue and more spending.  So if they raise taxes, they will spend more and take less in.  Why?  Because that means more people out of work, and therefore less overall revenue.  Maybe, instead of looking "forward," he should read a book and look at how things work in the real world.

The President also claimed he cut taxes 18 times.  That's true, if you include cutting taxes on special interest groups and temporary measures which have expired.  He also raised taxes on the middle class through ObamaCare.  He also claimed ObamaCare would lower premiums, but they have raised more than he said they would lower.

Obama also lied about the Arizona law, which the Supreme Court upheld.  They cannot pull someone over because they "look illegal."  If they pull someone over on another violation, they have to present papers.  SO DO I.  I have to present a driver's license.  Don't you?  If they can't produce papers, then an investigation can begin as to whether they were here legally. 

Obama also said that he called Libya terrorism.  The Moderator backed him.  Then after the debate, she admitted SHE WAS WRONG.  He said terrorism would not be tolerated, but never said Libya was terrorism.  Too bad to Obama-supporting moderator didn't fact check before putting in her two cents.  Admitting fault later does little to undo the damage.

Lastly, Obama kept saying "That's not true.  That's not true."  They say that if you repeat a lie often enough, loud enough, it will be accepted as truth.  He's trying to paint Romney as a liar, but as Romney said in the first debate, "As president, you're entitled to your own house and your own plane, not your own facts."  Obama's record doesn't match his rhetoric. 

Einstein once said "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result."  So do you really think four more years will yield a different result?

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.

Court Jester

I cannot stand Joe Biden.  He's an idiot.  He's like the Court Jester of the Obama Administration.  Except he's not funny, even if he is a fool.

Joe Biden has been attacking all these "greedy rich people," like Mitt Romney.  Romney released his tax return.  He gives more than 10% of his income to charity.

Biden released his tax returns.  He gave a little over 1% to charity.  Who's the greedy rich person?

Please Mr. President, get a new running mate.

Integrity

One of the most troubling things in our culture is the lack of integrity. Integrity is a complicated term, but one that is a chief value that I was raised with. As my personal code of the Knight 4 Today, this is one of the top virtues.

Before I was ordained into ministry, one of the questions that I was asked was "What is the most important quality of a leader?" After a few seconds thought, I answered "Integrity." What is integrity?

There is a famous quote about integrity. "Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is looking." Just really think about that for a moment. Who are you when no one is looking? How honest is your tax return? How many "little white lies" do you tell, when you know no one will find out? How do you act around your friends? How do you treat your family? Are you different at church than alone?

But this is only one definition of integrity, according to Websters (their technical definition to this is "firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values; incorruptability"). The second they give is "unimpaired condition; soundness." Think of it like building a building. I don't care what color you paint the room if the foundation is crumbling and the supports are rotting. I've been house hunting lately, so know what this looks like. You may appear fine on the surface, but how's your heart? This week a kid walked into his high school and shot five people, killing three (so far). His friend said "This doesn't make any sense. He bottled stuff up, but this just doesn't seem like him." The paint was fine, but the structure was rotten. He was unsound. This leaves a simple question: do we do right to avoid getting in trouble, or do you do right because your heart is good?

The third definition is one we need in this culture. "The quality and state of being complete and undivided." That's what we need. Many people in our society go to church. Yet, they say that is their "religous compartment." It's like a set of dresser drawers. They go to church, but close that drawer. At work they lie and steal and tell inappropriate jokes. Those people don't even know that they go to church, which is why they don't invite those people to church. Then after work, they go to the bar and get drunk, maybe even have a one-night stand. Or they go home and treat their families like dirt, before jumping on the internet to feed their porn addiction, then wonder why their wives don't feel affectionate (ok, small rant there). The point is, they say that their religious compartment doesn't affect the rest of their lives. That's the opposite of integrity.

I was once asked "What do you want your tombstone to say?" My answer is simple, "Minister of the Gospel; Man of Integrity." My worst fear is not heights, or any other things that I fear. My greatest fear is to lose everything because of sexual misconduct, because I've seen so many men (especially leaders) taken out of the fight for that very reason. I want to be a man of integrity, above all else.

I'm thinking about developing an Oath for the Modern Knight, specifically for a young man I've been mentoring. If I do, integrity will be a key virtue of the modern day knight. If you want to be a Knight 4 Today too, vow with me to strive for true integrity.