What made the bully afraid

The thin golden brown skinned man stood tall, facing his enemy.  His penetrating dark brown eyes focused on the neck he planned to strike.  Calmly he spoke this warning: 

Step back. 

His voice could be heard, but barely.  It had the same attitude as the words “Excuse me.”  He wasn’t angry or threatening or commanding.  There was the same certainty as when you say your name after being asked. 

The bully, the enemy, saw two possibilities, as certain as memories, as final as history:

1. He steps back, and the golden man passes.
2. He steps forward, and he struggles to breathe, folded over in what seems to be his last moments on earth.

But how could he step back?  How would everyone see him from that moment on?  Who is this skinny scrawny "boy" to strike fear in this massive mountain of manhood!?  Shouldn’t the strong intimidate the weak?  “How dare this boy make me afraid!”

Yet the bully knew that there was more to lose than his reputation, or even his breath.  In the skinny boy’s eyes the bully saw a fury unlike any he had ever seen.  He saw a fire that inevitably consumes its fuel.  He felt like ice in mid air before landing in hot tea. 

Something, or someone, behind the boy’s eyes made the bully feel helpless.

But why?

The golden boy (who was really a man) didn’t strike the bully as especially strong.  Yet his body looked plantedly agile, as if no one could move the “boy,” nor stop the boy from moving.

This still didn’t capture the fear. 

There was in the boy’s eyes the silent confidence of the hawk before capture, the moment when the prey sees his end, the first time and last time.

“I’ll let you pass…this time!  Punk.”

The golden boy passed, and the bully felt like going home and going to sleep.  He breathed more slowly, and wiping the sweat from his forehead, he thanked God, for saving his life.  (He thanked God for sparing his life.)

And from that day forward, the bully made sure he would never be the object of the Immortal Gaze’s anger.  He now feared The One behind the “boy’s” eyes.

 

To Men (and Women who want Men) Part 3

If you are a man, God is for you, so who can be against you? 
He wants to see Christ formed in you. 
He loves you. 
He likes you.

So often you receive little to no encouragement, only corrections and admonitions. 
Receive honor and encouragement from me in the Name of our Lord and Brother.

To my sisters who read, we love you.  Your honor, and the look of admiration in your eyes, is like heaven on earth.  We seek to be genuinely your glory.  In Jesus' name, pray for us as we pray for you.

God is for us.  Both men and women.

To the men who read, if you haven't done so, start now to control your words. 
In this way you put aside childish speaking, thinking and reasoning.
I know as a father of 7 that children have little to no self control, expressed in their constant chatter. 
They are learning and growing, practicing words, gaining vocabularies.  Yet they talk, talk, talk, talk, talk!

As men, our words should be measured by truth and love. 
This isn't an issue of being introverted or extroverted, talkative or quiet. 
It's an issue of self-control, so that the talkative are not too talkative, and the quiet are not too quiet.

How do we know when we talk too much or too little?

Love and truth.

We should not say more than we know, as it is written of Christ,

"He speaks what He knows and testifies what He has seen and heard."

Every word should be motivated by love, as it is written,
"Speak the truth in love."

With love as our motivation, and truth as our limitation, we will not say too much or too little.
We will be perfect men, able to control our whole body.
You are God's image and likeness and glory.

May you be encouraged, and may you encourage.
Amen.

To Men (and Women who want Men) Part 2

To every man who reads, the word of God says you are the image and likeness and glory of God. 
I honor you because God honors you.

To every woman who reads, the word of God says you are the glory of God's glory. 
I honor you because God honors you.

To every man who reads, know that God is for you, and will help you be the essence of masculinity: 
Self-controlled.

To every woman who reads, if you seek a husband, seek one who has learned and is learning self-control.  This will be a rock to you and your future children.  If you are already married, and your husband displays this grace, honor him.  If he does not, pray for him, and continue to honor his free will.  He will shine when you let him.  Never mother him.  Honor him as God does.  He will become honorable with your honor.

Men, how do we begin?
Where do we begin?

Our words.

The first impression we get of God is in His speech.  We must speak like God speaks.  To control our words is to control ourselves, because our tongues are to our being as a steering wheel is to a car.

To experience the authority of your masculinity, speak briefly according to your identity.
For example, I had a situation where I made a request to my captain about inmate TV issues.  His response:

Officers determine what happens with the TVs.  Captain X.

One sentence.  Then his name.

I had another issue with my chief about my job assignment and schedules.  His response:
Officers work assigned posts when assigned.  Chief X

One sentence.  Then his name.

Of course you may need more than one sentence, but don't say more or less or other than the truth of your assignment and the authority behind your assignment.  Represent the one above you, doing all in his identity for his glory.  This is your masculinity and its glory. 

Click HERE for part 3...

To Men (and Women who want Men) Part 1

It is written,
"Exhort young men to be self controlled."

It is also written,
"If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to control his whole body."

And again, it is written,
"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me."

I read somewhere I can't remember that manhood and womanhood are not opposites. 
Woman is not the opposite of man.  Men and women are not opposing or opposite sexes.
Childhood is the opposite of manhood (and womanhood.  But focus on manhood.)

As a man, husband, father, and officer, I bear witness to the truth of these scriptures.

I've seen that the key to my manhood in all of these areas is self control, as Rudyard Kipling said in his poem, "If," a poem written from the perspective of a father teaching his son about manhood:

"If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you..."

I've seen that the atmosphere at my house or job rises and falls with my disposition.
All hell can break loose around me, as long as it doesn't break loose in me.
If I loose it, all seems to be lost.

As it says in one of my favorite songs, so it should be in the spirit of every man:

"No storm can shake my inmost calm."

How can this be so?
By God our Creator, for Whom every man is a reflector.

The prophet Isaiah spoke these words from God:
"You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."

As a man, I've learned, and I am still learning, to trust God's perspective of me, to seek His honor only, to submit to His authority only.  If God honors me, I am honored, whether the world bashes me or not.

Click HERE for part 2...



Hoodie Wearing Drug Dealing Gangbanging Thugs (Part 2)

The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.  1 Timothy 5:24-25

In 2010, as an officer, I was arrested for a crime I didn't commit.
How many times have you read, saw on TV, or heard on the radio, those words?
How many times have they actually been true?
Are they EVER true?

They must be.
They were for me.
God vindicated me and glorified me.
I was shown not only innocent, but honorable in a news paper article with front page picture, and a radio interview.  I was honored by the Undersheriff.  I was promoted.

But before all of this...
I was arrested.

I looked the Internal Affairs Investigator in the eyes, having allowed him to search my home with dogs, and having volunteered to a lie detector, urine test, skin test, and pubic hair test, I said these words:

I'm sure you've heard these words over and over in your career:

"I'm innocent."

"I was set up."

I'm sure you're jaded and skeptical.

But you can also read people.

Surely you should be able to look into the eyes of an innocent man and see innocence. 

If not, our jobs are meaningless.

What does my false arrest and vindication have to to with hoodie wearing drug dealing gang banging thugs?

Everything.

The problem with trials is the complication of human relations.
The lack of a dead man's version.
No, I am not a lawyer, but surely you and I understand the basic premises of law and justice and fairness. 
Is it possible for a hoodie wearing drug dealing gangbanging thug to not actually be a hoodie wearing drug dealing gang banging thug?  If so, how do we know?  If not, why not? 

When I became an officer, a lieutenant said these words:

"The only difference between officers and inmates is that we haven't been caught."

With every atom, molecule, cell, and gene in my body, I DISAGREED WITH HER.
There must be a difference between guilt and innocence.
Not only a difference, an obvious difference.

Isn't it obvious that a 17 year old should still be alive, even if he was awaiting trial for allegedly trespassing, or loitering, or the battery of a 30 year old neighorhood watchman?

Isn't it obvious that I shouldn't strap on my gun and follow a man around my apartment complex, with my wife and children in my home, wondering if I'm going to come home?  After all, if I'm following a dangerous "suspect," it stands to reason, if I've strapped on my gun, that either I or the suspect won't make it home?

As God revealed to me, so I say:
Deception is when the obvious is no longer obvious.

It is written,
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

Hoodie Wearing Drug Dealing Gangbanging Thugs (Part 1)

"The acts of the flesh are obvious..."  Galatians 5:19

In my experience, most hoodie wearing drug dealing gangbanging thugs profile themselves. 

They are proud of their hoodie wearing drug dealing gangbanging thug status.  They are usually in and with a gang, this being the source of their power.  They are usually very "vocal" about their status and territory.  If they invade another territory, again, it tends to be obvious.

But assume I'm wrong.

Assume that you could be sitting next to a hoodie wearing drug dealing gang banging thug RIGHT NOW.

How would you know, if I'm wrong?
Profile him or her?
Ask him or her outright?
Would the "supsicious person" owe you an explanation, a self definition?

In other words, if this hoodie wearing drug dealing gangbanging thug is not obivous, and he or she is sitting next to you, on his or her cell phone, not bothering you at the moment, what is the real problem?  You obviously "suspect" this "suspicious" hoodie wearer.  You don't think it's cold enough to wear a hoodie.  So, if you "suspect" this hoodie wearer, should you follow him?  Should you pursue her?

If she is what you suspect, it wouldn't be wise.
If he isn't what you suspect, even less.

NEVER FAILING

In your area of authority you can expect to be perfect. 
This is what I mean:

As long as you know your boundaries, the limits of your territory and ability, you can expect success in all you do.

How do I know this?

Love never fails.
God is love.
Therefore God never fails.

God commands us to do all we do in love.
Love never fails.
Therefore, if we do everything in love, we will not fail in anything.
The word of God says, "Pursue love."
If we pursue love, we will not fail in our pursuit.

Against love, there is no law.
No limit.
No boundary.
You can love freely and infinitely and eternally.
You cannot truly love too much.
There is no where and no one limited or restricted from love.

You really can't fail with love. 
You'll never be wrong in loving someone.
You'll never go wrong in loving God or your neighbor.
Love
Never
Fails.

The Risk

Trust is the risk.
If I want to know God, I have to trust that He can be known, and that He is willing and able to make Himself known.
If I want to know you, I have to trust you to tell me the truth about what you are thinking and feeling.
If you want to know me, you have to trust me.
Trust is the risk.
We can't know God or each other without trusting each other.
In writing, reaching out, pouring out, I am trusting you, entrusting you, with my thoughts and feelings.
You may or may not respond.
And if you do, it may not be true.
What I write to you may not be true.
How do you know?
How do I know?
Faith.
The assurance of what we hope for:  real connection.
The evidence of what we don't see:  the heart.
God is worth the risk.
You are worth the risk.
I am worth the risk.
Take the risk today.
Trust God.
Trust me.
Entrust yourself to someone you love, to someone whose love you want.

Intimate Secrets

Surely the LORD does nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets. 
From the Book of Amos

Secrets.

The thoughts and intentions of Gods heart, and the hearts of men and women.

For God to share secrets means He trusts the ones with whom He shares them.
They are His best friends, in whom He has confidence and shares things in confidence.

Secrets.
Intimacies.
Plans.
Ideas.
Feelings.
Dreams.
Desires.

Who do you share yourself with?
God?
A bestfriend?
A wife?
A husband?

How do you know when God shares something with you in confidence?
He tells you, just as you do with your best friends.

Emotion, Reason, Volition, and Conscience

Emotion:  I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!

Reason:  Why would he say that?

Volition:  What will I say back?

Conscience:  No, what SHOULD you say back?

Emotion:  Say what you feel!

Reason:  Say what you think!

Volition:  I'll say whatever I choose!

Conscience:  Say the truth in love, or say nothing at all!

Emotion:  Why!?!?

Reason:  Why???

Volition:  Why?

Conscience:  What are words for?  Why did God give them?  You hate him because he used words in a way that God did not intend them to be used.  He said what he said without thinking.  He didn’t choose to listen to me in him.  But you may choose or refuse to listen to me.  Fuel your emotion into reason, and your volition into my wisdom.  Let me guide all of you.  That’s what God made me to do.

Emotion:  You always hate and negate me! 

Conscience:  No, I love you.

Emotion:  Do you really?

Conscience:  Intensely.

Emotion:  Then why won’t you let me be free?

Conscience:  My entire goal is your liberty to be what He made you to be.

Emotion:  What is that?

Conscience:  Fire.  Fire that warms those who follow me.  Fire that burns those who don’t.  But you must follow reason, and reason must follow Will, while will follows me.  In this way all of you should follow me.

Reason:  Sounds reasonable.

Volition:  Sounds easy enough to do.

Emotion:  If you love me, I’ll follow you to the ends of reality.

Conscience:  I love you all.  I lead you to the knowledge and likeness of our Maker, so that you think His Thoughts, feel His Emotions, and will His Will.

Emotion, Reason, and Volition:  We become one because of you.

And I live through you. 

The Peace of God

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.   

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

I experienced the peace of God in a very powerful way. 

I felt the anxiety that Paul spoke of in this verse.  I prayed, determining that I wouldn’t stop until I felt the incomprehensible peace of God.  Then this happened:

1. I felt intensely relaxed, like I do right before I’m about to fall into a very pleasant sleep.
2. The feelings of anxiety left me.
3. The distracting thoughts that aroused anxiety left me.  In other words, I was able to focus on my life as it was in the moment, and not be distracted by the causes of anxiety in my life.

It was exactly like Paul said.  It was a peace that could only come from God, it transcended my understanding, and it guarded my emotions and mind. 

The situation didn’t change.  What I wanted to happen hadn’t happened yet…as far as I knew in the moment.  But the perfect transcendent peace of God meant one of two things:

1. My prayer was heard, but not granted.  God gave me something else in the place of what I asked.
2. My prayer was granted.

I have yet to see if I received what I asked.  But one thing I now know:  I should expect the perfect transcendent peace of God when I pray.  I should expect to be heard and taken care of by God, even if He doesn’t give what I ask.  Or I should expect to receive what I ask.   

With either of these, I should expect the peace of God.   

Amen.

God or Me? God or You?

“From the moment a creature becomes aware of God and of itself, the terrible alternative of choosing God or self for the center is opened to it.”  C.S. Lewis

God or me.

God or you.

When did you first learn God exists?

From that moment until this one, you had an obligation of submission.

The Creator owns creation.

From the moment I came to know my Maker, I should have sought the purpose for which He made me, and lived for that purpose only.

But I didn’t.

I thought about what I wanted to do, about what would make me happy.

Now I tried to make God happy too, but my REAL focus was my happiness. 

God’s existence made no real difference to me ultimately. 

I didn’t honor Him for who He is.

And who is He?

My life.

Plain and simple.

What if God ignored me, or you?

Could we live in the absence of His attention for one moment?

His attention, His sustained eternal infinite attention is what keep us from disintegration, as it is written,

“In Him we live, and move, and have our being.”

This may be the moment in which you become aware of God, and thus His will, and so your will, in submission or rebellion.

Most of us don’t shake our fists at God.

We simply don’t think about Him.

We do worse than ignore Him.

We completely forget Him.

We neglect Him.

Our neglect is our suicide.

But Jesus died, and rose, and ascended.

We can be forgiven for ignoring Him and neglecting Him.

Now that we know He is, we should live for His purpose.

Living for the Day we DIE (CONCLUSION)

It is bad when one thing becomes two. One should not look for anything else in the Way of the Samurai. From Hagukure, The Book of the Samurai

One focus.

One purpose.

God’s purpose.

One identity.

One reality.

Slavery.

I have one goal:  Draw near to God.

I have one purpose:  God drawing near to me.

Anything and anyone that draws me near to God, I accept, no matter the consequences.

Anything and anyone that draws me away from God I reject, no matter the consequences.

What about you?

What do you live for?

What are you willing to die for?

These questions must be answered NOW!

Because a time is coming when it will be too late to answer them.

Questions like these must be settled.

Unwavering.

One day you will be called to make a choice, a choice that will determine your destiny and eternity.

Today is that day.

Right now is that time.

Do you assume that there will be a tomorrow for you?

How do you KNOW this is true?

How many who are no longer here thought they knew?

Being young doesn’t change this, and being old doesn’t make it more true.

We all have now, right now, only now.

You won’t be able to say that no one told you.

You won’t be able to stand before Jesus with this defense:  Ignorance.

If I don’t say this, my words are without purpose.

If my words don’t lead you to God, they lead you away from God.

There is no middle ground.

No neutral.

Choose.

Choose God’s purpose.

Refuse a life without God's purpose.

It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart. Ecclesiastes 7:2

Living for the Day we DIE (PART 2)

If one were to say in a word what the condition of being a samurai is, its basis lies first in seriously devoting one's body and soul to his master.

From Hagukure, The Book of the Samurai

Death and slavery.

I am dead.

I am The Spirit’s slave.

Some consider death depressing.

Others consider slavery degrading.

Death is depressing if there is nothing after, or worse, if hell awaits a life of hell.

Slavery is degrading if we are slaves to humans and creation instead of our Creator.

But true slavery is liberty to be what God made me to be:   

His!

I am His samurai.

So, why all of the focus on death and slavery?

As far as I’m concerned, my entire life will be summed up on the day I face my Creator and Savior.

The day I die will show how I lived.  What I lived for, and thus what I am dying for.

Death doesn’t depress me.

Dying without purpose scares me.

But I have nothing to fear because I know my purpose:  God’s nearness.

I live to experience and share the experience of God’s presence.

What about you?

Do you know why God made you?  Why Jesus died for you?

If not, then that is your purpose!

Your purpose is to find your purpose.

Refuse to live another moment without this focus.

Choose to live on purpose with a purpose.

God’s purpose.

Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.  Romans 6:16 NLT