Tag: Vigilante

Rebel Without A Cause

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Rebel Without A Cause

While the term Rebel is not always considered to be a bad thing, such as the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars, the rebellion I’m referring to is much more serious. When we think of rebelling, or rebellion today we think of the nations in Africa that often have a coup or even Iran or Russia. Rebelling might make for good Television, but in reality the rebellion that is the ultimate story is that of Satan against God the Father. Isaiah 14:12“How you are fallen from heaven,

O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!” Satan rose against the Father and has gone to great lengths to destroy lives. The plot to remove man from the presence of God was to introduce knowledge into the Garden. Sin, is the avenue of our rebellion towards God every day. When we sin knowingly we rebel against the Father. Deuteronomy 31:27 (NKJV)“for I know your rebellion and your stiff neck. If today, while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the Lord, then how much more after my death?”When we rebel we are say we are without prophet, or in otherwise without God’s favor. Numbers 14:9 (NKJV)9 “Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”

We often want to stand up against those in charge. We want to stand and argue or bicker over leaders saying things like “they aren’t my _____”. I have heard that a great deal in regards to the President of the United States. We often forget that just because something like an election doesn’t go our way that somehow we don’t have to respect that leadership. In scripture the Sanhedrin tried to trick Jesus into saying something against Rome thus he would be charged with citing rebellion. In 2 Samuel rebellion is something King David faces more then once. In 2Samuel 15:9-12“9 And the king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron. 10 Then Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron!’ ” 11 And with Absalom went two hundred men invited from Jerusalem, and they went along innocently and did not know anything. 12 Then Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city—from Giloh—while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy grew strong, for the people with Absalom continually increased in number.” Absolom rose against David his own father in a coup over Jerusalem. We see Christ affirming to us that those in Authority are appointed by God, and there is a reason for it. Not every King, or ruler will be promoters of peace or prosperity, but a purpose never the less. 

Many don’t like President Trump, but regardless he was elected and serves the office of this great nation. We have a hard time understanding how the Lord can keep leaders such as North Korea, or even Syria in control, but there is a reason. We must understand parents, step parents, principles, bosses, or any other leadership must be respected under the law of the Lord. No matter how much dirt there is, or what mistakes someone made, we all dirt in our lives. None of us are perfect and we cannot expect to know what it’s like to be in the highest positions of leadership. We are all without justification on our own, but it’s through Christ we are blessed. We are blessed and through mercy we are given the ability to preach, teach, and lead those around us. Will we lead rebellion against the Lord by spouting hate and wicked speech, or will we lead those to the Lord by showing love to all, and living our lives according to scripture?

We understand that the Romans were not always the kindest to the Jews, and yet Paul is very clear, Romans 13:1“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” There is no authority great then God and we must remember our place in this world. Do not sin knowingly and in the face of God. Sin itself is treason against our Father and we must not do so just because we think we can get away with it and be forgiven. In 2 Samuel 20, Joab for the second time defies the will of the King (David) and murders the leader of David’s Army Amasa. Due to Joab’s disobedience in the murder of Absolom he was demoted from General. Joab is in essence rebelling against the will of his King, due to putting what’s best for himself first. This all falls under the second rebellion to threaten the throne in a short time as Sheba stands against David calling David’s appointment not legitimate. David was appointed by God to be King, and yet Sheba, and others teach us a valuable lesson what it means to rebel against God. 

To rebel against God is treason and the punishment for treason is death. Will we stand with God or with the world?

As I was thinking about what it means to submit authority and how we cannot use this as a blanket statement.

James 4:17 “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” 

Exodus 1 Israelites rebel and do not kill the males born, thus being blessed by God.

Daniel: Daniel’s friends disobeyed king Nebuchadnezzar and does not bow down to the idol, and is blessed by God, surviving the furnace.

I am a man who believes that doing what’s right stands above that of the law of man. Understanding that ALL men in power are appointed by God. When evil rulers abound, opportunity given to those who follow Christ, we are commanded to do what is right, and thus stand up and resist the ordained for what is, and we obey our Lord. We are tested to see if we will stand by and do nothing and be subject to the wrath of God, or if we will stand up and incur the wrath of man and blessed by God?

Those with the means to do what is right must do what is right. We who can fight should fight against the evil in this world. We serve the Lordship of Jesus, and it’s in Jesus we stand up against the wrong, and obey that which is governed and not in conflict with the will of God. Batman for instance is a vigilante, but if an authority is unable or unwilling to do what is right or necessary, should he not stand up and do what is called in James 4:17?

While the idea of vigilantism is highly controversial, and largely theoretical, it’s an interesting topic to discuss. I’ve always wondered why we don’t see more vigilante justice in this world. There are a lot of millionaires and billionaires in this world and yet none of them have become Batman. Although rare there have been some accounts of vigilantism, however, in those instances it’s been more motivated by vengeance than justice. The Cornel Law School definition of vigilante justice is “Behavior that resembles or matches that of vigilantes. Vigilante justice often describes the actions of a single person or group of people who claim to enforce the law but lack the legal authority to do so.  However, the term can also describe a general state of disarray or lawlessness, in which competing groups of people all claim to enforce the law in a given area.” 

It’s a tough idea to really put into practice because largely in my opinion it’s based on accountability. While we may feel that law enforcement agencies don’t move fast enough, or don’t care enough to do the job, the fact is, while I do support the idea of vigilante justice, it’s something that must be engaged only in extreme circumstances, and it must be remembered that in our nation there are laws against this act.

Real Life Vigilantes 

There is a group of people who patrol the streets in Liverpool UK, and they claim to be extra eyes and ears for the police. They do however dress in suits, gear, and hide their identity. They have stopped at least one pickpocket, but more then that, they help prevent crime, and feed the homeless. There is a project called the real life superhero project, and they are a real group in Montreal. There are other groups popping up, and while they are not quite Batman, they do have good intentions to help those in need, and deter crime.

http://reallifesuperheroes.com
http://xtremejusticeleague.org/index.php/about/

The line between rebellion and trying to do the right thing is a blurry gray line. It must be understood that just because you don’t agree doesn’t give you the right to take matters into your own hands. Children who don’t think their parents make the right decisions, doesn’t mean the child can do what they wish. Just because you don’t like the way a court case went, doesn’t mean you can take justice into your own hands. Rebellion is not always a bad word that depicts racism, or rule breakers. While the rebellion in Star Wars stood against a dictatorship that ruled through fear and punished with death, not every rebellion is indeed a negative thing. The biggest rebellion we need to keep in mind is the rebellion towards God in sinful behaviors. We must understand that God is the authority and His law is perfect and good. The laws of man may be fallible and mans rulers though ordained by God does not mean all leaders or rulers are to be obeyed. Obey the rulers of man so as they do not conflict with the laws of God. There may come a day when the rulers of the land make God’s law a crime. In these situations it is right to rebel against the authority, but know that there will consequences for it. While Jeremiah, Daniel, even Paul, disobeyed the law of the land, Paul died for it. Are we willing to die for the Lord? Are we willing to stand against authority to stand up for God? Our life is not our own, but our life is for God. We must remember to always do what is right in the eyes of the Lord, and follow authority ie: Parents, Police, Teachers, Government officials etc. so long as God is not being disobeyed. (This is not a matter of opinion based on different policies.)

Stand for the Lord and do what’s right. Know the details before passing decisions. Be vigilant, and prepare for the day when doing what’s right may not be easy, and it may turn illegal. I cannot vouch for others, but I would rather be judged by God and find pleasing favor in the Lord, rather then save myself in the eyes of man. 

Are You Super?

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Are You Super?

Recently I found a new Lego set containing Bat Woman. Recently I have found myself busy with school, with yoga, with Bible study, and yes, I’m still blogging every day. Someone asked me recently how I have been able to manage everything I’ve got to do, and somehow come up with a blog post every day. I didn’t know the answer then, and I still barely know now. God has blessed me over and over with a topic and inspiration. I think the definition of super is a regular person rising to the occasion to stand against injustice, and stand for something bigger then themselves. 2 Timothy 2:15“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” I was thinking about the story of Bat Woman. In the new 52 Kate Kane is an intelligent woman who attends a military academy but after a question of her sexuality she steps away and moves back to Gotham City. While there she is mugged and with her military training she’s able to fend off her attackers but is knocked to the ground. Batman comes in and helps her off the ground, and this is where she becomes fixated with Batman. From this point forward she starts her path of fighting crime. Here’s a woman who decided to not stand by when she knew she could make a difference. Scripture talks about the importance of standing up and doing what’s right.

Habakkuk 1:13“13 You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he?” The prophet was trying to understand how God would allow an evil country to win over a good country. The simple answer is God always has a plan. It’s in our hardships we truly learn who we are. When we trained in Korea my platoon didn’t get every breach right the first few times. We practiced over and over again till we became a well-oiled machine. Every superhero’s story starts off with some kind of tragedy. It’s in this tragedy that a person decides they won’t stand for the weak to be bullied and pushed around. I have watched as bullies have picked on someone weaker them themselves my whole life. Sometimes it’s been me who was the weak one, and sometimes I was the one to look on the situation. In every situation we have a choice to make where we can either allow our presence to make a positive impact, or a negative one. The thing with bullies and watching but doing nothing is the impact shows your own character. Imagine you’re the little kid on the ground getting punched and kicked by the school bully. You look down the hall and you see two students just watching, but choose to walk away. Laying on the ground your heart sinks, and you question what’s wrong with people. Every test is a test of faith, a test of character to see what kind of person we really are. Through the ashes of tragedy something beautiful can be born. Each and every one of us has the chance to be super in some way. James 4:17“17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” Standing by and doing nothing when we know it’s wrong is the same as committing the sin ourselves.

While many may not condone vigilante justice, one cannot deny the good this world would have if a man like Superman was flying around saving the day all the time. If a man like Batman created fear in the heart of criminals, would people feel safer walking around a dangerous city at night? While this is a highly subjective question, a man or woman who stands up to do what is right despite what the world says is right answers to God. God will always work in tragedies, violence, and hardships, even if we don’t see it.

Years ago when I was in Iraq I lost some very close friends of mine. I knew them, but I never knew their families. After their deaths, the years that followed would allow me the opportunity to be apart of a close adopted family. That incident brought together scouts, and medics, and the families of the fallen. Now, many years later we still talk, and we still have reunions. While loosing them was tragic, the bond we share, and the lives we’ve been apart of all around would never have happened otherwise. For me, having that family has helped in my own recovery, and when I was laying in the hospital recovering from the lowest point within my life, I was met by my family who came from all over the country to visit me, because they love me. You don’t have to be a super hero to be super. You just have to choose every day to do what is right over what is easy.

Heart On Fire

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Heart On Fire

The word kismet is a strange word is it not? In simple forms it means destiny or fate. We know that everything happens for a reason, but sometimes the reasons are more important then we could ever realize. Sometimes we meet someone and it seems like they are cut from the very same cloth as ourselves. Just because two people may be from the same cloth, doesn’t mean the timing is right for those two people. One thing I’ve been thinking about looking back is what the bible says about timing. One thing I have grown to understand is patience in laying the foundation of something important to us. Galatians 6:9 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

I’ve been watching as the tobacco fields have been plucked and loaded on trucks and taken to the possessing facilities. This year the fields didn’t go so well. The crop had a ton of water early on, and then drought set in, and then cold nights hit early. When farming there is a measure of patience, and it’s something us non-farmers have a hard time with. My biggest struggle is patience when it comes to love or matters of the heart. I’m not one to get angry easily, and I’m not one to blow my top quickly, but when it comes to love I don’t always know how and when to take a step back. 1 Corinthians 13:4 “Charity suffereth long, [and] is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,”

We must learn to have patience, Romans 8:25 “But if we hope for that we see not, [then] do we with patience wait for [it].” While loving the girl might be easy, knowing she doesn’t feel the same way is a struggle. Knowing that there are reasons I have to force myself to accept the reasons given, even if I don’t understand. Love is a fickle thing. Sometimes love can be there but it’s just not the right time. Romans 12:12 “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;”

 While my heart burns, longing for a special lady, the truth hits me between the eyes. What once looked like a matter of certainty, what if I was wrong? What if I didn’t see what was in front of me because I didn’t want too? Hopefully I can find it in myself to be patient, be understanding, and push forward. While I know parts of the truth, the important part is my presence is wanted even if it’s not how I would want. I think in life all we can do is take it one day at a time, and hope for the outcome we want. All we can do is pray, and pray that our prayers are answered. We never know what God has in store for us, and all we can do truly, is either complain about it, or face it head on.

While my prayers are that she comes to me when she’s ready, but if not, that someone will come into my life and I will once again have a happy family. In the mean time, I will continue to do what I feel God wants me to do, and hope for the best outcome. Who Knows, maybe I’ll enter the exciting career of vigilante.