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Manhood Authority

It’s Friday! Tom was making his way home, looking forward to the weekend ahead. The pressure of the week behind him was fading as he made a mental list of his plans for the next couple of days. He’s finally free. As he turned a corner with his car, he turned a page in his mind to see sun, sand, water, fish…, but his thoughts are interrupted by a strange glow in his car. No, not really a glow, it was more like a flash. What is that pulsing orb of color? He suddenly recognizes the blue, pulsating flash of a police officer’s lights directly behind him. His stomach jumps to his throat as Tom glances down and notices his speedometer reading at 47. “It’s only 35 here”, Tom thinks to himself as he makes his way to the curb.

“Good afternoon, Sir. May I see your driver’s license?”, the officer asked politely. And you know how the rest of that conversation goes.

Why is the officer so polite? Why does he speak in such even tones, almost emotionless? Why doesn’t he charged up to Tom’s car, pound his fist on the hood, stomp his feet, kick the gravel and bellow something like, “What is the world are you doing? Are you some kind of jerk or something? What in the world do you think you’re doing, driving 47 miles an hour on my street?”

An officer doesn’t do that, because he’s been trained. He knows that the badge behind which he stands represents authority. It’s authority that he has been given. This is not a personal affront. The badge is not his, the street is not his, the law is not his. He is simply a representative a system that is much bigger than he is. He’s there under authority, having been sworn to protect, defend, and uphold. He doesn’t need to get angry. He doesn’t need to stomp and snort. His authority is expressed in the power of his pen, as he quietly, confidently, and firmly hands out a citation for speeding.

Tom finally makes it home. He walks to the door of his home, having already bathed his mind with visions of serenity, the aromas of supper, the splendor of loving children rushing to his knees. With his first step through the door, he feels the crushing, grinding sound of a Lego under his foot. Two of his precious children fly past him, as one screams, “Daddy, tell him to give that back to me!” The two continue their flight up the stairs as Tom slides past and into the kitchen, greets Linda, his wife. He quickly makes his way to the den, where he flops into his chair, flips open his laptop and fires up Candy Crush.

Now, it’s not that Tom is lazy. And it’s not that he doesn’t care about his wife, his children, or his home. Tom has not been trained or equipped. He does not know the “badge” that he has been given. He is not aware of the authority that is his. He doesn’t know how to issue citations or how to enforce them. Instead of quietly “asking for their license”, he is baffled, backs away, or gets angry.

In The Prince and the Pauper, Mark Twain tells the story of Prince Edward, son of King Henry VIII, who discovers that he has an identical look-alike in Tom Canty, a pauper who lives with his abusive father in Offal Court off Pudding Lane in London. Out of boredom and curiosity, the Prince develops a plan by which he trades places with the pauper. The Prince ends up locked out of his own kingdom, while the pauper is trapped in the strange and unfamiliar world of royalty. The confusion, distress, danger, and comedy that results are both entertaining and instructive. It’s a great story, but I’ll leave the reading to you.

The Prince’s decision does give us a good picture of what happens when lines of authority and responsibility are confused. I am convinced that if you as a man can come to understand and grab hold of your God-given position, it will change you forever. And along with changing you, it will change your wife. It will change your work-place. It will change your community. It will change your church. It will change our world.

Men, you have been given the right to oversee your home and family, to set direction, to determine beliefs, to decide what is taught and practiced. You have authority over the food you eat, what kind of house you live in, where that house is located, what income you earn. You get to decide what your children are taught and who teaches it.

Before I go further, please allow me to identify some ‘buzz’ words that push buttons in our culture. Where words such as ‘authority’, ‘obedience’ and ‘discipline’ were created by our Father in heaven, the enemy of man has twisted and perverted these words to keep us away from experiencing love. In the world, ‘authority’ is viewed as evil. ‘Obedience’ is seen as harsh and oppressive. ‘Honor’ and ‘Respect’ are seen as forced allegiance to undeserving tyrants. Please, please hear me on this. In their appropriate and original context, these words and the principles behind them are life giving. For the individual who walks willingly under the authority of the law, there is life, peace, protection, freedom to excel. Self-administered obedience (self-discipline) brings freedom from chaos, stability, confidence, peace and hope. Honor and respect simply identify tools by which I demonstrate value in people around me.

Words are the very thing that formed the universe, which is why a lack of understanding of these words keeps a man from walking in his rightful role. It is the understanding of leadership through love that positions a man to lead and influence his home, and the marketplace.

Authority, like life itself, however, cannot spring from nothing. Authority must be delegated from a higher source. The individual or entity that stands on its own and claims to have authority has no basis. The police officer who pulled Tom over for speeding gets his authority to do so from the civil authority that enacted the law that governs speed limits. The law makers that passed the speeding law gained their authority to do so from the documents that constitute the state that they govern. Those documents gain their authority from the Constitutional law under which our nation is established. The Constitution gains its authority from the Founder who established all law. Ultimately, all authority comes down from God himself. There is no authority, except that which comes from him.

There was a man in the Bible who was described, by Jesus, as having the greatest faith he had ever seen! He was a Roman centurion who said, “For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it” Luke 7:8. Because the centurion had such understanding of authority, Jesus “marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” It’s amazing to consider that of all actions or statements that Jesus observed as he walked on earth, the one that receives his highest commendation is a man who understands authority.

Authority is a powerful tool. You have been empowered to train your sons and daughters in the appropriate use of their own authority. They have the privilege of making life choices for themselves. Equip them to make good choices. Many of life’s biggest decisions are made between the ages of 16 and 22; sexual choices, marriage choices, educational choices, vocational choices, indebtedness choices.

Teach your children to respect authority and to show honor. From the earliest age, let them know that there is authoritative structure in the world and they must comply with that authority. When your children are disobedient and resist your authority, take quick action, without emotion. Just like the police officer that pulled Tom over for speeding, speak quietly, respectfully. Explain the violation clearly, and “write a ticket”. Yes, that means there should be a penalty for disobedience.

Your child needs to be prepared for reality. Every sphere of life carries a penalty for disobedience. Tom felt that penalty for speeding. An employee loses his job for it. An athlete is penalized for it. In your family, your children need to be impacted by it.

I am a strong proponent of spanking young children. When done appropriately, it doesn’t happen often. Please understand and remember the context. Spank under control and without emotion. Spank for defiance and not for accidents. Communicate clearly and take action quickly, to avoid frustration and actions that are taken in anger. Discipline for heart compliance and not just for outward conformity.

I want to encourage you to start early, pray consistently, talk openly. Step forward and take daily action to reap the long-term fruit of maturity, wisdom, and freedom in the lives of your children.

The Divided Dozen

by mholden

The heart of Jesus for his church is clearly expressed in his recorded prayer in John 17. In John 17:21 Jesus prays that his followers would be unified. Specifically, he prays, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

Is unity amongst the children of God, the family of believers, possible? Can we really think that the denominationalism and sectarianism in which the church of today is entrenched could be overcome? Is it possible for genuine believers to become united in purpose under the singular headship of Jesus through the unifying power of the Spirit?

The twelve men who were hand-picked by Jesus as his closest disciples provide great hope for our day. That hope does not come because they were extraordinary or supernatural men. No, our hope comes because they were just like us, and in so many ways divided. They argued about who was greatest. They maneuvered for positions of distinction. They complained often. They were normal, everyday sinful men.

Consider Simon the Zealot, sitting at the table with Matthew the tax collector. Simon was part of an extremist subversive group that hated the Romans. Matthew is a Jew that collects taxes for Rome. These two guys did not meet regularly for lunch.

And what about the arrogant, loud fisherman, Peter, who continuously affirms his superior performance to the rest of the men. For example, Matthew 26:33 records, “Peter answered him, ‘Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.’” He even assumed a position of overbearing rebuke to Jesus, “And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.’” Matt. 16:22.

James and John were nicknamed the “Sons of Thunder”, by Jesus himself.

That would have been because of scenes like Luke records in 9:53-54, “But the people did not receive [Jesus], because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” Isn’t that a hoot! Turn any who rejects the gospel into crispy critters.

Through the power of the cross, the reconciling power of the resurrection, Jesus, by the ministry of the Holy Spirit, transformed this group of selfish, temperamental, complaining, manipulative men into a unified army who served with powerful humility. These same men bowed together in an upper room, waiting for the promised Spirit. They together felt the ground shack under their bent knees. They labored together to proclaim the resurrection, baptize converts, disciple repentant sinners, organize a ministering body of believers.

What about Our Day

Is it possible to think that the church of Jesus Christ in the 21^st century could be unified? Are we any more arrogant, any more opinionated, any more self-serving than these foundational men? I believe that it is the intention of the Spirit of the living Christ to break down the barriers that have been erected by centuries of sectarianism. It is his purposed effort to reestablish the foundation of brotherly compassion and unconditional love upon which all believing relationships are to be established.

Do not be mistaken, he is not moving us toward the wholesale abandonment of truth. It is not the pluralistic philosophy that declares no right and no wrong.

However, our doctrinal statements and systems of theology do not provide the foundation for brotherly fellowship. Jesus did not pray that we would be able to recite catechisms, nor possess the resources to purchase volumes of theologies. He prayed that we might ALL be one, just as he and the Father are one. The result would be that the world would know who he is, the son of the living God.

Would you join me (and Jesus) in praying for his church to be unified? Would you take a step today to build a relationship with someone with whom you disagree? Would you give thanks for the things that you have learned from people outside of your circle? Would you humble yourself to honor every person that you meet simply because they bear the image of their gracious Creator? Would you ask the God who is magnificent to be magnified in your own eyes? Our Dear Father, please help us all.

Not at War

by mholden

The year was 1914. Just 100 years ago. The Central Powers, led by Germany, were launching a major global offensive against the Allied forces of Russia, France, and Great Britain. The United States took a position of neutrality in an attempt to stay clear of the conflict.
On May 7, 1915, however, a German U-boat attacked and sank the Lusitania, a non-military British liner. 128 US citizens lost their lives, but Woodrow Wilson declared, “America is too proud to fight.”
During 1915-16 the American Congress worked to cut the military budget and in fact, defeated a “big navy” plan and scuttled the battleships.
January 31, 1917, German Ambassador to the United States presented U.S. Secretary of State a note declaring Germany’s intention to restart unrestricted submarine warfare. In February-March of 1917, German submarines targeted and sank several US merchant ships. On February 24, the British forwarded an intercepted German telegram to Mexico that promised war favors for attacking the US. Throughout this period the US maintained its position of neutrality. On February 26, Wilson asked Congress for the authority to arm U.S. merchant ships with U.S. naval personnel and equipment. While the measure would probably have passed in a vote, several anti-war Senators led a successful filibuster that consumed the remainder of the congressional session.
Finally, on April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson went before a joint session of Congress to request a declaration of war against Germany. Congress declared war on April 6, 1917.

War is not fun. The threats in it, the costs of it, the death produced by it; everything about it causes us to shrink back from it. Even when significantly impacted by it, we avoid it, and resist acknowledging it. As stated in the Declaration of Independence, “…and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.”

An aversion to war has been woven somewhere into the fabric of American culture. We can hear the rumble of cannons, feel the ground reverberating under our feet, hear of casualties laying by the wayside, even smell the stench of decaying flesh. But we still get up in the morning, have our coffee, continue our routine, eat out at our favorite restaurant, go on vacation, and life continues with no sense of impending struggle or loss.

Sunday, December 7, 1941 started quietly, as many days before it had. Although all of Europe and most Asia and Russia were deeply embroiled in destructive warfare, men in Pearl Harbor had been out the Saturday evening before relaxing, partying… ignoring. War was raging, but all of life was quiet and routine as a country awoke on that quiet Sunday morning. The rest is history, as they say.

The family, as we know it, as God designed it, is under heavy attack. The sound of artillery can be heard in the distance. Casualties lie all around. The evidence of the conflict is abundant. But dads headed off to work this morning, moms did their morning chores, put their children on the bus for the day, then headed off to their jobs. I believe that it is time to sound the alarm. It is time to unveil the enemy. It is time to develop wartime strategy. It is time to declare war.