Jump to content

The_Patriot21

Worthy Ministers
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    15,710

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    39

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by The_Patriot21

  1. The_Patriot21
    This weeks study, is on someone whom many may associate as a gentleman, but not as savage. And he was not, at least not to the common definition of the word. He waged no wars, nor was he rebellious, nor was a violent man. This man is Nehemiah. 
        See, Nehemiah was not a king. Nor a warrior. He lived in persia, under the king King Artaxerxes while the Israelites were in exhile. He was also the cup bearer. The cup bearer was a special job-it was only given to someone the king trusted implicitly, as he was the only one allowed to serve the drinks to the kings table-and was also often required to sample the drinks to make sure they were not poisoned. So, we see from the get go that Nehemiah was already a honorable man-to have obtained such a position. Especially as he was not a native persian-but a member of a group of people that they had taken captive. 
       Another indication of his honor, is the king not only trusted him, but respected him. The king not only noticed when Nehemiah came in sad, but asked why, and then listened to his answer. We can also infer courage here, Nehemiah had the courage to not only answer honestly-but to ask the king to let him return to Israel, the land the persians had taken the jews from and rebuild Jerusalems walls-a sign many a king would have taken as a sign of rebellion. 
      We see even more though. Nehemiah Didn't just tell the king what he wanted to do, he had a plan laid out. He set goals, and plans to implement them, and was intentional with his requests to the king about what he needed. We see this even more once he arrived in Jerusalem, and began work. He organized work crews, in an efficient manner, and completed construction in 52 days. He was a man on a mission, and he set in place clear, concise plans. Each group of people worked on the wall closest to them.
      Heres where we see the "savage" Is when Jerusalem was threatened by nearby Sanballat and Tobiah and other arabs.  However, it wasn't the savageness we saw previously with King David and Joshua, we see a more defensive approach. Instead of declaring war on his enemies and ravaging through their camps with swords and spears slaying as he went, he took up a defensive posture. He armed everyone-had half the workers stand gaurd at all times while the other half worked, and developed a system where even the workers carried weapons while working. He also developed a system of communication, where if their enemies attacked, everyone would flock to the point of attack and defend against the attackers. He took a defensive-but intimidating approach to defending Jerusalem. He also used wisdom, and avoided putting himself into situations where he might be killed by his enemies, for they tried to trap him more then once. Though while he never used force, he made it quite apparent that there was no retreat in him, and was more then willing to use whatever force was necessary.
       Nehemiah also reformed the government, and forced the leaders to stop oppressing the poor through over-taxation and loans with excessive interest, and he, along with ezra, led Israel in a mighty revival for God. He showed true leadership. He developed a plan, organized the people-most of which did not know him-and convinced them to work together. He defended Israel. And he did so, all within the rules of the country that controlled Israel. He honored the foreign leaders who held Israel in confinement. He figured out how to do what Jesus told us to do in the NT-to honor those put in authority over us. He didn't do it through conniving, deceipt, or even violence, though we see he was certainly capable of it. He excercised incredible self restraint, a trait that I think every savage Gentleman HAS To possess. Without self restraint, we are not gentlemen, we are just savage. He treated the poor with respect, and helped them out. He did not take anything more then what he needed-even though as governor he had the legal right to more. 
     
    Are there any more traits or actions of Nehemiah that qualify him to be a "Savage Gentleman"
    How can we apply the actions of Nehemiah today? what can we do to show the same leadership?
    How can we further Gods cause, while at the same time respecting the rules of the land?
    Can you think of a time where you showed self restraint where it would have been tempting to lash out?
  2. The_Patriot21
    As some of you read last week, I have decided to do a series of bible studies on what it means to be a "Savage Gentlemen" using men whom I think, fit that description form the Bible. If you want to see my first one, you can visit my blog (I will be posting these to by blog as well, but want to put it here first for discussion) Last week, I focused on King David, this week I am focusing on Joshua.
       Joshua, was one of the only two men who left Egypt who managed to set foot in the promised land. But before we get to the promised land, there are a couple mentions of him in the Bible worth noting-one, that he was with Moses the first time he went up onto the mountain to get the 10 commandments. He was a first hand witness to it. He knew Gods power-which is probably one of the biggest reasons for his actions later on. We can gather from the Bible that he was always loyal to Moses-and God, from the get go. When Moses sent in the 2 spies-he and Caleb, who was the only other to live in the promised land-were the only two to bring back a favorable report. This shows his faithfulness to God. He didn't doubt-like King David, he saw the "giants" and didn't back down, and trusted that God would give them the victory.
      We also see, that due to the actions of the 10 witnesses and the people believing them, God punished all of Israel. Forced them to wander for 40 years, and promised no one who doubted-would die in that time. Now its important to note here, that while Joshua and Caleb was spared the death of everyone around them, they still suffered, because of the actions of those around them. They were forced to wander with them for 40 years-that alone was bad enough-but they also lost their friends and family (except perhaps their immediate family) Imagine watching all your friends and family die-leaving you the only one left of those who left egypt with you. Thats pretty harsh, but on the same note, its something we deal with today-having to live with the consequences of others sin. But, through it all, he remained faithful to God.
      So Faithful, that when it came time to take Israel, that he never questioned God-or God's odd tactics. The first one-crossing the river Jordon, actually for Joshua, didn't take that much faith, Joshua already witnessed this happen with Moses and the Red Sea. However, what is important to note here, is his leadership. While Joshua knew it was going to happen-he had to convince everyone else that it would, and no one else, save Caleb, had witnessed this. Yet we see no signs of doubt from the people, at least nothing the scripture indicates, so we can assume that Joshua had given the people a reason to believe.   
        The second one, and this one is the big one-is the battle of Jericho. Pretty much every single tactician-ever, from the time of Adam to now, would say marching around a city for a week and then screaming at it, is poor tactics, sure, at best to do nothing but make you look like fools. But when Gods angel appeared to Joshua, not only did Joshua not question the angel once-he got the armies of Israel to comply-without question. He did something, that made no earthly sense whatsoever, without doubt. That is faith.
       Though that really isn't the thing that sticks out to me about the Battle of Jericho. The story that sticks out to me, is Rahab. See, before the Israelites even crossed the Jordan, Joshua sent out two spies-not with the intent to see what was there, but to try and find weaknesses in the city. While there, they came close to being caught, but a prostitute by the name of Rahab rescued them, hid them from the city authorities, and helped them escape. In return, they promised they would save her in the coming invasion. All this without consulting Joshua. This woman was a woman of ill repute-in a city full of heathens, the Israelites enemies. A sinner of sinners so to speak. Yes, she did the right thing in helping them, but the spies made a promise without consulting their boss-and it would have been easy for Joshua to say "I didn't make that promise, she is a enemy and a sinner not deserving to be rescued" But he did not. Instead, he honored the spies promise, as if it was his own. He protected her and her family, brought them out of jericho and allowed them to continue living in Israel. There is no mention as to whether she turned from her sin, she could have continued on in her profession for all we know, though it is clear from chapter 2 that she knew that the God of the Israelites was the one true God, it can probably be inferred she changed her life, theres no scriptural evidence of this.
       Joshua continued on and took Israel in a series of violent Battles. There were many miracles that took place and God guided him, we see through them his courage, faithfulness, even justice in how dealt with the men who took items from Jericho they were not supposed to. His savageness was exhibited many times over during the battles that came, but the two qualities that really stand out about him was his leaderships skills, and his Honor. He stood by Moses side, through Moses time as leader, never once questioning Moses. He honored his mens promise to Rahab, which to me is the biggest indicator of his honor. He honored Gods commands throughout his term as leader-even when the tactics seemed odd. He never ran from a battle. He didn't just fight, he fought with a purpose.
       Can anyone think of any other examples of Joshuas life that exhibit his honor? 
       Can you think of any other attributes of Joshua that would make him a "Savage Gentleman"
       What aspects of Joshuas life can we incorporate into our lives today? How can we exhibit Joshuas honor in being Savage Gentlemen? or Help the men in our lives learn these traights?
  3. The_Patriot21
    I was browsing facebook last week (I know, scary business) and I came across this group, with the name "the League of Savage Gentlemen" without really, any description. Ok, now Im curious. "Savage" and "gentlemen" arn't words that I typically would put together, usually when I think of gentlemen I think of a dude in a suit walking around opening doors for ladies, and when I think of savage, I see a warrior running around slaughtering people. Well, you know me, curiosity killed the cat, I joined the group, just to see what it was about. It was a discussion group, of everything man. From politics, to hunting, to issues men have dealing with things in their every day life. Naturally, lots of testosterone, but it was nice seeing a group of men, being men. In today's world, masculinity is under attack, from every direction. The pendulum has swung from women being practically slaves, to second class citizens, and now has gone the other way to where men are the "second class citizens" and a man swinging a axe and being a man, is looked down upon. I found it a welcome relief to be in this group of men-who arn't afraid to be men.
        There are a lot of different ideas in this group about what exactly makes a "savage gentleman" but the general consensus I've picked up is a savage gentleman, is a man who has honor, who treats others with respect and courtesy, who stands on what he believes in, and yes, is willing to use violence when necessary. Now theres a lot of discussion about when "necessary" is necessary, and of course what they believe in-but you get the picture.
       So anyway, that has gotten me to thinking, what does the Bible say about being a "savage gentleman" Is it Biblical, is this something men should strive for, and something that women should look for in a man? I believe it is. I think men, should seek to be gentle, loving, and caring individuals, who treat others with love and respect. No doubt about it. But, I also believe that men needs to be willing to be savage at times to. Men need to stand for what is right, against what is wrong in the world. So I have decided to form my own "league of savage gentlemen" in essence. I am going to start a series of studies on different men in the Bible, who I think belong in this league, and why I believe they are a Savage Gentlemen. I am not going to do them in chronological order, or even necessarily in order of importance. I am choosing to do it here, instead of say in a blog, because I want and encourage discussion from anyone interested-man or woman-on the subject.
     
       I am going to start with one of, if not my favorite, men in the Bible, and that is King David. I very much believe him to be a Savage gentleman, in how he acted towards his fellow man. In his youth, we see him as a shepherd boy. He worked hard, did his job well-shown courage in protecting his sheep from lions and bears. His claim to fame however, came violently, with the showdown with Goliath. He stood up to Goliath, when no one else would, and slew the giant. And he didn't use conventional weapons and armor, but rather a sling-it was the weapon that he knew. So early on we see not only wisdom-but faith. He trusted God explicitly, enough to go into a battle he could not win-when no one else would. And he used wisdom-instead of bringing weapons he was not trained with, wearing armor he was not strong enough to wear properly, he brought a tool he knew well, and left the rest to God. And, as we can tell, he won.
       He continued his career into violence, fighting the philistines, and getting promoted, and gaining prestige amongst the Israelites. He became a feared warrior amongst the Israelites, winning victory, after victory against the philistines. This continued until Saul grew Jealous of David, and on multiple occasions tried-and failed, to kill David. Up until this point, all we have seen from David, is violence-so hes definetly gotten the "savage" part down pat. But, here is where the gentlemen part comes through, and more then just in wisdom. We see Saul trying to kill David-but David never tried to kill Saul. He respected his king. He even had at least one chance, if not more to kill Saul, and end the feud between them and take the crown for himself. (1 samuel 24:11 for example) David tried multiple times to befriend Saul. He not only showed respect towards his ruler-but incredible self restraint, which I believe are strong values every gentleman should have. Even after Sauls death, David Mourns him and offers a memorial for the man.
       We also see, marital strife with David, which leads to him having an affair with bathsheba, and having her husband murdered. Now, this is not what makes a gentleman. But, what does, is when confronted with his sin, unlike Saul who lashed out in anger and continued to sin, David admits he was wrong, and begs for forgiveness, and accepts and lives with the consequences. This, I think is the gentlemanly act. No one is perfect, we all mess up, and when we do, we live with the consequences. We can either do that in grace, love and humbleness, like Kind David did, or we can choose to lash out, and sin further like King Saul did. I personally think the gentlemanly thing to do is to accept that we have sinned, beg for forgiveness, and try to make it right-but also accept the consequences of our actions.
       Another aspect we see of David, which shows his gentle side, is how he treated Mephibosheth, Jonathans son. David had grown to be a strong friend with Jonathan, Saul's son, and he saved Davids life multiple times. David Promised Jonathan that he would always take care of his family. So after Jonathan died alongside his father, it would have been easy for David to forget that promise, or at least waited until they sought him out. But he did not, he sought out any family member of Jonathans, and when discovering his son, had him brought to him, and he didn't just take care of him and give him the bare essentials-he gave him all of Sauls land and property, making Mephibosheth a wealthy man, and gave him men to work the fields, and treated him like a son. So we see that David was a honorable man, who kept his word.
        These are the attributes that I feel make David a "savage gentleman" He was faithful and wise, he respected his elders, who tried to mend bridges with his enemies when possible. He had self restraint, only using violence when necessary (which unfortunatly, in his time was often necessary) He was a humble man, willing to accept the consequences of his sins and ask forgiveness, and we see he was an honorable man, who kept his word. There are many, many more stories about king David, that I believe bring forth these attributes, but these are the highlights. Do you think that the idea of a "savage gentleman" is a Biblical one, and if so, do you feel that David fits into this category, why and why not? and are there any other stories that you think either highlight these attributes, or bring forth more attributes that you think make king David a "Savage Gentleman"?
  4. The_Patriot21
    The Gunfighter
        Hey all, got on and realized that I started a blog, or rather blog series, last year, and never continued it, and from the feedback I got from the last one, I figured it was about time I put in my next installment, which is "The Gunfighter" Many old westerns usually have more then one, they have the hero, and a villain, and often several "allies" on both sides.
       Many Gunfighters, also share traights with loners, and/or are loners. Where they differ though, is that while they may "enjoy" being alone, they rarely back down from a fight, and speak their mind. They're not always loners, some will go in a group, and often exhibit fierce loyalty to those whom they consider their friends. They speak their mind, and often see life as "black and white". They live by their code, and anyone who doesn't is in the wrong. They enjoy debate, arn't afraid to get in the mud so to speak, and when they find someone or a group of someones whom they trust, are loyal to them to the bitter end. They do not understand the concept of "retreat" and often treat situations as "their way or the highway"
       Now, their ability to charge into a fight guns blazing no questions asked, is both their greatest strength, and their biggest weakness. There is no doubt that churches often need such "Gunfighters" in their church, but often at the same time if left unchecked can run off and hurt people unwittingly. They often are very intellectual people, very smart, sometimes they are where they are now because of being raised in a very intellectual environment, or it maybe they grew up bullied, and the way they learned to deal with it, was to fight back. Of course, everyones different, so its important not to "generalize" and put everyone in the box, like I said in my first blog, these "characters" I am describing, are generalizations and most people will exhibit traights of each, and arrive where they are at today for a host of different reasons.
       A gunfighter, so to speak, can do a lot of good, often, especially one who is serious about their faith, is often well studied in the Bible, theology, and solid doctrine. These are their "six shooters" so to speak, and when properly applied, are very deadly indeed, but knowledge is a two edged sword. Many Gunfighters in the movies, and even in life, will have at least one friend, or leader that they look up to, and its important that that leader is one wise enough to teach and guide that gunfighter properly, as to when is the best time to "apply" his skills. They are often great at defending the faith, and the church from outside threats from satan, but need that guiding hand to make sure they dont mistake a threat from a young christian. A gunfighter, mature in his faith, will often make excellent elders/leaders of the church. with the right training/friends alongside them.  A man, strong in faith and willing to defend it openly, is a valuable asset to any church, but its important we dont leave them alone, because often a church full of Gunslingers will often destroy itself. Every church, needs to be a team.
       What Gunfighters need wisdom in, is decifering between an honest threat upon the church, and what is not, and the appropriate answer. They need the wisdom to know that not every situation requires a quick draw, and often soft words will go a lot farther to accomplishing your goal, then a mountain of self righteous Bible verses. That you can't beat the Bible into someone, no matter how tempting it is. They also, need to resist the urge to go it alone-because many gunfighters do like to go it alone, and realize they are strongest in a team with other people of different strengths and weaknesses.
       Gunfighters, if left unchecked can destroy a church, but with the right support and Godly wisdom, can be crucial to their strength. Like in the movies, there is often more then one, and sometimes, theyre not on the right side, and sometimes they maybe on the right side, but haven't learned how to play well with others. Time, love, and Godly wisdom often will bring them together if their hearts are in the right place.
       There are a few characters in the Bible, whom I believe are very much "gunfighters" The most famous, probably, is King David. While we can see in his psalms, he was a very intelligent, loving man, we can see from his life was very much a warrior, willing to fight for what he believed, and sometimes it got him in trouble, but when He kept God as his focus, did great things for the nation of Israel.
    The Apostle Peter, for instance, is a prime example of a gunfighter, everything from slicing off the gaurds ear, arguing to be Christs right hand man, to denying Him, for his mistakes, but more importantly, his devout loyalty to Christ, willingness to jump out of the boat to go to Him without even thinking about it, to yes, charging to Christs defense in gethsemene, without so much as a second thought, and after Christs return, and the early church, his standing steadfast to the faith, against all opponents, regardless of what opposition he took. Early on you see with Peter, his "gunfighter" traights getting him in trouble, but later on, once he learned how to apply them with wisdom and love, they became a strength
      Another example of a New Testament Gunfighter, is the Apostle Paul. He actually was a picture perfect example of a "gunfighter" he traveled, but rarely alone, but at the same time not around a lot of people when he traveled. He started many churches, but usually only kept one or two close people around to encourage him and help him in his journeys. He spoke the gospel wherever he went, and was not afraid to stand firm and defend that gospel, such as what he did at mars hill in Acts 17:22-31 
      All gunfighters need to learn wisdom and love, when defending the gospel, and that is where having a good team of friends around is a necessity for them.
    Some important verses to keep in mind for the "gunfighters" out there, especially the passage in Timothy. 
    1 Peter 3:15
    But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
     
    Matthew 10:27  
    What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
     
    Jude 1:3
    Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.
     
    Philippians 1:15-16 
    Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: 16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:
     
    2 Timothy 2:23-26 
    23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
    24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
    25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
    26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

  5. The_Patriot21

    The Loner

    By The_Patriot21,

    The Loner
        Recently, Ive been reading a lot of western novels (I know, me, read westerns) And I got to thinking, you know, there are a lot of different "characters" or types of people, in these novels, that all go together, to make the story real, and then I thought, I wondered what would happen, if I made a comparison of these different types of people, to people in the church today, and if it would be relevant. And keep in mind, many of these types, intermix, and share characteristics, and many people change from one to another. They all have strengths, and weaknesses, and when combined can make for a well oiled church. I am going to start a series, discussing these different types of people, their strengths, their weaknesses, and how they can help others, and how to help them.
        The one I'm going to discuss today is "the loner". The loner, is someone who tends to avoid other people, to avoid hurt. In the novels, hes often a hermit, or someone who sticks to himself, often because of some past hurt, loss of a loved one, a fortune, or just burned by to many people. The person is often quiet, stays out of the way and no one thinks twice about them, but usually ends up playing some vital part in the story. Often, this person comes to the realization that they cant hide from all their problems, and there are more important things and people need help, and they come out and save the day.
        The modern day loner, like the ones in the books, tend to carry around a lot of pain, and a lot of baggage, and like the ones in the books, their answer to dealing with it, is basically to retreat inside themselves. They may attend church for awhile, but usually, end up forsaking the church. The pain comes from many sources, personal life, loss of a loved one, sometimes mental issues, and often, even from the church, and their answer is to retreat within themselves. If they are in church they are hiding alone in a back pew, or at home listening to a TV preacher. They have a hard time seeing past the pain and the hurt, and they have grown to not see any good in others.
        Now, they also, usually have big hearts and can be very caring people, they have often been through tough things, and can relate to others, and really be a great person to have in the church family, just for that very reason, but reaching them can be tough. They need to know that they are not alone, and that they are loved, and encouraged to reach out for help, that even though the church isnt perfect it is there for them. It often takes a lot of patience, and prayer, to reach this kind of person, but once you get them on your side, just like in the novels, they can play a instrumental role in your church, and can literally, move mountains. They often work behind the scenes, helping others that feel alone.  Their experience with pain, can be both their greatest weakness-but also their greatest strength.
        Each "loner" is different, about the best advice that can be applied all around, is to pray for them, and love on them, and listen to them, and be very encouraging. Beyond that, each ones different, but will take patience, and a lot of love to earn their trust. Once you do, you will not regret it. And if you are a loner reading this, please, remember, that God does love you, and promises to be there for you-if you let him. And please, I realize the church maybe hurtful, but it does need you, and the talents you alone can provide. Its tough, but try to look for the good in people, remember, God loves you!
    Here are some comforting verses, that may come as comfort to "the loner" in your life. All verses are taken out of the KJV
    Deuteronomy 31:6
    6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

    Psalm 91:15
    15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

    Psalm 94:17-18
    17 Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.
    18 When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O Lord, held me up.

    Isaiah 43:1-5 
    43 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
    2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
    3 For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
    4 Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.
    5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;

    Matthew 28:20
    20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

    John 14:18
    18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you

    1 Timothy 4:16-17
    16 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
    17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of 
     

×
×
  • Create New...