Punching someone for Jesus

     Here is a statement that will throw you guys for a loop; I believe that we need more people willing to punch someone for Jesus. I would go as far as to say that we need more MEN to punch people for Jesus……..if you’re still reading, I will tell you why….
 
     I often say I feel like “Punching someone for Jesus” and it is true. This is not a new statement or something that I have come up with on my own, I actually heard Peter Haas say it, and if memory serves he may have even placed in his book.

     Men will argue until they are blue in the face over brand of truck, fastest muscle car, best motorcycle, or sport team. Even to the point of potentially punching each other. However this never occurs when God is involved, we never will takes such a visual stance before the world.

     Picture two men, one is working on a fence, attempting to put it up on the other guys property. The first guy tries to get the other to stop. They are in disagreement and they discuss, argue, maybe even call each other names, they get loud. What fascinates me is that the passion, anger, urgency, and emotions build up in them and after they have tried everything else, and one of them punches the other. They are willing to go as far as needed.

     Now change scenes, we have two men in a group at church, the one man is sowing discourse and even saying things that are biblically unsound and undermining church leadership. As a good “church guy” the first guy will allow this to continue because………. We have taught it’s not his place to judge, everyone’s opinion is valid, and after all we must be tolerant. So no real confrontation occurs………I am not saying that “church guy” should have clocked his fellow member, but I am saying there should have been a passion, a righteous anger, the emotion should have resulted in an action.

     Outside the church when the society tells us we must be tolerant of everyone, we need to say no. We must love everyone and that is different, sometimes love comes in the form of action that says “your wrong”, even if that makes the person feel as if you have just “punched” them.

     Read Genesis 32 and 35 and see how men use their resources to do what God has called them to, watch how places of God are created and honored, see how men defend their family, and how God protects those who act on what he has told them to do. These actions included talking, contracts, trading and gifts, and even violence when needed.

     Read about how Moses stood before the king of Egypt and said “God says…” or Elijah as he walks into the king’s court and stops the rain. Basically we have one man of God willing to “punch” a king.

     While I would hope we can resolve things in a way in which never lead to violence. I would pray that should we find ourselves in the situation Lot found himself in during Genesis 19, where in order to appease the evil of the community he was willing to give his daughters up to be raped. Thank goodness there were angels there will to act, and it says they “struck” the would be attackers, making them blind.

     I hope something as silly as the phrase “punch people for Jesus” remind us that we are to be a people of action.