The Value of Life

Mike Vick will be released Monday, July 20, 2009 and as I still try to figure out his crime, I began to realize that his crime was that his values didn’t line up with OUR values…

“What do I mean?” you ask: well, in this country, we have begun to value the lives of ANIMALS more than humans, to give more importance to Animal rights, than on Human rights. I joked with a colleague today about the fact that there are so many animal rights lobbyists, that maybe we need some HUMAN RIGHTS activists who can began to speak in the ears of lawmakers to value human life as equally or even more than that of a dog, or seal, or endangered playtpus.

Now before all I get emails from PETA or the ASPCA, let me clarify. I don’t mean that animals are to be freely and maliciously murdered and mutilated. I am trying to say that our laws reflect our value system, and if our laws will punish a man by taking two years of his freedom for killing a DOG, while only taking 30 days from a man who kills another man with his car while intoxicated, there is something WRONG with our value system, and the VALUE FOR LIFE

What does this mean? Well, in the beginning, I believe that God created the earth in 6 days, and rested on the 7th. In those 6 days, I believe he created every animal that was to be, every body of water, every tree and seed and every human being. After doing this, I believe God gave his main man, Adam, stewardship over all of this, and a few instructions.

Genesis 1:28 ‘And he blessed them and he commanded them to multiply and to be fruitful, to replenish the earth, and subdue it and to have dominion over the fish of the sea and the fowls of the air, and over every creeping thing that creepeth on the earth…”

I don’t know but that sounds like pretty clear instructions. God was setting a value system in place that placed greater rank on human life than on animal life. U
In fact, it could be implied that since mankind has dominion over the animals and stewardship of the earth, that man can do whatever to animals and it would be okay…however there should be restraint and responsibility in this dominion. The point here is that animals are not higher than humans, and therefore should NOT be valued higher than humans, should not be protected more than humans, and should not be regarded in a “protected” position while our laws/values disregard human life as cavalier as it does. EVERY life should be valuable, and worthy of protection.

This “imbalance” of value for life is evident every day. In addition to the Michael Vick case, there have been many instances where “animal cruelty” (that doesn’t even sound like it should be a “crime”, but something you have to stand in the corner for) cases have brought along with it substantial jail time, fines, and loss of voting rights. Instances such as failing to feed a dog, having cats in “inhumane”(what an oxymoronic statement. Certainly, cats shouldn’t experience HUMAN conditions…they are animals) living conditions is punishable by fine, imprisonment and even eviction and foreclosure! Animal rights lobbyists attack everything from the use of animals in commercials, film and TV Shows, to their use in product testing, to whether or not a celebrity wears a fur coat on the runway. They’ve gotten us to believe that this “cruelty” should be punishable by imprisonment and gotten all of our hearts to bleed over these “poor defenseless animals”. Well, the second that we start caring for ANIMALS more than we do humans is the day we start moving closer to the “Planet of The Apes”-type society where huge apes will rule us. I can just imagine what that would look like!

Meanwhile, we think very little of HUMAN life. There is no premium placed, or value given, or no edict given as to how we should treat a human life. Oh wait….there is.

Exodus 20:13 “Thou shalt not kill…”

One of God’s many commandments to us was that we wouldn’t kill. That means that we wouldn’t murder each other, manufacture drugs or pharmaceutical agents that would kill us, sacrifice innocent babies in abortion, produce weapons of warfare such as guns, knives and bullets. That we wouldn’t labor to create nuclear, atomic and biological weapons to wipe each other off the face of the earth. That also means that we wouldn’t execute each other in capital punishment. All theear methods of killing go directly against God’s commandment not to kill. Yet, everyday, I open up my newspaper or watch the news and another person is murdered…another life is taken. Are these lives valued? Is there an outrage? Are people offended? See people called to action? No. We simply disregard it as “part of life” and “an unfortunate incident”. Children, innocent babies are aborted in theim mothers’ wombs and we don’t bat an eye…as a matter of fact, we DEFEND it as “a woman’s right to choose”. Shame on us. Shame on Adam’s descendants for being so cavalier with human life, while staunchly defending the lives of mere animals, those that we are supposed to rule over. Say it isn’t so.

And so, I am calling on all of the “Human Rights Lobbyists” to stand up and make a difference. Lobby your local government elected official and tell them you truly do value human life. Tell them you aren’t going to just accept life being lost so easily, while Animals Lives are pertected as “endangered species”. Humans are the only true “endangered species”, because if there are no more humans, the world has lost its steward and its watchman

Service And Favor

Okay! I figured it all out. For the longest I have been trying to figure out what the heck my blog would be about. What would I say? How would I say it? Who would it directed to? Well, the wait is over!

Our church, Ambassador Ministries in Columbus, Ohio is experiencing a tremendous level of FAVOR in this year of Famine, and I want to share some strategies directed mainly to young people *but adults can get a little out of it as well* on how they can position themselves for “Favor in the midst of Famine.”

One of the greatest ways that young people can position themselves for favor is through SERVICE.

2Samuel 23:13-18 finds us in the middle of enemy territory With a request. “Oh, that one would get me a drink from the well of Bethlehem….” Innocent enough it seems, but that simple request triggered a spirit of service in three “mighty men” who break through the Phillistine army to get their leader, King David, that which he “thirsts” for. Dangerous? Yes. Risky? Yes. Fulfilling? Absolutely. After all, it is David that they owe EVERYTHING to. When they came to David, the Bible records that they were “in debt, discontent, and distressed”….they were in bad shape. When they came into the company who would make them better, they submitted their lives to them in service. So what was a drink of water in exchange for all David had done for them. Risk your life for the man that not only saved yours, but helped to enhance it….? Easy choice.

So now, we see the essence of true service and how that service can lead to incredible FAVOR in the most dire of situations. Breaking through the enemy army was no small task. In fact the Bible says that there were only three men bold enough to fight there way past the enemy to obtain the sought after “drink of water.” So what does this incredible service bring them? The answer is” The Favor of God in the midst of Famine. There are keys to be learned here. Of the men listed in this record, there stand out the brightest. They are Eleazar, Abishai, and Benaiah. Because of their honorable service to the king, they experienced tremendous favor.

Abishai, not only killed over three hundred men by himself, but he became the commander of the “mighty men” even though he was not apart of them. That means he received that which he probably didn’t have the credentials or the resume or the qualifications for. What incredible favor. When you are in service, you can achieve great victories you had never planned for, and acheive positions of great influence without even understanding why. Amazing.

Eleazar, because of his service, experienced a level of sustained and consistent favor that allowed him to “stand his ground” and strike down enemy after enemy and was not defeated. In fact, the Bible says that the Lord won a great victory. Because of his service, he walked in a level of favor that caused him to defeat all of his enemies. As young people, you need to understand that when you align yourself to the man of God in service, that incredible victories will come your way, and you can never be defeated.

Benaiah, because of his service acheived great favor over a great lion in a snowy pit. A snowy pit sounds like famine and drought to me. Instead of famine, Benaiah acheives many great victories. He was not only victorious over a lion (an animal in a position of great authority) but he also struck down two of “Moab’s best men” and a huge Egyptian. There are so many lessons here. In those three victories, we understand that because of your service, you can acheive favor over all types of authority, over your enemy’ “best men” and even over the most insurmountable of obstacles.

Understand young people that service is the one of the keys that unlock the FAVOR of God in your life. Find opportunities to serve. Find ways to give of yourself. Your victory could be locked up in it…

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