The Great Eight

Scott Hamilton’s The Great Eight was a pure joy to read.

 

Two one-liners, alone, are worth the price of the book, if they lodge in one’s psyche:

 

“…The only true disability is a bad attitude…”.  Immediately a Proverb popped into my mind, “

…^NIV Proverbs 18:14 A man's spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?

 

            “…the longest distance between two points is a shortcut…”.

 

How many of us in life wander along with a bad attitude while casting about for the nearest shortcut only to end up mired in a deeper mess than when we started!

 

Certainly there are those in life encumbered with greater handicaps than Scott and who triumphed.  But, there are scores of men and women with far lesser burdens, save the burden of the bad attitude and a shortcut mentality.

 

Take Scott’s advice on these two!

 

But best of all, to this reviewer, was Scott’s willingness to express the one decision which not only gave meaning to everything else, but enabled him to bring everything into a laser focus: his encounter with the Creator of the Universe in the person of Jesus Christ.

 

Reflect on Scott’s encounter with the Ruler of all, Jesus of Nazareth!

Yeow

I laddered my umpteenth Bible this evening rather than listen to the President's news conference.

Far more satisfying, intellectually!

Took me approximately 40 minutes and I could assess my product.

The same cannot be said for O'B's effort.

Smoke, mirrors, and "feel good' seemed to be the order of the evening.

Been there, heard that, still not impressed!

Thank God, my focus is on another Kingdom, another Savior, and another worldview.

Politics, as usual is Promises, Promises, Promises til the audience forgets!

Would to God the gospel of Christ reigned in politics!

Would to God the average citizen would read "The Politics of Obedience"!

One can hope.......

Book Review

Why Men Hate Going To Church

 

In the good providence of God, I came across this book while browsing a discount book rack!  (Am always on the lookout for book bargains!)

 

David Murrow is the author and offers profitable insights.

 

Having read Ann Douglas’ work back in the 70s, the feminization of our culture has been more than apparent to me, thanks to her insights!

 

Typically, the church is a day late and a dollar short on most issues, irrespective of the pontifications from her institutions of higher learning!

 

I have learned the esoteric is always generations behind the pragmatic!

 

Thankfully, the pragmatic surfaces issues, concerns overlooked, even ignored by the esoteric who seem to be persuaded as to the ignorance of the hoi poloi.  Somehow there is a ring of Acts 4:13 in that mind-set, even John 7:15.

 

Then, again, in the good providence of God the esoteric have a “Duh” moment, and begin to consider.  Hallelujah.

 

Though not personally numbered among the esoteric, I am well acquainted with the experience!  Fact is, I have a sloping forehead which I often attribute to the realization of this reality!

 

Back to Murrow’s observations:

 

The church has been feminized.

 

Men are turned off.

 

Men are from Mars!  Make peace with it!

 

In our approach to me, we need appeal to their Mars side so as to attract.

 

Having attracted and retained, we then begin to suggest God also designed the Venus side as a balance.

 

Yes, in the design of God, women balance, i.e. civilize men; yet, the feminine aspects, IMHO, are part of the DNA of men, though significantly attenuated.  For each of us, male or female, there are two sides to our “coin” of humanity.

I find it significant that Jesus, in the initial phases of His ministry recruited and began to develop young men, probably in their early twenties.  Only years later did He recruit a Paul.

When will we, i. e. church leadership learn to employ, in principle the methodology of Jesus?

He went after Men, while at the same time employing Women.

 

Duh!

 

In military terms, though I am 40+ years since my professional involvement with the Military.

 Men represent what was referred to as the FEBA, i.e. the Forward Edge of the Battle Area.  Men are designed by God to be warriors, risk takers, challengers, etc.

 

But, and this is what is often forgotten, the FEBA is crippled and rendered ineffective without the support, encouragement of the Supporting Establishment.

 

This is not to suggest the Supporting establishment is “second class”, heaven forbid!

 

Without the Support establishment, the FEBA would be wiped out!  Each troop in the FEBA can carry only so much ammo, so much food, etc.!

 

God has designed the advance of the kingdom to be a Team effort, i.e. Men and Women, with neither in the ascendancy, but each supportive and appreciative of the other!

 

Hey, isn’t that the hallmark of teamwork?

 

Duh!

 

More later as I continue to mull over Murrow’s observations.

 

Certainly, some of them irritate the snot out of me, prompting me to ask myself, “Why?”

 

But, given my personal orientation, bl3t, I am driven to reflection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the midst of seeming chaos

Isaiah 26:3

 

What a word for saints in these times!

 

What a word for me!

 

One of my “failings” is in an attempt to keep abreast of what is happening.  ‘Course, the assessments are generally from those of an “alien” worldview, whether Christian or non-Christian.

 

Such readings tend to discourage, til one is drawn back to Isaiah 26:3.

 

The prophet was speaking to a demonstrably rebellious nation who, time and time again, ignored and spurned the admonitions of God.

 

Finally, the hammer fell, and Wow!, did it ever fall!

 

Still, God was in control effecting all things in accord with His sovereign plan.

 

And, as the writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us, “everything is beautiful in his time”.

 

My problem is looking at this chaos in terms of my ‘time”.  From my “time”, it ain’t so beautiful!

 

And, aye, there’s the rub!

 

Isaiah 26:4 tends to re-focus one’s attention.

 

Chaos?  Humanly speaking, sure.

 

But, in terms of God’s overall scheme of things, “everything is beautiful in its time”.

As Jesus inquired of Mary, "believest thou this"

To Be Or Not To Be

When I finished Well‘s book The Courage To Be Protestant, I was convinced the overriding thesis of the book was contained in the verb “to be”.

 

Today’s typical church member, professing believer is primarily concerned with image versus substance.

 

In the days when I was discipled, the focus was on 1) Know, 2) Be, and then 3) Do.

 

Know the truth of scripture and apply it to your life so as to

 

Be the type of person God designed you to be and then allow Him to engineer circumstances in which you can

 

Do what is the proper manifestation of one living as Salt & Light with a Leavening influence.

 

Sadly, today’s believing community focuses on Doing, and most often, doing which draws attention to the Do-er, creating an image.

 

One of these days, Deo Volenti, we will return to the other pattern.

 

Know

 

Be

 

Do

The Courage To Be Protestant

The Courage To Be Protestant.

Started the book this morning. 

 

Talk about being insightful!

 

These are the insights which try the Evangelical soul, deep down!

 

Our initial reaction? 

 

Ignore it.

 

Next, we will ridicule it.

 

Sometime later, we will give serious attention to it and, finally, we will say, “Well, this has always been out thought!”

 

But, between then and now, the Shamgars within the Evangelical Community will take note and heart!

 

Thankfully, in the good providence of God, the Shamgars always know when something stinks, irrespective of the ruling mindset! 

 

They may be “unlearned and ignorant” but, generally they have learned to “correctly handle the word of truth”.

 

More importantly, they have learned the central issue, yea, the crucial issue is “equipping the saints for the work of ministry”.

 

The church has never lacked for clergy!  Sigh.

 

Nor has she lacked for organizational genius.

 

It has consistently lacked an equipped “insurgent force”!

 

Forgive me, but I, personally liken an “insurgent force” to the biblical example of “leaven”.

 

Genius and organization will not will the day.

 

Leaven (committed and equipped insurgents) will!

 

Are you a Shamgar?  If not, why not?

 

 

 

 

Sovereignty

Being as one committed to the sovereignty of God in the affairs of men, my daily battle is with present circumstances in the light of His sovereignty.

 

All around me, the center seems to be unfolding and I want to scream!

 

But, years of systematic scripture memory continually bring to mind passages relative to God’s control of events and I am forced to face the issue of submission.

 

Do I really believe this is His World, that He is in control, and all things are working out in accord with His plan?

 

How I thank God that in His good providence a few good men were instrumental in my life when it came to the practical value of scripture memory!

 

Little did I realize, then, the untold value this contribution would yield in my later years!

 

Few are the hours in the day when some passage of scripture doesn’t flash into my conscious mind as it pertains to something I hear, read, or experience, driving me to consider things from God’s perspective!

 

It is at those moments, I recognize the import of the Apostle Paul’s admonition to “…take every thought captive to Christ…”!

 

Then I am driven to thank God for the men and women who have taught me personally or through their writings to “correctly handle” the word of truth!

 

They either taught me directly, or motivated me toward personal Bible study, in a systematic fashion, so as to be able to “correctly handle” the word of truth.

 

They also taught me to appreciate with a discriminating mind the observations, comments, and writings of every saint who has proceeded me.  I am one who is to stand on the shoulders of others, giving them due credit for their contribution.

 

In listening to them and to the word of God, I come to realize that “…that which has been, is now, and that which is to be has already been…” , in principle.

 

There is nothing new under the sun.  Only the cosmetic changes!

 

The demand upon me is to understand everything principally, and not cosmetically!

 

Now, THAT is a challenge!