Be Bold, Be Gentle

Wednesday, September 08, 2004

Good links

Several good things to read!

The evil work of terrorists (not militants, as some journalists describe them) in Beslan was horrific. The WSJ has a good editorial pointing out that it should be hard to justify specifically targeting children in a school, and that we need to foment a worldview shift on terrorism as the British did for slavery in the 19th century. Dennis Prager again points out that it is only Muslims who are doing such things (even if it is only a minority of Muslims):

With the psychopathic cruelty at a Russian elementary school, have we reached
the point where people of goodwill can ask serious questions about Muslims and
Islam? Or are any challenging questions still to be dismissed as "Muslim
bashing" or, even more absurdly, "racist," as if religion were a race?
The
truth is that everyone with a conscience has questions about Muslims and Islam.
But the most powerful religion in America, the religion of tolerance, has
rendered it almost impossible to ask any such questions. Most people are so
afraid of being branded intolerant that the most natural and goodhearted
questions are only posed by the handful who have the courage to do so (usually
conservative Christians).

Kevin Miller has great suggestions for anyone is leadership roles who is struggling with information overload. Recommended.

I am praying that President Bush will win the election by a large margin, so there is no doubt about his credibility with the electorate. I'm encouraged in read Brendan Miniter's reasoning for why Bush will win at least 53% of the vote.

But I'm concerned about the Bush Administration pushing for more federal spending on non-defense needs. The federal involvement in education is unconstitutional, though a pragmatist like George W. Bush sees that it may be necessary to prevent the wholesale implosion of public schooling. Terence Jeffrey has a nice column explaining his concerns about how we are setting up a fiscal civil war in the next generation.

Ben Shapiro helps us understand the slippery slope of the religion of tolerance:

"The new religion of tolerance provides a slippery slope into moral oblivion.
All activity must be tolerated, since sympathy for friends and family trumps
traditional morality. With tolerance for sin comes acceptance of sin, and with
acceptance, promotion. With Roe vs. Wade, Americans grudgingly tolerated
abortion.
With tolerance came acceptance: Those who received abortions
were no longer seen as immoral. Instead, they were the moral equals of ordinary
mothers. Finally, abortion was promoted as a valuable alternative to pregnancy
completion -- and those who condemned abortion were slandered as sinners.
When Republicans passed the partial-birth abortion ban last year, Sen.
Barbara Boxer of California complained that such policy was immoral: "What I
think is immoral is to take your views ... or my views ... and force them on the
people of this country," she stated. "It is disrespectful, it isn't right, and
it isn't what America is about."
The same progression holds true for gay marriage: tolerance, acceptance and promotion. The first step is always tolerance, and tolerance must be attained by appealing to sympathy. The easiest way to gain sympathy for social liberalism is to point out close friends or relatives participating in sin, and then dare us to condemn their actions."

Those concerned about educating children should review the 1910 expectations for eighth graders.

Finally, for all Christian men and especially for pastors, there is Eugene Peterson's wonderful essay, Lashed to the Mast. Do not miss this.

More on the Grass

I'm pleased with the grass that has emerged and is growing well. God is good to this gardener who has at best a pale green thumb! New insight -- the Scott's shady mix seed I planted has a mixture of types of seed. The rye grass has emerged, but I'm still expecting the bluegrass to germinate.
As we minister with others, let us be patient. God has sown different types of hearts to cultivate and nurture; to each He has assigned a schedule.

Thursday, September 02, 2004

Nurturing New Grass

I wrote earlier about clearing out a large area under our pine trees. I planted grass seed on Sunday afternoon, and have been faithfully, prayerfully watering twice a day since. Tonight I spotted tiny green shoots for the first time!

There are a number of parallels to helping children or new believers in Christ.

I've been watering what appeared to be nothing but dirt for 5 days, with no sign of growth at all. Lots of water, consistently applied, twice a day, morning and evening. And I'll need to keep watering consistently for several weeks to come.

I'm fully cognizant that I cannot make grass grow. (1 Cor 3:6) I was humbled to realize that I've prayed more intently and passionately for this grass to sprout than I have for some young believers I'm working with.

The most new shoots occur where the ground is partly shaded; the fewest where the soil is exposed to the August sun all day. New sprouts need sun and warmth, but not too much. New believers need protection. Tender grass is easily withered.

May God help us and use us to nurture new grass. Amen!

Tuesday, August 31, 2004

Contrast Conventions

The Democrat and Republican conventions have entirely different tone and style this year. I was impressed with the opening night of the Repuplican convention. They celebrated, there was a strong call to character, to serve others, and to fight evil. They actually had a silent moment of prayer (and didn't flinch from calling it prayer), and sang Amazing Grace.

What tone and style do others see in us? How about our children? Do they see our confidence in a sovereign God? Do they see fear of men or circumstances?

Every Creature Will Sing

It's interesting to note that everything and everyone will acknowledge the Lord:

Every knee will bow (Isaiah 45:23)
Every tongue will confess (Romans 14:11)
Every creature in heaven and on earth, in the sea, and under the earth, will sing (Rev 5:13)

There are about 100 times in the Bible where the Lord says "they will know that I am the Lord."

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (Romans 1:20)

But not everyone is saved and brought into heaven. A friend of mine puts it this way: "You can acknowledge Christ as Lord now, and experience joy in fellowship, or you will do it later. You won't like later. Everyone will see, but not everyone will like what they see."

Sunday, August 29, 2004

We're in World War IV

Put this one on your reading list. Norman Podhoretz' commentary on our current war (which he terms WW IV, since the war against the Soviet Union and proxies was WW III) provides a good historical overview. I had never really thought about the fact that the opening of WW IV was before the fall of the Soviet Union.

Saturday, August 28, 2004

Kill the root

For years I've periodically trimmed back some woody weeds in our backyard. I'd just weedwack 'em down to the dirt, and they'd always grow back. The stems never got very big, and just a few leaves would show.

This weekend I ripped out a large area under the pine trees in our backyard. My intent is to get grass growing under the trees again. So I needed to root out all these woody plants completely, so I can prepare the soil for planting the grass.

I was stunned to find out that many of those "little" weeds had deep and thick roots. In a couple instances, I found 2" thick roots supporting a spindly stem and 2 leaves!

It occurs to me that many of us might find a parallel with certain sins in our life. We wack 'em down, and they never look like much. To all outward appearance, we've got it under the control. But we haven't killed the root. The root just gets bigger and bigger, continuing to support the sin. We need to kill the root, men! And how do we do that? Well, we don't. Jesus runs that project!

Friday, August 27, 2004

When your spirit grows faint

Our general characteristic is that we succumb to temptation more often when we're discouraged, weak, and not thinking about the great provisions from God through Christ. Psalm 143 contains good instruction for us:

1 O LORD , hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. 2 Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. 3 The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in darkness like those long dead. 4 So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. 5 I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. 6 I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah 7 Answer me quickly, O LORD ; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. 8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. 9 Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD , for I hide myself in you. 10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. 11 For your name's sake, O LORD , preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. 12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.

In 1 Peter 5:8 we read that our "enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. " Like David, we're hunted. And our spirits can become weakened because of this. (This does not surprise or disappoint God, He knows our frame!)

So what should we do? Focus on God, not ourselves. Look at verses 5 and 6 -- I remember what you have done, I meditate on the works of your hands. Verse 8 -- I plead for direction and lift up my soul to God for refreshment. Verse 11 -- I appeal to God for His name's sake.

Don't give up, don't give in, shift your focus to God. He is the refuge.

Change to a national sales tax?

I was pretty skeptical when the first news came out about changing from our current income tax to a national sales tax. So I did some digging on HR25, the Fair Tax Act. Very interesting ideas here -- repeal the 16th amendment, abolish the IRS, rebate the equivalent of sales tax on essentials for living directly back to families. Neal Boortz has a readable column on the Fair Tax Act today, but you should also look at Americans for Fair Taxation.

Sidebar: Why am I writing about this in a blog devoted to encouraging Christian men? Because taxation impacts justice in our society. Tax plans do not reduce accurately to sound bites, so it will take some study to understand the strengths and weaknesses of any given plan.

Register to vote

Christian men must be good citizens (see Romans 13). If you have registered, I urge you to do so. Check out the FOTF site for help with this process.

Tuesday, August 24, 2004

Does Secularism produce moral behavior?

Check out Dennis Prager's column.

The Importance of the Mind

Recommended John Piper sermon : The Renewed Mind and How to Have It

"There are many who think that the only problem with the human mind is that
it doesn’t have access to all the knowledge it needs. So education becomes the
great instrument of redemption—personal and social. If people just got more
education they would not use their minds to invent elaborate scams, and
sophisticated terrorist plots, and complex schemes for embezzling, and
fast-talking, mentally nimble radio rudeness. If people just got more
education!
The Bible has a far more profound analysis of the problem. In
Ephesians 4:23 Paul uses a striking phrase to parallel Romans 12:2. He says, “Be
renewed in the spirit of your minds.” Now what in the world is that? “The spirit
of your mind.” It means at least this: the human mind is not a sophisticated
computer managing data, which it then faithfully presents to the heart for
appropriate emotional responses. The mind has a “spirit.” In other words, our
mind has what we call a “mindset.” It doesn’t just have a view, it has a
viewpoint. It doesn’t just have the power to perceive and detect; it also has a
posture, a demeanor, a bearing, an attitude, a bent. “Be renewed in the spirit
of your mind.”
The problem with our minds is not merely that we are finite,
and don’t have all the information. The problem is that our minds are fallen.
They have a spirit, a bent, a mindset that is hostile to the absolute supremacy
of God. Our minds are bent on not seeing God as infinitely more worthy of praise
than we are, or the things we make or achieve."

Sunday, August 22, 2004

And We Love It This Way

"A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophecy lies and priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way." -- Jeremiah 5:30-31

God is speaking about his people, not a pagan nation. I think this is true for us today, as well. We do love sin -- false teaching that tickles our ears, rather than sound instruction and obedience to plain commands and principles in Scripture. And we have honored many "spiritual" leaders who operate from their own authority.

We need transformed hearts not to love this sin. Lord, save us and our children!

The Spirit Without Limit

In John 3:31-36 we read

31"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for He gives the Spirit without limit. 35The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

Am I struggling? Joyful? Weak? Flushed with health? Confused? Confidently in-the-flow?

In all these situations, God provides His Spirit -- in us, in his people! -- without limit. We neither possess the Spirit nor control Him. But He is present without limit as we abide with Christ. Be encouraged!

The Cult of Kerry

I appreciate Doug Giles' insights and his writing style gets your attention. In this recent column he points out that many Democrats behave as cult members. Kerry has never done wrong, and can do no wrong. Judge him by his words, not his actions.

Let us be men who honor Christ above all -- and keep a sober appraisal for all men, including presidents, business leaders, pastors, athletes, and entertainers.

Back to Blogging

Our family just returned from a great vacation -- driving and RVing in North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota. Mountains restore the soul! And I'm back to blogging.

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

Sheet Music

Recommended for husbands: Great Sex for the Glory of God, from True Spirituality.

It's Not What You Know, But What You Do With What You Know

Some people I know lament that they aren't getting better teaching. You've probably heard the comments: "It's the same stuff, over and over again! I'm bored. I wish we learned something new."

There are two relevant issues at this point.

First, the way you live the Christian life is the same way you came into the Body -- by faith, in the power of Christ. So in an important way we will always be working on the "basics."

Second, we don't advance without obedience to what we know. Oswald Chambers wrote about this:

"Examine where you have become sluggish, where you began losing interest spiritually, and you will find that it goes back to a point where you did not do something you knew you should do. When the Spirit of God prompts me to do something, it is imperative thatI do it immediately. Waiting until a "more convenient time"inevitably produces spiritual drowsiness. Every time I obey something God tells me, the result is a spiritual"growth spurt". Conversely, every time I delay obedience, spiritual"downsizing" results."When you know that you should do something and you do it, immediately you know more."

Thanks to John Stanford for sending this out on his AO notes yesterday -- the timing was terrific!

Let us appreciate our history!

John LeBoutillier helps us understand our ancestors:

"One of the key motivators for the early American settlers was their fervent desire to communicate with God directly -- something forbidden by European Christianity in the 17th century. ... America was unique in every way. Yes, vast natural resources and potential great material wealth awaited the settlers. But none of that would have worked without the Guiding Hand of a God who selected a certain type of man and woman to come and become Americans. Today's New Leftists don't want to hear any of this; they are the ones who have ripped the soul out of this country and tried to replace it with Big Government. But if America is to survive -- and if we are to become again a country of happy people -- the American people need to revive their personal relationships with God first. They need to ask God to help them. He will show us the way. He always does."

Saturday, July 24, 2004

The Church Calls the Government to Account

The Federalist published this letter (unnamed author): "The 'separation of church and state,' a political notion intended to preclude the establishment of a national religion, is now being used not only to remove references to God from public view, but to preclude Churches from 'undermining' the state by teaching morality contrary to what has become 'legally acceptable' behavior. Not only does this ultimately negate our fundamental right to freedom of religion, it does, in fact, establish hedonism as our national religion."

Nine Ways

John Piper's list of Nine Ways to Know That the Gospel of Christ Is True is worth reviewing, and sharing with your kids.

What about tatoos and piercings?

Doug Phillips has a useful commentary on tattoos, body mutilations, and piercings. There's enough Scripture here to help you think through it.

Friday, July 23, 2004

Getting Started Blogging

Some readers of this blog has inquired how to get started with their own blog. There are excellent instructions available at www.blogger.com, but a great tutorial is also available at Feedster.

Thursday, July 22, 2004

Atom Feed for This Blog

For those of you using XML feeds to monitor blogs and other web sites, the feed information for this blog is

http://boldandgentle.blogspot.com/atom.xml

Not sure what I'm talking about? Check out this nice introduction to RSS, Really Simple Syndication. And save yourself time!

Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Seeing Jesus Christ

John Piper had a sermon in April 2001 titled "Know Your Sin." Here's a fabulous illustration from this sermon:

No, you don't need to experiment with particular sins in order to know the power of sin in your life. Think of it this way. Someone says: How can you really know the power of the temptation to lust – say to look at Internet nudity – if you've never given in and experienced it? Let me give an answer in a parable. There are three men – women, you supply the necessary changes to make the parable fit your situation – and each of the three stands beside a pit of lewdness and sin. Three ropes extend out of the pit, one bound around each man's waist. The strength of this narrow cord is one-hundred-pound test.

The first man begins to be pulled into the pit that looks exciting, but that he knows is deadly. Five pounds of pressure, ten pounds, fifteen pounds. He resists and fights back. Twenty pounds, twenty-five. He digs in his heels with all his might. Thirty pounds, thirty-five pounds, and the rope starts to squeeze and he stops resisting and jumps in. Click goes the mouse button.
The second man begins to be pulled into the pit. Five pounds of pressure, ten pounds, fifteen pounds. He resists and fights back. Twenty pounds, twenty-five pounds. He digs in his heels. Thirty pounds, thirty-five pounds, and the rope starts to squeeze. He says, No! and fights back. Forty pounds, forty-five pounds, fifty pounds, fifty-five pounds. It's harder to breathe as the rope tightens around his stomach and it begins to hurt. Sixty pounds, and he stops resisting and jumps into the pit. Click.

The third man begins to be pulled into the pit. Five, ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five pounds of pressure. He resists and fights back. Thirty, thirty-five, forty, and the rope starts to squeeze. He says, No! and fights back. Fifty pounds, sixty. It's harder to breathe as the rope tightens around his stomach and begins to hurt. Seventy pounds and his feet start to slip toward the pit. He cries out for help, and reaches out to grab a branch – shaped like a cross. In the distance he sees his wife going about her business, trusting him; he sees his children playing, and in their hearts admiring him. And beyond them all, he sees Jesus Christ with a gash in his side standing, with both hands lifted and fists clenched and smiling. And filled with passion, the third man holds fast. Seventy-five, eighty, eighty-five pounds, and the rope cuts into his sides and the pain stabs. Ninety, ninety-five and the tears flow unbidden down his cheeks. One hundred and the rope snaps. No click.

Question: which of these men knows the full power of temptation?

If this were a message on lust I would look around this room and say, "Are there any soldiers here? Does anyone in this room have blood on his shirt and scars on his side? Do you know the power of temptation? Or do you just jump in before its power is spent?"

Tuesday, July 20, 2004

Great quote

"Resolved, never to do anything which I should be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life." (Jonathan Edwards)

Keeping Up

There are now more than 3 million blogs, but the data shows that remarkable few Americans know about blogs or read them.

(If you want to follow political news, Betsy's Page is worth scanning regularly. I'm amazed that she can compile so much information. She's a history and civics teacher with a politically conservative viewpoint. Her contributions to blogging can save you a bunch of time. )

What are the consequences of this information trend.

We're trying to sip from firehoses. More and larger firehoses are on the way. (The future is already here, but it is not evenly distributed yet.) Bots and agents and RSS feeds are coming in to pull selective information out from the multiple streams and present them to you automatically.

"Our Adversary majors in three things: noise, hurry and crowds. If he can keep us engaged in 'muchness' and 'manyness,' he will rest satisfied. " -- Richard Foster (derived from thoughts Martin Luther expressed, I believe, in Table Talks)

There is a kind of pseudo-wisdom and psuedo-knowledge that comes from being "up to date with current events." It's appealing to us, probably because (a) it's easier and faster than pursuing genuine wisdom and knowledge, and (b) we can enjoy legalistic pleasure from knowing more than the next guy.

Being bold and gentle, men, may require us to fast from the media, particularly since it is likely to be a primary interference to Biblical wisdom from a God-changed heart.

What's Your Assessment of the PC USA Decision?

The Presbyterian Church (USA) has endorsed economic divestiture from Israel, a tactic used to help bring down Apartheid in South Africa years ago.

I'm astounded to read the committee's recommendations, particularly the one calling for Israel to lay aside arrogant ways and enter into negotiations with the Palestinians. The PLO thugs who are "leading" these people have declined to accept huge concessions from Israel before. That experimental approach has been tried, and Israel doesn't need to do the experiment again to know the results. I pray that God will raise us just and moral leadership for this hurting people. A significant fraction of the Palestinians in Israel are Christians.

Dennis Prager has some scathing words about this decision. Though orthodox Jew and not Christian, he publicly distances himself from the PC USA.

What is your response, Christian? When it is ok to disagree with other believers, and how? Talk about this with your children.

Sunday, July 18, 2004

A Presidential Running Mate

Here's a terrific story about our President encouraging a young soldier who lost his leg in Afganistan. Worth reading. Share it with your kids.

Is there anyone within your sphere of influence who might benefit from running a few miles with you?

Why Do They Hate Israel?

Herbert London has identified 7 reasons. These are all secular reasons. But they derive from the blessings of the Lord on the nation of Israel. His covenant with them endures.

Thursday, July 15, 2004

Our future state, should Kerry be elected

Ben Shapiro projects what is likely to transpire in the US, should John Kerry be elected president.

Wednesday, July 14, 2004

Role of Technology in Churches

I continue to believe that Community is what the church offers that the world seeks desperately -- experiencing the Spirit-crafted fellowship with the Father and with one another (in families, in small groups, in congregations). Healthy relationships, and intimacy. Courage and care. Relationships based in the power of Christ, for the honor and service of Jesus.

So how does technology help or hinder this?

It clearly isn't required -- see Acts 2:42-47. And this is good news! Keep in mind that less than 50% of the world's population have ever made a phone call, and less than 35% have access to the Internet. God is not limited by our technological advances :-).

It may help attract some people, or facilitate larger numbers. I've been astounded to read about Fellowship Church in Dallas and their extensive use of information and presentation technology. If you are interested in these topics, check out Terry Storch's blog.

That leaves many of us in the middle somewhere. Here I am, blogging to encourage Christian men! Let us pray for judicious, God-honoring use of the technology, without making it an idol.

Monday, July 12, 2004

Leaving the job to someone else

Wise husbands and fathers do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done. There are simply some tasks and roles that cannot be delegated, nor should not be delayed. Many of these aren't pleasant or convenient.

Thomas Sowell has a nice column about the laughable strategy of delegating international security matters to the U.N. What's true for individual marriages and families happens at the level of nations, also!

Check yourself, men. What needs to be done, by you, now? What needs to be done by you, more consistently?

Wednesday, July 07, 2004

Learning about the limits of Christian freedom -- from baseball hats

Husbands and fathers, you need to work through David Hansen's story War of the Baseball Caps . The basic story is that the pastor granted permission for some boys to wear baseball hats in the congregational service, because they hadn't had time to wash their hair. The boys began wearing their hats all the time. This became a point of dissension within the congregation.

As you read this, put yourself in the place of the pastor, the boys, the different groups of parents, a visitor to the church, and a member of the church council. How would you handle this situation? What alternatives would you reject, and why?

Thinking through these things in advance takes us to the brink of experience. If we're going to be spiritual leaders in our homes (that is what we're called to be, men), then we need to be able to address the complex issues of Christian freedom.

Tuesday, July 06, 2004

Good translation

Don't miss Red Skelton's commentary on the Pledge of Allegiance.

Not as Lean, Not as Mean, But Still a Marine

That's the great tagline from Ed Evans, retired Marine, commenting about the cost of liberty.

From Every Nation and Tongue

Pray for our brothers and sisters in North Korea, Iran and Iraq. Pray for their protection from persecution, and their influence.

Another distinctive about America

Dennis Prager addresses the puzzle of why America produces a Michael Moore, but not Germany. Worth reading.

Monday, July 05, 2004

Why fathers should oppose same-sex marriage

Kathleen Parker has some useful insights into why fathers should oppose same-sex marriage -- it's another step towards marginalizing the role of fathers.

The Federal Marriage Amendment comes before the US Senate about July 13. Focus on the Family has some excellent information about the FMA and the process of contacting your senators.

Letting the Bible Teach Us

I'm impressed with C. Matthew McMahon's article Why I am a Calvinist, in part because of its clarity, but also because of these two paragraphs:

When I was 21, I had finished 2 years of Bible college. I went to an Arminian School, learned Arminian doctrine, and read Arminian books. I had no previous learning in religion until I attended that school, so I was indoctrinated in that theology without ever knowing whether it was true or false. In my naïveté I believed what I was taught (Surely not to question doctrine was my own mistake, but being indoctrinated in that way helped me to understand more about what I believe now. So it was the providence of God which kept me in my sin of false doctrine for a time.) Not too long after my second year, a friend of mine, who believed the doctrines of grace Calvinist began to challenge me on many of my "biblical" doctrines. I had a well rounded handle on the doctrine I possessed and propagated it thoroughly among my friends at school. But when this young man challenged me as he did, I was not able to refute him. The reason I was not able to refute his arguments had nothing to do with not understanding my own doctrine, for I did. But he came at me with something I did not expect; the Bible. He proposed a whole new system of doctrine which ran completely contrary to my own beliefs. My understanding of sin was so unbiblical that when he told me to read Romans 3:10-18, I was taken back by Paul’s poignant words. I was challenged by the very book I thought I understood. My views of man, Christ, God, salvation, sin, sovereignty, the will, and others were so warped and twisted that my young friend didn’t even need to rebuke me, for the Scriptures were doing it quite well. I had understood doctrine, it was just not the doctrine of the Bible.
So over the next summer, because of that day and that particular challenge of my friend, I devoted my time to reading through the entire Bible and endeavor to take it as it stood rather than what I wanted to read into it. My prayer was that the Lord would teach me His word by the power of the Holy Spirit so that I would know what it said rather than what I wanted it to say. After three months my views on man, Christ, God, sin, salvation and the like were radically transformed. (you would be amazed at what the Spirit of God will do with such a prayer and a simple reading of the Bible.) The point is this, my theology came out Calvinist without ever knowing what Calvinism was. I had not known what Calvin taught or that he was even a person. But my theology reflected nonetheless. The study of the Word of God transformed me. The Scriptures taught me, instead of me trying to teach it. So we see that being a Calvinist is not following after one man, but submitting under the authority of the Bible.

Would that more Christians approached the Bible this way!

Sunday, July 04, 2004

War Psalms of the Prince of Peace

Doug Giles challenges us to pray the imprecatory Psalms.

Tuesday, June 29, 2004

Pray in the depths

If you haven't already, subscribe to John Stanford's thrice-weekly messages of encouragement and insight. (Type subscribe in mail BODY to ao-request@iastate.edu)

Here's an excerpt from the message sent yesterday:

David Runcorn (A CENTER OF QUIET) tells of an old Christian who lived
in a monastery without newspapers or TV. Runcorn found that the man,
instead of being "out of touch", possessed exceptional wisdom. "The
more we talked, the more my own activities and enthusiasms began to
feel very shallow beside this man. ... In ways I could not comprehend, he
was more deeply alive and involved in the world than I was."

Detachment allows wider perspective for praying more deeply and
effectively. Runcorn tells of a sensitive Christian filled with deep
pain by the evil in the daily news. When she sought counsel, her
counselor told her not to watch news or read newspapers for a year!

But how was she to know what to pray for? Her counselor replied, "You
don't need to have all the details of the world's evil, to know the
evil itself ... you will meet it in prayer ... learn to meet it in the
depths and not simply in its surface forms."

There is a wonderful challenge here -- pray in the depths. Pray against evil in the depths, not only in the surface forms, is our aim. Pray for Christ's character to be formed in our children. Pray for your neighbors and coworkers to have transformed lives that reflect Christ. Pray in the depths.

Monday, June 28, 2004

Do you give presentations?

Check out Cliff Atkinson's "Beyond Bullets" blog. He's giving away tons of useful ideas about using PowerPoint effectively. His radical ideas will shake you! Hopefully you're not enamored of the all-too-frequent 32-slides and 400 bullet points approach. His work comes from applying principles developed from Mayer's research in how people absorb information through multiple channels (audio narration, visual, and text).

Why am I recommending this on a blog for Christian men? Because we need to be better communicators!

A Voice from Inside the Storm

If you're weary of sound-bite discussions about the problems in the Middle East, then read Haim Harari's 10 page speech. Detailed, logical, hard-hitting. Recommended.

Impact of homosexual marriage on legal standing of churches

Kathleen Parker has a number of useful insights in her column about gay marriage consequences.

Legal acceptance of homosexual marriages means that every institution must recognize them, or face litigation for hate speech/crimes. Churches could lose tax-exempt status.

Her comments about the tone of the two sides of this debate are intriguing:

"Or, perhaps the lack of interest is tied to the way the debate thus far has been presented. On the pro-gay-marriage side, advocates have proposed the issue only as a question of fairness, civil rights, love and validation. No fair-minded person wants to prevent another human being from equal protection under the law or the pursuit of happiness.

On the other side are mostly heard the voices of the religious right. Regardless of their sincerity, such voices tend to fall on deaf ears in a secular society. If people want preaching, they'll go to church. Moreover, some of the rhetoric from the pews is so strident and off-putting, even devout people may prefer other company.

There are plenty of good reasons to be skeptical about rearranging the basic structure of human society without invoking the "Radicals in Black Robes," who are trying to "force their distorted Homosexual Marriage views on 280 million Americans," as one Christian Coalition action alert recently put it."

This vote is coming before Congress very soon. Contact your representatives. All evidence suggests that they are not hearing very much from the quiet majority of Americans opposed to homosexual marriages.

Sunday, June 20, 2004

Doug Giles Clash Point

Put Doug Giles on your reading and listening list. He reminds us of our calling to be Christian men. Excerpt from latest column:

"One of the chief signs of the Church’s backslid condition is its refusal to call a spade a shovel (in love, of course) both inside and outside the Church … and have a side-splitting, obedient, good time doing it. Both in scripture and in the annals of church history we have great examples of reformers “who saved the day” and “bettered tomorrow” because they obeyed God through tornado-like use of both tongue and pen."

Friday, June 18, 2004

Family Mission Statement

Eric Mack describes the power of their family mission statement. Worth reviewing -- it might give you some ideas about how to take a long view of your family.

Thursday, June 17, 2004

Fatherless children

Here's a sad statistic: this Father's Day will see 24 million children sleeping in fatherless homes.

I can imagine a better future state in the next two generations. Let's be praying to our Father who can accomplish more than we can ask or imagine!

Wednesday, June 16, 2004

The real basis for freedom and tolerance

Check out Star Parker's insights on the ACLU's efforts to make our country "free" and "tolerant," and the inherent damage it does to people and communities. Read the whole thing. Here's a good excerpt:

"The truth of the matter is that the ACLU crusade against religion is a crusade against the core religious and moral values that have essentially been the software of the success of American freedom. The smokescreen under which this operation takes place is an illusion that for every religious symbol purged, we produce a more neutral and fair country. This is anything but true. Nature abhors a vacuum, and the purge of one value amounts to its replacement with another. In this case, traditional values of right, wrong and personal responsibility are displaced by relativism, materialism and, ultimately, the product of both of these, nihilism.

The civil-rights movement was defined by religion and moral passion. It was led by a black Christian pastor who never could have weathered the storm of daily death threats without being driven by a deep personal faith. His most famous speech, standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, was laced with references to God and faith and a coming together of God's children."

Keep in mind that Star Parker is not an academic or politician or journalist. She's in the trenches helping communities.

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

Hard or Soft?

Michael Barone has an interesting book titled "Hard America, Soft America, Competition vs. Coddling and the Battle for the Nation's Future." Spft America is a product of affluence, where the regulatory state and welfare protectionism rule. Hard America is a product of those who value liberty and opportunity more than guaranteed security from a government and income redistribution.

Pete DuPont wrote an excellent WSJ column about this concept, pointing out that our nation is poised today needing to make choices between these two directions. They are not inconsequential choices.

It's also worth meditating on the state of the Church, your church, and your family. Hard or soft?

Sunday, June 13, 2004

More comments on Reagan

A great president has been laid to rest. I can't add to the millions of words that have been written about Ronald Reagan, but I do want to highlight a few things husbands and fathers should note.

Reagan was a humble man. Check out the story of how he cleaned up spilled water in the hospital shortly after he was shot.

Reagan was a man of great faith. His faith informed his leadership direction.

Reagan was in many ways a failure as a father. He spent much more time with those outside his immediate family than with his own children. He did reconcile with them in later years, but much was lost that could have been. His son Ron, when asked how things had changed now that his father had Alzheimer's, said "Not much has changed. He wasn't really there for us growing up."

Let us be encouraged, and sobered, by the example of Ronald Reagan.

Friday, June 11, 2004

Breadth

Most guys I know are struggling to read the Bible consistently, as they know they should. If that describes you, too, then I have a radical suggestion:

Read the whole Bible in 30-40 days

Yes, you can do it. If you will take this challenge, you'll fall in love with the Word of God all over again. It will become much easier to read the Bible consistently. And you'll be building breadth of understanding of the Bible -- the most sorely lacking capability among men in the Church today.

Write me at beboldgentle@yahoo.com if you want a reading plan and additional information that will help you.

Thursday, June 10, 2004

Pallbearers

I once heard a great definition of a friendless man: "He has to buy tomatoes and zuchini all summer."

Loneliness is endemic to men, and epidemic in this culture. There's a crying ache for community and intimacy. This is one of the most powerful entry points to share the gospel with men in our culture.

Much has been written about Ronald Reagan these past five days. It's encouraging to think about how much God can use just one man to accomplish good.

Consider your own death (which is coming). Who will be your pallbearers? Who are your buddies? Who will relish the privilege of carrying your body in honor? What can you be doing to build up your buddies today?

Tuesday, June 08, 2004

Some news stories get surprisingly little coverage

I've intentionally watched to see if this story would get much press. Read about what happened when John Kerry visited the Vietnam Memorial on Memorial Day.

Dropping the Cross in California

The ACLU successfully threatened Los Angeles and they removed a tiny cross from the city seal. Dennis Prager has a good analysis on this story.

What else Reagan said in Berlin

Reagan challenged Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin wall in his 1987 speech at the Brandenburg Gate. The whole speech is worth reading again. Here is a part you don't see quoted frequently today:

"Perhaps this gets to the root of the matter, to the most fundamental distinction of all between East and West. The totalitarian world produces backwardness because it does such violence to the spirit, thwarting the human impulse to create, to enjoy, to worship. The totalitarian world finds even symbols of love and of worship an affront. Years ago, before the East Germans began rebuilding their churches, they erected a secular structure: the television tower at Alexander Platz. Virtually ever since, the authorities have been working to correct what they view as the tower's one major flaw, treating the glass sphere at the top with paints and chemicals of every kind. Yet even today when the sun strikes that sphere--that sphere that towers over all Berlin--the light makes the sign of the cross. There in Berlin, like the city itself, symbols of love, symbols of worship, cannot be suppressed."

Let us take confidence, brothers, that the light of the Cross comes through darkness. God, who cannot be mocked, will always leave a testimony!

Thursday, June 03, 2004

New CrossTrainer book

CrossTrainers just began studying Jerry Foster's new book, LifeFocus. You'll find the Vector principle is helpful. Recommended. This is an easy book to give away.

Recruiting workers -- evangelistic outreach

Christianity Today ran an interesting article about supporting multimedia elements during worship services, titled "A Geek Lexicon." There wasn't much meat to the multimedia information, actually. I highlight this for you because of the author's story of recruiting people for their multimedia team. Their church recruited some spiritual seekers who were technically very talented and willing to help out. They came to know Christ months later.

It struck me that I need to be more open to this strategy. It's saying (with Jesus!) "Come and see" and inviting them to labor alongside you, in the atmosphere where they can "taste and see that the Lord is good."

Modesty

It's nice to see modest young ladies getting good press.

Monday, May 31, 2004

Three book recommendations

I’m an inveterate reader, and usually have several books going at the same time. It’s been enjoyable to read these three together, as one gets new insights into the other. I recommend them.

Spiritual Leadership (Henry and Richard Blackaby, 2001)
After Oswald Sanders fine book by the same title, I think this is the best book on Christian leadership I’ve read. The Blackabys’ functional definition of spiritual leadership is dead-on: “Helping people hear God’s voice, and obey it.”

TrueFaced (Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol, and John Lynch, 2003)
You’ll get very uncomfortable reading this book. The authors do a great job dissecting the nature of our sin.

Unstuck ( KeithYamashita, Sandra Spataro, 2004)
Not a Christian book, but an excellent book to review if you lead teams or work on projects. The diagnostic tools to identify why your team is stalled (or “stuck”) are terrific, and there are many helpful prescriptions for getting “unstuck.”

Sunday, May 30, 2004

Women in War

I'm clearly not politically correct, because my male heart grieves that our nation has put women in war situations. It breaks divine order. I believe we're inviting God's judgment.

It's interesting how little specific attention has been paid to the fact that women soldiers have been killed or seriously wounded in Iraq. Consider this New York Times report (from a Vision Forum newsletter):

"A homemade missile launcher propped up in an apartment window let forth a volley, and an American soldier lay moaning and bleeding, grasping for her life. The scene repeats itself so often in the Iraqi capital these days that it hardly goes remarked upon, particularly when the soldier, like nearly 4,700 other soldiers since combat operations began, is only wounded.... The wounded soldier writhed in her own blood and shrieked, her voice climbing and ebbing suddenly as if she had run out of breath.... Later in the day, a spokesman for the First Cavalry Division said the soldier had suffered shrapnel wounds to her leg and that she had lost her right arm from the forearm down. He did not give her name."

It's demonstrably bad military policy to have both genders working in active units in combat theatres, even if only for guard duty. Ten percent of the ground troops in Iraq are women. Pregnant soldiers have had to be evacuated from under-fire situations, putting many soldiers at additional risk. Soldiers are conceiving babies while serving in war theatre.

Kathleen Parker writes about the political correctness that has drawn us into this era.

What should we do?

There is no political solution to this mess. A series of decisions were made to bring us to this point, and there is simply not the political will in this country to undo those decisions and stay the course.

There is a spiritual solution.

We serve the God who can do more than we can ask or imagine -- I can imagine a military without women. How God could accomplish this I do not know, but I know He can.

On a family level, let us purpose as fathers and husbands to see that our wives and daughters and granddaughters do not enter the military.

Saturday, May 29, 2004

Are We Wild Enough?

I enjoyed Doug Giles' comments about Wild Men. How are you doing on the wildness scale?

Doug Giles: The Wild Man: "The Wild Man"

Friday, May 28, 2004

Add Mr. Kana To Your Prayer List

"We are calling on...America not to stop; to go on with us on this blessed mission, which the Iraqi people will never forget: this blessed mission of liberation, of democracy, and of freedom."

Younadem Kana is the lone Christian member of the Iraqi governing council

What do we need to see in order to understand?

Most media outlets are relentless drumming on the Abu Ghraib stories. I find it hypocritical that these photos are "necessary for people to understand" and yet other photos and images are not appropriate or necessary so people can 'understand':

images of murdered innocents in Israel, or in the US on 9/11/01
the burned and mutiliated bodies of four contractors in Iraq
Nick Berg and Daniel Pearl being murdered by thugs in hoods
partial birth abortion
a 3D image of a baby in her mother's womb

I appreciated these comments, published in The Federalist recently:

"The party of partial-birth abortion is still fuming at the photos from Abu Ghraib. Unborn children don't survive the torture of abortion, but images of violence done to them never make it to the desks of Democrats. The party of Abu Ghraib in the womb did interrupt its outrage over barbarism abroad long enough this week to tout barbarism at home. The human rights abuse of abortion remains the centerpiece of the Democratic party's platform. John Kerry simultaneously assured his supporters that as president he would speedily remove American soldiers from the "death zone" of Iraq and preserve the death zone at home protected under the penumbras of the U.S. Constitution. 'I will not appoint somebody with a 5-4 court who's about to undo Roe v. Wade. I've said that before,' he said. Not to worry, abortionists: John Kerry won't apply the Geneva Convention to unborn children. He won't send the Red Cross to visit your Planned Parenthood clinics... Enemy combatants have rights under their platform; unborn children don't. Why is Abu Ghraib "un-American" and abortion as American as apple pie? Shouldn't a civilized nation be consistent?" --George Neumayr

Your Prayers Can Be Hindered, You Know

John Piper has an excellent sermon on 1 Peter 3:7ff. Men, let's love our wives and live with them in such a way that our prayer life remains unclogged. There are many Christians in the US, but perhaps God is not able to use us effectively because we're making poor choices that lead us away from holy living.

The whole sermon is good. I especially liked this part:

"Jesus does not kiss a drunk wife. He may carry her off the street and back to bed. He may be utterly patient with her, and set before her hot coffee and fresh starts. But he will not kiss a drunk wife.

What do I mean? I mean that when the bride of Christ, the church, is drunk with the world, she may turn to him for a brief kiss of prayer, but her breath wreaks so bad of worldliness that he turns his face a way.

'Be sober for the sake of your prayers,' Peter says. But whoever sobered up by coasting? Nobody coasts into sobriety. Not physical sobriety, and not spiritual sobriety. Sobriety happens when we begin to use sound judgment about our lives. Sound judgment about how we spend our time. Sound judgment about the spiritual climate or our homes. Sound judgment about the worldliness of our leisure. Sound judgment about the music we listen to, the movies we attend, the TV we watch.

Nobody sobers up without intentional steps to get the bottles of worldliness off the shelves, out of the cabinet and out of the house. When that happens, then the spiritual breath begins to clear up and the kiss of prayer is not hindered."

Tuesday, May 25, 2004

The Accompanying Presence

Men, I recommend you read an interview with Bill Hybels about the role of the Holy Spirit in preaching. If you preach or teach, you will get some helpful insights about cooperating with the Spirit, and the courage you need.

But if you are a husband or father, read it again and think about the role of the Holy Spirit in your daily service to your wife and family.

Carrying the Name in Vain

Dennis Prager includes some interesting comments about one of the Ten Commandments in his newest column about Islamofascist terrorists murdering innocents while saying "Allah Ahkbar":

The Commandment widely translated as "Do not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain," is imprecisely translated. The original Hebrew literally reads, "Do not carry the name of the Lord thy God in vain."

And, the Commandment continues, "for God will not hold guiltless (literally, "will not cleanse") whoever carries His name in vain."

As a strong believer that God (or whomever one credits with authoring the Ten Commandments) has at least as much common sense as I do, it seems inconceivable that God can "cleanse" (implying "forgive") a murderer but not someone who said God's name when he shouldn't have. Therefore, the Commandment about the misuse ("misuse" is the translation of the New International Version of the Bible, my favorite translation) of God's name must be about far more than merely using God's name "in vain."

* * * * * *

Message to Dennis: There is a hell.

Thursday, May 20, 2004

Leadership in Difficult Times

Men are always called to lead in difficult times. All times are difficult; some are more difficult than others. Let us therefore encourage one another with strong words!

Here is Abraham Lincoln's 2nd Inagural Address, perhaps one of the finest speeches in Western history.

"At this second appearing to take the oath of the Presidential office there is less occasion for an extended address than there was at the first. Then, a statement somewhat in detail of a course to be pursued seemed fitting and proper. Now, at the expiration of four years, during which public declarations have been constantly called forth on every point and phase of the great contest which still absorbs the attention and engrosses the energies of the nation, little that is new would be presented. The progress of our arms, upon which all else chiefly depends, is as well known to the public as to myself, and it is, I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all. With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured.

On the occasion corresponding to this, four years ago all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it, all sought to avert it. While the inaugural address was being delivered from this place, devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, insurgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war, seeking to dissolve the Union and divide effects by negotiation. Both parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it perish, and the war came.

One-eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was somehow the cause of the war. To strengthen, perpetuate, and extend this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the Union, even by war; while the Government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it. Neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with, or even before, the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invoked His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully.

The Almighty has His own purposes. "Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh". If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether".

With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."

Wednesday, May 19, 2004

John Piper's ANTHEM strategy to avoid lust

Source: www.desiringgod.org

A N T H E M - Strategies for Fighting Lust
November 5, 2001 — Freshwords Edition

I have in mind men and women. For men it's obvious. The need for warfare against the bombardment of visual temptation to fixate on sexual images is urgent. For women it is less obvious, but just as great if we broaden the scope of temptation to food or figure or relational fantasies. When I say "lust" I mean the realm of thought, imagination, and desire that leads to sexual misconduct. So here is one set of strategies in the war against wrong desires. I put it in the form of an acronym, A N T H E M.

A – AVOID as much as is possible and reasonable the sights and situations that arouse unfitting desire. I say "possible and reasonable" because some exposure to temptation is inevitable. And I say "unfitting desire" because not all desires for sex, food, and family are bad. We know when they are unfitting and unhelpful and on their way to becoming enslaving. We know our weaknesses and what triggers them. "Avoiding" is a Biblical strategy. "Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness" (2 Timothy 2:22). "Make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires" (Romans 13:14).

N – Say NO to every lustful thought within five seconds. And say it with the authority of Jesus Christ. "In the name of Jesus, NO!" You don't have much more than five seconds. Give it more unopposed time than that, and it will lodge itself with such force as to be almost immovable. Say it out loud if you dare. Be tough and warlike. As John Owen said, "Be killing sin or it will be killing you." Strike fast and strike hard. "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" ( James 4:7).

T – TURN the mind forcefully toward Christ as a superior satisfaction. Saying "no" will not suffice. You must move from defense to offense. Fight fire with fire. Attack the promises of sin with the promises of Christ. The Bible calls lusts "deceitful desires" (Ephesians 4:22). They lie. They promise more than they can deliver. The Bible calls them "passions of your former ignorance" (1 Peter 1:14). Only fools yield. "All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter" (Proverbs 7:22). Deceit is defeated by truth. Ignorance is defeated by knowledge. It must be glorious truth and beautiful knowledge. This is why I wrote Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ. We must stock our minds with the superior promises and pleasures of Jesus. Then we must turn to them immediately after saying, "NO!"

H – HOLD the promise and the pleasure of Christ firmly in your mind until it pushes the other images out. "Fix your eyes on Jesus" (Hebrews 3:1). Here is where many fail. They give in too soon. They say, "I tried to push it out, and it didn't work." I ask, "How long did you try?" How hard did you exert your mind? The mind is a muscle. You can flex it with vehemence. Take the kingdom violently (Matthew 11:12). Be brutal. Hold the promise of Christ before your eyes. Hold it. Hold it! Don't let it go! Keep holding it! How long? As long as it takes. Fight! For Christ's sake, fight till you win! If an electric garage door were about to crush your child you would hold it up with all our might and holler for help, and hold it and hold it and hold it and hold it.

E – ENJOY a superior satisfaction. Cultivate the capacities for pleasure in Christ. One reason lust reigns in so many is that Christ has so little appeal. We default to deceit because we have little delight in Christ. Don't say, "That's just not me." What steps have you taken to waken affection for Jesus? Have you fought for joy? Don't be fatalistic. You were created to treasure Christ with all your heart – more than you treasure sex or sugar. If you have little taste for Jesus, competing pleasures will triumph. Plead with God for the satisfaction you don't have: "Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days" (Psalm 90:14). Then look, look, look at the most magnificent Person in the universe until you see him the way he is.

M – MOVE into a useful activity away from idleness and other vulnerable behaviors. Lust grows fast in the garden of leisure. Find a good work to do, and do it with all your might. "Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord" (Romans 12:11). "Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58). Abound in work. Get up and do something. Sweep a room. Hammer a nail. Write a letter. Fix a faucet. And do it for Jesus' sake. You were made to manage and create. Christ died to make you "zealous for good deeds" (Titus 2:14). Displace deceitful lusts with a passion for good deeds.

Fighting at your side,

Pastor John

Opposing Gay "Marriage"

We have not yet lost the battle for marriage, men. Take care of your own marriage, and fight for the institution.

I appreciated Jeff Jacoby's comments about media bias in reporting on this issue, but also his succinct statements about our responsibility to frame the discussion. Here's an excerpt:

"Preaching to the converted has its uses, and both sides engage in it, but gay and lesbian advocates didn't move the cause of homosexual marriage from the outlandish fringe to the liberal mainstream by speaking only to those who already agreed with them. They made their case in terms that the unconvinced could understand too, and framed their radical proposal as an issue of civil rights and family love. Those are appealing arguments -- especially if they are repeated often and infrequently rebutted. With so few leaders on the other side making an equally articulate case, it's not surprising that same-sex marriage advanced so far so fast.

Those of us who think this week's revolution is a terrible mistake need to do a much better job of explaining that the core question is not "Why shouldn't any couple in love be able to marry?" but something more essential: "What is marriage for?" We need to convey that the fundamental purpose of marriage is not to put a seal of approval on adult relationships but to unite men and women so that any children they may create or adopt will have a mom and a dad. Marriage expresses a public judgment that every child deserves a mom and a dad. Same-sex marriage, by contrast, says that the sexual and emotional desires of adults count for more than the needs of children. Which message do we want the next generation to receive?"

Tuesday, May 18, 2004

The Best Books List

Some time back I mentioned that I was compiling a list of best books
for our children. Our intention is to provide copies of these books for
each child when they leave home, so they have a starter library of
books that will bless them for many years to come.

Here is the list, by category:

Bible Study

Thompson Chain Reference Bible
The Message
Naves Topical Bible

Theology

Knowing God (A.W. Tozer)
The Cost of Discipleship (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
Mere Christianity (C.S. Lewis)
The Heidelberg Catechism
The Holiness of God (R.C Sproul)
Your God is Too Small (J.B. Phillips)
Basic Christianity (John Stott)
Renovation of the Heart (Dallas Willard)
Commentary on Galatians (Luther)

Helps to Walking Humbly with Thy God

Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices (Thomas Brooks)
Celebration of Discipline (Richard Foster)
Life Together (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
Desiring God (John Piper)
Thoughts for Young Men (J. C. Ryle)
Imitation of Christ (Thomas a Kempis)
The Pursuit of God (A. W. Tozer)
With Christ in the School of Prayer (Andrew Murray)
Hearing God (Dallas Willard)
Spiritual Leadership (Oswald Sanders)
My Utmost for His Highest (Oswald Chambers)
Point Man (Steve Farrar)

Letting Your Light Shine

The God Who Is There Francis Schaeffer)
Ideas Have Consequences(Richard Weaver)

History

The Federalist Papers
Tortured for Christ (Richard Wurmbrand)
Fox's Book of Martyrs
A History of Knowledge (Charles Van Doren)
Modern Times (Paul Johnson)

Fiction

The Chronicles of Narnia (C.S. Lewis)
The Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien)
Pilgrims Progress (John Bunyan)
Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)

Life skills

How to Read a Book (Mortimer Adler and Charles van Doren)
The Elements of Style (Strunk and White)
The Fifth Discipline (Peter Senge)
Warfighting Marine book of war strategy

* * * * * *

Email me at beboldgentle@yahoo.com if you would like a PDF file of
these books, with my description about why each was selected. I'll be glad
to send that to you.

Sunday, May 16, 2004

Calling the younger generation to rise up

Doug Giles, a pastor, author, and radio show host in Florida, calls on young Americans to lead.

Doug Giles: Clashing in the Classroom: "The young person who wants to see righteousness exalt this nation, who wants to see the family unit united, the government constitutionally govern, our cruddy culture clashed with and the Church churched � this young adult should be seen and heard loud and clear and on a constant basis. If not, we will have cultural, political and ecclesiastical hell to pay.
As Churchill so aptly said, �If you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed, if you will not fight when your victory will be sure, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival.�
Righteous young adults of our nation: having inherited one heck of a mess, you are next in line to lead. That being said, each young person has a duty to bring us back to basics and forward into greatness. "

This brings Deut 6 back to mind, Dads. Let's help our kids be courageous leaders.

Friday, May 14, 2004

Homer: Book or Film?

The new movie Troy is opening today. The early reports are that it will be a "great" movie, but that the filmmakers have drastically changed the plot. I'm pretty sure that fewer people will bother to read The Illiad than tackled The Lord of the Rings.

If you or your teens want to watch this movie, at least check out the plot summary of the book before you go. :-)

Getting clarity in Iraq

Charles Krauthammer: It's time to be strong, not resign: "The prize in Iraq is not praise for America from the Arab street nor good will from al Jazeera. We did not have these before Abu Ghraib. We will not have these after Abu Ghraib. The prize is a decent, representative, democratizing Iraq that abandons the pan-Arab fantasies and cruelties of the Saddam regime."

Tuesday, May 11, 2004

Satan's primary tactic

"From Hitler’s vision for a Thousand Year Reich and Lenin’s promise to use the dictatorship of the proletariat to build a workers' paradise, to abortion depicted as a 'women’s health issue' and homosexual behavior justified as an 'alternative lifestyle,' evil always comes to humanity disguised as good. The results are just as invariably consistent -- destruction, suffering and death. Beware the Serpent’s promises." --Dr. Earl H. Tilford

Satan's primary tactic is a 3 step process:

1. Show you something

2. Make it seem appealing

3. Get you to succumb

He has had a lot of success with this approach. We can't stop him from showing us stuff, or trying to make it seem appealing. But we don't have to give in to step 3. Men, we need a strong Biblically-based worldview to counter Satan's tactics. Because we are so easily swayed into thinking something would be good, we must rely not on our own judgments, but the revealed truth of God.

"Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD." (Psalm 31:24)

Monday, May 10, 2004

Prayer guide for your children

A friend put me on this prayer guide -- I'm starting tonight.

Posting Comments

Please note a new feature for this blog -- you can post comments. (You do need to register with Blogger, but that's free. Go to www.blogger.com to sign up.) I encourage you to sign up and add to the discussion. Put in related links, other thoughts, etc.

Respect for Moms

Men, let's be sure to work with our kids on respecting Mom. This seems like one of those long parenting challenges, though I wish it were just one conversation. When it comes to showing respect for Mom, every day is Mother's Day.

Book recommendation

Add Reflections of a Father's Heart to your wish list. It's only available from http://www.familymanweb.com/books_by_todd.htm because Todd Wilson self-published it. Chapter 3, "The Three Squeezer," about their signal to say "I love you," is worth the $7.95 price of the book. Lots of good stuff here, just be prepared for moist eyes and laughter.

And sign up for Todd's free weekly newsletter if you haven't already.

Dad's need this stuff.

Wednesday, May 05, 2004

National Day of Prayer

"Prayer is an opportunity to praise God for His mighty works, His gift of freedom, His mercy, and His boundless love. Through prayer, we recognize the limits of earthly power and acknowledge the sovereignty of God. According to Scripture, 'the Lord is near to all who call upon Him. ... He also will hear their cry, and save them.' Prayer leads to humility and a grateful heart, and it turns our minds to the needs of others. On this National Day of Prayer, we pray especially for the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces who are serving around the world to defend the cause of liberty. We are grateful for their courage and sacrifice and ask God to comfort their families while they are away from home. We also pray that the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, and throughout the Greater Middle East, may live in safety and freedom. During this time, we continue to ask God's blessing for our Nation, granting us strength to meet the challenges ahead and wisdom as we work to build a more peaceful future for all." --President George W. Bush by proclamation for the 54th National Day of Prayer to be observed Thursday, 06 May 2004.

Self-Wounding

What does it tell us when there are "two to three million Americans," especially teenagers, who are deliberating cutting or burning themselves, pulling out hair, and breaking bones in order to feel better?

Self-Injury a Growing Behavior

"It's perhaps the fastest growing behavioral problem affecting adolescents in our country," said Levander. "And it's terrifying to think where it's going to go with such a lack of therapeutic resources available."

This is straight out of Mark 5:1-20, where the demoniac cut himself with stones.

We don't need more therapy sessions, we need a divine Rescuer!

Astounding commentary

I recommend you read John O'Neill's comments in the WSJ about John Kerry's unfitness to serve as Commander in Chief. John served on the same Swift boat as Kerry in Vietnam.

Tuesday, May 04, 2004

Military Appreciation Month

I'm grateful Congress designated May as Military Appreciation Month.

I have two suggestions.

First, pray for our men and women in the military. They're defending our nation and our families. They need God's blessing and protection.

Second, say thanks in person when you can. There are many National Guard members in our community. We see them frequently in stores and restaurants in the area. I make it a point to briefly introduce myself, look them in the eye, shake their hands, and say thank you for their service. Model this for your kids, Dads.

"Studies show" is a favorite defense of those who don't want to think

I enjoy Dennis Prager's wit and logic and heart. In his latest column he uses simple logic to debunk the statements that same sex marriages raise children as well as a father and mother.

While I applaud the column, it is sobering to realize that we feel compelled into logical, human-level arguments about marriage. We're defending the Bible. A pastor friend has a sign in his office, "Don't Defend the Gospel, Preach It!" C.S. Lewis wrote that defending the Bible is like defending a caged lion. Let the lion out of the cage, and he can defend himself quite well, thank you.

"The world is unprincipled. It's dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or fight our battles that way--never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity." (2 Cor 10:3-6, The Message)

Where's the real danger to women?

Jeff Jacoby writes bluntly about the odd perception that the Pro-Life position is dangerous for women's lives. They instead should be seriously worried about militant Islam.

Despite feminist revisionism to the contrary, where the truth of the Gospel goes forward, women's lives improve.

Thursday, April 29, 2004

Breaking the chain

Yesterday at CrossTrainers I heard testimonies of men who grew up under abusive fathers, but now make decisions ever day to be husbands and fathers that honor God. The power of Christ breaks the chain with the past. God be praised!

Are there any patterns from the past that God wants you to break? What new example are you setting today for your wife and children?

I wonder how many people refuse to carry the Cross, but willingly carry a grudge. Bitterness. Masks of unreality. Denial. Let's be men who lay down garbage that we were never meant to carry.

Tuesday, April 27, 2004

Marching on the Mall

I was one of the men who prayed on the Mall in Washington, D.C. in 1997. The news about the "March for Women's Lives" was distressing. One women said "I just had to be here to fight for the next generation and the generation after that." I agree with David Limbaugh -- which generation will these aborted babies belong to?"

Men, no group marching on the Washington Mall can accomplish anything compared to God's people calling on His great Name.

Help, O Lord! Hear the prayers of your people, and spare America the justice she has earned. Give your people backbone, courage, and boldness to save children. Give us tears and rend our hearts, so we can pray aright.

Saturday, April 24, 2004

Hacking Matter

I just finished a fascinating book about the research done on quantum wells (condensed particle physics), and the implications for materials in the future. The book is named Hacking Matter, by Will McCarthy.

Imagine materials that were composed of arrays of namometer scale quantum wells. The quantum well's physical properties depend upon the number of electrons it holds -- each one is a big atom. You can manipulate the number of electrons in a quantum well through electrical current. So an array of these wells could behave like a thin layer of gold atoms, and then by shifting the current it can become transparent glass. The effect is matter that can be manipulated like a computer program. A wall becomes a window or a Peltier transformer or part of a quantum computer. A contact lens could be an information display device.

The implications are staggering. McCarthy does a good job in the book both explaining the physics and painting possible applications. Clarke's third law of technology says "Technology, sufficiently advanced, is indistinguishable from magic." Hackable matter is magic.

So why am I writing about quantum wells on a blog meant to encourage Christian men?

Because it is critical that we help our children and our wives develop a thinking framework that has a God-oriented, biblical framework. The days are coming when it is harder and harder to explain what makes humans unique and special in the universe. Even today we have to really THINK about why we believe marriage between one man and one woman is correct, and what are the limits of man's dominion over the earth and one another.

Even as late as the 1500's it was possible for a learned man to master everything written in books. The amount of information is doubling about every 4 years now. Now we need to help ourselves and our families think from first principles. The information doubling rate is expected to drop to 1 year by 2015. If you can't think through issues from first principles, you'll be helpless against articulate fact-givers, however ungodly.

Tuesday, April 20, 2004

Our problems are not technological

"We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the
Mount....The world has achieved brilliance without conscience. Ours is
a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants." -- General Omar Bradley

"No prolonged infancies among us, please. We'll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love--like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do." (Ephesians 4:14-15, The Message)

Sunday, April 18, 2004

The Marine Recruiter's approach

Doug Giles challenge to call men to a man's task (see post below) reminds me of a Marine recruiter who visited my high school in 1979 in West Virginia. That day all the boys in the Senior class were assembled in the auditorium. There were recruiters there from the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. Each was supposed to take 15 minutes to describe the opportunities in their branch of the service. (I don't know why the Coast Guard wasn't represented.) We'd already been carefully instructed to behave like men and reflect appropriate glory on the school.

Each recruiter looked very impressive in their uniform. I remember thinking they all had terrific posture and short haircuts.

The Air Force guy went first. He had slides of gleaming jets sliding through blue sky. He took about 20 minutes.

The Army guy went next, and had slides of tanks, artillery, and how a rifle could be disassembled and reassembled in the dark. He took 20 minutes.

The Navy guy went next, and mostly had slides of a "Join the Navy, See the World, and get electronics training" variety. I think he took 15 minutes.

Our principal then introduced the Marine recruiter, and told us we would stay until he was finished, then there would be an opportunity to visit with the recruiters afterwards.

The Marine thanked the principal, then stood with his hands fiercely held behind his back, legs spread about shoulder width. He didn't say anything for 3 solid minutes, but just looked us over. I should say he looked through us. I swear he looked every one of us in the eyes. I distinctly remember feeling that his gaze penetrated my very soul, and looking down at my feet in embarrassment. There wasn't a sound in the room.

After his scan he said quietly, clearly, with great dignity, "There might be two you good enough to be a Marine." Every eye was fixed on him. He sat down after another 30 seconds of scanning us.

I don't need to tell you which recruiter was mobbed afterwards. IAbout twenty of my classmates went into the Marines after graduation. By this time I'd already decided I was going to be a molecular biologist and win the Nobel Prize for understanding cellular differentiation, so I didn't visit with any of the recruiters. But even today, I still wonder if I would be good enough to be a Marine.

Let's be men who call other men to a man's work.

The Church needs to produce strong men, not repel them

Doug Giles has a good column on men in the Church. Here's his main point:

"My ClashPoint is this: if concerned conservative Christians want to improve our nation biblically, then the Church has got to eliminate its effeminate drift and re-establish a masculine base. Our times demand strong men: the Church must produce them, not repel them. The Church needs men, who start a ministry, start a business; get involved in politics, the arts and education, and who are not afraid of the secular thugs and pimps who try to keep Christians marginalized in a religious ghetto."

Read the whole column here. Great stuff.

Friday, April 16, 2004

Carrying Easter Forward

My prayer for you is that the joy and amazement of Easter does not wear off. We celebrate the wonder of the living Christ in our lives every day! "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb 12:2)

And what is Jesus doing at the right hand of the throne of God? Praying for you. "Christ Jesus, who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." (Romans 8:34)

Sunday, April 11, 2004

He is Risen!

Have a blessed Easter.

"We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-- because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God." (Romans 6:4-10)

If you haven't systematically examined the evidence that Jesus was resurrected from the dead, then I recommend you look at Lee Strobel's fine book, The Case for Easter.

Saturday, April 10, 2004

The Alamo

Consider seeing The Alamo with your teenage boys. It's well done, historically accurate as far I can tell from other sources, and is a great launching point for conversations with your son(s).

It's a wonderful story about less-than-perfect men who have to make choices with their freedoms. Both good and poor choices are illustrated. There are choices illustrated about caring for your family. You can talk about leadership challenges. You can use parts of the story to talk about expectations that men carry. David Crockett's line "If it were just little ol' me I'd be tempted to slip over that wall and take my chances. But everyone's watching Davey Crockett. He's been on this wall his whole life." hit me solidly -- our sons watch us, men! The movie is realistic about the costs of decisions, too.

The movie web site has some background history materials that would be useful to review before going.

There is a review at the Focus on the Family Plugged In site. This will give you some ideas of what to expect.

Monday, April 05, 2004

Sexual purity is a command, not a suggestion

Men, we need to continue to guard our hearts and strengthen our habits. Sexual purity is a requirement, not an option.

Randy Alcorn's short book The Purity Principle is useful. You can pick this up for $10, so it's cheap enough to buy copies for your fellow soldiers in this battle. The small size is perfect for packing on your next business trip.

Stephen Arterburn's excellent book Every Man's Battle is also a must for your library.

Both books are studded with practical ideas. These are both excellent to read together with an accountability partner or small men's group.

Friday, April 02, 2004

Just One Angel

One way to assess the power of God is to look at the power of His servants, the angels. I can only think of two places where the Bible describes a group of angels. The first is a heavenly choir to annouce the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:13) The second is when there is war in heaven (Rev 12:7).

The rest of the time it is one angel.

Consider three examples.

In Exodus 33:2 God tells Moses "I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites." An angel. One. Hmm.

Sennacherib led his Assyrian army -- probably the most brutal in the world at the time -- against Jerusalem. King Hezekiah cries out to God for deliverance. In 2 Chronicles 32:21 we read "And the LORD sent an angel, who annihilated all the fighting men and the leaders and officers in the camp of the Assyrian king. So he withdrew to his own land in disgrace." An angel. One. The word 'annihilated' means 'grind into dust,' so this wasn't fairy taps and vulcan neck pinches. My son says "He's like the Terminator angel!"

In Revelation 20:1-3 we see one, ordinary, unnamed angel defeating Satan. "And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him..." An angel. One.

If the individual servants of the Lord can do these things, how much more can their Creator do? More than we can ask or imagine! (Ephesians 3:20)