Be a Man

One of the problems facing the church is the absence of biblical masculinity. In this void egalarainism flourishes. Don't get me wrong, there are some good godly men out there. There just aren't enough "in the church." I see two extremes: the macho man and the sissy boy.

The macho man Christian is the guy who has completely swallowed the modern men's movement doctrine. Men don't want to learn in classrooms. Men are rugged, outdoor types. They want to chop wood, ride motorcycles, listen to metal, and have barbecues! So we have guys lift weights for Jesus and ride Harleys for Jesus and NEVER STUDY THEIR BIBLES. These guys suffer from an abundance of supefical masculinity.

The sissy boy Christian guy is the opposite extreme. These are those utlrapassive, yes mam, whatever you want dear types. No leadership, just compliance. These are usually married to the bordeline (if not full blown) feminist types. One of my favorite preachers once said, "You're not going to win men with a bunch of sissies!" Amen. These guys are emasculated and are in desperate need of a spiritual testosterone injection.

Both extremes result in a departure from true, biblical manhood. and must be rejected.

So, be a Christian man instead. Love the Lord. Love your wife & children. Provide for them. Protect them. Model faith in Christ for them. Love the church. Learn the Scripture. Be the spiritual leader in your home.

Questions in Parking Lots

Why do people drive around parking lots seeking a closer parking space when they are about to walk around a 500,000 square foot mall? Huh?

Why do people insist on backing into parking places? A faster departure + a slower parking job = more time! It is much easier to back out into open space than it is to back that Expedition into a spot at Walmart!

Why do some nitwits drive through parking lots like they are trying to qualify at Daytona? I guess it's hard to hold that 95 Cavalier back!

Why is it necessary to sit in your car a blast loud obscene music? Ignorance & Arrogance are a potent combintaion.

Why do people leave fastfood bags and drink cups on the ground in the parking lot? This is indeed evidence that fastfood causes brain damage!

Why do some lazy people leave their grocery carts in an adjacent PARKING PLACE? I guess lugging those 12 packs just takes it out of a guy!

Why can't people park it between the lines? Isn't this still part of the driving test?

Feminism/Egalitarianism

Feminism has made a enormous and undeniable impact on our culture in the last generation. From the folks at Wikipedia: "Feminism comprises a number of social, cultural and political movements, theories and moral philosophies concerned with gender inequalities and equal rights for women." I am well acquanted with feminism. I have a Bachelors degree in Sociology and there is not a more feminist dominated degree field. Admittedly, feminism can be complicated and its by no means monolithic. The main thrust of feminsm, in my estimation, is the total erradication of all gender distinctions. (This is also the meaning of the more euphemistic term "egalitarianism"). On the surface this seems farfetched, yet it has been very effective. Feminism's has left no stone unturned including Christ's church. The result? Churches acquiesce, seminaries vacillate, preachers get lock jaw and elders get weak kneed.

Readers of WTBW? know that I'm a complementarian. I was not always one. I was, for a time, agnostic. In reality, however, I was simply ignorant. I have not yet read a feminist/egalitarian argument that did not fail upon close examination. In fact, most are easily dispatched. So, how do we explain the success of egalitarians within the church? Frankly, it is willful ignorance on behalf of many. You may have noticed a trend with regard to this "sensitive" and "complicated" topic. Chirstians increasingly seem willing to put the whole gender issue into the "opinion" category. Convenient? Yes. Compromise? Yes again! Some church leaders enact a pragmatism akin to "don't ask, don't tell." We just "don't go there." Yet, feminism/egalatirianism remains the proverbial elephant in the church.

Consider...
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (Genesis 3:1)

Today he says, "Did God really say, 'You must not teach or have authority over a man?"

Folks, we can't all be simultaneously right, especially when our positions flatly contradict each other. (Note to my emerging church readers: WTBW? embraces the concept of linear truth.)

More on this "touchy topic" later...

Method of Church Growth

I was sent a link to this Cruising Down the Coast of the High Barbaree blog by friend several months ago. You really should read it in its entirety.

The particarly post was "Method of Church Growth"

Here are the main points which are obviously blunt & provocaive. I loved them!

• Stop preaching crappy sermons.
• Get rid of the prayer announcer.
• Your praise band sucks. Get rid of it.
• You have some crap hymns in your hymnal. Don't sing them.
• Quit acting like such a fruit up there.
• Talk like a human being.
• They're supposed to be announcements, not Chinese Water Torture.
• Teach stuff. Seriously.
• Get to know your people and care about them.

This won't ever be as popular as the latest book by some "church growth expert" or mega-church pastor, but I sure liked it.

Calzaghe vs Hopkins official promo

No predictions this time. I'm set to watch it with a friend next Saturday. I hope it's a good one.

A little A.I. controversary

No, it's not Allen Iverson I'm talking about. It's another A.I. - American Idol. I walked in the door tonight and was promptley summoned to the TV to hear the American Idol contestants singing popular Christian praise song, "Shout to the Lord." Apparently they sang this same song last night but sang "My Shepherd" in stead of "My Jesus." Unless my ears failed me (& they have before) I thought I heard them singing "My Jesus" tonight. Of course I have heard this song so many times I may have been on autopilot! You can check my good buddy, Soren's take here. He wasn't troubled by the editing, but was rejoicing that such a song would be on the most popular TV show around. That is definitely pretty cool. Also, editing a song's lyrics isn't equivalent to tampering with Scripture. That being said, I am bothered by the change in the words to the song. (If "Jesus" did indeed return to the song tonight then I'm pleased with the "do over") I should state that the song isn't one of my favorites so I'm not acting as an apologist for the lyrics. But, frankly, the removal of "Jesus" bugs me. Like another song says: There's just something about that name. You are to give him the name... There's no other name... The name above every name.... Whoever calls on the name... I read the book of Acts recently and was impressed with how often the name of Jesus is mentioned. Our religiousy pluralistic culture welcomes just about any "god" but when it comes to Jesus...that's a different story.

Vacationing...

I'll be vacationing through 4/13. Yesterday was a buy some tennis shoes, place some tennis day. I lost - what else is new? It was windy and cold and we played a team with an "A" league player. 6-0, 6-2! Today I'm off with the family to Rocky Mount, NC. It's my late father's hometown. We will visit a cemetery where my some of my Dad's family is buried. We will also get some Carolina barbecue, of course, and then head home. Tomorrow is looking like a Busch Gardens day. I needed this break so I'm trying to enjoy it. Take care everyone!

Seldom Wrong, Never in Doubt: Not the Usual Post: A SWNID Sermon

Seldom Wrong, Never in Doubt: Not the Usual Post: A SWNID Sermon

"I chose my topic because I hate it. I loathe it. It comes into my life again and again. It wears me down. It makes me sick. It makes my heart ache. It strikes fear in my heart. I want to avoid it, ignore it, pretend that it doesn’t touch me. But it does again and again. And I know that the same is true for you. My topic is death." To read more click above.

This message from CCU professor Jon Weatherly was very compelling. I heard it a year ago online. I remembered it recently and started searching for it again. I found it (obviously), but the audio doesn't work anymore. I generally don't like to read long articles, etc. on my computer screen, but this sermon is definitely worth it.

8 Glasses of water...NOT SO!

Maybe the dudes at the gym toting the gallon jugs of water around will finally leave them at home.

Ouch!

Night before last I'm using the microwave to make a cup of HOT tea. I take the cup out (boiling by the way) set it down and as a go for the milk....OUCH!!! Somehow I inadvertantly my hand got hung up with the tea bag stringy thing & dumped the cup over. The dumb part was my reflexes took over and a tried to keep the cup upright allowing boiling to tea to pour over my left hand. Again: OUCH!!! I was up until about 3 A.M. with my hand in a bowl of ice water. I even downed some pain killers. Man that hurt. There I was wanting to sleep but I couldn't. If I took my hand out of the ice it quickly started killing me. On the other hand, (no pun intended) I kept thinking that I mustn't fall asleep because I'd end up with frost bite! What a night.