Beware the ides of March!

This day in history marks the assassination of Julius Caesar.  Historically it points to the beginning of the end of the Roman Republic and the soon beginning of the Roman empire.  Technically, the ides simply means "the middle" IE the 15th of march.

Why remember this?

Without getting into Shakespeare and his historical plays, I want to talk about social paradigms.

Social paradigms seem to change  from generation to generation.  To quote Ronald Reagan

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction"

 After the proverbial smoke cleared from Caesar's assassination, we find the birth of an iron-fisted empire that has influenced the Western world beyond our imagination! 

A little humor, if you get it... get it??

We live in the 21st century.  We can call this modern or post-modern times.  Perhaps history's lessons are lost in a few generations.  This is especially true when we look at the books of Kings and Chronicles!  The Bible commands us to pray for our leaders that we may live quiet lives.  We are also commanded to pray for our leaders, pay taxes and obey the laws of the land (provided they do not contradict the basics of the Word of God).

So where does this lead us to?

Simply this.  In all the activities of our culture upheaval we have a command from the Bible.
Yes I'm talking about Ferguson, race bating and a government that appears to be out of control.  I'm sure both sides of the political spectrum can agree that things are getting worse!

Of course, these are all symptoms of a greater problem:



A life, a family, and a culture without Jesus in it!
If we can get Jesus in the middle of our lives, family and culture many of our social evils will disappear!


Any thoughts?

Your Brother in Christ

And  Senpai in Karate 

先輩

The Biblical Church Part 9 Education

There are thee pertinent Bible verses that come to mind:

• My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6)

• Where there is no vision, the peopleperish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he (Proverbs 29:18)

• Put on the Whole armor of God  (Ephesians 6:10-18)

Knowledge

Ignorance of the law in court is no excuse.  Ignorance of how a piece of machinery works, if we try to repair it can result in an injury or fatality. Yet why do people think that ignorance of the word of God will still build a strong church or ministry?  Christian education in a church is just as important as preaching the gospel and winning people to God!  Soldiers are given basic training, then advanced training for their military occupation.  If the Church is an Army, we should be involved in spiritual combat training as well.  I’ve heard much talk from churches but little action!

I agree that a good portion of this combat is prayer.

 After all, the above mentioned scripture says that we wrestle not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12)!  The Bible doesn’t mince words when Paul told Timothy to “Study to shew thyself approved”  or Paul told the Thessalonian church to “Study to be quiet”  nor Solomon who stated “A wise man studieth to answer”  our words and actions must be chosen both prayerfully and carefully!

A biblical church should be a church that teaches sound doctrine.  The doctrine should also be backed up with actions to prove it as well!  Moses commanded the Israelites to teach their children the precepts of God.  To this day in Jewish tradition, they will read a specific passage from the Bible that asks and narrates the reason behind the Passover that it may be learned and remembered! There are other activities, but this one comes to mind the most:  Do this, and REMEMBER why you are doing it!

Vision

Please note on the second point that, unlike many who quote this verse (Proverbs 29:18) I have included the entire rendering.  Mainly due to this reason:  A vision of God and what he expects of us requires knowing the word of God.  God doesn’t operate outside of his word (Bible).  The more we have on the inside through prayer and study, (once again humbly I say this, and within reason, because God can do anything) the more God can use our faculties.  I say this very carefully, because the Book of Numbers tells us that God used a Donkey to speak to an unwilling prophet (Numbers 22:28).  This is a good lesson to remember on humility.  Even with this illustration, it does not mean a soldier can neglect his training to be ready for battle!  Soldiers are given orders to “Take that hill” or “Hold this position” or something else depending on the situation.  A church that supports missions, has a defined community outreach and objectives to meet that end, is evidence that they are doing something!

Battle Gear

No matter what age, soldiers must be dressed and trained for battle!

 

Lastly, if we are soldiers, we must wear all of our spiritual armor.  I call to your attention the various photos of soldiers in Iraq, who wore their helmets, flack vests and goggles.  They were trained and dressed for offensive combat and defensive protection.  In the scripture, the allusion is to a Roman soldier in battle gear.  The first items of armor (Verses 14-17) are concerned with having our vitals protected (breast plate, loins, helmet, shield) .  The helmet of salvation is on our head – where our brain is, concerns mental protection as well as the shield of faith.  Any firey darts (or arrows) can be deflected if our shielding is ready.  The Fifth is having our feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel.  This goes back to education and training!  Armies have always depended on marching on their feet.  How do we know the gospel if we only hear it once?  The offensive weapons are prayer and the Word of God.  Many times, we hear the word of God is likened to a sword, that cuts very fine.  My experience is that people want to use this sword like a club and eventually become seriously injured.  In other words, they step on their tongue or are caught in hypocrisy or scandal.  This was all from using the word of God as a bludgeon rather than a sword!

My point is simply this: Preparation and training does not waste time or energy!

A Biblical church has a mission and diversifies it’s resources to be effective on all fronts!

 

Sincerely 

Your Brother in Christ

And  Senpai in Karate 

先輩

Verbal Judo: The book

I don't know what penchant it is that makes me fond of old books.  It could be that King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes that "There is no new thing under the sun"  and he also said that of making books "There is no end, and much study weareth the body"
Having said that, where does this leave my desire to read old books?  Well, probably that any information or story has probably already been told and a book is just a re-telling of previously known information yet unbeknownst to us!
Sometimes an older book on a particular subject, as long as it is not technology, will give us a richer view of the matter at hand.  Despite the internet, I still own a set of encyclopedias and use them from time to time.  I heard about a particular subject a while back called Verbal Judo.  Although the system was originally directed at law enforcement, the book by the late Dr George Thompson is the psychological adaptation of speaking that he compares with physical Judo.  Using an opponents words to create a win-win situation in communication.

One of the main reasons I purchased the book was because I have communication problems at home.  When I taught at a technical college, I found that I had communication problems with some of the students as well.  So, since I am on a journey to be the best I can, I wanted to work on this area a bit more.

Lo and behold, I found a wealth of information in this book.  Some may say that books can give information, but life will give us a true education.

This is where wisdom comes in.  A book is good if we know how to read in interpret the information contained therein.  Not every book is worthy of our time and effort.  I was once given a book to read by a national talk show host.  It was so negative within the first 25 pages, that I made the pinnacle decision to give it back to my friend.  that is when I realized to choose what you read carefully and don't be afraid to give it back.

Sir Francis Bacon said "Some books are to be tasted, others tasted and chewed, and others tasted, chewed and thoroughly digested"

Secondly, another old book gave some advice on reading.  That was to train your mind to be like that of a miner digging for diamonds.  Throw away the useless information and only keep the jewels!

So is Verbal Judo!  I found that Dr Thompson was a former police officer that compared psychological principles, Asian philosophical adages, and street common sense to form a system that is fairly effective in dealing with talking to people. 

Some of this information is just common sense as I've said.  We need to watch our voice when we talk to people.  the tone, inflection and the realization that we are viewed differently that how we see our selves, and that may make a big difference.
A big subject that stood out to me was the fact that empathy is a huge part in understanding people.  I should have heard this in bible college, but only remember some remote teachings when we studied the book of Job!
the other factors that stuck out in the book were techniques and styles to use when dealing with people, and some really good information that he says can apply to dealing with teenagers.  My oldest is only 10, so I have a few years to perfect this before the deluge of attitude comes!

I recommend this book, it's a really good read and is a tool in the arsenal of anyone who would rather do as the great general Sun Tsu said" 
"To win without fighting is the zenith of excellence"

Self confidence

I found myself in class recently working with a younger man who was a brown belt.  And although I'm about 17 years his senior in age, a creeping feeling came into my mind:

Is he having a problem with the kick because he watched me?

Am I doing it wrong and he is following me?

Most of this came from my last black belt test for 2nd dan.  I was succinctly warned by one of the masters that I had to be extra careful, because people will pay attention to me as a senior belt.

What followed was something that plagued me since I was promoted to black belt.

I don't feel like I have arrived

Years ago, when I studied Tae Kwon Do, I would meet black belts and comment how much they must know, and how impressed I was.  I did this in a manner of humility and not "sucking up".  To be honest I don't remember the exact words but they would always come back with the statement:

 A black belt means you are just beginning to learn

I always thought to my self the following  "What kind of mystic Eastern crap is that!?"  years later I finally understood it, because I was now walking in their shoes!  I gave it about 3 years of thought and then decided to go to my Sensei (Kyoshi Wilcox).  I explained this concern with him. He looked at me and said, "You know what you call that!?"  He then leaned towards with wild eyes (quite the norm for him) and said "You call it NORMAL"

We all go through stages in life where, perhaps we feel less than adequate or wonder what others are thinking.  To a degree this is normal.  He later shared with me that to feel like you have arrived or, you are owed something is abnormal and bad.  Heres a few Biblical examples:


We read that Moses fled Egypt for killing a man and lived for 40 years in exile.  Keep in mind that he was trained as a Prince; the heir apparent of Pharaoh.  Moses was a statesman, General and scholar!  but he didn't have humility  "Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall"  The prophet Amos was a shepherd and tree trimmer, not well suited and trained by the standards of those days, but he spoke of what he knew and was effective enough to be called and recorded in scripture.  True, they had the call of God on them and obeyed, but notice what God did!  never discount your learning and abilities to be used some day!



 The martial arts is about growth and development, much like Christianity and life in general; it is a journey not a destination! It only stands to reason that we should be careful how we step because there are always people above and below you and some will undoubtedly look at how you step.

So, where does my title come in?

The best way to explain it is by telling you a story back from 1991 when I was in the Army.  I went to the U.S. Army Air Assault school where I learned about sling loading equipment from the bottom of a helicopter and how to rapel.  The instructors would tell us horror stories about not having the rapel seat tight and even a soldier who was severely injured when the rope was caught in between his leg and one of his . . .  uh never mind, but you get the point.  As a bunch of young men we were now scared silly about losing part of our manliness.  This is when I received a bit of sage wisdom I have not forgotten since.  the instructor said:

At some point, you have to have faith in your equipment

And so it is with our training.  if you attend a reputable school that has a good mix of tradition and common sense training, you may not get everything 100% correct all of the time, but you will understand the concepts to make things work and still be a good example to all. In martial arts, we wear belts as a sign of rank.  In the Army, schools are represented by badges worn, but in the church our hard fought tests are shown by our character and spirit and only sometimes by a position or calling in the church.

Incidentally, we were doing inside and outside crescent kicks, and the rhythm was a bit odd.

Overall, you .must have faith in your equipment (training). and let your good actions speak louder than words

Sincerely 

Your Brother in Christ

And  Senpai in Karate 

先輩

Worn Bibles and Black Belts

While I was unpacking my gear recently, I looked at the condition of my belt.  I have always had a concern over it's use.  This may sound silly, but is it "broken in"?
The ranks of White through about green belt usually go so fast that the belt never gets worn, just creased enough for it to be tied properly.
My mind wandered to a story that was shared with me while I was the member of an aggressively evangelistic church.  The pastor was preaching one morning and talked about how much people read their Bible.  One could tell because the pages were dog-eared or the shiny gold painted gilding was worn from the sides fo the pages.  My friend told me that a new visitor, who behaved in an overtly-religious manner (This is the kind that uses religious and Bible terms with the intent of impressing a person of how spiritual they are) was licking his finger and trying to rub the gold gilding off of the pages.

Silly, isn't it?

But this got me thinking about the three things that are common to both  Karate and Church:

• Wear
• Humility
• Confidence

Wear

When I say wear, I speak of the marks of the, if you will, trade.  For the Christian it is his or her Bible.  It is declared to be the Sword of the Spirit and sharper than any two-edged sword.  For the Martial artist, it is the body, but allow me to give a symbol instead: the Belt.  Both should show some signs of use and wear as they are 'essential'  to the trade.  An unused Bible shows a christian not reading and studying.  An un worn belt shows a martial artist that is probably not practicing and training.  Both are symbols that should indicate wear through "Training". and if not, then is that person ready for the trials and tribulations and may and will come?

Humility

The bible tells us that before honor is humility, but high and haughty spirits will lead to a fall.  To be confident in the word of God and his plan for your life is intellectually easy to do, but quite another thing when you are in the heat of circumstances.  This requires faith and trust.  sometimes we must wade through bad times and bad decisions that make us stronger, because we lack the perspective of humility.  A martial artist may be faced with events that can lead to an altercation, but is it always wise to "test a technique"?  I talked to a friend who is a part-time bouncer and he made the innuendo "I would rather fight a karate guy than a street fighter".  This was meant to say that a lot of martial arts scuffles in a bar, grill or club are due to pride.  We can also say that the martial artists who lose give the martial arts a bad name, and give the fight loser a needed lesson in humility!  True humility in ones abilities come from within, and not an outward achievement in a fight.  The Chinese general Sun Tsu said best:  "To win without fighting is the Zenith of Power"

Confidence

So where does confidence come in?  I like my belt, and oh yes, it does show some sign of wear, with creases worn in as well.  new belts are a bit stiff and don't stay tied at first.  Similar to a new bible, with the pages stuck together, and maybe not book marked with our study passages in place yet.  If they are used both often and correctly, we should have confidence in what we know, and also what we don't know.
Be confident in the fact that if we train and study properly, there will be fruits for our labors

The Power of Routine

In adult life, it may seem like we are on a never ending treadmill of work, house keeping, child care and back to sleep to start the routine all over.  Only the weekend interrupts for laundry or shopping so that we may go back to square one.
An oft lamented phrase I hear at my job is that "Life stinks . . .  it's Monday again!"
I hear phrases like this all too much at work.  On a 'Monday' everyone is sad, and by 'Friday' people are jubilant that the weekend has come; only to be back in a dour mood on Monday again.  I considered this long and hard, and realized much like Solomon, that "All is vanity"

Now, to be honest, I wish I had his wisdom, and his money, but only one of the two is profitable in this life!

The vanity I speak of is not seizing the moment of what we do in the midst of the routine.  Some view work  as a type of punishment from God due to the fall of man in the Garden of Eden.  If we really look at the Biblical text, even before the fall, Adam and Eve had the job of tending to the garden to ". . . dress and keep it"  so the idea of  getting out of work for the purpose of indolence is far from our original mission as possible.

With this being said, should we not look for some value or profit in work (Proverbs 14:23)   Here is an important idea:  Can we not find something in our daily work or job that we can walk away a little wiser rather than just glad the day is over?  Routine helps.

A person may say that punching a time clock day in and day out is drudgery.  I admit that this is very true, but perhaps we are looking at the scenario all wrong!  We have a calendar year with four distinct seasons and can find something of value and worth in all of them.  Winter brings Christmas and new years, or the Superbowl season.  Spring brings better weather and Baseball, and summer brings vacation time.  We never tire of the routine of the seasons, so can we not find good in all things that we do, even if it is work?

I personally think of the work week 24 hours in advance as a plan.

• What can I gain in experience?
• What can I gain in understanding people
• What can I share with others.

Routine at work gives us freedom sometimes to get lost in our thoughts and ponder life.  Too many people mull in bad experiences or what someone said in the lunch room rather in something that is good and profitable (See Philippians 4:8)

This is just my Sunday Thought

Sincerely 

Your Brother in Christ

And  Senpai in Karate 

先輩

The Biblical Church Part 8

We were discussing Doctrines' affect on the church last time.  What is Outreach ?

This is the point that took me a long time to understand.  Why do we have so many churches that seem to be all over the map with activities, services and outreach?  A friend put it best to me:  “Some churches have a specific ministry they are called to do”

That was the best piece of knowledge I received that year!  A church like the Salvation Army was an offshoot of the Methodist church in England.  Their primary goal was to help the poor and destitute with both the gospel and material needs.  Another way of putting it is “Put your money where your mouth is”         Faith without works isdead

 I personally have struggled with ministries that help the poor.  And the reason is because of my upbringing.  My parents were raised in the depression.  Their parents were proud independent people.  My mother didn’t believe in government assistance and once told me a story that my grandfather was so proud that they almost starved because he did not want a hand out.  In many ways this is good, because St Paul said that if any will not work, neither shall he eat.   Unfortunately, I have carried these teachings into adult life.  I have seen since my teenage years groups of people in Los Angeles that would milk the system and strangers for money and food simply because they “would not work”.  Please note that I stated would not work and not cannot.  They chose to find food by other than honorable means!  This philosophy left me jaded before I turned 25!  But, one day I realized when meditating on Jesus Miracles in John that some people sought him only for the

“. . . loaves and fishes” and others followed him for less than genuine reasons (Read all of John ch 6 in context and compare with Matthew 8:18-22)

So, I have come to terms with the idea that if you have a helping ministry, you must be prepared to deal with the ungrateful, freeloaders, leeches and a segment of poor but covetous people as well! You will also need deep pockets; this is an important lesson! 

Where does this leave ministries?  

There has been a cry from some independent thinkers that we should have a first-century church model of house churches sharing the gospel.  This is fine, provided you have the same miracles of feeding the multitudes, sicknesses healed and the dead brought back to life.  If this is so, I’m all for it!  

When looking at the Biblical model we see three important things:

• Proclaim the Gospel (Matthew 28:19-20)
• Make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20 Titus 2,  2 Timothy 2)
• Support those who are actively involved in the Gospel (Philippians 4:14-18,                            2 Thessalonians 3:7-10,  2 Corinthians8:8-14

Our society is diverse and has different needs even within the same city.  A church in the inner city may conduct their service and behave differently from a Hispanic church in the same neighborhood.  The same goes for a church in the upper class suburbs.  It is just as important to reach the down and out as it is to reach the young upper class professionals.  How is it done?  Different ministries are employed, but the same gospel must be preached!  A Pastor once said that the sign of a healthy church was to have a strong Childrens program, Teens present, adult families and seniors.  A church that did not have youth, adults and seniors was a weak church. He considered it a barometer of church health.   Even in building, finance and manufacturing the lesson of having something structurally unsound or top-heavy is sure to fail.  The same goes with the church.  Now there are exceptions to this rule, because God is in charge,  and he sees and knows infinitely more than we do. 
Aside from this, does he not expect us to use come common sense?

There are a plethora of churches and ministries, but they don’t seem to fit into a Biblical model, where the Gospel is De-emphasized, or the name of Jesus isn’t preached at all!  This is dangerous, because Jesus is the gospel!  If new and old converts are not trained and taught, false doctrine can come in, and once again, anything can go on even to the extent of blasphemy and apostasy!  If we do not support the active propagation of the gospel, what will happen to churches and missionaries? 

Sincerely 

Your Brother in Christ

And  Senpai in Karate 

先輩