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

Christmas 2015

We are creatures of habit.  That is the way that God made us.  With this thought in mind, have we ever considered how much of tradition is just a habit that we have?


This time of year we are faced with much that is in the way of "Tradition" and have seemed to loose sight of it in 21st century America.  The spirit of Christmas is not Santa Claus, gift giving or partying it up, although our modern Christmas has many roots in this.


Any student of the Bible can surmise that Jesus was not born on December 25th because St Luke tells us that "Sheppherds were in the field watching their flocks by night"  he was probably born in Spring or Fall.  Many hundreds of years ago, it was thought to be a good idea that the Feast of Christmas should be celebrated around the Winter solstice. 


Why this date?


Because on the shortest day of the year, the greatest light that humankind has ever known came into the world!


Before this time, many activities happened in pagan cultures to denote the shortening of winter days, and although many people still miss the meaning, let us not forget this!


As an interesting parallel, I find that in the Martial Arts, many styles focus on "traditions" that are more cultural than factual or useful.  bowing to a picture of a dead master becomes an act of worship or mindless habit rather than respect and gratitude for what that master did for his art.


In Christianity, we tip our hat to the baby Jesus and either keep him in a barn (His birth story) or leave him in on the cross (his sacrifice and death).


How often do we let him reign in our hearts?


Have a Merry Christmas!


Sincerely 

Your Brother in Christ

And  Senpai in Karate 

先輩

 

Post 911

My wife made the best observation of this day in history and our reaction as a country. She put it on her facebook account and I asked if I could share it and she said yes.

I got me a good woman!


For those of you that are political correct lovers, please stop reading. Okay, you've been warned. Every event, especially tragedies, can be used to strengthen us so that we can go to greater heights, or we can allow it to defeat us and we can become weaker. There's lots of wonderful postings about how we 'remember' those that gave their lives on 9/11 and how we're 'grateful'. Are we? Have we used this attack on OUR soil to strengthen us, so that we support our military, stand up for Christian religious freedoms, fight to defend America? Or are we electing and supporting officials that are stripping our military; standing up for everyone's religions EXCEPT for Christian values; strengthening our borders; defending innocent Americans when they are captured on foreign lands? Lip service on an anniversary is like a man buying his wife a huge diamond, beautiful flowers and dinner at an expensive diner and then cheat on her, degrade her and live like a single frat boy the other 364 days of the year. SHAME on US, America. We need to find that passion of unity and demand that our leaders share our passion and love for our country. If not, OUT THEY GO!!! Let's truly honor the lives that were sacrificed on 9/11 because if we do not, the NEXT blood shed is not only on the terrorists, but OURS!


The thing about being a soldier, sailor, or any type of warrior is the willingness and ability to fight, but also to be ready.  I believe it was Thomas Jefferson that stated that the price of liberty and freedom was eternal vigilance. The late Ronald Reagan stated that we as Americans are only one generation away from tyranny!

Labor Day 2014

Here are two thoughts to consider on labor Day

1.   Working Vs. talking (or idle talk)

2.  A Proper Balance for all things

Solomon said in proverbs that
In all labor there is profit . . .

He also goes on to say that just talking leads to penury, or extreme want.

I find it ironic and amusing that the day that we use to celebrate the American work ethic is marked as a day without "labor" goofing off or anything far from labor in and of itself . . .  unless of course we count barbecues and picnics as labor.

I have a love for old books and still own a set of encyclopedias.  Some information is pretty much static.  So is the history of Labor day.  It was initiated in 1882 by the Nights of Labor with a parade In New York City to celebrate the American worker.  The original society behind the institution of Labor day no longer exists due to several ideologies that didn't mesh with 19th century America. 

If you care to study the history of the Knights of Labor you will find they had high ideological goals but no practical strategies to get there. What ended up happening was some noble attempts but an eventual disenfranchisement of  Irish immigrants.  This led to radicals taking over.  This reminds me why a good street fighter can beat up a Black Belt in the Martial Arts.  Point fighting is great, but can you take a punch?  Ideas are great, dreams are great and working towards a goal is great.  What is always needed is a balance between ideas and labor.

Even in our society today there is still the age old struggle between labor and management.  Labor wants the most money for the least effort and Management wants the least money for the most work!

No matter if you are labor or management I must caution you that there is a proper balance for both and the argument will probably never end on who is right and who is wrong - since there are liars and noble people on both sides!

Having said this, I wish all of you a happy Labor day 2014

(Now I will go do a load of Laundry!)

Sincerely 

Your Brother in Christ

And  Senpai in Karate 

先輩

Milestones

This post is dedicated to a friend at karate, but to all who strive to reach a goal.

Recently my Kyoshi asked when I worked (evenings and nights) because he wanted to test one of my class mates for black belt.
He has been training for just as many years as I have, but just wanted to be a good fighter and has never been concerned with rank. He truly believes that the belt is "just a piece of cloth"
True as that may be, I want you to think about is this way:  It represents a milestone.

Websters online dictionary defines milestone this way:

an important point in the progress or development of something : a very important event or advance

In a previous post on self confidence I conveyed the story that when I was a novice (yeah... I still feel like one 27 years later as well!) the black belts would tell me "A black belt means that I am just beginning to learn"

They were right. A black belt means you have learned the basics to an acceptable degree of the martial arts school curriculum that you are involved in.  The senior instructors in the school / organization will review your abilities and confer on you that "piece of cloth" we call a black belt.

Now, depending on the school, the test may be rigorous or . . .  shall we say less than rigorous. I say this because there is a common occurrence in martial arts schools that a person can "purchase" their way to black belt with no real-world skills.  We have all heard the story how a person that claims to be a black belt in Karate easily loses a fight to a person who has never stepped on the mat a day in his life.  I readily admit that there are good street fighters out there than hold their own and win against a person trained in the arts.

So, what is my point?  My point is to simply state that this "piece of cloth" represents a milestone in your training and, for that matter in your life.  Although there are many programs out there that teach martial arts and self defense, and a person can "buy" a black belt, you my friend have paid for this through blood, sweat and tears!

That piece of cloth is a representation of those years of sweat and practice.  It is a representation of your dedication and development and marks an important event.

That event being "you are just beginning to learn."

I am by no means an expert in Japanese or Okinawan traditions, customs or culture but I do understand a few things. An upperclassman in a school (Japanese:  Senpai) has a responsibility to look out for and encourage the class mates in the ranks below him (kōhai).  As Westerners we have a difficult time understanding collective societies that value the group over the individual.  In America, it is all about us. In other cultures the family name, or group affiliation is more important.

I am encouraging you to test out.  In many many ways, you have already earned it.  Oh, and being Senpai I offer my help in practice at the inconvenient times, when I work until midnight and come to the Dojo with only 3 1/2 hours of sleep under my . . . belt (pardon the pun).

To my readers, I say this: any event that marks a milestone in your life should be stepped through and taken. If you have "done the time" in training and work, treat that pinnacle event as what it is: a milestone!

In other words, you earn(ed) it!

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"

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

 

The Biblical Church Part 6: Doctrines

This week I would like to look at the tangible things that make up the Biblical Church.

                                          Doctrine   -   Outreach   -   Education

Doctrine

When the word doctrine is used, it almost sounds odd, but in this post I would like to discuss three things:

• What is doctrine
• Why is it important
• How does it affect the church

The Theologian D.C Hodge once stated:  “Let no man think error in doctrine a slight practical evil”   Doctrine is a word that many have heard, but can be often misinterpreted.  A definition I was given in Bible College, by an older minister with a heavy South Dakota accent told us “Brothers… if you remember nothing else, remember that Doctrine, simply put, means teaching”.

These are not just any teachings, because post-modern America is rife with cults and movements that take one Bible verse and use it out of context for reasons other than true faith.  The teachings we speak of are those revealed in the divinely inspired word of God (The Bible).  Now it is easy to say that anything that men put together is a doctrine, and that may be true to some extent;  But interpretation and doctrine are not the same thing.

And now we enter into the mind field of semantics!

Doctrines, as I stated are divinely inspired truths in the Bible.  These are the things that there is an abundant amount of evidence in the Bible to support. 

These doctrines can be:

1. Spelled out literally IE thou shalt not....
2. An Example  "... I rise early to meditate on thy precepts"
3. By inference  ". . .  “Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire”

Why is it important

 

An illustration I read compares doctrines in a church to the course and direction that a ship is sailing in.  A ship with a clear objective and course will result in a crew that is active and disciplined to reach a destination, compared to a ship that is drifting with no course or objective.  If we consider that I stated in my first article that love keeps a church bound together, then let us think of that glue as the caulking and joints on the ship that keep it together, and doctrines as the course. These teachings define who we are, what we believe among us, and what we intend to teach and pass on to the future generations to continue the work of God.   

There are certain fundamental teachings (doctrines) that all Christian churches should believe in.  I do not claim that this is an exhaustive list, but here we go:

•  The Bible is the absolute Word of God
•  God is sovereign
•  Jesus is the Only-begotten Son of God
•  The Trinity
•  Salvation in Jesus alone
•  We should become more Christ like as we progress through life

 Tomorrow, I would like to finish this article and discuss how it affects the church

Sincerely 

Your Brother in Christ

And  Senpai in Karate 

先輩