Hymns or contemporary: bloody fight or unity?

Brother-in-law Bob Jackson, educated in classical music, says that contemporary choruses that survive 20 years are the ones with depth of meaning. Those are the ones that start to make their way into hymnbooks.

Two masterful writings capture the essence of the battle between contemporary Gospel and traditional hymns.

From MaxLucado: In 1976 tremors devastated the highlands of Guatemala. Thousands of people were killed and tens of thousands were left homeless. A philanthropist offered to sponsor a relief team from our college. This flyer was posted in our dormitory: "Needed: students willing to use their spring break to build cinder block homes in Guatemala." I applied, was accepted, and began attending the orientation sessions.

There were 12 of us in all. Mostly ministry students. All of us, it seemed, loved to discuss theology. We were young enough in our faith to believe we knew all the answers. This made lively discussions. We bantered about a covey of controversies. I can't remember the list. It likely  included the usual suspects of charismatic gifts, end times, worship styles, and church strategy. By the time we reached Guatemala, we'd covered the controversies and revealed our true colors. I'd discerned the faithful from the infidels, the healthy from the heretics. I knew who was in and who was out.

But all of that was soon forgotten. The destruction from the earthquake dwarfed our differences. Entire villages  had been leveled. Children were wandering through rubble. Long lines of wounded people awaited medical attention. Our opinions seemed suddenly petty. The disaster demanded teamwork. The challenge created a team.

The task turned rivals into partners. I remember one fellow in particular. He and I had distinctly different opinions regarding the styles of worship music. I - the open minded, relevant thinker - favored contemporary, upbeat music. He - the stodgy, close minded caveman - preferred hymns and hymnals. Yet when stacking bricks for houses, guess who worked shoulder to shoulder? As we did we begin to sing together. We sang old songs and new, slow and fast. Only later did the irony of it dawn on me. Our common concern gave us a common song. From "Outlive your life" by Max Lucado.

From Greg Asimakoupoulos:

Confessions of a Praise Song Critic

I grew up singing from a book. I loved those gospel hymns.

Like "What a Friend" and "Jesus Saves" 

and "Marching to Zion."
With dad and mother by my side we'd sing in harmony.

The lyrics to "Amazing Grace" would always comfort me.
That hymnal came to represent 

sweet memories of past days.

Its pages like old photographs were more 

than songs of praise.
I don't recall just when it was, it all began to change.

I just remember what we sang 

was fast and loud and strange.
I didn't know these choruses. I missed the good old songs.

And though the church began to grow, I doubted I belonged.
But then one day I looked around 

and saw my daughter's face.

I wept to see her worshiping; 

eyes closed and hands upraised.

That Sunday changed my attitude. I started to rejoice.

I asked the Lord to help me sing what I'd considered noise.
Through "Awesome God" and Famous One," 

He changed my heart, I guess.

I now can worship joyfully. But may I still confess?
I still would rather hold a book and sing hymns I recall

Than standing for a half an hour while singing off the wall.

by Greg Asimakoupoulos (pastor who endorsed my book)

Can I skip all those boring biblical genealogies?

I've recently discovered a new love and appreciation for the Old Testament - signs, symbols and even boring genealogies. After all, in the Old Testament the New is concealed, and in the New Testament the Old is revealed.

Yes! I believe it's OK to skip the genealogies, but if you do, remember the story of a woman who found faith because of genealogies. Upon reading them, she said, "Wow! These are real people! I was always told that the Bible was made up of fairy tales."

In Matthew and Luke we find Jesus' lineage traced back either to Abraham or Adam! He is the Son of David, uniquely fulfilling prophecy. Note that the lineage of Joseph comprises Jesus' legal lineage, but it doesn't say Joseph was Jesus' father - because His only father was the Holy Spirit in a virgin birth.

There is another amazing thing that blows my mind about Jesus' genealogy. Catholics believe that the only way Jesus could be born sinless - an Immaculate Conception - is if Mary were sinless. If this is logical, than why wouldn't Mary's mother and forebears have to be sinless as well?

The mind-blowing answer is this: God foreknew that everyone before and after Jesus would sin and fall short of the glory of God. To emphasize and prove the point, God put a rapist, murderer/adulterer and prostitute in Jesus' lineage, as well as 100% sinners, all of whom had no hope but to be redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus.

If Mary were sinless, why did she admit in her famous "Magnificat" prayer her need for a Savior?
She admits it HERE

My Bible teacher, Carl Johnson, teases us that there are TWO ways to Heaven:
1. Accept the blood sacrifice of Jesus as we repent of our sins, acknowledging that Jesus took our deserved punishment on the Cross.
OR
2. Lead a perfect, sinless life!

A rabbi said that the Jewish Messiah would arrive when just one Jew kept the Law for just one hour.

He did, and He did!

Still want to skip the genealogies?

Here's a great 180-day reading that hits the highlights (copy, paste and mark through as you complete each day):

Time Commitment: 180 Days Goal: To understand the underlying story of the Bible The Plot Unveiled (Day 1—Day 14) Day 1. Genesis 1: A Book of Beginnings Day 2. Genesis 2: One Shining Moment Day 3. Genesis 3: The Crash Day 4. Genesis 4: Crouching at the Door Day 5. Genesis 7: Under Water Day 6. Genesis 8: The Rainbow Day 7. Genesis 15: The Plan Day 8. Genesis 19: A Catastrophe Sent from God Day 9. Genesis 22: Final Exam Day 10. Genesis 27: Jacob Gets the Blessing Day 11. Genesis 28: Something Undeserved Day 12. Genesis 37: Family Battles Day 13. Genesis 41: Behind the Scenes Day 14. Genesis 45: A Long Forgiveness Birthing a Nation (Day 14—Day 33) Day 15. Exodus 3: Time for Action Day 16. Exodus 10–11: The Ten Plagues Day 17. Exodus 14: Miracle at the Red Sea Day 18. Exodus 20: The Ten Commandments Day 19. Exodus 32: The Dream Dies Day 20. Leviticus 26: Legal Matters Day 21. Numbers 11: Trials in the Desert Day 22. Numbers 14: Open Mutiny Day 23. Deuteronomy 4: Never Forget Day 24. Deuteronomy 8: Dangers of Success Day 25. Deuteronomy 28: Loud and Clear Day 26. Joshua 2: New Spies, New Spirit Day 27. Joshua 6: Strange Tactics Day 28. Joshua 7: Slow Learners Day 29. Joshua 24: Home at Last Day 30. Judges 6: Unlikely Leader Day 31. Judges 7: Military Upset Day 32. Judges 16: Superman’s Flaws Day 33. Ruth 1: Tough Love The Golden Age (Day 34—Day 55) Day 34. 1 Samuel 3: Transition Team Day 35. 1 Samuel 16: Tale of Two Kings Day 36. Psalm 23: A Shepherd’s Song Day 37. 1 Samuel 17: Giant-Killer Day 38. Psalm 19: Outdoor Lessons Day 39. 1 Samuel 20: Jonathan’s Loyalty Day 40. Psalm 27: Ups and Downs Day 41. 2 Samuel 6: King of Passion Day 42. 1 Chronicles 17: God’s House Day 43. Psalm 103: The Goodness of God Day 44. 2 Samuel 11: Adultery and Murder Day 45. 2 Samuel 12: Caught in the Act Day 46. Psalm 51: True Confession Day 47. Psalm 139: David’s Spiritual Secret Day 48. 1 Kings 3: Raw Talent Day 49. 1 Kings 8: High-Water Mark Day 50. Psalm 84: Home Sweet Home Day 51. Proverbs 4: Life Advice Day 52. Proverbs 10: One-Liners Day 53. Proverbs 22: Sayings of the Wise Day 54. Song of Songs 2: Love Story Day 55. Ecclesiastes 3: A Time for Everything The Northern Kingdom (Day 56—Day 64) Day 56. 1 Kings 17: The Prophets Day 57. 1 Kings 18: Mountaintop Showdown Day 58. 2 Kings 5: Double Portion Day 59. Joel 2: Word Power Day 60. Jonah 3–4: Beloved Enemies Day 61. Amos 4: Street-Corner Prophet Day 62. Hosea 1, 3: Parable of Love Day 63. Hosea 11: Wounded Lover Day 64. 2 Kings 17: Postmortem The Southern Kingdom (Day 65—Day 80) Day 65. 2 Chronicles 20: Meanwhile in Jerusalem Day 66. Micah 6: Pollution Spreads Day 67. 2 Chronicles 30: Hezekiah’s Festival Day 68. Isaiah 6: Power behind the Throne Day 69. Isaiah 25: Eloquent Hope Day 70. 2 Chronicles 32: Battlefield Lessons Day 71. Nahum 1: Enemy Justice Day 72. Zephaniah 3: Rotten Ruling Class Day 73. 2 Kings 22: Boy Wonder Day 74. Jeremiah 2: National Adultery Day 75. Jeremiah 15: Balky Prophet Day 76. Jeremiah 31: Israel’s Future Day 77. Jeremiah 38: A Prophet’s Perils Day 78. Habakkuk 1: Debating God Day 79. Lamentations 3: Poet in Shock Day 80. Obadiah: No Room to Gloat Starting Over (Day 81—Day 95) Day 81. Ezekiel 1: In Exile Day 82. Ezekiel 2–3: Toughening Up Day 83. Ezekiel 4: Write Large and Shout Day 84. Ezekiel 37: Resurrection Time Day 85. Daniel 1: Enemy Employers Day 86. Daniel 3: Ordeal by Fire Day 87. Daniel 5: Like Father, Like Son Day 88. Daniel 6: Daniel’s Longest Night Day 89. Ezra 3: Home at Last Day 90. Haggai 1: A Needed Boost Day 91. Zechariah 8: Raising Sights Day 92. Nehemiah 2: A Man for All Seasons Day 93. Nehemiah 8: Mourning into Joy Day 94. Esther 4: A Race’s Survival Day 95. Malachi 2: Low-Grade Disappointment Cries of Pain (Day 96—Day 102) Day 96. Job 1–2: Is God Unfair? Day 97. Job 38: God Speaks to Job Day 98. Job 42: Happy Ending Day 99. Isaiah 40: Who’s in Charge? Day 100. Isaiah 52: The Suffering Servant Day 101. Isaiah 53: Wounded Healer Day 102. Isaiah 55: The End of It All A Surprising Messiah Day 103. 1 Cor  13: The Love Chapter Day 152. 1 Corinthians 15: The Last Enemy Day 153. 2 Corinthians 4: Baked Dirt Day 154. 2 Corinthians 12: Boasting of Weakness Paul’s Legacy (Day 155—Day 168) Day 155. Romans 3: Remedy Day 156. Romans 7: Limits of the Law Day 157. Romans 8: Spirit Life Day 158. Romans 12: When Christians Disagree Day 159. Acts 26: Unexpected Passage Day 160. Acts 27: Perfect Storm Day 161. Acts 28: Rome at Last Day 162. Ephesians 2: Prison Letter Day 163. Ephesians 3: Success Story Day 164. Colossians 1: Spanning the Gap Day 165. Philemon: A Personal Favor Day 166. Titus 2: Paul’s Troubleshooter Day 167. 1 Timothy 1: Growth Pains Day 168. 2 Timothy 2: Final Words Vital Letters (Day 169—Day 180) Day 169. Hebrews 2: The Great Descent Day 170. Hebrews 11: What Is True Faith? Day 171. Hebrews 12: Marathon Race Day 172. James 1: Walk the Talk Day 173. 1 Peter 1: Converted Coward Day 174. 2 Peter 1: Hidden Dangers Day 175. Jude: Sounding the Alarm Day 176. 1 John 3: Merest Christianity Day 177. 2 and 3 John: Pesky Deceivers Day 178. Revelation 1: The Final Word Day 179. Revelation 12: Another Side of History Day 180. Revelation 21: An End and a Beginning

Are jailhouse conversions bogus?

The late Charles Colson was a criminal. My skeptical friend said he died guilty: once a scoundrel - always a scoundrel.

What about jailhouse conversions?

Sure, some of them are phony or don't last.

The Bible says, "By their fruits you shall know them." It also says many concepts therein are spiritually discerned. 

But this one's obvious to any honest person: transformation is possible and is proven every day.

"The difficult lesson for us is that while God’s grace erases the guilt of our sin before him, there may be consequences of sin that yet occur in this temporal realm. Divine forgiveness (desiring and acting for another’s ultimate good despite their guilt) is not the same as pardon from all earthly consequences; bank robbers may still need to serve prison terms even if they become believers. It also helps to have an eternal perspective in considering that David’s child would still be with him and the Lord forever in the heavenly kingdom, freed of all earthly trauma (v. 23)." ESB Study Bible

Coinciding dates of Mom, Dad, Geo. H.W. Bush, Reagan & JFK

On the frigid winter morning of November 21, 1942, eighteen-year-old aviation cadet George Bush lifted off a tarmac in Minnesota and flew a small trainer plane by himself for the first time. “It is hard for non-pilots to understand the joy of a first solo flight,” Bush later commented. “All of us who soloed thought we were ten feet tall.”  George was flying a Stearman N2S biplane, nicknamed "the Yellow Peril"...also "the Washing Machine" because so many washed out, unable to handle her.
Flyboys: A True Story of Courage by James Bradley 

On that same date,  Mom and Dad, Robert and Verna, were married. The  marriage was to be in Minnesota, near where Bush first soloed, unbeknownst to any of them. But Dad couldn't get enough leave from his Alameda Coast Guard station, Oakland, Calif., and so he and Mom agreed to meet in Reno, find a minister, and tie the knot there.

The presidential coincidences didn't end there. John Kennedy died Nov. 22, 1963, my wife Suzanne's daddy's birthday. And Ronald Reagan died June 5, 2004, my daddy's birthday.

My Air Force commission was signed by Lyndon Johnson, and I've served nine presidents, including both George Bushes. I saw Gerald Ford at Butler Field House and shook hands with Vice President Spiro Agnew in Japan. 

Apparently my presence with those two ended their careers.

Is abandoning faith logical?

A small number of my family and friends have bought into popular culture and suspended their faith.

Try as I might, their excuses make no sense to me.

Example: relative truth - you are supposed to believe that there are no universal or objective truths. What is truly true is true only to you, regardless of what others accept as true.

Balderdash.

The one who taught that expects you to accept what he or she said as objective and universal truth. And try relative truth at the bank or when signing a contract.

Example: one claims to abandon faith in favor of "logic."

Illogical.

In place of faith, they accept an imaginary, powerful, intelligent creator called Chance. Actually, Chance is a powerless, inanimate figment of wishful thinking. Chance never did anything and is incapable of doing anything for you.

Skepticism can be helpful...when it works both ways.

You want logic?

Consider this: ONE STRATEGY TO RULE THEM ALL

P.S. In searching for an image for this post, I found one that said, "Insecurity is noisy. Confidence is silent" - something like that. A friend charges that the reason I write this stuff is insecurity. If confidence remains silent, what does that say of such skeptics as Hitchens and Dawkins? Just wondering.

Is hell temporary or forever?

A renowned evangelical theologian, the late John Stott, decided in his advancing age that those who do not renounce their sins by the blood of Jesus will be annihilated instead of spending eternity in hell. Seventh Day Adventists believe this as well.

Two Adventists attended my Bible study at the Corps of Engineers. I asked my Bible-teacher dad what I should say to the Adventists.

"Say nothing," he said. "They may be right.

What???

Here's my conclusion: this is a troubling doctrine we should approach with the utmost caution. I dare not be wrong about it. Below is a scholarly defense of an eternal hell. While I am both happy to disagree, thus letting others "tickle my ears," I dare not. I rely on what scripture says, which I believe the late Dr. Dallas Willard sums up brilliantly:

Does believing all the right doctrines get you into Heaven? [I would interject that Satan knows all the right doctrines]. No, says Willard, as important as they are.

What gets you into Heaven, Willard summarizes, is this:

Trusting Jesus to assist you in living your life as He would live it if He were you.

J.I. Packer's* scholarly response to Stott is HERE

*I've known two beloved pastors who died of Lou Gehrig's disease, Tommy Paino and Marc Pearson. J.I. Packer was one of Marc's favorite authors, highly recommending Packer's Knowing God.

 

Stunningly, breathtakingly overwhelmed by here & now

My recent readings of desperate, bone-numbing, freezing cold & temperature extremes in Antarctica, World War II Europe, China and Vietnam, along with unimaginable cruelty and endurance of humankind (even now with beheadings in the Middle East and yes, America) have absolutely overwhelmed me.

Why did God put me here and now, with every conceivable comfort and pleasure? My existence is such a contrast to the tortuous suffering I've been reading about. Why me?

God has an assignment for me. I pray that I won't miss it, and I'm confident I won't - when God has an assignment for us, He sends Moses a burning bush, Joseph a prison dream interpretation, Paul a light from Heaven. And so I won't miss it. I just need to trust and obey.
___________
My readings: Chickenhawk, about the intensive hazards of flying rescue helicopters in Vietnam; Pacific Crucible, about losing the first six months of World War II, with American flyers taking off from aircraft carriers, returning only to discover their ship had sunk; Fly Boys, about shocking behavior of soldiers in Asia; Killing Patton, of determination against staggering odds in Europe; and Endurance, about Skipper Sir Earnest Shackleton's miraculous leadership bringing his crew back from a shipwreck in the Antarctic when all hope was gone. My grandfather actually worked for Shackleton, though not on that voyage. Grandfather Milo Milton Oblinger (and also with a pen name Milton Richards) wrote boys' adventure series (Dick Kent character) and historical novels about Balboa and Alexander McKenzie - books I actually found in my school library.

Beauty dragging a creep?

As a professional communicator, the populace often misunderstands me.

Oops. Pal Dan reminds me to write with short words.

Friends and family get me wrong now and then.

I don't like it much when folks praise beauty.

I can name names of boys, girls, men and women who wince when they hear praise of one close to them for their looks.

Yes, that's too often what we notice first. But so many folks think and talk of it all the time. When I call them on it, they think I am biased against beauty and thinness.

Does that mean I favor ugly and fat?

Maybe.

Maybe not. What the world thinks ugly may have inner beauty. 

All souls have beauty in some way.

What is beauty? Russian men like their women plump.

I know at least two men who have said embracing a thin woman feels like a bag of bones.

Bill Gothard asks us not to praise a little girl for being pretty. Someone else may hear and be hurt. Praise one for how helpful or thoughtful or brave or kind one is.

I find no guidance in scripture to evaluate a person based on how good they look. Saul was tall and dashing. He turned out to be a bad king. Then, Jesse's taller and better-looking sons were passed over for David.

Yes! There are many burdened by beauty who are lovely inside and out. I know that.

But please excuse me if I stick up for what the world thinks lesser lights.

I may be handsome now...but not before being thought of as the ugly duckling!

How many times have we seen a well-kempt woman dragging what strikes us as a creep - or vice versa. They must see beauty we don't.

Let's all look below the surface.