Quote of the Day - Benjamin Franklin

A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.

Benjamin Franklin

Memorial Day

(Brian Vander Brug / LAT)

'Would I die for my job?' One brother struggles to understand why the other insisted on fighting for his country in a war that eventually killed him. (Los Angeles Times, registration may be required)

In commemoration of memorial day and our veterans, here is an article by Sandy Banks of the Los Angeles Times that shows the personal side of this day.

Quote of the Day - Vince Lombardi

Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser.

Vince Lombardi

Way tired

I've been way too busy so I've not blogged much lately. This probably means I need to slow down.

I went to a community group Bible Study on Wednesday. There were two guys and eight women. It was quite disturbing. I am starting to agree more and more with David Murrow who wrote Why Men Hate Going to Church that our churches are not letting men be men. I felt like I had crashed a women's support group and spoiled their party. It was painful.

Since I've lived in community with quite a few men for some time, I've concluded that if you want men to exercise servant leadership in the kingdom, you must have a Men's ministry at the church level. Men have such special needs and are often dealing with so many issues that you have to dig deep to heal their wounds. Those needs can only be addressed when men feel free to tackle issues that only men face. I am willing to bet that the church you attend is at least fifty-five percent women if not more.

Ever hear a lousy preacher?

May 15

Preaching: The Authority of God

...I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, "Thus says the Lord God." As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse--for they are a rebellious house--yet they will know that a prophet has been among them. -Ezekiel 2:4-5

I don't want to be unkind, but I am sure there ought to be a lot more authority in the pulpit than there is now. A preacher should reign from his pulpit as a king from his throne. He should not reign by law nor by regulations and not by board meetings or man's authority. He ought to reign by moral ascendance.

When a man of God stands to speak, he ought to have the authority of God on him so that he makes the people responsible to listen to him. When they will not listen to him, they are accountable to God for turning away from the divine Word. In place of that needed authority, we have tabby cats with their claws carefully trimmed in the seminary, so they can paw over the congregations and never scratch them at all. They have had their claws trimmed and are just as soft and sweet as can be....

I believe in the authority of God, and I believe if a man doesn't have it, he should go away and pray and wait until he gets the authority and then stand up to speak even if he has to begin on a soapbox on a street corner. Go to a rescue mission and preach with authority! They had it in those days--when they stood up, there was authority! The Counselor, 150-151.

"Lord, may I always preach boldly like the Apostle Paul, like Ezekiel, like Jeremiah and the prophets. If I have the Word of God; if I have the Holy Spirit; if I have a humble spirit of dependence on You--there's no reason I should preach like a de-clawed tabby cat! Amen."

Quote of the Day - Martin Luther King Jr.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

- Martin Luther King Jr.

Quote of the Day - Theodore Roosevelt

It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things.

Theodore Roosevelt

Quote of the Day - Martin Luther King Jr.

Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Quote of the Day - Michael Pritchard

You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.

Michael Pritchard

Quote of the Day - Winston Churchill

If you're going through hell, keep going.

Winston Churchill

Charity

Okay some I'm feeling convicted by a sermon I heard on Sunday about all these "Christians" with blogs but yet they are not necessarily showing more charity to our neighbor. Do we need more blogs? I'm not so sure. So C.S. Lewis says something like if you want to figure out how to love your neighbor more, just do it. If you just love them then the emotion will follow or something like that. I guess blogs are kind of like adding more Christian book stores.

Biographies

Does anybody have a recommendation for the best biographies on Winston Churchill or Benjamin Franklin?

Quote of the Day - Oscar Wilde

Consistency is the last resort of the unimaginative.

Oscar Wilde