Archive for April, 2008

The Barbarian Way: Unleash the Untamed Faith Within

Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

by Erwin Raphael McManus

The Barbarian Way

As you can tell by the title there is going to be something different about this book.

The Barbarian Way uses the model of John the Baptist as the archetypal “Christian.” John’s fight was with the religious leaders dressed in fine robes and justifying their lives by the letter of Moses Law and not by the spirit in which the laws were given. McManus points out that the church of today has become the same as it was before Christ came. The church is judgmental and segmented instead of displaying the love of Christ to those not in the church.Our fight now is as it was against those in the robes of piety.

My favorite illustration from the book is that of the title, no barbarian horde ever went into battle in single file (as the romans did). And that we as the “Christian” hordes should not be made to “get in line” or homogenized, we should be given the chance to hone and use the skills and gifts given specifically to each of us in the fight against evil and the redemption of those who find themselves lost.

10 out of 10, Awesome read, I did it in 2 settings. Probably a lot in here for a men’s discussion group probably about 3-4 weeks of topics for a weekly group.

Categories : Reviews
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Titus: Leadership 101

Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

I’ve been searching everywhere for an accessible (cheap) study or resource on leadership. Needless to say I don’t have the best “quiet time” discipline. Today, up earlier than normal I made coffee and sat at my desk with Eugene Peterson’s “The Message” in front of me. I have zero luck at picking good scripture to read, and not thinking about the leadership subject, I said a quick, hopefull, incomplete prayer to read something I needed. The spine of this particular bible is broken in Titus so I started reading Paul’s words to him. “I left you in charge… so you could complete what I left halfdone.”

Imagine that a book on leadership, one mentor speaking encouragement to his charge. The main themes expressed were how to:

  • Pick good leaders
  • Encourage the church to live to a higher standard
  • God is ready for us to spread the word of Salvation available to everyone
  • Calm rebellious uprisings

Chapter 3 “It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stuborn dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back.” Sounds like ignorance, lust, and anger issues, how relevant is that? “But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing.”

Remember: God picked a man with your personality and skill set, you for this fight. Fight well and fight all the way through. And remember to stretch first, you don’t want to pull anything.

Categories : Life and Story, Purpose
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My Turn to Jump on the ‘Green’ Bandwagon

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

Being “green’ ain’t easy. You have to think about the products you buy and the trash you make, and take an inventory of the resources you consume. Then go a step further and consider the products, trash, and resources used by the manufacturers of your products and resources. It can get to be very time consuming.

On the Debate:

(This is not the point of this post, this paragraph is to give my perspective, hopefully it will make the point a little more pointed.) I’ve read the end of the story and I don’t see world ending because of too much of the wrong gas in the air. And, I know it won’t end because of flooding (caused by the melting of the ice caps). I know this because the world has been flooded before and there was a promise made to us by God that he wouldn’t destroy the earth again by flood. rb.jpgGenesis 9:13 “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” I personally don’t think man has the ability to destroy this ear th. As for research in the area of climate change, their are as many “experts” on both sides of the issue. Some say the ice caps are melting, others say they are growing. Some say the temperature of the earth is rising and just as many say it is falling. And, I seriously doubt that Al Gore has some inside track on the subject, just a lot of free time and a need to be relevant in some way. Regardless of the side of the debate on which you fall, the story ends the same. Rev. 21:1 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had passed away.”

Its a Matter of Resources:

(Here’s the point) I’m no tree hugger that’s for dang sure. For me, environmentalism is another matter altogether, a more tangible, less debatable matter of stewardship. Simply put, if I reduce the money I spend on my utilities then I can use that money in more productive areas.

I want to be off the grid. I want one of those houses that is heated and cooled passively but the sun and earth where rain is collected and used for watering the garden and grey water for the house. I’d love to go solar but that is way to expensive and building a wind generator is a close second in cost. We have an old drafty house. We spend a ton of money heating and cooling it. Before you think we go overboard the heat gets set on 62 and the air gets set around 78. I would love to seal the place up and we are trying. We both drive a lot, I traded my V8 for a V6 and we have no car payments. Other options may be an old diesel or a scooter but you can’t put a scooter on the highway. Maybe later when we’re in a better money position doing some of those things might be possible but for now we cut as many corners as we can and try to reduce what we use and reward manufactures that do the same.

Does anyone know of a practical DIY solar project or wind project or good ways to reduce dependence on the utilities or oil companies? I’ve searched online but a lot of the solutions are jankey at best. Maybe we can get together as a group and help each other find ways to lower our utility bills and reclaim some hard earned bucks.

As always, for freedom!

Categories : Life and Story, Reviews
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Matthew 5:16

Monday, April 21st, 2008
–Reprinted from the Ransomed Heart Daily Email– slightly edited

Embracing the Glory
04/20/2008

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, and talented?” Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us . . . And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. (Marianne Williamson)

When I first read this quote, I thought, No, that’s not true. We don’t fear our glory. We fear we are not glorious at all. We fear that at bottom, we are going to be revealed as . . . disappointments. Mandela is just trying to make a nice speech, like a sermon, to buoy us up for a day or two. But as I thought about it more, I realized we do fear our glory. We fear even heading this direction because, for one thing, it seems prideful. Now pride is a bad thing, to be sure, but it’s not prideful to embrace the truth that you bear the image of God. Paul says it brings glory to God. We walk in humility because we know it is a glory bestowed. It reflects something of the Lord’s glory.

(Waking the Dead , 87)

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:15-17

Categories : Front Page
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Maturity

Monday, April 7th, 2008

Erwin McManus (of “The Barbarian Way”) says that you can judge your level of “christian” maturity by the amount of time between when God tells you to do something and when you get it done.

Well, tonight I sent the email. The email that invites the leaders of Oklahoma City mens groups to get together and combine efforts. It took a month to get my mind around it, two months to write and two months to rewrite and send it. But, right now it is on the way to our small group pastor then to be distributed to all our other local campuses.

So, Erwin? how long is 5 months on the maturity scale? I guess five months is good considering all the things I’ve left on the table over the years.

God has put you where you are because he needs a man with your talents and personality exactly where you are. What has God told you to do that you haven’t followed through on? Do you think other parts of you life may be on hold until it gets done?

Categories : Vision
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