Doug's Blog
As followers of Jesus Christ we believe that we are on this earth to make a difference. That we are here to influence and impact our culture and community in a positive way. This blog will focus on issues and challenges and how we can bring about a change.
The Celebrity President
Posted on Friday, May 11th 2012 at 10:38 am
The celebrity President
We are fascinated with the lives of celebrities in our culture. We see them pose at soirée’s wearing outfits that no rational person would wear. We follow their marriages, divorces, bad behavior, substance abuse, arrests, incarceration, probation and rehabilitation. Women ask their hair dressers for the same coiffure of their favorite star, they wear dresses from their clothing lines (unless they are made in China), and purchase their diet and exercise plans. Men eschew shaving to have the 2 day beard look of the star, or wear the ray-bans the star perches on their nose and lusts after the nymphet he has on his arm. Yes the stars have power over our lives. The president just had the largest single fundraising event in history at George Clooney’s home. Robert Downey, Jr., Barbara Streisand, Jack Black and Selma Hayek and all of your favorite stars were there. We weren’t invited. But just like George Clooney said about his magnificent villa in Italy “everyone should have one”, so maybe next time. They raised 15 million dollars at the event and President Obama has displaced the former celebrity president (Bill Clinton) in popularity. He didn’t even need to mention his support for gay marriage (very popular among our stars); all he had to say was “we had a big day yesterday” to thundering applause. Certainly because the majority of the stars support President Obama shouldn’t the rest of us? I believe we are very deceived in our culture. Because these people have extraordinary talent we raise them to a status that is not warranted. They live in a make believe bubble and most cannot manage their own lives nor cope with reality without medication. Their lives are filled with lustful, immoral behavior where no line remains to be crossed. They have multiple marriages, affairs, and shifting sexual identity. Their lives often end in tragedy, suicide, drug overdose or dissipation. They don’t even know who they really are. One of my favorite actors was Cary Grant. He was married 5 times, he tried to find inner peace through yoga, hypnotism and mysticism (which failed) and finally opted for LSD treatments. He was asked once how it felt to be Cary Grant. He replied “everyone wants to be Cary Grant; even I would like to be Cary Grant”. To be fair there aren’t many Jimmy Stewarts, (those that can survive being a star with the fame, wealth and lifestyles). But, following their advice on how we live our lives or who to vote for is unwise. So like the grail knight said in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade “choose wisely”.
Stir up the Nest
Posted on Monday, May 07th 2012 at 05:17 pm
Stir Up the Nest
Have you ever seen an eagle fly? I was in Alaska climbing a mountain and was awestruck at the site of a giant bald eagle swooping down from on high scouring the landscape for food for her young. Eagles build very large nests to house their young and regurgitate food to feed them until the day that they “stir up the nest”. The mother eagle enters the nest and then nudges the eaglet out. The eaglet is unprepared and falls helplessly to earth flapping its’ useless wings. Then momma eagle swoops under the eaglet and catches him between her wings. This stirring up of the nest is repeated until finally the eaglet can fly on its’ own and hunt for itself. If the mother eagle didn’t stir up the nest I imagine the eaglets would grow into fat, lazy adult eagles incapable of taking care of themselves. I think this is analogous to what has happened in our culture. A friend was telling me about his son who is nearing 30 years old and has yet to leave home. Why should he? He doesn’t pay any rent, is well fed and cared for all at the expense of his parents. It might be time to nudge this fledgling out of the nest. We are creating a nation of dependency instead of the American value of rugged independence. It is hard to believe that John F. Kennedy said fifty years ago that we should “ask not what our country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”. It certainly wouldn’t fly as a campaign slogan today. The only hope for our nation is that we stir up the nest and let our dependent eaglets learn to fly.
“Like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions” Deuteronomy 32:11
Jesse or Ron?
Posted on Wednesday, April 25th 2012 at 03:57 pm
I can understand the frustration the average American feels about politics. But, the truth is politics is a game, much like football or perhaps more like professional wrestling. You have players, coaches, strategy, marketing all of the elements in sports. The special election for CD 8 was good strategy by the Democrats. If she would have finished her term or resigned a couple of weeks later, there would have been no special election. We would have had a general election for CD 2 (the new district). By having a special election to fill her seat the advantage goes to Ron Barber. Ron is a very nice man and by all accounts sensibly moderate in his views. The problem is our country is out of balance. A good friend of mine, (who is a democrat and an aid to an elected official), told me that he feels Tucson is out of balance because we have too many democrats on the city council (and county government). He went on to say that government works best when there is a balance, and that our city is dysfunctional because it is too lop sided. You may have heard the analogy that the democrat party is the more “feminine” party and the republican more “masculine”. God designed us different so that in marriage we could become one flesh and have the best of both genders (in a good marriage). So would Ron Barber be best for CD 8 or Jesse Kelly? The winner of the special election will most likely win the general election for CD2, (that is why the democrats wanted the special election). So when you sort out all the over the top rhetoric, exaggerated promises and misrepresentations of the campaign who would be the best person to elect to congress? Democrats are comfortable with bigger government and more regulation and oversight of business, much like a mother wanting to protect her children. Republicans want less government, regulation and oversight to open up more opportunity for business and competition, much like a father buying his son a BB gun (“but don’t shoot your sister”). The massive amount of regulation and bureaucratic mazes that await the young entrepreneur trying to get a business off the ground is simply a bar that’s too high. Bernie Marcus (the founder of Home Depot) said that if he tried to start his business today that it would be impossible. We are also facing a movement on the left towards collectivism which will quench free enterprise in America. We will cease to be the land of opportunity as we become more the land of entitlement. We had 4 good candidates in the Republican primary for the Special Election. Some have said that they would run in CD 2 if Jesse Kelly doesn’t win. If he doesn’t win the special election, then these other challengers will not win in the CD 2 election. So, if you believe that America has gotten out of balance, then you need to support the Republican primary winner Jesse Kelly.
Right Hearts
Posted on Tuesday, April 17th 2012 at 03:33 pm
I got my start in radio as a DJ. I was working overnights at the top rated FM station in Albuquerque. I remember the rivalry between the DJ’s and the sales staff. I would hear the DJ’s grumble about the sales people (they were prima Donna’s that didn’t do anything but wine and dine clients, and they made way too much money on the backs of the “talent” (DJ’s). My boss and mentor was Al Baker. He did our morning show and had the smoothest, deepest pipes (voice) I ever heard. He had been at the top stations in the country and even worked at the famed station in New York City that hosted the Beatles on their first tour. I asked him one day about my future. He told me “son, keep your U-Haul packed, in this business you are either moving to a bigger market or moving down, and it will happen every time the book (ratings) comes out”. That wasn’t very appealing so I asked him what else I could do. He told me I could be a sales person. So I made the switch and then heard the grousing from the other side (the DJ’s were ingrates that didn’t appreciate the folks that produced the revenue). This kind of sibling rivalry is common in business and in families. I wonder what it would have been like to be Eli and Peyton Manning? Their father was a great professional quarterback and raised two boys that probably vied for his attention and affection. I can imagine Peyton complaining that Archie favored Eli because he was the baby or Eli complaining that Peyton got more attention because he was older and already a star in high school. But, I bet they didn’t do that very much, they were too busy engaged in healthy competition. Competition made them better and folks can argue about who is better Peyton or Eli, but no one can argue about their success. Competition is good for us as well. It makes us work harder and achieve things that we dreamed about. Competitors appreciate their competition and celebrate the success of their rivals. But, where there is jealousy or covetousness it is toxic. This was true at the radio station I worked at. Even though we were the top station in the market as far as ratings, the working environment was toxic. When our hearts are right we have a team mentality that strives for excellence, relishes competition and rejoices at the success of others. When our hearts are wrong we want the destruction of our rivals and rejoice at their failures. Oh that we would have right hearts.
The President is right
Posted on Wednesday, April 11th 2012 at 02:03 pm
The President is right about the “Buffet rule”. I watched him in the press conference this morning surrounded by “secretaries” of “millionaires” with their heads nodding at the appropriate times. The “Buffet rule” will most likely be very good for the President politically. Who can disagree with the rich paying “their fair share”? Even though President Obama made it clear that those wealthy people (making over a million dollars a year) pay less a percentage of income tax than middle class Americans (like the secretaries sitting on the stage), most of the reporters reported that wealthy people pay “less taxes” than middle class Americans. Point scored game over. Politics is all about the magical manipulation of public opinion, whether it is democrats or republicans wielding the wand of deception. The President has conjured up a brilliant illusion; although deceptive it will be effective in wooing economically ignorant Americans. Most people don’t understand that there is a difference between tax on ordinary income (higher rate) and capital gains (lower rate). This makes it difficult to explain that someone like Warren Buffet (capital gains) paid an effective rate less than his secretary (who made between $200,000 and $500,000 per year in ordinary income). Then you have to explain that people are investing money they already paid tax on, putting at risk and then paying taxes on the gain from the investment. It is all very complex. Plus there is a plethora of tax loopholes and creative tax planning (trusts and foundations) that allow the wealthy to defer income or take tax write offs to create vehicles for giving or employment for their children. Even if the “Buffet rule” passed (which it won’t), it wouldn’t do what it intends (tax the rich and reduce the deficit). There will be new loop holes created, or income will be simply diverted using legal tax strategies. The deficit will not be reduced, but the Average American would feel better because those fat cats are now supposedly paying their fair share. The truth is our income tax system needs to be scrapped in favor or a flat and fair tax that average Americans can understand. But, if it were that simple then they couldn’t work their magic on us.
Happy Easter
Posted on Friday, April 06th 2012 at 11:13 am
There has always been controversy over "who killed" Christ. Those that hate the Jewish people have often tried to say that the Jews killed Jesus. The Nazi's mislead most of the German people in this way. The "German Church" actually cut out the old testament from the Bible because it was "too Jewish". They also didn't like the suffering Messiah and the crucifixion because it showed weakness. This is false teaching and is not supported by scripture. In John 10:8 Jesus said this:
"No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
The Jewish leadership and the Roman soldiers committed the act of crucifixion, but Jesus was bearing the sin of all humanity when he laid down his life. That is why it is Good Friday. If he wouldn't have died for our sins, then we would have to bear our sins ourselves. What could we do to make up for our sin? Good works? Do we somehow keep a ledger, and what if God's ledger is different than ours? So Jesus death on the cross was to bear our sin. And as it says in John 10:8 He had the authority to take it up again, or rise from the dead.
That is where Romans 10:9 comes in:
"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Salvation comes through confessing that Jesus is Lord (Master) of our life and believing in the resurrection. If Jesus didn't rise from the grave, we have no hope of eternal life. Simon Greenleaf was a Jewish lawyer that was one of the principle founders of Harvard Law school. His book on evidence is used to this day. He sought to disprove the resurrection, but came to the conclusion that the witnesses were reliable and that the resurrection did indeed happen. He then gave his life to Jesus Christ. His book "Testimony of the Evangelists" was a foundational work for apologetics (defense of the faith).
From many one
Posted on Monday, April 02nd 2012 at 11:00 am
I think many of us are concerned about the flames of racial division that are being fanned because of the Trayvon Martin story. There are some that want to continue to beat the drum that America is a racist nation. I thought we were getting close to achieving what Martin Luther King yearned for; that our nation would be a place where people were judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin It seems we are further away from becoming a nation of many that become one (as our defacto motto E Pluribus Unum calls for), united as our states are with common values and purpose. We are instead becoming more a nation divided by race, class, education and gender. Those of you that are married know that marriage is not without its' challenges. A couple that says they have never had a fight haven't been together very long. Going through those rough spots make the marriage stronger if we learn and grow through them. But, if every time there is a spat you bring up past sins and fail to see progress, the marriage is destined for failure. That is where I see our nation. Yes, we have had a history of racism, but we have made progress. Ignoring the progress and viewing our current situation through the prism of the past will destine our nation to failure.
It is also significant that we are having a discussion about racial profiling. The issue really isn't about racial profiling it is about profiling in general. Gang members, meth addicts, sexual predators and serial killers can be profiled, and I think should be. Israel leads the way in profiling because they know that those that want to kill them are Islamists. I remember when I was a college student driving by UNM in Albuquerque with some friends. A police officer pulled up beside me and observed me with and 3 other long hairs in a vehicle with smoke billowing out of the windows, he heard Led Zeppelins Mothership (8 track) blaring out of my Jensen 3 way speakers and Craig power amplifier. He profiled us and pulled us over. Thankfully we had nothing left in the car so we weren't arrested. But, I wrote a college paper about how unfair it was that cops assumed that long haired hippie types were dope smoking law breakers.
Our eyes make it possible to observe the different colors, shapes and sizes of the people that we meet. Our hearts determine how what we see is processed. The diversity of race, nationality, and cultural backgrounds is a wonderful thing, so long as we who are many become one.
Swiss Made
Posted on Tuesday, March 27th 2012 at 11:17 am
I was skiing in Taos New Mexico last week. I first skied there 35 years ago and met Ernie Blake, the founder and owner, shortly after that. Ernie was an amazing man. Ernie was born in Germany, but grew up in Switzerland and served in the Swiss Air Force. He was an excellent athlete and would have easily qualified for the German Olympic Hockey team in 1936 had he not been Jewish. After the war he came to the United States and managed 2 ski areas, one in Colorado and the other in Santa Fe. He was a pilot and flew back and forth between the 2 ski areas. He would fly different courses searching the rugged mountains for the perfect place to build his own ski resort. On one of those trips he spied Taos. He purchased the land that is now the ski valley and began building Taos Ski valley in 1955. They lived without power until 1963 and did the work themselves with help from friends. Soon friends from Europe joined them as ski instructors, restaurant and shop proprietors and Taos Ski Valley took off. It is now one of the most successful privately owned ski resorts in the world. Ernie was a great example of what our free enterprise system is all about. If you have a dream, work hard you may succeed. In the process Ernie created jobs and business opportunities from hundreds of other people. This is truly what makes America the shining city on a hill.
Inequality of income and assets; true justice?
Posted on Friday, March 16th 2012 at 09:45 am
I have had several friends that have been victims of thievery lately. Most of it was copper theft, but a friend who is in heavy construction had something very unusual happen. They arrived at the job site this week to find that thieves had picked specific parts off of their heavy equipment. Things like gears, and light kits for bull dozers, not your ordinary thievery. Perhaps it was a competitor that needed parts for repairs and thought that since my friend had them he could take them? There has been so much talk about "income inequality" and the need to "redistribute wealth" perhaps this will be the new trend. Your neighbor has something you "need" so you just take it to even things out. Need a part for your car, just take it from someone else's car, after all why should they have it when yours is missing? I can see this used as a defense in the not too distant future:
Prosecutor: "Why did your client take his neighbor's lawn mower?"
Defendant's Attorney:" My client is the real victim here. His so called neighbor makes more money than he does and has more assets."
Prosecutor: "Actually your honor this is not true. We have the defendant's tax returns right here and he makes more than the victim the only reason he has more "stuff" is that he inherited the assets from his grandfather."
Defendants Attorney: "Just what I thought your honor generational transfer of wealth. This is another brick in the wall of income inequality in America".
Coming soon to your area equality of income and assets; true justice?
Alternative Eternity
Posted on Monday, March 05th 2012 at 10:15 am
I was at a memorial service for a friend over the weekend. He had lived a full life and was loved by all who knew him. His grandkids talked about how they will miss their "Tata", his best friend talked about how he became a high ranking official and his mechanical and computer abilities. His sister talked about how much he helped her financially and how she will miss his wise counsel. Then his daughter gave a tearful tribute about her love for her father and how he helped her throughout her life. Then she said something chilling, "you know my father was not a religious man so we don't know where he is". She went on to say that he will always be with her in her heart, but I was struck with her honest confession about her doubts concerning where her father ended up. So often when you attend memorials you will hear about how the person is "in a better place" or "with us in spirit", but it is rare to have someone honestly say that they don't know where he is, or if he is anywhere. It reminded me of what Stephen Hawking, the brilliant physicist, recently said about what happens when we die. You may know that Hawking's suffers from a disease similar to ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), and is steadily deteriorating and facing death. He was asked about what happens when we die and he responded that it was like turning off a computer, we are simply turned off and cease to think or exist. Dr. Hawking is one of the smartest people on the planet, and because he is so brilliant he could be right. If he is right, then there is nothing to worry about. We die and our "computer" is shut off and we cease to exist. But, what if he is wrong? What if the computer doesn't shut off and we end up in an afterlife that we haven't planned for? That is what has always troubled me. I used to have dreams where I was falling off a cliff and never hit the bottom, just endless terror. I would wake up in a sweat terrified and that is what caused me to search for God and the meaning of life. We plan for vacations, what we are going to eat for dinner, our retirement, yet many of us have made no plans for what happens after we die. If God does exist and if He has a plan for our life and our afterlife, then it might be wise to find out what that plan is. Otherwise we might end up in an alternative eternity.
My Hero
Posted on Monday, February 27th 2012 at 05:22 pm
I just heard that my cousin Bruce passed away. When I was a kid he was my hero. When I was little he was the biggest, strongest, and most courageous person I knew. He was only 5 years older than me, but he was light years ahead of me. I think like George Bailey in "It's a Wonderful Life" Bruce was just "born older". I remember when I was about 8 watching him train his bull for the 4H contest at the county fair (where we ate Tom Thumb Donuts and won "humdingers" throwing dimes in dishes). The bull took off running and I had my foot inside the coil of rope. As the slack in the rope diminished I had the fleeting impression I should move my foot, but suddenly I was jerked in the air and dragged across the corral. I was hitting rocks and getting pretty beat up when Bruce caught up with the bull and punched him in the head. The bull stopped in its' tracks and my cousin released me from the noose around my foot. I knew I owed him my life. When I was 11 we went to one of his wrestling matches. Bruce handled his opponent with skill and ease and won the match. At the end of the matches he brought my younger sister pom poms from one of the cheerleaders. We were both in awe. Bruce was our hero.
We have the opportunity to be someone's hero, could be someone younger than us or our own children. This poem sums it up:
There are little eyes upon you
and they're watching night and day.
There are little ears that quickly
take in every word you say.
There are little hands all eager
to do anything you do;
And a little boy who's dreaming
of the day he'll be like you.
You're the little fellow's idol,
you're the wisest of the wise.
In his little mind about you
no suspicions ever rise.
He believes in you devoutly,
holds all you say and do;
He will say and do, in your way
when he's grown up just like you.
There's a wide eyed little fellow
who believes you're always right;
and his eyes are always opened,
and he watches day and night.
You are setting an example
every day in all you do;
For the little boy who's waiting
to grow up to be like you.
The Unfair Advantage
Posted on Friday, February 24th 2012 at 10:35 am
On CNN this morning they were talking about Mitt Romney's new tax proposal. Kyra Phillips and the reporter were bantering about the Romney's proposal to end the death tax. The reporter said "many Americans have a problem with the idea of wealth being passed on to people that haven't earned it. This creates generational wealth." Isn't this the American Dream? That you can work hard and put your kids in a better place so that they could advance in society and carve out a legacy for their kids? My mother's grandparents did that in 1850's when they came from Norway to clear land in Minnesota and farm. The Irish did that during the potato famine during the same time and the Italians around the turn of the century. They all came here with nothing and were dirt farmers, laborers and street sweepers because they had a dream that was uniquely American. That's all well and good until you succeed, then its' not fair.
I remember discovering I wasn't dumb when I was in eighth grade. I was a C student and a "day dreamer" (if I grew up today they probably would have diagnosed me as ADHD). We took an IQ test. I was called into the office after they got the results and grilled about how I cheated on the test. They didn't believe that a poor student like me could score in the top 5% of the school. But, there is a lot of difference between someone in the 95th percentile and the 99th percentile. The distance between me and the top 1 % (Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, George Soros and Warren Buffet etc.) is light years and billions of dollars. Now how is it fair that they have that much brain power and I don't? Certainly this unfair advantage should be mitigated in some way and brain power redistributed more "fairly".
If you invent a product, create and idea or just work hard and succeed you should be applauded and admired. The rest of us benefit from those that create jobs and everyone's standard of living rises, as John F. Kennedy said "when the tide rises, all boats rise". Your boat may not be as big as Bill Gates', but you are floating. And when you die you should be able to pass on your wealth to your heirs. What they do with it is none of our business. Some will build on it and others will squander it. What does it matter? The core issue to this obsession in our culture over the 1% and "fairness" is covetousness. It bears repeating what the 10th commandment says; it is sin to covet our neighbor's wife, home or anything that is our neighbors. That includes coveting what their kids will inherit.
Mistakes that changed history
Posted on Thursday, February 23rd 2012 at 10:33 am
I heard Michael Youssef speak at our national convention. Michael was born in Egypt and has a great understanding of the Middle East. He shared about 3 mistakes the church has historically made:
1. The first is instead of fighting the good fight of faith we fight the bad fight with each other. For example, Mohammad had contact with a Nestorian monk that sparked his curiosity about Christianity. He called the Bishops to meet with him and share with him why he should believe that Jesus was God. The Bishops argued doctrine among themselves and Mohammad said that he would make his own decision about Christianity. Imagine if these Bishops would have put aside their squabbling and shared with Mohammad the truth about Jesus Christ? It could have changed the last 1400 years of history. When we focus on our differences instead of what we have in common, we fight the bad fight.
2. The second mistake is straying from Biblical truth. North Africa had 10,000 churches in 600 AD. But, they had embraced a "liberal" view on the authority of scripture and were ripe for "new" doctrines. When the Muslims invaded in 630 AD those that weren't slain by the sword embraced the new religion of Islam because they thought it was a "new revelation" and the churches became Mosques. When we allow popular culture to shape our theology instead of the Bible we go astray.
3. The third mistake is straying from the prime mission of the church. In the 13th century Kublai Khan was said to have asked Marco Polo to ask Pope Gregory to send 100 missionaries to him and he and all the Mongols would convert to Christianity. Even though the churches mission (The Great Commission) is to go and make disciples of all nations, the church was slow to move on this opportunity taking nearly 30 years to send 3 missionaries. They missed a huge opportunity to fulfill the mission of the church and spread the Gospel throughout Asia. As Michael shared with us when we become more concerned about maintaining our parking lot then doing the great commission we neglect the prime mission of the church.
These mistakes have had lasting consequences. Are we repeating them?
Good Advice From Your Mother
Posted on Monday, February 13th 2012 at 11:46 am
Getting older has advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are we can learn from our mistakes and hopefully not repeat them. We have grown wealthy in relationships and memories. The disadvantages are that we have made mistakes and are now fear repeating them. And some of our relationships are poor and the memories faded. I have to guard my heart from becoming cynical and unwilling to trust. Recently I worked with the city council to come up with a solution to opening the pools that are closed because of budget cuts. I was asked by Councilman Fimbres to come up with an idea to open the pools. The idea was to allow businesses to sponsor pools and individuals to sponsor swimmers. I didn't know that in the eighties the city put a moratorium on businesses being able to sponsor city property. So we needed to get council approval to move forward with this idea. When I was driving to the council meeting I was grousing about our city and the missteps, mismanagement and malignancy that has plagued our community. I was getting more negative by the mile and then I "felt" God say "serve them". You may have experienced this yourself, the "pang of conscience" or that "still small voice". My heart was softened and I told the council that day that we in the business community had been absent from the table, except when it was something we were personally benefited from, and that we needed to be a part of the solution. It didn't matter that the city had essentially told us they didn't want our help 3 decades ago. I believe that we have responsibility for what has happened to our community and that we can help change it. Sir Edmund Burke said that "all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing". None of us are good, we are all flawed, but we can do what is right and help good to triumph. Certainly we can be taken advantage of when we extend ourselves to help city officials. And once things turn around they can throw us away like an old shoe. If we are focused on the outcome, in example eradicating drug use and poverty in our community, then we may as well be disappointed. But, we aren't responsible for the outcome, only our actions, or inaction. Mother Theresa was asked why she wasn't overwhelmed with the poverty in the slums of India where she labored. Obviously she wasn't making much of a dent in the deplorable conditions in those rat infested environs. She answered "I minister to the person in front of me and then I move on to the next". Good advice from your mother.
The Cost of Discipleship
Posted on Tuesday, February 07th 2012 at 11:44 am
There was a lot of focus last Friday about the President’s speech at the National Prayer Breakfast, as there should be. But, you may not have heard or seen the key note speaker Eric Metaxas (the author of Amazing Grace and Bonhoeffer), but it has sparked some controversy. Generally the key note speakers are careful not to step on toes in their remarks. Eric talked about growing up “religious” but not knowing Christ or His power in his life. He shared about William Wilberforce (Amazing Grace) and how his conversion from dead religiosity to an alive faith (propelled by Methodism) sought to end the slave trade in England. His decades of work in public service led to the end of slavery in England and in America. He then talked about the subject of his latest book Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was the son a renowned Neurologist in Germany. It was thought that he would follow in his father’s footsteps, but instead he chose the ministry. The liberal theology (emphasizing personal experience and minimizing scripture) dismayed him and he turned to the writings of Karl Barth (a conservative theologian emphasizing a return to scriptural relevance). This put him in a distinct minority and pitted him against the liberal majority who acquiesced to the Nazification of the German churches. He also was greatly impacted by his trip to America where he visited the churches in Harlem and heard preachers like Adam Clayton Powell delivering powerful Gospel messages encouraging a transformational faith in Christ. Bonhoeffer’s transformed faith, like Wilberforce, compelled him to resist Hitler and lead in the confessing churches opposition to the Nazi’s. He wrote the book “The Cost of Discipleship” during this time and it has inspired many Christian leaders to an active, transformational faith. This led to his imprisonment and execution. Eric then talked about abortion and that the unborn baby is undeniably a human life. He wasn’t condemning in his remarks, but simply spoke the truth in love. His call was for more of us to leave our dead religiosity and have a renewed, vibrant faith in Christ. In John Chapter 3 Nicodemus a member of the religious ruling council came to Jesus at night and said “Rabbi we know you are a teacher who has come from God. No one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing unless God were with him. In reply Jesus said, I tell you the truth no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again”. The key to being born again is found in that famous verse often displayed in the end zones during football season John 3:16. This was how Jesus concluded his talk with Nicodemus “for God so loved the world that He gave His only son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”. Nicodemus came at night because he didn’t want his religious friends to know that he was seeking Jesus. There is a cost to discipleship. To see Eric’s speech you can go to:
http://www.ericmetaxas.com/
Leadership
Posted on Wednesday, February 01st 2012 at 11:42 am
There is a lot of talk about the lack of civility in politics. I think we make a mistake when we stoop to character assassination and the assignation of vile labels on those that we oppose. In my experience I have found very few people in politics that have evil intent for our city, state or nation. It is not their intentions that should be questioned it should be their policies and even more important their capacity to lead successfully. The more I am around government officials and bureaucrats I realize it is the capacity to lead coupled with good policy that is sorely needed. My son and his friend came home this weekend on leave. These young Marines have finished two tours in Afghanistan. They told me a story about a young Lieutenant that ordered his Marines to bull rush a Taliban stronghold. He was following orders but lacked the capacity of assessing the situation and changing the attack to maximize the effectiveness of the assault. The result was that several Marines were shot and one killed. The decisions that we make in business or politics rarely are life and death, but they can destroy a company or community and kill jobs. Those that have leadership abilities are rare and gifted. In the Marines good leaders are sought out and proven under fire. We should examine candidate’s leadership ability instead of being so polarized politically and captivated by campaign promises and speech craft. I heard Nancy Young Wright on the Bill Buckmaster show. She is running for a slot on the Pima County Supervisors (Ann Day’s seat). She began the interview by saying her number one goal was job creation (ubiquitous among candidates for any office in our current economic condition). She went on to say that the key is education and that companies don’t come here because of our lack of education focus and funding. I don’t question Nancy’s intentions, or her heart for education (she served 12 years on the Amphitheatre School board). But, education is not the reason we aren’t attracting businesses. Did you know that the U of A is the 8th best research university in America? Yet we don’t even appear on the chart for businesses in Tucson that relate to the research we are doing. That is a huge disconnect. We also have award winning school districts (Flowing Wells) and schools (Basis, CDO, Catalina Foothills) K thru 12. The reason companies don’t locate in Tucson is because we aren’t competitive with other communities and we aren’t viewed as being business friendly. Then you need to examine Nancy’s leadership. I served on the Amphitheatre Board Site Council when Nancy was a board member. She led the charge that delayed the construction of Ironwood Ridge High School because of the fear of displacing the non-existent pygmy owl. This cost the district millions of dollars and delayed the construction several years. I know she cares about education but her “leadership” cost the district millions that could have been used for education. So I know she doesn’t have bad intentions, just bad policies and the lack of leadership skills. In the upcoming election I would hope that voters would get beyond labeling and party affiliation and examine the policies and the leadership abilities of the candidates they will elect, and do so as if it were a life or death decision.
Mind our own business
Posted on Monday, January 23rd 2012 at 11:41 am
David Rubenstein one of the founders of the Carlyle Group (a private equity firm) was on CNN this weekend. He was asked whether the capital gains rate should be raised since it seems unfair that Mitt Romney’ secretary pays a higher tax rate then Mitt does, (since most of his income is from capital gains). The reporter then asked him if he thought the 400 million that he and his 2 partners made on a deal last year was “excessive”. Rubenstein explained that he and his partners receive 20% of what the investors make on a deal and that the way it works is everyone (Management, workers, stakeholders) are incented to turn around the company they buy. He then explained to the reporter how free enterprise works (investors risk capital, management executes the plan; workers contribute the labor and all profit if successful or share in the failure). He defended his humble beginnings (dad was a postal worker) and then said that only in America could someone like him rise like he did. Our free enterprise system is the envy of the world and is the reason rags to riches stories are so common here, and that people are literally dying to come to the land of opportunity. Then he seemed “embarrassed” by his success and said that he was working to give away all of the money he had earned. Whether he keeps his money or gives it away should be none of our business. But, in our covetous (the 10th commandment) culture those that have, need to have not. Our media promotes the lives of the “rich and famous” and everyone is striving to keep up with the Kardashian’s. We lust (covet) for what we see (cars, homes, clothes, jewelry etc.), for ourselves, but if someone else has it they should give it away (preferably to me). In our culture it is ok for someone to come from humble beginnings, become successful, so long as they give it away (or tax it away). Just like in Monopoly you buy properties, accumulate Monopoly money and then put it all back in the box at the end of the game. It shouldn’t matter if someone inherits wealth or earns it, its’ theirs not ours and we need to be grateful for what we have. And as far as giving the scripture teaches us that we should purpose in our own hearts what to give and not to give out of constraint because God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7). So like my mom used to tell me, maybe we should mind our own business.
Cycle of Freedom
Posted on Monday, January 09th 2012 at 11:38 am
You may have heard about the cycle of freedom. Frases Tytler said that a democracy can’t exist as a permanent form of government. What eventually happens is people discover they can vote for their own largess from the treasury. We then vote in people that give us more and the loose fiscal policy leads to collapse and a dictatorship. The cycle goes from bondage, to spiritual faith, then to great courage, liberty and abundance, then to selfishness, complacency, apathy, dependence and then bondage. Tytler believed a democracy could not last longer than 200 years (we have that beaten by 31 years). Where do you think we are in the cycle? Our forefathers fought so that they could have freedom. We seem too willing to give up our freedom to be taken care of. I found a quote from a slave owner justifying slavery.
“I have also looked into the working conditions of free laborers in the North. You will not be surprised when I say that our Negroes live better than most factory workers. Does anyone lookout for the poor worker whose arm is permanently damaged? No. Does anyone see that workers are properly fed and housed?”
Many of slave owners went so far as to advocate for universal slavery. They believed that the “superior” slave owners would provide a better organized system where everyone would have jobs, be provided food, clothing, housing and cared for if they were sick or infirm. Is this much different than socialism? This has been replicated in the USSR, China, and Cuba. Europe has reached dependence in the Cycle of Freedom and I believe we are not far behind. It’s time to break the cycle.
2012
Posted on Saturday, February 04th 2012 at 11:37 am
As we enter the New Year many of us are looking back on 2011 and wonder what 2012 will bring. This leads many of us to make resolutions for 2012. It could be to lose weight, finish education or projects around the home. Here are the things I would like to do in 2012:
1. Love more. There is evil in the world and what the world needs is the love that comes from God. That love shines the light on evil and draws people away from decption. My mother was married 4 times. Her second husband was evil. I witnessed and experienced things that no child should. But, as the years have gone by it is more like a distant memory. I have become skeptical and cynical when I see screwed up people instead of remembering from whence I came and knowing that they are under a deception. Also, I have been burned by people I have tried to help, and that makes me cynical. Nevertheless, Jesus wants us to love like a child loves.
2. Give more. As I get older I am more frugal. Part of this is because I was not good with my finances when I was young and had to pay the price. But, part of it is fear. When I was young I thought I was indestructible, now that I am older I realize that my body is breaking down. I fear not having enough money if something happens to me physically or if the financial markets crash. The truth is we don’t know if we have tomorrow we only have today. I believe God wants me to give more and not to do it grudgingly, but to trust Him for the future.
3. Create more. We all have talents and gifts. These gifts aren’t ours to begin with, they come from God. I have a creative gift. When I spend the time ideas flow (some good some mediocre and some bad). The problem with ideas is that they have to be implemented and that takes work. As I get older I just don’t have the energy I had when I was younger to push these ideas forward, especially knowing that many of them fell flat. Yet, some don’t and will be fruitful and create opportunity for others.
I would challenge you to look at these things and ask yourself the questions does God want me to love more, give more and use my gifts more? Happy 2012!
Past Posts
Posted on Sunday, January 01st 2012 at 11:34 am
For past posts go to http://dougmartin.goodnewscommunications.com/
