Popular I think that I have lived through three cycles of country or western style being popular. When I was child in the eighties, Barbara Mandrell had a popular song called “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool” which I guess pointed at a boost in popularity at that time. But, the first time that I recognized this phenomenon was in the early 1990’s. I call this the 8 seconds of the pure country era. Rodeo, and especially professional bull riding, was becoming more popular with the Bull Riders Only tour then later the PBR. Musical artists such as Garth Brooks, George Strait, and Reba McEntire were among the largest celebrities in the world. Hollywood was producing blockbuster movies such as 8 Seconds, Pure Country, and Tombstone. All of this was because even people who were not themselves residents of rural areas or involved in farming and ranching lifestyles were attracted to the form and the fashion. The second period that I will point to is the middle to late 2000’s. This was less broad and impactful but in this timeframe country and western styles became even more mainstream. Many artists from popular shows such as American Idol chose to go into country music rather than the pop genre. RFD TV and other media outlets were catering to the market. This could probably be called the millennial era of popularity. The latest era that I have noticed is actually happening right now. I called this the Yellowstone Era. It is not just the popularity of the show but the accessibility of social media. Figures like Dale Brisby, and thousands of other accounts, are making the everyday exploits and shenanigans of the rural and ranching lifestyle entertaining and publicized. My point is that this is not just true with regard to Country as a genre of music or style of apparel. Rather this is true of many other things in our lives. There is an ebb and flow to the seasons of our lives and to the interests and focus of our society. Yet, we are what remains genuine throughout these seasons. Remember Barbara Mandrell’s song from earlier? Those who can look back and see that during these periods they bought a pair of boots or a straw hat but only for those periods of popularity aren’t really country people. Just like someone might buy some JNCO jeans and go to Ska or heavy metal concerts in college but they don’t continue in that lifestyle. What is really true is how the person lives their life over time, not just caught up in a style for a season. This can also happen spiritually. Many people cycle through different spiritual beliefs without establishing bedrock principles and a source from which to anchor their soul. In this condition, they become easily swayed about by every new teaching. In this text (Ephesians 4:11-14), the Apostle Paul is calling on believers to grow up into maturity. I don’t want to sound like the cranky old man blaming everything on youth, but we can see that often these culture swings are closely associated with youth culture. So often, these movements among larger populations in terms of spiritual beliefs also happen among younger demographics. But as people who have come to trust in Christ we do have an anchor for the soul which is our hope in Christ (Hebrews 6:19-20)! Also, we do have a source for truth and reality which is the word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Paul also dealt with something like this phenomenon when he proclaimed the gospel to the pagan culture of Athens. They, much like our modern culture, had an insatiable appetite for that which is novel and alternative (Acts 17:21). So what did Paul do in this environment? He proclaimed who God is, as Creator, Ruler, Judge, and Savior! So many styles, fashions, and cycles may come and go but eternity is founded on the rock and the rock is Christ (1 Corinthians 10:1-4)! So today, if you are separated from God by the guilty of your sin, don’t remain there because of unbelief but rather trust in Jesus and be secured in your soul!
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Bendability I didn’t really watch the Olympics this year. I must admit that this is not some kind of boycott or moral protest on my part, but simply the fact that I do not have much interest in it. But in years past, when I have watched some of the events that I wouldn’t usually be watching such as the gymnastics, diving, or skating competitions, I have been amazed at the flexibility exhibited by these athletes. Many of their postures and maneuvers would seem to be almost inconceivable that the body could be manipulated and contourted in such a way. These types of impressive displays of flexibility are the result of countless hours of exercise and stretching to build this level of movement without damage to the bones and tissues of the body. In today’s post, I would like to ponder the limits of intellectual, spiritual, and relational flexibility without sacrificing Biblical faithfulness and spiritual fidelity. Humility I think we must begin by pointing out the foundation of humility that is the bedrock of the applied Christian ethic. While God has revealed Himself clearly in the Scriptures we must always acknowledge the limitations of our own frailty. We must stand boldly for the truth revealed in the Bible but be careful not to turn our every conclusion into an untouchable dogma. If our understanding is accurate then our interpretation can withstand serious study and examination. We must be on guard against a particular kind of hubris that would make us think that because we have the benefit of so much accumulated information and theological commentary over the last two millennia, that we are somehow more advanced than those who have come before us. Theological and intellectual flexibility requires that we be able to distinguish between those truths that are the core of our faith and the center of the revelation concerning God and His gospel and those areas of study that are less clear. One danger is that we would go beyond what is written in the Bible (1 Corinthians 4:6) and begin to speculate about things that God has not revealed to us (Deuteronomy 29:29). This means that we must have the humility to admit what we do not know and what we cannot know. Clarity We also must be bold enough to state clearly and courageously what we do know and believe. We must be afraid to confront evil or error when we know the truth. When we encounter sin we must not be afraid to call evil by its name (Isaiah 5:20). I will give just one example. I also must admit that this example is one where I have failed to speak up for the truth at times. It has become popular in our day to see anxiety as an ailment or mental illness. But the Bible clearly commands us to not be anxious (Philippians 4:6). Faith is the opposite of fear and anxiety. So we must be willing to call on those struggling with fear and anxiety to acknowledge that it is sin and repent of it. I believe that there are many people, even Christians struggling to battle this sin because they don’t even realize that it is a sin. Charity Finally, if we are going to be able to enjoy the freedom of flexibility without compromising our integrity, then we must bathe everything in charity. The Bible tells us that love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8). One of the reasons that Jesus was able to deal so perfectly and skillfully with the hypocrisy of His enemies (Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, etc) was because He truly loved His enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). It is easy to assume the worst motives or meanings from other people, but as believers love would mean that we must hope all things and believe all things and endure all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). Since this is the case let me leave you with this popular statement from church history “in essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.” Medals The Olympics recently ended. I’m not really sure who won in almost any of the events. But I do know that the goal of the athletes was to win the gold. These competitors have worked hard for years to prepare their bodies and hone their skills so that they could win the gold metal. If not the gold then they would hope to win the silver or the bronze. But why? Couldn’t they just buy that weight in gold or silver or bronze and have it cast like an Olympic medal? We all know that the answer is no. The reason is because the medal would not signify the accomplishment. It is not actually the medal that these athletes want but rather the recognition that they won the competition. They want everyone to know that they are the best at their particular event. For most of these men and women the sport that they are competing in is not just a random event but the center of their lives. They love it. They pursue excellence in this activity not just to win, but because they love the game. Whether they run on a track, swim in a pool, or play on a court, these people love to do this sport, and that is why they have chosen to dedicate the hours of training necessary to become the most elite players in the world. Pleasure In Psalm 147:10, we are told that God does not delight in the strength of the horse or the legs of a man. It is interesting that often the things that we think should be so impressive, and are impressive to the carnal man, are not esteemed by God at all. I don’t think the Psalmist’s point is that God doesn’t enjoy seeing His people created in His image using the skills and abilities that he has given us. Rather, the next verse makes it clear that what brings God pleasure is something deeper and less superficial. In verse 11, the Scripture says that Yahweh takes pleasure in those who fear Him and hope in His steadfast love. I think, the point is that God cares far more about the disposition of our soul than the strength of our body. This may be why God is willing to allow His people to endure very hard physical trials for the sake of their sanctification. God never spoils His children but instead He disciplines (Hebrews 12:4-14) and disciples (Matthew 28:19-20) us to real godliness and maturity (2 Peter 3:11-13). Yahweh is more concerned with the state of our hearts than the awards on our shelves. Prosperity rarely teaches us faith and hope, but hard times and difficult seasons do help us to discern where our trust is truly focused. If we never walk through the valley of the shadow of death, how will we learn the comfort of His rod and staff? God loves us enough to use even very hard things to reveal the depths of His love for us! Prize The Apostle Paul when writing to the church in Corinth reminds us that we should run in such a way as to win the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). As we look around we probably see many people, even those professing Christ as Savior, walking aimlessly along the race of this mortal life. But Paul would have us to expend ourselves in an all out effort to know God and bring Him glory. We must not be those meandering along the track but those pressing forward to the high call of God (Philippians 3:12-16). There really is a heavenly prize and even though it has been won for us by the Lord Jesus Christ, we should still strive to reach it with all our strength. A Eulogy The term “eulogy” is taken from the Greek language and it literally means a “good word.” We use it to refer most often to the complimentary address given at a funeral or memorial service. If we are honest some of these speeches are embellished out of respect for the loved ones of the deceased person. Today’s post is going to be a little different than usual. I am writing this article on Wednesday August 7th. Today, I found out that a dear saint had passed away and I would like to express some thoughts about this dear brother and praise to our glorious God. This brother who has gone to be with the Lord is David Miller. That is a fairly common name. I know of at least a couple of other David Millers, but no one is like this man. He was not at all common. Through many hardships and amazing blessings he had learned the peaceful contentment taught by the Apostle Paul (Philippians 4:4-13), the unspeakable joy expressed by the Apostle Peter (1 Peter 1:8-9), the abiding love recorded for us by the Apostle John (1 John 4:7-21), and most of all, the glorious salvation given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:16)! So, I just want to share some of the things that come to my mind when I think about Brother David. Masculinity It is amazing that a man with the physical limitations that afflicted his body would exude such a quality of manhood. But you see, Bro. David’s masculinity was not the shallow show attained in the gym but rather that which is gained from much time spent with man’s maker and in submission to the God/man Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5-6). While he did not have the strength in his joints and muscles that most other men possess, he had far more boldness and strength in his convictions than most other men. When I speak of Bro. David’s boldness, it is not only his courage to speak a fitting and appropriate word of correction, rebuke, or just obvious truth, but also the fact that people would receive it. Something about the way that God had formed his character, and that the Holy Spirit had gifted his presence, seemed to make people more willing to listen. His bold preaching was a thing of beauty and a blessing to all who heard him. Endurance Bro. David was committed to the ministry given to him by Christ. In worldly terms it would have made sense for him to quit his work long ago because of the physical hardship and pain that he endured for decades. However, he did not quit, but endeavored to be used according to the Lord’s will. He did not take the easy way or the popular road (Matthew 7:13-14). Common Sense I started to title this paragraph “intelligence,” but I know the country preacher at large would prefer common sense. Bro. David was a diligent student of the scriptures with a great ability to communicate the truth. He would not dumb down the text but he would bring even the simplest of listeners up to the text to help them see and understand the truths of Scripture. He was willing to use what he referred to as those “trisyllabic words” but he was also able to help everyone in the congregation grasp the meaning and importance of those words. Faithful Bro. David was faithful. During one of the hardest times in my life when I was learning and growing a great deal but with difficulty, I went to an associational meeting at Immanuel Baptist church in Clinton, AR. That night Bro. David preached the greatest message I have ever heard on the doctrine of justification. It confirmed many of the things that the Lord was teaching me and truly changed my life and my ministry forever. I will forever be grateful to the Lord for the gracious and godly impact that Bro. David had on my life. If you never heard Bro. David expound the Scripture you can hear a message here. Balance It has become a very common thing for problems and struggle in our lives to be attributed to a lack of balance. While this may sound logical, it is really the product of a dualistic mindset. Dualism is the idea that good and evil are equal and opposite forces that must be kept in a kind of optimum balance so that things can go well. You can see this kind of thinking in many of the ancient eastern religions and modern new age spiritual practices. Examples are ideas such as ‘karma’ which refers to the idea that what goes around comes around. But this is easily disproved by the many times when people received exactly what they did not deserve. Every time an innocent person is the victim of a crime or a guilty person escapes the justice system, karma has failed to maintain the balance. Another example would be the idea of the yin and yang. This is the ancient Chinese concept of two opposing forces that are interconnected and counterbalancing. This should lead to peace, harmony, and tranquility. Something like this is also seen in pop culture references such as the pantheistic “force” referred to in the Stars Wars universe. But is this concept true? Is this kind of symbiosis the reality that we see taught in the Bible? And is our struggle one of balance or faithfulness? Bible The Bible is the source of true wisdom. Since this is the case we must consider what the Bible says about these and all other philosophies. In the conclusion of one of the most philosophical books of the Bible the Preacher of Ecclesiastes says that the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Solomon seems unconcerned with keeping the balance and instead points his readers to a radical and zealous focus on reverent obedience to God. A second portion of scripture that we should consider is the Law of God given to His covenant people Israel. At the very root of the law was the instruction that you should love God with ALL your heart, ALL your soul and ALL you might (Deuteronomy 6:4). The LORD does not seem to be concerned that we might over-emphasize loving Him. The Lord Jesus even referred to this when He was asked what is the greatest and first commandment (Matthew 22:34-40). Jesus also showed that we didn’t balance between our love for God and other things but total devotion and affection for God alone. One final text to help us know where the Bible would have us to be on this issue of philosophical balance. In Jesus' most famous extended teaching, which we usually call the Sermon on the Mount, He gives us a lesson about how to live by faith using the example of the birds and the flowers (Matthew 6:25-34). In this text, Jesus is calling out the sin of anxiety, which is something that we commonly attribute to being an illness rather than an issue of faith and obedience. But Jesus points out that the birds and the flowers need not worry for God to provide for them as they go about being the buds and birds that God made them to be. Jesus sums up this teaching with the instruction for us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness for that is what God made us to do (Matthew 6:33). When we do that everything else will be taken care of. The point is that we must be fully committed to our citizenship in His kingdom (Philippians 3:20) and unsatisfied by anything but His righteousness (Matthew 5:6). My point is simple. If we would like to live for our highest purpose and to fulfill what we were created for, then we should not be focused on balance, but rather on all out devotion to the Lord. Whatever our hand finds to do in service to the Lord we should do with all our might (Ecclesiastes 9:10)! |
AuthorEddie Ragsdale Archives
August 2024
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