Saturday, January 23, 2021
Thursday, January 21, 2021
"I'm Unfamiliar With Jesus' Words. I've Got This Under Control."
Do you follow friends, family, celebrities, politicians? Keep up with what they say / post online? If so, you're not alone in this pursuit. It's amazing, thanks to technology, how individuals / corporate entities can now promote themselves and their viewpoints so captivatingly. To think that they're now given permission to "Notify" us relative to a newsfeed or tweet in real time via our ubiquitous pocket computers.
2,000 years ago, Jesus was followed by throngs. He gained people's attention via his words and miracles, and a few of those followers as such recorded the three years of his ministry on Earth via their God-inspired writings (which became the gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke & John).
And we've had access to these writings for thousands of years within the Bible, God's Holy Word.
Much of what is written within those texts was based on his interactions with both individuals and the aforementioned throngs. Lots of church-folk engaged with him, as you might imagine, and they were almost immediately threatened by his presence. Therefore, this tension resulted in some intense exchanges. Many of which are recorded within the gospels.
And this makes for some great, really insightful reading relative to comprehending what Jesus' modus operandi was during that time - pissing off the religious folk and ministering to the needy / marginalized / broken.
It's important to note too that lots of regular folks engaged with Jesus. Many of these were simply mesmerized at him, the way he spoke, carried himself, and of course, what he could achieve for them - instantly - if he so chose to.
Yet, he arguably abhorred much of the attention, and no doubt worked proactively to manage his fanbase (if you will) via his publicists (disciples) and intentionally chosen footpath.
Jesus' words / actions have divided men for centuries. Not regarding their exact meaning (Jesus spoke plainly enough) but where exactly they were originating from. Jesus claimed to be God all the way up to his death, therefore any and everything he said carried distinct weight. Unless, you chose to not believe his claim. One of the primary themes of Scripture (rebellion) plays out yet again within these gospel texts (as compared to the Old Testament chronicles of the Israelites). As such, it's the abject demonization of Jesus via these aforementioned churchfolk that may very well serve as a frame of reference relative to the seeds of our own doubt / lackadaisical approach to our walk with God.
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When I was in high school back in the '80s, I traveled to Memphis to attend a weekend-long, winter Bible conference with my church youth group. It was hosted at the original Bellevue Baptist Church in downtown Memphis. The presenter was none other than Mr. Dawson McCallister who was quite popular at the time as a youth speaker (screamer). Dawson often "toured" with musician Mr. Al Denson, and Al, being a pianist, complemented Dawson's abrasiveness perfectly.
This conference focused on Jesus' last days on Earth, and Dawson did an amazing job of keeping us focused throughout the weekend despite our youthful bleary-eyedness / short attention spans.
If I took away anything at all from this weekend, it was me concluding that Dawson McCallister wasn't a crazy man, and as such his deep seated views of Jesus should be strongly considered. And this shaped my position as a Christian, specifically considering the weightiness of Christ's teachings. Dawson was successful in doing this through his articulate passion and his consistency - conference to camp to retreat. Not to mention the inner workings of the Holy Spirit in and through me. We certainly can't discount that hugely helpful gift.
I owe a lot to Mr. Dawson McCallister. Not only did I make a public profession of faith at one of his youth summer conferences (camps) whilst in middle school, but by also attending this weekend Bible conference there in Memphis, I became convinced / convicted of the gospel's brevity far beyond a simplistic "fire insurance policy". It was life changing.
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The easiest means to establish a false assuredness relative to one's good (fine) standing with another human being is to keep one's distance. Don't pursue. Engage with them only during prescribed engagements. Be polite but nothing else.
This approach keeps you in control, or at least it gives you some reassurance of being in control.
The gospel is built on Jesus. His life, death & resurrection. The Bible clearly promotes the notion of being in relationship with God or Jesus and for this personal relationship to be "in good standing". One of the hallmarks of the Protestant Christian faith is Bible study, and subsequently expecting, through this discipline, for God to sanctify the Christian. It's an approach that's never to be intentioned within the same vein as, again, those aforementioned religious folk (that Jesus so despised). That being for personal gain / relevancy.
Yet sanctification is oftentimes of little interest to Christians, and I believe this neglectful approach has grown out of two distinct factors.
1. No one sincerely modeled / proved to them the relevance of sanctification.
2. Sanctification encroaches on free will. Free will to think / act as he / she sees fit to. Free will is elevated here in the West as one of our most sanctimonious / cherished pursuits.
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Did you know that Jesus spoke about all manner of things, including lust?
He's quoted as saying some semblance of the following: Lust equates to actually sinfully performing the sex act - fornication / adultery with the target of said sexual fantasies. Yikes!
Did he really decree that?
He did.
Why is this important?
Because Jesus also mentioned specifically lukewarm Christians. Remember what I wrote above? Here it is again:
The easiest means to establish a false assuredness relative to one's standing with another human being is to keep one's distance. Don't pursue. Engage with them only during prescribed engagements. Be polite but nothing else.
This approach keeps you in control, or at least it gives you some reassurance of being in control.
Jesus (God) disdains being treated as such. Instead, he wants to maintain control of your life, your thoughts. Yes, even your very will.
So, what can we conclude from this "maintaining control" trend as Christians?
1. It's not where God wants us in relationship with him.
2. Taking #1 into account, God will not reciprocate positively.
3. Pray for / invite men into your life who'll provoke you to choose another approach (more or less seriously) to your walk with God. Samson Society men should provide a petri dish of candidates in that regard.
4. Get off the fence. Today.
Sunday, January 17, 2021
Friday, January 15, 2021
Find You A Vampire (Samson Guys Sleep In Cotton Pajamas)
Your willingness to be vulnerable and subsequently feel a plethora of emotions alongside another man is key to success relative to your relationship with your Silas. If you're incapable of "speaking that language" of vulnerability with another guy, this is likely going to keep you from benefiting, as other men might, from the Silas relationship.
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As a child, vampires were significantly interesting in Rob's life. Starting with "Dark Shadows" (my grandmother let me watch), I became intrigued. Or maybe a better word is engrossed.
Vampires must be invited into a person's life. There's a formal introduction and willingness to trust that must occur. Otherwise, they'll have to move on. I can remember thinking that was such the humanizing move regarding vampire lore.
Now, you may be thinking this analogy between vampires and your pick for a Silas is fraught with ridiculousness, and I get that. That being said, I do believe holiness via relational accountability can be obtained, but it must involve a deep seated trust (rooted within an emotional connection) in someone who ultimately will gain entrance to an authoritative relational position which may very well result in your demise.
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IN MY DEMISE?
Yep.
Why do you suppose so many men never obtain a Silas to begin with, or even more intentionally, never make a commitment to attending meetings on a regular basis?
They fear someone turning on them, and using the information they've shared against them down the road.
I mean you can recite "...in strictest confidence" all you want, but there's nothing stopping someone from actively working to devastate / tarnish the reputation of a Samson man. There is no law enforcement or vindication brigade waiting in the wings.
That being said, I've personally never witnessed any acts of sabotage or retribution within the Samson Society, even when men were personally butting heads, and said head butting happens fairly often. We are men after all.
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Vampires feed on their victims 'till their victims are cursed to transform as well into undead creatures of the night. Again, another great analogous similarity between Count Dracula and your Silas.
Influence.
For quite some time, I've used a simplistic sketch to illustrate this with various Samson men.
And then I'd say something like this: "This illustrates the upper echelon (I'd quite often say that because I love to use big words) of a Silas / Silee relationships. A piece of my heart is grafted over to your own and vice versa. Hence, we no longer rely solely on our own individual hearts / selves as we walk through this season of our lives."
And this would usually be succeeded by an awkward silence by my "Silee" with him likely wondering to himself why exactly he chose to get caught up with the gay guy.
Nonetheless, there's a lot of truth to this illustration. Over time, this seemingly supernatural strengthening between the two men does occur, and you take note of it when you're by yourself, whilst remembering what being by yourself would often feel like (& as a result "act out" like) pre-Silas. That being, not what it feels like with your Silas in tow today.
I hope I'm making some sense here. Ultimately, this is an emotional gig.
Here's a wide-angle lens example, yet not so specific that I'm pointing anyone out.
Certain men come into Samson Society and start efficiently / effectively / demonstratively emoting in and through all of the men around them. Whether it's timing or not, for whatever specific reason, at the outset of their relationship with the Society, they're able to feel through (like a conduit) this manly setup / paradigm. And these emotions run the gamut, and as such, often these guys feel too much too fast because they seem to connect (as described above) to everyone around them simultaneously.
It's as if these men need the presence of other men to interpret / decode their own emotional state of mind, yet with too many all around at once, this can result in them feeling as if they've found their virgin self within a coven of blood suckers.
I find that these men are often deeply invested in hot sex (with their wives), and as such, oftentimes (pre-Samson Society) relying solely on those sex acts to intensely emote. And that's wonderful until they realize that they're the type of guy who would benefit - across the board - from emoting a whole lot more often than just when the sex is happening with his spouse (or perhaps using porn).
My point is men who are involved in relational accountability do so in and through their feelings, therefore due to the weightiness of said feelings, the duality baked into the friendship carries the load with much more ease than one would alone.
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In closing, why are vampires allowed into someone life? What motivates someone to grant these bloodthirsty beings permission to step inside of their world?
Because that individual wants to become one themselves.
On some level, they're privy to their desire to become part of that family of night dwellers.
No longer satisfied with their humanity, they're willing to give up their mortality for the super sensory experience which can only come via succumbing to the macabre existence of the supernatural.
Plus, vampires are just cool.
But not to everyone. There are plenty of guys out there who simply see them as yet another threat.
Wednesday, January 13, 2021
Teach Your Offspring To Be Good Stewards Of Their Genitalia
Samson Society offers the opportunity to befriend Christian men from all different backgrounds / circumstances. Years ago, I had the privilege of getting to know one man who shared with me how he (as a now married adult with children of his own) bravely bemoaned to his parents their refusal to educate him (during his childhood) relative to masturbation. And interestingly enough, his parents were very intelligent, articulate, A+ parent-types (atypical) versus some of your more typical deep South dumbass adults who obliquely equate good parenting with "making sure your kids are in church".
Masturbation is a big part of most children's lives. Even females. Therefore, parents are obligated to educate their children regarding what can be a very awkward topic. Because if they don't, the children are left to their own devices in terms of coming to grips (sorry) with what to do with this extraordinarily pleasurable physical experience.
Two of my three daughters were definitely "chips off the old block", and I discovered this by working to educate them about sex in general terms. It's truly amazing what small children will divulge within the sanctity of the parent-child relationship. Obviously, this is what makes them quite vulnerable to predators. Hence, all the more reason for you as their parent to educate / parent them well.
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I remember all too well confessing to my dad how I'd played "doctor" with my babysitter's oldest daughter on two separate occasions (I believe this confession came when I was around ten years of age). I described our proceedings through tears before decrying that I'd never do it again under any circumstances. And this was simply an off the cuff confession on my part. Years later, whilst in middle school, my father unfortunately squandered what little trust that had matured between us, and he did this by shaming me relative to my attempts to hide my (almost daily) masturbation habit.
But, it could have been worse. There are plenty of fathers who ramp the shame factor up that much more when it comes to their children's masturbation activities. Some of the stories I've been privileged to hear are truly jaw dropping in their cruelness.
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A child's body is representative of a mini-adult. Therefore, as such, children are developing / learning / exploring, all the while attempting to understand this vessel they've found themselves existing within.
I remember so vividly, for years as a child, twisting, twisting, twisting my Jockey briefs up into a knotted thong beneath my sheets in the dark when I was supposed to be asleep. I have no idea why I felt I needed to do this. Nonetheless, my underwear was definitely worse for wear because of it.
I love chatting with my ten year-old. Especially whilst walking the nature trail a few miles from our house. She's so articulate relative to her own child-like comprehension of what sexuality is for her at this stage of life. What pleases me most about this is her not being afraid to bring it up and discuss it with me. For there should never be any shame associated with discussing sexuality's many details. It is by far one of God's greatest gifts.
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I leave you with this today.
A former Samson friend's daughter developed a habitual masturbation habit which became chronic. Even to the point of her reaching beneath her clothing in public to pacify herself.
I'd never heard of such behavior, but then I began to think about the risks I took both as a teenager and adult relative to masturbating. And believe me friend, there were many.
What fuels this stupid behavior?
I believe parents forget just how intoxicating masturbation can be to a child's brain, and as such, prone for distinct habitual patterns to develop rather quickly. Patterns that often carry forward far into a child's adult life.
Why not, as a parent, seize the opportunity to guide / educate your "chip off the old block" regarding this (almost) universal activity? Don't risk he or she being left in the dark, or worse, being taken advantage of by friends / other adults whose only motivation is to exploit your child's naivety for themselves.
Monday, January 11, 2021
Stricken Christian? It Just Might Equate To One's Quality Of Faith
Angie, (my wife) pre-stroke (this past May), loved taking showers and hot baths. That's not the case at all today. Due to her disability (primarily the limited mobility within her left arm, but also the weakness in her legs), she has to take her showers seated on a plastic bench with a shower wand in her right hand (which is her fully capable arm).
Therefore, when she's gearing up to bathe, as she was yesterday evening, her mood darkens. For she knows she's about to experience firsthand the ramifications of her physical suffering as it restricts her from doing what she once loved with ease.
To emotionally complicate matters for her, our house has a jacuzzi tub in the master bathroom. It was one of the primary features that drew us in whilst house hunting two decades ago. Since May, that tub has sat empty most days, and this serves as a reminder of what once was a better quality of life.
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A few years back, I had a catholic friend (originally from Iowa) who'd relocated his family to Birmingham by way of Houston, TX. Anthony was a very sharp, very handsome Italian guy who also just happened to be an exercise addict. I'd never met someone addicted to exercise, though I'd had friends prior who'd been married to such, therefore I knew of it from a distance. Nonetheless, Anthony relished being "the fittest guy in the room" by his standards, and I'll have to admit, he was head & shoulders above most guys relative to being the ideal BMI. Each day, Anthony obsessed over what his scales decried relative to his weight while he inspected his reflected physique for flaws in tone and shape. All of this personal posturing grew out of his ritualistic exercise routine which for him consisted of P90X-type sessions, day in & day out.
In contrast to this, Anthony's dad (a retired schoolteacher), who was back home in Iowa, was by far not "the fittest man in the room", having been stricken by an illness (many years prior) which left him in tremendous physical pain and subsequently very overweight. The only remedy to this acute pain were pharmaceuticals, that whilst ushering in some relief to his dad, also brought about a number of difficult to manage side effects - one of which was weight gain. As such, Anthony's dad was more or less unable to enjoy life as he once did during his earlier years.
It was apparent to me as Anthony's friend that son loved his dad. I was privy to pieces of his story, part of which detailed how his parents had sacrificed tremendously to rear he and his siblings there in small town, Iowa on two meager schoolteacher's incomes. I can remember Anthony telling me that never during his growing up years did his family eat at a restaurant - under any circumstances - due to their restricted budget, yet in his eyes, his childhood was idyllic.
When I'd talk to Anthony about Christianity, the conversation would often turn to his father's poor health and the suffering therein. Anthony's dad was by no means devout, but his Catholicism was intact (at Xmas and Easter). Anthony couldn't reconcile what was impossible for him to rationalize or seemingly find a resolution for relative to someone (his dad) he loved immensely suffering so tremendously.
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My sexual preference for the same sex served as a sizable alarm for me as a young man. This preference was due (at least partially) to the environment I'd grown up in. An environment which had made me quite susceptible to the prospect of living out a depraved, abnormal orientation (out of line with God's will).
Now, there's a lot of wordplay there. Which seems to always be the case these days when it comes to the topic of homosexual behavior (as evidenced by the embedded video. They remind me so much of Click & Clack).
Let me be clear.
I was intensely attracted to the same sex as a teenage boy, and this scared me. But what scared me far more was how intrinsically this proved my own spiritual brokenness and personal misdirection relative to these attractions. And it wasn't like I needed 5 or 6 gay couples living out their affluent, normalized lives near me to demonstrate what-might-be for Rob. It wasn't that at all.
I'd read Scripture. I knew what it said in Genesis regarding creation, and within Paul's letters regarding homosexuality. Plus, I was well versed in the tale of Sodom & Gomorrah, with the primary theme being homosexual lust.
I also understood how outlandish the notion of homosexual relationships really was, but primarily, how destructively influential that kind of behavior would be were I to choose to participate in it.
Nonetheless, I absolutely, positively wanted to participate in it, therefore I felt cursed. Or maybe a better word is stricken. And this grew out of me not being able to relate to guys like the above "Click & Clack".
And as such, I found that my faith grew as the gospel became more and more profoundly urgent to me, with each and every homosexual fantasy played out within my mind's eye.
Fast way forward a number of decades, and I would argue today that I'm a far more useful soldier for Christ due to my sexual preference and how it's bound me exclusively to God's mercifully redemptive love.
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The verse for 2020 that my wife clung to was one shared with her via a dear client (& long-time friend). It is Exodus 14:14. Here's the verse: "The Lord will fight for you, and you only have to be silent."
When I look at all the people I've known throughout my life who've represented Christianity for me, there are only two that sit at the zenith in terms of faith. Okay, maybe three. Those are, my late grandfather, Bud Hampton, my childhood pastor at First Baptist Church, Dr. Frank Pollard, and Angie, my sweet wife.
Yet, 7 or 8 months out from her May 29 stroke, some of her days are still quite dark as she grieves the loss of some of her physicality.
Despite those dark days, her faith is not only intact but ever maturing forward. Just today, she asked about stepping back into church (worship and women's Bible study) at Lakeside Pres if her soon-to-be-executed COVID-19 antibody test comes back positive.
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If you study Scripture, you'll see / understand clearly the role of suffering within the Christian's / God's people's life. And that is to grow faith whilst spotlighting God and his glory in spite of what initially may look / seem like his abandonment (to the faithless).
Within this fallen pre-death state, we as Christians need to expect to suffer, but remember the hope we also have within the next life where they'll be no suffering whatsoever. It represents eternity, and that's no doubt a very long, very exuberant time. A time where we'll no longer be subject to the ramifications of sin and ultimately death, freed from the trials of this world, ever embracing our reward.
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