Recommended Reading From The Gospel Coalition

 If God Rescued Me, He Can Rescue Anyone (thegospelcoalition.org)

Think Tank

Intelligence is one of those topics that is almost impossible to handle sans offending someone.  Therefore, I'm sorry in advance.

Samson Society demands men to be authentic.  I would argue, regarding most individuals, that it takes more intellect to be transparent than otherwise.  Most importantly, you've got to manage / harness your feelings in order to speak intelligently regarding your authentic self.  All manner of feelings.  From one end of the spectrum to the other.  It seems to me that it's higher brain (executive) function that must be utilized in this regard, unless of course, it's not available to do the work.  Otherwise, you're left to rely on what I'll dub here as the "personality veil", and this reeks of anything but authenticity.

Of secondary importance is one's ability via their intellect to articulate who exactly they are to everyone in attendance.  I say it's of secondary importance because over time, with enough meetings under a guy's belt, that true persona is going to be clearly seen.  It's inevitable.  Of course, unless you're dealing with a pathological liar, but let's just assume that isn't the case. 

Now, here's an overarching truth.  Faith is a gift of God.  And Christiandom is built on the notion of having faith as of a little child.  Therefore, worship and prayer and even Bible teaching / study can occur seamlessly, so long as there is faith.

But, Samson Society (both meetings and "The Path" friendships) demands more of us than faith.  

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Hiding behind a "personality veil" is akin to "going through the motions".  I think everyone can relate to that phrase, but I feel as if I need to expound on it here.

When I worked the enjoyable six years for the state of Mississippi, I kept my head down constantly.  Rarely did I relinquish this "personality veil" modus operandi, and frankly, I believe this was detrimental to my livelihood during my tenure there.  Because the job literally fell into my lap, I felt extremely blessed to have the opportunity.  Therefore, not wanting to risk complicating matters in any regard, I simply smiled at the camera, day after day.  And it was easy to fall in line in this regard.  For many of my fellow bureaucrats behaved exactly the same way.

Eventually, this grew old for I couldn't help but remember what employment was like within the private sector (where there was actually some overarching corporate goal).  Particularly as the Lord allowed men into my life who were reliant on me being my authentic self whilst spending time together (friendships that came to fruition outside of work).  

When I took the job at Delta State in 2012 (a position which was a natural vocational progression for me), I was on the fence relative to how much of my presented self should then be cloaked in this "personality veil", and over time, during that yearlong endeavor, I definitely began to rely on it less and less.  But of course, all of this rich maturation came to a screeching halt when I unexpectedly was fired from this position.

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One of the reasons Angie and I worship at Lakeside Presbyterian Church is due to the fact that it's a reformed church.  And reformed churches tend to draw Christians in who're less interested in notoriety relative to church attendance and more interested in sanctification (spiritual growth).  

Lakeside is a difficult church to only put one foot into because no one component of the experience is going to suffice.  Plus, it's small scale provides few, if any, places to "keep to the shadows".  

Therefore, most parishioners of this body of Christ are all in.  And as such, they're well served by their intellect as they participate.  

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In closing, if you're drawn to communal experience with other Christian men who've the brains to match their courage (in participating), invest in Samson Society.  

What you'll find is it's impossible to look down on those who choose not to take part due to the purpose imbued within the Society itself.  

Therefore, I consider it to be a win-win.  Not at all a waste of time / resources.   

Satan's Ruse: Shame / On Standby To Tamp Down Your Christian Influence

Imagine yourself surrounded by individuals you admire / cherish.  They're circumnavigating you as you're right in there, dead center of this circle.  These individuals are from both your past and present.  Perhaps they're friends, family, neighbors, work colleagues, college roommates, and on and on.  But too, you see your spouse, even children of your own within the circle.

And they all just happen to be holding firearms that they're determined to kill you with then and there.  Handguns, rifles, flamethrowers, etc. are all represented within their arsenal, and the bullets / flames are dead on accurate.  One after the other after the other tearing through your flesh inflicting massive trauma and bleedout.  

This is representative of the powerful ruse that is shame.  

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Shame is wickedly effective at buckling us under emotionally because it loops in our perceived peer group / community.  And 99% of the time, to the degree (key word) it loops them in, is far removed from reality.

Let me repeat that.  99% of the time, to the degree it loops them in, is far removed from reality.

Now, let me be expound a little farther into this post, but firstly...  Shame can and often does exist in a vacuum.  And this is where it's proven to be of Satan.  In other words, despite the fact that no one is privy to our faults, remember faults are shame targets, we can find ourselves reflexively experiencing the imagined musings / opinions of many of these individuals (that I cited above).  Satan, as the "great accuser", is the ringleader in this charade, using our defenseless, isolated position coupled with our near constant self focus to his advantage.

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I believe I've chronicled within previous posts how difficult it was for me, back in the mid to late '90s (soon after marrying Angie) to find a men's group that was supportive of the notion of authentic community (to any degree whatsoever).  Small group Bible studies were available, but that was it.  Therefore, unfortunately, it was the Internet that provided a stopgap solution via gay porn consumption.  At the time, my diet was limited to dial-up content, but nevertheless, it was an ample solution relative to my isolation.  Plus, I savored the beauty of the naked hotness that I'd stumbled across online.  No doubt, it was the ultimate two-edged sword which served to placate my loneliness whilst extinguishing any semblance of joy within my soul.  As such, shame washed over me continually.

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Here's the hard truth about this ploy of Satan that you need to digest fully today.  

Every human being, 99% of the time, is fixated on they themselves.  We are all completely aware of our own selves every moment of every day.  This awareness consists of memory, present circumstances, and our hopes for the future combined with our own personal feelings regarding all of this.  

Therefore, no matter how much you believe others around you are disappointed, perplexed, angry, "at their wit's end", despondent, confused, reticent, and so forth regarding you yourself, you're wrong.  Way, way wrong.  So wrong in fact that it's impossible to truly establish a point of reference for just how wrong you are.

Think of human beings as plumb lines that swing whilst prompted, but otherwise, always, always, always re-center immediately following said influence.  And whilst centered, we're back to what we do best - looking / examining our own selves square in the face.

The lesson here is this.  Every human being is just as much of a victim of Satan's ruse as every other.  And at some point, you've got to come to grips with that.

This truth can and should reorient your thinking regarding shame and how debilitating it can seem.  

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In closing, where did I finally find authentic community amongst men?  Samson Society, of course.  

Fast forward from the mid to late '90s to 2014.  And let me emphasize the word community here.  I had found individual men who were willing to listen and love me - warts and all, but never had I encountered a community of men 'till Samson Society found me.

From there, I found more and more stymie to not keep quiet regarding my own failings as well as the grace begotten me in spite.  For Samson Society proved to me everything that I've disclosed / stated previously in a very big way.  It was the petri dish I needed. 

Therefore, learn these lessons today and from there, embrace the opportunity to use your story to influence / disrupt the wiles of our common enemy.  From there, sit back and watch the Holy Spirit do his thang.

 

The Ultimate Influencer, Your Mistress' Suitor (You)

I believe women are more competitive than men overall.  And when I say that, I'm specifically addressing women competing against women relative to their attention / engagement with the opposite sex.  

Today, you may be married to a woman and have somewhere around the average 2.5 children.  And within that setup, you may also have a relationship with another woman (or women) from the perimeter.  That being, your mistress or some semblance therein.  This could be a woman from your past (when you were a young man), a woman from the recent past or a woman you just encountered and developed a relationship with.  She could be professional, a prostitute, a wife, a mother, a Christian, a pagan, and on and on.  Ultimately, you're attracted to her, like very much the attention she's providing and she has breasts and a vagina.

What exactly is a mistress, and where do they / how do they exactly come into play within a guy's life?

We'll attempt to answer this one at the end of this post.

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As a man who's quite open about revealing / discussing his homosexual desires, I find it so interesting to observe females reactions to me myself.  

The funniest reaction is when they attempt to "de-gay" me via their physical advances.  On numerous occasions, I've had women serendipitously bear hug me for prolonged, awkward moments, pressing their breasts against my chest unremitted with their arms tightly locked around my torso.

It's like experiencing vertical sex with a stranger, and it is creepily awkward (especially when it happens within a church setting).

On other occasions, women react to my transparent gayness by shunning me outright and / or dropping hints as to how steadfast they are in servicing their husband's sexual needs.  As if to say, "Back off, you homo.  Keep away from my man."

Being the father of three daughters, one of the most sure-fire ways to motivate one of my children is to discreetly pit one against the other.  Say for example, one of them has been assigned a project, and a lengthy, time-consuming one at that.  And this project has a deadline that's weeks into the future.  Once I sense that said daughter's interest is waning in their project, all I have to do to invigorate her focus is recommend that she "subcontract out" the work to one of her sisters for a season, seeing how she's "lost interest".  

You talk about watching a pitch fall flat.  You would think it had been weighed down by the Earth itself.

Instinctually, women are territorial relative to groundwork that's their own or sites they feel so moved to survey beyond their borders.  Hence the expected discord whilst attempting to have them share a room / clothes / a vehicle, or a man.

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And this leads me to husband / fathers and the power / control they wield over females (which will serve as the segue needed to answer the aforementioned question).

Mistresses, by definition, exist solely in response to their puppeteers.  That being, the men they serve.

These women are yoked to these men despite their refusing to believe otherwise.  In many ways, it's a paradox for them to step into for there's a semblance of control (ground gained) that's shrouded in emotional manipulation for which they have no control over.

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When we moved back from Cleveland in 2013, one of our 10 immediate neighbors had separated and was headed for divorce.  We knew this because the husband was no longer living within the abode.  Therefore, we did our best to minister to the wife and her daughter despite the shame imbued limitations (cloud of embarrassment and despairing).  I remember specifically, after she divulged to us the relationship she'd quickly developed with a new man (thanks to online hookup sites), to steer clear of getting involved sexually with her new stud under any circumstances.

Why would I do this?  Sex is so much fun!

You know why.

Even not taking into account what Scripture has to say about fornication and divorcees, women cannot be sexual sans involving their whole hearts / emotional selves.  The experience is binding for them whereas for men, sex can simply serve as an exchange of bodily fluids.  

This is why you don't see women sneaking around in public parks looking to engage in anonymous hookups under the veil of darkness, or engaging similarly in public restrooms in accordance with their  "suitability" for cruising.

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I am convinced that one of the primary drivers young women have towards refuting their gender is rooted in their coming to the realization of just how vulnerable to men they truly are.  And not just physically vulnerable but emotionally vulnerable.  To the point of potential deep seated manipulation.

Who can blame 'um for wanting out of their biological gender in response to these vulnerabilities?

I'm pretty sure the Bible addresses this within the book of Genesis as one of the detriments of The Fall, and it sucks for women.

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Women are so unique, and so helpful to us men.  

If you're courting a mistress, do them a favor and walk away today.  For good.  

As their suitor, you are the biggest problem they face.

Commitment

Facilitating a Samson Society group here in Metro Jackson is such an honor, but I have to admit that it's hearing / receiving word from a Samson guy that they're choosing to commit to coming to the group meetings consistently that really puts a smile on my face.  

Samson Society can be hard to decode for a newcomer.  And that's intentional.  Therefore, guys need time to "find their place" within once they've decided for themselves that making a commitment is worth the investment.  

It is wonderful taking part in this ministry for such a time as this.  Especially during this prolonged season of overarching isolation and distancing.  I am blessed.

Why Pray To God?

The most difficult realization we can make as human beings is that we're not God.  Our culture and economic paradigm (free enterprise) constantly tell us that we are the masters of our destinies with rights to this and that ad nauseum.  Everything within our culture sets us up to believe that we're in TOTAL CONTROL moment by moment.

How then do we take heed / stay centered on of / how dependent we actually are on God's mercy, provision, and grace?

Well, it's a gift to see this truth.  Actually, it's one of the best gifts ever to receive.

Look at little children and how dependent they are by nature.  This is where we should be as Christians relative to our outlook on our lives.  Jesus made this crystal clear within his teachings.

Dr. John Piper tells a story of himself as a small boy.  He was unexpectedly pulled under via the undertow of ocean current whilst playing in the waves at the beach.  Nonchalant to what might occur, he was going about his business, having a grandiose time prior to this horrifying pivot.  

And we've all been oblivious to reality just as young John Piper was.  Until we're dealt a blow, making us realize just how vulnerable we truly are.

He continues with his story by vividly describing the experience of having his father thrusting his hand down into the water, grabbing hold of his small arm and then pulling him upward into the sunlight and air above, freeing him from the grip of the undertow / imminent drowning.

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Reality grows out of healthy fear, but not fear of undertows.  Instead, out of healthy fear of God himself and his awesomeness.  Awesomeness which manifests itself via his ability to not only alter circumstance but actually choose to do so on our behalf.  Dr. Piper's memory is fixed on the effortlessness his father exhibited in rescuing his son.  As if the experience was routine to the point of definition / purposefulness itself.  He ends the story by vividly describing his trembling fear as he realized how fortunate he was to have been rescued as he was.

So this begs the question.  What truly is a father, Earthly or Heavenly?  What defines him?  

Security.  Security.  Security.  Security.  Security.

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Years ago, I had a close atheist friend who would sometimes mock me for investing in prayer.  At times, he'd ask me if my god was like a "big genie in the sky".  Honestly, I was so shocked at his arrogance that I never would even attempt to answer him.  But as I took stock of his approach to life over the years that we were close, his point of view made sense.  Everything revolved / orbited around my friend.  His point of view was never from the outside in but the from the inside out.  And as such, this was a seemingly very safe position to be in.  As I've grown older, his point of view has made more and more sense to me despite the fact that I don't take stock in it as my own.

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My own earthly father unfortunately didn't demonstrate security for me circumstantially nearly as adeptly as Dr. Piper's did, but still, something from within me came to foundationally understand the significance of prayer as an acknowledgement of my own powerlessness.  I believe it had much to do with my observations of older men around me in church.  Hearing these men pray made such an impact.  Watching them take the time to stand up before the congregation in doing so.  And it's to be noted that it was my father who made a point to see that I was consistently in church on Sunday to witness this goodness.

And I remember these praying dudes being buttoned up, put together, professionals.  Just watching them humble themselves like that resonated with Rob, allowing me to see obedience demonstrated firsthand.

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As we age, our dependence on God as our Heavenly Father should increase proportionally.  For our understanding of just how vulnerable we truly are, as well as those around us, ramps up.  Not in order to bring on anxiety but sobriety.  

How cool it is that we have a God that's fully available to us via prayer and petition.  May we take heed of that today and invest accordingly in taking time to pray.

God Sees Your Sin. All The Excruciatingly Horrific Details Are In His Full View. This Should Be Unsettling.

American History books will no doubt document January 6, 2021 in a way that's far different than had the events of that day in Washington, D.C. occurred a few decades ago, and this is thanks to the ubiquity of technological advances relative to the digital realm.  

No doubt, we're seemingly just this close to perhaps being able to record the bent of a human heart.  I suppose that will soon come next no doubt due to where technology is advancing (and people's willingness to embrace it - no questions asked).

Regarding January 6, 2021, thanks to digital video / audio and social media, we can analyze with fervor what went down that day in our nation's capital (as is being done now during the impeachment hearing).  And these images / words / posts are, mind you, in high definition, which arguably is closer to reality than reality itself.  

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I enjoy watching television interviews from the '70s and '80s on YouTube.  Old episodes of the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in particular.  Obviously, those recordings leave a lot to be desired in terms of video quality / presentation due to the limitations of the tech.  Yet, they're still entertaining even today.

Contrast that with watching a current late night TV show as well as the commodious hardware readily available for us to consume that entertainment content today.

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No matter what your opinion is relative to whether Mr. Donald Trump was at all to blame for the events that occurred on 1/6/21, the events themselves were captured unscripted somewhat holistically thanks to what I referenced above. 

It will serve as a record, like no other, of an event like no other (at least within recent memory).

Now, consider the following.  How scary is it to consider our lives - the best and worst moments - being scrutinized as such?  From an infinite number of angles with real-time heart intentions exposed?

This is what God does.  24/7/365.  You can read it over and over again in his word.  

Yet, it's so unfathomable to us.  Perhaps unless you take cues from the cataloging of an event / circumstance as is going done right now within the Senate chamber of the Capitol Building.  And yet, God doesn't need an investigation team or attorneys to "playback" the events.  He's no need for a video editing team or social media sleuths much less eye witnesses.  

His omniscience provides him with instantaneous understanding of both our intentions and how those intentions are playing out.

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So much of what we do as humans is kneejerk reaction or some sort of ascent into reflexive acts of boredom.  And so much of our lives are so very mundane and repetitive.  All this portends of tragedy.

It is humanness through and through.

And that's where the hope of the gospel rings true as a solution, both transitional (sanctification) and everlasting (eternity) combined.  

For we must be perfect to gain salvation.  Perfect hearts, perfect mindset, perfect behavior.  Perfect.

Yet to truly grasp that position, and just how difficult it is to reach, we must see ourselves (outside of everyone else around us) outright firstly.  Though that will certainly never compare to God's viewpoint, we should work hard to not candy-coat or dilute it.  

Ask God, through his Holy Spirit, to open your eyes today relative to what he sees when he looks at you.  From there, look with intensity and ponder his position as your God, your creator, and the purveyor of his plan to redeem his children.