Samson Society - "The No Bull Briefing" - December 2021

 

THE NO BULL BRIEFING - December 2021

THANK YOU! As the end of the year draws near, we wanted to take a moment to share with you how much we've grown. Thank you for your continued support of our mission of rescuing families by helping men live in the freedom of authenticity.  SPREAD THE WORD To help you share the word about Samson Society or Sarah Society, we have created half-sheet flyers that you can email, print and hand out, or send via text to anyone you know that may benefit from connecting with authentic communities of healing. Click the images below to access the pdf files. JOIN US! Pirate Monks gathered on the first weekend in November. It was an amazing time. Now, thanks to the capabilities of modern technology, we are able to present an Online Version of the retreat for those who could not attend.   For those men who were able to join us in Eva last month, use the coupon code healtheboy to attend the virtual retreat for free! REGISTER For the second year in a row, Samson Society has received a year-end matching gift: every new contribution (excluding current monthly gifts)  between now and the end of the year will be matched dollar for dollar, capped at $65,000.  Also, consider doing a crowd fundraiser through Facebook. One Samson supporter recently hosted a Facebook fundraiser and raised several hundred dollars from friends and families. Interested? Feel free to use this language: Join me in supporting Samson House this holiday season. The Samson Society provides a safe place for Christian men to bring their real selves and say the real truth about the things they have kept hidden. It's a space of grace on the addiction battlefield, where men can be transparent without judgment or shame. Your donation helps rescue families by helping men live in the freedom of authenticity.  Remember, Samson Society doesn't have any dues or fees, but we do have expenses. Your contribution is an investment that pays dividends in your recovery and that of many others. We rescue families by helping men live in the freedom of authenticity. DONATE TODAY We are currently approximately 39% of the way to our end goal of $65,000.  GIVING TO SAMSON HOUSE CAN EASE YOUR 2021 TAX BURDEN Do you have stock, qualified retirement funds, donor advised funds, or crypto currency you want to donate for the benefit of Samson House? Through our partnership with New Horizons Foundation Inc, 501c3, there are over 20 ways to give, most of which will lower the amount you pay to the IRS. Give to Samson House, help rescue families, and pay less to the IRS in taxes - GREAT IDEA! It’s easy - just contact New Horizons Foundation (800) 531-4075 [option 1] for more information. Giving in 2021: This opportunity will likely go away in 2022. The CARES Act was passed by Congress on March 25, 2020, and signed into law on March 27, 2020. Part of this law allows taxpayers to apply up to 100% of their AGI (Adjusted Gross Income) - that’s right, 100% for calendar-year 2021 when giving to qualified contributions. To learn more, contact your tax professional. Remember: all new and one-time contributions, Nov 1 - Dec 3, are DOUBLED thanks to this year’s Matching Grant (up to $65,000.00). Spread the word to family and friends, and if your company shops on Amazon consider using Amazon Smile and designating Samson House.

SUPPORT@SAMSONSOCIETY.COM WWW.SAMSONSOCIETY.COM

"Joy" - By Max Morton

During this Advent season I have been meditating on Joy.  This is the season of Joy.  It is a reminder to me that Joy is the thing that seems to elude me.  Ever since God revealed Psalm 16:11 to me 10 years ago (for those who know my story it was a particularly joyless time in my life), I have been seeking Joy and it eludes me.  Joy is the thing that seems to be lacking.  I look for it.  I try to find it in the simple pleasures of everyday living in a fallen, sin-cursed world, but somehow, I can't seem to wrap my arms around it. 

Then there is this TRUTH:  Hebrews 12:1-3. 

Jesus knew a JOY that enabled him to endure the cross with its extra helping of shame.  That JOY was me.  It was his love for me; a joyous expectation of the communion we would share in his Kingdom. 

I am beginning to scratch the surface of this buried treasure that he finds his JOY in me and the only way I can experience JOY in this life is to find it in him.  His JOY is me, my JOY is him. 

The writer of Ecclesiastes bemoans the futility of life on planet Earth, for those of us "under the sun." This is the echo of Eden that causes man to wonder "It is not supposed to be like this."  As I center my focus on my JOY being in Jesus like his JOY is in me, I begin to experience the simple joys of this life where I am merely a pilgrim passing through on my way home. 

The joy of my first cup of coffee each day,

a made bed, 

a car that cranks, 

the joy of a job well done. 

The joy of the sound of laughter from my friends and family, 

Christmas presents under the tree, 

sausage balls on Christmas morning, 

the joy of laying down in a good bed at the end of the day, knowing I navigated this fallen world yet again, and tomorrow is one day closer to his return, one day closer to hearing "Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the JOY of your Lord." 

In this season of peace and JOY I pray we all find true JOY in the One whom this season is all about. The angels announced it as "Good news of great JOY" and gave glory to God.  JOY TO THE WORLD, THE LORD HAS COME.  Let my heart prepare him room, and find in him the source and every expression of JOY. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

"Immanuel" - By Max Morton

To me, one of the most amazing aspects of Advent is to meditate on Immanuel-God with us. God in all majesty, glory and splendor coming to "be with" me. More amazing still is the thought of Christ "in you" the HOPE of glory (Colossians 1:27). God, in Christ, the visible manifestation of the invisible God, God himself in all majesty, glory and splendor laying all that aside, literally emptying himself of his majesty, glory and splendor to take up humility, the earthly limitations of human flesh and learning obedience through suffering, even to the point of death (Philippians 2) in order to "be with" me.

With me in my frailty and failure. 

With me in joy and sorrow. 

With me in pain and persecution. 

Because he came as Immanuel, God with me, and was obedient unto death, God raised him from the dead and glorified him with a name above every name. I bow my knee and confess with my tongue that Jesus is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. This confession means that he is not only "with me" but his resurrection power lives "in me" by the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. 

Christ in me displaying the glory of his kingdom. 

Christ in me giving me peace and power. 

Christ in me training me through suffering to learn self-control.

Christ in me replacing my fear with his perfect love. 

Christ in me expecting a glorious hope. 

In this season of believing and hope, I meditate on the One who came as Immanuel to be with me and the One who remains as Lord of Lords and King of Kings. He in me is the hope of glory.

Damn. This Is So Good. Recommended Reading

 A Great Marriage-Wrecking Lie | Desiring God

Recommended Listening - The Commentary At The Conclusion Of This Podcast, In Particular, Resonated With Me

‎The Male Room: Rescued from drowning - an extraordinary story - The Male Room Episode 8 on Apple Podcasts

You Are Being Pursued By A Culture That's Aimed Squarely At Your Soul. Where Can We As Christian Men Properly Wrestle With / Find Solace From This Reality?

As westerners, we demure with ease so long as our comfortableness is maintained.  For we are materially wealthy (& subsequently hyper comfortable) to the nth degree with expected conveniences galore.  Yet comfort comes, so very often, with strings attached.  Strings that pay homage to / speak to our idolatrous nature. 

Screens are all around us, and as such, they're culture's primary mode of distribution (communicative influence).  The precedent set for this came about via the printing press' revolution of our cultural paradigm.   These screens are mounted above our fireplaces at home, held fast within our pockets, strapped to our wrists, stationed on our desks at work, glowing at us from within the car, and visual aiding us at church.  Our expectation today is for screens to be energized (always on) and novel with constant, unlimited content which is forever being burned (& subsequently written over) into our eyeballs.  They're now as ubiquitous as automobiles quickly became once civil engineers began designing roads / bridges and contractors laid asphalt.

But there's a difference in usage for a movie theater screen and a screen in your pocket.  Yet is there?  Which might be more or less influential and why?  

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Soon, we'll be presented with the notion of moving into a virtual reality screen where we may very well engage within a digital world.  No doubt, this world will be incredibly comfortable and novel, providing us with seemingly unlimited opportunity to be entertained.  The experience will occur in isolation yet behind a communal facade.  Very similar to the social media experiences of today but holistically more encompassing.  This will be a world where "everyone's equal" and has "a voice" that can be harnessed (somewhat covertly) by market makers to rake in the advertising revenue.

I'm of the opinion that they'll be very few cultural limits (moral) to what we'll be experiencing within this metaverse because of that "protective" facade.  For it will coax us into believing we're actually not unhealthily isolated via this pursuit.  May that very well be its greatest deception?

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As you know, technology is the engine that's driving all of this.  Mostly for profit but some too simply out of curiosity.  As microprocessors get faster and faster, our technologically accelerative culture gains that much more momentum as it exploits these advancements.  Costs too, play a factor here.  For the mass production of these incredible microscopic devices, which move vast quantities of data at the blink of an eye, has become so streamlined and optimized that they're now integrated into everything around us.

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So why am I writing a post about this?  

We are not pagans.  We're called to be holy.  Set apart.  

Yet, we're sitting squarely within this culture that I've described above because we too are westerners.  Westerners who refuse to live in caves. 

And, there're those strings that I mentioned within the first sentence.  Let's close this one up by addressing those caveats themselves.

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Your brain, no matter how spiritually mature you consider yourself to be, is being systematically shaped by our culture's devotion to tech.  And your brain is where your soul resides.  

This is truth.

This shaping is the web of strings that we commit to whilst engaging within our culture, and it's impossible to not agree to (be influenced by) because our brains (way of thinking) are malleable (especially when emotions are involved).   

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What can be done - as individuals - to intentionally resist / put into perspective this systematic soul shaping?  How can we detoxicate / disassociate / work against these powerful cultural influences?

1.  Limit screen time, and the most pragmatic means to accomplish this is to purge as many of them from your life as you realistically can.  This may sound unrealistic, but it's easier to do once you recognize the importance of protecting yourself.  On a related note, if you're unwilling to discard a particular device, temporarily decommission it via distance.  Leave it behind.

2.  Engage with other Christian men who've recognized the call to be holy and who're willing to assist one another within that pursuit via relational accountability.  

In closing, to expound a bit on #2, based on my experience, this process needs a format (like a Samson Society charter) to drive it forward with aplomb.  And despite the fact that there's no Academy Awards to be handed out therein, it's just as much a blockbuster for the soul.  Enriching, uplifting, convicting, prioritizing, re-sensitizing, humanizing, qualifying.