Insightful Introductory Words from Rev. A.R. Bernard for Dr. Ben Carson

In his introductory remarks before Dr. Ben Carson took the stage at the Rev. Al Sharpton-led National Action Network's annual convention in New York City, Rev. A.R. Bernard shared the following words:

"After 36 years of pastoring in New York City, I discovered there are four things God wants from a man: maturity, decisiveness, consistency and strength. After 43 years of marriage, I've discovered there are four things women want from a man: maturity, decisiveness, consistency and strength. I also discovered that the four things that men struggle with in life are: maturity, decisiveness, consistency and strength . . . But what I really discovered is that these are the qualities that people look for in a leader. Dr. Carson is one of those leaders."

(A.R. Bernard, pastor and founder of the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, NY ~ incidentally an M.Div. graduate of Alliance Theological Seminary and also recipient of a Doctor of Divinity from ATS).

Eddie Bravo explains the Rubber Guard to Rickson Gracie

The Master is always learning, always growing and always absorbing whatever is useful. 

"Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless like water if you put water in the cup it becomes the cup and water can flow or it can crash" ( ~ Bruce Lee).

The Jewish Voices on Campus

". . . being against Israel is the cool thing to do . . ."

The liberal western worldview and its increasing reality of anti-Semitism that seems to parallel - to a lesser degree - its other growing hatred and animosity towards Christianity. 

". . . being against Christianity is also another cool thing to do . . ."

"5 Common Myths About the Great Commission"

This is a great article posted over at Verge written by JS Shaw.  Some great quotables include:

• "Living your life with others is a part of making disciples, but without intentional proclamation and demonstration of the Gospel, just doing life with others will not alone lead to making and multiplying disciples."
• "The difference between convert making and disciple making is crucial. Converts change religions. Disciples change masters. Converts follow a system. Disciples follow a Person. Converts build Christendom. Disciples build the Kingdom of God. Converts embrace rituals. Disciples embrace a way of life. Converts love the command to “baptize them” in the Great Commission, but that is all. Disciples baptize others but only in context of “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.” Converts love conversion. Disciples love transformation."
• "Cultural Christians love to sing the praises of disciple makers while simultaneously avoiding, through the most crafty cop-outs, personal obedience to the Great Commission. In other words, when it comes down to it, many view the Great Commission as merely great advice."

May we faithfully and obey the call to "go into all nations to make disciples of Christ."

Rob Bell and Andrew Wilson // Homosexuality & The Bible // Unbelievable?

We will not forget . . .

Unconventional Wisdom

The Ministry of the Unnoticed

"Blessed are the poor in spirit . . ." (Matthew 5.3)

"In the Christian life, godly influence is never conscious of itself. If we are conscious of our influence, it ceases to have the genuine loveliness which is characteristic of the touch of Jesus. We always know when Jesus is at work because He produces in the commonplace something that is inspiring."

~ Oswald Chambers

Hannibal King & the Blackzilians

Christ in you, the hope of glory

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

(Ephesians 3.20-21 NIV)

By the wonderful grace of God, He has provided for us the life, the wisdom, the strength and the power of Christ.  There is nothing we can ever dream up, imagine or tweet about that will ever come close to the incomprehensible glory of Christ at work within our hearts and life.  To Him be the glory for ever and ever.

What's with style?

The past decade has seen this mushroomed infatuation with style and the appearance of "worship forms."  Dude, what's up the style?  Pastors with Nazi-youth hairdos and skinny jeans? (think Bronski Beat meets 80s skinhead with a wad of facial hair)  Say what?  Is this another over-reaction by the consumer-driven evangelical establishment of "herd mentality," Barna-dependent clergy?  I can't wait till this hipster thing blows over and folks enter rehab for silly tattoos they got "in the name of Jesus."

Bob Kauflin offers some insight regarding "style" ~ "what you win people with is what you generally win them to."  You are not Keller and you certainly don't want to be Driscoll, please stop the madness.  How sad would it be if the gospel was frozen in the 80s . . . and all your worship leaders dressed like Stryper?  Drop the act and be yourself . . . especially if the hipster within you is unwilling to release you from captivity.

Felipe Costa ~ Thoughts for the Underdog

As a BJJ Black Belt, Costa became one of the first Mundial Winners to win without ever winning any tournaments previous prior to becoming a Black Belt.  "There is hope for those other guys out there . . . stay safe, don't get hurt, and just don't give up."

Say what?

"When a man has lost his hair and is bald, he is clean" (Leviticus 13.40).

The better question is "Who is the church?"

"We are the church. It's not a what or event, it's a who or a people. "

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Peter 1.9 NIV).

Jeff Vanderstelt offers a good reminder to us that "[the church] is the regenerate people of God, saved by the power of God for the purposes of God in this world."

Terra Vs. Glover

Caio Terra versus one of the all-time greats Paragon's very own Jeff "The Pipelayer" Glover.

Kron Gracie ~ The Legacy

Shawn Tubbs "Doing It"

Great playing from a session guy I've been following for over 20 years now (former SoCal boy now in Nashville).

We Will Never Forget

Discipleship Nuggets

"When a church has been built on a profession of faith, rather than faith that is rooted in obedience, being baptized doesn't change much" (Bill Hull's "The Disciple-Making Church" p.27).  Yet another nugget of wisdom reminding us of the "first importance" of the gospel ~ if understood properly, it not only informs the Christian but the church as well.

*The Life of Christian Holiness ~ as a Three-Legged Stool (ala Packer)

Earlier I likened the life of Christian holiness to a three-legged stool, in which the three legs were:

• D (doctrine: truth taken into the mind and heart to live by)
• E (experience: the conscientious pursuit and conscious enjoyment of fellowship with the Father and the Son)
• P (practice: in the sense of the specific and habitual response of obedience to the doctrinal truth one has received).

The point of the illustration was that a stool cannot stand on less than its three legs. In the absence of any one of them, the stool falls down. If one leg is larger or smaller than the other two, stability is lost, and the stool is in danger of tipping over as soon as any weight is put on it. So it is only when D, E, and P are balanced together in proper proportions that the spiritual life is solid and steady.

*Excerpt from "Rediscovering Holiness" by J. I. Packer (p. 57).

Which is better? "No de faixa" or the "Super Knot"?

BJJ enthusiasts everywhere swear that their method for tying a belt is the best . . . you decide.

The GB "No de Faixa":



The ATT method (3 ways):



Another guy with a partial "super knot":



The one and only "Rener Gracie" 3 variations/slices (ala "Super Knot"):