PARKS BROWN

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Ferris Bueller

When life comes at you so fast it’s hard to see, have perspective and assess what is really happening. With speed, risks increase and red flags are ignored.

If you look back over the last year, much less the last decade, odds highly favor you didn’t foresee many of the events that transpired in your world and the world.  You may be really good at reacting, even influencing, but odds favor your ability to predict the future leave room for improvement.

2019 was saturated with extreme events that unfolded at such a rapid pace it resembled jumping out of an airplane. At 12,000 feet (beginning of the year) you can’t see the ground approaching and the view of where you’re headed isn’t in focus. At 2,500 feet (during the year) you finally start to see the ground coming but, the apparent diameter of objects increases faster and faster than your distance from the ground decreases. This gives a feeling you are not seeing them closer but seeing them move apart. Perspective is dependent on speed…it’s a function of acceleration. With speed, risk increases.

A distorted perspective in skydiving can downplay the risk of ‘hitting the ground.’ Losing perspective in everyday life can downplay the risk of discerning between the noise we hear and the red flags that we should pay attention to. When life comes at you too fast people burn out, companies lose focus, relationships are neglected and time flies. When you aren’t still and quiet your perspective on what is important is distorted…and ignored.

The Bible constantly reminds us not to live so fast…which is why the world is constantly speeding up. God (I AM WHO I AM..Exodus 3:14) exists in the moment. ‘He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” ‘ Psalm 46:10. Giving your time to stop, listen and seek God is a sacrifice that comes with a responsibility and a reward.

The Holy Spirit is a reward that gives perspective and discernment. Jesus said, ‘But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own: he will only speak what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.’ John 16:13. We all need more of the Spirit as we enter 2020.

‘And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.’ Hebrews 11:6. What did you earnestly seek in 2019? Success at work…taking care of your family…building your nest egg…vacation time…a healthier lifestyle? All of these are fine ambitions but if you seek anything more earnestly than Him you’re simply living for today.

Now is when some folks must admit they are living for today. It’s true, God’s ways and rewards are not the same as ours (Isaiah 55:8). And, He doesn’t deal with timeliness the way we do (“…With the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day.” 2 Peter 3:8.) I hope living for today has more to do with the distorted perspective that comes with the speed of life than a heart that has turned away from God. Either way, let’s not forget the ground is approaching faster than you probably perceive.

‘Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2. Talking about Christ’s return is usually a conversation killer regardless of people’s faith or maturity. The point is, He’s either a liar or He’s coming back soon and you’re not going to see it coming. If you want to risk pulling the rip cord at 100 feet, good luck with that call.

Living in the moment has become a lifestyle with technology, but it comes with higher risk and a greater price tag. Living each day without being still and quiet presents the difficulty of differentiating between noise and the red flags all around us. Red flags are signs of danger. Mariners use red flags to signal dangerous wind and wave conditions. In auto racing a red flag indicates a stop due to dangerous conditions.

Were you still and quiet enough to see many/any red flags in 2019? Do you see any red flags in…the weather, geopolitical events, the conditions of your heart and relationships, the Word of God? Don’t let the speed of events taking place make your life look like the lyrics to the Eagles song, Life in the Fast Lane.

‘Life in the fast lane, surely make you lose your mind…life in the fast lane,           everything all the time’

In the meantime, the letters in red speak clearly as the distance from the ground decreases. ‘He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.’ Revelation 22:20-21.

 

“You want answers? I think I’m entitled to them. You want answers? I want the truth!! You can’t handle the truth!!” Can You Handle the Truth

I hope Jack was wrong, but we do live in a world with walls that try to keep us from the truth. Data supports facts showing the fruit of these walls are people have become more apathetic, less optimistic, less hopeful…more secular. When faith, truth, hope, and love become casualties men lose sight of the future and reason for living.

But, why does this matter? What difference does it make if no one believes in absolutes anymore? ( read more..Yes or No) Because absolutes are the characteristics and attributes of God. If we ignore or stifle absolutes, then we stifle God. Who or what wants the voice of God to be hidden; and why? Powers and principalities are in opposition.

To kill a thing, you need to attack the root, not the fruit. When the dominant conversation focuses on relative truths and not the Truth, look out. If absolute Truth is ignored, providence in everyday life will surprise you. How much do you know or care about the Repo Crisis, digital currencies replacing physical currencies and Boris Johnson’s landslide win in Britain? Get ready for 2020 and 2021.

Absolutes shape our everyday lives and direct our thoughts, attitudes and actions. If we only deal in relativity and ignore absolutes, chaos and disunity are the result. Real truths in everyday life can be more easily hidden and ignored when the pillar of absolutes is destroyed.

Truth and love, are two primary absolutes. There is an effort to disprove all absolutes and destroy any argument that supports them…for a reason. Ghandi was right. Truth is an absolute and it comes from God. When you hear and acknowledge absolute Truth, you hear the voice of God. God is absolute….can you handle that truth?

A lack of consensus by any other name is disagreement. Look around and you see it everywhere. When relative truth is elevated in your personal life, absolute truth is diminished in society and disunity spreads. But, let’s never forget, truth doesn’t always unite. The truth can and often does divide. This is why truth must always be accompanied by love.

It has been said, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.” The nature of America’s political divisiveness is to tear apart and make ‘one nation under God’, divisible. The nature of  the current enmity between people is to destroy the cities in our country. The root of divorce is dividing a household so the family cannot stand as a united force. This is true.

I have a hard time understanding the First Family……the one in the Bible (Genesis 4). Cain and Abel were brothers. The first parents had trained their kids to bring an offering and a sacrifice to God. God looked favorably on one but not the other. Cain became angry at God when God didn’t view what he did as acceptable. Not much has changed, huh? Truth is, God defines what is right and wrong and man doesn’t. We’ve always had a hard time accepting that truth, so we build walls between us and God.

Absolutes aren’t negated by walls or disbelief. Some days it’s hard for me to remember that truth perseveres and finds a way. God always finds a way to make truth real and personal. The Christmas story is usually presented as a story of love, mercy, salvation and redemption. Christmas is a celebration of when truth became flesh and blood.

Truth can divide and be flat out offensive and hard to understand at times. Christ told people ‘whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life…’ John 6:54. Maybe not palatable or popular, but the truth isn’t always what you want to hear. Do you know it when you hear it, or have the lies drowned it out for you? Jesus said he was ‘the way and the truth and the life.’

When Jesus began His ministry, he unreservedly spoke truth to His followers, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law- a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ ” Matthew 10:34-36. Truth doesn’t always sell or win a majority vote in an election cycle. The truth may even divide families…but truth saves our world.

A percentage of the world is tired of division and wants everyone to co-exist and just get along. Another group of people buy into their truth and are on a mission to force their truth on others. Christians know the truth doesn’t need votes or force to get it’s way. In fact, if the truth doesn’t travel with love, it doesn’t gain traction. Love and the truth rejoice in each other together, never separately (1st Corinthians 13).

Absolutes have a way of dividing things. Just because you don’t like them or believe in them doesn’t mean they don’t exist. God gave the truth in the physical form of his Son (John 3:16) to speak truth into a polarized world at a chaotic time. Not much has changed. It’s not popular to speak the truth about anything, much less God and Jesus.

So, here’s a foundational truth that is at the core of the battle against absolutes. This truth causes good people to stumble and evil to get busy. Jesus spoke the truth to save souls, not fill the pews and offering plate. This truth separates and divides almost more than any. I’ll remind you, truth and love must exist together or it is not real truth.

Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.

Drop the mic and hear the truth in love. The world won’t give a thunderous applause, but keep listening.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a short blog with a big question. One quick yes or no decision will potentially open the door to a better life for you and the world we both live in.

Before reading this blog and proceeding with another minute of your time, you need to decide in your heart and mind if there is such a thing as an absolute. Deciding if there are absolutes will help you enjoy life and fulfill your dreams and desires. Answering the question of absolutes will help define and shape how you think about everything and therefore the world we all live in. Absolutes effect the here and now…and the hereafter.

An absolute is a thing that is universally valid and exists independently of anything. An absolute is not relative or comparative.  Deciding if there are absolutes dictates that you’ll want to know what absolutes you believe in, but first things first. Does anything stand straight for you at all times and in all places regardless of the circumstances? Yes or no?

You might think absolutes are easy to identify but the war against absolutes has left no absolute behind. The battle has been raging for-ever and all around you. God creating man in His image might be considered an absolute by some but not others. At one time, you would have been considered illiterate to claim life started as a muddy slime more than 3 billion years ago. Darwinism claimed Creation by God was not an absolute and now standard educational curriculum includes his teaching.

In defense of their beliefs, Evolutionists might retort people once thought the Earth was flat as well. But if everything is on the table of relativity, Evolutionists can be labeled haters. If theories of creation are relative, hate is as well. If you believe there are NO absolutes, then colleges can teach there are 5 or 6 different sexes. Oh, wait….

At the center of the struggle against you believing in absolutes is the battle against believing in an absolute Creator; God. If there are absolutes then where can you find and validate them? If you can’t agree on an absolute God and where to learn about Him, then it’s all up for grabs.

At this point, a lot of folks will stop reading and not tax themselves. Too esoteric, offensive, boring and not practical. The truth is, truth is the biggest casualty and the lowest hanging fruit in your decision on absolutes. These days people say there is my truth, your truth, their truth…everyone has a truth. Along with the argument against absolutes, this is a lie. Truth can be found but you must identify where it comes from.

The practicality of the question on absolutes is evident in the lack of space for truth in society. Social media posts, politics, churches, institutes of learning and holiday gatherings no longer wade into open conversation. People hide behind political correctness and safe spaces and hate-free zones. There is a lack of dialogue and meaningful discussion with Facebook posts and Instagram pictures. Stating an individual belief without inviting and giving space for discourse, correction and truth to reveal itself has become the way of life.

Closed discussions shut out the light that exposes truth. CNN and Fox have broadcast impeachment hearings where one side, because of a majority in the House, has closed the door on calling witnesses and rebuttal therefore potentially closing the door to truth. In regards to these politics, I am NOT saying one side or the other represents truth. I AM saying truth needs the scale and light of equal representation and to not hide behind the door of relativism.

Absolutes are slandered and have always been under attack. Good people with well intentions have debated absolutes for years, but in 2019 the door is closing. Deplorables hiding behind their Bibles with guns has become the way to describe what used to be known as discussion.

It is necessary to maintain the integrity of if and where absolutes originate to even define them. Only then can we truly answer the question of absolutes. Free-will sets the stage for this discourse but the stage has been hijacked to the detriment of civilization. Admittedly, Satan led the attack on absolutes when he questioned God’s word in the beginning of time. He is still at the root and helm of questioning absolutes.

Maybe the best way to put a bow on this is NOT to ask about the absolute of truth, or love. A better question is to ask about God. Who or what is your God and where can He be discovered and learned about? Is He true at all times and in all places, regardless of the circumstances? Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Maybe He’s a good place to start. If He is truth, then everything He says is truth.

So, a short blog is not an absolute, it’s obviously relative. But, what is absolute in your world? Anything?

 

If you want to become something you first have to see it. Ask Tiger Woods or LeBron James about seeing the shot before they take it. Ask any successful athlete or businessperson and they will tell you the necessity and value of visualizing a thing before achieving it. You must SEE the object of your desire in plain sight or in your minds eye. What you look at will change you. It will mold you into it’s image.

If you can’t see it, you can’t be it. If you want to see a profit in your business, then you devise a plan of profitability and not just revenue generation. If you want to see something other than your home life you focus on work. If you want to see life without blemishes, you fix your eyes on Facebook. We look at what we desire and what we want to become. In turn, what we see in the world around us is the heart of people.

It’s critical to see clearly and understand what you see. This is easier said than done. An Old Testament prophet reflected on people in his generation, ‘You have seen many things, but you pay no attention: your ears are open, but you do not listen.” Isaiah 42:20. Years later, Jesus understood the same situation and dealt with it accordingly…’ “This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’ ” Matthew 13:13.

When we look at a thing why do we not see clearly and understand? A common denominator that thwarts the ability to see things clearly is the condition of your heart. Jesus taught that a hardened heart was at the center of seeing and understanding. ‘ “…Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?…” ‘ Mark 8:17-18.

Greed and anger effect judgement, sight and understanding. Greed and anger are sin and sin separates us and causes us to harden our hearts to God. Greed was alive and well in the late 90’s when the stock market looked out 10 years at the earnings potential of a company and saw inevitability; a crash soon followed that effected us all. In 2019, those of a certain persuasion are so angry they see impeachment as a simple means to an end; what follows won’t be good for any of us. We need to SEE God to become more like Him. Geez, can that be done??!!

No one has ever seen God, but Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. The author of Hebrews said…’Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.’ Hebrews 12:2-3. Headlines that vacillate between dire economic consequences for Brexit, political choices, dramatic climate changes that destroy crops, marriages that are destroyed by despair and infidelity….it’s hard not to grow weary after a while. The only way NOT to lose heart is to keep your sight fixed appropriately. You are what you see.

First, you gotta know what you need to see. Seeing Jesus may not be the easiest thing to do but it is the answer to terrorism, racism, sexism, classism and every other ‘ism you can name. As Kanye rapped in 2009…

I ain’t here to argue about His facial features                                                                                  Or here to convert atheists into believers                                                                                    I’m just tryna say the way school needs teachers                                                                            The way Kathy Lee needed Regis, that’s the way I need Jesus

Thoughtful people at some point look towards Jesus but they hijack the gospel and get sidetracked in one or two aspects of Him. Only seeing Jesus’ stance against social injustice but not His views on sexual choices and perversions is the same as not believing. ‘The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.’ (my emphasis) 2 Corinthians 4:4. When you only see Jesus from a worldly perspective to enhance an agenda of power, pleasure or money, it can be worse than not seeing Him at all …you can lose your sight completely.

You are what you see and your sight is effected by how you see the living God and His Son, Jesus. Our world needs to see Jesus now more than ever. Christians are in the cross hairs and the world calls it cognitive dissonance when we don’t embody each word in THE Word. The best way to help others see Him is to boldly speak out what we believe… then acknowledge and humbly repent for how short we fall…but Jesus saves. The world needs a savior, not another person or politician with a plan of action.

If we don’t look for and see with clarity the enormity and power of Jesus, we are more vulnerable to the consequences of being myopic…and wrong. The consequences of not seeing Jesus in 2020 will be more catastrophe in our world and your world. I want to run my life, my business and my relationships to let others see Him in me…and I can’t do it without seeing Him more clearly myself.

 

‘Ride or Die’ is a popular term that originated in the biker community meaning that riding was so important they would rather die if they couldn’t ride. Culture then adopted the phrase and attitude to a woman who was so loyal to her significant other that she would stick with him through everything no matter the danger to herself. Ride or die applies to anyone and means loyalty at ALL cost to someone other than yourself. Does your life show who you ride or die with??

Ride or die was built into mankind by God and is meant for the Creator first and foremost. God told us to ride or die with HIM..(remember the 10 Commandments, Exodus 20). BTW, you want to ride or die with someone you can ride OR DIE with. Being a Christ follower puts an interesting twist on this. Jesus addressed ride or die when He said…'”I am the resurrection and the life…and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”‘ John 11:25-26. Do YOU live like you really believe this???

One of the first people to speak and live out ride or die was a guy named John. John the Baptist was the OG and coined the phrase but said it in old school words. John spoke of his loyalty to Jesus….”He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30. Ride or die is more of a lifestyle of subordination and submission than catchy slang. Ride or die people stand apart from the crowd.

Ride or die isn’t safe or easy. Putting someone before yourself means exercising that loyalty with your words and actions. John the Baptist rode with the man who came telling everyone they needed to repent to God for their sins; wouldn’t be a popular Facebook post these days. Riding with Jesus got John’s head cut off. Kinda makes you picture the Christians in the Taliban video a few years ago. Ride or die isn’t a pretty social media post.

Where do you see ride or die explained and lived out? Facebook and IG may come to mind but the Bible is THE ride or die handbook. Paul put it this way…’Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4. This is ride or die in old school vernacular.

What does riding and dying with Jesus look like in 2019? How do you roll when you are wrongly accused, spoken poorly of by neighbors or your kids are slighted for the way they dress or the car they drive? God’s word says…’Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse…do not be conceited..do not repay anyone evil for evil…do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath…on the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him…do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” ‘ Romans 12:14-21. Riding with God means you stand out like a long haired biker with a tattoo on your forehead.

Ride or die reeks of altruism, loyalty, trust and commitment regardless of the cost. These qualities are hard wired in human DNA but they need an object to be expressed upon and this is where the rubber meets the road. If we don’t want our leaders to live out their faith, then political parties become the object to ride or die. If freedom of speech is replaced by political correctness and popularity, then Facebook and Instagram become platforms to show piety, accomplishments and where we vacation. When we don’t make God our front and center every day then He becomes less and WE become greater.

Paul’s words express my current state and desire to ride and die with Christ. ‘Not that I have already attained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But, one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.’ Philippians 3:12-14. I’m not there, but I’m trying each day.

Our world and our God need us to live each day with the ride or die attitude and lifestyle.  The world needs to see, know and hear how we ride or die. I ride or die with my bride and my kids…I ride or die with a few friends… I want to be a friend to ride and die with. I believe a commitment to Jesus is the best way to live a ride or die life.