PARKS BROWN

My senior year in High School, I won two state awards from the Henry Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia. One award was for Best News Story and the other for Best Feature Story of the Year for High School Newspapers. I learned it was not the words I used but the underlying story I revealed that brought me the recognition.  Words can impact but most importantly, they reveal. When it comes to words, I am definitely pro-choice.

The right words can bring recognition. Words can close a business deal, create a friendship or make a girl give you a second look. The wrong words, well, ask Chuck Schumer last week…or Biden or Trump at any given time. Between Twitter, Facebook, fake media, 24-7 talk radio and news casts we are drowning in words. James, the half brother of Jesus, had the best advice ever. He said, “..Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” James 1:19.

Words carry weight and are powerful. Words are the fruit of the seed they represent. The God of Creation can create ex nihilo (out of nothing) and He chose to ‘speak’ the world into existence. ‘And God said. “Let there be light,” and there was light…’ Genesis 1:3. He chose four words. Enough said.

Along with power comes responsibility. The Bible teaches us the size of an object doesn’t determine it’s power. Power can be used for good or for evil. A bit in the mouth of a horse, a rudder on a ship, a spark to start to flame…and our tongue. “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” James 3:6. Interesting how James emphasizes more of the destruction that is done with the words we choose than the good.

Every blogger, poster and politician should be reminded it’s not the quantity of words you use, it’s the quality. Once a word is spoken it can’t be taken back. Words are a reminder that you can’t always win, but you can always lose. Jesus put it bluntly, “…For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgement for every empty word they have spoken” Matthew 12:34-26. Choose your words wisely.

I learned early in life my ability to use words was one of my greatest strengths. It took me a LOT longer to realize it was also one of my greatest weaknesses. I’m still learning an economy of words is the best economy to have. I hear words of arrogance and anger from leaders in Washington. I see words of division from people I know and love on Facebook.  I wonder if anyone else sees their choice of words as a weakness to control.

In this age where internet searches reveal enough data, sound bites and studies to choke a horse, people aren’t using their own words as much as they used to. The internet allows you to search and find someone else’s words to use in place of your own. Confirmation bias is the tendency to search, find, interpret and favor information in a way that confirms and strengthens your personal beliefs. But, the internet and confirmation bias are destroying original thought and critical thinking.

So, if people are choosing to express themselves with less original words and using other sources for their words, what and who are we hearing expressed? Peter reminded Christ followers, “The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray…If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God…” 1 Peter 4:7-11. Peter’s advice would be to choose the Word of God for all confirmation bias. Ask God what to say before you speak and then speak boldly.

The ‘hate speech’ movement and ‘safe zones’ sound well-intentioned, but are veiled attempts to replace original thought, stifle free speech and steal the words we can use. Our children are being taught to fear using words because they may offend someone. If you ingrain this behavior at a young age, when they get older and more people listen to them the behavior will likely remain. The result is the same. Less original speech and more mimicked words from an approved source. Originating where? Approved by whom? Make a choice.

Free speech may sound like an amendment or an ideology, but it goes deeper. If our words are God’s Word, the battle becomes more clear. If what we say reveals HE is our source, the source is under attack. The attack doesn’t come from the left or the right, it comes from an enemy that was cast out of heaven before time began. The people leading the attack are merely representatives of the source. We are responsible for making sure our words come from the source we truly represent. Choose your source.

So, where do we go from here? The Bible reminds us, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs (my emphasis), that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29. There is a difference between using words for someone else’s needs other than your own. Too often we hear words being used to promote an agenda and for personal gain. I choose God’s agenda.

Instead of tearing down a Supreme Court Justice or potential rulings, why not build up the Constitution and the judicial branch. Build up your candidate without tearing down someone else’s. Is it worth saying you have a right to choose if it destroys someone else’s need and right to life? These words have been stolen by the world and reveal the battle is between life and death, powers and principalities. Choose a side.

I am pro-choice when it comes to choosing words. Words are powerful. Words build up and they tear down, they unite and divide. Words start things and end things. Words reveal and words cover up. We must choose what we say wisely. When we speak from the heart we need to ask who and what is directing our heart.

God is pro-choice with free will and the words you can use, but…everyone who calls themselves a Christian must remember, “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:37.  I’ve run my mouth enough over the years to plead guilty and know I need a savior. Thank you, Jesus. I also need to remind others that I’m sorry for any things I’ve said that were hurtful and harmful. I choose to admit I’ve been wrong more times than I care to know.

The day is coming when we will all be held accountable for the choices we have made regarding what we say and do. The last words in the last chapter of the book in the Bible are in red…and they are a mic drop.

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” Revelation 22 12.

After a week of stories about Kobe Bryant’s life and death you probably don’t have the bandwidth left for more. But, if you do, there is a deeper truth that is relevant to you and me.

Around 55 A.D. the Roman philosopher Seneca described life then and now when he said, ‘To be everywhere is to be nowhere.’ Sounds like what the internet has brought us in more ways than one. In 2009, Jordan Grafman, head of neuroscience at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke confirmed what Seneca the Younger said. Dr. Grafman concluded the internet allows us to gather information from everywhere in a momentary click resulting in our brains ability to be more nimble when it comes to multitasking. But, the price of this convenience is a decreased ability to think deeply and creatively. In layman’s terms, we become a mile wide but an inch deep.

Kobe Bryant’s death is a reminder of MY need to not just assimilate data but to always slow down and go deeper. True confession, when the news broke of Kobe’s death I was more appalled at the content and veracity of coverage than I was sympathetic. I grew up a Lakers fan and appreciate Kobe’s talent but…150,00 people die and 125,000 babies are aborted each day. Where’s the outpouring of sympathy for these deaths? Are these lives less important and their deaths have less impact?!

I am jaded by this age of favoritism towards celebrities. To me, Kobe’s death was the latest example of the world’s misguided focus. I gathered the data and wanted to quickly move on. But, upon a deeper search and reflection, I was missing something.

Everywhere I turned the next few days it seemed like all I heard about was Kobe; and it irritated me. The internet even provided me a (fake) news story about Marines being killed the same day. Marines dying didn’t get the attention Kobe did! I had enough of Kobe by Sunday night. Still, in this age of IOT,  I continued to be bombarded with more data on Kobe and I was not enjoying the deeper dive.

Going deeper into Kobe’s story revealed age old truths that eventually changed my mind. With so much data and fake news, keeping an open mind can be more difficult each day. Deeper truths aren’t always found with an initial search, but truth can be a journey.

When the news broke I heard the accolades of him being a great family man and a fierce competitor. MY first thoughts were the 2003 accusations of rape and the tales of his sexual exploits that rivaled Wilt Chamberlain. Then, I thought of his feud with Shaq and the hurtful things they both said about each others children and careers. My first thoughts were the worst and I didn’t go deeper, until…I ran into the mercy he gave and received. Then, my whole mindset started to change.

Kobe was an athlete with wealth and great talent. Kobe was a superstar, an icon…most things people admire and covet in this world. The deeper truth is that Kobe was really a poster child of mercy and forgiveness.

Mercy is when someone doesn’t get what they deserve. Mercy is when you give compassion or forgiveness to someone when you could punish or harm them. Mercy requires an open mind and the willingness to change. Are you listening Washington, DC?

I learned that Kobe was forgiven by some of the people he hurt and offended the most. People who had good reason to dislike or even hate Kobe, had forgiven him (Shaq Opens Up). I learned that Kobe had confessed (Kobe’s Faith), and apologized regarding the rape accusation years earlier. I learned the truths taught us by the Judaeo-Christian God of Creation are hard wired into all of us when we go deeper…and Kobe learned that. Read the Bible and be reminded as well.

‘Whoever conceals their sin does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy’ Proverbs 28:13.

Broadcast news and journalism will focus headlines to get your attention but not to lead you into the deeper truths…and definitely not to the Bible. James (the half-brother of Jesus, not LeBron) reminds us that favoritism towards the rich and famous has been around forever. The Bible teaches when you show favoritism you ‘discriminate among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts.’ James 2:4. So, whether your favoritism is to the iconic athlete, the candidate of the political party of your choice or your self, judgement and evil thoughts is the quick result you can expect.

The need to go deeper into meditating on God’s Word has never been more front and center. The need to go deeper has also never been more difficult. We are simply becoming a product of how the internet is re-wiring our brains (The Shallows…What The Internet Is Doing To Our Brains). The conveniences we use each day are causing us to revert to simple hunting and gathering of information. We are literally becoming more shallow with more internet searches. A deeper truth of Kobe’s life and death reveals that he developed a conscious, active search of God’s Word (Kobe’s Faith Emerges).

The Bible teaches mercy is a spiritual gift that comes from God. You can give it and you can receive it. Christ reminds us, ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.’ Matthew 5:7. You tend to get what you give…and what you search for.

You have to search the Bible for deeper truth. Then, you have to ‘think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God’. If you don’t buy into this, you will ‘become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity…full of gossip…God-haters with no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.’ Romans 1:28-31. Look around and tell me what you see.

The world will not lead you to deeper truths. The world will lead you to be judge and jury. The darker conclusion of life in 2020 is that without God’s Word and a deeper dive into it, we all simply become judge and jury.

When a spouse files for divorce we can judge without knowing the deeper truths of the marriage. We can judge a neighbor’s kid when they come home at 2 am talking loudly…we can judge an athlete by his past adultery…we can judge a President’s impeachment by his party affiliation. When we judge without remembering God’s Word on mercy it leads to a bad place with bad consequences.

‘Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgement’ James 2:12-13. THIS scripture is a full court buzzer beater that can change the game.

I don’t know where you need to be more merciful today. Kobe’s death reminded me that I need to always be more merciful. Death is a great teacher. God is a better teacher. The Bible reveals the deeper truths regarding everything.

There is a deeper truth in Kobe’s death. Without a growing faith in God we are destined to swim in the shallow end of the pool…and be judgmental without showing mercy.

#Kobe…..Lord, ‘Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.’ Psalm 90:12.

 

 

You can’t win if you don’t play the game and you can’t play the game unless you buy-in. In fact, you can lose everything when you don’t buy-in.

In poker, a buy-in is an up-front commitment and determines the prize to be won. On a sports team the players buy-in to a game plan and the coach. Put simply, a buy-in is your acceptance of and willingness to actively support and participate in something. If you buy-in to something, you commit and don’t quit. To buy-in, you’ve gotta have faith in something other than yourself. When faith falters the quake is felt around the world.

‘ “The rise of the nones” is the attention-grabbing phrase used to describe the well-documented increase in the percentage of Americans who, when queried by survey researchers about their religious identification, say “none”.’ (Rise of the Nones.)  The ‘nones’ represent a loss of faith that manifests and is dividing our world. This decline and loss of faith lies at the root of many societal, financial, political, religious, and relational problems we face across the globe.

Faith isn’t hope. Faith is complete trust and confidence. Faith is a buy-in and a needed component to solve problems and change things. Jesus was confronted by two blind men who went to Him to change their real world problems. He first checked to see if they were really buying-in to Him or just kicking the tires. Once He saw they had real faith, He asked them, ‘ “Do you believe I am able to do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; and their sight was restored.’ Matthew 9:28-30. What happens on earth is relative to your faith.

Faith is under attack because of the power that comes from it. Brexit and the current divisions between Democrats and Republicans reflect a lack of faith in the electoral process, elected officials and the people who cast votes. The ‘nones’ show a loss of faith resulting from church scandals (Catholic and Protestant) and the tearing down of denominations (from Presbyterian to Methodist…The Art of Holiness) Negative interest rates in Europe and the coming monetary reset are the result of bankers that have lost faith in traditional monetary policies. When faith is under attack you can see it everywhere but it originates in one place.

Many issues we currently face result from the loss of a buy-in and faith in the Judeo-Christian God of creation. The resulting everyday conflicts are at the root of the war to separate people from a faith in God. Why is this so deep and prevalent yet not easily seen? Because ‘faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.’ Hebrews 11:1. LSU and Clemson didn’t physically see the championship game when they started practice in the spring, but they still bought-in to their ability to get there.

If your faith is challenged on a daily basis with everyday situations, the result can be a weakened faith. A weak faith undermines your relationship with God because ‘…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. Faith is essential in obtaining God’s favor and necessary for us to pursue a relationship with Him.

The good news is, even when weakened you only need a little faith. Christ said, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20. Do you buy-in with the faith that God will take care of the political mess…your relational issues…anger and division between races and classes?

If we want to see things change in 2020 don’t look to a politician, protest, post or blog. Christ spelled it out. ‘ “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain ‘Go throw yourself into the sea’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” ‘ Mark 11:22-24. Almost sounds like Dabo or Coach O before the big game.

The verse above in Mark 11 points out the importance of who and what you buy-in to.  ‘IT, will be done FOR you’ means you have faith in God, trust in Him and let Him work it out in His way and in His time. In other words, buy-in and submit to God. The current world analogy is don’t lose faith in Nick Saban or the Alabama program just because they didn’t make the CFP National Championship THIS season. Don’t lose faith and tear apart a democracy just because you don’t agree with the vote for Brexit or Trump.

It looks and feels like we’ve entered a new era where it’s the end stage for many institutions, powers and principalities. During this time it’s critical to remember that faith itself is under attack but faith alone is not the answer. The Bible encourages us to act on our faith because ‘faith without deeds is dead’ (James 2:26). We are also reminded that ‘if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.’ (1st Corinthians 13:2) ‘Abide no hatred’ is not the course of action. ‘Act in love’ is more powerful. Abide no Hatred or Act in Love

Christ taught to have confidence in God and ‘live by faith, not by sight.’ (2nd Corinthians 5:7). Many things seem to be headed downhill but you know ‘that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish it’s work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.’ James 1:3-4. Trials, discouraging seasons and unpopular results give us the opportunity to test who and what we have bought-in to and what we have faith in. Persevere, don’t get mad and give up on what you know is Truth (Truth).

Monday night there will be a winner and a loser, for this season. The losers will come back next year and still buy-in to their coaches and programs because they have faith. Don’t lose faith even when you lose a game…an election…a job…or a loved one.

Don’t be a ‘none’. Buy-in to the winner who rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Then watch unity, peace and love flood your heart and mind…and the world.

 

 

 

“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.