Richard Mansel's Blog, page 5
January 5, 2015
Implications of Liberalism, Part One
In politics, we’re clearer on the meaning of the terms liberal and conservative and we’re generally less likely to fight about them within that context. The terms are based on a definable set of presumptions and beliefs that are usually clearly opposed to one another.
Liberalism and conservatism have been around for a long time and they have real, established meanings. In a classical sense, we can recover their true meanings because they are indeed a guide to one’s mindset and beliefs.
In Christianity, the terms also have a place because they describe one’s views on the Bible and human nature. However, we shy away from them today because they have been misused for so long. People have treated the word “liberal” as a weapon or an obscenity for so long that it has almost become unrecognizable.
The words also fall victim to perspective. Someone on the extreme right, for example, believes everyone to the left of them is a “liberal” and will attach the term to people at will. Likewise, the extreme left may do the same for the word “conservative.”
Despite these failures, the words do still have meanings that are substantial and predictive. Liberalism is a mindset that leads people to act along a fairly predictable path. Their presumptions can help us understand their beliefs and practices and since they so often involve false doctrine, it is imperative that we pay attention.
I want to examine the subject further in subsequent posts and I plead with my readers to be reasonable and think before they react. I only want us to think about the implications of what we believe because the mind guides our feet.
January 4, 2015
Celebrate the Blessings
#CelebrateLife15
January 3, 2015
December 23, 2014
Best Books of 2014
I hope your reading year has been a success. Mine has been extraordinary.
Every year, I write down the books that I read. Well, that is until Goodreads began doing it for me. Anyway, I always hope to reach 100 books but I’ve never done it before.
Yet, the mountain has been conquered! As of right now, I am at 134 and working on another one before the end of the year. Reaching this milestone has been a blessing.
I wanted to share the best fiction and non-fiction books that I have read this year.
You can see my love for international fiction. I just finished one from Iceland and reading one from Ghana. You get the joy of reading while learning about another culture. I highly recommend it.
Published in 2014
Fiction
1. “Anatomy Lesson” by Nina Segal [Set in Netherlands]
2. “Radiance of Tomorrow” by Ishmael Beah [Set in Sierra Leone]
3. “The Rise and Fall of Great Powers” by Tom Rachman [Many spots on the globe]
Non-Fiction
1. “Without You, There is No Us: My Secret Life Teaching the Sons of North Korea’s Elite” by Suki Kim
2. “Bethlehem Road: A Guide to Ruth” by Michael Whitworth
3. “A Consequence of Legitimacy” by Kevin W. Rhodes
Best of the Rest not Published in 2014 in no particular order
Fiction
1. “Rudin” by Ivan Turgenev [Russia]
2. “The Gambler” by Fyodor Dostoyevsky [Russia]
3. “Malice” by Keigo Higashino [Japan]
4. “The Sheltering Sky” by Paul Bowles [Set in North Africa]
5. “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe [Nigeria]
6. “The Lowland” by Jhumpa Lahiri [India]
7. “Down the Long Hills” by Louis L’Amour
8. “The Lost World” by Arthur Conan Doyle
Non-Fiction
1. “12 Years a Slave” by Solomon Northup
2. “Broadsides: The Age of Fighting Sail, 1775-1815″ by Nathan Miller
3. “A Moveable Feast” by Ernest Hemingway
4. “Lost in Shangri-la” by Mitchell Zuckoff
5. “Catastrophe 1914: Europe Goes to War” by Max Hastings
6. “Esau’s Doom” by Michael Whitworth
7. “The Men Who Lost America – British Command during the Revolutionary War and the Preservation of the Empire” by Andrew O’Shaughnessy
December 22, 2014
The Baby Jesus Grew Up
by Richard Mansel
We love babies. We gather around them in wonder and coo in total bliss. Purity and innocence radiate from their tiny bodies as they remind us of what is best about humanity.
As Christmas time nears, the baby Jesus becomes a very important part of our society. People proclaim that Jesus [specifically, the baby] is the reason for the season and when the packages are unwrapped and the decorations stashed away, the baby fades back into obscurity for another year.
Why are we so enamored of the baby and so hostile to the adult Jesus? The answer lies in the fact that the baby grew up and with his growth came responsibility and consequence on the part of mankind.
Accordingly, people love the baby Jesus far more than they do the adult Lord.
Herod wanted to destroy Jesus for political reasons (Matthew 2:1-9, 16-18). However, the baby Jesus was not a threat to anyone. He was just a Jewish baby who had issued no commands or forced men to choose spiritual life or death.
The baby Jesus unites, while the man Jesus divides (Matthew 10:34-36). His doctrines force people to put away sinful practices and relationships (Romans 5:6-11). Despite his offer of grace and mercy, most will refuse to come to him (Matthew 7:13-14).
Jesus is Lord and God, whether as a baby or an adult (John 1:1-5). Yet, people want to divide them up into the dear Jesus and the dangerous Jesus. In this confusion, we find man’s destruction.
The Colossians fell into a similar trap. They were worshiping angels because they asked nothing of them and appeared to fill a spiritual void (Colossians 2:18). Likewise, people are enamored of the baby Jesus because he is not speaking against their sinful lifestyles. In the manger, he offers the warm glow without the fear of being burned.
People have greatly misunderstood the baby Jesus. He is the God of love and grace (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9). We can find no better alternatives, so we better not let this one go by (John 6:68; Matthew 11:28-30).
In doing so, we humble ourselves before him and have our sins washed away, so we can be transformed (Acts 2:38; Romans 12:1-2). As a result, we will see the baby and the adult Jesus as the true Savior of the world.
When will we accept our sins, so we can give them up? When we do, we can stop playing mind games designed to rationalize away God’s will. Let us make peace and accept him today (Acts 22:16).
December 8, 2014
A Motive for False Doctrine
In the religious world, money and power are at the root of so much false doctrine. However, that isn’t surprising since they’re two of the greatest incentives for why people act as they do.
Increased attendance and prestige can bring greater money & power. For many, being accepted by the larger religious world is of immense importance. They hate being on the outside so they do all they can to be accepted by the cool kids.
Besides, as someone has wisely said, “controversy is money.”
However, this is all completely missing the point of God’s plan.
The Lord’s Church belongs to Christ, not men (Matthew 16:18-19). We are added to His Church when we submit to Him (Acts 2:38,47). Then, we are in Christ (Galatians 3:27; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Romans 6:3-4) and we must do as He commands (John 14:15).
False doctrine is not our right (Galatians 1:8-9) because we have already been given the Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Timothy 4:2). Let us submit to the Lord, not to popularity with the world (John 17:14-16).
We are supposed to be bringing the lost to Christ instead of trying to join them in their sin (Matthew 28:18-20).
“The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble” (Proverbs 4:19, ESV).
“Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?” (Luke 6:39, ESV).
November 22, 2014
Frozen Spiritually
When we shun the light of the Lord (John 8:12), we spiritually freeze to death, alone in the darkness (1 John 1:5-7). And that is a tragedy. Come to the Lord today (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Romans 5:6-11).
October 29, 2014
Jesus and the Hangover
The alarm sounded like a train running through his brain. Moaning, he tried to open his eyes as a string of profanity slipped from his parched lips. His hangover was the worst of his life. That last game of shots had been too much. At least, he had won.
His vision blurred as he sat up. Putting his feet on the floor, he reached over and grabbed his cigarettes. Lighting up and taking a long draw, he slowly stood on wobbly legs as the room swam around him.
After going to the bathroom, he checked the fridge for another beer. As he took a long first drink, he thought about the girl he met at the party. He’d been upset she could hold her whiskey so well. Next time, he might have to slip something in her drink.
He had to get dressed and head out for the day. The beer would have to suffice for breakfast. After that weed last night, he had had the munchies and had eaten all the snacks.
The light blinded him as he opened the door. Shielding his eyes, he set out to his destination hoping his stomach would stay calm.
Walking up to his friends, they greeted each other with profanity. They were bragging about the girls they had had last night. Sure, they were mostly lies, but he joined in. Harmless fun.
Heading up the mountain, his dry mouth screamed for another beer. He steeled himself as he looked out at the people before him. The sheer numbers awed him as he muttered another profanity under his breath.
He lit up another cigarette and said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted…”
****
WAIT!! This never happened! Jesus never did these things! Nor did His apostles! What are you talking about?!?!
Of course, they didn’t and they would never have even considered doing them. So, why do so many Christians do them? (Romans 12:1-2).
October 27, 2014
Review of “Without You, There is No Us”
I received this book in lieu of a review by Blogging for Books.
“Without You, There Is No Us: My Time with the Sons of North Korea’s Elite” by Suki Kim is a powerful, frightening true story about a brave young woman journalist who enlists her talents as a teacher to enter the claustrophobic country of North Korea.
The title is from the overall attitude that exists in the country. Without the government, the people would have nothing. This book serves as a cautionary tale for those who desire to give the government unlimited power.
It is 2011, and all universities in North Korea have been shut down for an entire year, the students sent to construction fields—except for the 270 students at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST), a walled compound where portraits of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il look on impassively from the walls of every room, and where Suki has accepted a job teaching English. Over the next six months, she will eat three meals a day with her young charges and struggle to teach them to write, all under the watchful eye of the regime.
All around the world in free countries, disgruntled citizens complain that they live under an oppressive regime. Their words are hollow and laughable.
Freedom doesn’t exist in North Korea. All thought comes from the Government. Kim maneuvers through the fear and repression to help the students she grows to love.
Paranoia is pandemic in a society where you are constantly watched and everything must be approved. A world where knowledge is banned and freedom is an impossibility is a nightmare existence.
The only way to maintain such an illusion is to infantalize the population and keep them completely dependent. Kim and these young men were completely cut off from the world.
This is a difficult and heartbreaking book. Yet, at the same time, it is enthralling as the coils tighten around Kin and her students. Her desperate attempts to educate her charges while eluding the censors is thrilling.
Although you can’t help but wonder about the repercussions that will result from the publication of this book. We pray that the oppressive veil covering North Korea will one day be lifted.
October 23, 2014
Remembering the Jazz Cafe
In 1993-1994, when I was in graduate school at Freed-Hardeman University, I was a DJ at the campus radio station, FM 91 Five WFHC. The station is now WFHU. We played Jazz and I instantly fell in love with being on air.
Classic jazz became my domain and that led to my show, “The Jazz Cafe.” That was one of the greatest times of my life. To this day, I remember it with such joy and nostalgia.
Recently, I found two notebooks of playlists and transcripts from my show and I wanted to share. It’s really hard to believe that 1993-1994 was more than 20 years ago.
One page has this script:
This is the Jazz Cafe your home for the best in classic jazz. The place where jazz is king. So come on in, grab a chair, call your friends and tell them they have a home at the Jazz Cafe.
My play list that night was:
Billie Holiday, “God Bless the Child.”
Harry Connick, Jr., “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe.”
Miles Davis, “On the Corner.”
Miles Davis, “New York Girl.”
Stan Kenton, “Machito.”
Stephanie Grappelli, “Honeysuckle Rose.”
Mel Torme, “New York State of Mind.”
Glenn Miller, “Rhapsody in Blue.”
Earl Hines, “Wrap Up Your Troubles in Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away).”
Duke Ellington, “Newport and Up.”
Louis Armstrong, “When You’re Smiling.”
Dave Stahl Band, “Danny Boy.”
Thelonious Monk, “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.”
Frank Sinatra, “Tangerine.”
Charles Lloyd Quartet, “Of Course, Of Course.”
Jelly Roll Morton and James Johnson, “The Finger Breaker.”
Shirley Horn, “A Time for Love.”
Miles Davis, “Tomaas.”
Eddie Condon All Stars, “St. James Infirmary.”
Art Blakey, “We-Dot.”
Weather Report, “Birdland.”
Count Basie, “One O’Clock Jump.”
Preservation Hall Jazz Band, “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
Willis Jackson, “Call of the Gators.”
Lin Halliday with Ira Sullivan, “Indian Summer.”
Wayne Shorter, “Adam’s Apple.”
Art Pepper, “Funny Blues.”
Betty Carter, “Look What I Got.”
Ron Carter Quartet, “Round Midnight.”
Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, “How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?”
Stanley Jordan, “Stairway to Heaven.”
Those were great times! Go enjoy some Classic Jazz, my friends. YouTube is an extraordinary blessing.
