Barnabas Piper's Blog, page 64

3 Things I Like – August 17

Each week I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.

1. Queen of Katwe

[image error]I sat down with my daughters to watch this expecting a feel-good story out of the standard Disney mold, replete with sap and stereotypical characters and a predictable happy ending. None of which is bad, it’s just a specific genre that is pretty meh. Boy, was I wrong. It is a rich, nuanced depiction of struggle, hope, victory, disappointment, and culture. It showed the gravity of poverty and hopelessness and the power of persistence in hope and faith. The characters are fully human, not caricatures, and they are likeable. The acting is brilliant across the board,  so much so it’s hard to point a specific performance that stands out. And I think the most powerful, remarkable aspect of the film was the depiction of culture and context in its breadth – the broken and the beautiful, the poverty and richness both materially and in humanity. So yes, it was a feel-good film but one with substance that will stick to your ribs and your mind.

2. The Chris Farley Show by Tom Farley Jr.

[image error]Chris Farley has probably made me laugh more often and harder than any other comedian. He was brilliant comedic actor on SNL and then in films with more than his fair share of physical hilarity thrown in by being enormous and agile all at once. And he was a truly tragic figure too. His death was the first I can remember by a celebrity that truly devastated me. This biography is an oral history of his life, and it is spectacularly done. Oral histories tend to bog down and become a slog, but this one is on point. It reveals Farley in his complexity and genius and tragedy. It details his childhood and rise to stardom. His fellow SNL actors regale you with stories, both amusing and tragic. In the end you love him more after reading it and are more confused and saddened by his demise too. It is a fantastic read.

3.

(This is on , a paid subscription site. It costs $3/month and the is the BEST sports writing on the internet. You should sign up.)

Randy Moss is the most dominant football player ever to play for a Minnesota team. He is the most dominant wide receiver in NFL history. (Jerry Rice is the best and most accomplished, but peak Moss was the most unstoppable.) He broke the rules of what WRs were supposed to be able to do, he broke defenses, and he broke cornerbacks’ wills and ankles too. This article is an oral history of his rise to stardom beginning with his first training camp, a historic breakout rookie year, and particularly his destruction of the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys (both of which I take IMMENSE pleasure in. I watched all those games as a 15-year-old and still have the marks from all the times my chin hit the floor in awe. Any football fan will appreciate this article, and Minnesota fans will love it.

Happy Rant Sports Episode #15 – Misery in Montreal, Make Football Violent, and NFL Predictions

In this Episode of Happy Rant Sports Ted and Barnabas suss out and rant about the following:

Johnny Manziel’s inauspicious – ok, horrific – first start in the CFL
Andrew Sendejo’s “Make Football Violent Again” hat
NFL Award predictions (of awards we mostly made up)

Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:

Order fresh roasted coffee from Lagares Roasters
Order your Happy Rant swag from Missional Wear (Use code RANT to get discounts on swag and/or shipping)

Please consider supporting the podcast financially as well. We have set up a Patreon page, and your donations help us cover production costs, do live events, and grow the podcast by trying some new things. Oh, and of course there are perks for those who commit to helps us such as free books and coffee!

To listen you can:

Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
Listen on Stitcher.
Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.

Episode #15

New Happy Rant: The Frank McKinney Episode

In this unique episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a single topic – the epic work of Frank McKinney. Who is that, you ask? We are here to tell you. Frank McKinney:

Is the author of multiple books in multiple genres, including one he created.
Is a Real Estate Artist known for creating images of multi-million dollar beach-side homes.
Has a very Kid Rock/Brett Michaels vibe about him.
Has written a new book called “The Other Thief” which promises to be . . .an experience.

Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:

Order fresh roasted coffee from Lagares Roasters
Order your Happy Rant swag from Missional Wear (Use code RANT to get discounts on swag and/or shipping)

Please consider supporting the podcast financially as well. We have set up a Patreon page, and your donations help us cover production costs, do live events, and grow the podcast by trying some new things. Oh, and of course there are perks for those who commit to helps us such as free books and coffee!

To listen you can:

Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
Listen on Stitcher.
Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.

Episode #208

3 Things I Like This Week: August 10

Each week I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.

1. Milk Duds

[image error]It’s Friday, and on Fridays my mind turns to the movies. And when my mind turns to movies I think of the single best movie theater candy: Milk Duds. There’s simply nothing like basking in the glow of the silver screen while gnawing on the best candy combination (chocolate and caramel) ever invented. Aside from being chewy and delicious, there are two more subtle reasons Milk Duds are the best theater candy. First, the box is easy to open and there are no wrappers. That means no crinkling, crackling, bothering everyone around you during the film. Second, they are so chewy it’s like getting to boxes of candy because they take so long to eat. I can polish a thing of M&Ms before the previews end. Not so with Milk Duds – they’ll take you all the way to plot twist number one at which point the movie ought to be good enough to distract you from snacks!

2. The Ringer NFL Show

[image error]I like sports analysis. I like sports behind-the-scenes. I love being a sports fan. The Ringer NFL Podcast combines these three in a really enjoyable way. The various personalities are engaging and genuinely love football. They come at it from different perspectives. Robert Mays loves line play. Mike Lombardi is a cranky old man with tons of front office experience. It is not a hot-takey, yell about obvious story lines kind of show (which is to say, not an ESPN or Fox Sports show). Neither is it a nerd-fest, stat heavy show. It is a fun, engaging combination of stories and stats and analysis that is always worth a listen.

3. Bo Jackson, The Running Back

Bo knows football. I just wish I could have seen him play live. He was bonkers, a living cheat code.

He Reads Truth: May The Lord Direct Your Hearts

I have the privilege of contributing to He Reads Truth, a website of whose purpose is “To help men become who we were made to be, by doing what we were made to do, by the power and provision that God has given us to do it, for the glory of Jesus Christ.” They do this by providing scripture reading plans accompanied by reflections that can be accessed for free online or purchased as print books. For those of you looking to engage scripture in a fresh way – either because you are dried up or have been away from it, these studies/plans will refresh your soul and engage your mind.

What follows is one of the pieces I wrote for the 1&2 Thessalonians plan. You can find the full plan HERE.

2 Thessalonians 3:1-18,  2 Corinthians 11:7-9, 1 Peter 5:8-11

Sometimes faithfully following Christ is exhausting. Day after day we get up, look ahead, and see a climb with no end in sight. We scrabble and scramble ahead, then fall sideways, then slip back, then slog and crawl ahead again. Over time we get worn down.

When we feel this way we need encouragement, or maybe a good kick in the pants. We need a glimpse of what lies ahead so that the grind of life today, in the moment, feels worth it and we find motivation. And that’s what we find in these passages from today’s reading.

First, Paul describes how he prays for believers, so they will know they are in the hands of God. This reminds us of our own security, and the source of our ability to persevere. Then he points to his own life as an example. Now we know someone has gone before us and has been faithful through great struggle. If Paul can do it with God’s help, then we can find hope and motivation too (2 Thessalonians 3:1-5).

Then we see the reason for our struggle. It is not in vain; it is in resisting the devil who actively seeks to destroy us. We are fleeing temptation and fighting sin. And as we do this, we are spreading the Word through our faithfulness, both by our example and through our profession. Our struggle is for our own well-being and for the salvation of others.

Yes, this will cost us, most likely, far more than just fatigue. We will suffer. We will face conflict with those who refuse to follow Jesus, especially those closest to us. We will become weary and wonder if it is worth it. Our weariness might lead to doubts or apathy or just plain giving up.

That is why Paul writes “do not grow weary in doing good” (v. 13). And he pairs it with a promise: God’s love will direct the believer’s heart, allowing us to press on, powered by Christ’s endurance. Christ was faithful in pressing on, resisting temptation, navigating difficulties, and facing His suffering to the utmost—and without failing! The Lord will certainly lead believers to that same endurance.

If we press on, if we do not let our weariness get the best of us, we will be established and strengthened. We will always slip and slide, but we will gain ground. We will fail, but we will show the world the faithfulness of God to us in Christ. So let us pray as Paul prayed. Let us follow his example as he followed Christ’s, and move forward—however nearly spent and discouraged—one step at a time.

“The God of all grace, who called [us] to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support [us] after [we] have suffered a little while. To him be dominion forever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:10-11).

New Happy Rant: Gendered Food, Actors Aging Ungracefully, and Church Diversity

In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas range from the ridiculous to the ecumenical in discussing the following:

The Gospel Coalition’s recent article about food having gender and complementarity
Actors aging ungracefully, especially Tom Cruise insisting on doing only action films at age 56
Should we prioritize and insist upon attending churches with people different than us?

Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:

Order fresh roasted coffee from Lagares Roasters
Order your Happy Rant swag from Missional Wear (Use code RANT to get discounts on swag and/or shipping)

Please consider supporting the podcast financially as well. We have set up a Patreon page, and your donations help us cover production costs, do live events, and grow the podcast by trying some new things. Oh, and of course there are perks for those who commit to helps us such as free books and coffee!

To listen you can:

Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
Listen on Stitcher.
Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.

Episode #207

Happy Rant Sports #14: Manziel in Montreal, NFL Training Camp, and NBA Free Agency

In this episode of The Happy Rant Sports podcast Ted and Barnabas tackle the following:

Johnny Manziel was traded to to the Montreal Alouettes and looks like he’ll get a chance to start!
NFL Training Camp story lines and predictions
The madness of NBA free agency, especially Lebron James and Kawhi Leonard

Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:

Order fresh roasted coffee from Lagares Roasters
Order your Happy Rant swag from Missional Wear (Use code RANT to get discounts on swag and/or shipping)

Please consider supporting the podcast financially as well. We have set up a Patreon page, and your donations help us cover production costs, do live events, and grow the podcast by trying some new things. Oh, and of course there are perks for those who commit to helps us such as free books and coffee!

To listen you can:

Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
Listen on Stitcher.
Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.

Episode #14

Jehovah Nissi: The Lord is my Banner

“And Moses built an altar and named it ‘The LORD is my Banner.” – Exodus 17:15

When Israel faced the Amalekites in battle at Rephidim it wasn’t with overwhelming force, an experienced army, or the best commanders. It was as a transient tribe of herdsmen escaping slavery in Egypt and travelling uncertainly to a promised land they hadn’t seen in over four hundred years. They were trespassers travelling through the lands of fierce fighting peoples. They travelled with women, children, herds, and all their possessions. The battle was for survival, for hope, for a future.

But they travelled with something else too, something else that no other nation on earth had – a pillar of fire, a cloud of smoke, the very presence of God. Israel did not fight its battles alone. No matter how inexperienced or overmatched they were they were never the underdogs. No matter how desperate they felt they were never at a loss. The great general, the perfect protector, the LORD was with them.

As the armies lined up to do battle the men of Israel under the command of a freshly appointed general named Joshua could have looked up to a nearby peak and seen three figures – Moses, Aaron, and Hur – standing there overlooking the battle. When the first battle cry sounded and the foes engaged none of the combatants had time to look, but Moses, the middle of the three figures, raised his hands over the battle and when he did Israel began to take the upper hand.

But as the day wore on and the sun rose high and hot Moses tired. He was not a young man and the battle wore on; Moses sagged and dropped his arms to his side. Immediately the Amalekites rallied and began to press the Israelites. Aaron and Hur realized what was happening and stepped to Moses’ side; they dragged a small boulder close for him to sit on and each took an arm and raised them again over the battle. As they did this the Israelite fighters rallied to Joshua, found new strength, and the Amalekites felt new fear.

Throughout the afternoon and into the evening Aaron and Hur supported Moses’s arms. They lifted him as he lifted the people before God. The people of Israel prevailed in battle that day. It was a day to remember, for it was the day God first showed them as a nation that He fought for them, that He led them in to battle, that He protected and conquered on their behalf, and that He was their banner.

How is God Our Banner?

The question arises, though, what does it mean for God to be our banner? When Moses names the altar “Jehovah Nissi – The LORD is my banner” we know it is significant, we know it is for remembrance. But what else is it, and what does it mean for God to be our banner today? Consider how banners are used, and it will begin to reveal some of what this title means.

Banners are raised to celebrate and honor. They hang from the rafters of arenas honoring champions. They are raised to honor soldiers returning from war. They adorn public places to celebrate occasions or people who deserve honor.

Banners are to remember and commemorate. Towns all over America raise banners on certain holidays every year to commemorate something dear to them – a patron, a product, a hero, a tradition, a holy day.

Banners are labels and signets. They announce names and images which people can recognize from a great distance. They show the location and identity of a business or event so people can navigate to it.

Banners are visible. The whole point of a banner is to be seen, unmistakable and non-ignorable.

Banners are for those who raise them. They are an act of celebration, remembrance, or announcement.

Banners are for those who see them. They are an invitation and a gathering place. They summon and call. They attract passers by.

As you consider all this you may see how God is the banner, Jehovah Nissi, of all who believe, all who are His followers, all who trust Him with the same faith Moses, Aaron, Hur, and Joshua trusted.

God is our banner because we live to celebrate and honor His faithfulness to us shown in myriad ways from the rising sun to the risen Christ. God is our banner because we remember all His deeds and His words graciously given to us in scripture. God is our banner because He gives us identity, and our label is “God’s children” because of the saving work of Jesus. God is our banner because we are his representatives to the world, making Him visible and showing the beauty of His transforming work. And God is our banner because all of this is an invitation, a gravitational pull, a summons, a tug to any who would believe but do not yet know what that means or how to do so.

When Moses built the altar and called “The LORD is my banner” he was creating a place of remembrance, a celebration of victory, an expression of thanks. And he was making a declaration, one that any follower of Jesus can share in today: The LORD is my banner and we are the LORD’s. It was a declaration not just of who God is and what He has done but of who were as His people.

This article was originally published at BibleStudyTools.com and is used with permission.

New Happy Rant: Making up for Mistakes, Shortening Non-Fiction Books, and Foodless Celebrations

In this episode of The Happy Rant Ronnie and Barnabas suss out the following topics while Ted makes his way back from a glorious week at camp.

Firing people for old mistakes (like bad tweets), and never giving them a chance to make things right
Why is every non fiction book, especially Christian ones, 30% too long?
Foodless celebrations are apparently a thing

Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:

Order fresh roasted coffee from Lagares Roasters
Order your Happy Rant swag from Missional Wear (Use code RANT to get discounts on swag and/or shipping)

Please consider supporting the podcast financially as well. We have set up a Patreon page, and your donations help us cover production costs, do live events, and grow the podcast by trying some new things. Oh, and of course there are perks for those who commit to helps us such as free books and coffee!

To listen you can:

Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
Listen on Stitcher.
Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.

Episode #206

3 Things I Like this Week: July 27

Each week I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.

1. On Writing by Stephen King

[image error]Recently I polled my social media followers for their favorite book on writing. I was looking for some new suggestions because I have my favorites, but I wanted to range further afield. While I received a good list of books, one title appeared more often than any other – On Writing. I would have questioned my followers’ judgement if this was not the case. It is simply the most interesting and compelling book on writing I know of and practical to boot. You don’t have to like King’s stories (generally I don’t) to recognize his craftsmanship, productivity, and success as a writer. And he shares that in this book. It begins with a memoir of his writing life (fascinating) and concludes with practical writing pointers (helpful). If you want to find inspiration, entertainment, and a pile of useful instruction this is the book.

2. Resonate Recordings

[image error]For the last 2+ years Resonate has been doing the editing/mastering for The Happy Rant podcast. When we started working with them they were a fledgling little start-up who offered quality work and a really good service. Now they are an established, growing business with lots of clients who offers quality work and a really good service. They’ve steadily improved their processes and interface so that podcasters who know nothing about audio editing or have no time to do it (like me) can upload files, give some direction, and get back exactly what is needed in a timely fashion. And they keep things affordable too. Podcasters and aspiring podcasters – talk to Resonate. They do good work.

3. I’d Do Anything for Love by Meat Loaf

Weren’t the 80s amazing? Strange men named Meat Loaf could perform epic love ballads with a melodious piano riff, power guitar chords, and a horror movie vibe. Everything about this delightfully 80s weird.