Coffee Break Inspirations/Indigestions

Kopp Disclosure

(John 3:19-21)

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    Discriminating when it comes to Cubans with a particular preference for R&J, Punch, Padron, and Parodi with a few of Drew Estate's finest in the mix, I'll take my caffeine any way as long as it's not carbonated.

    McD's may be a lot cheaper but Starbucks has better climate control along with more comfortable seating and occasionally tolerable background music.

    Starbucks is a good place to counsel because lots of folks don't want to be seen in church for many understandably modest as well as ridiculous reasons; and clergy like to meet there to avoid those who drop in at the church at any time without warning and monopolize dockets because clergy, after all, only work on Sundays and have jugs of lemonade on their desks with Cokesbury signs begging, "Ya'll come in and sit a spell and talk to me bout nothin cause I ain't doin nothin nohow anyhow!"  I'll never forget the old hapless and chronically complaining guy who'd show up at the worst times, plop down in the loveseat in front of my desk, and chirp, "Just dropped off the wife for bridge and thought I'd sit with you til she's done."

    Anyway, I was sitting at Starbucks between appointments on July 5 and had three inspirations/indigestions.

    You decide!

    If you're like too many people, you'll feel comfortable in the judgment seat.

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    Urging people who want to know Jesus more intimately to spend more time in the book than books about the book because books about the book usually prooftext, hyperbolize, eisegete, dissipate, and exercise all matter of neo-gnosticism to sell their books about the book while the book itself is straightforward and hardly obtuse or complicated, I've been reluctant to recommend, endorse, or even mention books about the book.

    Verstehen?

    However, a recent trip to a "Christian" bookstore has changed my mind.

    After seeing all of the crap on its shelves, I decided it's time to recommend the best one-volume Bible commentary that I've ever read: William MacDonald's Believer's Bible Commentary (1989).

    President of Emmaus Bible College (1959-1965) and author of more books that have sold than years that I've been alive, MacDonald's tome (nearly 2500 pages) is easy to read, clearly concise yet unquestionably comprehensive, and faithful to Christendom's best Biblical, theological, spiritual, and practical scholarship.

    I got it on sale in 2014 for under $30 and my guess is you can pick up a copy for much less via CBD or www.amazon.com.

    BTW, I hear you can buy all of my books on www.amazon.com for less than a $1 and they'll pay shipping.

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    Though you've probably not read "Oblivious" in the 4/2/17 edition of www.koppdisclosure.com, it might be helpful to contextualize this inspiration/indigestion.

    Be that as you probably won't, I'm getting tired of those who are doing their worst to undermine our Constitution and its Amendments known as the Bill of Rights.

    Believing the first two are especially at risk these days as our country is increasingly overrun by the naive...and those determined to destroy America, I got a little ticked the other day when someone said she/he "generally supported" the 2nd Amendment. 

    Don't get me wrong!

    I hear a parallel whenever I gather with mainline clergy: "I generally support the Bible and the claims of Jesus as Lord and Savior."

    Be that as it is...increasingly, I responded with an urging to read "Oblivious" for context, "I can carry legally in 38 states.  People who have been trained, certified, licensed, and vetted by the FBI as well as local law enforcement have committed less than 1% of all gun crimes in America while preventing gun crimes, mass homicide, terrorism, and other acts of domestic violence.  The only people who are against the Amendments to the Constitution are America's enemies, criminals, self-loathing citizens, morons, statists/socialists aka most Democrats, and the rich who can afford to hire people to protect them from miscreants."

    Any student of history knows tyrants go after free speech and the right to bear arms for protection and intervention to enable their tyranny.

    Of course, more people watch The Daily Show and The View than read history.

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    Separation of church and state seems like a good idea.

    When looking at too many of today's churches mocking our Lord's concerns/commands in Matthew 15, 23, and 25 as glaring examples, keeping church out of state makes sense.

    American government would be even worse if the church were helping to run the show because any connection between the grace, mercy, forgiveness, inclusion, behavioral parameters, sanctity of all human life, personal and social ethics, and charity of Jesus by the book and too many of today's churches is increasingly coincidental.

    Our Founding Fathers knew that; and anybody familiar with them and the establishment of the Republic knows they believed in the separation of church and state but not the separation of church and state from God as best exemplified in Jesus by the book.

    If you don't understand the difference, it's because you can't distinguish idolatrous churchianity from Christianity by the book.

    As bikers like to say, if you can't see/understand it, I won't be able to explain it to you.

    The roots of the Republic are in Holy Scripture not religions remotely related to Holy Scripture.

    That's why I prefer the book to books about the book.

    Anything/anyone less than the primary source is secondary.

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    I feel like a Churchill.

    Again, if I have to explain that to you...

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Blessings and Love!

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Shatter the sound of silence!

Wake up!  Look up!  Stand up!  Speak up!  Act up for Jesus!

Salt!  Shine!  Leavenate!

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