Rex M Rogers - Discerning What Is Best

Discerning What Is Best
With Dr Rex Rogers

Two New eBooks at Amazon Kindle!

Details: Written by Rex M. Rogers; Published: 13 October 2011

Last winter I began to feel like I was behind the curve on some things that seemed to me to be important to what I am supposed to do professionally. So since that time I've tried to learn a few "new media" and "social media" skills, among them how to:

--shoot and edit video in iMovie, then post it on YouTube,

--develop a YouTube or Vimeo channel,

--post audio and video files on websites or in emails,

--develop video blogs - "vlogs,"

--use website content management systems,

--burn CD or DVDs, including construct menus – yep, I'd never done this, but I have now,

--use Twitter, HootSuite or TweetDeck etc, iTunes, or construct/launch cause-related Facebook pages,

--use QR codes,

--use eReaders like Nook or Kindle, or use ebook software like iBooks, Kindle, Adobe Digital Editions,

--construct and use e-applications of audiobooks,

--acquire ISBN numbers for books and ebooks,

--construct ebooks, and then post, market, and sell them on Amazon Kindle.

I write this not to brag but to say it's been fun and productive. And more importantly, to suggest that I believe all of us should keep learning as much as we can about new/social media. Why? The more we know the better and more knowledgeably we can interact with our children, grandchildren, and culture.

I'm not a pro on any of this. But like learning PowerPoint a few years back, learning how to do basics gives me more freedom in my work and helps me talk to people who know more, so I can ask them to create what I need.

In addition, in the past couple of months I've gotten close-in looks at a couple of other ministry organizations. And frankly, I was amazed to discover how uninformed, unprepared, "behind," and thus unable most of the staff were in terms of new or social media. They didn't know how to do or use much of anything, and I thought then that our staff at SAT-7 USA could run circles around them. But of course we all need to keep learning.

So I write this piece not with an action plan or a to-do list but to encourage you to keep looking for ways to learn to do "new things." The learning curve might sometimes be taxing, but the end result will almost always enrich your professional experience, benefit you personally, and certainly benefit the ministry.

BTW, the old educator in me thinks that one of the things we're going to be doing for eternity in heaven is…learning. Think about it: we're going to hang out with the Omniscient Sovereign God who is never going to run out of cool things to teach us. We're going to learn, which is to say we’re going to go to school forever. Sounds good to me.

*This blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact Rex or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com or follow him at www.twitter.com/RexMRogers.

Details: Written by Rex M. Rogers; Published: 12 October 2011

I am pleased to announce the publication of my second ebook, Today You Do Greatness: A Parable On Success And Significance, co-authored with Dr. Rick E. Amidon. Dr. Amidon is Founder, mark217, and former president, Baker College of Muskegon and Sanford-Brown College. (The ebook is available for $2.99 via the title link to Amazon.com.)

This ebook is a parable about greatness, leadership, faith, and life portrayed in a short story about an immigrant whose memories include a father who encouraged him to “do greatness.” The new American obtains an education, finds a profession, works diligently, and matures.

Our ebook emerges from the fact that all people possess a philosophy of life informing what values they embrace, what choices they make, and who they become. In this story, our immigrant friend does “his thing” based upon the philosophy of life he inherited.

But he eventually faces inevitable questions: Has his quest for success really led him to a life of true significance? Are success and significance opposed to each other – or can he have both?

To probe and hopefully answer these questions we’ve included alongside the parable parallel commentary rooted in a Christian philosophy of life, greatness, and leadership, which is distilled in snippets of biblically based application. By comparing and contrasting the story and the Christian worldview commentaries you’ll discover ways to examine your values and choices, new insights, and new perspectives. You'll come to understand how to achieve both success and significance—and true greatness.

Rick’s talent for narrative fiction is evident in the parable. My contribution rests in the Christian worldview commentary. Together, we hope we’ve provided readers with much to think about, much to apply in their lives and careers, and much to use in the Lord’s service.

Details: Written by Rex M. Rogers; Published: 11 October 2011

I’m pleased to announce two of my books are now available in ebook format on Amazon Kindle.

My first ebook, Living For God In Changing Times, was previously published in print as Christian Liberty: Living For God In A Changing Culture, (Baker Books, 2003). (The title link will take you to this ebook’s Amazon.com page, where the ebook is available for $.99)

This eBook suggests Christian liberty is the least understood and least practiced doctrine in the Bible. So the book explains how to enjoy living with the "In the World/Not of the World" Tension. It also examines both micro and macro issues relating to the so-called "Culture Wars" and offers Christian perspectives on postmodern culture.

Social change is happening at a faster and faster pace. It's both exciting and unsettling. Some change is "good" and some not, but how do you tell the difference? Jesus said, live "In the World" but "Not of the World." But believers have often responded to this command by developing a list of "Dos" and "Don'ts," resulting in legalism, "Holier than thou" attitudes, and withdrawal from cultural influence.

This book demonstrates that the Christian life is not about "Holy Lists" of "Dos and Don'ts" but about developing a biblical worldview and applying your faith to an understanding of the times and the world in which we live. This book teaches you how to live proactively and productively in a rapidly changing postmodern culture—how to enjoy living for God in changing times.

Social change, culture, and how people live their faith have been interesting to me since college days. This book is a bit of a personal manifesto. If you want to know how I think and what makes me tick, this book tells the story.

Details: Written by Rex M. Rogers; Published: 07 October 2011

Tattoos are not going to say good-bye anytime soon. Actually, body art is resurgent. And phenom or fad, tattoos haven’t yet reached their cultural peak.

In a recent article, “To Tattoo or Not Tattoo? Up to You?” I noted the prevalence of tattoos among the younger set, the fact that Scripture doesn’t mandate a no-tattoos position, the number of questions one could ask in discerning whether to get a tattoo, and what tattoos might “say” in early 21^st Century culture.

Body art of some kind has apparently graced human skin since shortly after the Garden of Eden. Yet one would do well to remember that body art in its current manifestation is a fashion fad, and by definition, fads are here today gone tomorrow. But there will be no tootaloo to tattoos anytime in the near future.

While I can’t say tattoos are wrong or even necessarily bad, I don’t understand why people want to paint their skin permanently. Especially I don’t understand when the painted imprint in question is large, publicly displayed, grotesque, or simply one of many. They’re not my preference. But to each his own.

Tattoos are better, I guess, than piercing. This I truly cannot understand, for in my estimation piercings are about pain, not pleasure, beauty, or even functionality. The entire aesthetic conjures images of debasement. Unlike tattooing, I believe you can make a moral argument against piercings. But even here, I admit, there is no clear mandate one way or another in Scripture and you have to wonder where to draw the line: five or six piercings or what about just two, pierced ears featuring earrings on posts?

So where does this leave us? Perhaps it’s all a matter of liberty of body, mind, and soul. And such liberty is anything but a bad thing.

Details: Written by Rex M. Rogers; Published: 06 October 2011

A few thoughts on a few people:

*Governor Chris Christie should call former-Governor Mike Huckabee for a long chat. Huck could teach the not-quite-presidential-candidate a few important things: 1) Huck could share his faith in Christ with Governor Christie. The New Jersey gov attends mass and maintains a few political positions consistent with a Catholic view, but no one really knows much about the depth or genuineness of his faith. 2) Huck could help Gov. Christie to commit himself to a health and potentially life-saving diet to loose a hundred pounds or so. Governor Huckabee did it; Governor Christie can and should do it. 3) Huck could help Christie craft a run for the Republican nomination in 2016. Huck’s been there, done that.

*Steve Jobs is gone, victim of an untimely demise. His death is sad, a huge loss to his family, Apple, Inc., and American culture. We will all miss his creative genius. But what did he believe about God and the afterlife? It’s hard to say. He apparently made some commitment to Buddhism, but there is no public record of his understanding anything about Jesus Christ and what he did for Steve and the rest of us. It’s been therefore perplexing to watch people, even believers, blithely state Jobs is in heaven or, as one Christian posted on Facebook, “RIP Steve Jobs.” But what does “rest in peace” mean? I hope Jobs is in heaven, but based on his public statements, we unfortunately don’t know this. One lesson is clear: a personal fortune of $7 billion and even more enriched talent doesn’t conquer death.

*Pat Summit is the long-time women’s basketball coach at the University of Tennessee. She’s also the all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division I history. She announced in August that at 59 years she has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. Like Steve Jobs, this is sad in the extreme. And we learn another lesson: lifetime physical conditioning and athleticism do not protect you from terrible disease.

*Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr, at 43-0, is pound-for-pound the best boxer in the world today…except maybe for Manny Pacquiao. If you hear Mayweather talk, it’s obvious he wants to be considered “the Greatest,” ranked with Muhammad Ali. But Mayweather will never be Ali. Where Ali fought for social justice, gave up his title as world heavyweight champion as a conscientious objector resisting the military draft, stood for civil rights, and put on a show as a “show,”—knowing the irony, Mayweather is for real in his showmanship. Mayweather actually believes his own mouth and his own press. He is about nothing but excess and narcissism. Mayweather is a cartoon. Ali is a giant.

Details: Written by Rex M. Rogers; Published: 23 September 2011

We live in rapidly changing times. More scientists, more technology, more information, more capacity to communicate and travel, more of nearly everything exists today than once existed, and more is being added as I write. Nothing stands still.

Meanwhile, Christians are supposed to live “in the world” while being “not of the world” even as they go “into the world” (John 17). We’re here in 2011 for a purpose. We’re supposed to be God’s ambassadors of reconciliation.

But how do we do this if we don’t understand the principles and values God gave us in his Word, and how do we do this if we don’t understand the times in which we live?

In the Old Testament, we read the story of King David's effort to unite the kingdom of Israel. To help King David win the battles ahead of him, God sends to David a long list of "mighty men of valor." These men were seasoned soldiers who knew battle tactics and weaponry and who were men of great courage.

But right in the middle of this long list of mighty soldiers, God sends the men of Issachar, and the only thing on their resume is that they were men "who understood the times, to know what Israel ought to do." While they could fight, their main contribution was to give King David sound advice.

Their value to David was that they not only understood what was happening but why it was happening and whether or not it was a good thing.

Now, this is what we need today. We need Christian "men and women of Issachar" who understand their times. This means that Christians must understand the Bible, God's Word, as well as learn about the ideas that influence our nation.

If you're a Christian, you should be able to relate God's unchanging biblical principles to these rapidly changing times. You and I should be able to apply the principles and values of a biblical worldview in our lives, in our cultures, and in our times. We should be able to “give the reason for the hope that you have” with “gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

What does a Christian worldview have to offer the environmental movement? What really does a biblical understanding of life and Christian faith suggest we should do in the Middle East? What is a truly Christian view of stem cell research? Is Christianity relevant to public morality? Are Christian values regarding family, sexuality, and personal morality still valid and meaningful in 2011? When should, if ever, a Christian go to war? Is there really a Christian view on capital punishment? How can Christian values be fairly represented in education, entertainment, law, medicine, politics?

My point is this. The Christian life must be lived-out in the world. That's what James meant when he said, "Faith without works is dead." We should live our faith in a relevant way.

How many Christians do you know who have faith but don't do anything with it? And how many Christians do you know who know a little about the Bible but have never learned how to connect Bible truths to the everyday world?

Let's read, learn, and "study to show ourselves approved." Let's become a man or woman of Issachar who understands the times. Let's change the world.