by Chris Doyle | Mar 11, 2016
Greetings!
This may be one of my shortest DHDs ever. I have a lot going on, which I will explain in topic #6. Here we go!
- Rubio’s run about over
If you have followed me for a while, you know I’ve expressed my support for Marco Rubio in the GOP presidential primary. The Florida senator remains in the race, but I’m afraid he will be out soon. Florida’s primary next Tuesday will potentially be his last stand.
His fall began at the New Hampshire primary. He somewhat recovered after that, but he became too aggressive while attacking Donald Trump on the campaign trail and then in his debate brawls with Trump. His campaign was a clean one until the last few weeks. Super Tuesday II, March 8, became the telling sign that Rubio was no longer a promising candidate, as he collected a slim count of delegates.
I now believe Rubio should pursue running for governor of Florida. I still like him as a politician and agree with his platform. Maybe it’s possible for him to reappear in the national election down the road.
- Trump-Carson
This morning, former presidential candidate Ben Carson endorsed Donald Trump. I watched the hour-long press conference featuring both Trump and Carson.
I will say this for Donald Trump. The man can conduct the most bizarre press conferences. Referring to his conference he had Tuesday night, I have never seen a politician give a campaign speech like the one he gave that night, appearing in front of supporters and media members with all of his namesake products.
Though I have respect for Ben Carson, I still cannot vote for Trump. I will not vote for anybody who does not demonstrate respect for the sanctity of life. Trump has said he is pro-life, after many years of saying the opposite, but his consistent defense for Planned Parenthood causes me to be skeptical.
- The Young Messiah
Check out Phil Boatwrights review of the movie The Young Messiah. Personally, I’m skeptical.
As Boatwright points out, the movie begins stating it is a fictional tale about Jesus. The movie’s director says it is imagining a year in the life of Jesus as a boy.
I believe there is a reason we do not know much about Jesus as a boy. We are told that he grew in wisdom, stature and favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). The part about him growing in favor with man causes me to think Jesus did not perform miracles as a boy or did anything extraordinary. At the beginning of His earthly ministry, when he did amaze people with his teachings and miraculous works, Jesus lost such favor with most men. But this is just my opinion.
I’m not against anyone seeing the movie. If you do go see it, I welcome your feedback.
- Buddy Hield, a winner with good sportsmanship
ESPN’s Holly Rowe interviews Georges Niang and Buddy Hield.
I didn’t watch the OU-Iowa State game at the Big 12 tournament, but I heard about it. I heard it was quite a display of scoring from OU’s Buddy Hield and ISU’s Georges Niang. I also heard both of these conference greats shared a post-game interview on ESPN. I love hearing stories like this.
Kenny Mossman, OU associate athletic director, shared on Facebook that Hield wanted his teammates on the court with him when he accepted the Big 12 Player of the Year award. Mossman posted, “Buddy does a pretty good job of living Phil. 2:3 … ‘Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.’”
Congratulations Buddy! I hope you go far in the NCAA Tournament so more people can experience your example of good sportsmanship.
- NCAA Tournament Prediction
I’m not going to be around for the announcement of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament bracket seedings. I will share more in my final topic. This will be the first time in more than 30 years I have not filled out a bracket, and I will miss the first and second rounds of the tourney.
So, with that being said, not knowing how the teams will be seeded, I predict Oklahoma and Michigan State in the championship game, with the Sooners coming away with their first NCAA basketball championship.
- Pray for me
On Saturday, I will be leaving the country, going overseas for eight days. I will be in Europe, but that is all I am able to share on social media. There are 12 in our team, and we are excited for what we will experience.
With this, I won’t be posting a Doyle’s Half Dozen next week. I covet your prayers for safety, for God’s provisions and for Him to be glorified.
by Chris Doyle | Mar 10, 2016
The debate on church size reoccurred recently when Andy Stanley presented his strategy to impact church involvement for the next generation. Stanley said churches need to be large enough so that there would be specific church ministries each for middle schoolers and high schoolers.
Stanley then went on to criticize those involved in smaller churches that can’t provide such specialized ministry dynamics. He accused these church leaders and members of being selfish and apathetic for young people.
Stanley has since apologized for his remarks, saying even he was offended by what he said.
I can offer some response to his proposed strategy, saying it can be unreasonable and lacks objectivity in regards to the cultural makeup of different cities and towns where many churches are located across the country.
Trevin Wax’s article “Small vs. Big Churches: The Family Feud We All Lose” offers an excellent response directly to specific church methodologies like what Stanley proposed.
In 2013, I wrote “Too Big,” which is a response to those who criticized large church congregations. Now, with Stanley’s accusations, I have a tendency to defend smaller churches.
Instead, I will follow Wax’s lead with his comment, “The next time I hear someone railing against the ‘megachurch’ or mocking the ‘small church,’ I’m going to speak up. I’m going to point out that we need all kinds of churches, and that it’s slander to attack the intentions of brothers and sisters you don’t even know.”
Trevin is right on the money. There is nothing I can add to this.
But there is something different that concerns me, as far as people debating about church size. They are focusing on the wrong thing. I’m not talking about aspects of taking attendance or increasing church rolls. I’m not even talking about how a church incorporates Sunday School or small group Bible studies, even though I am a strong advocate for such, as these groups are the backbone of the church.
What I want to get across is the emphasis of individual involvement in church. I said in “Too Big,” that instead of focusing on the size of the church, focus on how you can serve IN the church. There is too much “sitting and soaking” happening in church worship services. As important as corporate worship and hearing God’s Word preached are, there needs to be more involvement. There needs to be putting to action what we hear (James 1:22).
Encouraging church members to find their place to serve and to serve faithfully will have a greater impact than attempting to focus on a “one-size-fits-all” methodology. And how do I know this? Continuing on in James 1 at the end of verse 25, James said anyone who is “a doer who acts – this person will be blessed in what he does.”
Fellow Christian, don’t get bogged down in frivolous debates like small churches vs. big churches. That’s a pure waste of time. Instead, be involved in your church, no matter how big or small, no matter how many people you serve. If one person were to follow your example, then someone will follow theirs… and so on and so on. That’s how God will add to His church.
by Chris Doyle | Mar 4, 2016
Greetings!
It’s a beautiful Friday, as I take to writing this week’s Doyle’s Half Dozen. Most of my topics involve the Republican Presidential Campaign. The hottest topic at this moment is the discovery of a knife that came from O.J. Simpson’s former property (how bizarre is this?), but right behind this astounding newsbreak is the GOP campaign. So it should come as no surprise what I’m going to discuss.
Let’s get to it!
- GOP Debate – Who writes these ‘scripts’?
Last week I wrote about how I almost did not write about the GOP debate in Houston. That turned out to be a major word war that could not be overlooked. This week’s debate started out with similar style of name calling and a brutal back and forth between Trump and Rubio and then Trump and Cruz. And then Trump got lambasted by the moderators with legitimate inquiries.
Say what you will about Donald Trump, he is definitely the most polarizing candidate ever in political campaign history. Only the Aaron Burr-Alexander Hamilton political feud would have a worse conclusion. Trump brings all this extra intense drama with his unorthodox style of personal attacks and heated responses. It should be understandable why he draws both appeal and disdain.
I have expressed support for Marco Rubio, and I believe the Florida senator has been the best overall in the debates. However, along with the one in New Hampshire, this week’s debate would be his only other performance where he did not get the highest grade. Though some may justify his heated exchanges with Trump, I believe the wider audience disapproves of Rubio’s recent tactic.
Ted Cruz was the winner. His Trump attacks were slightly more civil than Rubio’s, and his attacks were spot on, as far as bringing up Trump supporting liberal democrats and emphasizing such support hinders important political factors such as Supreme Court nominations. Cruz’s best moment was when he spoke on the demise of Detroit as the result of liberal agendas. His most uncomfortable moment was when he had a small piece of mint hanging on his bottom lip while he spoke.
I would give a tie between Rubio and John Kasich for second place. Rubio lacked some tact during his heated moments with Trump, but he had some strong moments too. Beginning with his early comment, “Let’s talk about the issues, starting tonight,” Rubio discussed the issues masterfully. His answer on the Second Amendment was one of the best ever in a debate, and Rubio proved once again he is the best candidate on foreign policy. And his yoga “flexible” remark was perfect timing and the funniest moment of the debate.
Kasich shares second place because he did appear to be “the adult” in the debate. He is the strongest on economic issues, and his proven record helps this. He also saved face with his religious liberty answer, overcoming his response in the previous debate. He did not have a blundering moment, but there is something about Kasich that seems to prevent him from connecting with voters. He is competing for “air time,” as the other three have drawn more interest from the media, but I still believe being a late entry, even though we are further along in the campaign, factors in to his inability to draw more publicity.
As I said, Trump got bombed and deservedly so. He was proven to be wavering on issues. He did not handle the Trump University issue well. His plan on handling the budget was proven to be faulty. He looked bad with his off-record conversation with the New York Times. Then with his own instigated comments of name calling and male organ reference, Trump looked horribly distasteful and incapable of being a candidate for the President of the United States.
However, it’s hard to say if Trump’s bad debate performance will have a factor in his front-runner position.
- Trump Presidential Trivia
I did some research this week. As it is commonly known, Trump has never held office in any political position. He is only known as an international business man.
There have been only five U.S. presidents who won the election without holding an elected office. John Tyler was an Army major general and commander during the Mexican-American War. U.S. Grant was the commanding general of the Union Army during the U.S. Civil War. William Taft was secretary of war under Teddy Roosevelt. Hubert Hoover was secretary of commerce. Dwight Eisenhower was a WWII general and Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces.
So if it were to come to pass that Donald Trump were to win the presidential election, he will be the first-ever business man to win with no previous civic leadership.
- Burk’s Trump Rally Tale
Denny Burk, professor at Southern Seminary in Louisville, Ky. told about his experience of attending a Donald Trump rally. He says up front he is not a Trump fan, but he went “to see what all the hubbub was all about.” Check out his blog here.
The whole article is a good read, but here’s an interesting outtake:
“Probably my main take-away from listening to him in person was his ability to stoke anger and outrage. The people he appeals to are frustrated with their government. They are frustrated with jobs being shipped overseas. And they are frustrated with a sense that the political elite don’t listen to them. He knows how to stoke that frustration into a blazing rage, and that is what he does at his rallies. The people exult in his outrage because it is theirs. And many of them are willing to either abide or overlook the blatant demagoguery and strong-arming of dissent.”
- Moore’s Take on “Lesser of Two Evils”
Russell Moore wrote an article this week in Christianity Today titled “Should Christians Vote for the Lesser of Two Evils?”
Love his conclusions. He is the best on how to participate in the culture as a “Gospel Christian.”
When addressing the concern of voting for a candidate who eventually does not follow through with promises, Moore writes, “…the sense of surprise and disappointment is not the same as knowingly delegating our authority to someone with poor character or wicked public stances.”
I agree with Moore on how to vote when both candidates appear to be morally disqualified. He said, “My main objective was to participate in the process without endorsing evil.”
Moore said he has written in a candidate or voted for a minor party candidate. In Oklahoma, the presidential election does not allow write-ins or have third party candidates. This is where I would suggest the “Leave it Blank” campaign. Or if you have seen the movie Brewster’s Millions, vote for “None of the Above.”
- Procreation Education Bill
Oklahoma State Rep. Ann Coody recently introduced the “Humanity of the Unborn Child Act” bill which proposes to educate teenagers in the public school system that life begins at conception.
My friend Christi Roselle gave her thoughts on how important this curriculum would be in her blog “Schools and Human Sexuality.”
Well done, Rep. Coody and supporting representatives, on offering another Pro-Life bill in Oklahoma.
- Pray for Weekend Meeting with IMB missionaries
This weekend, March 4-5, at Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center near Davis, Okla., many returning International Mission Board missionaries will be attending a special conference, helping them during this difficult time. You can read about this issue in a column by Anthony Jordan, executive director-treasurer of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, titled “A cooperative effort.”
Pray for these men and women who committed their lives to the mission field abroad and had to return due to a financial crisis. They will be receiving guidance, networking opportunities as well as other support and encouragement while they see what God may do “next” in their lives.
by Chris Doyle | Feb 26, 2016
Greetings!
I initially intended to avoid presidential campaign politics in this week’s DHD, but after Thursday night’s Republican debate, it’s unavoidable. At first, I figured nothing more could come of the GOP nominee race, so my thinking was the debate would be the typical show like the previous debates. As we know now, it was a major brawl and made for probably the most electrifying debate in U.S. political history.
Other than the debate, I will stick to my original script and cover five other timely topics. Here we go!
- Republican Rumble
In the past, I have criticized debate moderators for trying to get candidates to battle each other instead of asking constructive questions about important issues. It didn’t matter what Wolf Blitzer and his cast of facilitators asked in this week’s debate, and they did ask fair-minded questions.
Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Donald Trump duked it out and did not hold back, as all three of the leading GOP candidates know this is a critical time in the election. They had to be firm and fierce in their performances because it’s possible the Republican nominee may emerge in less than a month. Super Tuesday happens next week, and with other primaries occurring soon after, it probably will come down to March 15, when Ohio and Florida, two key states, submit their votes.
Though Trump has appeared to be the favorite, there only have been elections of four states so far. Many more delegates to obtain. The reason for Cruz and Rubio forcefully attacking Trump is they knew they had to make him look bad in order to convince the undecideds and those who are against Trump to join their respective camps. Did they succeed? Only the votes will decide.
As of now, I favor Rubio. He was not my leading choice at the beginning of the campaign. I do favor a candidate with executive experience instead of a legislator. But the series of debates have convinced me Rubio is the best GOP selection.
In the aftermath, I heard pundits ask, “Where was this Rubio?” Well, the senator did not need to use the attack tactic before now. Some of the same analysts have given Rubio great reviews in the debates, except for New Hampshire, so it would be apparent Marco did not have to throw hard jabs in the past. Plus with such a large field of candidates in the earlier debates, I thought Rubio chose the proper strategy of presenting his own platform in his answers and only be combative when attacked. And that’s basically what he did in the last debate with a little more punch.
Cruz battled well, but he doesn’t seem to be gaining traction after Rubio finished ahead of him in the South Carolina primary. And there have been some glaring flaws in his campaign. One led to Cruz dismissing his communication director. As far as comparing platforms, I may slightly favor Cruz over Rubio, but Cruz’s poor campaign tactics have been a hindrance.
As far as the other two candidates on the stage, I’m not sure what was a bigger distraction – having Ben Carson and John Kasich in the debate or showing that enormous hot dog in the backdrop. There is much to like about Dr. Carson. He even gave the funniest line of the debate, “Can someone attack me please?” But his clever retort also was very telling. Whether it is unfair or not that Carson receives less time in the debate to talk, it is apparent he is not in demand with the way the election has proceeded. And Kasich is in similar position. Other than in New Hampshire, the governor has never made serious ground in the rankings, and most of that could be credited to him entering the race late.
I echo what others have said. The best strategy to take the lead away from Trump is have all the other remaining candidates consolidate with the most electable contender. And right now, it appears to be Rubio.
- Agreeing with Wax’s “Agree to Disagree” piece
I’m going to be brief in my remaining points. By the way, I am just finding out that Chris Christie endorsed Trump. The New Jersey governor does an excellent job being so annoying to many at just the most inappropriate times.
Moving on, I hope you will check out Trevin Wax’s article “Can We ‘Agree to Disagree’ on Sexuality and Marriage?” Wax gives excellent points from both sides of this argument, and his conclusion is spot on:
“The bigger picture shows that those who redefine marriage and sexuality do so in opposition to the global Christian church and the entire Christian tradition. It’s not progressives vs. conservatives, but progressives vs. every Christian and Church that has ever been.”
- Moore on “War Hymns”
Russell Moore gave an excellent response to Brian McLaren’s intent to re-write the famous hymn “Onward Christian Soldiers.”
He added humor: “To see these hymns as encouraging violence requires a crude literalism rendered incoherent by the lyrics themselves. Christians are, the hymn reads, ‘marching as to war,’ clearly a simile. When we sing ‘Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us,’ we don’t then discipline those who eat lamb chops for cannibalism.”
And he gave a powerful emphasis on how to accurately interpret the hymn: “…an emphasis on spiritual warfare—whether in our preaching or in our singing or in our praying—does not make us more violent but rather makes us less violent. When we know that we are wrestling against ‘principalities and powers in the heavenly places,’ we are able to understand that we are not therefore wrestling ‘against flesh and blood’ (Eph. 6:12). When we know that those who oppose us are, as we were, ‘captive to the devil,’ we are able to treat them with kindness and gentleness (2 Tim. 2:25-26). When we know, as Jesus did, that he is captain of fearsome angel armies, we are able to bear persecution, without striking back. And when we know that King Jesus will ultimately win the war against the devil, we are able to forgive those who persecute us, to turn our cheek when people strike us.”
- Speaking for the “Worst Generation”
Alyssa Sperrazza is a sharp young lady who gave an excellent response to those who criticize those from her generation. In her blog “My Generation is Not Worse Than Yours,” she gives a challenging yet constructive response to unfair critics.
By the way, I work with quite a few Millennials. I also connect with many at my church and in other locations. From my experience, this generation is demonstrating as much if not more genuine care and concern for others than practically any other generation, possibly in my lifetime. Consider this an early hypothesis. I may do further investigating, and I welcome your feedback.
- Pray for the oil and gas industry
Oklahoma is experiencing a major economic hit because of the energy crunch. Many oil and gas companies are going through layoffs. I have friends who have been affected, and I’m sure you do too, or you yourself lost your job because of this.
If you do know someone who recently lost their job, pray for them by name that God may provide them wisdom and direction. And pray for God to make Himself known in this trying time.
- Spurgeon’s Writing Tips
I conclude with a great piece on Charles Spurgeon. Jesse Wisnewski’s article “7 Writing Tips from Charles Spurgeon” was an encouraging read for me.
The more I learn about Spurgeon the more he fascinates me. I learned quite a bit from Christian George when he was teaching at Oklahoma Baptist University and gave a lecture on Spurgeon at the men’s retreat at Falls Creek a few years ago. George is now the curator of the Spurgeon Library at Midwestern Seminary in Kansas City, which is a fitting role for him.
Of Spurgeon’s seven tips, the first one was significant to me, “Write to Help others.”
“We are very mistaken, if our work does not prove to be of the utmost value to purchasers of books…no object in view but the benefit of our brethren…it will be remuneration enough to have aided the ministers of God in the study of his word.”
by Chris Doyle | Feb 19, 2016
Greetings!
So many subject matters to discuss this week. I had a hard time figuring out which ones to address in Doyle’s Half Dozen. One happened on Thursday to increase already the long list.
After weeding through all of them, here are my six timely topics. Enjoy!
- Judging Antonin
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was a masterful interpreter of the U.S. Constitution and a great legal mind who held strong to Judeo-Christian ethics as the foundational value system of our country. I was stunned to hear of his death last Saturday.
I enjoyed hearing stories this week from those who knew him well, even from those who serve on the bench with him and are known to be Scalia’s counter-opposite when it comes to rulings. All told of the kindness, the respectful manner, the humility and the friendship Scalia offered.
There is no argument Scalia’s death causes a major blow to the conservative philosophy in America. Issues of which I hold strongly that our country is facing are greatly threatened, including abortion and religious liberty.
I have no doubt President Obama will appoint a candidate for the Supreme Court, and I believe it is a shaky argument to rebut the president from doing so, even though the candidate is expected to have liberal leanings. It’s just hard to provide such a defense without political preferences.
However, I will be curious to see how the U.S. Senate handles the president’s appointment. Just as Obama has the right to appoint, the Senate has the right to refute. This was demonstrated when the Senate rejected Robert Bork’s nomination in 1987 by President Reagan, which, by the way, is the reason why Judge Anthony Kennedy’s confirmation happened during an election year, 1988. I find it fascinating nobody brings up Bork in the current SCOTUS appointment debate though they quickly point out the timing of Kennedy’s confirmation.
So the political chess match continues. To my conservative Christian friends, pray for God to intervene.
- Coach Monty’s Moving Message
By now, everybody in Oklahoma who has social media access has heard about the sudden passing of Ingrid Williams, the wife of Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach Monty Williams, as a result of a car accident. The report on the accident is troubling, as the driver who caused the accident was going approximately 90 mph in a 40 mph speed zone.
With this report in mind, on Thursday, Coach Williams offered one of the most powerful, inspiring messages given at a memorial service. Darnell Mayberry with the Oklahoman tweeted this from Williams’ speech, “We cannot serve the Lord if we don’t have a heart of forgiveness.”
Monty Williams’ faith was demonstrated while he presented the Gospel. If you have not watched Williams speaking during his wife’s memorial service, you should consider this opportunity to see the Christian faith on display in an environment of grief.
http://newsok.com/multimedia/video/4763499030001
- Ben Boasts on My Borough
Political commentator and comedic actor Ben Stein visited Oklahoma City for a speaking engagement. He gave a raving review of his visit and spoke highly of my city and state. You can read the piece he wrote for American Spectator here.
I have been a fan of Stein for a while. I enjoy his commentary and his dry demeanor which became famous in his appearance in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I even liked his briefly-ran show “Win Ben Stein’s Money” on Comedy Central.
Thank you, Mr. Stein, for your exceptionally kind words about Oklahoma. I hope we can meet some day, and I can thank you in person.
- Gold Stars for CNN
I got to watch some of the political town halls CNN has been featuring of the presidential candidates, and the popular news network did a great job, especially moderator Anderson Cooper. The town hall settings allow ample time for each GOP candidate to answer questions from the audience. There were no “gotcha” questions or interruptions. It was Cooper meeting with each candidate in a town hall setting, offering ample time for the candidates to speak plainly about their views and platform.
To me, this is the best way for voters to decide for themselves what they think about the candidates without the sensational drama of heated debates and partial moderators. I don’t know for certain if all the town hall meetings can be viewed online, but if you are an “undecided” voter, these broadcasts would be worth your while to watch.
- Sneak Peek on Upcoming Messenger Article
I had the privilege of writing the cover story for the Feb. 25 edition of the Baptist Messenger. It was about the new Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM) building at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (NEO) in Miami.
I interviewed Kimily Waldron, the BCM director at NEO, and enjoyed hearing her talk about the extreme makeover of this building, which used to be a bar. It’s a great story that offers a perfect example of how something that represents ill repute can be changed to be used of God and represent His amazing grace.
Be looking for it!
- Thunder Update
The Oklahoma City Thunder begin their “second half” of the season tonight, and this will be a tough stretch. The Thunder have 11 home games and 17 away games left on their schedule. Twice they will face Golden State, and twice they will face San Antonio – the top two teams of the NBA, and both are having phenomenal seasons.
Though it will be difficult, I am predicting the Thunder will win at least 20 of these final 28 games. It might even be possible they surpass San Antonio to be the No. 2 seed in the West. I also expect a great playoff series against Golden State in the Western Conference championship. I can’t bring myself to predict the Thunder upsetting the Warriors, but I do believe it will be a historic battle.
Buckle up, Thunder fans! It’s going to be a fun ride the rest of the way!
