Boomer Battles

Well, I'm going to do it. I'm going to write another book, this one titled "Boomer Battles - Thoughts From The Front Lines." It will consist of many of my Ranger Chat posts. To explain why I'm doing this, here's the book's draft Foreword.

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Over the last 40 years and more, Debbie and I have been involved in a wide variety of jobs and ministries directly related to children. These include teaching from pre-school to high school, starting a youth center, serving a secular youth organization, leading a youth group, being a principal, and serving in a multitude of church-based programs.

As the years have gone by, we have seen an ever-increasing level of attacks on children and teenagers, led by an ever-coarsening and evil culture. It chews kids up and spits kids out, never acknowledging the damage that it does.

We used to be standard-bearers carrying the cross of Christ, which was largely recognized by the unsaved, who knew their need for it and would listen. But fewer and fewer people have this basic knowledge anymore. They've been steeped in secularism and humanism their entire lives, from Disney programming to public school education to social media.

We now feel more like weary foot soldiers in this cultural battle. And we're not well-supported by our generals and admirals. Think tanks, politicians and conservative leaders have yet to come up with a strategy that can give us a win on the battlefield. Have Christians won on any issue since the early 60's? I can't think of one. And we're taken a lot of casualties. I'm sure you've seen the research which indicates that up to two-thirds of kids who are raised in the church end up walking away once they leave their parents' home.

I don't have any miraculous answer to the larger problem. Just thoughts over the years, some of which I acted on. Perhaps you'll see something that jump starts your own idea. But know this - it will fail unless God is in it. "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Are we seeing what Paul spoke of in 2nd Thessalonians 2:1-3?

1Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,

Paul also says in verse 7: For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work

Is this the start of the great falling away?  It could be.

But we also saw this sort of cultural destruction in the 1960's & then revival in the late 70's followed by a cultural hard 180 degrees about in the early 80's

Another example is the 1890's followed by the great revival in 1906 at Azuza street.

Or countless times in ancient Israel where the people served other God's & then along come the Philistines & they cry out to God & he saves them.


Are we seeing:

1 the great falling away  
2 another wave of cultural destruction that will swing back to revival?

For years I have thought thw answer is #2. Today I am on the fence. While I hope and pray for a great move of God to turn this nation's heart back to Him. I do not feel optimistic about our chances.

What do you guys think?

ccm2361 wrote: Are we seeing:

1 the great falling away  
2 another wave of cultural destruction that will swing back to revival?

For years I have thought thw answer is #2. Today I am on the fence. While I hope and pray for a great move of God to turn this nation's heart back to Him. I do not feel optimistic about our chances.

What do you guys think?

My opinion, for what it's worth, is #1. Today's level of evil is just too high to think that the deceived and diabolical will turn away from the culture that they've created. If the Rapture isn't just around the corner, then another Flood would be required to straighten things out. But God promised that wouldn't happen again.

The year 2030 is being bandied about by the United Nations, the World Economic Forum and our very own government. It is used as the target date for all of their major leftist goals. That year may also be the 2000th anniversary of our Lord's death and resurrection. (He was born around 3 B.C.) We are not allowed to know the exact time of the Rapture, but things sure seem to be lining up.

But don't take my words to assume that we have 7 years left to goof off, sin and repent. Strive to live a holy life at all times, and keep your lamp lit.

Making good progress already. Turns out I can copy and paste my RChat posts onto a Word document, and I can edit them, too. What a time saver! Now if I can remove the light blue background...

Title change. Now it's "Boomer Battles - Don't Give Up The Ship." Everything inside will be divided into 4 sections: Spiritual, Mental, Physical and Social. Now where did I get that idea?

joecool,

To copy without the blue background:

Hit the “Edit” button on your narrative. That will put your dialogue in a box without the background. Copy and paste THAT, and there will be no blue background.

To copy someone else’s dialogue, hit the “Quote”, then copy & paste THAT, and you only need to do minor editing.

Claymore wrote: To copy without the blue background:

It worked. It actually worked. Wish I'd mentioned it earlier. I'm already halfway through with the copy/paste phase. Well, it's worth it to go back to the beginning. Thanks, Claymore.

It took 6 days of doing copy-and-paste, and I also added some presentations that I've done in the past. Uh, oh. Looks like I have 400 pages! I'm definitely going to have to pare the book down to something more manageable. Nobody wants to read War and Peace. (Hmmm. If I didn't have to worry about copyright infringement, that might be a better title.)

joecool wrote: Uh, oh. Looks like I have 400 pages!

SHOCKED.

Who'd-a seen THAT coming:

"joecool
Special Member
Special Member

Posts : 2885
Join date : 2013-10-28"

I've re-titled the book:
     
Over My (HIS) Dead Body - Protecting Children, Church and Community From The Corrupting Culture

I was halfway through the editing process and felt something was off. Laying in bed at 11:30 it hit me. It's not the content, it's the arrangement. Back to the beginning, but now it feels right.

Tonight, I ask the pastor if he will consider giving a copy to every man in our church on Father's Day.

joecool wrote:

Claymore wrote: To copy without the blue background:

It worked. It actually worked. Wish I'd mentioned it earlier. I'm already halfway through with the copy/paste phase. Well, it's worth it to go back to the beginning. Thanks, Claymore.

Ya know, you Commissioned Officers could save yourselves a whole lot of work if, rather than try to re-invent the wheel, you just go to your Senior NCO's, first.

Well, the book is essentially completed and I have a great picture to put on the cover. All I'm waiting on are "guest" columns from a couple of guys at church. Pastor wants to give out copies of the book on Father's Day.

Nice

At the risk of going broke, I'm going to offer my book, free of charge, to anyone on Ranger Chat. If you want a copy, message me on this site your full name and address. If you're not registered, send the same info to my personal e-mail (yulluvmt2@msn.com).

I'm sending it to the publisher soon, so let me know even sooner.

Here's the introduction to the book:

Why did Jesus go through a vicious beating and death on the cross? Christians know that it was because He died for our sins. Presenting Himself as a final sacrifice, born-again believers receive His grace and kneel in His presence. It is the greatest gift that anyone can receive. But once we receive this gift, we aren’t supposed to throw away his sacrifice by falling for the lies of the culture. Unfortunately, this has been going on far too often for the past 50 years.

Contained in the pages of this book are some of my many posts on an online Christian chat room, letters to the editor and other places. Over the years, they have served as a place for me to record my observations and thoughts on the culture. They do not form an academic treatise from a team of researchers at some Washington, DC think tank, observing the culture from afar. It’s boots-on-the-ground work on the front lines, where the eternal lives of so many are in jeopardy.

This book is also not meant to build up a case that attacks any specific part of the culture. If I have to convince you that a particular issue is unbiblical and causes Jesus to weep, then this book isn’t for you. Rather, it seeks to show how a gradual distancing from God’s Word has resulted in a culture that is getting progressively worse. Many aren’t even aware of what’s going on. It’s not dissimilar to why a frog won’t jump out of a pot of water that slowly comes to a boil, unaware of impending death. I hope that the information you find in this book will be actionable. Your family is counting on you to protect them.

For more than four decades, my wife and I have been involved in a wide variety of jobs and ministries directly related to children. These include teaching from pre-school to high school, starting a youth center, serving in a secular youth organization, leading a youth group, being a principal, and serving in a multitude of church-based programs. We are also parents of two children and grandparents of seven.

As the years have gone by, we have seen an ever-increasing level of attacks on children and teenagers, led by an ever-coarsening and evil culture. It chews kids up and spits them out, never acknowledging the damage that it does, and never caring, either. Twenty years ago, the state of the culture wasn’t much more than an annoying bump in the road. Nowadays, I see it more as a broad highway that leads to the physical and spiritual death of far too many people, young and old alike.

The culture has indoctrinated and groomed kids for sex at an ever earlier age. Among all of its nefarious effects, the culture has put enormous pressure on kids to conform to ever-impossible standards. Borrow, borrow, and borrow some more. Increase your credit scores, so you can borrow more. Buy, buy, and buy some more. You must have the latest and greatest gadgets, or you’re so yesterday. Drink, drink, drink. Because you have more fun when you’re mentally impaired and unable to control your natural inhibitions. Hook up, hook up, and hook up some more. After all, contracting sexually-transmitted diseases shows how desirable you are.

It’s no wonder that so many kids are looking for a way out, an option that decreases the world’s expectations and demands on them. Nobody is born with a predisposition to be LGBTQetc. There is no gay gene. In the argument between nature and nurture, nurture wins out here. People are influenced by the things in their environment, and they choose what to be. The culture tries to obscure the truth by forcing our focus onto one word: love. But when we do this, we take Him out of context, marginalize him, minimalize him, and ultimately, throw Him under the bus. Are you unsure about a current cultural fad? God is so much more than one word. Seek the whole truth in His Word.

It took a while, but I learned not to blame young people for what they think and do. Thanks to a lifetime in the culture, it’s all they know, and for the most part, reality hasn’t hit them upside the head. Realization and regret come later. Hopefully, repentance does, too.
Decades ago, my wife and I joined many others in being standard-bearers carrying the cross of Christ, and it was largely recognized by the unsaved. Deep down, most of them knew their need for it and would eventually listen. But fewer and fewer people have this basic knowledge anymore. They’ve been steeped in secularism and humanism their entire life, from public education to social media to Disney programming. They see nothing wrong in their lifestyle choices.

Today, we now feel more like weary foot soldiers in this never-ending cultural battle. And we don’t feel well-supported by our generals and admirals. Think tanks, politicians and conservative leaders have yet to come up with a strategy that can give us a win on the battlefield. Have we won on any issue since the early 60’s? I can’t think of one. And Christians have taken a lot of casualties. I’m sure you’ve seen the research which indicates that up to two-thirds of kids who are raised in the church end up walking away once they leave their parents’ home.

If you are currently attending a church where the pastors are led by the Holy Spirit to preach the whole Word, consider yourself blessed. Not everyone is. Pray that they receive discernment.
In 2022, Barna Group research revealed the following sobering statistics:
Only 41% of senior/lead pastors have a Biblical worldview
Only 28% of associate pastors have a Biblical worldview
Only 12% of childrens/youth pastors have a Biblical worldview

What does this mean? It means that 59% of senior pastors, 72% of associate pastors, and 88% of children’s and youth pastors turn to the world for answers to today’s problems. In other words, of all those people who go to a pastor for help, 73% are likely getting the wrong counsel.

So, it’s ultimately up to you to protect your family. Whether or not you have a Holy Spirit-led pastor, you must be the priest of your household. You must instinctively know that the Bible is where you will find the right answers. In case you don’t know the questions, this book will shine light on what’s going on out there, good and bad.

If you’re a man who is the priest of your family, you must take up the sword of the Spirit, wear the breastplate of righteousness, and hold up the shield of faith to ward off the flaming arrows that the culture indiscriminately lets fly. If you’re a woman who must step into this role for the sake of your family, then do it knowing that our Savior will help you.

I don’t have any miraculous answer to all the problems out there. Every child, church and community is unique. But I know that God will help you to find the answers. Perhaps my experiences will help you. As it says in Proverbs, “Iron sharpens iron.” But know this – whatever you try will fail unless God is in it.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

The book is off to the publisher. Dealing with their revised website induced a bit of a headache. Glad to get it done. Now I'm writing out an outline for the next book...

FOLLOW ME
The Greatest Leader in the History of the World Shares His Secrets

joecool wrote: The book is off to the publisher. Dealing with their revised website induced a bit of a headache. Glad to get it done. Now I'm writing out an outline for the next book...FOLLOW ME - The Greatest Leader in the History of the World Shares His Secrets

For those of you who requested a copy of the Culture book, expect to find it in your mailbox mid-March. The publisher's book cover designer out-did herself. It's suitable for framing.

As far as the next book goes, leadership might be too narrow of a focus to hold most people's interest. So, the new title might be Renaissance Man, with chapter topics on:
- Prepper
- Leader
- Teacher
- Priest (of the home)
- Prayer Warrior
- Watchman
- Out of the box Thinker
- Protector

Along with positive examples from the OT/NT/contemporary times, I might include Darwin Award recipients who we can also learn from. What other topics should be added to the list?