Daily Links 4-9-14

In today's edition: handling differences online, a spy's toolkit, stop misusing the Bible, a book recommendation, and more.

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How to handle differences online. Generally speaking, the internet is not a place to debate issues but there are some useful tips here to consider.

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Why Wegmans is America's best grocery store. I can say from personal experience that it is far and away the best grocery store I have ever shopped at. It's (almost) worth moving just to be closer to one. It's even better than Trader Joe's (and that's saying a lot).

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I do not think that means what you think it means: five Bible verses you need to stop misusing.

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How Jane Austen's heroines find happiness. Some very interesting thoughts on the character traits of Austen's female characters. (Hat tip: Acculturated)

When it comes to book recommendations, my go-to guy is Tim Challies. It's not because I agree with everything he says (I do often but not always) but because he is such a thougtful, thorough book reviewer. So anytime he recommends a book I take notice. Here's his latest recommendation: Taking God at His Word by Kevin DeYoung.

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This is a neat infographic: the spy's toolkit.

Recommended Reading: George Washington's Secret Six

I am a huge history buff and particularly interested in the Revolutionary War. The more I read about that period of history the more I come to appreciate the sacrifices that were made so that we could enjoy freedom as Americans today. One of the turning points in the war occurred not on the battlefield but behind enemy lines as a brave group of civilians known as the Culper Ring spied on British forces occupying New York enabling General George Washington to strategically plan his moves and outwit his enemies.

In the new book George Washington's Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved the American Revolution authors Brian Kilmeade (of Fox and Friends) and Don Yaeger pour through all the available records to shed some light on who these six ordinary Americans were who would risk so much for the cause of freedom.

The narrative is fast paced and actually reads more like a novel than a history book. Through their meticulous research they uncover a biographical sketch of five of the six ring members. The lone female of the group remains to this day unidentified the only information available being the number she was assigned by the ring's leader to identify who she was.

With amazing detail, Kilmeade and Yaeger not only uncover the ring's techniques for uncovering information but also demonstrate how the ring's efforts led to several major American victories. In fact, were it not for the Culpers ability to spread misinformation in New York in 1781 American forces might not have been able to catch the British off guard at Yorktown and seal the final victory of the war.

It was not until the end of the book that I discovered that much of what the Culper ring accomplished was so groundbreaking in the field of espionage that the Central Intelligence Agency actually teaches its new recruits about the ring during their initial training.

Anyone who has an interest in the Revolutionary War or even history in general would be well served to read this book. This is a fascinating look at one of the earliest successful spy rings. It is a story that will keep you riveted all throughout the book. I highly recommend it.

Daily Links 2-3-14

Good morning. Here is an assortment of links to start off your day: the shortest Bible commentaries, men and food, the case for early marriage, and more.

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This is interesting: commentaries on each book of the Bible limited to 140 characters or less.

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A list of ten television shows that changed the world. Interestingly, all these shows appeared before the advent of cable television which ultimately fractured audiences with its myriad of channel choices. Television does not appear to have the same power to influence our culture that it once did.

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How food helps guys bond:

The reason that “dude food” – and I would add “dude drinks” – have become so important to so many dudes is that they represent something that is solely theirs. It’s exclusive. And it’s overwhelmingly other dudes who enjoy these specific things (or at least, only in the quantity and consistency we would like to enjoy them). If we can’t have smoke-filled cigar lounges, we will have brisket-clogged arteries. 

Now, I’m not attempting to defend all of the over-indulgence that goes on. I am first on the list of dudes who need to show more discretion when it comes to what I consume. But there is something special (and important) about “breaking bread” with other male friends. And when the places for this to happen dry up, when the institutions that previously cultivated male camaraderie in relatively safe environments disappear, we will find means and modes to cut loose in such a manner that girls won’t want to be around for them.

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The inside story of some of the amazing trickery employed by American forces during World War II. We often think that wars are won because of overwhelming military might. But the fact that remains that intelligence operations can be a difference maker.

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Making the case for getting married young. I thought I was old when I got married at 24. But there is a good case to be made for not waiting to get married.

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The problem of the stealth prosperity gospel:

The real devil in the details of the prosperity-type teaching permeating so much of evangelicalism is not really that it skips over the stuff about sin. Sure, it does that too, but the pernicious paradox of this stuff is that it champions “victorious Christian living” yet does not equip believers for sustainable discipleship. It emphasizes feelings and “outlook,” not the power of the Spirit, which is hard for some folks to notice since the latter is often conflated with the former (so that being optimistic or a go-getter is ipso facto being Spirit-empowered). The problem over time is that, going from victory to victory, expecting victory after victory, cultivates a contagious form of spiritual greed. (Is it any wonder that this sort of teaching often goes hand and hand with talk of financial riches and prosperity?) The real stuff of discipleship — what Eugene Peterson calls “a long obedience in the same direction” — involves hard stuff like discipline and the fruit of the Spirit. In pop discipleship discipline is replaced by steps, tips, and amazingsupercolossal breakthroughs.