Category: Truth

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Don’t Lose Hope

outlook-2208932_1920What is Hope?

HOPE is a word that is often thrown around lightly: “I hope my plane is on time,” “I hope the Patriots win the Super Bowl,” “I hope the weather warms up.” It seems we spend a lot of time hoping for things we have little or no control over and little-to-no assurance that what we hope for is actually going to happen. Praise the Lord, our relationship with God doesn’t have to – be like this.

The kind of hope the Bible talks about is very different from the one above. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for hope is defined as “confidence, security and without care (no doubt)” In the New Testament, the word for hope denotes “trust”. Doesn’t that sound much better than the kind of hope most of our culture has?

“Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around.” – Proverbs 13:13 (MSG)

Continue reading “Don’t Lose Hope”

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The Foundation of Your Faith

medieval-castle-84336_1920There’s an old story that speaks to the heart of tradition and one of the challenges inherent with it.

One day a young girl was spending time with her mother learning how to cook. Wondering why her Mother cut the roast in half and cooked it in two pans, she inquired. The Mother thought for a moment and said, “I’m not really sure, that is the way my Mom taught me, so I have always done it that way as well. Let’s give Grandma a call and ask her.” Continue reading “The Foundation of Your Faith”

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Fast Forward 2018 – Jesus Judo Part 7: Humility & Pride

FFp4With the arrival of the last installment in the Jesus Judo series, we come to Humility and Pride. In case you have missed any along the way, all of the parts of this series along with hundreds of other teachings are on my website at www.restorethepaths.com. To make sure you don’t miss any future blogs, please sign-up here.

In this series we have already looked at the first six of the ancient seven deadly sins and the corresponding seven Christian virtues: Chastity / Lust, Temperance / Gluttony, Charity / Greed, Diligence / Sloth, Patience / Wrath and Envy / Kindness. We also provided an Introduction to Jesus Judo and the Law of Opposite Actions at the very beginning. Today we finish up. Continue reading “Fast Forward 2018 – Jesus Judo Part 7: Humility & Pride”

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A Few Lessons From Billy Graham

billy-graham-393749_1920Many people inside and outside the church feel a great sense of loss with the passing of, perhaps, the greatest Evangelist since the Apostle Paul. Even at the age of 99 – and long past his active ministry days – his loss is still deeply felt by millions around the world.

I believe it is only appropriate to take a break from our series to briefly honor this man who has impacted so many. Though days could be spent reminiscing all that he was and all that he accomplished, I have narrowed the list down to seven things that all of us would do well to imitate. Continue reading “A Few Lessons From Billy Graham”

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Fast Forward 2018 – Jesus Judo Part 5: Patience & Wrath

FFp4After our brief excursion into Love Land last week in preparation for Valentine’s day, we continue our discipleship training in the area of “overcoming evil with good.”[1] (aka Jesus Judo). So far, we have studied four of the seven virtues and deadly sins recognized by the Church for over a millennium and a half. We have considered Chastity & Lust, Temperance & Gluttony, Charity & Greed, and Diligence & Sloth. Today is all about Patience and Wrath. Continue reading “Fast Forward 2018 – Jesus Judo Part 5: Patience & Wrath”

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Fast Forward 2018 – Jesus Judo Part 4: Diligence& Sloth

FFp4Today, we are continuing our efforts to use a little “Jesus Judo” on the enemy of our souls by turning his attacks back against him. This is accomplished when we do the right thing God wants us to do rather than the wrong things that our adversary desires. We have been looking at the Seven Virtues and the corresponding Seven Deadly Sins. Our goal is to always finish on the virtue side. So far we have covered: Chastity & Lust, Temperance & Gluttony, and Charity & Greed. This time we are going to take a brief look at Diligence & Sloth. Continue reading “Fast Forward 2018 – Jesus Judo Part 4: Diligence& Sloth”

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Fast Forward 2018 – Jesus Judo Part 3: Charity & Greed

FFp3In the introduction to Fast Forward 2018, we looked at how “Jesus Judo” can be used to turn the devil’s attacks against him. In part one, we discussed the seven Christian Virtues and seven Deadly Sins. We began with the first virtue – Chastity – and its opposing sin – Lust. Part two examined the second set in the virtues/sins list; Temperance and Gluttony. Today in part three, we will delve into Charity and Greed. Continue reading “Fast Forward 2018 – Jesus Judo Part 3: Charity & Greed”

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Fast Forward 2018 – Jesus Judo Part 2: Temperance & Gluttony

FFP2In our introduction to Fast Forward 2018, we looked at how “Jesus Judo” can be used to turn the devil’s attacks against him. In part 1, we discussed the seven Christian Virtues and seven Deadly Sins that evolved between the fourth and sixth centuries and has been widely recognized in the church ever-since. We began with the first virtue – Chastity – and its opposing sin – Lust. This time we move down the list to number two. Continue reading “Fast Forward 2018 – Jesus Judo Part 2: Temperance & Gluttony”

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Protesting Leviathan

Hellish demons are wreaking havoc in ways that I have not previously experienced. While they have surely been at work since the fall of satan, it seems they are more stirred than ever. They know their time is short and they are trying to make the most of it. Additionally, increased population and the speed of communication has made it easier than ever for the hordes of hell to spread their venom from coast to coast and continent to continent. Social Media assures that we have ample opportunities every minute of the day to engage our sinful natures and damage the hearts and minds of ourselves and others with our words and memes. Continue reading “Protesting Leviathan”

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Rear-View Focus

Man looking in the rear view mirror while drivingThe rear-view mirror is a great tool. It gives us a way to see what is behind us so we can use that information to make better decisions. For example, it helps us avoid pulling out in front of that speeding little red convertible weaving in and out of traffic.

Rear-view mirrors also provide insight into obstacles and dangers in those rare instances when we are forced to backup before we can start moving forward again. Despite its great value, however, the rear-view mirror was never purposed to hold our attention for long periods of time. Too much focus on the rear-view mirror can cause us to crash and stall our forward movement.

Continue reading “Rear-View Focus”