You shall be called… the restorer of paths to live in. – Isaiah 58:12
While most men would never dream of abusing or killing their own child, many are doing just that without even recognizing it.
We are not only experiencing the biggest dearth of Fathers in our history but also the biggest lack of real men. This may sound a bit harsh, but the evidence – like our children – screams to be heard. Continue reading “Father Power”
All people are made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27). But what does that mean and how does it affect our daily lives? If we were created in God’s image, what did the Serpent in the Garden of Eden mean when he said we would be like God? Continue reading “Are We Like God?”
Henry David Thoreau observed, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” While I differ greatly from many of Thoreau’s Transcendentalism-informed conclusions, this observation is noteworthy. It is apparent that many of us do indeed lose sight of our hopes and dreams as we age and are bombarded by the many unexpected challenges life brings, and the surprising speed by which time passes. Continue reading “From The Call to the Commission and Beyond”
The cacophony of cultural voices today scream the narcissistic demand, “Celebrate my uniqueness!” For too many in our society the days of respecting and honoring someone for the simple reason that they are God’s creation is no longer enough. Continue reading “One Nation Under…”
Imagine Warren Buffet’s personal assistant called your friend one day and told him that the famous investor wanted to personally teach your friend the secrets of financial success. What if the offer included personal investment advice with a guarantee that your friend would dramatically improve his lifestyle by becoming more prosperous, successful and influential? Now imagine that your friend told the personal assistant that he would be happy to learn from Mr. Buffet provided the billionaire first dressed more culturally relevant, listened to popular music, would speak common street jargon, would relate his teachings to popular television and film, and would post catchy memes on popular social media sites. Continue reading “The Warren Buffet Guide to Church Culture”
I see it all the time. If you hang around church people, odds are, you do too. I’m talking about FGS. If my experience is indicative, it is one of the most prolific, unhealthy and damaging conditions in all of the Christian community.
Like a chronic health condition we learn to ignore, the signs of FGS are subtle and seemingly benign to those desensitized by years of exposure. To the unconditioned non-Christian or the sensitive believer, however, the manifestations are alarming, confusing, and can result in observer’s attempts to avoid God and His followers completely. Continue reading “FGS: A Christian Plague?”
What 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)
There’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”
What would it take for you to push someone off a building to their death? Can small, seemingly insignificant compromises lead to horrible actions which you would have considered unthinkable a few choices before? Are there social pressures and psychological techniques that can lead you to abandon your most sacred moral values? These are some of the questions raised in Derren Brown’s Netflix special, The Push. Continue reading “Are You a Killer?”
With 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”