Authorities

Authorities must always be respected. They must always not be trusted. They must sometimes not be obeyed.

Ethics and Sin

Sin is not so much a matter of being immoral. It is doing something that is unacceptable to God, and so harms your relationship with Him. Since God is the source of our strength, avoid sin, repent of sin, so your relationship with God will be unhindered. But don’t call other people immoral because they are deeply involved in sin. They may not be. They just don’t have a relationship with God. So they are weak without Him.

Down With Movie Critics!??

Entertainment is fine as a diversion. But don’t make it a lifestyle.

Why Won't You Talk To Me?

Communication requires two people to agree how they communicate. We must be prepared to communicate and we cannot force anyone else to have a time of communication. The more serious the matter, the more important to set a time where everyone can speak and listen openly.

Importance of Counsel

Experience is how we learn new truth. But experience can be misleading. For this reason, we need to check out our understanding with people who we know has some wisdom that comes from living with God. No matter where you live or in what situation, always have a wise man or woman you can share your ideas with.

Ask for Deliverance

At one point or another, you will be asked to give up something that is an integral part of your life, but destructive to right living. You may deny its importance, but you will know the truth when you try to give it up, and you can’t. Do everything you can to be rid of it, but you will find yourself helpless in the face of it. The only thing you can do is ask God for deliverance. And God only gives deliverance to those who give up their lives and then take up the life He gives them.

Submit to Everything

"So it is no business of ours to decide what our submission to God will bring to us. All we must do is submit to everything and be ready for every possibility."
-Jean-Pierre de Caussade

I Believe So I May Understand

“Lord, I am not trying to reach your height
For my poor mind could not even approach it.
But I do want to understand a little of Your truth
Which my heart already believes and loves.
I do not seek to understand so that I may believe
But I believe so that I may understand
And further, I believe that unless I believe I shall never understand.”
-Anselm

"To Suffer Peacefully...

“...is to suffer well, and all the more so when we decline to make pretentious acts of acceptance.”
-Jean-Pierre de Caussade

Avoiding Hypocritical Preaching

[A preacher] “in preaching to others, he forgets not himself, but is first a sermon to himself, and then to others; growing with the growth of his parish.”
-George Herbert

Drenched Thoughts

“Lord Jesus Christ, so permeate my thoughts that it is obvious I am thinking of you. How would it be obvious?... If your example so convicted me that I proclaimed what you teach even though scorned and ridiculed, then people could see in me—… in my daily living—that I was thinking of you.”
-Soren Kierkegaard

Ask

Ask God for help daily. He may not give it in a way that pleases you, but without His help we could not survive.

Question Wisdom

Everything you learn, question and apply to different contexts. Including whatever I tell you.

Community Code

Every organization should have a foundational statement of belief or ethic. The belief of a hospital should be that of offering medical assistance to all who have need. The belief of a business should be that making money is a positive thing as long as done within ethical guidelines. The belief of a Christian community should be that Jesus is Lord and whatever He says is true. No one should allow one to join an organization that disagrees with its fundamental belief, or else they will tear that organization down from the inside out.

Truth Trip

Don’t persecute those who hold a different opinion than you, even if you know you are right. Those who harm others in the name of truth are living a lie.

Mirror of Their Opinion

Everyone judges by appearances. So don't allow your first appearance be of the shallow vain person who cares more about looks than character. Be neat, but not ostentatious in looks.

Lifelong Partners

Let us be kind, not cruel to our body. We didn't get to choose our partner in this life, but God merged us. Nor did she get to choose us. Thus, let us work as partners, not as master and slave.

Disfunctional Marriage

The body is an unfaithful spouse that we can’t depend on when we need him or her most. Despite her unfaithfulness, however, let us be faithful to her or she will fail us ultimately in the time of most dire need.

Poverty Pimps

God hates no one more than those who take advantage of the poor for their own gain. It is best to stay away from these, for lightning strikes follow them.

The Only Good Thing...

... you can do with money is to use it for someone else.

Knowing and Holding

“In ancient times only a few people knew the truth, but now everyone knows it; but the conviction with which it is held is inversely proportional to the number of people holding it.”
-Soren Kierkegaard

Need of God

“Pity the poor person who boldly tries to love God without needing Him!”
-Soren Kierkegaard

Death and Spirituality

“The outflow of the Spirit depends upon death to self.”
-Donald Gee

"They Are What They Are"

“It’s unsettling that in the end there’s only so much you can teach a child. And finally, they are what they are.”
-Searching for Bobby Fischer

Spiritual Despair

“Desolation is when we are bogged down in spirit, in mental darkness or turmoil, inclined to earthly things, restless and agitated in temptation. This leads to loss of faith, hope and love. One is completely listless, tepid, and unhappy and feels separated from our Creator and Lord…. One should never make a change during a time of desolation… For just as the good spirit guides and counsels us in times of consolation, so it is the evil spirit who guides and counsels us in times of desolation. We will never reach the right decision by following his counsels.”
-Ignatius of Loyola

"May I always be punished"

“O my God, if through ignorance or self-will I should ever desire anything but Your will, may I always be confounded and punished, not because of Your justice, but because of your pity and great mercy.”
-Jean-Pierre de Caussade

Need and Greed

“The world has enough for everyone’s need. It does not have enough for everyone’s greed.” -Gandhi

Convictions and Otherness

“The people who are good at being civil often lack strong convictions and people who have strong convictions often lack civility” –Richard Mouw

"We Are Not Our Own"

“We are not our own: therefore let neither our will nor our reason determine what we plan and do. We are not our own: therefore let us, as much as we can, forget ourselves and everything that is ours. On the contrary, we are God’s: therefore let his wisdom and will rule all that we do.”
-John Calvin

The Moral Requirment of Freedom

Freedom is that which we must give to others. Should God give each human sovereignty, then so should we. But freedom is that which we must not allow for ourselves. For the sake of others’ freedom, let us be without rights. For the freedom of God’s love, let us be chained. For the freedom of the gospel, let us be killed.

Freedom is the best...

...and worst thing to happen to any of us. In freedom, we can serve God and live the life we ought to live. In freedom, we choose to rebel against God and pursue a life of self-destruction. This is why the best life to live is a freely-given slavery to God, to choose to give up our own life and to live the life of Jesus.

The Foundation of Love

The foundation of all good and all rationality is the fact that life is foundationally chaotic and perverse. It is when we realize that rationality and righteous must be built on top of this wobbly foundation that true good can be done. God did not send his son because there was chaos on top of the righteousness—he loved the world despite its irrationality and self-deception.

Is There Any Such Thing As A Slave?

No one is a slave to another human. Most people are a slave to fear—ultimately death.

Sufferin' Succotash!

Suffering is the key to living. Suffering tells you who you really are. Suffering enriches the rest of your life. Suffering separates the significant from the unworthy. And suffering is what we will be rewarded for on the final day.

Get into the mind of the person in front of you before you speak your mind.

Before you try to convince anyone of anything, understand their basic moral world first. Ask questions, step on their toes—apologizing afterward. Then, when you think you might understand them, from their perspective speak to them of your perspective. But if you don’t understand someone, don’t be surprised. One out of every hundred or so people are surprisingly complex. For them, you just have to say, “Well, this is what I believe.”

Personal Library

Get as many ideas about different things as you can. Experience the rich and varied world of the human intellect. And be prepared to throw ninety percent of it on the dung heap.

Avoiding Hubris

The most important thing we can do in our lives is to distinguish our ideas from God’s ideas—our ideas from the Truth. Not only does it save us from hubris, but it also is the most important step to keep us from condemning others because they are not like us.

Ministry Is Manipulation...

It's getting people to do what they should do. Just be careful not to manipulate others to your ideals, only God’s.

Bad Flesh Days II

“Desolation is when we are bogged down in spirit, in mental darkness or turmoil, inclined to earthly things, restless and agitated in temptation. This leads to loss of faith, hope and love. One is completely listless, tepid, and unhappy and feels separated from our Creator and Lord…. One should never make a change during a time of desolation… For just as the good spirit guides and counsels us in times of consolation, so it is the evil spirit who guides and counsels us in times of desolation. We will never reach the right decision by following his counsels.”
-Ignatius of Loyola

Desire and Will

“O my God, if through ignorance or self-will I should ever desire anything but Your will, may I always be confounded and punished, not because of Your justice, but because of your pity and great mercy.”
-Jean-Pierre de Caussade

Spiritual Enslavement

“Do you know what makes people really spiritual? It is when they become enslaved to God and are branded with his sign, the sign of the cross, signifying that they have surrendered their freedom to Him. Then He can sell them as slaves to the entire world, as He himself was sold.”
-Teresa of Avila

"We Are Not Our Own..."

“...therefore let neither our will nor our reason determine what we plan and do. We are not our own: therefore let us, as much as we can, forget ourselves and everything that is ours. On the contrary, we are God’s: therefore let his wisdom and will rule all that we do.”
-John Calvin

Telling the Truth, the Whole Truth

Always tell the truth. Rarely tell all the truth. Almost no one can be trusted with the whole truth.

People In A Box

Don’t trust any ideology. If anyone thinks that they have a system of thought that explains everything, they’re wrong. Life is just too complex to be put in a box. Even God, when he was teaching us reality, gave us a bunch of stories without a tidy end. So anyone who says, “I know just what God is like” or “This is the philosophy of life you should live”—they have had to ignore so much of reality so they could fit what was left in their box, that the box is worthless.

Relliant Q

Don’t completely depend on other people. Every single one of us will fail another at any moment. Thus, always have a back up plan for when someone’s weakness becomes evident. And never be irrationally angry at others when they display their weakness. One day, you will want them to be forgiving of yours.

Bad Flesh Days

Be prepared for bad days. For days when you just want to give up. For days when prayer seems difficult, even impossible. For days when the spirit is willing, but the flesh is just too weak. Prepare for them by praying for your weak self when your spirit self is in control. Prepare for them by setting boundaries around your weak self, even when your spirit self is in control. Prepare for them by loving all who you can, so they will be forgiving when your weak self is in control

Why Am I So Bad When In My Heart I Only Want To Be Like You?

I am a weak person. One day I will be able to do exactly what I should, but I can’t keep it up. I fail, especially those who need me the most. People will be expecting me to be the great person, the holy one, the one to solve all problems. If I allow myself to be put in that position, I will fail them. Everyone must know that I am a sinner, a failure, a wimp. They may not believe me at first, but they will. As soon as they really get to know me.

Who Am I, Anyway?

No matter how much thought I put into it, no matter how many personality tests I take, I will never understand myself. That’s why I need to listen to God. He’s the only one who gets me.

God's IRA

God’s retirement plan is to give to the poor and He’ll keep it for you for when you pass on. The more you give, the more you get.

Systematic Non-Theo-ology

If someone tries to convince you with a theological system, just remember that God is a person, not a system. God’s actions and love can’t be measured or predicted.

Who's Your Savior?

Always pray for mercy for others. God gives more mercy than we can possibly bear ourselves. Your pastor or local saint is not the Savior—Jesus is. Sometimes Jesus gives us a day off and saves people directly, without anyone else's help.

If You Try Sometimes You Just Might Find That...

Everyone basically has a few things they want:
-to physically survive,
-to be healthy,
-to be secure,
-to have peace within themselves,
-to have others to connect to,
-to have honor and
-to have pleasure.
Everything we need or want relates to some combination of these things.

Definition of Insanity

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
-Albert Einstein

Patience Was A Virtue

There was a time when Patience ceased to be a virtue. It was long ago.
-Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Procrastination

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.
-Anne Frank

Reverence for Life

Ethics, too, are nothing but reverence for life. This is what gives me the fundamental principle of morality, namely, that good consists in maintaining, promoting, and enhancing life, and that destroying, injuring, and limiting life are evil.
-Albert Schweitzer

Hiding From Ethics

Thought cannot avoid the ethical or reverence and love for all life. It will abandon the old confined systems of ethics and be forced to recognize the ethics that knows no bounds. But on the other hand, those who believe in love for all creation must realize clearly the difficulties involved in the problem of a boundless ethic and must be resolved not to veil from [humankind] the conflicts which this ethic will involve [us], but allow [us] really to experience them. To think out in every implication the ethic of love for all creation -- this is the difficult task which confronts our age.
-Albert Schweitzer

No Civilization

There is as yet no civilized society, but only a society in the process of becoming civilized. There is as yet no civilized nation, but only nations in the process of becoming civilized. From this standpoint, we can now speak of a collective task of humankind. The task of humanity is to build a genuine civilization.
-Felix Adler

No One Is Completely Irrational (Except Perhaps Jack Sparrow)

Everyone has a good reason for what they do, no matter how insane the action is. The difficulty is trying to understand the reasons for their actions.

Cultural Presuppositions

Most conflict is conflict about cultural presuppositions. If you can understand a person’s background and history, who they see themselves to be, then you can probably understand how come you can’t get along with them. It doesn’t necessarily make the conflict any easier, just more understandable.

70 x 7000000000

If we give people a second chance, they will inevitably require a third. Get used to giving a hundred chances.

Emoting Reality

Many of the things we think about certain experiences or people are colored by the emotions we have when we experience them. We don’t typically like or dislike people or experiences because of who or what they are. We like or dislike them because of the feelings we were having at the time. Try to separate out people and things from your feelings of them. You may find that they were completely different than you originally thought.

Crawling Into Another Mind

You can never understand someone else’s opinions until you believe them yourself. You need to see each person as a system of belief, and then climb into their mind, accepting everything they think without criticism. Then, after exploring every part of their belief system, climb back out and compare it with the system you have. They will change you, but your beliefs will be the stronger for the experience.

Human Weakness

Our bodies wear out. Do as much good with as much energy as you have for as long as you have it. Because our work for God will be reduced year by year. Get as much good done as quickly as possible.

Love and Suffering

If you really care for people, it will hurt like nothing else. The ones you love will hurt you more than anything else, especially when they hurt themselves. Love is only worth it in the long term, not in the immediate.

Proof of Godliness

Humility is a sign of godliness more than anything else. Everyone likes love and adores religious honor. But if they choose to be rejected by others for God’s sake, they are truly sincere.

Knowing God

No one knows God except Jesus. If anyone claims to know God better than Jesus, you can reject what they say without having to listen to them the rest of the way.

The Grave Never Says "Enough" to Anything

There are two, yea, three things that no one can say "enough" to:
Books
Cheese and
Chocolate.

Favorite Mother Teresa Quote

 

"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much. "
Mother Teresa