The premise of my blog as a whole is to investigate the human soul and discover how to live as God intended in spite of the chaos and conflict around us. Even secular people know that if we don’t deal with our inner world as human beings we will also never deal effectively with each other.
For some the topic of Authority seems to be a very boring topic. I get that, but needless to say it is a topic that more people need to consider when trying to navigate this complex thing called life. All of us have known someone who has abused authority. From parents, teacher, bosses to friends we have witnessed, often first hand, the misuse of authority. If we don’t understand what it’s for and how it should be applied we will not only be hurt by its poor use, but also blame the wrong people for the consequences.
As this blog site states, we are exploring the importance of the soul and how to keep it healthy. Today, few think much about the soul, yet Jesus said that our soul is more important than anything else in our lives and should be protected at all cost.
The problem with humanity is that we have a very small perspective on greatness. We get so captivated by the latest tech gear. I remember when the first iPhone came out. I was there, waiting in line for hours, something I have never done for anything else. All to buy a phone that became obsolete within a few short years.
The title of this article may seem odd, if not objectionable until you read it and understand why I’m writing it. During my lifetime as a Christian leader and pastor, I can’t tell you how many thousands of hours I have invested in trying to help people get freed from their past hurts. To help other pastors counsel well, I would recommend one of my favorite books called “Untwisting Twisted Relationships” by William Backus. He capitalized on helping people recognize the misbeliefs they have acquired over the years that hinder their present lives.
I recently watched the movie about the end of the apostle Paul’s life called, “The Apostle Paul”, which just came out on DVD. Although I usually like action and sci-fi movies a lot, this film was captivating to me for a number of other reasons. One of the main things that struck me was being reminded of people from the time of Christ paying a great price for their faith. Most Americans don’t really relate to suffering for their faith because in America we may possibly get ridiculed for our belief, but rarely do we pay any significant loss of property or bodily harm. There are exceptions, but few.
If you haven’t read the first part of this subject on God’s “Unfailing Love”, please do so as it will make more sense starting from the beginning. We are dealing with the “Myth” of God having “Unconditional” love rather than “Unfailing Love“. As I already stated, the concept of God having and extending unconditional love to humanity is a creation of the 20th century and it is found nowhere in the Bible.
Have you ever wondered why God seems to bless others more than you? At times, I know I do. Sometimes it seems I put more effort and heart into seeking God than those around me yet they seem to get more blessings. They seem to get more from reading scripture, more from being generous, more from prayer and just about any other Christian discipline.
I have traveled a considerable amount over my lifetime and I have learned a very important lesson when it comes to packing my suitcases. If you pack a suitcase too full you may find it in pieces…..leaving you few options. You can put a special strap around it and hope the TSA inspectors put it back on correctly which, from my experience, is highly unlikely. The second option is to unzip the “expansion” portion of your suitcase, which many people don’t use or realize they have. The problem with this technique is now your suitcase is overweight and you’re going to pay through the nose for the extra pounds and the baggage handlers will not g be kind to your bag. Here is my simple advice. Pack the suitcase for the designed volume and no more.
Being honest, Father’s Day is somewhat lacking in comparison to Mother’s Day both in focus and expense. When I worked in restaurants in my early days of employment Mother’s Day was the biggest day of the year. Families would reserve spots in restaurants far in advance or they wouldn’t get a table. Father’s Day, on the other hand, was pretty much the same as any other day. If you look at stores that have things for Mother’s Day, they stock up early and do huge promotions whereas Father’s Day ….not so much.
