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Posts Tagged ‘Frank King spirituality blog’

I did a quick Google search for the meaning of “truth”. This is what Dictionary.com says:

The true or actual state of a matter: He tried to find out the truth.

Conformity with fact or reality; verity: the truth of a statement.

A verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like: mathematical truths.

Given these definitions, does “my truth” make much sense? Let me provide you with some very extreme examples (just to make the point crystal clear) of what “my truth” meant for these people:

  • Osama Bin Laden’s truth involved blowing up the World Trade Center
  • Vladimir Putin’s truth meant invading a sovereign nation on the flimsiest, paper-thin excuses
  • Karla Homolka’s truth led her to enthusiastic participation with her husband in murdering at least three women, one of them being her younger sister.

Of course, most people would never dream of taking their truth to such extremes. But can you understand what happens when an important word is co-opted and twisted to suit current trends?

I believe there’s something else to consider. It’s the notion of multiple, contrasting “truths” existing at the same time, further denigrating the word.

Believe it or not, there’s a school of thought that says having sex with children is not always bad. I imagine those who believe that consider it to be their truth. So how can that be, given that most people know very well that pedophilia is horrifying and deeply damaging to children? How can these “truths” possibly exist simultaneously?

This leads me to what I believe is good news. Consider the words of Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is the Son of God. Jesus told the people who had faith in him, โ€œIf you keep on obeying what I have said, you truly are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.โ€

Jesus followers know there IS a universal truth, that has existed for thousands of years and continues to impact the lives of people who look to Him for strength, for forgiveness, for eternal life. Jesus spelled out that truth — much of it very difficult to accept in today’s culture — during His physical time on earth. A few examples:

Love your neighbour as yourself

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

If you judge others, you will be judged the same way. God will treat you the same way you treat others.

Donโ€™t fight back against someone who wants to harm you. If they hit you on the right cheek, let them hit the other cheek too.

I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.

As I wrote earlier, you may have trouble agreeing with Jesus on these points. But keep your mind open, because I believe no one knows the Truth better than Jesus. And it’s worth your consideration since, when all is said and done, Jesus is the way to a better life NOW and in the life to come.

Agree? Disagree? Post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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I read it often online and it goes like this: “Even if this Jesus guy existed, why should I care about him? What difference could he possibly make in my life?”

Those are fair questions – in fact, before I decided to follow Jesus (who many people believe is the Son of God), those were MY questions. I examined Jesus’s existence here: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-g3. As for the rest, let me do my very imperfect best to answer.

If you sometimes struggle to find meaning, welcome to the club. I had a satisfying career, good friendships and no giant tragedies to scar me. I owned a house and car and had a romantic relationship. And yet…there was still an emptiness inside.

It’s hard to explain if you haven’t experienced it, but if you have, then you’ll understand that a cruise-control existence is NOT the path to happiness or satisfaction. At that point, I hope you become like me and look at this Jesus guy again. Especially if you’ve met a few Jesus followers and they seem to have a glow that can’t be dismissed as ignorant delusion.

Jesus told anyone willing to listen that “I am the way, the truth and the life“. He based that on the firm belief that He was (and is) God’s gift to a world desperate to find an unchanging truth and a sense of purpose. If you’re where I was at, then look into His claim with an open mind.

If you struggle to find forgiveness, you’re not alone. Many of us have done wrong things (or failed to do right things) that pester us like a fly in our ear. We’re able to continue our lives, but that nagging mosquito never leaves. In fact, there are times – when we allow ourselves to think about it – that we feel awful.

Are you’re tired of stuffing that emotion down, yet again, so you can keep shopping, working on your career, buying the newest iPhone and planning your next vacation? If your answer is yes, then investigate this Jesus guy. Talk to mature, respectful Jesus followers – ask questions and learn how they put Jesus at the centre of their days. And how that’s made a tremendous difference in their lives.

If you struggle with death, I can tell you right now that even some Jesus followers are with you. None of us has rock-solid proof that there’s something beyond 70+ years of eating, sleeping, working and wondering how rap/hip-hop ever became popular. ๐Ÿ˜‰

That said, trusting in Jesus can provide you with confidence that there is more to come. And by following Him, that “more” is eternity in His presence where (as an ancient prophet wrote) “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain. All the old ways are gone.”

As you consider this broken, struggling world, doesn’t that seem like something you can believe with firm assurance? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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If you don’t follow hockey, then let me drop a surprise on you: goaltenders can get penalized.

The guy in the photo above, Ron Hextall, picked up a whopping 569 penalty minutes during his 13 National Hockey League seasons. That translates into almost 9.5 hours!!

But here’s the thing about hockey goalies: they don’t spend a single minute in the penalty box. Almost every league insists another player take the place of goalies in the ‘sin bin’. And it must be a player who was on the ice (rather than sitting on the bench) when the penalty occurred. The only exception in the NHL is game misconducts, which are *extremely* rare.

So the goalie is penalized, but someone else serves the time.

If you’re open to spirituality — and I assume you are, since you’re reading this blog — then consider this: the exact same scenario plays out every minute of every day in the spiritual world.

Let me explain. Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is the perfect Son of God, is *always* the other player on the ice who serves the penalty for ALL the wrong things His followers (like me) have done and ALL the right things they’ve failed to do. Every time, without exception.

Jesus does that through His death on a Roman empire cross. He was put there by false charges from frightened, power-hungry religious leaders who didn’t like what He was doing (healing the sick, forgiving people, hanging out with “sinners”) and what He was saying (God loves *everyone* and following Him can transform their lives for all eternity).

Those religous leaders thought they were getting rid of a nuisance, but all four original-source biographies of Jesus make it clear Jesus came back to life, appeared to many people, and set up His followers to change the world through their new way of living.

Did they – and, by extension, ME – sometimes get it wrong? Absolutely. But those ‘sins’ do NOT negate what Jesus is all about. And they don’t negate how He serves the penalty time for ALL His followers.

Why is this important? Because Jesus told anyone willing to listen that “you must be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” That’s right; in order to go to Heaven after this life ends, you must be without a single blemish or stain or imperfection.

Given that impossible standard, God took the extraordinary step of sending Jesus into our hurting world to show us how to live, how to treat others and how to follow Jesus to Heaven. Then, He had Jesus serve ALL our time in the penalty box.

The result of all that is when His followers finish with this life, God doesn’t see the wrong things we’ve done and the right things we’ve failed to do. All He sees is His Son’s perfection. So the bouncer at the gate to Heaven welcomes us in to spend eternity with our creator.

From my perspective, that’s a *great* deal for Ron Hextall and every other person in this world. Sound interesting? Yes or no, post your comment below and let’s have a conversation.

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Most of us know who Stephen Hawking is. For younger readers, Kirk Cameron was a swoon-worthy idol during his time acting on the 1980s TV comedy Growing Pains.

You might also not be aware that during the show’s seven-season run, Cameron decided to follow Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is the Son of God. Since the show ended, Cameron, now in his 50s, has starred in and/or produced many faith-themed movies and documentaries.

So why is he being mocked in this meme? Well, many of his productions have been….underwhelming. And some of his socially conservative public statements have made him a target of criticism from media, atheists and many celebrities.

What’s interesting about the meme that sparked this blog is how it singles out one controversial person while ignoring other Jesus followers who are widely admired for their intelligence and accomplishments.

Immediately, I can think of several:

  • Academy Award-winning actors Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington
  • Country singers Garth Brooks and Carrie Underwood
  • Scientist Francis S. Collins, who led the way in mapping the human genome (I wrote about him here: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-3o)
  • U.S. talk show host Stephen Colbert

There are many, many more Jesus-following notables – I listed a few in this blog: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-e9.

Here’s the thing, though: it’s not about who’s on what side, it’s not about popularity contests and it’s certainly not about anyone’s IQ. All these “measurements” are distractions, designed to prevent us from thinking about the big questions: who am I? Why am I here? What happens after this life ends?

If you’re willing to consider these questions, then consider this: you’re a creation of God. And one of the original-source biographies of Jesus says “God loved the world so much that He gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him would not be lost, but have eternal life.”

Maybe you’ve read that statement before. Did you know it applies to you? God so loved YOU that He gave His only Son, so that if YOU believe in Him then YOU will not be lost, but have eternal life.

If this doesn’t make sense, then let me ask: do you believe there’s something beyond this life? Maybe even a “good” place and a “bad” place? If yes, then ponder these words that Jesus told anyone willing to listen: “you must be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect.”

So that’s the ticket we need to spend eternity in Heaven with Jesus and His Father. None of us have any hope of achieving perfection, so what to do? Simple. Trust in Jesus. Declare Him Lord, Saviour and your best friend.

If you do that with serious sincerity, then He’ll come into your life and start to make you more of the person God created you to be. And when this life ends, God will see you like He sees His Son: perfect in every way. And the doors of Heaven will be opened to you.

Sound interesting? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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If you believe there’s a Heaven (or “magic castle in the sky” as this atheist meme calls it), then maybe you think getting there requires prayer, Bible reading and giving money to churches.

Or, more likely, you’re very leery of Christianity precisely because you believe that’s what this religion requires.

I fully understand. So let’s start by dispensing of “religion”, a nasty, negative term I want nothing to do with (and here’s why: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-q1).

Now let’s move past Christianity to what — or more specifically, who — is really worth your time and consideration: Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is the son of God.

When He was physically on earth, Jesus told anyone willing to listen that โ€œYou must be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect.โ€ Notice what He didn’t mention? Not a word about praying hard, reading your Bible or giving money to a church.

Don’t get me wrong, all of these behaviours are positive and important and I do my very imperfect best to carry them out. But Jesus makes it clear: they have nothing to do with that happens to you and me after this life ends.

So we’re left with the uncomfortable, unattainable goal of being perfect. Should you give up on that, go your merry way and hope for the best? Some do. But let me propose a different way forward, a way that works for me and million of other very imperfect people.

Place your trust and your faith in Jesus. Declare Him your saviour and your best friend and endeavour to follow Him to the best of your ability.

When you do that — when you realize He’s a gift that only requires you to accept it (Him) — then God sees you like He sees His Son: perfect in every way. And when this life ends, that means Heaven will be your new and permanent home.

Just as important, it means a new beginning for you RIGHT NOW. When you say yes, with complete sincerity, to Jesus, He comes into your life and starts to make you more like the person you were created to be.

One of Jesus’s earliest and most influential followers described what that means: “God brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchardโ€”things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

Are you interested? Yes or no, type your comment below and let’s have a conversation.

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Sometimes, I wish God was like pop machine. I insert spiritual money (a heartfelt prayer), hit the button for whatever I really want at the moment, then it pops out. Wouldn’t that be cool?

I guess, judging by this atheist meme (featuring Emmy/Golden Globe-winning actor Steve Buscemi) some folks wish this so bad that when it doesn’t happen, they angrily decide there is no God.

Doesn’t that seem a little….shallow and self-centred?

From my faith perspective–I follow Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is God’s Son–the creator and master of time, space and the universe is absolutely NOT a spiritual Santa Claus.

Does He care about us? Absolutely. In fact, one of the four original-source biographies of Jesus states: God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost, but have eternal life.

Furthermore, one of Jesus’s earliest followers told people to pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. This same follower went on to write God will use his glorious riches to give you everything you need. He will do this through Christ Jesus.

Have you noticed the word he keeps using?

Needs. Not wants.

Most people living in well-off countries–and that definitely includes ME–often confuse the two words, especially as our culture insists that just about everything is a “need.” (Don’t believe me? Just watch a few TV commercials with a critical, questioning attitude.)

So if I earnestly ask God for a bigger-screen TV or the absolute newest iPhone, God may very well ignore me. If I close my eyes and wish the traffic would clear up so I can get to a movie theatre on time, God may very well pay no attention. If I pray for my favourite political party to win the next election, God may do nothing about it.

My wife and I have two cars. We don’t need two cars.

I have 700 CDs. I don’t need even one CD.

I have a fancy Apple desktop computer. I don’t need any kind of computer.

What do I really need in this life? Food. Water. Clothing. A basic income. Some kind of shelter that provides heat in the winter. Decent health. Love (but even that’s questionable).

See the difference?

One other thing I need is a sense of purpose. That’s where following Jesus comes into the picture. He gives me that purpose: to care for others, to have a strong confidence there’s something good beyond this life, and to tell others about Him and the gift of eternal life He offers to anyone willing to accept it.

Are you looking for a purpose beyond the superficial, meaningless wants of this culture? Then I suggest looking into Jesus with an open mind. He can change your life, just as He did mine.

Interested? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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It’s been said that you can twist the Christian Bible to support almost any position. The paraphrases in this atheist meme certainly prove that.

The point is easy to see: the creator and master of time, space and the universe is an emotional abuser, constantly tearing down anyone who claims to love Him. Maybe you even feel that way.

There are too many paraphrases to discuss each one, but let me tell you right now: if I ever, for even a minute, thought God was an emotional abuser, I never would have decided to follow Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is His Son. I would not have married a Jesus follower and I’d never even think of entering a church.

So why don’t I agree with this meme? Because the cherry-picked paraphrases (most are not word-for-word quotes) are diametrically opposed to the entire over-arching theme of the Christian Bible. That theme is: God created us, we rejected Him, the world is a mess as a result, and He is constantly inviting to return home to Him.

In fact, this theme is the point of one of Jesus’s most famous stories, about the prodigal son. In that “parable,” the son tells his rich father he wants to get his slice of the family inheritance and leave home. The father sadly agrees, then the son goes out and blows his inheritance through partying, drugs, alcohol, sex and any other way of rock star living that our culture offers us.

Now in poverty, the son is reduced to taking whatever degrading job he can find until he realizes that any kind of life back home is better than what he has now. So he returns home, fully intending to apologize, throw himself on the mercy of his father and hope he can at least get a job as a labourer.

But even before he arrives, the father sees him, runs to him, embraces him in a tearful bear hug and orders his staff to put on a big celebration. The son’s awful behaviour is forgiven because he’s home again. Home!

That’s the overarching theme of the Bible. And the forgiveness the son receives is because of the sacrifice of Jesus. When Roman officials crucified Jesus on trumped up charges, His death wiped out all the wrong things His followers (like me) committed, and all the right things we’ve failed to do. Now, when this life ends, we are welcomed into Heaven because God sees us like He sees Jesus: perfect in every way.

Just one Bible quote makes this clear: This is how much God loved the world: He gave His Son, His one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didnโ€™t go to all the trouble of sending His Son merely to point an accusing finger. He came to help, to put the world right again.

So what do you think? Post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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If I’ve noticed anything over the years of interacting with atheist people (who kindly provided this meme), it’s that many of them love to set up “religion” and science as competing entities. And, of course, science always wins in their worldview.

First of all, I follow Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is the Son of God, but I want nothing to do with “religion” (I explain why here: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-i9). Second, the comparison portrayed in the meme above is simply false.

Despite the unfortunate attitudes of some Jesus followers, science and faith have never been adversaries. Personally, I like science because it shows me what God is up to.

For example, humanity didn’t know God has an entire universe beyond the Milky Way galaxy. That all changed in the 1920s, thanks to scientist Edwin Hubble. Sure, the discovery didn’t change life for anybody, but I still appreciate the knowledge. Thanks, Ed! ๐Ÿ™‚

Here’s something else to ponder: Wikipedia lists more than 60 (thatโ€™s correct; sixty) living, Jesus-following thinkers in the fields of engineering, physics and astronomy, chemistry and biomedical sciences. One of them, Francis S. Collins, led the way in mapping the human genome. (I wrote about him, and others, here: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-3o.)

There are likely more Jesus-following thinkers, since Wikipedia notes โ€œThis list is non-exhaustive and is limited to those scientists whose Christian beliefs or thoughts, in writing or speaking, are relevant to their notability.โ€ If science and faith were truly enemies, how could there even be one Jesus-following scientist?

Let me highlight something else that’s important: comparing science and faith is no more logical than comparing aardvarks and baseball. They are two entirely different things.

My faith in Jesus deals with questions that science does not: Who am I? Why are you and I here? Is there a right and wrong that doesn’t change with every fickle wind of human thought? What happens after this life ends? These are important questions that all of us should consider, no matter what our money/power/sex-obsessed culture insists.

After pondering these questions, doing a lot of reading and having many conversations with brave Jesus followers, I decided Jesus is who He says He is and placed my trust and my future in Him.

This decision has had two vitally important results:

  1. Jesus has come into my life to make me more like the person God created me to be. That work won’t end until this life is finished.
  2. Jesus sacrificed His life to make up for ALL the wrong things His followers have done, as well as ALL the right things we’ve failed to do. (That’s something none of us could ever do on our own.)

As a result of what Jesus has done, God sees me like He sees His Son: perfect in every way. And so when this life ends, I’ll be welcome to spent eternity with God in a place so amazing we can barely begin to grasp it.

Does this interest you? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation. ๐Ÿ™‚

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As I consider this meme, I’m going to assume you, the reader, are neither illiterate or seven years old. That means the creator of this meme is feeling condescendingly sorry for you and anyone else who is open to spirituality.

But I believe you’re reading this because you sense that everything this “age of information” claims is important just doesn’t cut it. Money, power, sex, giant screen TVs, cruise ship vacations and the latest iPhone leave something untouched in your soul.

How did this universe come to be? What is the purpose of life? What happens after we die? Why is there rap and hip-hop? (just kidding!) These questions, and more, are not addressed by science or this age of information.

There are lots of websites, gurus and spiritual paths that do attempt to answer these questions. So let me take you for a walk down my path. It’s a path that, in western culture, is often mocked and marginalized. But don’t let that close your mind.

I follow Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is the Son of God. After much thought, prayer, reading and debating with brave Jesus followers, I decided to walk with Him at age 42. All these years later, I’ve never regretted it.

Original-source biographies of His physical life on earth show us that Jesus offers answers to the questions that continually stymie science and this age of information.

God is the creator and master of time, space and the universe. Who else can we look to? Justin Bieber? Alfred Einstein? Steven Hawking? Even the most brilliant thinkers can’t offer up anything more credible.

The purpose of life is to abide–that is, to to remain stable or fixed in a state–in God. Welcome Him into your heart and life. Recognize that, as Jesus makes clear, God sees you. He knows you. And He loves you. As this life makes very clear, God’s love doesn’t mean you’ll be free from challenges, pain and tragedy. It DOES mean that you’ll never go through it alone. And that can make all the difference.

What happens after we die is entirely up to you. Jesus believes in Heaven (His followers believe He’s there now) and that there’s a place for EVERYONE there. But here’s the thing: Jesus told anyone willing to listen that โ€œYou must be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect.โ€

On the surface, that means Heaven is empty. But in fact, it’s full of people who decided to follow Jesus. That’s because Jesus sacrificed His physical life on earth to make up for ALL the wrong things His followers have done and ALL the right things we’ve failed to do.

So when this life ends and we all stand before God, He doesn’t see the “sins” of Jesus followers. He sees us like He sees His Son: perfect in every way. And He welcomes us to spend eternity with Him.

Does this sound like a good deal? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.

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If you pay attention to the news and know anything about Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God), then you might be familiar with what Rainn Wilson is talking about.

Furthermore, if you agree with the actor (best known for the TV sitcom The Office) then it’s a no-brainer that you’ll want nothing to do with Jesus or the people who claim to follow Him.

But I can’t stress this enough: it’s absolutely VITAL that you separate Jesus from His followers (and that includes ME) because I strongly believe how you think about Him will effect your life now and for all eternity.

When He was physically on Earth, Jesus was never (NEVER!) about gun rights, prosperity theology (think of TV preachers like Joel Osteen, Paula White and the fabulously named Creflo Dollar), anti-science, limited government (that neglects the destitute) and fierce nationalism. And today, when Jesus followers like me believe He lives in the hearts and minds of anyone who claims Him as Lord and Savior, He still isn’t.

Conversely, Jesus isn’t just about what people at the opposite end of the political spectrum claim. He wasn’t just a woman’s rights advocate or a fanatical anti-poverty crusader. Nor was He a card-carrying socialist, as some might believe. And it’s a misrepresentation to claim Jesus was primarily a humble servant of the abject poor.

So what was (and is) He about? Thousands of books have tackled that question because it’s important, especially in a violent, pandemic-ridden world staggering like a drunk leaving the bar.

While we’ll never have a definitive answer that everyone can agree on, here are a few snapshots that convinced me to follow Jesus:

  • Telling religious leaders, who brought Him an adulteress woman for judgment, that anyone who had never sinned can cast the first stone at her. They all left and Jesus forgave the woman.
  • Healing a man’s diseased hand on the very day when religious authorities forbade people from doing any kind of work.
  • Revealing to His followers that “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.
  • Informing people that it wasn’t good enough to tolerate their opponents. They must actually love them. (!!)
  • Announcing “I and my father are one” and allowing his followers to worship Him.
  • Letting a woman clean his feet with expensive perfume, then telling a critical follower, who thought the perfume could have been sold and the money given to poor people, that “You will always have the poor with you. But you will not always have me.โ€
  • Allowing religious authorities to arrest Him on trumped-up charges, then doing nothing to stop His execution because “The greatest love people can show is to die for their friends.

I’m presenting a very, very incomplete picture of Jesus (that’s why so many books have been written about His life, death and resurrection). But I hope it’s enough for you to explore further. Some will tell you it’s a waste of time, but I believe your entire future is at stake. Don’t let anyone stop you.

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