Uncategorized – Page 20 – The Gospel First

Does it really matter what you believe about God?

All ‘faiths’ are not equal. All ‘faiths’ have an equal right to exist, but not all ‘faiths’ are equal, and not all ‘faiths’ are true. And, if they are not true, they are a lie. There I said it!!

Immediately someone will respond and say that I am a bigot for making that statement, but I think even they know I am simply saying what is obvious to all thinking people. Yes, the modern depraved mind seeks to escape the dilemma of deciding which ‘faith’ is true by redefining truth as “true to me” or “true to you” or “culturally formed truth.” But again, in most other areas, the thinking person realizes how silly it is to speak of truth as something that is purely relative. If it is ‘true to me’ without regard to any correspondence to reality, then it is really an illusion. Illusions may at times be comfortable but eventually a disconnect from reality leads to danger.

Is it really safe to build your life and destiny on something that is simply ‘true to you’? If it’s ‘true to you’, but not true to the God ‘who is truth’, can it really be true at all? Continue reading “All ‘Faiths’ are Not Equal”

Four Cries of the Soul

Years ago I read Kennon Callahan’s Twelve Marks of an Effective Leader (1997) and was struck by what he called the ‘four foundational searches’ of all humanity. He argued that effective leadership understands these searches and seeks to minister to them. The four searches he defined are the search for identity, the search for community, the search for meaning, and the search for hope. In their search for identity, people need to know why they have value, and that they are valued as in individuals with their unique personality, gifts, and calling. In their search for community, people need to know they are loved and that they have a necessary contribution to make for the betterment of others. In their search for meaning, people need to know that there is a plausible explanation for the incongruities of life, such as the problem of evil and suffering. And, in their search for hope, people need to know that justice triumphs, righteousness ultimately prevails, and there is a reason to keep on living. Continue reading “Four Cries of the Soul”