You know how I usually know I’ve been too busy? I open the refrigerator door and find fur. And then I stand there for several seconds wondering what it used to be. Then I stand there another several seconds wondering if I should have it spayed or neutered. It happened again the other day. I was standing with the fridge door open and my son told me he heard something groaning. I assured him it was only me. They heard my groaning, yet there is no one to comfort me. – For I must clean the … [Read more...]
Why some are cast out of the kingdom?
One of the more humbling experiences from my days in corporate life was being told that my reserved seat on a company jet was revoked at the last minute to make room for a late-arriving executive. Not to worry. I was offered the one remaining seat, located in the plane’s lavatory, where the toilet came equipped with a safety belt. Rather than cool my heels on the tarmac, I swallowed my pride and took my place on the aluminum throne. It reminded me of Jesus’ parable rebuking those who … [Read more...]
JOHN YEATS: Wishing I was younger; keys to marriage longevity
The story is told by Zig Ziglar after his 44th wedding anniversary that his wife looked at him one day and said, “Honey, I wish I was younger.” “Why?” Zig replied, thinking about the adventure of four decades of marriage to the woman of his dreams. “If I was younger, I could be married to you even longer,” she answered. Amazing story about a couple that loved each other through some of life’s very deep valleys. Is this the kind of marriage relationship people only fantasize about? Or is … [Read more...]
DON HINKLE: Confronting unloving culture, winsomely, with passion
And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” – Acts 23:1-3 The term “culture warrior” has become a pejorative descriptor for people like … [Read more...]
RHONDA RHEA: Pointing to Him and His radiant glory
I burned my right index finger on the toaster the other day. Man, did that smart. It might not have been so bad if I hadn’t kept aggravating it. Do you know how many moves in everyday life require an uninjured right index finger? It was on the very tip to boot. The typing tip. And I’m a writer. That means every j, u, n, m, h and y was painful, not to mention my 6’s and 7’s. There are heroic people who deal with real challenges every day, of course—nothing like my wimpy one. The difference … [Read more...]
HINKLE: Don’t let envy be our poison ivy
I love yard work. I never lack amazement at the grandeur of God’s creation – even in my rocky backyard. But amidst the beauty of it all, I do not understand it all. For example, I have yet to discover any value in poison ivy. Once I get a little, it quickly turns into a lot – of misery. The spreading blisters and itching can last for weeks. I’m itching now, just thinking about it. It is the same way with poison envy. I say poison because envy is just that to our lives. Once it gets on us … [Read more...]
Questions for Proof of Heaven’s author
Christian apologetics is more than being ready to give an answer to anyone who asks a reason for the hope in us (1 Pet. 3:15). Sometimes it means asking tough questions of those who deny – or sincerely misunderstand – the Christian faith. A case in point is Eben Alexander, a celebrated neurosurgeon who recently granted an interview with FoxNews.com’s online magazine. Alexander knows a great deal about the human brain, and for years he used that knowledge to refute claims by those who said … [Read more...]
‘Says who — using words of grace’
Whenever someone is working really hard to make a solid argument on an issue they’re passionate about, it’s easy to get frustrated. I always advise against trying to turn the argument around with “I’m rubber and you’re glue.” “Says you” doesn’t really do much for a person’s believability either. And anytime I’m trying to defuse a heated discussion, I try to remember that “I know you are but what am I” is not the best way to go either. I might opt for “takes one to know one” except that I … [Read more...]
ROB PHILLIPS: The ultimate role model: Jesus or Muhammad?
Muslims have a high regard for Jesus. They believe He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, and spoke prophetic truth. He is in heaven today and is poised to return triumphantly to earth. Yet it is Muhammad to whom Muslims pin their hopes. While they confess Jesus as a prophet, they say Muhammad is the greatest of Allah’s messengers and the one through whom Allah chose to reveal supreme truth in the Qur’an. Therefore, Muhammad, not Jesus, is the ultimate role … [Read more...]
HINKLE: Welcome new readers to The Pathway’s 2nd decade
Ten years ago this month the first print edition of The Pathway rolled off the presses for a few thousand paid subscribers. They were mostly pastors and leaders within the conservative movement known as Project 1000 that saved the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) from theological liberalism and created The Pathway. God has blessed The Pathway ministry because of the prayers of Missouri Southern Baptists and its faithfulness to His Word. The Pathway’s founding verse, Jeremiah 6:16 (“Stand … [Read more...]
YEATS: Ziglar-isms from a man who lived out his faith
On Nov. 28, a very special man went home to be with his Lord. I call him veryspecial because his wit and passion have indelibly made their mark on the canvases of our lives. Zig Ziglar, “America’s Motivator,” was a unique Christian man who was one of the most popular speakers in business circles until declining health caused him to stay closer to home. Some of his quotables or Ziglar-isms worth repeating are: • If you treat your wife like a thoroughbred, you’ll never end up with a nag. • … [Read more...]
Paul and James in Thunderdome
I like to watch certain films again and again no matter how many times I have seen them. My list of honey-please-back-away-from-the-remote movies includes “Gladiator,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “The Outlaw Josie Wales,” and just about any 007 film. Oh, and don’t forget the Mad Max trilogy starring Mel Gibson. One of my favorite scenes in the third film features Max squaring off against a brutal, masked bodyguard named Blaster in Thunderdome, a caged orb in which the only rule is: “Two men … [Read more...]