You are here: Home / Archives for Douglas Armey

Have You Committed an Unforgivable Sin?

October 15, 2015 by

When I was growing up, in Sunday school they taught us about the unforgivable sin. Looking back, I think it was a ploy to keep us in line. Actually, pretty smart.

 

Photo Credit: Beth Rankin

Photo Credit: Beth Rankin

 

Because of certain statements of Jesus it was taking the Lord’s name in vain. So all good Christian boys followed the rule that no matter what happened it was ok to swear like a sailor but don’t use God’s name in vain.

Actually that lesson took. If I still hit my thumb with a hammer I can use very colorful language but never that one.

Then later on suicide was added to the list. If suicide is a sin then when you commit it you obviously can’t ask for forgiveness.

Seriously, that one became troubling to me because of friends who’ve committed suicide.

Then in seminary the enlightened ones expanded that list to include any sin which you hadn’t asked forgiveness for.
That got a little oppressive. Frankly, there were days I just couldn’t keep up.

 

I found myself living in a kind of suspended fear.

 

Wondering, “Did I commit some sin I don’t remember? Am I in or out?”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Heaven Tagged With:

2 Keys to a Miracle Filled Life

October 13, 2015 by

A few months ago, over brunch on Sunday morning, Jennifer and I reminisced about our years of marriage. We talked about how through the challenges and triumphs we’re amazed with where we’ve ended up.

 

Photo Credit: Geoffrey Coelho

Photo Credit: Geoffrey Coelho

 

We started out in a tiny apartment in a part of town that was so bad that one day I asked a neighbor if our car was safe.

He responded, “Oh yeah. The car thieves who live here don’t steal cars in this neighborhood.”

We reflected on nearly going bankrupt in a business we owned a few years later.

Then spending ten years as a pastor and wrestling to make ends meet with our family of four.

After that struggling to build the business we currently have while trying to live on virtually nothing the first few years.

And I remember sometimes lying awake at night worrying about how we would make it. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Success Tagged With: ,

Sunday Music: “Bring Him Home” by Josh Groban

October 11, 2015 by

A beautiful song from the musical “Les Miserables.”

Such a touching picture of a father’s love.

And it reminds me of the love our heavenly father has for each of us.

I hope you enjoy this on your Sunday.

 

 

Do you have a favorite music video or thoughts on this one?

Please share it on Facebook, Twitter or email me.

Filed Under: Music Tagged With: ,

How to Unleash Power to Solve Your Impossible Problem

October 1, 2015 by

We all face seemingly unsolvable challenges at times don’t we?

 

Lightning Strike

 

Maybe a medical issue the doctors just can’t get a handle on and keeps growing worse?

Or a marriage struggle? You’ve been through counseling, hashed it out into the wee hours of the morning, gone away on romantic weekends, yet nothing seems to rekindle the love.

Or financial struggles? Maybe your credit cards are maxing out. It’s all coming due and you simply haven’t got enough.

Or emotional challenges? You wake up in the morning looking forward to a great day but by noon you’re dragging around depressed and functioning in a fog. You talk with a shrink regularly, maybe take meds, yet nothing seems to work.

In all of these challenges or whatever other impossibility we face we can finally just grow despondent and want to simply give up can’t we?

 

The problem is though it only gets worse.

 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Success Tagged With:

Do You Really Want to See God?

September 29, 2015 by

A friend told me about a colleague whose son became deathly ill. Nothing the doctors tried seemed to work. His son was literally dying.

The father knew my friend was a Christian and, though he didn’t believe in God, he asked him to pray for his son.

 

Photo Credit: Kim Seng

Photo Credit: Kim Seng

 

The son remarkably recovered back to full health.

My friend later was talking with the father who said, “You know, we just can’t explain it. We were really lucky. But I just still can’t believe in God.”

Hmm, what else would God need to do?

Yet, not to be too hard on him, I’ve seen this happen way too often. God works a miracle and the response is, “Wow, what luck!”

 

In fact, it happens so often my friend renamed the Holy Spirit, “Lucky”.

 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Health, Heaven, Success Tagged With:

3 Perspectives That Determine if You’ll See a Miracle

September 24, 2015 by

When I entered into a relationship with Jesus, as I’ve written about, I was blind-sided by some of the responses.

My life was radically changed. I mean, I went from messed up, self centered and depressed to directed, caring, and joyful.

Yet the responses were all over the board.

 

Photo Credit: Anita

Photo Credit: Anita

 

One acquaintance, who’d recently experienced a similar transformation, said, “Fabulous! Let’s talk. Tell me about it.”

And we grew to be close friends.

An on and off girl friend, who lived in a distant city, remarked when I saw her afterwards, “Yeah, I heard you’d become a Jesus freak.”

I laughed and replied, “Wow, I’m not sure I’m a Jesus freak but I have always been a little wacked out.” And went on to tell her what had happened.

She responded, “You know, that’s great for you. It’s just not my thing right now.”

A third friend was one of my closest growing up. His mom was like a second mom.

See they were Armenian so there was always lots of family events and eating going on. And I was just one of the kids. So often I spent more time at their home than my own.

He told me, “I talked to my mom about what happened to you. She talked with our priest and he said I needed to be careful. This isn’t according to their doctrines.”

 

To say I was bewildered would be an understatement.

 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Health, Heaven, Success Tagged With:

6 Reasons I Believe Jesus is God

September 22, 2015 by

Many people believe God exists and desire a relationship with him. Numerous studies have shown this over and over.

Yet, the problem is which God? Which religion?

 

Photo Credit: Pim Geerts

Photo Credit: Pim Geerts

 

I’ve heard people say, “Well, they all lead to God.”

Yet, that’s kind of like saying just head off any direction and you’ll eventually end up in Honolulu. Hmm, sounds nice.

Literally all of the world’s major religions, not to mention the scores of sects, have tenets that directly contradict each other. So how can they all be correct?

 

Which leaves us back where we started with a deep craving to know if God is real. And if so how to have a relationship with him.

 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Happiness, Heaven, Love

Sunday Music: “Who Am I” by Casting Crowns

September 20, 2015 by

What a great reminder of who we are in God’s eyes.

We are his child, loved and cherished no matter where we have come from or what we’ve done.

I hope this Sunday you rest in that assurance as you listen to this beautiful song.

 

 

Do you have a favorite music video?

Please share it on Facebook, Twitter or email me.

 

Filed Under: Music Tagged With:

How to Keep from Getting Duped by a Religious Conman

September 15, 2015 by

I was sitting at my computer in our sunroom laughing and swearing at the same time watching a TV video replay.

It was a humorous yet indicting expose’ of some prosperity preachers showing clips of their preaching and interviews.

Some was so ridiculous it was pathetically humorous.

 

Photo Credit: Richard Cooper

Photo Credit: Richard Cooper

 

One preacher reached out towards the TV camera and told the audience to reach out and touch the screen to touch his hand.

I’m thinking, “Wait, what? His hand isn’t there folks, even if this was a live broadcast.”

Another prophetically described an illness that someone watching the program had and he was praying for that person right now.

Well, first this program was recorded, who knows when. And second the illness described was so general that about half the adult population of the U.S. could claim it on any given Tuesday.

One greasy pot bellied southern preacher bragged about buying a corporate jet for several million dollars cash. Then said, “And now I’ve bought a bigger one for all cash. And those who criticize me are just jealous.”

And I thought, “No, I’m not jealous. First, I really don’t want a corporate jet. And second, I don’t like you because you make me feel like throwing up.”

They fill whole TV networks with programs and send out endless high pressure letters to raise millions. They prey on the most vulnerable and often the least illuminated pressuring them to send money to “invest” in God’s blessings.

 

I was angry for those who were duped.

 

But I was also sad for those who see this and think this is Christianity. And it’s crazy.

Frankly, I don’t blame them. I’ve been there and thought the same things.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Happiness, Health Tagged With:

Sunday Music: “Caledonia” by Celtic Woman

September 13, 2015 by

One of my favorite songs by Celtic Woman.

A great melody sung beautifully by lovely women.  Wow, what could be better?

And as they sing of going home to the mystical land of Caledonia it reminds me of our true home that we have to look forward to.

I hope on this Sunday it encourages you as you think upon the words from that perspective.

Enjoy!

 

 

Do you have a favorite music video?

Please share it on Facebook, Twitter or email me.

 

Filed Under: Music Tagged With:
« Previous Page
Next Page »