Friar Tuck's Occasional Wisdom

Many Christians today want to drink from the cup of salvation, but they balk at lifting it up to others. The American church is top heavy with those who’ve read all the latest books and attended all the best bible conferences with all the coolest contemporary personalities.... but who have never led another person to Jesus. We gorge ourselves on knowledge in a world starving for the gospel. We pay highly trained professional clergy to enlighten us, edify us, feed us, and entertain us.... but they are often reluctant to speak of repentance, conversion, sacrifice, or the cost of discipleship for fear of losing us. Lord, have mercy! -- Friar Tuck’s Occasional Wisdom

The Joseph of Genesis went from luxury and ease, to slavery and hardship almost overnight. However, he teaches us that the worst this world can dish out will often be used by God to accomplish His great purposes. Fear no evil when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death. God is with us. Trust in his sovereign plan. He may be sending you on ahead… positioning you so that, years from now, you can be of comfort and help to others in their time of great need. It may even be someone who has angered you and hurt you greatly. -- Friar Tuck’s Occasional Wisdom

God rescued His people from Pharaoh’s army and certain death by providing for them a way through parted waters. By faith, they walked the narrow way. They had come to a place of desperation and saw no other way to be saved. Very few complained about it being the only way. When death comes knocking and someone offers us a way of escape, only the foolish will protest. The way to eternal life that God provides is still narrow. It’s the Jesus way. The wise and the desperate seldom complain about it being the only way. They simply take it and are saved. -- Friar Tuck’s Occasional Wisdom

Be careful what you swear to in front of God and witnesses. Peter boldly declared that he would die before ever denying Christ. He swore to God. But when the soldiers came, he ran like a rodent off a sinking ship along with all the other disciples. None of them were ready to die for Jesus just yet. Later, when asked if he knew Jesus, “Peter the mouth” became “Peter the mouse” and swore in a whole different way. We can easily become just like Peter. A little denial here… a little silence there… and the next thing you know, we too have become mere church mice. When was the last time you spoke up for Jesus outside the church walls? -- Friar Tuck’s Occasional Wisdom     

Our lives will make an impact in this world when we stop working at ways to fit in, and begin pursuing ways to stand out. -- Friar Tuck's Occasional Wisdom

Religious people are notorious for chastising those who drink and smoke while excusing themselves for being critical, stingy, and gossipy. To criticize people for one sin while we’re doing another is religious hypocrisy. It is one of the main drawbacks to letting religion rule in your life, and one of the main reasons people avoid church. Religion will almost always cause us to look around at others and think, “Why can’t they be more like me”. Instead, we should be looking at Jesus and asking, “Why can’t I be more like Him.” – Friar Tuck’s Occasional Wisdom

Seeking help almost always comes before finding it. So, if you don’t ask God for help, don’t whine about not getting it. And remember, it’s always best to ask for guidance before you get stuck in the slop hole of stupidity. -- Friar Tuck's Occasional Wisdom

God led His people out of Egypt and right up to the edge of the Promised Land. Here they reached a fork in the road of faith. It was the defining moment of a generation, and they failed the test. This people had walked through a parted sea on dry land. They had been led by a pillar of fire. They had witnessed water coming from a rock in the desert. But they refused to trust in the power of God to give them victory. Their failing eyes looked at the size of their enemies instead of the size of their God. Their faithless hearts were filled with doubt rather than determination. Their fear swallowed up their faith. They behaved as unbelievers, and they died like unbelievers. They would never enter the Promised Land. They perished as stragglers in the desert. Don’t join them in their faithless and fatal folly! – Friar Tuck’s Occasional Wisdom

Our God is a public God. He wants to be known in this world He created. He wants to be glorified in the lives of His people, not just hidden away in our hearts. That’s why so many of the heroes of faith built some kind of public altar as a testimony to their personal encounter with God. Jesus wants to shine through us. Those calls to keep our faith private do not come from His heart… they come from the dark side. The duty of man is to glorify the Lord. That can’t happen when we keep Him hidden away like some distasteful family secret. – Friar Tuck’s Occasional Wisdom 

It’s difficult to convince God that we cannot give generously because “times are tough”, when we’re still spending money on dining out, sporting events, movies, overpriced coffee, candy bars, huge soft drinks, hunting, fishing, beer, cigarettes, and lottery tickets. As long we’re still forking it over for recreation, junk food, and “fun stuff”, we have no credibility with Jesus when we try to get by on the cheap with his Bride the church. Our giving to God has little to do with the economic times we live in. Instead, it’s about our priorities and what we value most. The genuine disciple will move God up a notch or two on their priority list, because frankly, He belongs at the top. -- Friar Tuck’s Occasional Wisdom

God doesn’t care how you arrive, just so you make it home. The four gospel men (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) all came to Christ on different roads. It’s very likely Mark followed Jesus around as a boy. Matthew was a traitor to his people who needed a second chance in life. Luke was a successful physician looking for a better way. John was a small-town fisherman who loved to run his mouth. They were very different people who came to Christ at different times, in different ways, from different places. God doesn’t care where you come from or how you come, just so you arrive. -- Friar Tuck’s Occasional Wisdom

The prophet Joel envisioned a day when the Lord would pour out His Spirit upon the earth. God would no longer live in a temple made by human hands. He would live in His people – they would be the temple of His Holy Spirit. This prophecy has been fulfilled. Christians, we are God's temple. The Spirit's coming produces profound change. When the Holy Spirit lives in us, we see differently, hear differently, speak differently, love differently, think differently, and live differently. The "fullness of God" crowds out carnality and self-centered mentality. As we are "filled with Spirit", self-serving, self-promoting, and self-indulging behaviors are mercilessly drowned one by one. There is only room for one God in the new temple. -- Friar Tuck's Occasional Wisdom

As this new year begins, remember that the cross can defeat idolatry in our lives, if we will carry ours like Jesus told us to do. That’s because carrying this cross requires both hands and all our strength, which makes it impossible to carry it and our idols at the same time. Eventually we must choose between the two. Only the fool believes he can continue to carry both. -- Friar Tuck’s Occasional Wisdom