tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67826274893701451292024-01-29T05:11:32.241-06:00Friar Tuck's Occasional WisdomBishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-82406777418715601962022-11-25T10:05:00.001-06:002022-11-27T14:23:20.702-06:00PRIORITIES<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><b>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</b></span></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-14867283768593791012022-07-22T05:10:00.000-05:002022-07-22T05:10:03.602-05:00Redeeming Our Trials<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">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</span></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-69773143687636405102022-07-14T17:22:00.000-05:002022-07-14T17:22:39.351-05:00The Way God Provides<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-24601049120802163902022-07-02T21:25:00.000-05:002022-07-02T21:25:28.530-05:00Swearing Church Mice<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-90340338624966129392022-05-31T13:19:00.024-05:002022-05-31T13:33:03.465-05:00Fit In or Stand Out? - You Choose<p><span style="color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span data-offset-key="5cp2-0-0" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-text="true">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 </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span data-offset-key="5cp2-1-0">Wisdom</span></span></span></span></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-719875045687035642022-04-03T20:08:00.001-05:002022-04-03T20:08:55.276-05:00Critical Spirits<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">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</span></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-67333064826824022582022-03-29T21:25:00.003-05:002022-03-29T21:33:48.346-05:00No Whining<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">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 <b><i>before</i></b>
you get stuck in the slop hole of stupidity. -- Friar Tuck's Occasional Wisdom</span></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-32456271699222099002022-03-25T05:37:00.000-05:002022-03-25T05:37:48.032-05:00Defining Moment<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">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</span></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-69217427989824641792022-03-15T05:23:00.002-05:002022-03-15T05:26:33.458-05:00Public Faith<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">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 </span></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-24175928542842904182022-01-31T19:29:00.001-06:002022-01-31T19:29:35.852-06:00The Top of the List<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">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</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-46662687287904884112022-01-25T17:12:00.000-06:002022-01-25T17:12:25.561-06:00Different Strokes for Different Folks<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">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</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-1501922265597464422022-01-13T14:44:00.000-06:002022-01-13T14:44:04.022-06:00God's New Temple<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">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</span></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-69928659814299629282022-01-01T10:00:00.000-06:002022-01-01T10:02:37.104-06:00One or the Other<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">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</span></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-86187147350184285232021-12-27T10:30:00.002-06:002021-12-27T10:30:14.769-06:00Welcome to the Real World<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">As
the old saying goes, “Welcome to the real world, baby.” In this week after
Christmas, put aside your traditional warm and fuzzy stereotypes of the
Nativity. The real world that Jesus was born into was a dangerous place… a place of
death, violence, abuse, indifference, and neglect. Herod felt threatened by this
newborn King and to fix the problem, he killed all the boys in Bethlehem under
the age of two. It was a day that lives in infamy. Welcome to the real world,
baby! Things haven't changed very much because humanity hasn’t changed very much.
In spite of our so called “evolutionary progress”, we still live in a world
where people have no room for God. We live in a world of school massacres, constant
war, terrorist bombings, and abortion on demand. People are still killing
babies and children with abandon every day. Lord, have mercy! -- Friar Tuck’s Occasional
Wisdom</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-42576523601991216032021-12-21T21:35:00.000-06:002021-12-21T21:35:36.711-06:00The Big "G" God<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Virgin
Birth is unbelievable unless you believe that nothing is impossible with God. But
the real argument is not about what Mary was or wasn’t…. it’s about who Jesus
is or isn’t. Mary is called the “Mother of God” because her first-born son claimed
to be Immanuel, God with us. Jesus wasn’t just “godlike”. He wasn’t “a god”
with a small “g”.,, He is God with a big “G”! He is Creator, Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace, Alpha and Omega, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, the great I AM, the
Word become flesh! Jesus is Lord! Being born of a virgin is no big thing for a
God this big. -- Friar Tuck’s Occasional Wisdom</span></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-52299720612796704912021-12-11T15:15:00.001-06:002021-12-11T15:15:40.498-06:00Seeking God<p><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Magi came from far
away looking for Jesus. This makes them the very first “seekers” in the New
Testament. They came in faith, seeking Truth and Light. They came to worship
and even though they found Christ in a stable rather than a palace, they bowed
before Him because one bows in the presence of a King. They were
"overjoyed" to be in the presence of God. Genuine joy bubbles up like
fizz in soda pop when it’s genuine and identifies the heart that has drawn near
to God. They also came prepared to give and opened their treasures to the newborn
King. Joyful worship always give generously. Joy to the world, the Lord has
come. -- Friar Tuck’s Occasional Wisdom</span></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-81299523555276902562021-12-07T10:23:00.000-06:002021-12-07T10:23:08.582-06:00Timeless Jesus<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">On that first Christmas night, eternity stepped into the
confines of time and lived for a while among us. God subjected Himself to
hunger, pain, aging, and even death. Jesus was God incarnate… God in flesh. He was
not a created being like the angels -- He is the Creator! Christ’s life breaks free
from the confines of time because He created time. He is the great “I AM”. You
can kill a man like this, but He won’t stay dead. Although Jesus had a human
birthday and a time of death, because He is eternal, He rose again. And those
who follow Him will also rise again and receive this same eternal life. Merry
Christmas! -- Friar Tuck’s Occasional Wisdom</span></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-7351065640357607572021-11-30T21:16:00.001-06:002021-11-30T21:16:57.193-06:00A Different Kind of Flood<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Christ
came to flood the world with peace, not drown it in anxiety. Be done with the
anti-Christ spirit of Black Friday and manic gift buying. Rise above the chaos that
consumes the marketers and the coveters. They stumble because they are chasing the
wrong gods. Bathe in the serenity of “Oh Holy Night”. Make room in your inn. Bring
your gifts and lay them before the King. The angels have come near to us. God
is with us. Unto us a child is born. Sleep in heavenly peace. -- Friar Tuck’s Occasional
Wisdom</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-89276383338762473402021-11-26T08:35:00.000-06:002021-11-26T08:35:06.016-06:00Overflowing With Thankfulness<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">During this
Thanksgiving season filled with food, family and football, could we squeeze in
a little gratitude to God? God’s people are called to overflow with
thankfulness. This can happen in two ways. We can be so full of thanksgiving
that it naturally runs over the sides of our cup and onto those around us. Or our
cups can overflow (spill out) when we get bumped hard by life. When our cup gets
shaken hard by tragedy, trials, and testing, it will naturally overflow with
what’s inside it. We cannot overflow with something we are not filled with. So
what’s in your cup?” -- Friar Tuck’s Occasional Wisdom</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-29173862871453131122021-11-12T19:33:00.000-06:002021-11-12T19:33:21.567-06:00Church Mice<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Be careful
what you swear to in front of God and witnesses. Peter declared that he would
die before ever denying Christ. He declared it. He promised it. He vowed it. He
swore to God. But when the soldiers came, the disciples all scurried like rodents
off a sinking ship. They weren’t ready to die for Jesus yet. Later, when he was
asked if he knew Jesus, “Peter the mouth” became “Peter the mouse” and swore in
a whole different way. It’s easy for us all to do the same. A little denial
here… a little silence there… and the next thing you know, we too have become mere
church mice. -- Friar Tuck’s Occasional Wisdom </span></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-80642228481319785312021-11-04T20:32:00.003-05:002021-11-04T20:35:18.268-05:00The Elusive Carrot<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Happiness is a lot like a carrot on a stick. We chase it
until eventually we become consumed by the chase itself. Even if we catch up
with the carrot, it’s unlikely that we will really be happy. The truth is, many
people already have what you are chasing, but they are still miserable and
anxious. That’s because happiness does not come from obtaining success or
achieving goals. Happiness comes from knowing God and learning to appreciate what
He has provided for us today… our daily bread. This is the essence of contentment.
-- Friar Tuck’s Occasional Wisdom </span></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-22125966101739187792021-10-26T22:06:00.000-05:002021-10-26T22:06:38.277-05:00Struggle Less, Cooperate More<p><span style="color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Just like the child who fights the parent holding them still for a shot of antibiotics, we often struggle
against God’s work in our lives. We cry out, “No! Please don’t! It hurts!” But
God holds us firmly in his grip and administers what we need to make us well
and strong. It may be difficult for us to comprehend, but pain may sometimes be
the provision of God for our long-term health, growth, welfare, and protection.
Struggle less, cooperate more! -- Friar Tuck’s Occasional Wisdom</span></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-28429320523441699082021-10-20T05:28:00.000-05:002021-10-20T05:28:34.443-05:00One Way<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">God rescued His people from Pharaoh’s army and certain
death by providing them a narrow way through parted waters. It took faith to
walk through, but they had come to a place where they saw no other way to be
saved and so they took it. Very few likely complained about it being the only way
to be saved. When death comes knocking and someone offers us a way of escaping
it, we seldom protest. The way to life is still a narrow road provided by God.
It’s the only way -- the Jesus way. The wise will not complain about it being
the only road. They will simply take it and be thankful. -- Friar Tuck’s Occasional
Wisdom</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-27726705079852469782021-10-14T13:23:00.000-05:002021-10-14T13:23:15.776-05:00 It's God Calling<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">God’s mercy is never ending! That’s good as so many of us seem
deaf to God’s call on our lives. But God’s calling will not go away. If the
Lord called you ten years ago and you’re still messing around in the land of
procrastination, just know that He will outlast you. He has a lot more time
than you do! So, you might as well say yes. And if you’re thinking your time
has passed and God couldn’t use you, just look at some of the sketchy old characters
in Scripture that God used in a mighty way. If God used them, He can certainly
use you. Jesus is waiting. Answer the call. -- Friar Tuck’s Occasional Wisdom</span></div><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p></o:p></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6782627489370145129.post-20554664548626650102021-10-08T21:53:00.000-05:002021-10-08T21:53:01.551-05:00Eyes of Faith<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It’s
hard to walk on water when your eyes are on the storm. We’ve all had those times
of doubt and despair when we can’t see God’s hand in our circumstances – times
when our near-sightedness won’t allow us to see past the edge of our comfort
zone. But then God gives us new eyes and we begin to see with faith, even while
in the midst of the storms and darkness. That’s when we realize that God’s plan
is not only much bigger than ours, it’s also much wiser, and much more
important. -- Friar Tuck’s Occasional Wisdom</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Bishop Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13592325290000887664noreply@blogger.com0