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