31 results for tag: Steve Orr
For the Love of Dog – A Relationship of Trust Pt. 3 – Steve Orr
The Boy Who Became a Man;
I’m a man now — with a wife, kids, a job, a mortgage, and a quiet life in a quiet town. But I still hear Luke’s howl sometimes — in the wind, in the silence, in the space between heartbeats.
And I still ask myself: What is my Wilderness?
Is it the job I hate? The relationship I’m afraid to fix? The fear I can’t name? The doubt I can’t shake?
And who is my Master?
Is He the God I pray to when I’m scared? Or the God I trust when I’m not?
Luke didn’t understand why he had to wear the collar. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t dig in the garden. He didn’t understand why he had to ...
For the Love of Dog – A Relationship of Trust Pt. 2 – Steve Orr
Time For the Boy to Become a Man;
It started with the attack of the devil — otherwise known as the angry she-bear.
I wanted to be mad as hell. But all she did was follow her wild instinct — to protect her own.
But why, God? Where were You? Why did you just look on and allow this to happen? I know I shouldn't feel this way — but I'm mad at you. Mad as a bear.
We were at the veterinarian’s clinic.
Luke was on the table — sadder than ever. Not just a dog. A friend. A brother. A hero.
The vet said there was nothing she could do to save him.
He was suffering greatly.
Dad looked at me and said, “He’s your dog. ...
For the Love of DOG—A Relationship of Trust – Steve Orr
By the boy who loved his dog;
We lived in a big city with a small backyard. I wanted a dog — a big dog. But Dad said it wouldn’t be right to confine a big dog in a small yard. So we got a fearless feline and named her Jazzpurr, because she had a weird-sounding purr — like a tiny engine revving in a velvet throat.
Then, one day, we had a family meeting. Dad said he had a once-in-a-lifetime job offer. It came just at the right time — when his dotcom startup became a "dotbomb." But it meant a big move back to the place where Dad grew up. They called it "Big Sky Country" for a reason. Mom had deep roots there, too.
Dad ...
Can Science Prove a Divine Creator? Steve Orr
Matters of the Heart:
Do Science and Scripture Reveal a Relational God?
Yes! While those who enjoy a meaningful relationship with God don’t need proof of his existence, sound scientific evidence is available for those who have eyes to see.
Despite the divide between science and faith, surveys show that a surprising number of scientists (50% - 60%) base their beliefs on scientific observations. Their reasons for belief include: the astronomical improbability of the universe’s fine-tuning; the mathematical order of the universe, which points to a super-intelligent being; how the Big Bang theory fits the creation event of Scripture; and ...
Having a Personal Relationship with God—Really?! – Steve Orr
Matters of the Heart:
When I was young, I grew up as what is commonly called, "an unchurched youth"—Except for the time when my mom's conscience was pricked with the notion that she was raising a heathen and made me go to church for six months. Then, for reasons unknown, she became re-disenchanted and stopped attending.
I was glad for this turn of events because church was just so boring to my nine-year-old mind, except for the time the Sunday School teacher took us to the matinee where I watched two movies: the epic "Ten Commandments" with Charleton Heston, followed by a lame, cinematically amateurish Jesus movie.
When mom came to ...
Our Spiritual Fork In the Road – Steve Orr
The religious mind is sin-conscious. This malady of the mind comes from the snake bite of "sin-management"—We were never intended to be a sin-conscious child of God.
Sin-management is the primary strategy of the false god of religion and a self-destructive “navel-gazing” practice, the only fruit of which is either self-righteousness or self-loathing.
One ingredient in the cure for this disease begins with a proper understanding of what sin is. Note John the Baptist’s exclamation upon seeing Jesus: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).”
John refers to sin in the singular, not an exhaustive ...
Finding Home – Steve Orr
Matters of the Heart includes home—After all, “Home is where the heart is.” Jesus and Shakespeare agree: Jesus’ most compelling parable was about the prodigal who left home and then returned to his father; and Shakespeare said, “Home is the most powerful word in the English language.”
Have you ever awakened from a dream about being lost? Away from home? The chances are that almost everyone reading this has. What does this mean?—You're a normal human.
But the question remains, what’s lurking under the covers of our weird dreams? There's a mystery to them which often touches on the supernatural, as explored in popular culture ...
Jesus Turns Tragedy Into Triumph – Steve Orr
In our Christianity Without the Religion blog, we often say: "PTM proclaims authentic Christ-centered Christianity without the religion, giving hope to those burned out by legalistic religion. We are centered in faith alone, grace alone, and Christ alone. Our focus is all Jesus, all the time."
Religion rears its ugly head in people's lives and in far too many churches. It is subtle, under the covers, and inconspicuous. Yet it is a constant presence in our world. Religion usually seems innocuous, even tame. But snakes are sneaky. They don't come directly at you. Instead, slowly, quietly, and methodically, they approach from behind.
Most ...
The Word of God – Steve Orr
The Bible Is NOT the Word of God—Because the Bible says so—In so many words.
I take exception to the Bible being called the Word of God because it's un-scriptural and detracts from Jesus Christ, who IS the Word of God Incarnate. The Bible expressly states that Jesus alone is the Word of God.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. (Revelation 19:13)
Nowhere does the Bible state that the Bible is the word of God.
Literally, the Bible is not dressed in a robe dripping with blood. Some claim to read the ...
Our God is a Scandalous God – Steve Orr
Why did God wait until it was much too late for Sarah to get pregnant?
Why did God Make Jacob wait fourteen years to marry the love of his life?
Why did God let the patriarchs and kings have multiple wives?
Why did God punish David for his dalliance with Bathsheba by letting the child die only to have a subsequent child be in the lineage that led to Christ, the Messiah?
Why did God let a young Jewish girl participate in a beauty contest under a pagan king? And how is it that she won the contest and became the queen of the largest empire of her time?
Adding scandal to scandal, why did God secretly get a young, unmarried girl ...
Everlasting Grace – The Economics of Eternal Life – Steve Orr
Grace is a core, defining doctrine of Christianity. Everything changed when grace came to this world in the person of Jesus Christ. God's grace was so radical that no one understood it, much less accepted it. Consider these words from the Gospel of John:
In [Jesus] was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not understood it. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:4-5, 14).
Before grace came to this world, the emphasis was on earning God's favor ...
Everlasting Grace—How Deep Is God’s Love? – Steve Orr
In the last article, we discussed the depth of God's love through Jesus' redemption of the Samaritan outcasts. In this article, I continue on this theme with Jesus' redemption of the lepers.
Jesus' healing of the lepers illustrates His grace and compassion, offering hope and restoration for all those shunned by society.
What was it like to be a leper? Let us walk in Jesus’ footsteps as he walked through the footsteps of a leper.
The Curse of the Untouchables
Leprosy was commonplace from the time of Moses to the time of Jesus. Literally, no one was immune. It was incurable. For millennia, it was the most feared disease of all. Even ...
Everlasting Grace—How Expansive Is God’s Love? – Steve Orr
This question is posed in a pop music hit by the Bee Gees, which is among the top 500 greatest contemporary songs.
Despite the pop culture overtones, this is a serious question. "How deep is your love, 'cause we're livin' in a world of fools, breakin' us down."
There are spiritual overtones: "I believe in you. You know the door to my very soul. You're the light in my deepest, darkest hour. You're my savior when I fall." "It's me you need to show, how deep is your love?"
To this I would like to ask another question: How deep is God's love?
I believe the Word of God, Jesus incarnate, demonstrates the width, length, height, and depth of ...
Everlasting Grace – To Err is Human, To Forgive, Divine -Steve Orr
Everlasting Grace—To Err is Human; To Forgive, Divine.
I love aphorisms like this that speak volumes with an economy or words.
These divine words of wisdom come from line 525 of "An Essay on Criticism," a classic poem by Alexander Pope. (If you like classic English literature, you can find the entire poem here: (An Essay on Criticism)
The Big Picture of Human Hostility
While endless hostility in the Middle East seems to be ingrained in their culture, few, if any, nations are exempt from having a history of hostility. Unfortunately, the divine miracles that come with forgiveness among nations are rare.
One exception is the ...
The Bright Morning Star – Steve Orr
"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the Bright Morning Star." (Revelation 22:16)
For me, the Bright Morning Star is a fantastic metaphor for the coming of a new day. Who brings this new day to our hearts? Jesus. When Jesus says He is the Bright Morning Star, he says…
I am your new day! With me, you get a new start. Yes, it's the dawning of a new day of creation, for morning has broken like the first morning. Behold, I make all things new! I am your daily shining light who overwhelms all the darkness of your past. Prepare your hearts, for my Kingdom has ...
Our Greatest Treasure – Steve Orr
In our Divine Treasure Hunt series, we pondered where the divine treasure is. Now, going beyond the where, let us consider the what.
What is the worth? Given that the treasure is divine, it must be rich beyond our comprehension. I picture the elaborately ornate New Jerusalem described in Revelation and think, “And we're going to live there? Our treasures are rich indeed!”
So, how can we be good stewards of our treasure? Consider Jesus' parable in the gospel of Luke:
And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' ...
Jesus Kicked Out of Church–Part 2 – Steve Orr
Click here for Jesus Kicked out of Church part 1.
Jesus was not impressed by political power.
When interrogated by the Roman Governor, the foremost authority in Jerusalem, Pontius Pilate asked, "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"
Jesus did not flinch, saying, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above." Pilate was oblivious to the double meaning. Jesus was talking about "the god of this world," but Pilate was thinking about Caesar back in Rome.
Jesus also confronted the well-entrenched religious authorities of his day, the Pharisees, who ruled over the capital city with ...
Jesus Kicked Out Of Church–Part 1 – Steve Orr
What would happen if Jesus showed up incognito in your church? What would happen if he volunteered to serve as an nonsalaried layman? Many stories abound about regular folks like you who served like this for pure joy out of the abundance of their heart and got kicked out of church because they were seen as a threat to the religious establishment (including yours truly).
Apparently, even young people are a threat. A young man named Jessie volunteered to start a youth ministry in his church. Jessie got real. The youth connected with one another as they were led into authentic relationships with Jesus. The congregation witnessed the youth ...
The Biblical Centrality of the Heart – Steve Orr
With a career background in computer science, I decided to quantify this Biblical centrality of the heart business. By using computer search tools on the entire text of the King James Bible, I found 975 matches to the word heart and to words containing strings like "hearts," "heart's," "brokenhearted," and others. Of course, you don't need a computer to research this, but if you like doing research, just dig out your concordance and read the nearly one thousand verses about the heart.
Suffice it to say that God has much to say about the human heart. The heart is the center of our bodies and our spiritual being as children of God, both physic...
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