White Beard Wisdom

06/05/2026

What does it mean to “take every thought captive?” That word, captive, conjures up the imagery of war. An unwanted invader. Taken captive by force under duress. But how do you do that? It’s not like we have little warriors in suits of armor with big swords we can employ in our heads.

Think of it this way: there are two kinds of thoughts we can have. Unconscious, random, invaders that appear out of nowhere. We have these constantly. The other is the kind we generate. Conscious thoughts. Ones we create on purpose. The Invader thoughts are loud and come from the place where our self image lies. A place built by the world around us, the system bugs and bad programing we get from a noisy and sin laden world. The second thought is quiet, it comes from authenticityville. It’s the place we yearn to live.

But we’ve learned to drown that voice out. To ignore it. To hide it in a sea of social media, binge-watching, and to-do lists. But that voice is the defender, the warrior.

Truth is, we are scared to deploy him/her, to train them, make them stronger. Why? Because that means we have to confront ourselves. To go to war with ourselves. It’s hard work. It’s messy and takes us to a place we know change is required. It’s 40yrs in the desert tending sheep like Moses. It takes time and effort. But for those willing, it is promise giving. It is rewriting code, rewiring the brain.

It is training yourself for your higher purpose.

Do it.

Turn off the noise, turn-off the radio, turn on your thought radar. Hear them? Confront them, call them out. Capture them and replace them with the truth.

Mastery, researchers tell us, takes repetition, 10,000 times. Find a battle buddy and go to war.

02/20/2026

How many times have you begged God to rescue you from a situation you created for yourself? Yeah, me too. Quite often. Recently. At first the prayer sounds like this, "God I need help. I need x, y, or z (usually $)." Then it's something like this, "God I realize this problem is of my own making, but would you please save me from this?" Eventually, we get to a place where we say, "God, help me understand what I need to do to change this. Help me change this situation I created, and forgive me for not listening the first time. Thank you for helping me see it through your eyes." Even Jesus asked, "“O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39) Wisdom is found in surrender to God's will over ours. Sometimes, it's the difficult times that yield the greatest rewards.

He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless,...

10/13/2025

Do you know your own heart? Does the evil that lurks within bother you? Me too. Proverbs says that wisdom comes from the fear of the Lord. Not a fear like a man running from a hungry lion, but a fear of offending the one your heart tries to avoid. A real relationship with God begins when we recognize our brokenness. I'm just a broken vessel that holds no water. God knows this. Hear what the psalmist said. "For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13 As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.
Bless the Lord, oh my soul. And all that is within me. Bless His Holy name.

(Psalm 103:11–14, ESV, https://ref.ly/Ps103.11-14;esv)

09/18/2025

9 And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:
10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 “The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
12 ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’
13 “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’
14 “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Do you really want revival in America? What most American "Christians" want is for those other sinners to agree with us about THEIR sin. If you really want Revival you would beg God to convict YOU of YOUR sin. You would beg Him to Wreck YOU. If you really want Revival you will pray for conviction to fall on you in such a dramatic way that you would collapse in a pool of tears, beat your chest, and cry for Grace.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Lk 18:9–14.

08/25/2025

08/08/2025

Snippets of insight come from the strangest events. Today I was using a pneumatic framing nailer and accidentally sent a 3" framing nail 2 1/2" into my wrist. As I was being driven to the ER by an employee it dawned on me, this is only 1/3 of the physical pain Jesus felt during the crucifixion. Later, likely under the influence of quality pharmaceuticals, it dawned me: the real pain he felt was the 3 hrs God the Father left him there to experience the wrath I deserve.
Luke 23:44-46 records it:
44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour,
45 because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” Having said this, He breathed His last.

That pain is spared for those who repent (agree with Him you are hopelessly lost in your sin and have no other option but Him) and believe the Gospel.

As you look at the picture of my wrist, nailed, remember, Jesus took it all, willingly, for you.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Lk 23:44–46.

I missed the artery in my wrist my 2 millimeters.

07/23/2025

There are only two kinds of mistakes you can learn from. Your own. Or someone else's. Both can be very beneficial. One takes less time and costs less money. The other .....well it hurts more, takes longer, and can be devastatingly expensive. Choose wisely my friends.

06/26/2024

You can choose how you feel about someone else’s behavior. You keep the power that way.

04/13/2024

The Gospel is a command, not an offer

03/24/2024

Real love is being prepared to take your last breath so someone else can take their next.