# Forgotten Road  ## Metadata - Author: [[Randall Arthur]] - Full Title: Forgotten Road - Category: #books ## Highlights - “God’s character is predictable. He’s always holy, always right, and always full of love. But His actions are never predictable.” ([Location 1947](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06XVFB25L&location=1947)) - Western Christians have become so addicted ... to comfort, prosperity, and selfish living that we’ve now built our Christian beliefs around these addictions. We truly expect God to care more about our ... selfish dreams, whims, and desires than He cares … about truth, justice, and rightness. It’s nothing more than an American Dream theology. And I’m convinced it is a wrong perspective.” ([Location 2288](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06XVFB25L&location=2288)) - Parker had asked him specifically to put into writing everything he remembered about the car crash, Jana’s suicide and the death of his son. The idea, Parker had explained, was for him to exhaust his memory regarding the tragedies that had led to his massive self-hatred, and to record them on something destructible, like paper. Once finished, he was supposed to read and reread the stories until they no longer controlled his emotions and then destroy them once and for all. ([Location 3225](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06XVFB25L&location=3225)) - “Tragically, I think most of us believe things that are not true. In other words, we believe lies. We base our lives on those lies. We are driven by those lies. And as life bears out, when we believe lies, we are led down roads of false hopes, false dreams, and eventual ruin.” Cole rubbed his lips and felt some of his nervousness subside. “So where do these lies come from? From many places. From the media—magazines, newspapers, radio, and television. They come from our school teachers. They come from our family and friends. They come from our politicians. Our philosophers. Our cultural traditions. Our religious traditions. Our entertainers. Our preachers. Our own minds. They come from every possible angle of life. And if you believe in a literal being called Satan, and if you believe in the Bible’s account of Satan’s history, then it will make sense to you that he is behind every one of those lies.” ([Location 4112](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06XVFB25L&location=4112)) - “So, to sum up everything I’ve shared, I would say right now the greatest ongoing battle in the universe is not between crime and law enforcement, not between democracies and dictatorships, not between the rich and the poor, not between nations, and not between races. Rather, the greatest ongoing battle in the universe is between the lies of Satan and the truths of God. The lies of the enemy, when believed, will trap and destroy every victim, without exception. On the other hand, the truths of God, when believed, will set a person free. John’s Gospel, chapter eight, verses thirty-one and thirty-two, say, You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. ([Location 4210](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06XVFB25L&location=4210)) - human trafficking was the third largest moneymaking enterprise in the world. ([Location 5853](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06XVFB25L&location=5853)) - “Nowhere in the Bible does God ask us to place our faith in his predictability. Rather, he asks us to place our faith in his ability.” ([Location 8611](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06XVFB25L&location=8611)) - “As a servant of God’s household, I never have to worry. About anything. God, as owner of the house, will never lose his property, never go bankrupt, never be conquered, never get sick, and will never die. Thus, I can truly, truly relax.” ([Location 8615](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06XVFB25L&location=8615)) - “So,” Cole said, “you’re telling me a normal life these days is characterized by ingratitude, fear, anxiety, stress, guilt, entitlement, and drug dependency.” ([Location 9899](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06XVFB25L&location=9899)) - “I want just the opposite. I want to learn to be content with very little, to live without fear, to live without stress, to live without guilt, to be grateful in life, and to be a giver, not a taker. And the only way I know how to do that is to simply bail out of the rat race.” ([Location 9912](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06XVFB25L&location=9912)) - Cole remembered words spoken long ago by Duke Parker. He shrugged. “I’m a servant in God’s household, so I don’t have to worry. He takes care of his servants, even if it’s with meager provisions. I’ll be okay.” ([Location 13505](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06XVFB25L&location=13505)) - “First, and perhaps paramount, is the fact that pastors, in general, tend to be very poor listeners. They assume, because of their theology degrees and higher calling, that no one else in the church can match their understanding of theology, churchology, or methodology. It seems that all too often, they turn a deaf ear to constructive criticism. They resist correction as adamantly as preadolescent schoolboys resist a bath. I would honestly guess that fewer than ten out of every one-thousand pastors have ever even exercised the forethought to go to their congregations and proactively ask what they can do, or stop doing, to become more effective leaders and to do so with the honest intent of listening and making personal changes.” ([Location 13806](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06XVFB25L&location=13806)) - The man’s soothing smile and piercing eyes conveyed a genuine desire to connect. “I’m just curious,” he said, “what led to your brokenness?” Cole was mildly shocked by the bizarre question, which, oddly, didn’t seem to cross any boundary of privacy. “I ... uh ... yes, I was broken, as you say. But that was ... over thirteen years ago. How could you possibly know?” The man looked him in the eye with an uncanny glimmer of grace. “You still carry the mark.” Cole chuckled. “I guess I’m not sure what that mark is.” “The mark,” Jason mused. “It’s a capable person with a distinct aura of deep humility and atypical gratitude. It comes through in the eyes, the demeanor, the tone of voice, the choice of words, the physical stance.” ([Location 13982](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06XVFB25L&location=13982)) - “It was during that time when I realized that church leaders who practice true biblical mentoring are as rare as gold dust.” ([Location 14070](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06XVFB25L&location=14070)) - “I’m just curious,” one man interrupted. “What were the do’s and don’ts and mindless rules you’re referring to?” “No dancing. No rhythmic music. No drums. No electric instruments. No movie theaters. No form of alcohol whatsoever. No card games. No dice. No piercings. No tattoos. No mixed swimming. Church attendance every Sunday morning, every Sunday evening, and every Wednesday evening. Mandatory tithing. Only the King James Version of the Bible. Hawkish patriotism. Military-style haircuts for men and boys. No beards. No mustaches. Knee-length dresses for women and girls—no slacks. Suits and ties for the men at church gatherings. Shall I go on?” ([Location 15422](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06XVFB25L&location=15422)) - And I’ve said all that to say this—each of us needs to nail down every God-known intervention, every protection, every revelation, every encouragement, and every answer in our past as a recognized memorial, a memorial we can go back to over and over again as a reminder of His faithful involvement in our life. Such memorials will help us survive those dark, lonely, and scary days that we’ll inevitably face. ([Location 16306](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B06XVFB25L&location=16306))