Spiritual Clothing

Scripture:

Colossians 3:12-15

12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Observations:

God chose us to be holy people.  He loves us.  Because of this choosing and great love, there are attributes that He wants us to clothe our lives with that will speak volumes to our life changing experience in Christ.  These articles of spiritual clothing are:

• tenderhearted mercy
• kindness
• humility
• gentleness
• patience
• allowances for faults
• forgiveness
• love
• peace
• thankfulness

These articles of spiritual clothing are governed by one main piece.  That piece of clothing is love.  Love is the binding thing that produces harmony with other people.  Harmony, in music, complements the other notes being played or sung.  Paul is encouraging the believers to compliment other people by living in harmony with one another.

Application:

When a person has become a believer, spiritual growth is a process.  One cannot be “born again” and be expected to immediately be a “mature” Christian.  Christ wants us to grow in our relationship to Him.  Paul addresses this by giving mature and new Christians alike different spiritual clothing that brings each of us into a spiritual harmony of living with each other and those who are not yet believers in Christ.  When those people who are not followers of Christ see these things, a difference is seen.  It gives testimony not only to the unbeliever, but to the brother and sister in the Lord as well.

In Paul’s list of spiritual clothing, each of the different articles of the heart are the exact replica of what God had toward us.  You are created in God’s image and He wants you to reflect Him everywhere and everyday.   When a person puts on these attributes of God, this person is reflecting the image of God to the world.

What is it that I am reflecting?

What article of clothing am I lacking?

Do I have a wardrobe malfunction?

How do I show love for fellow man?

Prayer:

God, I thank you for this day.  I pray that you would be reflected in my life daily.  I pray that you would help me to clothe myself in the things you want me to reflect of you.  Help govern my life with love for others and remember that when I do govern by love, it produces harmony.  Help me to produce harmony with others.  Bless my family and help me to be a positive influence on the people around me and those who come into my life.  Amen.

So Goes the Captain…so goes the crew!

 

Believe it or not…this is the transcript of an actual radio conversation between a US naval ship and Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland in October 1995. The Radio conversation was released by the Chief of Naval Operations on Oct. 10, 1995.

US Ship: Please divert your course 0.5 degrees to the south to avoid a collision.

CND reply: Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.

US Ship: This is the Captain of a US Navy Ship. I say again, divert your course.

CND reply: No. I say again, you divert YOUR course!

US Ship: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS CORAL SEA*, WE ARE A LARGE WARSHIP OF THE US NAVY. DIVERT YOUR COURSE NOW!!

CND reply: This is a lighthouse. Your call.

Okay, so that is really an old Navy joke and never really happened.  However, it really is useful as we are starting a new school year here in Texas.  I began to think about this story as I had recently heard it and how to apply it to my life.  I have heard this story many times and wondered why it kept coming back up.  Well, I was in church yesterday and was challenged with a commitment to get into the Word of God on a daily basis.  The challenge was made to not just do it for yourself, but for your family.  As a Husband and a Father, it is my responsibility to be the Priest of my home.  I am responsible for setting the tone for my family, spiritually.  I have to admit, I have done well at this on the personal level.  But in all honesty, I have been very spotty to virtually non-existent in leading my family spiritually, well.  They deserve better.  So, with that moment of transparency and a ‘new’ school year starting, I am making efforts to captaining my family spiritually on the path we need to go.

When I don’t fulfill my role as Priest of my family, there are dangers that can arise that leads to dangerous outcomes.  So goes the captain, so goes the crew…Look at how 2 Chronicles 36:14-16 says it…

2 Chronicles 36:14-16

14 Likewise, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful. They followed all the pagan practices of the surrounding nations, desecrating the Temple of the Lord that had been consecrated in Jerusalem. 15 The Lord, the God of their ancestors, repeatedly sent his prophets to warn them, for he had compassion on his people and his Temple. 16 But the people mocked these messengers of God and despised their words. They scoffed at the prophets until the Lord’s anger could no longer be restrained and nothing could be done.

In this passage, we have the leaders of God’s temple and spiritual leadership becoming more unfaithful to the things of the Lord that they are supposed to be leading in.  Instead of doing the things of God that were prescribed in the Law, they began to turn to pagan religions that other surrounding nations followed.  The spiritual leaders desecrated the Temple that had been previously consecrated to the things of God.  The Lord loved his people and offered them prophets that would come to warn them of the path that they were going down.  He did this out of compassion for His people.  However, the people only mocked these messengers and hated the words that God sent to his people through them.  This resulted in the Lord becoming angry and His anger could no longer be restrained and nothing could be done.

As the spiritual leadership of a family, nation, team or church goes, so goes that family, nation, team or church.  When the spiritual leadership turns away from following the things set forth by God in His Holy Word, it sets into action a path that is not a desirable path.  While God loves his people, He also grieves when they turn from His ways.  This grief turns to anger and eventually God will turn those and its spiritual leadership over to their sinful, prideful ways.  Adoption of pagan spiritual practices that originate from people and leadership that do not follow the things of God, leads to a desecrated Temple.  Today, this is played out more frequently in the form of idolatry.  This idolatry is found in tolerance of pagan religions, relaxed morals, justifications for actions and so on.  These are just excuses for behaviors that are contrary to God’s Word.  This applies to you as an individual because you are the Temple of the Holy Spirit.  You have been set apart by God for His service and His plan.  When you turn away from following Him and choose to follow those outside influences of other religions, then you are desecrating what God has set apart.  This turning away and following outside religions in today’s society is called “toleration”.  When you tolerate the practice of other religions, then you have compromised your belief system and ultimately desecrated the Temple of God.  What you tolerate spiritually today, becomes status quo tomorrow.  As followers of Christ we are called to stand out, not blend in.

What is your plan for leading your family spiritually?

What steps can you take personally to prepare to lead?

How can I help you lead?

Triumph in the Truth

Over the past couple of weeks I have done something I never dreamed I would do.  My son and I built a backyard chicken coop.  We are chicken farmers!  I am pretty proud of the job we did and hopefully the chickens are comfortable in their new home.  Yeah, right, they don’t even know the difference…they are chickens!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are true carpenters now!  So we got the coop built and these pictures prove it.  I know, they have nothing to do with what I am writing about, they are just shameless father/son bragging photos.  You know, we built a chicken coop and you didn’t kind of thing.

Cole and I spent all day, literally, on a Saturday working on this project.  It was hot!  We were tired!  He had never built anything before.  However, the time that I got to spend with him working on this project was more profitable than anything or any other sporting event or planned activity we have ever done.  We got to hang out and just talk.  It was during this time that I got to question him on somethings that I found out he did that he had no idea that I knew about.  They weren’t really bad things, but they were what I call marginal things that could get him in trouble depending upon how he responded to my inquisitions.  I wanted him to tell me the truth the first time I asked.  I assured him that he can tell me anything.  Now, for females, this type of conversation is more comfortable than with males.  Guys are not used to talking.  We have a harder time ‘sharing’ our thoughts or feelings…especially when confronted with a potentially awkward situation.  Cole stepped up and owned up to my questions.  I was proud but still had to deal with his answers and be the parent.  It was a great teachable moment for me and my son.  I shared with him the wisdom he showed in telling the truth and even the confirmation found in Solomon’s Proverbs where it says,

Proverbs 12:19

19 Truthful words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed.

Truth always stands the test of time.  Lies may be accepted as truth in the beginning, however, a lie will run its course and the truth will be exposed and told. When truth is set forth, its own integrity is what it stands on.  When someone lies to you, the message that the person telling the lie conveys to you is that you aren’t really worth the truth to them.

It has been said,  

“If a person will always speak the truth, they will never have to worry about remembering what it was they said.”

Truth will stand.  However, one who tells lies will continually be employed by trying to remember what they said and hoping it will never become exposed and they, found out for who they are.  Truth is held on to, built upon and infallible.  Lies are like a house built of cards and can all come crashing down at the slightest breeze of the truth.  Sometimes, the truth hurts but a lie always injures!  Fortunately, Cole learned a lesson as did I, expectations of the truth breed truth.  Now, I have a foundation of truth with my son, happy chickens and a chicken coop to boot!

 

Is your foundation built on truth?

 

 

Listen, Trust, Respond

I have read a book!  I know, before you get all “Let’s throw a parade for Tommy” you need to know, I like to read.  Okay…and this book didn’t have pictures.  Now that I have put all of your barbs to rest, the name of this book is “The Divine Mentor” by Wayne Cordeiro.

This is a great book.  I guess I could call it a timely book for me.  It came along at a time for me as I am still in transition from a full-time ministry (pastorate) to a para-church ministry in which I also work a full-time job.  When I was used to doing Bible studies for preaching/teaching purposes, here comes the confession time, I never really did Bible study just for my personal growth and relationship with God.  I would start out to do that, but it quickly transitioned into something I could “preach or teach”.  At that moment, I became disconnected from what God was trying to do in me to the hope and dream of what God could do through me.  This was a wrong turn.

I need to grow, you need to grow, our relationship with Christ through the Holy Spirit needs to be grown and nurtured without any false pretenses.  With that, in Wayne Cordeiro’s Book, he recommends and uses daily the SOAP method of Bible Study. SOAP stands for Scripture, Observations, Application, & Prayer. Here is an example of what mine looks like.

Listen, Trust, Respond

Scripture:  Numbers 9:23

So they camped or traveled at the Lord’s command and they did whatever the Lord told them through Moses.

Observations:  The Israelites placed a huge amount of respect and trust in Moses, their leader.  His position of going back and forth to God for the nation of Israel was something that they held in the highest regard and respect for the position he was in was not questioned.  What Moses heard from God and communicated to the people was the final word.  It was a word from God himself…and they trusted it.  Why?  They knew that Moses would be in the presence of God and hear from Him for their needs, direction and well-being.

Application:  As a follower of Christ, I need to constantly be in the presence of God for the people who I lead and minister to their needs.  As a husband, father and friend, I need to have them know that I am hearing from God and responding to what He speaks to me through His Holy Spirit as well.  I need to continually be in His presence so the people I am responsible for will listen to His words through me, trust His words that I speak, and respond accordingly to His direction through me.  Being in His presence builds my credibility with my words, direction and actions.

Prayer:  God, I pray for financial provision for my family.  I pray that you would bless my wife and kids and you would give them favor with both God and man.  Bless my wife at her job and my kids in school.  Help each of us to obey your commands and have soft hearts toward you and your Holy Spirit. Amen!

This is just an example.  The author encourages you to find a Bible reading plan and ask God to give you one verse to focus on for your SOAP study.  He also encourages you to go back and title your study after you have completed it.  I look forward to my daily devotions now.  In the past, they were work.

What are you using for your daily devotions?

Are they hit or miss?

How are you listening, trusting and responding to God on a daily basis?

Still Haven’t Found What He’s Looking For

Ah yes, U2!  That incredible band from my homeland of Ireland.  Well, at least my ancestors were from Ireland.  I guess that would make me Irish-American.  I wonder if my daughter can get a scholarship for that?  Anyway, I love the origins of U2 and how they expressed their honesty in their quest for knowing God and His loving grace, mercy and power.  In fact, Bono and the Edge have called this song a gospel song.  This song comes from the 1987 Album named the “Joshua Tree”.

Read these lyrics in the song and realize the search that is going on…

You broke the bonds and you
Loosed the chains
Carried the cross
Of my shame
Of my shame
You know I believed it

The chorus then follows with, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”  Its kind of a sad indictment of what goes on in Northern Ireland as the battle that rages between Protestant and Catholic.  I know that I will never understand the tension there or the why’s and what for’s.  But I do know this, there are plenty of people who are walking through life with this same sentiment that are living in our neighborhoods, in our classes at school, in our places of employment or even on our teams.  Bono has stated numerous times, his frustration with the church and the inconsistencies that are lived out by the ones that are supposed to be leading the flock.

At times, it really reminds me of the Pharisees.  They were the sticklers of the Law.  They had been trained, taught and experienced in enforcing the letter of the Law.  They were good at it.  However, they missed the heart of the Law.  Scripture says in Mark 8:11,

When the Pharisees heard that jesus had arrived, they came and started to argue with Him.  Testing Him, they demanded that He show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove His authority.

Being teachers and keeper of the Law, the Bible says, “the put heavy burdens on people concerning the Law but never lifted a finger to help them live the Law.”  In the passage of Scripture, I find it interesting that the very  people who should have embraced Jesus as Messiah began to argue with Him.  They did not believe Him to be who He claimed to be.  They tested God!  They made demands from him.  They were faithless people wanting physical proof of who Christ was.

Similarly we have that very thing happening today.  Pastor’s, Evangelist, and teachers of Scripture putting demands upon people for personal reasons.  If anything, these are the very people who should embrace the ways that Christ walked the earth…leading by example.  When Jesus walked the earth, he flipped the pyramid of success.  Instead of the Pharisee being at the top of the pyramid, Jesus said he came to “serve all”…  He took the attitude of a servant becoming a human to seek and save the lost.  He gave all…to all…for all…once and for all!

I don’t ever want to become a person who argues with God.  In reality, who are we to ARGUE with GOD?  He created the universe and we think it revolves around us.  I never want to put those things that are holy (religious items, traditions, etc.) in front of my faith in God.  Faith is a powerful thing that leads us to TRUST God and who He says He is, without any signs or wonders.  The greatest sign we should ever need is summed up in a picture…

Embrace and welcome the Savior without demands of proof of identity and trust Him without reservation!  This IS what Christ is looking for.  He looks for those whose belief is pure of heart.  God, increase our faith, help our unbelief!  YOU are ALL we NEED to LOOK for!

Are you still looking for God?

Does your faith need to be increased?

What holy THINGS have you put in front of your FAITH?

Faith, Focus, Finish

The time is here!  This Sunday, I will compete in my first marathon…thats right!  I said MARATHON!  26.2 miles!  Anyone can run 26 miles, it’s that last .2 that is the doozie!  I love that commercial.  One of my friends really put my race in perspective before we have even run the race.  He said,

The race is the end of your training.  Imagine the race as your victory lap with a bunch of other people.

This helps me more than you can imagine.   As I look back over my life’s running journey…from punishment running in sports, to running with my friends to blow off steam, to when I weighed 420 lbs. and couldn’t run to the end of my cul-de-sac which was only .1 miles.  I have reflected back to my family’s trip to Disney World and the physical misery I was in just walking the parks with my kids.  I hurt!  I reflected on the lack of health issues that I had other than my weight.  However, the mental toll was numbing my mind.  I had become immune to people’s care for me.  I had almost given up on really living my life and becoming a permanent unhappy person that wore a clown’s smile to hide the pain.   I started thinking about all these things and I really began to realize that what Scripture says in James 4:14,

How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog–it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.

I was in a fog!  I needed a light…that light came in just the right time.  It was an encouraging word from my wife and a hug that really changed my thinking.  It was the smile on my kid’s faces that I got to see playing sports and enjoying life.  It was hearing my dogs bark because they were hungry.  I realized at that point that I had value…sure, it was my family, but they needed their husband and dad.  However, for a long time, I had been present, but missing at the same time.  I had to have FAITH in the process!  I started running again.  The road became a place where I could FOCUS on me and spend some time with God…alone.  It was on the road that He did His greatest work in me.  By the way, I realize this can really read as a self-centered post…but hey, its MY blog…:)…there is a point to this.  Now, it is time to FINISH!  I want nothing more than to win the battles in my life now so that my kids don’t have to fight them later on.  In other words, I want to set the example for them to conquer their dreams and ultimately become what God wants them to become.  People ask me all the time,

Why do you run?

My standard answer is…”Because I can!”  My real answer is…I run for my wife, my kids, my health, my hungry dogs.  It is amazing to me that the God of the Universe would even take time to work on me during some of these runs.

On March, 4, 2012, I will start the Rock N Roll New Orleans Marathon.  Lord willing, some 5.5 hours later, I will Finish 26.2 miles.  Why?  Because like Scripture says in Hebrews 12:1,

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

This is the race that is set before me!  This is for the day that I couldn’t make it to the end of my cul-de-sac.  This is for the day that I hated the “Happiest Place on Earth”!  This is for the day that my kids thought they were fat.  This is for the day that I just physically hurt and couldn’t throw a baseball or softball with my son and daughters.  This is for the day that I just didn’t want to go anywhere with my wife.  This is for YOU!  Yes, YOU!  Why You?  Because believe it or not, I am in your “great cloud” of witnesses.  I am cheering for you!  I want you to experience ALL that God has for you and your families.  I have FAITH in my training.  I have FOCUS on why and for who I run.  I will FINISH the race set before me.  After all, my life is just a vapor…why not enjoy it with those I love?

What “race” is it that you need to run? 

Why do you “run”?

When will you take your “victory lap” and will those you love get to cheer you on?

My prayer is that you will start your “race” by getting to the end of your cul-de-sac…Faith, Focus, Finish!

1063 Degrees Fahrenheit…That’s HOT!

So here we are…in the midst of Winter and all I can think about is heat!  I now get COLD!  All the time.  Believe it or not, I am actually looking forward to the Texas Summer.  It is just around the corner, but today, it is the winter and yes, I am cold.  I am trying to warm up.  I am wearing a beanie, long sleeve shirt and this is what I am picturing in my mind’s eye…

As summer is approaching and the heat will be coming back!  The heat can definitely take its toll on an individual.  I began thinking about heat and how it is used.  I know, just get to the point.  1063 degrees…this temperature can definitely have an effect on your live if you will let it.   I want to give you a couple of things to think about as it relates to this temperature and how it relates to your journey with Jesus Christ.

Fire is mentioned all throughout Scripture…for example, the burning bush, fires of Sheol(Hell), Lake of Fire, Fiery furnace, tongues of fire, etc.  I want to give you 2 types of fire we need in our life:  one that attracts but in the end destroys and  one that will burn but at the end will purify.

1.  A Fire that Destroys

Proverbs 6:27– Can a man play with fire, and his clothes not be burned?

Each of us have either heard of or even used this saying before, “You are playing with fire, you are gonna get burned.”  Where do you think this saying comes from?  Duh,, The Bible!  This verse is talking about the fire that attracts but in the end destroys.  When I was a kid…okay, even now…I am mesmerized by a flame.  I have no idea what it is about a fire that just makes me want to sit and watch it burn.  I love the smell of a fire.  I love sitting around a fire and talking and mostly staring into it.

I will never forget when a friend of mine sat too close to a fire and had on his rubber boots…he put his feet to close to the fire and the bottoms of his boots started to melt.  One of the funniest things I have ever seen…He was playing with fire…his boots got burned.

We play with fire all the time.  Oh, it may not be a physical fire…but spiritually, we do the version of Russian Roulette.  How?  What we do, where we go, things we say.  Most of all the things we tend to neglect.  We think that if we miss church one day or reading the Scripture or taking time to pray or be with our families and nothing bad happens, then we must not have hit the chamber with the deadly bullet.  Then, one day, financial crisis hits, marriages crumble, health issues take place, friendships dissolve and we run to the outstretched arms of the Great Physician.  It doesn’t have to be that way!

In our own personal life, a fire (that destroys) is very rarely started by accident.  IT IS A PROCESS!

James 1: 12-15 – Blessed it the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.  13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts any man:  14 But everyman is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  15 Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin:  and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.

Out of these verses we can see a process:  Temptation occurs + desire conceived (thought of)+ sinning begins = death (the final conclusion)

So if there is a process, its easy to recognize how to stop it…simply put…get rid of the dead wood that so easily catches fire. (temptation)

Proverbs 26:20 – Where no wood is, there the fire goes out:  so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceases.

 2.  A Fire that Purifies

What are some of the different things that you know of that have been purified by fire? Trees, a metals, boiling dirty water, engineering/doctors tools. One of the obvious things that are purified by fire is GOLD.  GOLD can and is purified, but it takes and incredible amount of heat.

It takes 1063 Degrees Fahrenheit!  This is the temperature needed to draw out ALL the impurities from the gold that is being heated.  Maybe you have some “impurities” in your life that need to be put into the 1063 degrees and get rid of them.  I can’t answer that for you…that is up to you to do a little soul searching.

1 Peter 7 – That trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found to give praise and honor and glory a the appearance of Jesus Christ.”

So, what is it that tells us how to purify the “gold” in your life?    TRIALS

So, go ahead…ask yourself the questions…I mean the tough ones…

What impurities do I have in my life that need purifying?

What trials am I facing that is really just the heat being turned up in my life to purify?

Is there any area in my life that I am “playing with fire”?

Am I being totally honest in my assessment?

Now, strike the match and pray that God would reveal and remove the impurities!

I am praying for you!

2011…Like Putting Socks on a Rooster

“And old acquaintance be forgot, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh-duh.”  Oh, whatever…you know the song I am trying to sing.  So long to 2011!  I have heard numerous people talk about how bad of a year 2011 was.  Yes, I said WAS!  It is gone!  I mean, gas prices were out of sight, economy was in a shambles, political rhetoric being spewed from the mouths of every politician regardless of party affiliation.  Then to top it off…the BCS pits LSU vs. Alabama in the National Championship Game…the nerve!  (Geaux Tigers!)

Personally, I experienced highs and lows of the year as well.  A rollercoaster of emotion is a more accurate description of what I went through while deciding to leave the pastorate at the church I served to begin a new ministry called Game Changers.  It was tough…

In Crowley, LA, I served on staff at a church as the Youth Pastor/Athletic Director/Coach.  We had a Christian School at the church and our school’s administrator used to have a saying that I never really understood until now.  He would say in response to a question, “That’s like putting socks on a rooster!”  It always made me laugh as well as confuse me…he would always say this with a smile!  I never knew if it was hard or an easy request.  Regardless of how he meant this, I knew one thing for sure…I could TRUST him!  That was huge!  We were in this together.  To this day, I can still trust this man.  Trust is the key to every meaningful relationship a person has.

In his book, Coming Back Stronger, Drew Brees, he writes,

You have to be able to trust your teammate. Your teammate has to be able to trust you, and you have to earn that trust and respect every day. And so in everything you do, you have to build that relationship, that trust. You have to give your teammate a reason to believe in you, so make sure you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing. And make sure you’re doing it the right way.

So here we are, the start of a new year…

It kind of feels like the future is represented by this picture.  You know, a combination lock.  Our new year, our future is kind of locked up waiting for us to dial up the right sequence of numbers to open up what God has intended for us.  It can be kind of scary…but when you exercise your trust in God, our destiny becomes exciting instead of a drudgery.

“Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV).

Faith is a gift from God, but also a responsibility.  Drew Brees describes Faith to his teammates this way…

1.  Fortitude– Toughness and courage to withstand what comes your way.  Fighting for something you know is there but you might not be able to see yet.

2.  Attitude– The way you approach life.  You can’t always determine your circumstances, but you can always determine your attitude.

3.  Integrity– Doing what you say you are going to do.

4.  Trust– The cornerstone of every relationship.  You have to be able to trust your teammate and they have to be able to trust you.  It is a reason to believe.

5. .Humility– This is the ultimate definition of teamwork.  President Harry Truman said, “It is amazing how much you can accomplish in life if you don’t mind who gets the credit.”

I want 2012 to be a faith-filled year for you!  I want to help build your faith in God.  I want you to help me build my faith in God.  I don’t know if this will be the end of time or not, but I do know one thing for sure.  I want to encourage you to live Proverbs 3:5-6

“Trust in the Lord with all  your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.”

Just as adversity presents opportunity…so does faith!

1.  Is your faith in Christ?

2.  How is your attitude toward this new year?

3.   Will you choose to build trust in a relationship this year that builds faith?

I am praying that 2012 will be a great year for you mentally, physically, financially, professionally, relationally and spiritually.  May God Bless you this year!  Amen!

Tebow Time

Here is the burning question!  If Tim Tebow and Chuck Norris got into a fight, who would win?  Some say Chuck Norris…others say, Tim Tebow.  I say, Chuck Norris at first and then Tebow comes back to win!  NOTHING BUT CHEESE RIGHT THERE!  I want to say right off the bat, I like Tebow.  Not a fanatical liking of a sports figure or a man crush or anything like that, but I like how he goes about his business.  What I like more than the person of Tim Tebow is the fact that our nation is talking about him and moreso, his faith in Jesus Christ.  This really shows God’s Word to be true.  The Bible tells us in John 12:32,

“But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”

I admit, Tim Tebow is using the platform that has been afforded him to take his faith public.  Could we be seeing a modern day parallel of what Peter had as he preached at the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2?  First, Tebow takes heat for kneeling down and praying. He even has a website that has been dedicated to people from all over the world kneeling down and Tebowing! 

 

Jake Plummer decided, for whatever reason, to take on the actions of Tebow expressing his faith.  This is an excerpt from what Plummer said, 

“Tebow, regardless of whether I wish  he’d just shut up after a game and go hug his teammates, I think he’s a winner  and I respect that about him,” said Plummer. “I think that when he accepts the fact that we  know that he loves Jesus Christ, then I think I’ll like him a little better.  I  don’t hate him because of that, I just would rather not have to hear that every  single time he takes a good snap or makes a good handoff.

“Like you know, I  understand dude where you’re coming from …”

If you want to read the article in its entirety, you can do that here. 

I have to wonder, if Tebow were Muslim or Buddhist, or any other religion other than Christian, would he have this same type of treatment?

I must admit, it would be very difficult for me to take the criticisms that Tebow has and not lose it!  He has embraced his relationship with Christ and is making it known.  It is almost like he is comfortable with the persecution.  Scripture tells us in Matthew 5:10,

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

And in James 1:2-4, the Bible admonishes believers,

 “² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ” 

While it is hard for me to consider trials pure joy, I need to realize that my God will not give me a lot in life that I cannot handle…He will always provide a means of escape.  Tebow is taking the venue of professional sports, a god to a lot of people, and making people realize that it is not THE God of the Universe.  By Tebowing, He is lifting up his Heavenly Father and has ultimately fufilled Scripture. Tebow has become a magnet for his relationship with Christ.  It is almost like his football abilities have taken a backseat to his faith.  The NFL has made available jerseys with Tebow’s number and Jesus as the name on the back.  They have taken some heat about making these available, but people are buying them.  As of now, Tim Tebow has led several come from behind wins for the Denver Broncos and his record at Quarterback is 7-1.  Will this continue?  No.  His team will lose at some point with him as the QB.  However, I pray, his faith may not ever waiver.  One thing is for sure, at some point…

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
   and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
   in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
   to the glory of God the Father. ” – Philippians 2:9-11 

What are your feelings on Tim Tebow and his openness about sharing his faith?

Should Tebow be taken to task for his outspoken living out of his faith?

Would Tebow be mocked or judged if he were of a different religion?

I pray your faith would be increased today…

Costco, A stuck wheel and a bag of Fruit Medley

I recently took a trip to Costco…okay, so I am a regular there…who is keeping track anyway?  It was a windy and rainy Monday and I was kind of pressed for time as my ‘to do’ list looked like Santa’s naughty/nice list.  I was kind of in a hurry because of the cold water falling from the sky when I reached the friendliest greeter in the world.  Her name was Anna and her smile was as wide and white as the crescent moon.  She said cheerily, “Hi and welcome to Costco…do you have your membership card?”  It was at that moment I reached for my card only to realize that I had left my wallet in the truck.  I told her of my plight and she turned that white smile upside down into a frown and said, “Well, you’ll just have to hustle back out there and get it.”  I shook my head and muttered something like, “Heaven is easier to get into than Costco…”  Really, salvation is more easily attained than a Costco card…thank you, Lord, for your son Jesus and His work on the cross.

Now that I am back to the door, Anna, greets me like it was my first time and she had the worst case of short term memory loss on God’s green Earth.  The same conversation takes place but this time…sopping wet…I show her my card that allows me through the pearly aluminum door of Costco.  I am finally just getting over my faux pas and grab a buggy to do some Costcoing!

Televisions, Blu Ray players, Computers, Cameras, Clothes…all inundate my senses.  I think to myself…I hope there are samples today…As I am pushing my buggy, one of the wheels gets stuck and starts making that awful sound of a wheel not doing what God intended it to do…you know, TURN…

It was then I realized, I should probably head over to the bedding area and just take a nap.  However, I felt the spirit of NASCAR Pit Crew member come over me and decided to flip the buggy and work on the wheel right there.  I had to unstick the wheel.  I couldn’t just let it go.  Even some ‘Associates’ admired my initiative in executing a shopping cart pit stop.  Finally, after borrowing a box cutter from one of the paid admirers, I was able to free the wheel and let it going back to doing what it was created for…rolling!  Which is what I needed to do in order to get the kids picked up from school on time.

Sometimes, I have to admit, in my spiritual life I feel like that wheel sometimes.  We were created to have fellowship with God yet so many times I feel stuck in my spiritual growth, prayer life, study life, personal life.  Sometimes, I need God to do a little pit stop on me to get me unstuck.  He does this through a book, a blog, a friend, an overheard conversation, a phone call…really, any number of ways…I just have to be willing to have my life flipped upside down in any place…even the aisle of Costco if need be.

Back to Costco.
I am steering down the aisle with all the agility in the world and some of the best defensive buggy driving known to mankind.  I am grabbing samples left and right not even hesitating to hear the worker’s spill about why I need to buy this product.  I was hungry and in a hurry.  That is when I saw it…a 2.5 pound bag of Fruit Medley.  I love fruit.  I love medley.  What could be better than a huge back of both…and it all mixed up?

I grabbed one and considered two.  I couldn’t wait to pay and get back to the truck, rain or not.  I unpacked and literally threw everything into my truck as quickly as I could.  I ripped open the fruit medley and promptly ate some kiwi, strawberries, raisins, walnuts, mango, pineapple and of course, bananas.  It was my little piece of heaven.  Each piece of fruit different flavors, different sizes, difference thicknesses…it was AWESOME!
Recently, I took that bag of fruit medley to the deer blind with me.  It was so great to sit there and watch deer and eat fruit medley.

I began to think of all the people that I have crossed paths with in my life.  Those friends are a lot like that bag of fruit medley.  Different backgrounds, different personalities, different thicknesses…okay, sorry…
But I began to think…God created each of us for a purpose.  For His purpose.  He also created us to produce fruit…it just so happens that all of us that are followers of Christ are a part of His big bag of Fruit Medley.  I must admit…I am glad I am in that bag.  If you aren’t, I want you to seriously consider Christ.

Romans 5:8 says that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

I love that!  It is because of that verse that we don’t have to have a Costco card to get into Heaven.  Our wheels (lives) are freed to become whe He wants them to become and we are a part of the Heaven Fruit Medley (different flavors and sometimes mixed up).  Nonetheless, God loves you and I am truly glad that He place each of you in my life at one time or another.

Are you stuck in your life right now?  Do you need to be flipped upside down and have a spiritual pit stop?

What is your role in God’s big bag of Fruit Medley?  Why do you think God placed you in the job, family, town, school or relationships that you are in?

Do you have your Spiritual “Costco” card?  Is your membership current?  Do you frequently visit the store (church)?  It is at the store that you get the necessary supplies for your life for sustenance, Church is the place for the spiritual needs to be fed…just a thought.