Training

Each year in March, we turn on our television and see college basketball teams battle it out, doing their best to win each bracket.  Every team wants their chance to play for the NCAA championship game, but only one will win.  We call it “March Madness”, and even the nominal fan starts asking “Who is in the big dance this year?” meaning, who has made it to the final four?

These teams didn’t just wake up one morning and play top notch basketball.  Most of the teams, (although loaded with talent) aren’t skilled enough to make it to the final four.  Only the ones who are trained are ready for the championship game.  You have to be mentally, physically, and emotionally ready for a challenge like that.  Years of hard work and training are invested.

Why do we treat our children differently?  Proverbs 22:6 states “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”  In other words, train your children in the Lord.

As Christian parents:

• Pray with your children!  If you pray (out loud) with your children everyday, it builds their faith.  They learn from an early age that their parents believe in a living God (although unseen) and they will trust in God too!
• Read your Bible with your children.  Spend time explaining and sharing the stories from the bible with your kids.  Talk about Noah, David, Moses, Jesus, etc. with them when you ride in the car.  Unplug the Wii and Xbox.  Plug into God’s word.  Engage your children daily and keep the Bible in front of them.
• Ask them Questions.  Children respond to situational questions.  Ask them “What do you think about __________?”  Make them stretch their spiritual minds and make God applicable to their lives.
• Make God a priority!  If you spend your Sundays at the baseball or soccer field and skip church, what message does that send to your kids?  The answer is “God is optional!”  What you do now affects them for the rest of their life.  Lead by example and show them that your relationship with God is the most important thing in life.  It should be theirs too!
• Don’t expect the Church to do your job!  If you expect your local church to teach your child everything about God and His word, it will never happen.  It starts at home.
• Love your spouse.  Your children are looking at you to see how you treat their mother/father.  How you treat your spouse directly correlates how your child sees God.
• Fathers, remember that you are and earthly example of your children’s heavenly Father.  If you break promises to your children, they will grow up and see God as a God who doesn’t keep His promises.  If you are not affectionate with your kids, they will grow up and think God doesn’t love them.  If you are abusive (verbally or physically) with your children, they will grow up and see God as a bully.  What you do now will shape your children’s relationship with God for the rest of their life.

It’s a tall order.  Don’t expect your child to just wake up one day and be a mature Christian.  Train them and put in the time.  You’ll be glad you did.

Be Still & Listen!

Leading up to His death on the cross, Jesus decided it would be good for a few of His disciples to see who He really was.  He did this through Peter, James and John.  Leading the three men on top of a high mountain, Jesus decided not to hold back His glory any longer.  In Matthew 17:2 scripture tells us “There he was transfigured before them.” 

The definition of transfigure:

 [trænsˈfɪgə] vb (usually tr)

1. to change or cause to change in appearance

2. to become or cause to become more exalted

The second part of verse 2 states that “His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light.”  As if that wasn’t cool enough, Elijah and Moses show up during this process and begin a conversation with Jesus.  To a Jewish man back in the time of Jesus, Moses and Elijah were like rock stars.  In other words, Peter James and John were getting the full show!  It was almost more than they could spiritually and emotionally handle.

In verse 4 Peter is so excited that he feels the need to be doing something to add to the experience.  He suggests that the three of them get busy building shelters- one for Jesus and one each for Moses and Elijah. 

God gets Peter, James and John’s attention by enveloping them in a bright cloud.  He tells them “This is my Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”

As I read this true story, I am so convicted.  I am like Peter in many ways.  I am a doer.  When the going gets rough or in times of excitement, often I feel like the need to be doing something.  In response to God’s work, many times I try to add to what He is doing to make it better.  How arrogant of me.

God instructs the three men to be still.  He is telling them “STOP!  You are missing the show!  Quit trying to do!  For now, just listen and enjoy.”

Everyday we are in the presence of God.  Look for Him in His word and through His creation and be still.  Enjoy the show!  Sometimes God just wants us to be still and listen.

Who was Jesus?

Why do we so often forget what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross?  Paul reminded the people of Rome in his Roman letter:  (Romans 16:20)

 

Here is a reminder:

• He was a real person who lived over 2,000 years ago.
• He was fully God and fully man. 
• God sent His only son to die for us so we wouldn't have to suffer hell.  All we have to do is ask.
• Jesus lived a perfect & sinless life for us.  (2 Corinthians 5:21)
• Jesus spent His entire ministry teaching us the right way to live.
• Jesus went to the cross and suffered a horrible death, while praying for His father to forgive those who were killing Him.
• Jesus went to hell and suffered for us.
• On the third day the Holy Spirit raised Him from the dead and Jesus conquered death once and for all.

We have eternal hope in a living God who paid the price for us.  We are bought free and clear.


If this story doesn't sound familiar to you and you haven't asked Jesus to save you from your sin, it's pretty simple:

1. Admit to God out loud that you are a sinner.
2. Admit to God out loud that you can't do life anymore on your own.
3. Believe on faith that Jesus died for your sins and rose again from the dead on your behalf.
4. Ask Jesus to be your King and to save you from your sins.
5. Tell someone that you have given your life to Jesus Christ.  Make it public!

It really is that simple!  If you have asked Jesus into your life, please send me and email or leave me a comment.  I would love to hear that from you!

Have A Little Faith

I have always been impressed with those who can/jar/preserve  their own vegetables from a garden.  To me, there is something satisfying when you twist that metal ring and pry the lid off of that old mason jar.  That’s when you hear the top “pop”.  I love that sound!

Last summer I decided to grow my own cucumbers so I could make “bread and butter” pickles.  The recipe called for mustard seeds.  As I stood there boiling the cucumbers I placed a mustard seed in the palm of my hand.  It was so tiny!  Immediately my mind ran back to the words of Jesus saying “…..if you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can move mountains.”  (Matthew 17:20)  As the cucumbers slowly became pickles, I thought to myself “…..what in the world does that mean?  Could I literally move Mt. Rushmore, Mt. Everest or Mt. Hood with a little faith?”

The answer was revealed to me a few months later.  I had a long spiritual conversation with a teenager I know and love.  Our discussion was about whether there really was a God and if the Bible was real.  As I was explaining the Gospel to him the point was made in our discussion that you can’t believe the Bible with your mind.  You have to believe it with your heart. 

Our mind cannot grasp how the Red Sea parted, how the walls of Jericho fell, how Jesus walked on water or raised himself and others from the dead.  “How do you belive such things?” he asked?  I replied “It takes a little faith.”  Isn’t that so true for you and me?  The Bible seems far fetched for a reason.  God wants us to know that He is God.  The only way to believe it is to say out loud to God “God, I can’t believe this with my mind, but I will believe it in my heart because you say it’s true.”

Once you take that little baby step of faith, God will reveal himself to you in a million different ways for the rest of your life.  Through prayer, you can ask your heavenly Father for anything!  God is all-powerful and has unlimited resources.  If your request is within His will, He can make it happen. 

It’s like seeing behind a closed door.  You have to open it with a little faith….the exact size of a mustard seed.

Well Equipped

Guest Post from Midge:

My husband has a very cool job.  He is a Colonel in the U.S. Army, and his current job is to oversee the design, manufacturing and fielding of equipment for all the Army’s soldiers.   Pretty much everything a soldier uses, except for his weapon, comes through his office.   Helmets, boots, armored plates, uniforms – he’s your man for all that stuff.   Pretty cool, huh?

The military is constantly trying to make all this equipment better, lighter, less expensive, more comfortable for soldiers to wear and use and carry.  But the bottom line is always about safety.  It is absolutely essential that this equipment will keep soldiers safe and enable them to stay alive when they are in a combat situation. 

Last week as we sat at our kitchen table, I noticed my husband’s expression change when he viewed some mail sitting to the side.  I knew that expression immediately, and I could tell he was mad!  I asked him what was wrong, and he showed me a picture of a magazine with an American soldier on the front.  He was in Afghanistan.  He was wearing the same equipment my husband oversees every day.  And he was wearing it incorrectly.  He showed me, because his armored plates were loose and not being used properly, that if he was shot in the chest, he would most likely be gravely injured because he hadn’t taken the time to put on his vest correctly.  Millions of dollars went into designing and manufacturing those vests and armored plates, countless man hours by some of the smartest and brightest people in the world were able to produce a protection system that could stop any bullet on the battlefield.  But it wouldn’t do that soldier a bit of good if he didn’t take the time to use the equipment properly.

This made me think about how God must feel when we don’t wear our equipment properly.  As Christians, we know by reading God’s Word that there is a very real enemy against us.  Our enemy is crafty, and he has some pretty powerful weapons in his arsenal.  But we need not fear, because God has given us an even more powerful supply of defensive equipment – the belt of Truth, the breastplate of righteousness, boots to enable us to take the gospel of peace, the helmet of salvation, and our weapons – the Sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God) and prayer. (Ephesians 6:10-17)  The very first command of this passage tells us to put on the whole armor of God, that we can withstand the evil that may come our way.   I think often as believers we believe that as long as we have on our helmet (of salvation) we don’t need to worry about all the rest.  And we wonder why we are injured by the bullets that come our way. 

It’s usually because we just didn’t take the time to put on the rest of our equipment, or that we just put it on haphazardly.

Belonging, Believing & Behaving

Sometimes I will hear someone say something, and a bell will go off in my heart. Over the years I have come to believe that when I hear that bell, it usually means that what I am hearing is something pretty profound.  Time to pay attention!

This happened to me this week when I met a friend of mine for lunch. We were discussing
what Jesus meant to each of us, and how God was working in our lives. The conversation turned towards a good discussion about evangelism (telling other people about Christ) and how to reach those who don’t know Jesus as their Savior.

He looked at me and shared something that he learned from a friend of his in England: “Belonging, believing & behaving!” I said “Ok, what does that mean?”


As I listened, he explained to me that in his years of ministry he has learned something. In order to get unbelievers to come to church and hear the Gospel, you have to accept them in this order:


1.) Belonging: When people come in the doors of a church but haven’t submitted their life to Christ, they are looking to belong to something. Everyone wants to belong to something. When we accept people for who they are (including their imperfections) that is when they will stick around to hear what you have to say.

2.) Believing: The second stage of the game is where they listen to the good news and they give their life to Christ. When they feel like they already belong, the Gospel of Jesus grabs hold of their heart and they surrender their life to Him.

3.) Behaving: Then (and only then) will they begin to behave like Christ. After God begins to work in them, that’s when they begin to shed addiction, sin, immorality, etc.


DING!!!!!! There went the bell in my heart. How simple and yet profound a statement!


So many times we “the church” get it exactly backwards. We want them to:


1.) Behave like the church wants them to act. Quit drinking/smoking/drugs, quit living with your boyfriend or girlfriend, don’t be gay, don’t curse, don’t….(the list goes on and on)!

2.) Believe: Now that you have cleaned up you act, here is an opportunity to give your life to Jesus and be like the rest of us.

3.) Now that you have jumped through our hoops, you can belong to our church.


I am so glad that Jesus did not act that way towards me. Romans 5:8 states “that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” He loved me despite myself and met me on my own level: wallowing in my sin.


What would our church look like if we truly met people on their level? What if we loved them the way Christ loves us despite their sin? That’s true & effective evangelism!

Mo money, Mo problems

Back in the 90’s, I remember some of my friends going through a “Rap” faze.  Some liked the generic stuff; others were listening to the hardcore thug rap.  One of the ones I remember hearing “back in the day” was Notorious B-I-G, otherwise known as “Biggie Smalls”. 

One of the famous lines he would repeat over and over was “Mo money, Mo problems!”  In his own unique and graphic way, Biggie was saying “I spent my whole life trying to obtain the lifestyle of money, fame and fortune…..In the end, all it has brought me is heartache!”

I thought about this as I read Proverbs 13:8 when it says “A person’s riches may ransom their life…”  I thought to myself “What does that mean?  How can money ransom a person's life?”

Here are a few things to consider:

• Does money cause trouble in your life? 
• Are you a slave to your job / career?
• Does debt/lifestyle prohibit you from doing what God wants you to do?
• If God called you to do something for Him but it paid less, would you do it?
• Do you worry about money? 
• How much is enough?

Think about your financial situation today.  Does God’s will direct your every move for your life, or is your financial situation holding your life ransom?

Bodyguard

"Boomerang"

Several years ago, I had a job that required me to travel from time to time.  As I waited for my flight home in Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, I saw a unique sight.

Walking down the center of the terminal was the largest man I have ever seen.  He stood around 7 ft tall and weighed well over 400 lbs.  This man was not fat!  He was extremely muscular and looked unbelievably tough.  He was wearing a long leather overcoat with a black rimmed hat.  Within a few feet, I noticed a man walking directly behind him (literally in his shadow).  It was comedian / actor Steve Harvey, and the enormous and fearful looking man was his bodyguard “Boomerang.”  It was a sight that I have never forgotten.

I thought of this as I read Luke chapter 1 this week.  As I read it, I came across the passage of scripture about Zechariah.  Here are a few things about Zechariah you need to know to set up this story:

• Zechariah was a high priest.  His job was to intercede for the people of Israel.
• While he was at work one day burning incense inside the temple, the angel Gabriel approached him and told him that he was going to have a son with his wife Elizabeth.
• Since they were old in age, Zechariah questioned Gabriel.  In return, Gabriel punished his lack of faith by taking away his speech for the entire time Elizabeth was pregnant with their son.  (Over 9 months)
• Their son John grew up and became John the Baptist.

On the day John the Baptist was circumcised, Zechariah’s first words were praise to God (Luke 1:67-79).  During his song of praise to God, he pointed out that through Jesus (the messiah to be) we have:

• Salvation from our enemies (Satan)
• Salvation from the hand of all who hate us
• We are rescued from our enemies
• We are able to serve Him without fear.

The first words out of Zechariah’s mouth after 9 months were “Jesus is our bodyguard!”  We have nothing to fear because Jesus will conquer death, protect us from Satan, and save us from our sin.  He is our ultimate source of protection.

In the same way Steve Harvey walked in Boomerang’s shadow, we also walk in the shadow of Jesus, all the way until the day of judgment.  If you know Christ as your Savior, Jesus not only protects us from Satan but will stand in front of us on the day of judgement and offer 100% protection from a Holy God.  He will say “This one is with me!”

Today, live your life in such a way that is without fear.  Serve God wholeheartedly knowing that Jesus is protecting you every step of the way.

Birds Of A Feather.....

From time to time, I will here an old cliche that I have heard my entire life and ask myself “What exactly does that mean?”  Several times I have heard people say “Birds of a feather flock together” but never stopped to think of what it meant.

One of my favorite hobbies is duck hunting.  I have spent many cold mornings in a duck blind with my dog, watching and learning the different species of ducks.  Whether it’s Gadwalls, Mallards, Pintails, Wood ducks or Redheads, one thing is for certain;  They all stay together. 

People tend to be the same way.  No matter what you are like, you surround yourself with people who are of like mind.  That is why what Paul says in Galatians 2 is so radical.  Paul confronts Cephas for hanging out with “his own kind”.

Before and during the life of Christ, the people of Israel observed Jewish law.  One of the most important laws to follow was that of circumcision.  On the 8th day of birth, Jewish parents would bring their son to the temple to perform circumcision.  It was God’s way of marking his own people and saying “I want you to follow me”.  Circumcision was a sign of the covenant God made with Abraham.  God told Abraham “I will be your God, and you will be my people.”

When Christ died on the cross, salvation by observing the law died with Him.  When Christ rose again from the dead, He established a “new covenant” with His people, both Jew and Gentile.  In other words, circumcision was no longer a requirement.  God now requires circumcision of the heart through the saving blood of Jesus, not by observing Jewish law.

Later, when Paul arrived for supper, he noticed that Cephas was acting one way towards the gentiles, but when Jews came to supper, he acted differently and wouldn’t eat with the gentiles.  He only “flocked” together with the Jews.  Paul rebuked Cephas harshly and said “If that’s the way it’s supposed to be, then Christ died for nothing.”

 

Many people grow up in a Christian church.  They spend all of their time together in Sunday worship, Wednesday night meals, and youth group outings.  In their day to day life, many Christians won’t get there hands dirty  by getting to know and love non-Christians.  They only want to “flock” with their own kind.

The same thing Paul rebuked Cephas for 2,000 years ago stands firm today.  Look at your group of friends.  Think about who you speak with on a daily basis.  Who do you socialize with each week?  If you are a Christian but only “flock” with other Christians, then you are not living out the Gospel.  How will they see Christ if you won’t have anything to do with them?

Texting God

The older I get, the more I realize that technology is passing me by at a rapid pace.  I have always been pretty up-to-speed on the latest phone, computer, software, etc.  Lately it seems that I am having a hard time keeping up with the rest of society in this area, and I believe I have narrowed down the root cause:  I can’t type fast with my thumbs!

Everyone is texting these days.  Go into a restaurant or movie, ballgame or subway train and everyone seems to have their phone or PDA in their lap and their thumbs going 100 miles per hour.  Then it occurred to me:  God wants us to have the same experience in our prayer life!  He wants us to text him throughout the day.   See (Ephesians 6:18)

When I was growing up, I always had this idea of prayer as a long drawn out ordeal.  I felt that I needed to  carve out 45 minutes to an hour to speak with God.  All of us have known that Pastor, elder or deacon that prays those long eloquent prayers that seem to go on forever.  That isn’t what God requires of His children at all.

God wants us to be in a constant state of prayer, similar to the way we text our friends and family when we have a quick question or comment.  Obviously we can’t “text” God on our cell phone and He receive it on some “Heavenly Blackberry”,  but we can mentally text God throughout the day. 

 

Think about it:  When we speak to our parents here on earth, our conversations aren’t always formal and eloquent.  We talk to them in a normal language in short sentences.  Why do we treat our conversations with God differently?   Imagine yourself as a child on vacation, riding with your father or mother on a long car trip.  You would periodically have a conversation with them but wouldn’t speak the entire time that you are in the car!  You would speak to them from time to time when ideas or thoughts go through your mind.  That is what God desires for us in our lives. 

Continual prayer is expressing to Him throughout the day our joys, praise, frustrations, sorrows, highs and lows.  God wants us to ask Him for everything we want and need.  He wants us to talk with Him.  In doing so we will grow closer to our heavenly Father and see Him work out all things for our own good. 

Try it today and feel God’s presence beside you all day long.

Legally Blind

This post was sent to me by a friend of mine, Josh Evans.  Enjoy!

I don't know if you guys know this about me, but I am legally blind without corrective lenses. I wear contact lenses most of the time, but I have glasses that I have to wear when I'm not wearing the contacts. The last thing I do before going to sleep is take off my glasses... and the first thing I do in the morning is put them back on. I know that my vision is screwed up, and if I'm not wearing corrective lenses, my entire perception of the world around me is going to be screwed up too. I would never try to drive, read, or do anything else without my glasses, because I just wouldn't be able to see it straight.

It's funny, though, how I forget that this same principle applies to my spiritual life. In my heart's natural state, I am spiritually blind. My entire perspective of the world around me is screwed up.

• When I get stressed out, I don't naturally know the right way to react. 
• When I have to make an important decision, I don't naturally know the proper way to handle it. 
• When I look at my fiancee, I don't naturally know how to love her like I should. 
• When I go to work, I don't naturally feel motivated to love and serve people.
• When I get my paycheck, I don't naturally want to honor the Lord with my resources.

God has to provide the proper perspective... so I have to wake up in the morning and put my "glasses" on.  Challenge yourself this week: maybe you already do this and maybe you don't, but make it a point to spend the first minutes of your day begging God to correct your vision. This way, your choices and your motivations throughout the day will not have to depend on your righteousness.

Whatever It Takes

From 2005-09, Fox aired a television show entitled "Prison Break".  The story line of the show is about a man whose half-brother is wrongly incarcerated (for life) for murder.  The free brother decides to come up with a plan that will land him in prison, along side of his half-brother, so they can escape together.

As I was reading 1 Corinthians 9 this week, Paul's words reminded me of this show.  He is writing the people of Corinth to remind them that "Although I am free, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible."  (9:19)  He goes on to explain that "to the Jews, he was a Jew" in order to win them to Christ.  To the Gentiles, he lived "as a Gentile" in order to win them to Christ.  To the weak, he became weak.  He even goes so far as to say "I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some."  (9:22)

If Paul were alive today and witnessing:

• To lost clowns?  Would he would buy make-up and floppy shoes, join the circus and win clowns for Christ?
• Trying to reach bikers?  Would he go so far as to get a Harley in order to win bikers for Christ?
• Hoping to reach the lost in a pool hall?   Would he step inside those smoky bars and learn to shoot pool in order to win them to Christ?
• He would do whatever it takes!

His reason behind it all:  The Gospel!  His motivation was to share in the blessings that come along with winning people to Christ.

A few thoughts / questions:

• How do we (the church) compare to the heart of Paul?  Do we do whatever it takes?  Do we get on the same level to reach those around us for Christ?
• Do we (the church) change on a consistent basis our environment / style of worship / approach to win the lost for Christ?
• Do we (the church) support / encourage other churches for thinking "outside the box" when they go after lost sinners?
• Do we (the church) focus on God's grace and see ourselves as "those people" too?
• Although his eyes and actions were always fixed on Christ, Paul was culturally engaged at all times in order to reach others.  Are we (the church) culturally engaged?

Paul was in the world, but not of it.  There is a difference.  Paul was also sold out for Christ.  He maintained a balance.  He was a man who was all things to all people.  He shaped his words and actions in every situation, constantly trying to find a way to love and connect with those who desperately needed Jesus Christ!

What would our generation look like if we consistently took these words to heart and reached those around us by any means necessary?

Quick Thought:

When I went to college, they didn't give me a degree the first week I was there.  There were several years of going to class, studying, reading, listening, failing and re-taking tests, and many life experiences that took place.  I thought I was never going to graduate!


Then one semester, I met with my counselor and we looked at how many credits I had left to take.  I never will forget that meeting.  He said "Mr. Merritt, looks like you are going to graduate!"  And then, just like that, it was finished!


Our salvation in Christ is similar, but very different.  When you ask Jesus in your heart, He holds your diploma for you.  You are guaranteed to graduate!  There is nothing that you can do to mess it up in any way.  Where it is similar is the fact that He still wants you to learn while you are here.  He has a purpose for you.


During your life, you are going to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.  You are also going to sin and make huge mistakes.  Don't give up and be discouraged.  Take each class, one at a time, learn the lessons God has in store for you, and one day (before you know it) you will walk that stage and receive your diploma!