What's it cost to be a disciple?

When we think of the term, “Disciple”, we often think of the 12 guys Jesus chose to follow Him throughout His ministry on earth.  Fair enough.....but what does it mean to be a disciple today?  My next several posts are going to focus on what it means to be a disciple.

Check out Jesus’ words when He challenged people to follow Him.

A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them,   “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. 
And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. But don’t begin until you count the cost.  For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?”  (Luke 14:25-28, NLT)

Those are some pretty intense words and through these words Jesus raises the standard to as high as it can go.  If all you want is the “title” of Christian, it probably won’t cost you anything.  But, if you want to follow Jesus, be like Him, do what He did, you gotta understand that it will cost you.  You will lose some friends.  Some family members may turn on you.  It might cost you your job or a promotion.  In some parts of the world, maybe even in our country one day in our lifetime, it could even cost you your life.  So what does it mean to be a disciple?

Being a disciple means I give up everything to follow Jesus.

The word “Christian” has become watered down today.  It’s watered down so much that the vast majority of Americans would call themselves Christians.  From the White House to the poor house, the vast majority of Americans consider themselves to be Christians.  I’m not sure what that means for everyone, but for a lot of people it means, “I believe Jesus is the Son of God who died and rose again.”  It’s great to believe that, but believing that doesn't save anyone...it doesn’t make anyone a Christian.  Even satan believes that.  Simply believing that doesn’t put anyone in a right relationship with Jesus.

Being a disciple goes beyond cultural Christianity; beyond just believing in Jesus.  A disciple is one who puts their faith in what Jesus did when He died on the cross.  A disciple believes so much in Him that their whole life pursuit is to become like Him, and that not only are we to become like Him, but as a disciple, we are to do what He did - and there’s a profound difference between those 2 definitions.

If we are disciples of Jesus, we will do what He did.  I’m not talking about dying on a cross - I’m talking about living a life that emulates what Jesus came to do.  What did Jesus come to do?  John 10:10 and several other verses tell us:

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  (John 10:10, NIV)

If we are disciples, we will help impart that kind of life.

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.”  (Luke 5:31b, NIV)

If we are disciples, we will be here for the sick, those who are in need.

“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”  (Luke 5:32, NIV)

If we are disciples, we will be there for the prostitutes and the lepers, the sinners, the no good, the low down, the outcast.

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  (John 3:17, NIV)

Jesus came to do all of these things, including bringing people into a growing relationship Himself.  But that means going against the grain of what’s commonly accepted in society.  A couple of examples:  Someone strikes you on the cheek, you want to hit them back.  But Jesus says, “Turn the other cheek.”  Doesn’t make sense.  Someone curses you, you want to curse them back.  Jesus says, “No.  Bless them instead.”  Doesn’t make sense.  Someone asks you for your shirt.  Jesus said, “Give them your coat, too.”  Give them more than they expect. Someone says, “Go a mile.”  Jesus says, “Go two.”  Jesus says, “Give and it will be given to you.”  You don’t understand, but because Jesus says so, we follow.

Being a disciple begins with being sold out to Jesus.  I’m not talking about cultural Christianity where we simply believe Jesus died on the cross.......I’m talking about committed discipleship where I make God my top priority; where I put Him first in everything in my life; where I choose His way over my way and over the way of convenience; where I’m willing to take up my cross - to step away from all the other things I’ve been pursuing - and follow Him.  That’s what it means to be a disciple.  Jesus said:

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.  (John 14:12, NIV)

A disciple who leaves everything to be like Jesus, will do the things Jesus does.

Defeating Giants (Part 5)

For several years a woman had been having trouble getting to sleep at night because she was worried that a burglar might show up.  One night her husband heard a noise in the house, so he went downstairs to investigate. When he got there, lo and behold, he found a burglar had broken in the house and was looking around to find something to steal.

The husband approached the burglar, baseball bat in hand, and said, “Man, am I glad to see you!”  The burglar was surprised, but kept quiet. The husband went on, “Please, come upstairs and meet my wife. She has been waiting 10 years to meet you.”

Why do we worry so much?  Well, let’s see:

Life is hard. Bad things happen to good people, to bad people, and everyone in between.  Even the wealthy and powerful aren’t exempt. All you have to do is watch the news or read the paper to see that tragedy comes to everyone.

The future is uncertain. We worry because we don’t know what the future holds. Not only are there dangers we know about and can make some preparation for, but there are dangers which are completely unexpected.  We can prepare as best we know how. We can watch our diets and exercise to prevent heart attack. We can stockpile food and water to prepare for an emergency. As hard as we try, though, the bottom line is that the future is unknowable.

We’re not in control.  Everyone knows someone we consider to be a control freak.  You have friends who consider you to be a control freak.  The truth is, we’re all control freaks because we want to know what’s going on and when it’s going to happen.  At best, we have only the illusion of control. Even doctors get sick. Financial experts lose money in the stock market. Policemen get robbed. Lawyers get sued. Good, loving, responsible parents are rejected by their teenage and adult children.

We live in a high stress culture.  There’s stress from lack of job security… few people believe they’ll be in the same job 5 years from now.  There’s financial stress… as soon as you are on top of your finances, the car breaks down. Stress of watching your portfolio drop lower and lower.  There’s the stress that comes along with the pace of life.  It just doesn’t slow down.  The list goes on and on.

Before we look at Jesus’ answer to worry, let’s define what worry is.  The Greek word for worry is MERIMNAO.  Merimnao comes from “merizo”, “to divide”, and “nous”, which means, “mind”. The word “worry” means:  to have a “divided mind”.

A mind divided between the worries of the world, and the peace of God; between worldly attitudes and Biblical truth; between a focus on the situation, and a focus on the God of the situation.  So let’s take a look at a solution to worry and learn how we can defeat it.  In Jesus’ sermon on the mount, He addresses this subject of worry. Matthew 6:25:

      “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what
      you will wear.  Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?   Look at  
      the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds
      them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his
      life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or
      spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is
      how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he
      not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What
      shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly
      Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things
      will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about
      itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.  (Matthew 6:25-34, NIV)

Jesus’ teaching here gives us some clear help with this subject of worry and gives us some weapons with which we can defeat it.  First:

I need to recognize that worry accomplishes nothing.  If we can really grasp this one, we’re well on our way to a solution.  Ask yourself this, “Why is it that there are no classes on how to worry?”  No high school offers college prep worry.  No college offers Worry 101 or a degree in worry because worry accomplishes nothing.  It has no productive value whatsoever.  Worry doesn’t help anything.  Not only does worry not help, it often has the opposite effect.

Worrying about everything is like trying to take a trip by sitting in a rocking chair. You expend lots of energy, but you make no forward progress.  Here’s something else Jesus teaches us:

I need to learn that God cares about me.  Rick Warren says, "Worry is the warning light that God is really not first in my life at this particular moment." Worry says that God is not big enough to handle my troubles.  But the fact is, He is big enough and you also need to know that you matter to Him!

God values us even more than the rest of his creation. Birds, who don’t labor at all to provide for themselves, have adequate food to eat. Even flowers, which only live for a short time, have beautiful "clothing." If God provides for them, doesn’t it stand to reason that He will care for us, since we are much more valuable?  Here’s a 3rd lesson:

I need to put first things first.  We worry too much because we care too much about the wrong things.
We have our priorities reversed.  We worry about what we eat, but don’t care enough about what we are going to do with the life that the food makes possible.  We worry about what we wear, but aren’t concerned enough about what we are doing with the bodies we put those clothes on. We concern ourselves with how to preserve our lives as long as possible, but we give very little thought to what comes afterwards.

No one would claim that having enough food to eat, and clothing to wear, are trivial matters. For the people to whom Jesus was speaking, these were life and death issues. But they aren’t the most important things.

The things we should be most concerned about are the things which matter most. Putting first things first gives us a right perspective and give us strength to face life without worry.  The most important things for us to concern ourselves with are His kingdom and His righteousness.  Our primary concern in this life shouldn’t be pleasing and serving ourselves, it should be knowing and serving God.  One more step:

I need to transfer trust.  Rather than trusting in our own power, wisdom, and strength, we need to place our trust in God for everything. As a result, he will give us a peace which defies logical explanation. It’s not a trick of the mind; it’s a spiritual reality.

We exercise this trust by actively committing our concerns to God in prayer.  We aren’t in control, but we can place our trust in Someone who is. We don’t know the future, but we can place our trust in Someone who does.

Defeating Giants (Part 4)

Have you ever attempted something - anything - and failed?  That’s what I thought.  If it brings you any comfort.....and it probably doesn’t.....you’re not alone.  All you have to do is look around you to see that we’ve all failed at some time or another.

Everyone wants to be a success. I’ve never met anyone who purposely set out to be a failure.  Yet, failure is one of those ugly realities of life—a common experience to all of us to some degree. So the ability to handle failure in its various forms and degrees is a vital part of the spiritual life and another sign of maturity. A careful study of the Bible reveals that many of the great figures of Scripture experienced failure at one time or another.  The thing we have to focus on, however, is that those failures didn’t keep them from effective service for God. Individuals like Abraham, Moses, Elijah, David, Peter....they all failed at some point, and often in significant ways.  But they learned something along the way.  They not only recovered from their failure, but they used it as a tool of growth - they learned from their failure, confessed it to God, and were often able to be used in even mightier ways.

When we began this series we spend the first couple of weeks examining David’s victory over Goliath.  But David’s life wasn’t always as victorious as we learned last week.  The Reader’s Digest version of David’s failure reads something like this:

David was supposed to be out with his troops, leading them in battle, but he was kicking back at home instead.  One day he was out, taking a walk on the palace roof.  He looked over the edge and saw a woman bathing and he let lust get the best of him.  He sent for her, slept with her, and she became pregnant.  In order to avoid detection he called her husband home from battle so he would sleep with her and think the child was his.  But her husband didn’t follow through with the plan, so David had him killed in battle.

Ultimately, David’s failure and his sin was found out and he was called on the carpet by the prophet Nathan, which ultimately led to David’s confession and repentance.  Psalm 51 is David’s prayer of repentance.  From his prayer we can grasp some steps to overcoming and defeating the giant of failure in our lives.

First, I must acknowledge my failure.  Not every failure results in sin, but we all fail and sometimes that failure results in sin.  James 3:2 (NCV): We all make many mistakes.

If at first we don’t succeed, we redefine success because we hate admitting failure.  A lot of people make the mistake of blaming someone or something else.  David admitted his failure.  He referred to, “my guilt, my sin, my  shameful deeds.”  He said, “I have done what is evil.....”  David didn’t blame Bathsheba or anyone else.  He acknowledged his sin.  He acknowledged his failure.  And this is where it has to begin.

Second, I must receive God’s forgiveness.  There is no failure too big for God to forgive.  After all, forgiveness is God’s speciality.  I realize that your failure may not have involved sin at all, but if it did, you have to receive God’s forgiveness if you ever hope to move forward.  Ephesians 1:7 (GWT):  Through the blood of his Son, we are set free from our sins. God forgives our failures because of his overflowing kindness.

God’s forgiveness is available and it is extended to each one of us, but unless we receive it, we remain in our sin and our failure.  David cried out to God for His forgiveness.  Acknowledge the failure and then receive God’s forgiveness.  And can I also say.........once you’ve received God’s forgiveness it’s time to stop beating yourself up.  There may be some other people you need to talk to, some restoration that needs to take place......but stop with the pity party and move forward to the next step:

I must apply the lessons of failure toward success.  Here’s how your mama used to say it, “Son, you need to learn from your mistakes.”  And she’s right.  If we don’t learn from our mistakes and our failures, we are doomed to repeat them.

Failures and mistakes can be teachers that provide us with invaluable lessons!!! Proverbs 26:11 (NIV):  As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

If you fail to learn from your mistakes and failures, you’re doomed to repeat them.  But if you learn from them, you will move forward with new strength and hope.  Here’s our 4th step:

I must accept failure as a fact of life, not a way of life.  There’s a huge difference here.  Failure is going to happen, but it doesn’t have to be the norm.  Failure doesn’t have to be fatal and it doesn’t have to be final.  The apostle Peter knew all about failure. In the upper room Jesus warned Peter about how he would deny Him  before the rooster crowed 3 times.

It was just hours later that events happened just as Jesus said they would.  Jesus was arrested and Peter denied Him 3 times.  Peter blew it and he knew it. So he went and spent the rest of his life as hermit in complete seclusion. WRONG!  2 months later Peter preached one of the greatest sermons in Christianity and 3,000 people got saved!

Don’t ever let someone call you a failure or a loser. You are not your resume!  Failure is an event, not a person.  It’s something you do, not something you become.  Your attitude during failure determines your altitude after failure.  When you mess up you can grow up.  Here’s the final step:

I must arise from failure and start again.  Remember the story of Jonah?  God told him to go to a place called Nineveh and preach.  Jonah decided to go the other direction.  Epic fail.  He ended up in the belly of a huge fish for 3 days.  What do you do in the belly for a huge fish for 3 days? You stink and you think.

Jonah 3:1 & 2 (GWT):  Then the LORD spoke his word to Jonah a second time. He said, "Leave at once for the important city, Nineveh. Announce to the people the message I have given you."

The result was that 120,000 Ninevites turned away from sin and turned to God.  But what if Jonah had chosen to ignore God and go the other way again?  We don’t know because Jonah learned from his failure and got up and went the right way.

You may not have been in the belly of a big fish....but maybe you’ve been in the belly of...bad decisions or an affair, or divorce, or poor parenting.  Maybe you’ve experience failure at your job or in your marriage or even with sin.  Whatever your failure may have looked like, if you let it bring you down and keep you down, you’ve failed bigger than you could ever imagine.

I love basketball.  Years ago, a shot clock was inserted into the game.  In college ball they have 45 seconds to shoot and in professional basketball they have 24.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been watching a pro game and watched a player shoot and miss, but then his team rebounds the ball and the announcer says, “They get a new 24.”  He’s talking about a shot clock, but I want you to know that when you fail, God offers you a new 24.

Lamentations 3:21-23b (NCV):  But I have hope when I think of this: The Lord's love never ends; his mercies never stop. They are new every morning;

Have you failed?  God offers you a new 24.  Have you sinned?  God offers you a new 24?  Have you let someone down?  God offers you a new 24.

What are you going to do with it?

Defeating Giants (Part 3)

My last 2 posts talked about facing giants in our lives.  The next few posts will take a look at some specific giants we have to face head on.

They say, “Go big or go home.”  Well, let’s start big and talk about the giant of lust.  When it comes to lust we are definitely talking about a giant, and the problem is that so many of us fail because we’re naïve to it’s power. 1 Thessalonians 4 says:

God wants you to be holy, so you should keep clear of all sexual sin. Then each of you will control your body and live in holiness and honor–
not in lustful passion as the pagans do, in their ignorance of God and his ways.  (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, NLT)

The dictionary defines lust as:
Intense sexual desire or appetite.  Uncontrolled or illicit sexual desire or appetite; lecherousness.

Let’s refine that a bit:
An insatiable craving to gratify your fleshly desires by seeking to satisfy a legitimate desire in an illegitimate way.

The fact is, we can lust after money or possessions, power - all kinds of things, but for the sake of this post, we’re going to discuss lust within the context of sexual lust.  The problem we face - particularly in our American culture - is that sex is thrown around casually and constantly.  Television shows make it the norm for people to hop from bed to bed.  Magazines, billboards, the internet - all of these push sex and sexuality at us constantly, and almost always it’s in a way that is completely contrary to God’s plan for our lives.

And this isn’t a “male” problem, it’s a humanity problem - including women.  As we look at the process of lust, there’s no greater example of how lust works than the example of King David in 2 Samuel 11.  I find it a bit ironic that the same individual who slew the giant succumbed to lust.  But even that illustrates to all of us just how insidious and powerful lust is.

Lust moves through a process that looks something like this:

Idleness.  King David had time on his hands because he hadn’t gone to war like kings are supposed to.

Interest.  With that free time he took a stroll and saw Bathsheba bathing and became interested.

Intoxication.  He moved beyond interest to an intoxication of desire.  He began dreaming and fantasizing about her.

Indulgence.  The dream & fantasy was no longer enough.  He had to have her.

Cover-up.  He found out she was pregnant and set the wheels in motion to cover-up his sin.

Sexual lust almost always follows that pattern, and when it does, 3 things happen:

It destroys my convictions.  Think about it:  a little lust led David to commit acts of adultery and murder.  It will eventually cause you to lose your ability to judge right from wrong.

It destroys my character.  Lust destroys you reputation and integrity. You lose both your credibility and the confidence of others because you have no sense of morality and no sense of self-control.

It destroys my connections.  As a result of his sin, David lost his intimacy with God, he lost intimacy with his family, and he lost intimacy with his kingdom.

But there’s a remedy......there are some steps you can take to overcome and defeat sexual lust.

1. I must be accountable.  In the Old Testament story of Joseph, he was being pursued by Potipher’s wife, but Joseph said he couldn’t indulge because he’d have to answer to Potipher and to God.  He had accountability.  So let me ask you:  Who or what holds you accountable?  And I know I’m going to run the risk of being accused as a heretic, but in this case, God isn’t enough.  Before you throw tomatoes, let me explain.

If God were enough to keep us accountable, Adam and Eve would have never sinned.  If God were enough, there would be no sin, no lust, no evil.  But the thing is, we have this strong tendency to focus more on God’s grace than on His judgement for sin.  Because we know God is a God of grace, we tend to look beyond Him and think, “Well, He’ll forgive me.”  That’s why I say God isn’t enough.  God was enough for Joseph, but I’m not sure He’s enough for us.  That’s why we need more.

We need to learn how to bounce our eyes away from the things that tempt us.  We need to learn how to turn and walk away from temptation.  We need to learn the power of repentance and seek God’s forgiveness for lustful thoughts.

2.   I must count the cost.  Joseph not only answered that he had God and Potipher to answer to in authority over him, he also recognized all that he would lose if he engaged in the proposition.  What would you lose?

Like David, clearly you would lose your convictions, your character and your connections.  But what else?  Maybe your family?  Maybe your job?  Maybe the trust of others?  Maybe your self-worth?  It is worth the guilt and emotional turmoil?  Is it worth the shame and damage to your reputation?  Is it worth the risk of disease?  Is it worth getting divorced or estranged from your mate? Is it worth it?

3.     I must stick to my convictions.  I wish I could tell you that simply making a decision not to indulge lust will make it all okay and go away.  It doesn’t.  Potipher’s wife was relentless.  Day after day she was after him to sleep with her.  She used every means to tempt, trick, and turn Joseph.  And day after day, Joseph stuck to his convictions.

Keep your guard up.  Joseph determined to believe the commands of God over the whispers of the wife.  Remember that while lust makes great promises – it can only deliver a lie.

A wealthy couple purchased a new Rolls Royce and wanted to hire a chauffeur. The wife advertised and they were able to narrow the applicants down to 4 candidates.

The wife called the prospective drivers to her balcony and pointed out a brick wall alongside the driveway. She asked the men, "How close do you think you could come to that wall without scratching my car?"

The 1st man felt he could drive within a foot of the wall without damaging the car.  The 2nd felt sure he could come within 6 inches. The 3rd believed he could get within 3 inches.

The 4th candidate said, "I don’t know how close I could come to the wall without damaging your car.  Instead, I would try to stay as far away from that wall as I could."  He’s the one who got the job.

Why?  Because he had a different focus. He understood that true skill in driving is not based so much on the ability to steer the car to a narrow miss as on the ability to keep a wide margin of safety.

Lust is no joking matter.  It’s a real problem in our culture, in our communities, in our churches, and in our homes.  But you can defeat this giant in your life - not by trusting in yourself, but by trusting in God and seeking His help.

Defeating Giants (Part 2)

In his book “Believe and Belong”, author Bruce Larson tells of how he helped people who were struggling to defeat the giants in their lives. He writes, “For many years, I worked in New York city and counseled at my office any number of people who were wrestling with these situations. Often I would suggest they walk with me from my office down to the RCA building on Fifth Avenue. In the entrance of that building is a gigantic statue of Atlas, a perfectly proportioned man who, with all his muscles straining, is holding the world upon his shoulders. There he is, the most powerfully built man in the world, and he can barely stand up under his burden. ‘Now that’s one way you can live,’ I would point out, ‘trying to carry the world on your shoulders. But now, come across the street with me.’ On the other side of Fifth Avenue is St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and there behind the altar is a statue of Jesus as a boy, perhaps eight or nine years old, and with no effort, he is holding the world in one hand.”

The truth is, we have a choice, and we are faced with a question: Who are we relying on to defeat our giants? Who are we counting on to carry our burdens?

Obviously, if we’re going to talk about facing giants and overcoming the biggest challenges in life, we have to begin with David and Goliath.  David faced a physical giant in Goliath, but we face giants of our own all the time, whether they are mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual giants. So how do we defeat them?  Follow David’s strategy:

1. Run toward the battle.

David shows up, surveys the situation, sees the problem and immediately runs to the battle.  We wake up every morning and walk to the battle line. We look across the valley and see the intimidating problem standing there. And it happens day after day, and the more we delay in battling the giant, the more intimidating the problem becomes, and the harder it is to handle later.

David didn’t go to the valley of Elah expecting a battle. He was simply on an errand for his father to check up on his three older brothers who were soldiers in the army. David, more than likely, had no idea who Goliath even was. But that’s the way it is with giants. We don’t expect them, and they rarely announce that they’re coming.  They just show up. So run to the battle when they do.

2.   Fight your own battle, not someone else’s.

Anyone who has ever fought a battle of any kind always has advice for you.  It’s not a bad thing to learn from others’ experiences, but just as each individual is unique, each battle we fight is unique.

King Saul wanted David to fight using armor and weaponry. Saul thinks he knows best, but David knows he has to fight his own battle his own way.

You need to fight the way God asks YOU to do it.  God created you in a unique way, and that means that when you battle your giants, He will give you a unique way to handle them and defeat them. There’s nothing wrong with seeking advice and wise counsel, but ultimately, your giants are YOUR giants, and we cannot approach them trying to be somebody we are not.

3. Trust in the Lord and not only in your weapons.

As David and Goliath approached each other in battle, they each carried their weapons. Goliath had his spear and sword, David had his sling and 5 stones.  But that’s where the similarities end.  Here’s what David said:

...everyone will know that the LORD does not need weapons to rescue his people. It is his battle, not ours. The LORD will give you to us!"  (1 Samuel 17:47, NLT)

Please get this because this is important:  David HAD a weapon, but David wasn’t TRUSTING his weapon.  He was trusting in God.

David expressed his trust in the Lord before, during and after the battle. David had faith in a mighty God Who has never ever lost a battle.  That was his greatest weapon!

4. Celebrate your victories.

David killed Goliath and then cut off his head.  But then he packed Goliath’s head with him back to Jerusalem.  Can you imagine the conversation?

“David, what’cha got there in the bag?”

“Oh dude, you’re not going to believe this!  Check it out!”

“Wow!!  That’s a good one!  He was big!!!”

“Oh yeah!  You should have been there!  God showed up and the giant went down.  It was so cool!!!  And you know what they say, ‘The bigger they are the harder they fall!’”

Start your own trophy case. God healed your broken arm?  Keep a piece of the cast.  God healed your broken heart? Write down the Scripture where you found His promise to you, and keep it somewhere that you will see it.  God defeated a financial giant for you?  Keep a copy of the check or simply keep a dollar or a coin somewhere to remind you of God’s faithfulness.  Start yourself a trophy case where you can celebrate your victories and give glory to God.

Every giant we face in battle can bring us closer to God. And when we are faithful and we stand before the giants in the name of the Lord and for His glory, the victory is sure to come.

Defeating Giants (Part 1)

Remember the story of David and Goliath?  (1 Samuel 17)  I recently used that story to take the church through a series on overcoming giants in our lives.  Giants are bullies.  It’s what they do.  Goliath was no different - he was just doing what he does.  Giants will taunt you and bully you and make you feel like you can’t do anything.  But you can!  Take a look at the situation with David & Goliath.

Goliath was huge and well armored, and he was taunting King Saul and the entire army of Israel.  That’s how giants work.  They taunt us, they flaunt their size and power in front of us, just daring us to take them on.  And far too often we react like the Saul and the Israelites........we are dismayed and cower in fear.  

Along comes David, delivering some items to his brothers who are serving in Israel’s army, and he hears Goliath’s challenge.  No one had taken it up, so King Saul was doing everything he could to sweeten the deal.  David asks about the offer from the king and his brother goes off on him, trying to use guilt and ridicule to keep him away from the battle.

Sometimes, when it comes to fighting the giants in our lives, part of the battle is overcoming others who would drag us down and try to get our attention on something else rather than the battle before us.  It’s important for us to keep our focus, which is what David did.  He stepped away from his brother - not out of disrespect - but because he didn’t want to be distracted.

So David steps up and says, “Yeah, this dude’s big, but you know, God’s brought me through some other battles over the past few years.  I’m no rookie to difficult situations.  God has taken care of me this far, and I’m sure He will take care of me now.  So let me at ‘em!!”  And Saul said, “Go for it!”

When we are facing a giant in our life, it’s always good to look back and remember the other victories God has brought our way.  Too often we forget all about the other victories because the giant looks so big.  Don’t let yourself forget the other victories that have brought you to this particular giant because each one of those was preparation for where you are now.

A shepherd often carried a sling that was two pieces of small rope or leather with a pouch in the center.  He would then load a rock in the pouch, swing the sling around and at the right time, let go of the end of the sling and the rock would go sailing toward the target.

When giants come our way, we sometimes think we have to have heavy artillery.  That’s why Saul wanted David to use his own armor and  weapons.  But David knew that wouldn’t work.  He had to use what he was accustomed to.  It wasn’t huge, but it was very effective.

David said some mighty big words to Goliath.  “I’ll strike you down, cut off your head and leave your carcass and the carcasses of your buddies for the birds to eat and the beasts to devour.”  Pretty big words.......but remember, David had a big confidence in an even bigger God.

Then he loaded a rock into his sling, took aim and let it fly.  It landed and brought the giant to the ground.  Not bad for the shepherd boy from the dessert.  One giant, one rock, one sling, one throw, one victory.

The headlines in the local paper the next day read, “Boy defeats Giant.”  But how did he do it?  The same way you and I are going to have to do it if we’re going to defeats giants in our lives.  Very quickly, to defeat the giants:

1.   I must remember that the odds are against me.

In the story, the odds were definitely against David.  More than likely, you are too.  But your giant doesn’t carry sword or shield.  He looks more like unemployment, or abandonment, sexual abuse, or depression. He brings bills you can’t pay, grades you can’t make, people you can’t please, addictions you can’t resist, a career you can’t escape, a past you can’t shake, and a future you can’t face.  If you’re going to defeat the giant you’re going to have to realize that you’re outgunned.  But while you might be outgunned, God isn’t.

2.   I have to remember God is bigger than my giants.

In the story of David and Goliath, no one else discusses God.  Not Saul, the king of Israel.  Not David’s brothers.  Not the army of Israel.  No one discusses God.  David discusses no one else but God. Ultimately, this comes down to more than “David versus Goliath,” this is “God-focus versus giant –focus.”  David sees what others don’t and refuses to see what other do.

Your giants are real, and they may be big.  But God is bigger.  If your entire focus is on the giants, chances are you’ll lose the battle.  But if you keep your eyes on God, chances are your giant will fall just like Goliath did.

3.   I must give the battle to the Lord.

When David stepped onto he battlefield he was the laughing stock of the entire Philistine army.  But David is prayed up.  He knows God and He knows the power of God.  Fighting on your own doesn’t have great odds, so give the battle to God.

4.   I must focus on God, not the giants.

David makes no inquiries about Goliath’s skill, age, social standing, or IQ.  David asks nothing about the weight of the sword of the size of the spear.  But he gives much thought to God.  If you read the account you’ll find no less than nine references to the Lord.  God-thoughts outnumber Goliath-thoughts nine to two.  How does this ratio compare with yours? Do you ponder God’s grace four times as much as you ponder your guilt?  Is your list of blessings four times as long as your list of complaints?  Is your mental file of hope four times as thick as your mental file of dread?

The whole thing can be summed up this way:

Focus on giants – you stumble.

Focus on God – your giants tumble.    

So.......what giants need to go down in your life?

The Importance of Packaging

I recently read this article by Phil Cooke (www.philcooke.com) and it's just too good to not re-post. Give it a read, and then give me your thoughts...........

The Importance of Packaging

by Phil Cooke

Who you are is important—but you can never underestimate the impact of how you are perceived.

When I was a kid, television meant three channels. Whoopee! But on our satellite TV system today, my children have a choice of five hundred channels, and online, that number is nearly unlimited. The difference is extraordinary and very important. My production experience in a five-hundred-channel universe indicates that people take less than five seconds to decide to watch your program. That’s it. Think about how quickly you handle a typical TV remote and what little chance you give each program to grab your attention.

Audiences today are sophisticated and aren’t willing to put up with programs that don’t interest them. Therefore, I always advise my media clients that how a program is packaged is just as important as its content. For instance, no matter how brilliant the program content might be, it has to be packaged in a high quality, contemporary, and compelling way. Otherwise, the viewer won’t watch long enough to hear the content, and you’ve lost the audience. In the same way, you need a compelling “package” in order to be perceived as powerfully as possible. What elements combine to make your package great? Here are a few to consider:

How You Look

Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society. —Mark Twain

My father used to say, “If you dress like a pauper, you’ll never get an audience with the king.” Although styles today are much more relaxed than in the past, there are still strong feelings among people about clothes and the impact they have on perception. Even in Hollywood, where jeans are considered “business attire,” if you look closely, you’ll find those jeans are often accompanied by an exotic leather belt, an expensive linen sport coat, a designer T-shirt, a pair of alligator loafers, and a twenty-thousand-dollar watch.

But understand that it’s not about money; it’s about a style that’s appropriate for the situation. Don’t become a clothing snob and use them as weapons to elevate yourself above others. No one respects a person in the office who uses clothes as a label to separate them from everyone else. But do know and learn the power of how to dress appropriately and how clothes can be used to give you access to people, places, and events.

How You Speak

Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening. —Dorothy Sarnoff, opera singer

At the highest levels of corporate America, you rarely hear the sound of regional accents. A Southern accent sprinkled with local mannerisms may sound cute in your hometown, but the more you travel beyond the city limits, the more you’ll sound simply out of place. Talking like a cast member of The Sopranos may be desirable in parts of New Jersey, but in parts of Texas, you could be shot on sight.

Proper grammar is another basic issue that frightfully few take the time to fix. If you want to increase your value and perception in the eyes of other people, never open your mouth unless you’re speaking proper English and using grammatically correct sentences. Remember that in most business situations, your speaking voice and writing abilities are your most important communication tools, therefore, poor grammar muddles up your meaning.

No matter how old you are, it’s never too late to improve your communication abilities. A quarterback wouldn’t neglect his passing skills because that’s often the key to his success. In the same way, your brilliance and business expertise will never be known or understood if you can’t express those ideas clearly and accurately.

Appropriate Behavior

Those that are good manners at the court are as ridiculous in the country as the behavior of the country is most mockable at the court. —William Shakespeare

Knowing instinctively how to act in a variety of situations is a critical element to increasing perception. Some football coaches are brilliant on the field, but at a dinner party, they become bumbling fools. In the same way, I’ve met doctors who are internationally known for their medical skills in the operating room, but act ignorant and uncouth in other situations. Learn to become comfortable in a wide variety of circumstances and your chances of success are greatly improved.

At a board meeting, a formal dinner party, a local football game, or church, in a casual social situation, or on a business trip, does your behavior reflect the level of success you’re working toward? And please don’t think the value of perception is the ability to hide the fact that, in reality, you are unethical or dishonest. Ethical and moral behavior matters. It creates trust, loyalty, and integrity, and when damaged, reputations are tough and often impossible to rebuild.

Everything communicates. – —Brad Abare, branding and organizational consultant

Start today recognizing opportunities to jolt your perception in the eyes of your superiors, your customers, and your associates. A business genius who neglects the value of perception risks appearing to others as simply average, or worse, a fool. On the other hand, even a relative novice in business and leadership skills can dramatically improve his standing among his associates through an investment in the art of perception.

Who you are is important—but you can never underestimate the impact of how you are perceived.

A Father's Sacrificial Love

There was a Pastor, who after the usual Sunday Evening Hymns, stood up, walked over to the pulpit and, before he gave his sermon for the evening, briefly introduced a guest minister who was in service that evening. In the introduction, the Pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service. With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak.

"A father, His son, and his son’s friend were sailing off of the Pacific Coast," He began, "When a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to shore. The waves were so high, that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright and the three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized.

The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story. The aged minister continued with his story, "Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life: to which boy he would throw the other end of the lifeline. He only had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his son was a Christian and he also knew that his son’s friend was not. No pain imaginable could match the decision he made at that moment. As the father yelled out, ‘I love you son!’ He threw out the lifeline to his son’s friend.

By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of the night. His body was never recovered." By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old minister’s mouth. "The father," he continued, “knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus, but he could not bear the thought of his son’s friend stepping into eternity without Jesus.

Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save his son’s friend.”

With that the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room. The Pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon… Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man’s side.

"That was a nice story," Politely stated the boys, "But I don’t think it was realistic for a father to give up his son’s life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian." "Well, you’ve got a point there," the old man replied glancing down at the worn Bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face, he once again looked up at the boys and said, "It’s not very realistic, is it? But I’m standing today to tell you that the story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up His only son for me.

You see… I was the father and your Pastor was my son’s friend."

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, NIV)

He's Hanging On

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house.

In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.

His father, working in the yard, saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could.

Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him.

From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go.

A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal and, on his arms, were deep scratches where his father's fingernails dug into his flesh in an effort to hang onto the son he loved.

The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs, and with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, “But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Dad wouldn't let go.”

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let you go.

In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you. The Scripture teaches that God loves you. You are a child of God. He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way. But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril - and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack.

That's when the tug-of-war begins - and if you have the scars of His love on your arms, be very, very grateful. He did not and will not ever let you go.

Here’s what God says:

Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

Right now you may feel as though an alligator has you by the legs and is about to devour you. But never forget that God has your arms......and He’s not letting go!!!

Choosing Your Path

Years ago, as Alfred Nobel was reading the newspaper, he was shocked to find his name listed in the obituary column. It was a mistake, but nonetheless, there it was. What stunned him even more was what the obituary said. As he read through it he discovered that the only thing the obituary noted about him was the fact that he was the man who had invented dynamite.

At that time in history, dynamite was used in great effect for warfare. It distressed Nobel to think that all he would be known for was inventing dynamite, something that was used to take the lives of others. As a result of reading this mistaken obituary, Nobel decided to change the course of his life, he set a course to change his legacy.

From that day on, Alfred Nobel committed himself to world peace and established what we know today as the Nobel Peace Prize. When the name Alfred Nobel is mentioned today, dynamite is rarely the first thing that comes to mind. Rather, we think of the prize that bears his name. It's all because Alfred Nobel decided to change the course his life was taking.

Another man, living centuries earlier, also changed the negative course his life was on. His name was Paul, formerly known as Saul of Tarsus. Known as a relentless persecutor of the early church, he was determined to stop the spread of Christianity. But after a dramatic encounter with God one day, Saul, who’s name was changed to Paul, turned his life around 180 degrees. Like Nobel, he changed the course of his life and rather than being in individual bent on the destruction of Christianity, he became a man bent of the proclamation of God’s love, grace and forgiveness. Today Paul is known as a missionary, church planter, and author of 13 books in the New Testament.

With that in mind, let me ask you this: If you were to read your own obituary today, what do you think people would remember you for?

Your answer to the question and someone else’s answer to that question might be two quite different answers. Nobel wouldn’t have guessed he would be remember for dynamite, but that was everyone else’s answer. So what did he do? He changed the course of his life.

And friend, it isn't too late to change your direction....if you need to. Maybe you don’t, but maybe you do. Proverbs 16:17 says this:

The path of the upright leads away from evil; whoever follows that path is safe.

What path are you on? Is it a path that will lead you to the destination you want it to, or is it a path that will lead you where you don’t want to end up? Tiger Woods chose a path. Bernie Madoff chose a path. Mark McGwire chose a path.

Alfred Nobel chose a path........but then chose a different path.

Let me encourage you to press the pause button on life as we begin a new year. Take a close look at the path you’re on. Make whatever adjustments might be necessary. Then press play again, and pursue life with all you have within you!!!

God bless.........and Happy New Year to you!!!

Joy To The World!

[This post is from Pat K from New Reformation Press.]

He rules the world with grace and truth,
And makes the Nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love…

My Pastor always tells us to pay close attention to old hymns because you can find some great theology in them. Such is the case with “Joy to the World.” This particular verse of this hymn is the reason I don’t participate in the ‘Christmas Wars’ and why you will never hear me decrying the commercialization of the Christmas holiday. Christmas as we celebrate it is the ultimate example of what this verse teaches.

Think about it for a minute. Christ’s dominion is such that pagan holidays have been gutted of their original meaning and filled with the things of Christ. So much so that the original pagan meanings have all but disappeared from our culture, and would be entirely forgotten, except for a handful of atheists who desperately try to use their origins in a pathetic attempt to delegitimize the holiday. (Note that there is evidence, and good evidence, that the traditional date for Christmas is not pagan in origin, but that is an entirely other subject.)

You may be saying to yourself, “Well, our culture has forgotten the Christian meanings, too.” I say not entirely. Even then, Christ makes the Nations prove the glories of His righteousness and the wonders of His love.

The cathedrals of commerce, our shopping malls and grocery stores, play Christmas music for almost a month before Christmas. Shoppers are literally drenched with the praises of Christ while they engage in what amounts to preparation for extravagantly sacrificial giving to friends and family. Believers and unbelievers alike, once a year, spend what many people consider far too much, just to give it away. This in turn creates a huge wave of cash that washes around the globe creating jobs that allow people in other countries to buy food and clothing. I heard recently that most retail outlets don’t turn a profit until Black Friday, the first day of the Christmas shopping season. God teaches us about giving and provides daily bread for millions. All this because the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

Workaholics and greedy businesses on this one day are forced to take a Sabbath rest. (I believe that this is a foretaste of that ‘every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess’ thing mentioned in Scripture.) For some large businesses, this is the only day that they are closed all year.

Families and friends are given a day to be together and enjoy each other.

The Scripture says “And from His fullness we have all received grace upon grace.” By the power of the Word all this is accomplished at Christmas.

I’m not bothered when people or businesses talk about “Happy Holidays.” We all know which holiday they are referring to. Christmas is the 800 pound gorilla on the holiday block. A Jewish friend told me that Hannukah was on par with St. Patrick’s Day. Kwanzaa is in its holiday infancy and it will take a few hundred years (if the Lord should tarry) to see if it has any legs.

I can hear the protests—“These people aren’t Christians, are materialistic, are doing it for selfish reasons, don’t understand the true meaning”, etc, etc. These things are true. Let me paraphrase the patriarch Joseph. He told his brothers that they had meant it for evil (when they sold him into bondage) but God had meant it for good. Concerning Christmas, we mean these things for whatever reason we mean them, but God means them for good. For us and for our neighbors.

Every year I marvel that the whole world can’t help but participate in the celebration of the Incarnation. I am also humbled by the mighty power of the Word that brings this to pass.

Truly it is “Joy to the World.”

In Pursuit of Excellence

I LOVE this story:

Harvey Mackay was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey .

He handed my friend a business card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.' Harvey read the card. It said: Wally's Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.

This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!

As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.'

My friend said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.' Wally smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice.' Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.'

Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.' As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card. 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.' And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.

'Tell me, Wally,' my amazed friend asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?'

Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always, in fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.''

That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally. 'Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'

'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said.

'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab.

About 10 years ago I had the privilege of going to China. As we prepared to return we had to spend an extra day in Shanghai in order to make the flights work. We had been eating wonderful Chinese food (the real deal) for 11 days and really wanted something “American”, so our hotel concierge sent us to the Hard Rock Café.

The Hard Rock was great, but the real eye opener was the cab driver. He was just like Wally in the story. His cab was immaculate, his driving superb. He even wore white gloves! Granted, we couldn’t communicate well due to the language barrier, but he did what he did with excellence.

Do I do what I do with excellence? I try to, but fail from time to time. My guess is that you would say the same thing.

So here’s my encouragement this week: Pursue excellence. At work, at home, at play....pursue excellence. The Bible says it this way in Colossians 3:23:

Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

I guarantee that you will open a few eyes and make an impact in the process!!!

Guard Your Heart

I'm a bit of a computer geek. I have several security programs that run on every computer at the office and at my home. I'm a backup junkie! Every important file is backed up nightly in at least 3 locations. I want the information to be secure in the event of any kind of data loss.

So when I got home last night and my wife informed me that the firewall on our home computer had indicated that a virus was attempting to "attack" our system, I had to check it out. Indeed, a virus was attempting to make it's way in.....so I fought back and was ultimately able to win! Whew!

A man whose company provides data security for military space operations explained how vulnerable computers are to outside attack. During a training exercise, hackers were able to shut down a highly protected system without ever stealing a password or cracking a code. They simply accessed the unsecured maintenance program for the building that housed the computers and turned off the air conditioning. When the computer room became too hot, the system automatically shut down.

In computers, whether or personal or military, it's important to keep up your guard in order to protect against unwanted scenarios with your data information. The same applies to life.

Sometimes we get comfortable where we are in life, with how things are going. But overconfidence and a false sense of security can cause us to let down our guard, and when that happens things start to "creep in" to our lives that we really don't want to be there.

Things like criticism, being judgmental, rudeness and being short tempered - to name a few - can begin to define our character in short order. That's why it's so important to guard our hearts.

Proverbs 4:23 tells us: Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.

Notice, our heart affects EVERYTHING we do. That's why it is so critical that we guard our hearts. When the "viruses" of criticism, cutting speech, anger, bitterness.....the list could go on.....begin to make their way into our hearts, they begin to come out in our lives. The end result
is always damage.....to ourselves and to others. Always.

"Can't happen to me." No? 1 Corinthians 10:12 cautions us: people who think they are standing firmly should be careful that they don't fall.

Another translation of the Bible says it this way: Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence.

Let me encourage you to do a little heart examination. Are you finding yourself being overly critical? Angry without apparent cause? Sharp tongued? Those are indicators of something deeper going on. It's time for a heart examination.

Remember, the heart affects everything we do. If you find something there that shouldn't be.....it's time for a little "surgery" to remove it. Ask God to use the scalpel of His love and grace to remove the things that shouldn't be there. Surgery isn't much fun, but the end result is a much better heart....and life.

The Right Kind of Friends

On Thursday, December 14, 2005 a story appeared on the front page story of the San Francisco Chronicle about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines.

She was 45 to 50 feet in length and weighed in at an estimated 50 tons, yet she was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle to stay afloat. Apparently she had become ensnared while traveling the humpback’s usual migratory route between the northern California route and Baja, California.

She also had hundreds of yards of line rope wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, and a line tugging in her mouth. A fisherman spotted her just east of the Farralone Islands (outside the Golden Gate Bridge) and radioed for help.

Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived to assess the situation. The whale had about 20 crab-pot ropes, which are 240 feet long with weights every 60 feet, wrapped around her. Rope was wrapped at least four times around the tail, the back and the left front flipper, and there was a line in the whale's mouth.

The crab-pot lines were cinched so tight, Moskito said, that the rope was digging into the animal's blubber and leaving visible cuts.

At least 12 crab traps, weighing 90 pounds each, hung off the whale, the divers said. The combined weight was pulling the whale downward, forcing it to struggle mightily to keep its blow_ hole out of the water.

4 divers spent about an hour cutting the ropes with a special curved knife.....a very dangerous proposition. One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer.

When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She then came back to each diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushing them gently around ___ as if she were thanking them. Some said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.

Like the whale, sometimes in our normal routine of life we find ourselves tangled up in things that weigh us down. Whether it’s the pressures of work or family, illness or even poor choices we make, we sometimes find ourselves being pulled down by the weight of "life".

See, crab traps aren’t bad....unless they’re wrapped around a whale. Family and work and the "normal" events of life aren’t bad, but they can wrap themselves around us and begin to pull us down.

It’s at those times that your friends come along to help "cut some of the weight" away from you. Do you have friends like that? I hope so! Better yet, are you a friend like that?

Ecclesiastes 4:9 & 10 tells us: Two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one; they get a better return for their labor. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble.

Galatians 6:2 also tells us: By helping each other with your troubles, you truly obey the law of Christ.

Let me encourage to build the kind of friendships that you can count on in the difficult times. I truly hope that you never find yourself "all tangled up", but if you do, you’ll be blessed to have friends to come and help you out. And if your friend is ever "tangled up", you can be right there for them as well.

Be Patient.....With One Another

I have a problem. Actually, you have it too. Well, at least, I’m guessing you have this problem. Most people do.

What problem? Well, it’s kind of embarrassing to tell you, but here it is: I have this tendency to see other people’s faults while ignoring my own.

You too? That’s what I thought.

We all have faults. I do. You do. We all do. But our tendency is to quickly see the faults in others while we conveniently ignore our own faults. Some people are quite gifted at this.

A boss commented to his secretary about one of his men: "Harry has such a bad memory, it's a wonder he remembers to breathe. I asked him to pick up a newspaper on his way back from lunch, but I'm not ever sure he'll remember his way back to the office." Just then Harry burst in the door, brimming with enthusiasm.

He exclaimed, "Guess what, boss! At lunch I ran into old man Jones who hasn't given us an order in seven years. Before he left I talked him into a million-dollar contract!"

The boss sighed and looked at his secretary, "What did I tell you? He forgot the newspaper."

Let’s see this from another perspective.

A speaker held up a blank sheet of paper and asked, "What do you see?"

The reply was, "A piece of paper."

He then placed the paper on the podium, made a tiny dot in the center and held it up again. "What do you see now?"

"A dot," was the unanimous reply from the audience.

"Imagine this blank paper is a person," the speaker said. "The small dot you saw is his/her biggest fault. The white surrounding the dot represents all of this person's worthwhile qualities which we so easily fail to see. Often a fault seems bigger than it really is and we allow it to overshadow the many positive aspects of that person's personality."

We all have different backgrounds and we’re all wired in a unique way. No two people are alike - not even identical twins. That’s why we need patience with one another. God created each of us with different shapes, assigning each of us a different mission in life.

Here’s what the Bible says: Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. (Ephesians 4:2b NLT)

Let me encourage you to look beyond people’s faults. Sure, they have ‘em, and so do you. Try and overlook theirs as easily as you overlook yours. No, it won’t be easy. After all, we’ve become pretty good at finding faults in others while overlooking our own. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. Right?

Go Ahead, Take a Risk!

Today I want to encourage you to take a risk. In this culture? Yep. In this economy? Sure. Why would I want to do such a crazy thing? Because you’ll never know if you don’t try.

Let me tell you about a young lady I recently met. She was getting ready to begin her final year of college in preparation for the classroom. She had studied and prepared and was headed toward her goal of being a teacher. But something just didn’t feel right.

Oh, she had done well in her college course work. She had worked hard in preparation for her student teaching assignment. She had listened to and received the encouragement of family and friends who told her that she was on the right track and that she would make a great teacher. But something didn’t settle in her heart.

She had spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours in preparation. All that was left was 2 semesters; one in student teaching, the other in the classroom. She would then graduate and be on her way to seeking a teaching position in the fall of 2010. But she just couldn’t shake that uneasiness inside her heart.

She had to do something.

So she took a risk. She made a decision that she would no longer pursue the goal that she had originally set out on. Instead, she made some changes in her focus, in her goals and in her classes. Today, she’s on a different course and is more excited and fulfilled than she’s been for a long, long time. She reached for the brass ring of her dream and she’s pursuing it 110%. She has peace in her heart and a whole new direction and outlook on life. She’s excited! And I’m proud of her!

But not everyone else is excited with her. No, that would be too easy, wouldn’t it? She faced criticism from all sides. Arguments were presented to her as to why her decision was foolish. She was repeatedly challenged to reconsider her decision. Even my first inclination was, "Wow! That takes guts!" She stood her ground.

She took a risk.

What is it that you would like to do that would require you to take a risk? Look into another career? Ask out that girl you’ve had your eye on for quite some time, but have been hesitant to ask? Go back to school and finish that degree you’ve always wanted? What risk do you need to take?

See, friends, life is too short to play everything safe. If you do what you’ve always done you’ll get what you always got. Poor English, but true.

I love this quote: "Until you spread your wings, you’ll have no idea how far you can fly."

What risk do you need to take? If you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you attempt? Here’s what God said to Joshua in the Old Testament:

Remember that I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don't be afraid, because the LORD your God will be with you everywhere you go. (Joshua 1:9)

I challenge you to take a risk. You could fail, but you might succeed. Listen to what God is whispering in your heart......and then go for it!

I leave you with The Lion Chaser’s Manifesto, written by Mark Batterson.

　

Lion Chaser’s Manifesto

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God_sized goals. Pursue God_ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future.

Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Consider the lilies. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life.

Don't let what's wrong with you keep you from worshiping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze a new trail. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks.

Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away. Chase the lion!

(From Mark Batterson’s book: "In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day")

A Safety Net of People

We’ve had a beautiful weekend here in southern Iowa, but it’s been a tough few days. A dear friend passed away on Friday, and a child who had battled health issues since birth entered eternity as well.

As a pastor I often see situations that nobody should ever have to go through alone. No one should ever have to wait in the hospital while a loved one is in life-or-death surgery. No woman should ever have to wait alone for the lab report on a problem pregnancy or an abnormal breast exam. No one should ever have to wait for news from a battlefield alone. Nobody should ever have to stand at the edge of an open grave alone. Nobody should ever have to spend the first night alone when their spouse has just walked out. And no one should ever be alone having just lost a loved one.

Life’s tough times and tragedies are inevitable – each of us will face them. But we don’t need to go through them alone. Let me remind you of God’s promise.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you cross rivers, you will not drown. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned, nor will the flames hurt you. This is because I, the LORD, am your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. (Isaiah 43:2 & 3)

That’s a great promise. But let’s get down to the nitty-gritty for a moment. The promise of God’s presence is truly wonderful......but we still want someone "with skin on", too, don’t we? And truly, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

See, God knew we’d want that too, which He designed us for relationships. Have you ever wondered why people who live a reclusive lifestyle tend to be a bit "strange"? It’s because their lives are lacking relationships. We were wired for relationships.

Those relationships become even more important when we find ourselves going through difficult times. Face it, we need each other! That’s why the Bible gives us some instructions:

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. (Romans 12:15)

The first part of that verse is easy. When something good happens to someone, it’s often easy to join in on the party. But when someone is having a tough time, it can seem more difficult. But really, it’s simple. When you’re going through a crisis, you don’t want advice; you just want somebody to be there – to sit with you, hold your hand, put an arm around your shoulder, or cry with you.

Here’s another verse:

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

As a pastor I've spend many hours in waiting rooms, hospital rooms and funeral homes. Years ago I would worry about having "the right thing" to say. But here's what I've learned: encouraging someone else doesn’t always mean giving a pep talk or words of wisdom. Sometimes the best kind of encouragement is just sitting in silence – waiting and weeping with a friend.

I hope you have a safety net of people and relationships that you know you can count on in life’s toughest times. If not, let me encourage you to go out today and begin building those friendships. The hard times in life are inevitable and you don’t want to find yourself going through difficulty alone.

Slow Fade

Casting Crowns (castingcrowns.com) has long been a favorite music group of mine. I love their music and the genuineness with which they play.

Yesterday I was cutting the grass and listening to some of their music. As I kept going back and forth across the lawn I had to fight the urge to sing along......it's a bit embarrassing to be singing at the top of your lungs with no music playing. Nonetheless, as I listened one line jumped out at me. The song is called "Slow Fade" and it speaks about how the journey into sin isn't an overnight thing, but takes place over time. People don't commit adultery in a moment, the idea gets planted, grows, eventually happens. That applies to virtually every sin. The line that stuck out to me said this:

"The journey from your mind to your hands is shorter than you're thinking."

Wow! Great truth there! How many times have thoughts crept into your mind that ultimately made it to your hands? Probably more times than you or I care to remember. That's why the Bible tells us: Keep your mind on things above, not on worldly things. (Colossians 3:2)

It's easy to get distracted and in the process have your life torn to shreds. Don't let it happen. Keep your heart and mind fixed on God. Someone once said, "You can't keep the bird from flying over, but you can keep it from building a nest." While that's true, my suggestion would be this: the next time the bird (temptation) flies over, shoot it! There will, no doubt, be more birds to follow, so keep a good supply of ammunition on hand!

Blessings, friends!!!

Here's a link to a great video of Casting Crowns song, Slow Fade:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-8SYA6rfbs

Two Pieces of Advice

Although it’s been over seven decades since Babe Ruth played baseball and most of his records have been eclipsed by others, he’s still recognized as the greatest slugger who ever lived. The Bambino is truly an American icon.

Time after time, Ruth stepped up to the plate and hammered one out of the park. He was the first major leaguer to hit 60 homers in one season. His career record of 714 homeruns stood for nearly four decades (without steroids!). Every survey and ranking lists Babe among the "greatest of the greats" – usually at the top of the heap. It’s no wonder the old Yankee Stadium is still known as "The House that Ruth Built."

There’s another major league record holder worth noting. His name was Eddie "Cocky" Collins, who played as an infielder for the Athletics and White Sox. Collins played in the early 1900’s, and several seasons overlapped with Ruth.

Like Babe, Collins was at the top of his game. He led the Athletics to four pennants and three World Series titles. He was selected as the League’s Most Valuable Player in 1914 (Babe Ruth’s rookie season.) One sportswriter recently called him the greatest second baseman in history.

Cocky Collins set a record that still stands today – almost a century after he retired from baseball. He is the all time major league BUNT leader. 512 bunts! That’s over 100 more than the guy in second place, and twice as many as the active bunt leader, Omar Vizqual.

So we have two baseball greats before us – one is famous for home runs and other (not so famous) for bunting.

At first glance, holding the bunting record seems less than inspiring. Who would want that distinction? Home runs are much more exiting! The crowd, for instance, doesn’t go bananas when a player decides to lay down a sacrifice bunt.

With a deeper look, however, a bunt is a many splendored thing! Sacrificial acts for others are, indeed, noble and praiseworthy. We should all assume this posture as we relate to the people around us. The most valuable players in any team, business, or organization are those who ask "How can I serve you?" (Rather than "How can YOU serve ME?")

Those who selflessly invest their lives behind the scenes to help others advance are the greatest heroes – I think of teachers, medical workers, mothers, cooks, technicians, nurses, custodians, mentors, secretaries and other support staff. The world couldn’t exist without these unsung heroes.

This is the Lesson from Cocky Collins: Give yourself away. It doesn’t matter who gets the credit, as long as the team is moving forward in the right direction. There is great virtue in standing aside for the advancement of others. Here’s how Jesus said it in John 15:13: And here is how to measure it - the greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends.

However, we can learn a lesson from Babe Ruth too. Swing for the fence!! The Bambino didn’t hold back. He didn’t hesitate. He went for it and took the necessary risk. He committed himself FULLY and didn’t just play it safe. Sometimes the Babe hit leather and other times he hit air (1330 strikeouts) but all the time, he was swinging the bat!

God put it this way in Ecclesiastes 9:10: Whatever presents itself for you to do, do it with all your might...

Bottom Line?

Have a heart like Cocky Collins with a faith like Babe Ruth..

When it comes to serving others - make the sacrificial bunt.

When it comes to taking bold steps of faith – swing for the fence!

Out of the mess..........

I heard the story of an elderly minister who liked to visit people in hospitals. He often would take along a little, embroidered bookmark that he carried in his Bible. On the back of the bookmark were a group of tangled threads with no apparent pattern. He would hand this bookmark, with the back facing up, to those who were hurting or upset and say, "Look at that and tell me what it says."

As they looked at all the tangled threads, they would say, "I have no idea what it says. It doesn't seem to say anything."

Then he said, "Now, turn it over." As they would flip that bookmark over, they saw the words, "God is love." The minister would say, "Many times as we look at what God is doing, we just see tangled threads with no rhyme or reason. But from God's perspective, He is dealing with us in love, and He knows what He is doing."

The next time you think it is all over for you, open a Bible and read about Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely accused of rape and imprisoned, yet became the second most powerful man in all of Egypt. Read about Daniel, a young man who feared God and because of it was thrown into a pit filled with hungry lions. Yet, God closed the mouths of the lions and they didn’t lay a paw on him. Things looked hopeless as well for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed_Nego when they refused to deny God and were thrown into the fiery furnace, yet God Himself was right there with them and they walked out unscathed. Things looked pretty grim for Peter when he was in prison, and for Martha and Mary when their brother died.

There’s no guarantee that your difficult situation is going to end up like these, but there is something you can count on. When you’ve placed your life in God’s hands, He’s promised: I will never leave you. I will never forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5) And when things look impossible, which sometimes happens, remember what Jesus said: Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible. (Matthew 19:26)

You see, things can look bad at one moment, but then God will step in and turn events around. Then suddenly you'll look back and say, "Now I understand what God was doing."

Let me encourage you to move forward, even in the difficulties. Even when they look impossible......God can make the impossible possible.