Striving and training

Striving and training 

Some of you know I workout about 4 days a week with weights and the Chuck Norris torture device(aka the Total Gym.). There are times in scripture where running and exercise are mentioned.  You and I well our lives come in contact and interact with others.  What we strive for personally has an influence on those interactions.  Why do I know this because I just spent half my shift at work being grumpy when I knew better.  So you and I both need to work on this.  I want to set this all up with the words to an old song.  In the book of First Timothy, Paul writes to his friend and young pastor and he warns him about trouble.  We’re all going to face it but I’m going to endeavor to help you here.  

“When you’re up against a struggle that shatters all your dreams 

And your hopes have been cruelly crushed by Satan’s manifested schemes

And you feel the urge within you to submit to earthly fears

Don’t let the faith you’re standing in seem to disappear”

1 Timothy 4:6-13

“If you explain these things to the brothers and sisters, Timothy you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed.  Do not waste your time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales.  Instead train yourself to be Godly.  Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and the life to come.  This is a trustworthy saying and everyone should accept it.  This is why we work hard and continue to struggle for our hope is in the living God , who is Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.  Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them.  Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young.  Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith and your purity.  Until I get there focus on reading the scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers and teaching them.”  

See Timothy was told to pursue physical training but more importantly Training for Godliness. We have to strive and struggle to be more like Christ.  It doesn’t just happen.  Bible reading and prayer are necessary.  

Being a wrestling fan I can tell you those men and women put a lot of work into the way they look and how they move in the ring.  I got to shake DDP, Booker T and Kevin Nash’s hands and up close a pro wrestler is very physically intimidating.  In Philippians 3:12-14 Paul shows us effort has to be put into being closer to God.  

“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection.  But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.  No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing; forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.  I press on to reach the end of my race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

Here’s some more about striving.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize?  So run to win!  All athletes are disciplined in their training.  They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.  So I run with purpose in every step.  I am not just Shadow boxing.  I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.  Otherwise, I fear preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”

Let me break this down in a personal way.  I work out to stay in shape.  I’m a 42 yr old diabetic.  My body is under attack by a disease.  Because of the sin of Adam and Eve you and I have a sin nature, striving to be closer to God after Salvation is to be our goal.  Our sinful diseased nature will fight with us as much as someone trying to find an excuse not to exercise such will be the struggle to spend time in prayer and Bible reading.  It’s a fight for your attention.  Are you going to train for Godliness or not?  I can’t answer it for you.  

In Romans 7:14-25 Paul talks in great detail about struggling between doing what’s wrong and right.  Verses 24-25 is where our hope is.  This is a blog of hope and Godly training.  “Oh what a miserable person I am!  Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?  Thank God!  The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.  So you see how it is: in my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.”

Joshua gave the people of Israel a choice.  

Joshua 24:14-15

“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly.  Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshipped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt.  Serve the Lord alone.  But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then chose today whom you will serve.  Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live?  But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”  

Some of you may still need hope.  So I’m going to let the late Chuck Colson point you in that direction.  

“Where is the hope?  I meet millions of people who feel demoralized by the decay around us.  The hope that each of us has is not in who governs us, or what laws we pass, or what great things we do as a nation.  Our hope is in the power of God working through the hearts of people.  And that’s where our hope is in this country.  And that’s where our hope is in life.”  

Struggling for Godliness will not be easy but there is hope in the power of God at work in us.  A lot of it is going to come down to choices.  Who are you going to serve?  Will it be your sinful nature or the way God calls you to live.  

There is optional reading here I have included a link to a fictional story I did years back about Spiritual warfare.  Some of you may have read this and some may have not.  Here is a link to the Swordsman.  

More than Gold by Geoff Moore and the Distance 

Human Race by Steven Curtis Chapman 

Press On by Selah

Jekyll and Hyde by Petra

Praise the Lord by the Imperials, Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith 

Heaven in the real world by Steven Curtis Chapman 

If you want me to by Ginny Owens 

Now someone may have gotten to this last song and been utterly confused but if you listen to the words you learn that it is a song about God fighting for his people.  

Battle Hymn of the Republic by Lee Greenwood

If I only had a brain

If I only had a brain 

“Gosh it would be awful pleasin to reason out the reason for things I can’t explain then perhaps I’ll deserve ya and be even worthy of ya if I only had a brain.”

I’ve read through the Bible multiple times and some of those who have seen my posts on Facebook last week can tell you I posted something about this.  I have discovered recently that Nehemiah is a very action packed book.  Another thing I have learned is in the book of Job they weren’t all wrong.  There are actually things you can learn from the book.  See I have heard quite a few pastors and some avoid the book and sometimes it is preached from with a perspective that Job, his friends and wife were all completely wrong and never said anything worth reading.  At least that’s the way it always seemed to me.  About a month ago Pastor Micah actually quoted a passage from the book and it caught me off guard to the point I began reading the book for myself.  Job and his friends weren’t completely wrong they simply didn’t know what was going on between God and Satan in regards to Job.  You can actually find an awesome passage about seeking God and finding wisdom that I wanted to share with you.  We could learn some things from this book.  If you’ve never read the book of Job I encourage you to.  Why because you have a brain and you can learn wisdom.  

Job 28:20-28

“But do my people know where to find wisdom?  Where can they find understanding?  It is hidden from the eyes of humanity.  Even the sharp-eyed birds in the sky cannot discover it.  Destruction and Death say, ‘We’ve heard only rumors of where wisdom can be found.’  God alone understands the way to wisdom; he knows where it can be found, for he looks throughout the whole earth and sees everything under the heavens.  He decided how hard the winds should blow and how much rain should fall.  He made the laws for the rain, and laid out a path for the lightning.  Then he saw wisdom and evaluated it.  He set it in place and examined it thoroughly.  And this is what he says to all humanity:  ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding ‘.”  

I mean just look at that for a moment.  Here’s a few things the person who skipped the book of Job would miss.  

1.  God is in control of the rain and lightning

2.  Not even the sharp-eyed birds, death, destruction or people know where true wisdom can be found but God does.  

3.  “The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.”  

Now some of you might have seen Disney’s Aladdin.  So for you looking to read the book of Job I need you to remember the words of the Genie.  “He can be taught.”  Like I said you have a brain and if you only had a brain you could learn something.  Like the Riddler said on Batman Forever.  “If you kill him; he won’t learn nothing.”  Use your brains people read your Bible and let God show you things.  I did and it got you another blog.  Some may think I’m being a little silly but I desire for the reader to spend time in God’s Word on their own.  Having a copy of the Bible is good and all but you need to read it for it to have an impact on your life.  

Treasure Island by Steven Curtis Chapman 

Greatest story ever told by 4 Him

Seek First by Susan Ashton 

Lover of my soul by Amy Grant

Touch your people once again by Steve Green 

You are God alone by Phillips, Craig and Dean

Dive Deeper by Steven Curtis Chapman

Humble Yourself

Humble yourself 

We live in a day and age where people think they are so entitled.  God calls us to humility.  I spent 13 years working at a call center and the mentality of entitlement came through from customers in odd ways.  There were people who demanded credit for things.  I worked on prepaid calling cards for Sprint and people would call wanting their minutes back.  They would claim the call didn’t go through but yet the phone records showed they were connected for well over a minute and a half.  I had people ask to be reimbursed for being on hold.  When I worked for Fidelity I had some who would call each weekend when their debit card underwent maintenance and demand we pay for their meals they had to use another card for.  I could list so many examples.  There are things people are trying to demand from the government that they themselves are supposed to work for.  

Jesus gives us a better way in Luke 14:7-14.  

“When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice:  ‘When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor.  What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited?  The host will come and say ‘Give this person your seat.’  Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table!  Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table.  Then when the host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!  Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests.  For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’  Then he turned to his host.  ‘When you put on a luncheon or a banquet don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors.  For they will be able to invite you back, and that will be your only reward.  Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and blind.  Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”

Don’t act entitled.  Treat others as better than yourself and be humble.  I’ve used this as an illustration before but where I work doing security we used to have assigned parking and I could demand it if wanted to make a big deal of it but I’m fine with letting other people park there because I’m just the lowly security guard.  One thing about humbling yourself that you have to learn quickly in marriage is to put your spouse’s needs above your own.  You have to learn that fast when dating because otherwise it will be a short relationship.  Remember we all put our pants on one leg at a time.  We also tip over very easy when trying to put underwear on.  You laugh but just when you seem to get arrogant think about that it will make you rethink things.  My friend Kathy told me something years ago that will fix your perspective.  “I am not, but I know I Am”.   For those who may not get it.  In Genesis, God reveals himself as I Am.  When questioned he says I Am the God, of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.  See you and I we’re not the important part, God is. 

James 4:6 “God opposes the proud, but favors the humble.”

Humble yourself by Mylon Lefevere & Friends

Humble me by Cheri Keaggy

Bottom Line

Bottom line

There’s a few times in scripture that simply deliver a bottom line.  I’m going to try to give you some basic things here for life.  

Job 11:13-20  “If only you would prepare your heart and lift up your hands to him in prayer!  Get rid of all your sins, and leave iniquity behind you.  Then your face will brighten with innocence.  You will be strong and free of fear.  You will forget your misery; it will be like water flowing away.  Your life will be brighter than the noonday.  Even darkness will be as bright as morning.  Having hope will give you courage.  You will be protected and will rest in safety.  You will lie down unafraid, and many will look to you for help.  But the wicked will be blinded.  They will have no escape.  Their only hope is death.”  

God wants you to seek him and follow his ways.  

1 Peter 1:14-16 “So you must live as God’s obedient children.  Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires.  You didn’t know any better then.  But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.  For the scriptures say, ‘You must be holy because I Am holy.’”  

Holiness that’s what we’re called to be.  We have to be vigilant about it as well.

So to bottom line all of this King Solomon said it well.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “That’s the whole story.  Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.  God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing whether good or bad.”

That’s what matters by Rebecca St James.  

My Jesus I love thee by Michael W Smith 

Hymns Medley by Sandi Patty and friends

Forecast

Forecast

So a little behind the scenes are in order.  There’s a part on the DC Talk CD called Welcome to the Freak Show where the guys are introducing the song In The Light.  “We thought we had the perfect introduction for this song but to put it quite bluntly God came up with a better one.”  See I thought I had the right blog for this week but God has been trying to hammer a lesson into me for about a week or more.  Almost everything you get from this blog is my journey with God and it is raw and honest.  Like singer Anna Nalick said “Cause these words are my diary screaming out loud And I know that you’ll use them however you want to.”  If God can use me to help others that’s all that I want.  I’ve had about a week that has felt more like a month.  We’ve all had them my details don’t much matter.  I keep coming back to a few things during all of it.  I titled this blog Forecast because it’s a pun really.  See I gave all this before talking about the word “Cast”.   

There is a song readers of the blog have seen me post often by Hillsong called O, Praise the Name.  I keep coming back to the first line.  After things in my life keep going Kaboom there is the line from the song again.  

“I cast my mind to Calvary where Jesus bled and died for me.  I see his wounds, his hands, his feet.  My Savior on that cursed tree.”  

Then I keep coming to this one verse I memorized as a child.  

Psalms 118:24 “This is the day that the Lord has made.  We will rejoice and be glad in it.”  

My friend David Moody shares these thoughts on Facebook and one day he posted that verse.  He made a point that just because things around you may seem bad it is still the day the Lord has made.  No matter how bad it seems God still made that day you’re living in.  Wednesday night as I was driving home from work I got this drilled home even more like getting a double armed DDT from Mick Foley (a very painful looking wrestling move for those that may not know).  My MP3 player started playing the old hymn “Count your blessings name them one by one Count your many blessings see what the Lord has done.”  It’s been a week that has felt like a month but sometimes you need to “Cast your mind to Calvary.”  

O, Praise the name by Hillsong 

Keep Breathing by Kerrie Roberts 

Today is the day by Lincoln Brewster 

I see you by Rich Mullins 

Road to Calvary by John Schlitt 

Count your blessings by Guy Penrod 

When the tears fall by Newsboys 

Who?

Who?

We live in a sad day and age where there are words like identity thrown around a lot.  Not with good meanings either.  The Disciples got asked a question about identity and one of them gets it right.  In Luke 9:18-20.  “One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone.  Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them.  ‘Who do people say I am?’  ‘Well,’ they replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets, risen from the dead.’  

We’ve got what DC comics would call an Identity Crisis going on here I mean look at the way many different people viewed Jesus.  So why is Zac making a point of all this.  Peter is about to give us the correct answer.  

“Then he asked them, ‘But who do you say I am?’  Peter replied, ‘You are the Messiah sent from God!’”

What you believe about Jesus affects your faith.  It changes how you interact with others.  It determines your salvation.  You have to believe he is the one and only Son of God.  He died on a cross and rose from the dead and is seated in Heaven and will return.  Without this you can claim to be a Christian but it won’t be true.  If you see no change in your life you need to back up and examine what you are claiming for salvation because God won’t leave you alone.  Following God forces you to make choices often.  

Romans 10:9-10 “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.”  

See what you believe really and truly matters and you’re going to have to give it some thought.  Good works ain’t going to save you.  If you count on that you’re in trouble.  We can’t even claim credit for salvation.  

Ephesians 2:8-9 “God saved you by his grace when you believed.  And you can’t take credit for this: it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”  

Salvation can only be found in Jesus.  Not church attendance, good works or any other thing you want to try.  

John 14:6 “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one can come to the Father except through me.’”

Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

You asked why I made such a big deal of what you believe about Jesus Christ well it’s because it is the most important choice in your life and you had better be right about what you believe.  

I had a person tell me a few months back he didn’t believe God protected people anymore he just believes we were left to cause and effect and nothing else really matters.  To me that is a choice to have a very small god you claim to serve.  At that point why pray?  You’ve already limited the sovereignty of God.  I told him I still believe the same God who put a cloud by day above the nation of Israel and a Pillar of Fire by night is still on his throne and can still protect his people.  As a child growing up my mom read how God placed a hedge of protection around Job and she prayed that over my sister and I.  I can look back and tell you God has protected me.  What you believe about Jesus Christ and the God of the Bible matter a great deal.

So you gotta ask yourself.  Who do you say that he is?  

What if by Nichole Nordeman

What’s in a name by Petra

I use the J word by DeGarmo and Key

Passion medley by Sandi Patty 

Manifesto by City Harmonic

We Believe by Newsboys 

Creed by Third Day 

Ouch..... Speak kindness

(I apologize for the music links appearance at the bottom I was having a hard time with the links working the way I want. It was a yahoo mail problem. )  

Words can hurt.  Reputations can be ruined and trust can easily become broken.  Sometimes you can read verses in the Bible that are so blunt.  

Proverbs 25:18 “Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow. “

Then you you come to another verse about lying.

Proverbs 26:28 “A lying tongue hates its victims, and flattering words cause ruin.”

These two verses are after effects of what we are told in Exodus 20:16 “You must not falsely testify against your neighbor.”  Neighbor here means anyone.  

There’s an alternative to lying.  But you must start with Romans 12:1-2 “And so dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you.  Let them be a living and holy sacrifice— the kind he will find acceptable.  This is truly the way to worship him.  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good pleasing and perfect.”  

When your mind is transformed and renewed and you spend time in God’s Word you learn there are better ways to speak.  

Ephesians 4:29 “Don’t use foul or abusive language.  Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.”  

After reading the verses in Proverbs I would say lies fall under foul or abusive language.  They harm just as much as profanity or insults if not more.  

Christians are called to do and be better in our speech and actions.  Ephesians 4:14-15 “Then we will no longer be immature like children.  We won’t be tossed and blown about by every new teaching.  We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.  Instead, we will speak the truth in love , growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of the body, the church.”  We are to speak the truth in love.  Sometimes there’s too many Christians speaking and not speaking truth or using love we have to be very careful with what we say to others and about them.  James chapter 3 gets even more serious about us controlling the tongue.  Read it.  

When the Time comes by Sandi Patty

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