Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Running to Win the Prize


  I sit at my desk tonight typing this post reflecting on the fact that I have once again been negligent in my charge to keep all four of my followers engaged with lively and new material on a consistent basis.  But at least this time I have a good excuse - sort of.

  You see my daughter begins high school in a couple of weeks and I have been working with her as she prepares for her first ever season of cross-country. For weeks now she has been out running (sometimes with me, sometimes on her own) as part of her strength and conditioning program.  The most amazing part of all this is that she is doing so w/o complaint or argument.  She has discovered the secret to long-term success in this sport whose tag line is "my sport is your sport's punishment."   Self-discipline and training have taken their toll on my daughter (and somewhat on me) as she is getting faster and stronger all the time.

Cross country is not the only arena where training and self-discipline prove themselves to be an extremely valuable component of the athlete's success and or failure, in fact there are many arenas in life where this is the case, yet none more important perhaps than in the expression of the Gospel message we Christians claim to proclaim.

This concept was so important and understood that the apostle Paul used this analogy when writing to the church in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 9:24-27Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

24 You know that in a race all the runners run, but only one runner gets the prize. So run like that. Run to win! 25 All who compete in the games use strict training. They do this so that they can win a prize—one that doesn’t last. But our prize is one that will last forever. 26 So I run like someone who has a goal. I fight like a boxer who is hitting something, not just the air. 27 It is my own body I fight to make it do what I want. I do this so that I won’t miss getting the prize myself after telling others about it.
Paul recognized the fact that the Gospel message was to be lived out as well as preached.  He new that Christians could not be Christians on Sunday and then turn around and be non-Christians the rest of the week.  He knew that in order for his message to be effective he'd better practice what he preached, thereby setting an example for other believers and living a life devoid of hypocrisy.
Training for the Christian life is hard work.  There are no short-cuts.  If we want to reach the end and claim the eternal prize we must prepare.  Sometimes will slip and fall as we run, sometimes (like me after tonight's run) we'll really stink, but in the end the prize will be worth it -- trust me.   This is a message we can share.  Until next time - Happy Running

Thursday, May 07, 2015

PCs, 2x4s, & Suffering for the Gospel

Well here it is, 12:09 a.m. on a Thursday morning and I really should be sleeping.  Obviously I am not!

The reason for this is not insomnia, stress, or that three-way and cheese coney I had for dinner, rather it is the result of about two hours worth of fighting with an old PC which always seems to process slower than the amount of time it took Methuselah to reach his 969 years whenever I get on it!

I guess its my own fault, but as always I thought this time it would be quick - a few short scans and I'd be done.  Wrong.  The frustration mounted as the PC went slower and slower and slower.  Finally after a reboot and several "fixes" the task was finished.  No good deed goes unpunished I guess - I was trying to update my page on the church website.  After this exhausting experience I began to feel a little sorry for myself; I began counting my labors as a little bit of "suffering for the Kingdom." Then suddenly the reality of my thoughts hit me like a Mack truck - a spiritual two-by-four of sorts, right across the heart.  This was not suffering at all and by most standards the fact that I mentioned a computer in the same sentence as suffering would cause either extreme laughter or condescension.  I had to admit something that I have been wrestling with for some time now - I haven't really suffered much for the Lord.

You might say, "Well praise God, He has blessed you;" but when I look at Scripture this is a bit inconsistent with message Christ proclaimed to his followers, after all it was Christ who declared that if anyone wanted to be His disciple they must "pick up their cross" and follow Him.  In fact, much of the New Testament was written by disciples who were under duress, imprisonment, and extreme persecution.  The New Testament church and as well as many believers around the world know all too well the cost of discipleship and many have paid the full price for their faith in Christ.

This all gets me to wonder - Why haven't I experienced persecution/suffering for my faith?  Not that I want to experience it or invite it in as a sign that it makes me somehow more holy or blessed, but rather a tangible result of a life of boldness in the faith - a mark of one who is "not ashamed of the Gospel." Does the all-too-real answer lie in the fact that I haven't really invested fully into the work of discipleship and the risks associated with sharing my faith?  I have my suspicions that this might be the case.  

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Crying Out


This past week as been a little rough for me.  A friend from high school passed away unexpectedly, missionary friends faced severe natural disasters, and terrorists struck at a church full of believers near a city where a friend of mine ministers and leads churches.

The week served as a wake-up call.  A reminder that my life can become too comfortable at times.  In my comfort I forget just how much I need Jesus.

That it why I write this evening, to remind myself and any of my readers just how important it is to stay in constant communication with HIM.  We need to remain vigilant and not become complacent in our walks of faith.

Yet that is not the only reason I write.  These tragic events further reminded me of two very important issues:
1) The sense of urgency that should accompany the proclamation of the Gospel message and,
2) The hope that only the Gospel message can provide.

For the first point the realization that we don't know how long any of us will have on this earth is a punch to the gut so to speak.  If my friends and loved ones passed tomorrow, would they know the grace and mercy of the Savior?  What have I done to help share that with them?  If faith in Christ is the only true way to receive salvation, what are the implications for those who do not hear the Gospel?

As for my second issue, this week reminded me once again how much relief and hope can be found in the message of the Cross.  Leave it to an Amazing God to use an instrument of pain and suffering to provide comfort in times of heartache and pain.  -- I can only say two words to God for this -- "Thank You."

Finally, I've included this link to one of my favorite songs as well as the lyrics.  I pray that it will provide you some solace and encourage you to cry out to HIM too!

CRY OUT to JESUS by THIRD DAY
https://www.thirdday.com/music/songs/cry-out-jesus
To everyone who's lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
when you said goodbye
And to all of the people with burdens and pains
Keeping you back from your life
You believe that there's nothing and there is no one
Who can make it right
There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus
For the marriage that's struggling just to hang on
They've lost all of their faith in love
They've done all they can to make it right again
Still it's not enough
For the ones who can't break the addictions and chains
You try to give up but you come back again
Just remember that you're not alone in your shame
And your suffering
When your lonely
And it feels like the whole world is falling on you
You just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
To the widow who struggles with being alone
Wiping the tears from her eyes
For the children around the world without a home
Say a prayer tonight

Monday, January 19, 2015

Resolutions

Copied from Dan Jenkins' Article at
 http://churchofchristarticles.com
Here it is a new year - time to reflect on the accomplishments of last year or lack thereof.

Did I accomplish everything I hoped to last year, no.  In fact in a recent review of family resolutions (a tradition we started a few years ago) I scored about 2.5 out of 7 not a good statistic in any sport, let alone personal life ambitions.

So what to do?  Start again, wipe the slate clean. Choose new/better resolutions for the new year.  I bet my average will improve!  I'll make time, I'll lose the weight, I'll invite more people to church.

Wait, what did I just say?  Invite more people to church?  Why in the world did I resolve to do that?  Oh right, because like me, they need Jesus.  They need to hear the message of God's love expressed in his son Jesus Christ revealed by His Holy Spirit through His Church.  After all, God is the master at helping people to start over.  Our slates have been wiped clean by the blood of HIS SON.  This is a resolution worth sharing and hopefully, this will be one New Year's Resolution I keep.