Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Deuteronomy 28:1-4 - If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. (2) All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: (3) You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. (4) The fruit of your womb will be blessed.
Psalm 127:3-5 - Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him. (4) Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. (5) Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.
I had extra energy during my workout today. I was fueled by the goodness and blessing of God. Cindy and I found out today that we are having our third boy. She remains the Queen of the Hill, or maybe the locker room would be a better description. Imagine the world without Moms. It would be a smelly mess. I was glowing with joy all day after seeing my boy on the sonogram. We covet your prayers for a continued safe and healthy pregnancy, and we also ask that you would pray daily for a healthy and safe delivery. Cindy has been doing great. We love you and appreciate you so much. Praise Him from whom all blessings flow. 2006 is a year of birthing and blessing. God Bless and Happy New Year.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Jesus: God's Indescribable Gift! (Part 3)
Just like most human beings, I love to receive gifts. I appreciate all gifts and the expression of kindness that is associated with giving. Have you ever done a Chinese Christmas or White Elephant gift exchange? The purpose is to give a random or "gag" gift that goes into a pile. Each person draws a number to determine the order of gift selection. You have two options. You can either choose from the pile or take someone else's previously opened gift. Obviously, the advantage goes to the last one to draw. Although fun, I do not get too excited about the gifts involved in these events. White Elephant gifts are not as special to me because I usually have no need for them. I remember one year drawing an ugly mailbox cover that no one in their right mind would ever use to decorate their mailbox. I drew that gift early, and much to my chagrin, no one took it from me.
However, there a certain gifts that I treasure. What makes a gift valuable to me is the fact that I have a need for it. Jesus died on the cross to meet a need for me I could have never met for myself. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9not by works, so that no one can boast.” This gift is so valuable because it is the one I need most. Every gift I have received for Christmas will eventually perish, but the gift of eternal life lasts forever. Thank you, Jesus.
What an immense grace God is giving me! But how did I come to deserve it after so many sins? Truly our God is a God of mercy! He loads you with gifts at the very time you're giving Him no thought, or worse, betraying him. (Carlo Caretto) Romans 5:6-8 says, "6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
The story of Alaskan Mushers delivering a serum is a great example of a life-saving mission to meet a need. Long before the legendary Iditarod Dog Sled Race was first run in 1973, a more important race took place in Alaska. On January 21, 1925, the lives of countless children in Nome were at stake. An epidemic of diphtheria had broken out, and the gold rush city did not have a sufficient amount of antitoxin. Dr. Curtis Welch telegraphed Fairbanks, Anchorage, Seward, and Juneau, asking for help. There were 300,000 units of the serum at a hospital in Anchorage, and it was the only serum in the entire state.
The problem was to get it to Nome in the shortest time possible. With the Bering Sea frozen and no railroad or roads extending to Nome's remote location, dog teams were the only solution. The hospital packed the 300,000 units were packed in an insulated container and transported them to Nenana on an overnight train.
Once the serum arrived, a 674-mile relay race by dog teams awaited. Mushers who delivered the mail normally covered that distance in a month. The first musher took the insulated cylinder of serum 52 miles, where he passed the lifesaving baton to the second musher, who traveled 31 miles. From musher to musher the relay continued until a total of 20 dog-sled drivers had cooperated to get the needed medicine to Nome by February 2nd. The life-saving serum arrived in only 127 ½ hours due to the cooperative effort of individuals willing to brave the austere Alaskan wilderness, sub-zero temperatures, and blinding blizzards.
This life-saving mission is a picture of how God works through many people over time to bring salvation to those who need it. These heroes of the faith include godly grandparents, Sunday school teachers, faithful friends, spiritual mentors.Jesus is truly our greatest gift. Because of the gift of Jesus, we are now destined to win. Nothing is worth more than eternal life. No investment has ever done more for mankind. And our greatest need was met in the indescribable gift of Jesus. Merry Christmas!
However, there a certain gifts that I treasure. What makes a gift valuable to me is the fact that I have a need for it. Jesus died on the cross to meet a need for me I could have never met for myself. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9not by works, so that no one can boast.” This gift is so valuable because it is the one I need most. Every gift I have received for Christmas will eventually perish, but the gift of eternal life lasts forever. Thank you, Jesus.
What an immense grace God is giving me! But how did I come to deserve it after so many sins? Truly our God is a God of mercy! He loads you with gifts at the very time you're giving Him no thought, or worse, betraying him. (Carlo Caretto) Romans 5:6-8 says, "6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
The story of Alaskan Mushers delivering a serum is a great example of a life-saving mission to meet a need. Long before the legendary Iditarod Dog Sled Race was first run in 1973, a more important race took place in Alaska. On January 21, 1925, the lives of countless children in Nome were at stake. An epidemic of diphtheria had broken out, and the gold rush city did not have a sufficient amount of antitoxin. Dr. Curtis Welch telegraphed Fairbanks, Anchorage, Seward, and Juneau, asking for help. There were 300,000 units of the serum at a hospital in Anchorage, and it was the only serum in the entire state.
The problem was to get it to Nome in the shortest time possible. With the Bering Sea frozen and no railroad or roads extending to Nome's remote location, dog teams were the only solution. The hospital packed the 300,000 units were packed in an insulated container and transported them to Nenana on an overnight train.
Once the serum arrived, a 674-mile relay race by dog teams awaited. Mushers who delivered the mail normally covered that distance in a month. The first musher took the insulated cylinder of serum 52 miles, where he passed the lifesaving baton to the second musher, who traveled 31 miles. From musher to musher the relay continued until a total of 20 dog-sled drivers had cooperated to get the needed medicine to Nome by February 2nd. The life-saving serum arrived in only 127 ½ hours due to the cooperative effort of individuals willing to brave the austere Alaskan wilderness, sub-zero temperatures, and blinding blizzards.
This life-saving mission is a picture of how God works through many people over time to bring salvation to those who need it. These heroes of the faith include godly grandparents, Sunday school teachers, faithful friends, spiritual mentors.Jesus is truly our greatest gift. Because of the gift of Jesus, we are now destined to win. Nothing is worth more than eternal life. No investment has ever done more for mankind. And our greatest need was met in the indescribable gift of Jesus. Merry Christmas!
Jesus: God's Indescribable Gift! (Part 2)
There is one Christmas that stands out to me during my childhood. When you are a kid, Christmas is a much anticipated event and usually needs no hype to get one excited. However, this particular Christmas for me possessed an even greater sense of expectation. My Dad had been telling me for several weeks that he had a special gift for me. I couldn’t wait for Christmas day to come. In typical Christmas tradition at the Miller home, we opened first all the gifts under the tree. The special gifts were always hidden somewhere safe from curious young boys. As soon as we got done opening the gifts under the tree, my Dad told me to close my eyes as he escorted me outside. As we were standing in our driveway, he told me to open my eyes to see this gift I had been anxiously waiting for. To my utter disappointment it was a basketball goal. I remember saying to my Dad, “Why did you get me a basketball goal? I will never use it.”
To make a long story short, I attended Florida State University on a basketball scholarship. Countless hours of my life were spent on that basketball goal perfecting my shot. I’m sure the sound of a bouncing basketball drove my neighbors crazy. Just as I do now preparing for sermons, I spent most of my practice time shooting at night. As my Father, my Dad made a personal investment in my life that paid huge dividends. He saw a talent in me that I had not yet discovered. His $125.00 gift paid for a degree in Communications and a Master’s Degree in Sports Administration. It also paid for room and board during my college years. His investment did two things. First, it launched me into part of my destiny. And secondly, it gained a huge return.
God’s investment into our lives should produce the same two things. It should launch us into our destiny and it should produce a great return. Apostle Paul was a benefactor of the investment God made into his life through Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:15-16 says, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” Notice how God changed his life and how he became an example for others to follow. It’s hard to comprehend the amount of people that were impacted by Apostle Paul. What a return on an investment!
Here is a great Christmas story about a couple who demonstrates the gratitude they have for the investment Christ made in them. Richard and Donna Hamann found a way to make their entire town happy. Anthon, Iowa, a community of 650 people, received an unexpected Christmas present from this retired farming couple.
The Hamanns paid the electric bill for every home and business in the town of Anthon. The bills, all due on Christmas day, totaled $25,000. Everyone appreciated the surprising and generous gift, and they expressed it with a stack of thank-you cards and letters.The only question anyone had was: Why?
Richard answered it this way: "The Lord has been very good to us, and so have the people of this community, so I always thought we ought to be doing something in return if we could."
Christmas reminds us that Jesus Christ has done so much for us. Let's make the most of this investment by living to bring glory to God. Merry Christmas!
To make a long story short, I attended Florida State University on a basketball scholarship. Countless hours of my life were spent on that basketball goal perfecting my shot. I’m sure the sound of a bouncing basketball drove my neighbors crazy. Just as I do now preparing for sermons, I spent most of my practice time shooting at night. As my Father, my Dad made a personal investment in my life that paid huge dividends. He saw a talent in me that I had not yet discovered. His $125.00 gift paid for a degree in Communications and a Master’s Degree in Sports Administration. It also paid for room and board during my college years. His investment did two things. First, it launched me into part of my destiny. And secondly, it gained a huge return.
God’s investment into our lives should produce the same two things. It should launch us into our destiny and it should produce a great return. Apostle Paul was a benefactor of the investment God made into his life through Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:15-16 says, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” Notice how God changed his life and how he became an example for others to follow. It’s hard to comprehend the amount of people that were impacted by Apostle Paul. What a return on an investment!
Here is a great Christmas story about a couple who demonstrates the gratitude they have for the investment Christ made in them. Richard and Donna Hamann found a way to make their entire town happy. Anthon, Iowa, a community of 650 people, received an unexpected Christmas present from this retired farming couple.
The Hamanns paid the electric bill for every home and business in the town of Anthon. The bills, all due on Christmas day, totaled $25,000. Everyone appreciated the surprising and generous gift, and they expressed it with a stack of thank-you cards and letters.The only question anyone had was: Why?
Richard answered it this way: "The Lord has been very good to us, and so have the people of this community, so I always thought we ought to be doing something in return if we could."
Christmas reminds us that Jesus Christ has done so much for us. Let's make the most of this investment by living to bring glory to God. Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Jesus: God's Indescribable Gift! (Part 1)
I have noticed that gifts usually have three characteristics that identify them as out of the ordinary. First, they are worth something. Second, there was an intentional investment made in giving it to me. And third, I had a particular need for the gift. Worth, investment, and need are the keys to giving good gifts. I want to explore further what it means to have victory in Jesus using the acronym W-I-N.
The gift of Jesus Christ is worth more to mankind than anything else on the planet. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Think about it, according to God, the consequence of our sin is death. How many times do you have to lie to be a liar? How many times do you have to steal to be a thief? How many times do you have to commit sexual acts outside of marriage to be sexual immoral? How many times do you have to get drunk to be a drunkard? How many times do you have to use profanity to be impure? Guess what, the answer to all these questions is the same. ONE!!! Your one sin is worthy of eternal death according to God's righteous standard. Only when you understand this point can you appreciate what Jesus did for you. Sin is so serious to God, it required the ultimate sacrifice, the life of His son, to pay the penalty of it and remove it from our lives.
Remember, without Jesus we are sinners, unrighteous and found guilty of breaking His law. One of the principles that the Old Testament teaches us is that a blood sacrifice is required for the forgiveness of sins. Hebrews 9:22 says, “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Our prison for breaking the law is hell. Would you go down to prison and offer the life of your Mom, Dad, child or best friend for the release of a criminal? Of course not! Nothing is more valuable to me than my sons. What if one of my sons had to die for the release of a prisoner? Sorry, that prisoner is going to die. However, by sending Jesus to the cross, God did the opposite for you and me. Hebrews 9:15 says, “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”
When it comes to your salvation, I hope you are not like this person who failed to cash in on a sure winner. January 31, 2005, was the last chance for someone to cash in their Illinois lottery ticket entitling the lucky number holder to $14 million. No one came forward.
A gas station mini-mart in Frankfort, Illinois, verified the ticket had been sold at their location 12 months earlier, but the winner failed to claim the windfall. Despite an aggressive local and national television campaign to find the person with the winning numbers, it was all for naught. "It's really unfortunate because when our players play the game, we really want them to take advantage of the winnings," Illinois Lottery Supt. Carolyn Adams said.
As state law dictates, the money will be given to the State Common School Fund, which supports public education programs.
In much the same way, millions fail to cash in on the priceless gift of eternal salvation offered freely in Christ's death on the cross. Stay tuned for part two.
The gift of Jesus Christ is worth more to mankind than anything else on the planet. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Think about it, according to God, the consequence of our sin is death. How many times do you have to lie to be a liar? How many times do you have to steal to be a thief? How many times do you have to commit sexual acts outside of marriage to be sexual immoral? How many times do you have to get drunk to be a drunkard? How many times do you have to use profanity to be impure? Guess what, the answer to all these questions is the same. ONE!!! Your one sin is worthy of eternal death according to God's righteous standard. Only when you understand this point can you appreciate what Jesus did for you. Sin is so serious to God, it required the ultimate sacrifice, the life of His son, to pay the penalty of it and remove it from our lives.
Remember, without Jesus we are sinners, unrighteous and found guilty of breaking His law. One of the principles that the Old Testament teaches us is that a blood sacrifice is required for the forgiveness of sins. Hebrews 9:22 says, “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Our prison for breaking the law is hell. Would you go down to prison and offer the life of your Mom, Dad, child or best friend for the release of a criminal? Of course not! Nothing is more valuable to me than my sons. What if one of my sons had to die for the release of a prisoner? Sorry, that prisoner is going to die. However, by sending Jesus to the cross, God did the opposite for you and me. Hebrews 9:15 says, “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”
When it comes to your salvation, I hope you are not like this person who failed to cash in on a sure winner. January 31, 2005, was the last chance for someone to cash in their Illinois lottery ticket entitling the lucky number holder to $14 million. No one came forward.
A gas station mini-mart in Frankfort, Illinois, verified the ticket had been sold at their location 12 months earlier, but the winner failed to claim the windfall. Despite an aggressive local and national television campaign to find the person with the winning numbers, it was all for naught. "It's really unfortunate because when our players play the game, we really want them to take advantage of the winnings," Illinois Lottery Supt. Carolyn Adams said.
As state law dictates, the money will be given to the State Common School Fund, which supports public education programs.
In much the same way, millions fail to cash in on the priceless gift of eternal salvation offered freely in Christ's death on the cross. Stay tuned for part two.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
My Favorite Part of the Christmas Story
Once a month, I do a segment on talk radio called “Audio Adrenaline” on a local AM station. The purpose of “Audio Adrenaline” is to discuss spiritual matters. I enjoy doing this segment because it reaches so many listeners in my city. On my last interview, I was asked the question by the host, “What is your favorite part in the Christmas story?” Without hesitation I said, “It is Matthew 1:21”. It says, “She (Mary) will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” I can’t imagine where I would be today without the gift of God given to us in Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:14-16 says, "14Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. 15But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification." In Adam we are destined to sin and in Jesus we are destined to win. Just as the the “s” is removed and replaced by a “w” to produce a new word, Jesus' death on the cross removed the curse of sin and death and replaced it with righteousness and a new life. Jesus Christ, God's gift to mankind, purchased a victory for us we could never purchase ourselves.
I will conclude with an ad that reminds us salvation is given and never earned. One ad for the U.S. Marines pictures a sword, and beneath it the words: "Earned, never given." If you want to become a Marine, be prepared to earn that name through sacrifice, hardship, and training. If you get it, you deserve it.
But if you want to become a Christian, you must have the exact opposite attitude, for the message of the gospel is: "Given, never earned."
You cannot save your own soul, and God will not save anyone who tries to earn salvation, but only those who will humbly receive it as a gift through faith in Jesus Christ. If you get it, you absolutely did not deserve it.
Romans 5:14-16 says, "14Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. 15But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification." In Adam we are destined to sin and in Jesus we are destined to win. Just as the the “s” is removed and replaced by a “w” to produce a new word, Jesus' death on the cross removed the curse of sin and death and replaced it with righteousness and a new life. Jesus Christ, God's gift to mankind, purchased a victory for us we could never purchase ourselves.
I will conclude with an ad that reminds us salvation is given and never earned. One ad for the U.S. Marines pictures a sword, and beneath it the words: "Earned, never given." If you want to become a Marine, be prepared to earn that name through sacrifice, hardship, and training. If you get it, you deserve it.
But if you want to become a Christian, you must have the exact opposite attitude, for the message of the gospel is: "Given, never earned."
You cannot save your own soul, and God will not save anyone who tries to earn salvation, but only those who will humbly receive it as a gift through faith in Jesus Christ. If you get it, you absolutely did not deserve it.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
The Pleasant Pain of Discipline (Part 4)
As I mentioned in part one of "The Pleasant Pain of Discipline", people quit working out and quit on God for the same reason-- they are not disciplined. Because of the absence of discipline, many people lack the attitude to finish strong. They get discouraged in their attempt to lose weight because they do not see immediate results. It takes hard work, discipline and time to lose weight. This is contrary to sensationalized television commercials that guarantee you will see desired results by training only five minutes a day. If you believe these commercials, discouragement will quickly set in when you realize it takes longer and harder workouts to accomplish your goal. This leads me to my fourth benefit of discipline--perspective.
In similiar fashion, many people get discouraged in their attempt to be like Jesus. James Kouzes says, "problems that are conceived of too broadly overwhelm people, because they defeat our capacity to even think about what might be done, let alone begin doing something about them." I will admit, Christlikeness can be quite an overwhelming thought. It is difficult to overcome and conquer a lifetime of bad habits. We can tend to look at our current condition and think it is impossible to ever change in such a way to act like Jesus. Also, it is so easy to compromise in a world full of distractions and temptations.
To justify our complacent state before God, we tend to compare ourselves to other people. As soon as we do this we lack wisdom and perspective. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:12, "When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise." Think about it, you wouldn't go to the gym and look for someone equal to or less than you in physical conditioning to help you lose weight. If this is true, then why should we look to anyone besides Jesus to help us be more godly? So many times, we rely on our physical abilities to achieve our desired results. However, I have found that perspective, the mental veiw of the relative importance of things, is key to accomplishing the goal.
Hebrews 12:3-6 says, "3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." For what son is not disciplined by his father?" Our key to becoming more Christlike is to stay focused on Jesus. As we look to Him, we have a perfect model for godliness to imitate.
I will conclude with a great story on how the right perspective helped a man overcome tremendous obstacles to fulfill a lifelong dream. On July 15, 1982, Donald H. Bennett, a Seattle businessperson, realized one of his lifelong dreams of standing on the summit of Mount Rainier. Bennet climbed to the top of Mount Rainier on one leg, becoming the first amputee to scale that 14,410-foot mountain. In fact, he had to make that climb twice. The year before, a howling windstorm had nearly blown Bennett and his climbing team off the mountain. They had to give up 410 feet from the summit. But Bennett was not discouraged. For another full year, he worked out vigorously. On the second attempt, after five days of rigorous climbing, Bennett made it to the top.
When asked how he did it, he explained, "One hop at a time. I imagined myself on top of that mountain one thousand times a day in my mind. But when I started to climb it, I just said to myself, 'Anybody can hop from here to there. And I would.' And when the going got roughest, and I was really exhausted, that's when I would look down at the path ahead and say to myself, "You just have to take one more step, and anybody can do that.' And I would." (The Leadership Challenge)
Just like Bennett, we can attain the right perspective and accomplish our goal "one hop at a time". Whether its losing weight or becoming more Christlike, it is done one good decision one day at a time. The perspective acquired from the discipline of God will help us make the right decisions.
In similiar fashion, many people get discouraged in their attempt to be like Jesus. James Kouzes says, "problems that are conceived of too broadly overwhelm people, because they defeat our capacity to even think about what might be done, let alone begin doing something about them." I will admit, Christlikeness can be quite an overwhelming thought. It is difficult to overcome and conquer a lifetime of bad habits. We can tend to look at our current condition and think it is impossible to ever change in such a way to act like Jesus. Also, it is so easy to compromise in a world full of distractions and temptations.
To justify our complacent state before God, we tend to compare ourselves to other people. As soon as we do this we lack wisdom and perspective. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:12, "When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise." Think about it, you wouldn't go to the gym and look for someone equal to or less than you in physical conditioning to help you lose weight. If this is true, then why should we look to anyone besides Jesus to help us be more godly? So many times, we rely on our physical abilities to achieve our desired results. However, I have found that perspective, the mental veiw of the relative importance of things, is key to accomplishing the goal.
Hebrews 12:3-6 says, "3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." For what son is not disciplined by his father?" Our key to becoming more Christlike is to stay focused on Jesus. As we look to Him, we have a perfect model for godliness to imitate.
I will conclude with a great story on how the right perspective helped a man overcome tremendous obstacles to fulfill a lifelong dream. On July 15, 1982, Donald H. Bennett, a Seattle businessperson, realized one of his lifelong dreams of standing on the summit of Mount Rainier. Bennet climbed to the top of Mount Rainier on one leg, becoming the first amputee to scale that 14,410-foot mountain. In fact, he had to make that climb twice. The year before, a howling windstorm had nearly blown Bennett and his climbing team off the mountain. They had to give up 410 feet from the summit. But Bennett was not discouraged. For another full year, he worked out vigorously. On the second attempt, after five days of rigorous climbing, Bennett made it to the top.
When asked how he did it, he explained, "One hop at a time. I imagined myself on top of that mountain one thousand times a day in my mind. But when I started to climb it, I just said to myself, 'Anybody can hop from here to there. And I would.' And when the going got roughest, and I was really exhausted, that's when I would look down at the path ahead and say to myself, "You just have to take one more step, and anybody can do that.' And I would." (The Leadership Challenge)
Just like Bennett, we can attain the right perspective and accomplish our goal "one hop at a time". Whether its losing weight or becoming more Christlike, it is done one good decision one day at a time. The perspective acquired from the discipline of God will help us make the right decisions.
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