There's Something About Mary!

Every time I read the story about the birth of Christ, there is one character that impresses me like no other. This person was a young virgin girl, visited by an angel, with an assignment from God. One of the most fascinating people in the Christmas story is the woman who carried Jesus in her womb. There is something about Mary!

Read Luke 1:26-38 below.

26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.” 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

See what I mean? What an amazing story! Although Mary was uniquely chosen to carry the baby Jesus in her womb, we all in a similar fashion, are called to carry Jesus in our hearts. Many throughout history have deified Mary for her prominent role during the birth of Christ, but we must remember that she was just a normal human being like the rest of us. Since Mary was a human being, there is much we can learn and apply to our lives in regards to her calling, faithfulness and obedience to God.

As we examine the life of Mary in the Christmas story, there are four things we should never forget about the birth of Christ as we carry his message in our hearts and declare it to the world.

1. The birth of Christ gives us an opportunity to be born again.

What does it mean to be born again? It means that all those who repent of their sins and put their faith in Christ can now see and enter the kingdom of God (John 3:1-16). It means we get to trade in our sinful nature for a righteousness nature. It means that the Holy Spirit now fills us and comes upon us so we can live by the power of God. It means we become new creations and now have a new hope of a new future centered in God’s good, perfect and pleasing will. The fact that Jesus was born with flesh and blood and became the perfect sacrifice for our sins makes all this possible.

2. The birth of Christ means, that by God’s grace, all who put their faith in Jesus are highly favored.

Ephesians 2:9-10 says: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”

God not only saves us from our sins, but He also makes us the children of God by His grace. Grace is the unmerited favor of God. The fact that grace is unearned and unmerited does not tell us everything about grace, because it does not tell us what grace does. A more practical definition of grace could be "God's life, power and righteousness coming to us, the undeserving, as a gift. Just like Mary, God saves us, calls us and empowers us to do His will.

3. The birth of Christ proves to us that God is with us.

Matthew 1:22-23 says: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” No matter where we go or what we face, we can be secure knowing that our God is with us. God will guide us, guard us, and govern us as we faithfully obey Him.

4. The birth of Christ reminds us that nothing is impossible with God.

A young virgin conceived a child by the power of the Holy Spirit. The angel pronounced that Elizabeth, the relative of Mary was going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren was in her sixth month (Luke 1:36-37). The Christmas story should encourage us that we are never to young or old to be used by God for His purposes. Our physical limitations and current obstacles are no hindrance to God. All we have to do is believe in Christ and trust Him with all of our heart.

If we are going to carry Christ in our hearts, and declare Him to the world, it is essential we know that we have a new nature, are highly favored, God is with us, and nothing is impossible for God. Why? Because the story of Christmas teaches us that, just like Mary, we are going to face adversity during our journey with the Lord.

Let’s examine the trials of Mary during the birth of Christ, and remember we will face similar ones also.

1. Fear

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:29-33

9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:9-11

Both Mary and the shepherds were initially afraid when the angel of Lord appeared to them with the good news of Jesus’ birth. When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we have to quickly overcome our fears if we are going to live for Him and boldly declare Him to the world.

2. Relational Strife

18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. Matthew 1:18-19

Mary was excited to give birth to the new baby Jesus, but she had to deal with the misunderstanding of Joseph and the relational tension of his plans to divorce her. Fortunately, an angel appeared to Joseph and told him how Mary had conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit. However, the point is that quite often people don’t understand what God is doing in our lives. In fact, sometimes those closest to us give us the most trouble when God is birthing Jesus inside of us.

3. Inconvenience

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:4-7

When God designated Mary to give birth to Jesus, He did not make it convenient for her. She had to travel pregnant while at full term, and because of a census, the towns were crowded and full. This meant that there was no room in the inn for Joseph and Mary, and therefore, Mary would eventually have to give birth to Jesus in a manger. As a husband, I can’t imagine asking my wife to give birth in a manger. If we are going to carry Christ in our hearts, and declare Him to the world, it will not be convenient.

4. Spiritual Warfare and Opposition

13 When they (Magi) had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” Matthew 2:13

The star over Bethlehem was clear for all to see that the King of kings and Lord of lords was getting ready to be born. Threatened by this new king Jesus, Herod issued a decree to kill all the boys under two in Bethlehem and its vicinity (Matthew 2:16). The demonic forces working through Herod were trying to prevent the reign of Christ’s kingdom coming to earth. Similarly, we will face spiritual warfare and opposition as we spread the good news of the gospel of Christ.

By God’s grace, Mary overcame fear, endured relational strife, inconvenience, spiritual warfare and opposition as she carried Christ in her womb and delivered Him. Her faithfulness and obedience to God is worthy of emulation. As we carry Christ in our hearts, and declare Him to the world, we can stand secure knowing that we are God’s children, we are highly favored, we have God with us, and nothing is impossible for our God.

God has a good work for us to do, and He will be faithful to carry it on to completion. But, it won’t be easy. Just ask that young lady from Nazareth, a town in Galilee. There’s something about Mary!

Merry Christmas!

Whose Job Is It To Get Me A Job Anyway?

2012 is quickly approaching and with it a new election year. As Americans prepare to vote for their President one big question still remains: Will Barack Obama be a one-term or two-term President?

While watching most of the Presidential debates this year, and listening to many of the pundits on the news stations, it seems once again American’s are mostly concerned about one issue. Do you know what it is? It’s the economy stupid!

The reporters indicate that people are waiting for the “right” candidate to articulate a job growth plan for our country. I thought the main role of our government is to protect the righteous and punish those who do evil. I thought the main role of the President is to be the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.

When did it become the President’s responsibility to create jobs for Americans? It is frightening to me how much we rely on government to do for us. For example, we expect government to educate our children, take care of our elderly, meet the needs of the poor, and create jobs for the unemployed. The more government increases the more we lose our individual liberty and sense of self-responsibility. When this happens, our country fails to prosper because people lack a work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit.

Sure, I understand a President’s policies can affect the economy, and I know there is a financial impact when a President leads a country in war, but it is never his responsibility to create jobs. I think we have made the grave mistake of looking to our President as our Provider instead of God our Creator.

The Parable of the Talents, in Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus teaches certain principles on prosperity. Let’s read a few of them (I encourage you to read the rest of this parable to see what happened to the two who were good stewards, and to the one who was not a good steward).

14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money."

First, the parable instructs us that God is the owner of everything. The owner (who represents God) entrusts his property to his servants (us). We need to look to God as our Provider instead of our President.

Second, God gives us the resources on planet earth so we can prosper. We have plenty of materials to create or invent products, sell, trade or invest. It is imperative to understand that our current economic downturn in America is not a resource problem. We still have everything we need to prosper! Our lack of prosperity is a result of poor stewardship!

Third, God gives us ability to steward His resources and make an increase with them. We should work hard and be entrepreneurial with the ability God has given us. It is important to note that not every person has the same ability or the same resources to work with. God never intended for every person to be exactly equal. However, he does expect every person to work equally hard and be a good steward of what he or she possesses.

Lastly, God gives us opportunities to work. As we obey God, He reveals to us our calling. As we steward our abilities and resources well by working hard and bringing increase to that which we have been called, more resources are given, and more opportunities to work are created.

Unfortunately, too many Americans are like the man who received one talent and went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. In other words, he did nothing with what he was given to steward. He was irresponsible, negligent and lazy. Again, let me emphasize, he was not a good steward!

Do we really think that filling in a circle or box in 2012 next to a Presidential candidate’s name and putting it in the ballot box will change the condition of America’s economy? I hope we are not that deceived.

Instead, I suggest we turn our hearts back to God and look to Him as our Provider, repent for being poor stewards, pray, and make a commitment to practice the Lord’s principles of prosperity once again as a nation (Jeremiah 29:11-13). If so, maybe God will be gracious and give us a President who doesn’t want to increase his or her role, or the institution of government, but would rather faithfully fulfill his or her responsibilities while acknowledging the limitations of the President.

I had the chance to visit George Washington’s estate at Mount Vernon last week while in Washington D.C. for a winter conference. During the tour, I was reminded of the humility and integrity of our first president. After serving two terms and having the opportunity to become “king” of America, President Washington chose instead to return to his estate at Mount Vernon as a farmer. No leader in history, anywhere in the world, who had led a revolution, had ever relinquished their power. His humble act was unprecedented and set an example that many in government should emulate today. It would be better to get out of the way!

Whose job is it to get me a job anyway? It is not you Mr. President. No offense, but I am going to trust God and steward my calling well by making the most of the opportunities, resources and abilities He has given me!

You Reap What You Sow!

Our Creator has put into place certain laws, both natural and spiritual; to remind us that He is a God of order and justice. One natural law, the law of gravity, displays God’s order in creation. This law makes playing catch with my boys and the football in my front yard possible and fun. It would be frustrating if the ball flew off in a different direction every time I threw it. Instead, the law of gravity makes it easier for me to judge how far, and how hard I need to throw the football.

One spiritual law, the law of the harvest, manifests God’s justice in the world. Galatians 6:7 says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” We know that this is certainly true in agriculture. If you plant 10 acres of potatoes, you will not reap 10 acres of corn. God has established this to be true in His universe. You only reap what you sow.

I was reminded of this the other day in the simplest of ways. The Friday before the Florida State home football game against Maryland, I went on campus to have lunch with a friend. If you have ever tried to park on a university, you know it can be quite a challenge. Fortunately, I was able to find a parking spot with a meter.

After lunch, I was getting in my truck to leave when a gentleman, who was visiting Tallahassee for the Saturday football game, called to me to get my attention. He had also found a parking space close to mine, but had no quarters for the meter. Politely, he asked me if I had four quarters he could borrow. I said yes and gave him the quarters. As I handed him the quarters, he reached out with his other hand to give me a one-dollar bill. I told him to not worry about it and to have fun at the football game. He insisted that I take his money, but I refused his offer.

I got in my truck feeling good that I was able to bless a complete stranger in a small but practical manner. Once I pulled out of the parking lot, I never thought about that incident again until a few days ago when I found a one-dollar bill on the asphalt as I was getting in my truck to drive home from work.

Now, let me take a minute to clarify a few things. First, I gave away those four quarters with no expectation of receiving anything in return. Second, I never find money on the street. In fact, when I used to work at Florida State University, there was a group of runners who would collect the money they would find on the road at the bottom of their lockers. Pennies, nickels and dimes were valued treasure, but finding a quarter was like hitting the jackpot. They introduced me to the idea. After ten years of running on and around the campus, the bottoms of their lockers were full and mine was empty.

So, for me to find a dollar bill on the street was like winning the lottery. As I picked up the dollar bill, the incident of me giving the gentleman those four quarters popped into my mind with the scripture: “You reap what you sow”! I felt like God was reminding me that even the small and somewhat insignificant acts of kindness are huge in his eyes.

I know God is omniscient, sovereign, and I believe His providential hand guides us daily. He knew I was going to have an opportunity to help a stranger, and he knew I was going to find that dollar bill later on. God also knew that he was going to connect those two incidents in my brain with his scripture to encourage me to keep doing good deeds.

It is easy in today’s cruel world to become cynical and allow our hearts to become calloused. When this happens, we spend our time living full of bitterness, unforgiveness and anger. I believe one of the ways we prevent this from happening is by doing good deeds.

Galatians 6:9-10a says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people.”

The omnipotent God used a simple request from a stranger, four quarters, and a dollar bill to remind me of this important truth. Be aware of the little ways God is demonstrating that “you reap what you sow”, and don’t miss your opportunity to do something good for someone else!

First Things First

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? 26 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? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 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? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6: 25-34

The state of our union in America is causing many people to worry about our future as a nation. Too many Americans are unemployed, possess upside down mortgages on their homes, feel insecure about future terror attacks, are concerned about the state of health care, and worried about their retirement plans. It seems that we are living in a time period of our nation’s history when it is legitimate to worry.

However, in this passage of Scripture, Jesus teaches us that we should not worry. With so much uncertainty in our world today, how can we live a worry free life? This blog will address this issue.

Three Ways To Live a Worry Free Life:

1. Make Christ and His Kingdom your first pursuit.

Jesus teaches that our Heavenly Father feeds the birds of the air and clothes the lilies of the field. Neither the birds nor the lilies have ever had to worry about God providing for them. Reminding people of this fact, Jesus instructs them that they are much more valuable than birds and grass. Therefore, we should have great confidence that our Heavenly Father will take care of us.

Possessing this confidence allows us to focus on what is most important: seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. When we are insecure about how our heavenly Father will provide for us, it causes us to seek first the material things of this world. Pursuing the wrong things, thinking they can take the place of God in our lives, leads to unhappiness and stress.

2. Rearrange your priorities so you can seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

It has been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results. Many people know they need to change the way they are living, but are unwilling to rearrange their priorities to make a necessary life change a reality. Therefore, they stay stuck in the same old situation as time passes them by. These people end up missing the will of God for their lives.

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Matthew 4:18-22

Many of Jesus’ disciples made mistakes as they followed Him during His ministry time on earth. John and James possessed selfish ambition and had to learn servant leadership. Peter lacked revelation and denied the Lord. However, one thing they consistently did right was they never stopped following Jesus. When Jesus called them, they immediately left their nets, boats and father to follow Him. In other words, they rearranged their priorities to walk with their Lord.

3. Write down your plans and calendar them.

If you are serious about rearranging or ordering your priorities so that you know you are seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, then it is essential to write down your plans and plug them into your calendar. It is also important you learn how to say no to things or activities that hinder your walk with the Lord.

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. Proverbs 16:9

The Lord guarantees our success when we commit whatever we do to Him. Committing our plans to the Lord is how we make sure our motives are pure. Too often we want God to bless our personal agenda or selfish ambitions. When we commit our plans to the Lord with a pure heart, He will determine and direct our steps by keeping us in the center of His will. Living in obedience to God’s will is the only way to possess peace.

Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

It is humanly impossible to know if all of our plans are from the Lord. However, we can trust in the sovereignty of God, knowing His providential hand is guiding us in His purpose, as we commit our plans to Him. We don’t have to worry about figuring everything out; we just have to keep the heavenly Father’s kingdom first in our heart.

Do you have first things first in your life?

We Need More Than Rules

The weather temperature is dropping and the sounds of the Seminole war chant are in the air in Tallahassee, Florida. The Fall semester is officially here and with it the college football season. Each Fall, beginning in September, brings with it a sense of expectation and excitement. All day tailgates are a reminder that there is no college sports environment quite like NCAA football.

Leading up to this season, college football has been plagued with scandals and probations. Create a scenario where you compete against your rivals, have millions of dollars at stake, tens of thousands of rowdy fans that demand victory, coaches’ jobs on the line every year, and you have a perfect "recipe for rules infractions".

Most notably are the incidents that happened at Ohio State University and the University of Miami. Both programs are suffering from violating rules involving recruiting and illegal player compensation. It seems many college football programs are “gaining the whole world while losing their soul”.

A couple of weeks ago I was watching a roundtable discussion on ESPN with former Florida Gator’s coach Urban Meyer and some current prominent college football coaches. The topic of discussion was about how to punish programs that initiate and allow activity that breaks NCAA rules and policies. There seemed to be a consensus from the panel that the NCAA should make more rules and enforce them more strictly. This was their solution to stopping a problem that has tainted college football for quite some time.

While I appreciated their passion and commitment to uphold, enforce and improve NCAA college football rules, I couldn’t help but think about how the Bible reminds us that rules have never stopped people from participating in inappropriate conduct.

Think about it, even the Ten Commandments, couldn’t keep the Israelites from sinning and rebelling against God’s laws. God was never surprised that commandments, rules and laws didn’t change people’s behavior. These were never God’s final remedy for the sinful condition of human nature. God’s law was a schoolmaster intended to guide them to something, or should I more accurately write someone, much greater and more powerful.

Galatians 3:4 says, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (KJV)

Apostle Paul, the writer of Galatians, uses a metaphor in this verse about the Jewish law, the Greek word “paedagogos” which was in ancient Greece, a trustworthy attendant for children.

The “schoolmaster” in the historical context of this Scripture was not the teacher, but rather the slave, who cared for the master’s son from around the age of 6 or 7 until they reached puberty. The servant, usually elderly, would escort the child to school and care for his safety in his immaturity, seeing that this child too was his master. Once the child grew up, he was no longer required to obey his servant.

The technical duty of the attendant, according to historians, was to guard the children from evil, both physical and moral, rather than instruction. He went with them to and from the school and gymnasium, and was personably responsible for their safety and protected them from any bad company.

This is striking imagery of how the Law was primarily given for a certain purpose as an attendant to lead us to Jesus, who is the real teacher. Paul makes it clear that the Law was never given to teach us (we could never obey it), but rather it was an instructor pointing to the One who is the only teacher, Jesus!

When Jesus ministered on earth, He did not give people more rules and laws. Instead, he summed up our whole purpose in life with one “big idea” statement: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself”. All the Law hangs on this one “big idea” (Matthew 22:37-40).

More NCAA rules will never change the corrupt activity in major college football, just as more laws in our society will never keep people from committing crimes. Our only hope for this nation, and our only hope for the future of college football, is people who love Jesus with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. These people are the ones who have repented of their sins, put their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and have received a new righteous nature.

Wouldn’t it be refreshing to have more of these people leading our nation, our college football programs, and competing on the gridirons across our country? I think of a guy like Tony Dungy, the former coach of the Indianapolis Colts, who won the Super Bowl doing things the right way. According to Dungy, the key to his success was following Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He won the most prestigious prize in pro football free of scandals and violations. More college coaches need to follow his example.

College football has created a “recipe for rules infractions”, and only Jesus Christ (not more rules) can change the content and intent of the ingredients!

The Relational Ripple Effect of Sin

Many people think that an activity should not be considered sin based upon two sets of criteria. First, an activity is not sin if it does not hurt another person. Second, an activity is not sin if people willingly participate in it.

These same people use these suppositions to justify behavior that is contrary to ethical standards for living defined in the Holy Bible. For example, people engage in sexually immoral behavior, which is any sexual activity outside the parameters of a marriage between a husband and wife, thinking it is not wrong because there is mutual consent and no one is getting hurt.

However, these people are deceived because someone always gets hurt when they participate in activities that God defines as sin.

In the movie, “No Strings Attached” (I don’t recommend the movie), two characters played by Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman enter into a sexual relationship with “no strings attached”. At the beginning of the movie the two characters seem to be enjoying their relationship without commitment. By the end of the movie, both characters have hurt each other, and are deeply confused about their relationship, and feelings for one another. The movie ends with them deciding to make a commitment to one another that does not allow them to be sexually involved with anyone else.

God knows sex without commitment will eventually hurt someone. It took these two characters a whole movie to figure this fact out. They should have read the Bible, and discovered God designated sex as a wonderful and enjoyable covenant activity exclusively for marriage.

Tiger Woods is playing in his first golf tournament in twelve years without his caddie Steve Williams. The two of them had developed a close friendship while working together on the golf course. Woods and Williams' relationship extended beyond the golf course, as Woods attended Williams' wedding in New Zealand in 2005. However, Woods fired Williams right after the British Open. Williams said he was shocked because he had remained so faithful to Tiger even when news of Wood’s adulterous affairs went public.

I don’t know the real reason Tiger fired his friend and caddy Steve Williams. He claims it was “time for a change”. I think that is the “sound good” reason instead of the real reason. I think the real reason is that Tiger and Steve have too many of the same friends and close relationships. When Tiger got divorced it forced those friends to choose sides between him and his ex-wife. In other words, it put a strain of the relationships.

Tiger and the women he had sex with mutually chose to participate in activity the Bible calls adultery. According to God, adultery is sin and sin always hurts people. Even though their sin felt good for a moment, there was a relational ripple effect from their adulterous behavior. The women Tiger had sex with got hurt. Tiger’s wife got hurt. Tiger got hurt. Tiger’s family and friends got hurt. He ex-wife’s family and friends got hurt. Tiger’s caddie got hurt and got fired. What a ripple effect!

Exodus 20:5 teaches us that there is a relational ripple effect for our sins that can extend all the way to our fourth generation. It says, “You shall not bow down to them or worship them (other gods or idols); for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.”

What a ripple effect! The next generation reaps the consequences of the decisions we make today. So much for the thought that if people mutually participate in sin, and don’t hurt each other in the process, it should be okay.

Well what do you know? It turns out the Bible, Hollywood and Tiger Woods all have something in common. Who would have thought it? They are proof that there is a relational ripple effect that hurts people, even to the fourth generation, when people participate in sin.

Innocent or Guilty?

“The doctrine of original sin is the only philosophy empirically validated by the centuries of recorded human history.” G.K. Chesterton

Do you think Casey Anthony was innocent or guilty of murdering her young daughter Caylee? Honestly, I don’t know if Casey is guilty of murdering her daughter. I was not there. However, I do know that her behavior, immediately following Caylee’s death, was quite peculiar for a mother who supposedly loved her daughter.

The Casey Anthony case got me thinking about one of the myths that define our times. The myth I am referring to is the goodness of man. People who believe in this myth rail against heaven with the presumptuous question: Why do bad things happen to good people?

In his book, “Chuck Colson Speaks”, he writes, “This myth deludes people into thinking that they are always victims, never villains; always deprived, never depraved. It dismisses responsibility as the teaching of a darker age. It can excuse any crime, because it can always blame something else—a sickness of society or a sickness of the mind.”

One writer called the modern age “the golden age of exoneration.” When guilt is dismissed as the illusion of narrow minds, then no one is accountable, even to his or her conscience.

A person whose conscience has become seared through immoral living no longer has the ability to discern what is right or wrong. With no internal moral compass to navigate them through their decision-making, they are left only to live for what feels best at the current moment. Even if this means dangerously neglecting your child, who has now become an inconvenience, to the lifestyle you want to live. Boy, this sure seems to describe Casey Anthony.

Our judicial system instructs those who serve as jurors that they must presume innocence before guilt. In fact, as we witnessed in the Casey Anthony trial, the evidence must prove guilt beyond a shadow of doubt. This presumption of innocence sure does give crafty lawyers a great deal of wiggle room to find loopholes in our judicial system. I guess this is how it has to be since imperfect people serve as jurors. However, I wonder if crime would be deterred if people were presumed guilty before innocent when on trial. Has our judicial system fallen victim to the myth of the goodness of man?

The Lord who is the ultimate Judge (Psalm 96:13, James 5:9) has never been fooled, and never will be fooled, by the myth of the goodness of man. Our God presumes guilt before innocence. His verdict is that we all have sinned and fallen short of His glory (Romans 3:23). Our debt of sin is too costly for us to pay. We are all guilty! That is the bad news.

The good news is that God our Judge is also God our Eternal Father who loves us. In His love, he sent his Son Jesus Christ as the perfect atoning sacrifice for our sins (John 3:16). Jesus paid the price we could never pay by giving His life for our righteousness, holiness, redemption and salvation (1 Corinthians 1:30). When we repent and put our faith in Jesus Christ, our sins our forgiven and we are given a new nature to live a righteous life as we receive the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11-17, Acts 2:38-39).

Have you repented of your sins, asked for forgiveness and put your faith in Jesus Christ? If not, you are still guilty in your sins. Don’t make the mistake of presuming you are innocent by trusting in your own goodness. We might be able to “get away with murder” in our judicial system, but our Lord the Judge is not fooled by the myth of the goodness of man.

Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness. Psalm 96:13

Eagerly Expecting the Bride to be Revealed!

In recent years watching major golf championships has become my favorite source of sports entertainment. A couple of weeks ago, as I was preparing for the 2011 U.S. Open Golf Championship, I found myself in quite a conundrum. My ten-year-old son had a baseball tournament in Pace, Florida during the final two rounds of the U.S. Open.

Thank God for modern technology and digital video recording. My problem was solved. I would avoid reading the paper and viewing ESPN while away at my son’s tournament, and watch the recorded version of the U.S. Open like it was live when I returned home.

As I was going through my recordings file, I noticed that it was full with recordings from news coverage of the Royal Wedding. My wife must have figured out how to use the DVR! I began to reflect back on the week leading up to the Royal Wedding and how obsessed she was with this event. Both my wife and my mother set their alarms to get up and watch this wedding live.

All throughout that week I would catch glimpses of what they were watching on television concerning the Royal Wedding. It seemed like reporters had analyzed everything possible about Prince William and Kate’s ceremony. You could feel the excitement surrounding the wedding while watching the coverage on television.

Of all the anticipated moments of the wedding, the most talked about topic was what Kate would look like in her wedding dress. Everyone was waiting in eager expectation to see Prince William’s bride in her white wedding dress. The reporter’s commentary about Kate and her dress couldn’t help but make me think about how the Bible uses the metaphor of a bride to describe the church, and a wedding to describe the union between Jesus Christ and His church, at the end of the age.

Ephesians 5:30-32 says, “30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ (the Lamb of God) and the church.”

It was estimated the over 3 billion people watched the Royal Wedding. That is almost half of the world’s population. Wow!

The Bible teaches us that there is an event that is even more anticipated than the Royal Wedding. It is the revealing of the children of God in their future glory. All of creation is waiting in eager expectation for the consummation of the age that will be celebrated with the wedding of the Lamb.

Romans 8:18-19 says, “18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.”

One of the most sacred ceremonies we participate in as human beings is a wedding. The wedding ceremony never begins until the bride has made herself ready. The bride is always the one everyone wants to see. I guess God knew a wedding and a bride would be perfect metaphors to describe our eternal relationship with Him in future glory!

“7Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! 
For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 
8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” Revelation 19:7-8

Are you getting yourself ready? I hope so because I think more than 3 billion will be watching!

Don't Be a Weiner!

For there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. Jesus in Matthew 10:26

Personal decisions lead to public ramifications!

Anthony David Weiner is the U.S. Representative for New York's 9th congressional district, which includes parts of southern Brooklyn and south and central Queens. Weiner is a Democrat, and has held the office since 1999.

In June 2011, after having first denied doing so, Congressman Weiner admitted having sent sexually explicit photographs of himself to several female "followers" on Twitter, both before and since his marriage.

His perverse behavior caused many to ask the following question: Should Anthony Weiner resign from his position?

As I watched the news stations, it seemed that many people thought he should not resign. These people justified their position by stating that his behavior was a personal matter.

So, I want to ask a question: Does “personal” behavior determine who we are as people?

I would answer this question with a resounding yes. What you do in private will ultimately reveal who you really are in public. In fact, the true test of character is what you do when you think nobody else is watching.

It is deceptive to think your personal matters do not influence who you are as a person, and how you perform on the job. Your personal decisions forge your character. The first person in life you need to learn to lead is yourself. You cannot be a good leader without learning self-control through self-government. In other words, you shouldn’t govern others if you can’t govern yourself.

Once you are able to lead yourself, the next test of leadership is marriage. Contrary to popular opinion, honoring your covenant vows by being faithful to your spouse is a major qualification for occupational leadership. If we lower this standard in our society, we do it to our own demise. The breakdown of marriages is the number one social ill in our nation. How a person conducts himself or herself in a marriage reveals more about their character than any of their other actions.

It is also naïve to think that we can keep the choices we make in private from being revealed in public. What is done in secret will one day be revealed for all to witness. The fact that the Anthony Weiner scandal has been broadcast on every news station is proof of my point.

Finally, if Weiner decides not to resign, he will be lowering the standard of leadership of our elected officials. It’s not only the epitome of narcissism, but demeaning to the position of U.S. Congressman for him to remain in his job.

Do we really want a married representative sending lewd pictures of his body to women? I’m not afraid to proclaim that I don’t! If Weiner will lie and cheat on his wife, common sense tells me that he will lie and cheat on the American people who elected him also.

I hope and pray Anthony Weiner’s apology is sincere. I hope and pray Anthony Weiner experiences the grace of God. I hope and pray Anthony Weiner works things out with his wife. I hope and pray Anthony Weiner uses his influence in the future to be a better example. I hope and pray Anthony Weiner realizes that private choices lead to public consequences.

It is also my hope and prayer that our elected officials will practice self-government and raise the standard of leadership in our nation. Anthony Weiner could make restitution and begin this much needed leadership revolution by graciously and humbly stepping down.

Let’s learn from Anthony and don’t be a weiner!

The Blessing of Boundary Lines

Two of my three boys play on baseball teams that I help coach. So, I spend many hours a week on the baseball field. My favorite time of the week is when we have baseball tournaments on the weekends.

It seems that our teams have a knack for getting scheduled for the early morning games. When we play early in the morning, we have to get up around 6am to get to the ballpark on time (I thought weekends were for sleeping in!). There are many negative reasons why we don’t like playing early in the morning. The biggest one for me is that it is early in the morning.

However, there is one positive to playing the first game of the day, and that is the fact that the field is in the best condition early in the morning. The dew is still on the ground, the field is soft, the infield has been raked, and the boundary lines are clearly marked.

As play continues throughout the day, the condition of the field deteriorates. The field hardens, the infield that is not raked causes ground balls to bounce unpredictably, slides when stealing bases result in certain skin burns, and the boundary lines become more and more unclear. Every once in a while an umpire will miss a call because the boundary lines are not well defined. A bad call on the baseball field always results in an eruption and outward display of outrage from the team, coaches, parents, and fans impacted by the call. When this happens, it makes the game less enjoyable.

Before every championship game in the tournaments, the field crew takes extra time to rake the infield and reestablish the boundary lines with fresh chalk. As the coaches, teams, parents and fans of the two teams playing in the championship game watch and wait for the field crew to finish their duties, there is one thing that is very evident to all who are watching: this game is very important.

Coaching baseball for four years has taught me two things about boundaries: (1) Boundaries mean the game is serious, and (2) boundaries make the game more fun.

Do you associate boundaries with something that is negative and limiting, or something that is positive and liberating?

In Psalm 16:6-8 King David wrote this about his Lord and boundaries: “6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. 
7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. 
8 I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”

King David associated boundary lines with something that was pleasant. In fact, boundaries gave King David a greater confidence in the goodness of God, and a peace of mind knowing that while he lived in those boundaries, he was a recipient of God’s counsel and protection.

Just as a game without boundaries is not a serious one, a Christian without boundaries is not serious about his or her walk with the Lord. A game without boundaries is not as enjoyable and very chaotic. Similarly, a person without boundaries will live in chaos, and as a result, miss the life God designed for him or her. A person without boundaries will live in bondage and insecurity, while those with clearly defined boundary lines are liberated to live life with great joy and pleasure.

Have you established boundaries in your life? If so, I trust that they have fallen in pleasant places for you!

Celebrating Justice

When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers. Proverbs 21:15

After ten long years of chasing down the world’s number one terrorist, Osama bin Laden, United States military forces killed him at his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. As the news stations broadcasted the report many Americans celebrated publicly. This “celebration of death”, as some labeled it, stirred up controversy in our nation. The controversy escalated when many Americans started to demand that the photos of a dead bin Laden be released for viewing.

Let me ask you a question: What do you feel like doing when you think about United States military forces killing Osama bin Laden? That is an easy question for many people to answer. They feel like celebrating.

Why do people feel so happy about the thought of someone dying? I’m convinced that more people despise the thought of someone dying than enjoy it. I don’t like the thought of someone being killed. Gosh, I don’t even like horror movies and ultimate fighting contests. So, what makes so many people thrilled about the death of Osama bin Laden?

The reason so many people are celebrating the death of Osama bin Laden is because justice was served. Is it okay to celebrate justice? Absolutely! In fact, it would be unnatural to not celebrate justice. When justice is not served it causes people to be hard- hearted and cynical.

Psalm 50:4-6 says: “4God summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people: 
5 “Gather to me this consecrated people, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” 
6 And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for he is a God of justice.”

One of the main attributes of God is that He is just. The greatest demonstration of God’s justice was when He sent His son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. The Bible teaches us that we have all sinned, and the wages of our sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 3:23, 6:23).

Because God is just, someone had to die for our sins. The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that He became our substitute for the consequences of our sins. That is why every Sunday, all throughout the world in millions of churches, people praise the name of Jesus Christ. Christians remember Jesus’ death and celebrate God’s demonstration of justice.

There are certain deaths we celebrate. We celebrate the death of Jesus because He gave His life as a ransom so that people could be saved from their sins and eternal death. We celebrate the death of Osama bin Laden because he used his life to murder innocent people.

Both deaths remind us of two simple facts: God is our Judge who loves justice, and when justice is served people will celebrate!

The Most Historic Prediction

Every once in a while a person makes a prediction that comes true. When this happens, the moment becomes an event that is never forgotten.

After brashly guaranteeing a New York Jets victory over the Baltimore Colts, prior to Super Bowl III, Jets quarterback Joe Namath completed 17 out of 28 passes for 206 yards, and was named the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player. The victory is considered one of the greatest upsets in sports history.

Babe Ruth's called shot was the home run hit by Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees in the fifth inning of Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, held on October 1, 1932 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. During the at-bat, Ruth made a pointing gesture, which existing film confirms, but the exact nature of his gesture is ambiguous. Although neither fully confirmed nor refuted, the story goes that Ruth pointed to the center field bleachers during the at-bat. It was supposedly a declaration that he would hit a home run to this part of the park. On the next pitch, Ruth hit a home run to center field. This event is one of the most historic and talked about moments in baseball history.

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went to the temple courts in Jerusalem and found the people focused on the wrong priorities. Instead of preparing to celebrate the Passover and remember how God delivered His people out of slavery from Egypt, the people were selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others were sitting at tables exchanging money. John 2:15-22 tells the rest of the story.

It says: “15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”

19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken."

When questioned by the Jews, Jesus predicted that His resurrection would be the sign that would prove His authority once and for all. Of all the predictions and prophecies throughout history, no one ever dared to declare they would rise from the grave. If Jesus conquered death, He would prove forever that He is the Messiah, and the Son of God.

And, that is exactly what Jesus did. Three days after dying on the cross for the sins of the world, He rose from the grave. No more questions about His authority!

Now, every Easter, over 2 billion people remember and celebrate this most historic prediction!

Seeking The Good Of Others

If you are a friend of mine on Facebook, you know that one of my favorite hobbies is running. I am constantly updating my status with thoughts of hitting the streets. What’s on my mind? You know it: “Run Ronnie Run”!

On March 5th, 2011 I celebrated my 42nd birthday. One of my birthday traditions is to make sure I go for a run. With about a mile left on my run, a younger man about 24 years of age, passed me on my right hand side.

In my twenties, I attended graduate school at Florida State University and became a good friend with one of the top tri-athletes in the state of Florida. We used to run through the campus together everyday during the week. We had one rule during our run: No one was allowed to pass us! (Note: I think I broke the rule, but he never did.)

As the young man passed me on my 42nd birthday, I had many thoughts race through my head. The first one was, “no one is allowed to pass me”. Then, I reasoned that this rule doesn’t apply to me anymore because I am no longer in my twenties.

The next thought was the scripture 1 Corinthians 10:24. It says, “No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.” How dare this young buck pass me on my birthday? That was so rude…LOL! He was definitely not thinking about this Scripture and my pride as he passed me on the road.

My next thought was: “This is going to hurt”!

Then, I took off and chased him for a half-mile as fast as I could. We ran side by side until I had to turn off the road to take my route home. As I made my turn, he sighed and said, “Thank you sir”.

Apostle Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to give instruction and admonition that would lead to the solving of many problems in the congregation. In dealing with the confusion that had crept into the church at Corinth as believers failed to recognize Jesus Christ as Lord, Apostle Paul reminded them that a true disciple of Jesus does not only seek his own good, but the good of others.

The Corinthians had lost sight of God. Their selfishness had blinded them. Apostle Paul taught them that the egocentric life is contrasted with the Christ-centered life. A mature Christian is characterized by giving instead of getting, and building up others instead of tearing them down.

So remember, if you want to be like Jesus, don’t pass an older person while they are running on their birthday, and live to seek the good of others!

What Do You Do When You Have the Fastest Horse In The Race?

Life becomes much more enriching when you discover your gifts and talents.

Romans 12:6- 8 says, “6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”

People are most effective when they are doing what God calls them to do. People are most motivated when they are releasing the dynamic force of the gifts and calling that God has placed in them. Everyone should experience the life of God and exercise the gifts that God has given. Ideally every person will operate in his or her own unique gifts and talents. Many people live life with anxiety because they don’t know what they were created by God to do.

I was reminded of the importance of discovering your gifts and calling while watching the movie “Secretariat” with my boys last week. Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in twenty-five years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby (1:59 2/5), and the Belmont Stakes (2:24)—records that still stand today.

Owned by Penny Chenery (aka Penny Tweedy), he was trained by Lucien Laurin and mainly ridden by fellow Canadian jockey Ron Turcotte. The movie chronicled Secretariat’s birth and amazing pursuit to win the Triple Crown 1973. It also showed the struggles of Penny trying to maintain a family life, save her father’s farm and her future inheritance, and make tough decisions while managing an elite thoroughbred horse.

Before the Belmont Stakes, Penny and Lucien were trying to decide how to train Secretariat for the race. It was thought at the time that a horse could not possess both speed and endurance to win the U.S. Triple Crown. So, they were wondering if they should run Secretariat hard or rest him before the Belmont Stakes, the longest of all the races in the Triple Crown. They decided to train him hard concluding that the horse had a special gift and was born to run.

My favorite part in the movie was during the initial stage of the Belmont Stakes race as Secretariat was running neck and neck with his top competitor. If Secretariat finished anything but first, all would be lost for Penny. As the scenes switched back and forth from the racing track to the stands where Penny, Lucien and her family were standing together, you could feel the nervous tension of how important it was for Secretariat to win the Belmont Stakes.

All of a sudden, Secretariat began to break away from his competitor, as the crowd stood stunned at the speed and endurance of this horse. During his surge to the finish line in record fashion, Penny broke free of all her anxiety and yelled at the top of her voice to Ron, Secretariat’s rider. She screamed: “Let him run Ronnie, let him run.”

Penny knew Secretariat was a gift from God, and created by Him to run fast. She made a decision to let the horse do what he was destined to do. The rest is history, and a great American story.

1 Peter 4:10 says: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” When we discover the gifts God has given us, and use them to serve others, we actually get to participate with God in administering His grace to people. That is a pretty cool thought, and makes life very fulfilling because we are able to help others.

Just like Secretariat, when we get in our right lane, and discover what we were created by God to do, we can do amazing things in life. What do you do when you know how to use your gifts and calling? You serve people, administer the grace of God, and live a fulfilling life of purpose.

What do you do when you realize you have the fastest horse in the race?

You “let him run Ronnie, let him run!”

All In!

In 2010, as members of the SEC, the Auburn Tigers went undefeated in the regular season and capped off a perfect season by defeating the Oregon Ducks in the BCS National Championship game. What made the feat more amazing is the fact that they went undefeated while participating in the toughest football conference in NCAA Division 1 football.

What does it take to go undefeated and win a national championship in college football?

It takes a wholehearted commitment to give your best from every single player on the team. The Auburn Tigers came up with a slogan during the year to remind them of this commitment: All In!

Before I asked my wife to marry me, I went and purchased an expensive diamond wedding ring. Facing each other on the altar of the church where we were married, we exchanged rings and said our vows to one another. The vows included these words of commitment to our marriage relationship: “to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.” We were “All In”!

What does it take to have a successful marriage?

After fourteen years of marriage, I have learned that it takes a wholehearted commitment from both the husband and wife. This means that both the husband and wife are constantly willing to sacrifice for each other, and serve one another in love. Anything less than total commitment to a marriage will eventually destroy it.

While flipping back and forth from the AMC channel, that was featuring a week of “Rocky” movies, and my favorite news channels, I was reminded that Rocky fought his best when he was wholeheartedly committed to the fight. In order to fight well, he had to accept Mickey’s offer to train him, overcome physical injuries and Adrian’s concerns about him fighting, and conquer his own personal fears.

How did Rocky defeat Apollo Creed, Clubber Lang and Ivan Drago?

Rocky beat all three of these fierce competitors in the ring by giving an all-out effort in each of these fights. Rocky won on heart and perseverance. He was “All In”!

Jesus Christ came to earth from heaven to save people from their sins, preach about and demonstrate the Kingdom of God, and reveal to us our Heavenly Father’s will for our lives. His death on the cross was a sign that he was wholeheartedly committed to his mission. At the cross, Jesus manifested God’s love, upheld God’s holiness, and administered God’s justice in dealing with humanity’s transgressions. Jesus was “All In”!

What kind of effort does it take to serve our Lord well?

After twenty-one years of walking with our Lord, I have learned that a half-hearted commitment will not suffice if you want to serve Him well. It takes self-denial, sacrifice and a daily devotion to follow the Lord as He leads. In fact, Jesus taught his followers this in the Great Commandment. It says, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38). Jesus expects us to be “All In”!

Whether you are competing for a national championship, maintaining a successful marriage, winning a title fight, or serving our Lord, it takes a wholehearted commitment. Nothing great is ever attained in life without an all-out effort.

As you serve the Lord and live your life, make sure in whatever you do you are: All In!

Freedom Is Not For Free!

History has certainly proven to us that freedom is not for free. As we celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday of this week, I was reminded of this fact.

Our founders mutually pledged to each other their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to establish a nation with liberty as one of its ideals. They knew their declaration of independence from the tyranny they suffered under Great Britain would cost them dearly. Many early settlers of the United States lost their lives and fortunes in the fight for our nation’s freedom!

Jesus Christ died an excruciating death on a cross to set His followers free from the bondage of sin and its consequences of eternal death. Galatians 5:1 says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Our freedom from sin and eternal death cost Christ His life!

Our nation’s finest who serve in our military risk their lives daily to preserve the freedom we enjoy. Many of them pay the ultimate price by being killed on the field of battle. They are a source of inspiration and a reminder to us all that freedom is not free!

Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African American civil rights movement.[1] He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods. In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other nonviolent means. By the time of his death in 1968, he had refocused his efforts on ending poverty and stopping the Vietnam War. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. The fight for freedom also cost Dr. King his life!

As we commemorate Dr. King on this day, I would like to leave us with ten of my favorite quotes by this great civil rights leader. They are:

1. “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”

2. “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”

3. “At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love.”

4. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

5. “Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.”

6. “Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.”

7. “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”

8. “He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.”

9. “History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.”

10. “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”

Thank you Dr. King and all who have fought in this fight for freedom! You remind us that freedom is not for free! I pray that your example and sacrifice would compel us to serve others with the freedom we are so fortunate to experience.

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. Apostle Paul in Galatians 5:13

A Great Harvest Comes From A Good Heart!

As we begin a New Year, it is important that we set aside some time to examine the condition of our heart. The last thing a true disciple of Jesus wants to do is allow their heart to become tainted in any way. 2 Corinthians 13:5-6 says, “5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? 6 And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.”

There are many opportunities, and circumstances we face, throughout the course of year where our hearts can get negative things sown into them. When this happens, we end up possessing hardened hearts, weak hearts or distracted hearts. The condition of our heart is directly related to what kind of walk we will have with our Lord.

One of the keys to making sure we don’t “fail the test” is protecting our heart from all the opposition that arises as we serve the Lord. That is why Proverbs 4:23 says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus teaches that we have a higher probability of possessing a heart that does not yield a harvest for the Lord, than possessing a heart that does produce a harvest. Three out of four soils mentioned in this parable do not allow the seed to do the work for which it was sown. There is only one type of soil by which the seed can produce a harvest. Let’s take a look!

1. The Path

When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. Matthew 13:19

A path is where people travel, and therefore, gets trampled down and becomes hard and crusty. Many people’s hearts have been trampled down by the circumstances of life, or hardened by the consequences of sin. When the seed falls on the path, it cannot take root, so it gets stolen by the passing birds (enemy). Do you feel your faith is constantly being snatched away from you? Are you afraid to surrender your life to Jesus as your Lord? If so, then the path could represent the condition of your heart.

2. The Rocky Places

The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Matthew 13:20

Many people want the benefits of the Christian faith without the commitments and responsibilities. These people want to receive God’s forgiveness, but don’t want to tell others because it might bring persecution to them. Sooner or later someone is going to stand in opposition to your faith. The problem is trouble will come. Perhaps you will lose a friendship with someone close to you, or be tagged with a derogatory label. When people receive the word with joy, but don’t allow it to take root, they will not persevere during tough times. When this happens, the person withers away because they didn’t really allow Jesus to be the Lord of their lives.

3. The Thorns

The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. Matthew 13:22

The worries of this life can include: our responsibilities, our jobs, our relationships, our finances, our health, etc. When stewarded properly, all these things we participate in should bring glory to God. When obligations become more important to us than serving God, His word will get choked out. The deceitfulness of wealth is putting trust in something other than the Lord to be our provider and protector. When money is not stewarded properly, it deceives people into thinking it will bring peace and contentment. Instead, wealth accumulated with wrong motives leads to more greed and problems. The desire for other things is what consumes the affections of our heart. We make time for and invest in things we truly desire. For example, watching television all the time and never praying or reading the Bible could be a desire that has choked out God’s influence in our life. The problem is not with the activity, but that we do it to the exclusion of serving our Lord.

The Good Soil

But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Matthew 13:23

The Lord Jesus Christ expects us to grow in His grace and knowledge. We should not remain immature in our faith. We must accept individual responsibility for our walk with Christ. As we obey God’s Word, we receive more of his grace and learn more about His purpose for our life. When we live as an ambassador for Christ and do the work of His Kingdom, we will produce a harvest that pleases the Lord.

We are not to compare our harvest with that of others. God has given every individual person different and unique gifts. Instead, we should be obedient to His will, and allow Him to bring the harvest no matter what type of increase it produces.

Now that we have begun a new year, take some extra time to do an honest examination of the condition of your heart. Remember to “hold on to the good” of 2010 and release the bad. Nothing is more important than possessing a pure heart for the Lord.

Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? 4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. 5 They will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God their Savior. Psalm 24:3-5