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Prepared?
I just got tired of proclaiming the name of Christ with no ammunition in my proclamation!
I guess the realization of just how formidable the enemy, Satan, is became real as I tried to defend my faith without real, deep and the perpetual pursuit of knowledge of God’s Word. Matthew 4:11 “Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him,” (NIV) is one of my favorite verses in the Bible, because it assures me that we are not alone against an enemy desiring to trip us and trick us into guilt and shame. Satan desires to render us broken and on the sideline of this life and death match of Heaven or Hell. You see, if you have given your life to Christ, Satan has lost you. Now he simply has a strategy to make you ineffective.
Those are harsh statements. Truth can be harsh if we choose to receive it in a manner of defensiveness verses accepting truth as a life cornerstone and the food that empowers our purpose.
I often use the analogy of ‘would you allow your husband or wife or children needing a life or death surgery to be operated on by a surgeon needing to read a “How To” book while operating?’ Of course not. We rightfully expect the surgeon to know exactly what needs to be done heading into the surgery. We were not present during the surgeon’s long hours of study, practice and preparation for this moment. Spiritual fitness is no different than medical fitness. It requires time, study, prayer, support, collaboration with other bothers and sisters (Church)…repeat. The euphoria of dopamine release during an hour or two of collaborative worship and teaching in a week of 168 hours may be misleading instead of preparing.
There is a great description of character that says “character is what you do when no one is looking.” A relationship with Christ must be how we prepare in the quietness of unspectacular minutes and hours of a life surrendered to He who is greater than me. I often tell our kids the difference between arrogance and ability is in the preparation. You’re only arrogant if you can back up the boasts!
Think about this. The enemy (Satan) had the confident audacity to quote scripture to the son of the author of the Word. That would be the equivalent of you or I sitting up before the surgery and walking the surgeon through the operation. Not very likely! So why is Bible study important? Why is prayer so absolutely necessary? Why is surrounding ourselves with fellow believers, flooding our minds with music, books, movies, small groups, friends so crucial? Because the enemy is prepared and patient. He patiently waits.
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 (NLT)
In business we are encouraged and cautioned to know the competition. In sports, coaches caution against naive confidence that does not consider the competition. There is a reason why businesses have boards and coaches have assistants. When the Israelites were fighting the Amalekites, they were winning when Moses’ hands were up and as he grew tired, Aaron and Hur held them up for him. Christianity is not a solo effort, but a team fight. A fight that must be rooted in preparation that leads to knowledge and knowledge that relies on others equally committed to Christ Jesus.
“Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Matthew 4:5-7 (NIV)
Jesus was exhausted after fasting for 40 days and nights. Then Satan struck when he was tired and hungry. Jesus was prepared because he was God’s son. If you are God’s daughter or son, are you prepared? Intimacy with Christ comes through the learning of who and how immeasurably marvelous that God is. Give it a try. He desires to walk, talk, teach and hold you. He will send comfort through those around you if you are open, willing and committed.
You’ve got this.
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There are no shortcuts
A common phrase used by coaches in sports, careers, marriage, life.
We’ve been blessed this week to spend time with two wonderful families that God placed in our path last year. I love the extension of our family that these families represent and I pray we do the same for them. The laughter. The intense corn hole matches. The praying. The love that is received and given. What a blessing.
As we spent time together I became acutely aware of the dramatically different paths we have taken as families to land where we are today. One couple, super successful executives (now retired) with one of the largest retailers in the world. Another, the developer of a successful HVAC company and some other offshoots that fed theirs and many other families. And then our family’s trek to these moments. These moments of joy and togetherness are the result of hours, days, years and decades of head down, dog hard work and internal disciple. The prize lay and laid all around us. The prize was and is the journey. The prize is the joy that the journeys deliver.
So the message of the varied life paths that led us together resonated with me that “there are no shortcuts.” Too often we celebrate the accolades that are the result of the disciplined journey, when the reality is the praise really should be in the systematic steps taken each day. Steps of love. Steps of learning. Steps of gratitude. Steps of tenacity. Steps of commitment. And above all, steps of faith seeking closer and closer relationship with Christ.
I have a good friend who ran in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. As he and I have spoken about this, what strikes me is the awareness that he logged thousands of miles, alone with a vision, a goal, a gift, only maximized by hours upon hours of rapidly forcing one foot in front of the other for the glory of a few moments of thousands cheering the results of exceptional ability manifested through discipline and determination.
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29 (AMP)
I marvel at people who have had a close and personal relationship with Jesus their entire life. They are, unfortunately, the exception rather than the rule. You see, Jesus offers himself as our Lord and Savior. Freely given but with magnificent cost. The release of all burden and doubt replaced by the gift of love, grown and revealed through ever increasing intimate relationship with him through discipline and surrender.
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)
There are no shortcuts to personal relationship with Jesus. There is immediate assurance of salvation, if only we ask and invite Jesus into our whole heart. There is a life path that leads to eternity. Jesus desires to have intimate relationship with us. Intimacy that comes through understanding. Understanding that comes through seeking. Seeking that is answered in his Father’s Word. Relationship that manifests itself through prayer and time set aside for growth through discipline.
You’ve got this.
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Just another evening…
My wish for you is that you would experience one Monday evening like God blessed me with yesterday.
We’re now parents to amazing teenagers who are busy within their circles of friends. It’s so awesome to watch them grow and learn and fail and succeed and pursue the person that God has created them to be. They are well-rounded human beings, in large part due to their amazing mother who exhibits grace and love to them daily. I pray that they recognize the life and love gift that God has blessed them with in their mom.
So we found ourselves alone on a Monday evening. A French dip and loaded baked potato was the perfect and romantic dinner at McAlister’s Deli, sitting outside and taking in a beautiful East TN, May evening. As cars were wizzing by through Turkey Creek, I sat and marveled that God had gifted you to me. I don’t really remember what we talked about during our date night dinner but relish those precious moments sitting, talking, laughing and praying with you.
Then the evening exploded into frenzy (and anxiety for you) as we enhanced our date night with a trip to Costco for coffee and like all good Costco trips, leaving with $250 of “must haves.” I love that we were so excited by the deals on La Croix, Goldfish, Doritos, Glucosamine Chondroitin (I’m old) and other things that contributed to a successful venture. I love that you have to mentally prepare yourself for Costco or Sam’s Club and the type-A personalities that we will encounter as we navigate those aisles.
Then, as the proverbial cherry on top, you mentioned getting a hot fudge sundae. The reality being you really just wanted hot fudge because you don’t love ice cream. I love that we chose to drive through McDonald’s instead of going inside Freddy’s because we just wanted to be with one another. After recovering from the trauma that McDonald’s no longer offers strawberry as a sundae topping, my ice cream cone was marvelous as I listened to you question the minimal amount of hot fudge topping your sundae. From now on we’ll order hot fudge, complimented by a dollop of ice cream. Man, rockstar life is awesome!
I love that as I was preparing to chill and do little else for the evening, you goaded me into going hunting for the snapping turtle that has invaded our pond with intent to ravage our fish. A typical issues several times a year. I love that we sat on the hillside watching the water as the sun went down, occasionally seeing our foe but never getting the safe and true shot. We sat there quietly, listening to the tree frogs, watching fish cruise along the surface, whispering every now and then, just being together. I pray that I never lose the feeling that overcomes me when I hear your voice whisper to me. It is the melody of my life, echoing joy, commitment, love…so much love.
As I gave you a goodnight kiss and headed off to bed at the insane hour of 9:30 pm (do people really stay up that late on a regular basis?), I was overcome with the extraordinary gift of an ordinary evening with you. Thank you for an uneventful and marvelously beautiful evening.
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (ESV)
You’re in my top-10 this morning. Private joke! SHMILY
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The Prisoner and the President
“Do you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?”
These are the words that my friend and brother in Christ asked our waitress yesterday as we finished up our lunch. I was not surprised.
Several years ago, Stephen and I were introduced to one another, sitting over burgers at Litton’s Restaurant in Fountain City, TN. I immediately was drawn to this guy who shared my hair style, had tattoos that revealed a life of many roads, was more interested in me and my spiritual state than anything else at that moment and was intense in his discussion about the amazing grace and mercy that only comes from Jesus. As we prayed over our meal and talked, laughed and shared, I knew that God had gifted me a lifetime brother who would sharpen me and challenge me.
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35 (NIV)
Fast forward a couple of years of meeting, growing, sharpening and working together on Kingdom efforts, Stephen and I were a part of a Mens Bible study that met on Saturday mornings. As Stephen was sharing with the group, he mentioned that part of his story involved being an inmate at a prison in Mansfield, Ohio. Immediately my eyes looked up at what I had heard. I asked exactly where and learned that he had been in the Mansfield Correctional Institution. After some more discussion I learned that Stephen had been an inmate at that prison while I was president of a company that was down the same road that ManCI was on, at the same time that he was a incarcerated, and I shared that I could see the prison from my office. Two brothers, equally broken, both imprisoned, one literally and one mentally. Both crying out to the same God, asking for the same thing and both destined to receive what only Jesus can provide.
So there we were. The prisoner and the president, equal in every sense of the word because we are God’s beloved sons that he allowed to travel different paths. Two men from vastly different backgrounds and life experiences brought together by God’s amazing plans and bound together by Jesus’ unfathomable love. It’s a crazy and beautiful ride when you surrender to Christ and he will place you in rooms with vastly different and exactly alike brothers and sisters. What an unexplainable gift Stephen is to me. Much like the grace and mercy that my Father in Heaven showers on me: so underserved and so, so needed.
“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Colossians 3:14 (ESV)
So my brother from another life dimension sharpens me. He motivates me. I value the time he gives me because I witness the joy, love, hope and life that is Jesus, in human form. Jesus, the great equalizer and eternal life giver, brought two of his kids together with experiences that sharpen one another as only he can and will. Just ask him.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)
To learn more about Stephen’s story, check out his recent interview on CBN (link below). If you have a group of church looking for a speaker/preacher who will set your hearts on fire, reach out to Stephen. He’s that good.
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Stairs or Elevator
Are you a stairs or elevator person?
I continue to battle this insidious disease called Type-2 Diabetes, struggling to reign in my desire for food that is counter to what my body needs and likes. My mind likes so many foods and sweets that my body rejects. Ah, the battle rages! One key element for me in keeping my A1C in check is exercise and activity. I had a great mentor who lived a life of example. Never bragging or worrying about the visual results, just the internal health benefits.
In 1982 my father was having some issues with numbness on the left side of his body, that the doctors finally diagnosed as a calcium deposit on his brain. He was told that its location made it inoperable (at the time) and that too rigorous of activity could cause it to dislodge, likely resulting in an aneurysm that would kill him. Our family faced the very real possibility of a future without our father and my mother’s husband.
Over the course of the next 41 years, dad had 6-8 more minor strokes that resulted in the loss of nearly all use of his left side. Yet, he was alive, still living alone, dressing himself, driving himself, going to church every Sunday and exercising in some form every day. He did this up until his new life in Heaven, 41 years after being told to minimize rigorous activity. He turned his need for exercise into a ministry of handing out Bibles to those people at Kroger in Centerville, Ohio, who treated him so sweetly. He introduced many of those sweet people to Jesus. What some saw as a broken down, old man, God used as his vessel of hope.
My family doctor diagnosed my diabetes 18 years ago. A family legacy that I would be more than happy to stop with me. Through the years my Dr. has asked me about my levels of activity. He commented one day that “there are stairs people and elevator people,” which I found very intriguing. When I asked what he meant, he said there are people who just want to get to their destination and miss the benefits of the journey. Stairs work the heart, which works the cardiovascular, which challenges the mind, causing an appreciation for the journey and a gift to the body. He said there is a direct correlation between the ignoring of the stairs and the mounting health issues one experiences.
I surrendered my life to Christ 20 years ago. I gave my life to Jesus when I was a 6 year old boy as best as I knew how, but real surrender did not happen until much later. I remember calling a beloved sister and telling her this great news of total surrender and being greeted with her response, “we’ll see.” I was discouraged, disappointed and drawn to the idea of just shutting down this latest ‘move’ in my life. But this time was different. The choice had been made, my life was no longer mine alone and I chose the path of allowing my life to be a witness of God’s amazing grace and mercy.
I chose the stairs. I chose to take a daily step of faith. Doing my best to reflect the amazing and transformative love of my Father in Heaven. Failing more than succeeding, but trusting and climbing every day.
God has a perfect plan for you. He knows the stairs require effort and wants you to know the incredible joy and reward of the journey of life with him. The easy road is normally the widest, the most appealing to our sinful nature and the least rewarding.
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)
My dad lived a life of tenacity, battling against the health issues ravaging his body. He was the embodiment of a man fighting the good fight. His example, not words, illustrated to me and to many others what a life of commitment and value looks like. He illustrated the value of running a good race. Take the steps, the journey is the reward.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NIV)
Little to nothing worthwhile comes without a price.
You’ve got this.
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Trust the Process
“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.” 2 Corinthians 4:17–18 (ESV).
The great news is that God is already where you are worried or wondering about. He has planned your life, defined your purpose and allows the experiences of this season to build within you the confidence of the person that he knows you are. The decisions you have made in the past or today do not define you. What you choose to do with those decisions has lasting impact. Choose to use your past as fuel for your future. No regrets. Just expectation.
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“You’ve got to stand for something, or you’ll fall for anything.”
I served with a group of industry executives as a representative for the firearms industry in the ‘90’s. This involved going to Washington, DC and meeting with various pro and anti 2nd Amendment congresspeople and senators. Truly an enlightening and humbling experience.
In the 1990’s, several large cities across America aligned with the anti-gun lobby in a strategy to bankrupt the firearms industry. Their mantra was, “if we cannot legislate them out of business by changing the 2nd Amendment that guarantees Americans right to gun ownership, we’ll litigate them out of business through massively expensive lawsuits.” A strategy that proved frivolous but effective with liability insurance rising to firearms companies and retailers, which ultimately means the consumer (you), by several hundred percent.
One key element of these cities lawsuits was charging the firearms industry with negligence, suggesting the manufacturers and resellers knew that guns were dangerous and demanding a trigger lock be included with the gun sold. Seems like a commonsensical argument doesn’t it?
I am so grateful for the members of that industry group who had decades more experience than I did and understood what was really happening. The truth is that everyone agreed trigger locks were a good idea and today all guns come with a locking device, either external or incorporated into the gun. I questioned to our group, “this makes sense, why are we fighting this mandate?” And there it was. We were fighting a mandate that chipped away at the foundational ‘right’ assigned by our Country’s Founders of the Right to Bear Arms. This 2nd Amendment right came without clauses and I learned that if we surrendered even and inch to this basic right, that would create a crack in the dam holding back the flood of legislative and litigious strategies all waiting to be released. Today called lawfare.
One particularly smart Senator from Mississippi said to me in one meeting, “Mr. Muuullllliiiins (trying to draw out for effect), I have been in Washington over 30 years and know that evil never comes through the front door. It is always wrapped with an appearance of common sense and always has ulterior motives.”
This is a long introduction to get to the point of my thoughts. God’s church is never at risk because God is omnipotent and everlasting. He is the same today as he was millennia ago and eternally in the future. The local church has never been more at risk because we celebrate growth in numbers at the expense of truth in scripture. Why do I say this? Simple, I am witnessing with my own eyes and ears the gentle, subtle, mob pacifying, context ignoring delivery of scripture through too many of our local churches, and many of our largest and fastest growing churches and denominations. Now I know that I have just angered many of you. Not my intent, but if truth angers then sin abounds.
I have witnessed some of our great church organizations be dismantled because scripture was compromised. I write ‘church organizations’ because even the verbiage ‘religion or religious’ has become toxic in today’s Christianity. The question is are we (the local church) standing out from this broken and sinful World, as a light shining in darkness? Or, are we allowing cracks in the dam of Biblical truth and inerrancy? In Luke 22:31 (ESV) Jesus says, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,”. Satan knows that he does not have to destroy our faith, simply confuse it and by doing so, render us more noise in an already loud and confused orchestra of life.
2 Timothy 3:16 states that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,”. Some simple research finds the inerrancy, accuracy and absolute authority of every word in scripture being confirmed time and time again by Jesus and others. The Bible is not conceptual, it is factual. The fact that we don’t like certain things in the Bible does not mean it should change, it points out the change that need to occur within us.
The United States does not have a gun problem, it has a moral, value and family problem. God does not have a consistency problem, He has children confused or ignorant of his Word, or those claiming to be his children who see false teachings designed to sift the wheat like Jesus cautioned Peter. God does not have an inconsistency problem, he has a lack of voices in the wilderness proclaiming his absolute and without error authority, limitless love and never changing instruction (His Word, the Bible).
I did some consulting work for Gov. Mike Huckabee and Aaron Tippin on a musical collaboration they did to benefit inner city schools by providing them with musical instruments. I was able to spend a fair amount of time with Aaron Tippin. Driving around middle-Tennessee and going to numerous meeting and events in Nashville, culminating in Megan and I going to NYC for the Mike Huckabee Show (since ended), for the rollout of their effort.
Aaron is a truly fascinating guy. A man resolute in his beliefs. 100% behind America. 100% supporting of our military and troops. 100% sold out to Jesus and his faith. 100% flawed man. 100% right when he said to me, “you know, Myron, if some of us don’t stand firm, then we’re all going to get washed away!”
My Christian brothers and sisters, if we don’t stand on the absolute authority of God’s Word and acknowledge that it is without error and true from cover to cover, we might as well just become a social club, committed to entertaining our constituents. Wait. What? Evil never comes through the front door, it arrives in discontent and misdirection. It wins by sifting our steadfastness into grains of confusion and our willingness to place cultural appeal over eternal truth.
The promises of God are marvelous and eternally true. They are non-negotiable and with never-ending love.
“God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill.” Numbers 23:19 (NIV)
“Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God, my Savior.”
You’ve got this.
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Persistence
I was 23 years old and had just won a sales award when the call came. It was a Wednesday morning because I called every Tuesday to check status. I took it!
As a kid growing up my passions were many but if able, fishing and hunting topped the list. I had a friend in high school whose father was in the hunting and fishing industry. My dream job. I thought! My friend’s dad became a patient mentor to me, exposing me to business, better food, golf, fine living (perspective), entrepreneurialism and goal setting.
I desired to work for a wholesale sporting goods distributor of hunting, fishing and outdoor equipment. The specific place where my friend’s dad and my mentor had worked before leaving to establish his own company. So as a young man with no experience beyond a hobbyist with a ravenous desire to learn all that I could about fishing and hunting, my mentor secured me an interview with the company.
“Myron,” the Sales Manager that I was interviewing with said, “go to work in sporting goods retail and gain 10-20 years experience, then come back and let’s talk.” You see, the typical salesperson at this company was in their late 40’s, with years of sales and industry experience. I did not have that long to wait. As we ended the interview, I was told ‘there were no openings and if there were, I was well down a list of applicants desiring a job with the company. But, stay in touch.’ Bingo!
Tuesdays at 10:00 am.
After that interview I went back to selling auto, life, health insurance and certain securities that I was licensed to sell. I hated selling insurance and securities, but was really good at it and like so much of life, I was so focused on the future that I missed the invaluable training and preparation that was occurring within my life for ‘next.’
Then began the slog to the job I desired. I committed with myself to call the sales manager with whom I had interviewed every Tuesday, at 10:00 am and check-in to see if a job was available. And for the next 15 months I called. The sales manager became so accustomed to my call that he would answer and say without asking who it was, “still not hiring.” If he was not busy, we would chat for a few minutes during which I learned his wife’s name, his two kids names, things that his family was doing, things going on at the company. We became friends. I took an interest in him, the person, and he in me.
So on that fateful Wednesday morning as I prepared to receive my Gold Record award for sales, the call came from my friend, the Sales Manager. “Myron, I just fired a guy in a poor performing territory in Northeastern, Ohio. He earned $15,000 last year. The job is yours if you want it.” ‘I’ll take it’ was my immediate reply.
Now I had never been to Northeastern Ohio in my life. And that year I had earned $43,000 with my current job. From where I come from, that a “big haircut” going from $43K to $15K. It did not matter because my eye was on the prize. My confidence, albeit naive, was high. My desire, resolute. My passion, extreme. My expectation, off the chart. I had set a goal and achieved it with this one phone call. This one phone call, the net of 60 weeks of committed calling, rewarded with a 60% reduction in pay and a 100% reward for tenacity, goal setting and vision.
Many of you know the next of my story that has been filled with amazing lows, undeserved highs and inconceivable Grace and Mercy from my Father in Heaven. I don’t write the ‘rest of my story,’ because my story is a living organism, still emerging on a daily basis.
I choose today to approach life with a different type of tenacity. One that finds me mostly in situations of one-on-one with men needing hope, assurance and encouragement. I find fulfilled contentment in what my Father in Heaven directs and provides. I find my ‘wants’ giving way to meeting needs of brothers and sisters in Christ as we all seek to share the good news that is Jesus. My tenacity may be more limited by my physical capacity, but my heart grows as my sphere of influence narrows.
In retrospect, I would have asked for a mentor who guided me spiritually in those early professional days. When I confronted my father after years of prodigal living on my part asking, ‘why he did not say anything to me about the wrong road that I was on,’ he simply asked, “would you have listened?” The answer is ‘no.’ Similarly, God knew that I was not in a season of listening when he allowed those years of wrong living to prepare me for the message of hope, grace and mercy that I share today. The personal brokenness is such a gift in how it rewards me with gratitude and priority today.
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:3-5 (NLT)
I encourage you to approach life with tenacity. To reflect Christ in and through your life with the gentleness of a lamb and a fierceness of a lion. To accept Ephesians 6:12 (NLT) “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places,” as a life mantra. Enter the fight and run the race that God has created for you.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (NIV)
If you’re still breathing, God’s not done using you as his vessel for his Kingdom. And that my friend, is more than enough.
You’ve got this.
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Be The Flame, Not The Moth
“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NLT)
Do you think that maybe, just maybe our finding fault with our Christian friends, our local church, the Church is by design? Not the plans of our Creator because those plans went awry when sin slipped in through Adam and Eve that now rages in all humanity. Choice! Our choices determine our destiny. Our destiny is often determined by those we surround ourselves with and allow to pour into our lives.
Can I encourage you that if you desire to be less cynical, spend less time with cynical people. If sarcasm permeates your thoughts, remove sarcastic people from your life. There seems to be a basic human desire to help lift people out of where they reside, when the reality is that most times the result is being pulled down into their environment. God does not call us to ‘fix’ things, but rather live lives that reflect His light, that draws people to Him because of their desire “to have and experience what forgiven people should always reflect. Hope. Love. Joy. Purpose. Peace. Discipline. Light.
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV)
I don’t think there are many verses in the Bible that people I know want to rationalize more than 2 Corinthians 6:14. Why? I believe God’s children are inherently good and have a desire for others to experience the ‘good’ that they have found. We want to lead others to what we have found when we are told to reflect Christ. A moth is not led to a flame, rather is drawn to a flame.
We are very involved and active in our kids lives. We want to know their friends. We want to know their prospective friends hearts. We are vocal with our kids about their friend choices because we know these choices have profound impact in the short and long term. We are not helicopter parents, trying to shield our kids from pain or hurt. We approach our involvement in our kids lives with the recognition that we have been entrusted our kids by the Creator of all, who expects us to guide them, be involved with them, and reflect Him in how we act, talk, walk and who surround ourselves with. Being on guard against unequally yoked people is not a rejection, it is obedience.
Take the pressure off and live the life daily that you have been gifted as God’s daughter or son. He’ll do the rest while you rest in his arms.
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He’s Alive
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”. For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 (NLT)
There was no celebration in Hell when the tomb was empty on this most beautiful of mornings.
“He’s Alive?! Satan, you lied to us! We left Heaven because you said you would rule. You said that you were equal to God and clearly, you are not. You told us that you would conquer God’s son in death and bring ultimate defeat for the Heavens and for mankind. Satan, once again you have misled us and now your final defeat looms without any possibility of victory.”
“Wait, wait my legions. We’re just getting started. Jesus the Christ has won the ultimate victory, but we will win battle after battle as we wreak havoc and devastation until He returns. Yes, each day we are one day closer to ultimate defeat but remember, I exist to devour, destroy and kill and the prey is so easy.
We will give them this day and deceive them that acknowledging Jesus death and resurrection and attending church on this day and maybe during the Christmas Season will result in their spending eternity with the Risen One. We know that it won’t.
The plan now is to destroy them through confusion and idolatry. Remember, God’s word is without error but few read it. Fewer still believe all of it. Even fewer follow its teachings. Then groups will twist the Word’s words to fit their desire of who God is and how He fits their life. This is like shooting fish in a barrel.
Listen legions, we’re going to continue to find vessels wanting to move the Church to our World. We’re going to attack using quantity versus quality, in other words committed versus lukewarm. As long as we keep them focused on personal achievement, higher education that confuses and becomes a god in itself (I love how they keep sending their kids where I freely roam), the godless social media that continues to confuse and obsess, the cravings of material things that never satisfy…we’ll keep as many of them as possible from the joy, hope and promise that is eternity for lives sold out to Jesus.”
“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20 (NIV)
Writing from the perspective of Hell and Satan may be the hardest paragraphs that I have ever written. I cannot and dare not look at the World and our responsibility to the World in any way other than the true view that comes from my being God’s son. He has formed me and provided me His scripture and the truths that lay in every word, every verse, every chapter, every book.
He’s alive. Jesus is alive. Hell has been defeated. For those who choose to take up their cross and follow Him, life has purpose and His truth is the only truth. My truth, your truth and all of humankind’s truth is one and the same. God is omnipotent. Jesus has gained victory over death. Heaven or Hell awaits each person depending on their choice. It is impossible to be born again and remain in the life and style that existed before rebirth in Christ, that is possible because of Jesus’ victory over death. The insatiable desire of our hearts should and must be to walk more closely, intimately and completely with our Risen Savior.
Mary Magdalene, James, the women at the tomb, the apostles, more than 500 people together at one time. All saw Jesus after his death, witnessed by so many and in death, acknowledged as God’s son by the Roman guard. Yet more doubt than believe.
“”No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” Luke 16:30-31 (NIV)
The story of the rich man and Lazarus so clearly and tragically tells us that even seeing will not overcome the lack of faith. Even Jesus’ disciple Thomas would not believe until he saw and could touch Jesus wounds. But when Thomas did see Him and the wounds, he exclaimed “My Lord and my God.”
Easter is the greatest day of victory and assurance for each of us who claim the name of Jesus. Seize this day and walk into the life that God created you for. Changing up this saying a little, “The only thing necessary for evil to win is for God’s children to do nothing.” The battle rages, the war is won.
Thank you, Jesus for Easter Sunday.
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