I'll Make You Famous!

     Have you ever had one of those moments when you realized that you had known someone for a long time and did not know that they went to church and professed to be a Christian?  There were probably a lot of people that had that experience with me in High School and my early college years.  It's always an awkward moment when you try to surmise why you didn't know.  Is it because you weren't concerned enough to find out or they weren't faithful enough for it to show?  Maybe it's a little of both.
     I want to have the kind of faith that people recognize. Christians and non-Christians.  I want people to know beyond the shadow of a doubt where I stand and whom I stand for.  Don't get me wrong, I don't want to be like those misguided folks that picket military funerals in the name of Jesus.  I want to be known for a faith that matches the Bible.  The Faith, to be exact.
     Paul wrote to the church at Colosse that their faith was reaching far beyond their city gates.  They were becoming famous, in a sense, while they were making Jesus famous.  What was becoming well known?  Their faith in Christ and the love they had for all the saints.  Are you known for that kind of faith?  A faith that overflows with love?  Hear me.  I didn't ask if you were known for your knowledge.   Knowledge puffs up.  You can know a lot of scripture but yet not live it or let it change your heart.  They were known for their knowledge of scripture and how they lived it out!  That kind of faith, Paul said, came from the hope of heaven.  A real understanding of heaven changes people. It causes people to bear fruit in their Christian life.  Are you bearing fruit?  Are there new Christians following behind you?  Are there stronger Christians learning from you?  This isn't a call to church leaders only.  This is a letter written to the CHURCH at Colosse.  All are expected to make Jesus famous.
     If you are at a time in your life when people are surprised that you go to church, start loving others.  It will take  a decision on your part to stop loving yourself so much.  It will take a conscious effort to invest time in others.  Don't make people shocked to read in your obituary that you attended church.  Besides, I don't think Jesus reads obituaries.
                Read Colossians 1:1-8

26.2

****A Repost written after my first marathon.  I will be starting a new book of the Bible on Monday. Hope you enjoy*****

     I ran a Marathon! Yes I did it.  It seems like forever ago but it was only a year.  Just to make it clear, it was 26.2 miles.  It was one of the most challenging and fulfilling things I've ever done.  And every step closer to the finish line made me understand why Paul compared the Christian life to a race.

I probably took off too fast and didn't replenish enough early on.  It's easy for us to take off too fast in the Christian life and not replenish early on.  What I mean is, early on we tend to survive on the euphoria of being in the race and don't feed on God's Word.  It's easy to burn out quickly.  

There were times I wanted to quit.  Leading up to my race I ran into all kinds of obstacles (pun intended).  I met people who thought I was stupid for running a marathon.  You'll meet people who think you're stupid for following Jesus.  I met people who doubted I could finish the race. You'll meet people who will question your ability to stay faithful.  And you will meet those special people who are thrilled you are getting in the race.  They drown out the doubters if you listen.

     During my race there were a few times that I wanted to quit!  The course was too tough, they weren't enough encouragers, I thought I wasn't strong enough.  

     Nearly every runner in a marathon hits "the wall".  It's usually around 19 miles and it affects every runner differently. Some runners' bodies give up on them, some just get really tired or discouraged.  I was really focused on not hitting the wall at 19 miles.  When I started to see that wall coming, at just the right time, I made some friends! I caught up to a husband and wife who had tons of experience and a  good attitude.  The husband had run 25 marathons!  His wife had a little more experience with 40!  They encouraged me that it could be done and they took my mind off the struggles.  When you want to give up in your Christian life, if you're patient, God will send help at just the right time.  

     Like I said, I avoided the wall at 19 miles!  It was great, but then like a ninja the wall jumped out of nowhere and roundhouse kicked me in the spleen at 21 miles!  No one was around at the time, no other runners or crowds cheering me on.  It was quiet and I was alone and the only voice there was my doubt.  I came the closest to quitting at that point.  

     I know too many people who have quit the race with Jesus with just a few miles to go.  A few things kept me in the race and I'm confident the same will keep you in the race with Christ.  First, I knew others had gone before me.  I knew that people had completed the race.  I knew people like me had finished.  I knew I had friends and family that were looking for me to finish.  I couldn't let them down.  I made a decision to start the race and I was going to finish. And finally, I remember thinking, that Jesus went through so much physical pain and didn't quit when he had every right to.  

     So remember, there is a great cloud of witnesses that has gone before you that is cheering you on. There are others counting on you to finish. A lot of it boils down to making the commitment and sticking to it.  And most importantly, there's Jesus.  He has won the prize and won the war and gives you and me the privilege to run with him and even receive the winner's crown.  I was nowhere near the front of the pack, yet when I got a quarter of a mile from the finish and heard the people cheering, I began to hold my head up higher and felt my legs grow stronger.  I began to run like the starting gun had just gone off.  And when I crossed that finish line to the cheers of a great cloud of witnesses, I raised my hands in victory.  I finished  and you can too.

It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

     It was a cool October night in 2004.  The Boston Red Sox of the infamous curse were falling yet again to their hated rivals, the New York Yankees.  It was the ninth inning and they were down one run.  With Mariano Rivera taking the hill that's as good as a Win.  Normally.  The Yankee fans could sense another trip to the World Series. It was the ninth inning of Game 4.  Did I mention that the Yankees were up 3-0 in the series?  Then it began to happen.  Dave Roberts stole second.  Bill Mueller singles to score Roberts.  With the score tied up, the game headed to extra innings.  David Ortiz finally ends it in the 12th Inning with a walk off Home Run.  The Red Sox pushed back elimination by one game, or so the Yankee fans thought.  The Red Sox went on to win game 5 in extra innings.  They won Game 6 with the famous "Bloody Sock" of Curt Schilling.  Finally, making history, they Boston Red Sox closed out the Yankees with a thumping in Game 7.  It was Bean Town's turn to head to the World Series.  They came from 3-0 in the series to win the next 4, count'em 4 games to finally defeat the dreaded Yankees for a chance to end the 86 year "Curse of the Bambino."  Oh yeah, I almost forgot, they won the World Series.
     The world was fixated on the two ballparks during October that year.  People who weren't even fans of either team tuned in to watch History unfold.  It was electric.  For the sports fan, it has to listed among the top come from behind victories of all time.  We like those kind of stories.  We can relate to feeling defeated and counted out.  We all hope for a chance to prove everyone wrong and come out victorious.  Even though that's a great story and a phenomenal comeback, it has nothing on Friday to Sunday turn around that took place about 2,000 years ago.  Jesus looked as if he had been defeated and Satan was sure he had won.  On that Sunday, at the darkest hour, literally and figuratively, just before dawn, victory began to stir in the cold, lonely tomb.  The world as we know it changed...forever.
     The interesting thing is that it didn't end there.  That was the beginning of the end for Death and Satan but just the beginning for God's people.  The messengers of life and light.  Jesus was soon going to give us the task of telling people about His new life and their shot at it too.
     Then, a few years into the work of spreading the Gospel, a man was in prison.  Not some common criminal.  One of the leaders of this movement of Grace.  He was in chains for telling people about the life in Jesus.  To many, especially the enemies of the church, and even some of the followers of the way, it looked like Satan was winning.  Christians were scattered and attacked for their faith.  The leaders, like Paul, were arrested and beaten.  Was all of this for nothing?  Maybe, just maybe, as some were about to give in and walk away from it all, Paul added one little sentence in his letter to some believers.  This is what he said, look closely, or you may miss it.  "All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household."  A short, almost uninteresting sentence.  One that is easy to skip over.  Yet it carries some valuable information.  The Gospel had reached even into the house of Caesar!  The very man who was commanding the persecution of Christians.  The one who would not tolerate the praise of anyone above himself.  The Good News had pierced the hearts of people who were right under the nose of the Emperor of Rome.  Paul was saying, "If you think all is lost, just wait."  You can almost see the gleam in his eye as he shared those words.  You ain't seen nothing yet.  Hang in there, the Gospel isn't done.  It's going to go where Jesus has commanded.  Everywhere!
     So, if you feel defeated, just wait.  Victory has been won.  It may be the bottom of the 9th, but there's a comeback waiting.  Jesus is victorious.  So don't give up on your neighbors, your husband, your wife, or your kids.  Jesus Wins! We Win!

Read Philipians 4:21-23

Punching a Grizzly Bear

It was a hot, sticky day in July.  We were winding up a week of Jr. High camp.  There had been some major thunderstorms so the air was thick!  About half way through the week, there began to be a strong smell around the gym.  The smell of a dead animal.  You know it.  It had to be strong since we were at a Jr. High week and we could smell it over the aroma of non-bathing boys.  At first we suspected a rat. Then a possum. Finally, a deer.  It was big.  Well, on the last day of camp when everyone was saying their tear-filled goodbyes, one of the campers came crying from the back of the gym.  She was sobbing hysterically.  We finally got the idea from her sobs that we needed to go behind the gym.  My friend Eric and I went back there and we found a sight that we never expected.  One of the camp dogs had gotten wedged between the wall and some stacked lumber hiding from a storm and probably died of a heart attack.  It was sad, but man he looked alive. He was standing there, eyes wide open.  You would have thought he could play fetch until you smelled him.

     Some of us are like that.  We look alive and ready to play until you smell us.  Often, the only one that can smell us is God.  We can cover our stench to those around us.  But God smells the pungent odor of a greedy, weak Christian.  We all know that a Christian can seem alive but really be dead.  Just read the first three chapters of Revelation.  I submit to you one way that we don't normally consider that reveals our level of health.  Paul told the Philippians  in chapter 4 vs. 18, that their gifts to help the gospel were a "fragrant offering, and acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God."  I understand that if we are giving back out of what God has loaned us, we smell good to God.  If we are not giving, we can infer that we may just stink.  It's a sign of spiritual health.  Why is giving so important to our spiritual well-being?  Does God need our money?  Not truly.  It is one of the most real ways we can relate to the sacrifice of God.  Giving up what we want to help others.  When we give until it challenges us, we can catch a small glimpse into the heart of God.  

     Besides our odor problem or lack thereof, Paul reminds us of some important lessons about giving.  First he ties together their giving with the Philippians concern for him.  If we don't give, we don't care.  We give, we care.  Pretty simple, but we try to make excuses as to why we hold on  to our treasure.  Next, Paul applies learning to do without when you are the recipient of offerings but we can learn a lot as a giver.  Now buckle up, buttercup.  I am about to blow your mind.  Philippians 4:13 does not directly refer to your sports activities, test taking, job interviews, mud wrestling, sudoku puzzles, Angry Birds, or lottery chances.  The main point of this verse is contentment.  The ability to make it on a little because God is with you.  Trusting God through lean times as well as the good times.  Paul had learned this blessing.  I struggle with it.  But we can survive the difficult times in life because Christ gives us strength.  Even when if seems as if we are all alone.  

     Here's the icing on the cake.  MMMMMM, cake.  The church at Philippi had learned to give at the beginning of their Christian walk (vs. 15).  That's when we need to teach others to give. From day one. Not when they get settled, or when they get a high-paying job.  Now.  When you have a little, give.  When you have a lot, give.  When you're dripping from the baptistry, give.  If we can learn the lesson early on that we can survive when there are cobwebs in the piggy bank because Jesus is guiding and providing, we will smell better all the days of our life.  We will learn a valuable lesson.  God will supply all of our needs in Christ Jesus.  Perhaps not the 'wants' that may hurt us but the needs that sustain us.  So, you're welcome. Now you know not to punch a Grizzly Bear in the face while shouting, "Philippians 4:13."

Please read Philippians 4:10-20