en http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org © Copyright 2000 - 2008Church Community Builder. All Rights Reserved. http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=388 But seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well. Matthew 6:33 Have you ever shouted at your microwave oven..."Hurry up?" No? Well, I bet there are times when you felt like it. Gosh, what if you had to turn on an oven and wait on it to warm something up. You might have to wait five minutes for it to heat up instead of twenty seconds. So, what are you going to do with those extra four minutes and forty seconds you gained anyway? Rush out, hop in your car and get caught by three red-lights where you can shout at them to change as you sit there for a minute-plus grinding your teeth. What's the big rush, Jim...oops, I mean folks? Why is everyone in such a rush? Looking at John Ortberg's book again "When the Game is over it all goes back in the Box" he talks about the squares on a Monopoly game board. But, he points out that we have a board that we play on all the time. This board is full of squares just like a monopoly board has, Our board is a calendar. It is filled with squares. Each square represents another day. No matter how much we rush around or even if we were to slow ourselves down to a snail's pace we still have to live in the square that represents today. As I write this it is Friday afternoon...that's much later in the week than I like to work on the weekly devotion. I'm a guy who likes to get things done early. Approaching deadlines drive me nuts if I haven't got a major part of the work done. So, today I've been doing exactly what I am cautioning you not to do. That's rush around like a madman while trying to get things done. I have a Tuesday deadline for a newspaper article I'm writing and of course this devotion hits the website on Monday. I know. You're saying wait a minute...Monday is three days away and Tuesday is four. Yeah, but you see this is a football weekend in Tallahassee. So Saturday is game day and on Sunday we go to church. Then it's Monday. So there!. You see what I'm talking about. I rushed up to my office this morning and got right on the computer. It has been going well. I can feel the tension easing with each sentence as my fingers fly over the key board. But, here's my point. That little square on the calendar representing today is really the only one we can take care of. We can't do anything about tomorrow until it gets here. Yesterday is done. What we can do is make tomorrow a little easier and make what we did yesterday more meaningful by taking care of today. Part of the problem and one that causes such a hurry-up-and-get-stressed-out attitude is all those "have-tos." Ortberg frequently gives a talk and for props he uses an empty glass jar, a pitcher full of sand, and four tennis balls. The pitcher full of sand represents the have-tos in life. These are the things you are obliged to do. The empty jar represents your life. You guessed it. He looks at the things we "have" to do and as he rattles them off he starts pouring the "have-to sand" into the empty jar that is your life. Guess what? All those work related tasks, and the personal ones that you waste time doing like sleeping and the household and family chores fill the empty jar...your life...to overflowing. So, how do you take control of that and make changes that allow you to enjoy life? Well, Ortberg takes the four tennis balls and labels them G; P; C; and J. He intends to fit those balls into this jar as well. But, how? It is already full of sand. Here's what the tennis balls represent. "G" stands for God. Ortberg says "God is not one priority among many. He is THE priority." Oops got to get the "G-ball" in that jar. Okay lets pour all the sand out and start over by placing the "G" ball in there. The second one---"P"---stands for people. This is important. You have to notice and treasure your wife/husband, children, friends, relatives, etc. "A striking aspect of Jesus' life was the way he could pay attention to whoever he was with." "C" is for calling. This is what you have been given the talent to do. Ortberg points out when he is not doing what he's called to do and is drifting that calling turns into self-serving. Finally, "J" is for joy. Jesus wanted His joy to be in us so that our joy might be complete. He wanted real joy for us. Not superficial and momentary things we experience and then are gone just as quickly. One of the things I have determined to do each day through the rest of the holiday season is to spend some time being joyful. To do that I'm going to think about things of the past that have brought me joy. Not gifts or stuff. But, solid memory-making life experiences. I want to recall times with my Dad. The smells and tastes of the thanksgiving holiday. Sitting around with family telling stories, reminiscing, remembering. Visiting my grandmother's peaceful churchyard grave and remembering. I'm looking out my window now and see a holly bush. Yes, in Florida. The bright red berries remind me of Christmas. The joy of revisiting that birth in the manager by reading Luke and Matthew. The glow of candles. Jingle bells. Uncle Bing singing "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas." Yes, there is joy to be had without rushing around like a crazy person. Those tennis balls need to go into the jar first. Then the other "have-to" grains of sand can fit around them...that's what you'll do today. And the sand that's left over what do we do with that? Well, tomorrow we will have a brand new square on that calendar. As Jesus said, "Seek first the kingdom and the rest will be added to you." Prayer: Thank you Lord for this lesson that reminds us to first look for the things you have called us to do. Then, we will enjoy all the rest of it without having to rush around to do it. Amen! ***Author's note: Tennis anyone? Think about those tennis balls this week and the things you do will be more rewarding. Have a great week! Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:19:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=386 Eliphaz: Consider now, who being innocent, has ever perished? Job 4:7 Bildad: Your words are a blustering wind. Does God pervert justice? Job 8:2-3 Zophar: The mirth of the wicked is brief... In midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him. Job 20:5,22 Job: Miserable comforters are you all....I know my Redeemer lives and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. Job 16:2; 19:25. Aha! The old fundamental attribution error. It'll nail you every time. Say what?Many of you are scratching your head and asking, "What in the world is he talking about? Has Jim gone off on some kind of a wild tangent?. What does he mean any way? Perhaps there are some, maybe even more than I realize, who know what a fundamental attribution error is. I might be one of the few who didn't know until I read about it in John Ortberg's book: "When the Game is Over, It all goes back in the Box." I told the Lovely Susette I was going to write about Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE) and she said, "Okay, go ahead. You can do it." Now, I'm scratching my head? Does that mean that she has known all along what it is and she's just humoring me? That girl is pretty tricky at times. Sometimes she doesn't commit one way or the other, just takes kind of a middle ground, in public, although she already knows, in private, what her opinion or understanding of a subject is. This time I'm betting she doesn't know and I do. But, that's only because I just read about it. It's pretty simple, really. Something we are all guilty of at times. It's a kind of an integrity problem. Wait a minute! Hold on! I'm not accusing anyone of lacking integrity. But, I do think we are all guilty of committing a fundamental attribution error at times. Let's read Ortberg's explanation of what it is. "Another integrity problem we have is called the ‘fundamental attribution error.' It works like this: If something good happens in my life, I tend to explain it by taking credit for it; but if I fail, I tend to explain by blaming circumstances. If I do well on a test it is because I am smart; but if I do poorly it is because I was distracted." "But, the FAE technique can also serve as a way to explain the behavior of other people as well, hear Ortberg out: "What makes fundamental attribution error even worse is the way we explain the behavior of other people. We tend to explain bad behavior in terms of mitigating circumstances; we tend to explain other people's bad behavior in terms of their character defects." "If I yell at my child in the grocery store it is because they behaved to an extent that would exhaust the patience of Job. If you yell at your child in the grocery store it is because you are an anger management problem waiting to happen, who should never be granted a parenting license in the first place." Are you detecting a little pattern here? I'm sure this doesn't apply to you, but read on anyway. Ortberg says. "If I get a speeding ticket, it's because the police needed to fill their quota, so they set up a trap when they should have been out catching criminals. If you get a speeding ticket, it shows what a careless driver you are." The Bible abounds with cases of fundamental attribution error. Remember Adam's explanation for his disobedience in the Garden of Eden. Eve gave him that forbidden fruit. That's why it happened. Not that he didn't have the right to say "no" or anything like that. His error was attributed to someone else. Eve just happened to be the only "someone else" around at the moment. And then there is the case of poor old Job. He was trying to do the right thing, but God permitted Satan to attack him anyway. Actually it was a vote of confidence on God's part because he was certain that Job would withstand the bombardment in the end and it would be a major learning experience for him. More challenging than the physical and mental bombardments of the Evil One may have been the three experts in the art of fundamental attribution error placement, who had been disguised as Job's true friends, in providing advice. Satan went to work and Job lost his sons and daughters, physical ailments began to plague him. Even his wife became a doubter and began to think that Job had brought all this on himself somehow through his actions. To this Job replied: "Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?" Even in his refusal to cave in to the idea that he had brought this on himself Job pulled a little bit of an FAE. He attributed it to God. His statement indicated that he thought God caused it to happen. Actually it would have been accurate to say God allowed it to happen. That's the way it is with us. Even as believers, and I dare say that few, if any, of us are as righteous and faithful as Job had been. Okay, I'm speaking for myself there. Anyway, just as God allowed Satan to put Job through this misery, it is still happening today. We are besieged by the Evil One. He wants to shake our faith. He wants us to give up and try to right a wrong by doing another wrong thing. He would like to put doubts in our heads and provide us expert training in the art of fundamental avoidance error. "It ain't our fault," we say. Then, that frees us to mess up again. When we break the rules that is when we are most likely to lapse in FAE-dom. Ortberg addresses that: "The way back home for rule breakers is the way of grace through repentance. We need God's help to see the truth about our lives and character. Often He will enlighten us not only through times of reflection, but through other people who see and know us well. And then we need to reroute our lives." Whenever I refer to Job's story I always like look at the end result. Job 42:12 says: "The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first." But, beyond the restoring of wealth and health the QSB commentary (pg 726) points out: "Perhaps the most comforting revelation of all for Job was that God was still his friend. Though he seemed silent or even absent, God was no mere spectator to Job's suffering. He was with him through the experience." Even through all of our fundamental avoidance error posturing. God still cares about us. He is our friend. Prayer: Lord, thank you for the lesson we learned today. When we make mistakes help us to submit them to You and know that You can right all wrongs and You care what happens in our lives. Amen! ***Author's note: If you're like me you'll be thinking twice this week when something unwanted happens and asking God to redirect your thinking and reroute your journey in accordance with His plan. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:19:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=382 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instructions. 2 Timothy 4:2 Finish this sentence for me: "It ain't over ‘til ___ ____. I think most of you accurately filled in the two-word completion which is "it's over." The familiar, but not necessarily grammatically correct statement reads: "It ain't over ‘til it's over." That saying is attributed to baseball's Master of the Malapropism Yogi Berra.I was reminded of it as the Lovely Susette and I were going through my book "Devotions for the Armchair Quarterback" during one of our morning devotional times. First of all what's a baseball quote doing in a book about football and the Bible? Well, it was in the chapter entitled "Halftime." And it fits because halftime is when some of the gridiron game's most inspiring speeches have been given. Still you have to go out and play the second half. Head coaches try to inspire teams to give their best effort in the second half and march on to victory, no matter how bleak things may have appeared in the first half of the game. A game is only over before the final buzzer sounds...when people believe it's over. When you give up, reduce the intensity of your efforts, i.e. start just going through the motions, then it's over. But, if a coach can convince his players to give maximum effort, then there's always a chance because "it ain't over," officially and in the record books, " ‘til it's over." Until the clock ticks off that final second the game is not over. Hope prevails. The sports world is full of stories of miraculous comebacks. Teams that refused to give up when the odds were stacked against them and made a victorious charge. In life, as well, there are times when the odds are stacked against us to such a degree that coming back seems to be a daunting, even an overwhelming task. Those who don't give up are the ones who still have a chance for a miraculous comeback. The Lovely Susette and I are currently attending Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace University" class on Monday nights at our church. Dave is a radio personality whose financial advice Talk Show is heard on over 300 radio stations daily. His website: www.daveramsey.com has more basic information if you want to check it out. I bring Dave up because he provides a classic example of the truth in our simple statement that "it ain't over ‘til it's over." He's helped thousands of people get out of debt and begin saving while developing an understanding that in the financial game "it ain't over ‘til it's over." You can always dig your heels in, make a fresh start, and turn the game around. In our scripture lesson from 2 Timothy the apostle Paul, writing from prison, is telling Timothy that the game isn't over and giving him a little pep talk to keep things going on the outside. He feared that his teachings about Jesus were being turned away from as people saw what was happening to him and how he had been arrested for preaching the Word. He was using his best, "it-ain't-over" pep talk to keep Timothy strong in the faith and courageous in his preaching. He wanted Timothy to know that his effort in the cause was of paramount importance. The Word in Life Study Bible puts it this way: "convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching." In other words Paul was telling him to "do any thing you must to convince them that the game ain't over for the followers of The Way." The strategy for turning things around is not always the same. Just like there are myriad problems that can beset us in life, the commonsense solution to each is not the same. So, the coach must sometimes get really basic. Devotions for the Armchair Quarterback page 73 says: "A coach may find it necessary to review the fundamentals of football at halftime. He may have to talk about blocking and tackling, pass protection, and play execution. All of these must be crisp in the second half to win." He might even have to be real elementary about the whole thing and get down in a blocking or tackling stance to remind the players what they must focus on fundamentally, if a turn around is going to get started. Unless they do the fundamental things right a comeback is over before it (the game) is over. Sometimes a "rebuke" may be in order. In other words, a good old-fashioned chewing-out might be what is needed. Or the situation might call for confidence-building. Taking a positive approach he might talk about the things they have done right and tell them by focusing a little more and doing these things more often in the second half the game will be theirs. The lesson for us is to know that the game ain't over for us no matter how difficult that steep, up-hill climb might be. When we turn to our fundamentals and search the scriptures we get fortification by reading about the other battles that God has brought his people through. By praying and asking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit we can get the help that is provided for all believers. With proper focus here we start seeing ways in which we can make headway and start chipping away at the problem. As we start making progress our confidence grows and we begin to understand: "I can do this." With this new found confidence we find that success breeds success. Pretty soon that snowball of worries whether it's financial, relational, health-related or whatever, starts to melt. Then, we understand that Yogi, whose team was nine games out of first place very late in the season, really did know what he was talking about because "it "ain't over ‘til its over." Instead of giving up Yogi managed his team, out of the morass, to win the pennant. When we don't give up, but keep the faith and take the fundamental steps that have been time-tested by believers over the centuries, we will truly know that "it ain't over ‘til it's over." Prayer: Lord, we take comfort in knowing that with You as an ever-present help in time of trouble, the game is never over until it's over. Amen! Author: There are different versions of the "ain't over ‘til it's over" saying. But, they all stem from this basic one, so Yogi's mis-stated bit of wisdom is all we need to know to get started turning things in the right direction. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:19:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=380 Here begins the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. In the book of Isaiah, God said, "Look, I am sending my messenger before you and he will prepare your way. He is a voice shouting in the wilderness; Prepare a pathway for the Lord's coming! Make a straight road for him!" Mark 1:1-3 "It falls to you Mark, as I am no scholar, neither am I skilled with the quill. But, if you are to do this, to spread abroad a written record of the gospel of Christ, I must supervise it and examine every word." There you have the conversation between an early writer and editor as imagined in the novel, "Mark's Story" by Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins, the authors of the highly popular "Left Behind Series." Now that "Left Behind" has been...well, left behind, the authors have started on a new series of Bible stories told in Novel form. Their first was on John and now the latest follows Mark author of the New Testament gospel by the same name. Mark, a brilliant young scholar, has followed Peter, listening to his preaching and had many conversations with him about the Messiah, Jesus, over the years. Since he was a writer and Peter was just a rough and ready fisherman, Mark feared that all these Jesus stories would be lost , so he tried to convince Peter to let him commit them to paper, uh...papyrus. Can you imagine, in this day of instant information and ready access to the written word having the patience to pull out a sheet of papyrus, a quill and ink to preserve your thoughts in writing. First of all you say, "What's papyrus?" Well, it's a plant that according to Pliny the Elder (A.D. 23-79), that grows in the swamps of Egypt or sluggish waters of the Nile. It has a sloping root as thick as a man's arm." People used papyrus for firewood; woven together to make boats; and chewing gum. But, more importantly it was used to make a rough form of paper that in ancient times served as writing material. Now, I fancy myself as a modern-day Mark, a guy who is fairly good with the written word. In fact, when I retired from radio to become a writer I adopted for my writing business (Writeman Enterprises) the slogan: "The right writer for the write job." But, gosh I'm glad the Lord put me in this era. I don't know if I would have the patience to deal with a quill and papyrus. Gosh, how would they even keep up with their writing schedule if they couldn't enter it in their Blackberry? But, thanks to young Mark's diligence, we have the earliest and the shortest of the gospels. It is one that places an emphasis on action recounting the travels, teaching, healing, parables, Last Supper, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus. He details the selection of the disciples and also provides an eyewitness report to the arrest, then recounts the trumped-up trial and sentencing of Jesus. One of the crucial things in the success of any book is deciding where to begin the story. Mark starts with a most unique, yet dynamic character...John the Baptist. He focuses on John's unusual, attention-getting appearance and how he is a forerunner of Jesus. He was only there to pave the way for the Savior─the One the people have been awaiting. Why is Mark writing this story? Why is John the Baptist telling this story? They are doing it because they were "called" to do it. So, what is a "calling" anyway? Recently as the Lovely Susette was going through some of her parents stuff, she came across a version of the Bible that I hadn't seen. It was "The Word in Life Study Bible" (Thomas Nelson, 1993). This particular one was a New Testament Edition. On page 780 I saw the heading, "Who is called anyway?" Good question. Do you know what you have been called to do? TWLSB says, "Nowadays people often speak of a calling to signify a career that one has made a life-long passion, a vocation to which one feels deeply committed." So, is that what a calling is, just a job or is it more? Peter was a fisherman when he was called to follow Jesus and he left his profession. In Romans 1:1 Paul says he was "called to be an apostle." Obviously their calling necessitated a change in their lives...although from time to time Peter would still fish, and Paul would make tents. The TWLSB goes on to say that you and I have the same calling as Peter and Paul. No, we are not necessarily being called to drop our current jobs and go out preaching or serving as full-time missionaries. Romans 1:6 says, You are among those who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. God loves you dearly and he has called you to be his very own people. (NLT) In other words, we are to do Kingdom's work wherever we are...we don't necessarily have to change jobs, but that might be called for. I feel God has called me to be a Christian writer. Does that mean that everything I write has to quote scripture, include a Bible character or take on a preachy tone? Absolutely not. It just means that I approach my writing as a Christian and I pray for guidance that my writing might be meaningful as well as enjoyable. The Lovely Susette is called to be a Christian Interior Designer. In her work she helps many people feel better about their homes, their workplace, the kinds of decisions they make and the selections that appeal to them. In the end they feel better about themselves. Mark was the "right writer" of his day. Glad, he didn't chose that as a slogan or I would have had to ask permission of his publishing company to adopt it for Writeman Enterprises. Not sure how I would track that one down. I encourage you to spend time in prayer about your calling. When you do, just like the Gospel writer you will "hit the mark." Monday Prayer: Lord, we pray that our calling will be clear and we will be found faithful in pursuing Your will for our lives. Amen! ***Author's note: Think about your calling this week. Perhaps, you are right on track with what God wants you to do and then, maybe not. Have a great week! Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:19:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=379 How precious are your thoughts to me. How vast is the sum of them. If I should count them they would outnumber the sand. Psalm 139: 17-18 There's a new movie out about love. Gosh, that's great you say. Just what we need...one more movie about love. How many movies, with love as an underlying theme, have been filmed over the years? Countless numbers of them would be the answer. Why bring it up at all? Well, because this one is different. Yeah, yeah that's what all the movie promoters say. So, prove it. O.K. this movie contains something called "The Love Dare." Google the word "Love" and you will come up with two-billion choices. That's right I said billion, as in a "2" followed by nine-zeroes. So, I guess love is important in our society. Gosh, that's an awful lot of information, much of it bogus or inappropriate I'm sure, to have to wade through. So I googled the phrase "true love' and that narrowed it down to the millions...44 million six-hundred thousand to be exact. Still an awful lot of material to go through. Let's check out the Bible and what it has to say about love. There you will find 308 scriptures containing the word "love" and 97 others using "loved." So, maybe we should narrow it down to one movie to give us a better handle on love and why "daring to love" can have such rewarding and life enhancing results. But first let me share something I came across on the internet on The Life.com. Now I'm not real familiar with that site, so I can't vouch for everything written on it, but I did find something interesting in an article by Harriet Sun. She writes: "Love is a choice. It is a commitment...The Bible says that God is love. God as our designer and creator, made us with needs for love. Do you ever wonder why we constantly seek love from others, but never feel completely satisfied? It's because God designed us for an unconditional love, and we, as people, are flawed." Okay, I'll agree with that. That's basic stuff. Nothing startling there. But, does that mean that we can never experience real, meaningful, and satisfying love because we couldn't equal anything good enough that would measure up to God's perfect love? Absolutely not because "Love" is God's gift to us. All of us have the ability to love. Sometimes we throw the word "love" around carelessly. "I love steak and baked potatoes." "I love going to the theater and seeing a good play." "I love that dress." Sure, those are superficial ways of expressing ourselves about things that bring us pleasure. But the deep, satisfying kind of love that makes you a better person is what the movie: "Fireproof" addresses. While it is basically about the depth of love that shapes a marriage and the lives of a couple in it, this movie has something to say about love that can make us all more loving and unselfish people. The centerpiece of the movie is a book called "The Love Dare." It is given by a father to a son who is experiencing marital problems. It has 40 days of "dare" in it. Each day he is to read a chapter on love and take up the "dare" to do the things that foster love that day. I want to bring your attention to some of those...without spoiling the movie or the book for you. The reason I am so attracted to this is the example of how God can take a dream and multiply it many times over. That gives me hope for the dreams I have, so maybe you can experience the same kind of feelings. First of all, "Fireproof" was made by a church in Albany, GA.---Sherwood Baptist Church. The Pastor Michael Catt set as his goal "to reach the world for Christ from Albany, GA." "Right Pastor...that's gonna happen from a little old South GA town" people were saying. Well, it did. A couple of brothers , Alex and Stephen Kendrick, assistant pastors at the church, made a movie called "Facing the Giants" using local volunteers, It was picked up by Sony Pictures and distributed nationally with great success. It played all over America and has inspired thouands and thousands of people, athletes, coaches, teachers, men and women in all professions. Now, they are back with "Fireproof.," In first three weeks "Fireproof" has been in the top ten in movie attendance every week. The book featured in the movie "The Love Dare" is already in it's 7th printing and hit #1 on the NY Times Paperback Advice Bestsellers list. Obviously this movie has something strong to say about love and here's what I want you to consider. On Day Four of "The Love Dare" entitled "Love is Thoughtful" we read; "Love thinks. It is not a mindless feeling that rides on waves of emotion and falls asleep mentally. It keeps busy in thought, knowing that loving thoughts precede loving actions." This is not only important in marriage, but in everyday life. How are you programming your mind? How much of what you think about or involuntarily allow to creep into your thoughts is based in love and caring? When those kinds of un-loving thoughts do unobtrusively slide into your conscious thinking, how quickly and effectively are you able to replace them with more positive, loving thoughts. On the next page of The Love Dare it says, "If you don't learn to be thoughtful you end up regretting missed opportunities to demonstrate love. Thoughtlessness is a silent enemy to a loving relationship." The Love Dare that goes along with this particular day (Day #4) is to: "Contact your spouse (or friend or relative) during the business of the day. Have no agenda other than asking how he or she is doing and if there is anything you might could do for them." When you dare to be thoughtful, you are taking up the Love Dare and your life and the lives of those around you will be better for it. Prayer: Lord, the gift of love is one of your greatest gifts. Help us to treat it like the treasure that it is by "daring to love" others in the way You have taught us. Amen! *** Author's note: I do recommend the movie "Fireproof," another movie made by volunteer, unpaid performers including movie star Kirk Cameron. It certainly has the potential to change lives, foster love, and restore or strengthen marriages and friendships. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:19:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=376 From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. Luke 12:48 When Friday rolled around and I had not come up with a devotional topic this week, I did something I have done in the past...panicked! No, just kidding! I asked The Lovely Susette, "What should I use as a topic for this week's devotion." A frown came across her pretty face─that indicates she is thinking hard about something─and then she uttered the key word: "Winning." I was curious as to why she picked that subject, so I asked. She replied that we are in tough economic times and people are struggling in many areas of their lives and they need a positive message. She added that she had heard a talk on leadership and she just thought it was a good time for people to think about being positive leaders wherever they are. Bingo! Smart girl. I knew I married her for some other reasons than just her loveliness. Of course, the only information she failed to add to her suggestion was what to write about in the context of winning. She left that part up to me. Oh well, I guess I have to do a little work around here. The first thing to do was to find a scripture to inspire and inform us about winning. So I located this scripture in Luke (12:48) that talks about being given much. Certainly if you have been blessed with plenty of talent, intelligence, intuition, those kinds of things; you would be regarded as a winner, wouldn't you? Not necessarily! It depends on how you use those things. See the second part of verse 48 says to those who have been given much, much more is expected. In other words, the Lord expects us to use the talent for good purposes. Then we are considered a winner. When we speak of winning my mind automatically focuses on sports. I love the thrill of victory you get when you play together as a team and are victorious in a game. That's why I write a lot about sports and seek correlations in the Bible. Winning in life is more important than winning in sports, so why can't we take success stories in sports and see what Biblical principles can be found in those and apply them to our own lives? There is a certain mindset that accompanies winning. I've found that in sports whenever a team starts playing cautiously and trying not to lose, instead of concentrating on what it takes to win...they usually lose. Paul wrote to Timothy (2 Timothy 1:7) that the Lord did not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but power, love and self discipline. Therefore, we have no reason approach life with a fear of losing or making a big mistake or saying and doing the wrong thing. The One who made us instilled a spirit of boldness that allows us to go for the win, not try to avoid a loss. Often we allow ourselves to get overcome by the magnitude of the task. That's when the winner breaks it down into smaller more do-able tasks. As we knock them off one by one we gain confidence to win the big one. When he was coaching Lou Holtz once said: "I don't think we can win every game; just the next one." That's a good attitude. When you win the next one, and the next one and next, eventually you will have won all of these battles or at least so many of them that there is no doubt you are a winner. Vince Lombardi once said: "The will to win is dependent upon the will to prepare to win." No one just falls out there and wins a contest, an advantage or satisfactory result. It takes preparation, forethought, practice and a burning desire to be successful. There's also a certain amount of stamina involved because winning doesn't come easy. It might take extra innings or over time or more hours on the job, additional study time. Developing a "whatever-it-takes-attitude." At times I've gotten frustrated when I felt like one of the Lovely Susette's clients was being unfair. Sometimes they have called on her to do extra stuff that really didn't seem to be called for. But, I've never heard her turn a client down, no matter how ...uh, ridiculous or menial the task might appear to be. But, you know what? That's what makes her a winner. That's why her Interior Design Business continues get referral after referral. When her customer wins, so does she. And it provides more opportunities to win with more people. I've heard Pastor Joel Osteen say on many occasions that God didn't create any losers. You are a winner because he created you. I know you're saying, "Yeah, yeah well how come my business is failing, my marriage is a mess, my kids won't behave, even my favorite teams are losing. The answer to all of those could be "attitude." Do you have a winning attitude? Sure, sometimes circumstances beyond your control will beat you downt. But, you don't have to stay down. If you are determined to succeed you will rebound. You will get back up and try again. Even though you are trying to do the right thing are you going to make mistakes? You're darn right you will. But, as John Wooden said: "A man may make mistakes, but he isn't a failure until he starts blaming someone else." So, if you make a mistake admit it.Then set about to correct it or to do better the next time. I hope this devotion has encouraged you in some fashion. Think back over the things you have done recently. If they were all simply rated a win or a loss, how many of those would fall in the "W" column. Maybe you have more "L's" than "W's." It doesn't matter if you do. Remember it is the will to prepare to win. So as you analyze the things that went wrong, decide on a positive course of action, and get back in the ball game. That will make you a winner! Prayer: Lord thank you for creating us to be winners. We pray for a winning attitude that will honor Your creation and prepare us to do Your work. Help us to develop winning habits. Amen! ***Author's note: I know you are going to be a winner this week in the things you do, because you have decided that you will not be defeated. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:19:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=373 Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy...For in sixdays the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Exodus 20: 8, 11 Saturday was fun! So enjoyable you probably got to bed later than you had intended. Now as the sun light comes streaming through the bedroom window, you blink your eyes, yawn, stretch and try to think what day it is anyway. Then, it sinks in. Hey, it's Sunday and I don't have to go to work. I can turn over and go back to sleep. Wrong! Get out of that bed and get ready for church. That thought enters your mind, but here's where rationalization takes over. "Sunday is my only day off. I work hard the rest of the week. I should be able to take Sunday off without catching a bunch of grief about it." Well, actually you could stay in the sack. And probably nobody would jump on your case, unless your Mom still lives with you. But, the reason you need to roll out of that sack and go to worship is not to please someone else but to benefit yourself. You've been to church before. You know that good feeling you have when you are leaving the worship service, until someone cuts you off in traffic. So, why is it a struggle to get going on Sunday? Christianity Today magazine reports the Barna Research Group findings that there are "10 million self-proclaimed Christians" in the United States who have not been to church in six months (exept for Christmas or Easter). Why? Well, some folks say they don't need to go to church. They can worship God anywhere. Why not catch a few zzzz's then go to the beach. There you can experience the fullness of God, and certainly as you view the beauty of His creation you can give thanks and draw close to Him. But, what about later in the week when things get wacky and you need support? Can you draw on what you learned on the beach to comfort and help you solve your problems? Pastor Bob Tindale (Killearn United Methodist Church) once said that he hadn't really met anyone who was strong enough to worship consistently without being involved in a church. Tim Stafford writing for Christianity Today said, "The church is the body of Christ, the tangible representation of Jesus' life on earth...If you miss connecting with the body, you miss connecting with Christ." Okay, so there is no such thing as a perfect church. And if you look close enough and go to a service with a big enough chip on your shoulder, you'll find something that is not totally to your liking. But, Stafford says, "Can you imagine the Apostle Paul arriving in a city, finding a local congregation not to his taste and simply staying away. " Remember the old song, "People, people who need people are the luckiest people in the world." Well, we all need people, but let's qualify that further. God's people need God's people. Stafford clarifies this by writing, "All God's promises were made to God's people─plural. All the New Testament epistles address Christians in churches. The Bible simply does not know of the existence of an individual, isolated Christian. There was a television commercial a few years ago that showed a business meeting in which the CEO was telling his managers that an old friend, who was also a customer, had recently told him he missed the personal, face-to-face meetings they used to enjoy. Seems they were now communicating by fax, email, telephone and other means that expedited doing business. The CEO said that he was sure that was the case with lots of other clients. So, he started passing out airline tickets to his managers...to Cleveland...Boston...New York...etc. to go see their customers face to face. When, asked where he was going, he said, I'm flying out today to see that old friend. Teleconferences...speaker phones...video tape...all can get the message across, but not the personal touch. We can read the Bible, watch the Charles Stanleys and Robert Schullers on Television, but it is not the same as being there. Being in church where you can kneel at the altar. Being in church where you can fellowship with Christian friends. Being in church where you can feel the Holy Spirit's presence. To be baptized, you need to be in church. To take Communion, you need to be in church. Singing the praise music in a congregation uplifts you much more than singing along with a CD in your car. Going to church can be habit forming, but so can not-going-to-church. I know that I just feel that my week is not getting off to a proper start if I'm not in church on Sunday. Somehow there is a void in my week that starts on the first day and carries on through. Being part of a newly-formed church I'm especially aware of the need for regular church attenders. You can't build a church if you don't have people you can count on. There will always be those who sample what your church has to offer and may come back periodically or you may not see them again. But, the ones you can count on to be present during fair weather or foul, good times or bad, when troubled or happy, are the building blocks of the church. Philip Yancey, Best-Selling Christian Author wrote a book called, "Church, Why Bother?" Growing up Yancey rebelled against his childhood church and the picture of a stern, judgemental God. He bounced around from place-to-place, in and out of church and tried giving up church altogether. In the end he found that despite all the imperfections of church that is where he felt closest to the Lord. That's a good reason to roll out of bed on Sunday and go to church. After all you can always take a nice Sunday afternoon nap and you'll probably enjoy it even more. Prayer: Lord thank you for the privilege and the power of church attendance. Whatever brings us closer to You is good and we know that your stamp of approval on church attendance is evident in your Word. ***Author's note: See you in church. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:19:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=372 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms. Ephesians 6: 12 He's a funny looking little guy. He has on an all-red outfit, has horns and carries a pitchfork. Kind of cute actually. Looks like he's full of...uh, devilment. Watch out! That's just what Satan wants. He likes it when we see that kind of a depiction and we think more about mischief than meanness. Kind of like a mischievous child. One who is running around, misbehaving, but, he's so precious he doesn't mean any harm so we let him get away with it. But, what if "little precious" pokes another kid in the eye with a stick or causes him to fall and hurt himself? I think you are starting to get the picture as to why we have to be on-guard and have a solid defense against that little devlish looking guy who is just full of devilment. It's a trick. Read what C. S. Lewis unveils this in The Screwtape Letters─ a book in which he created "an imaginary correspondence between a senior level demon, Screwtape, and his bumbling nephew, Wormwood. Screwtape tells his nephew: "The fact that ‘devils' are predominantly comic figures in the modern imagination will help you. If any faint suspicion of our existence begins to arise in his (i.e., the victim's) mind, suggest to him a picture of something in red tights, and persuade him that since he can't believe in that (it's an old textbook method of confusing them), he therefore cannot believe in us." The Prayer Coach, Reverend James Nicodem cautions us not to be naïve. He asks, "Do you believe in the devil and his cohorts? The Bible never pictures him with horns, pitchfork, and a red outfit. We're told, rather, that he was once one of God's angels. That makes him a created being, and in no way (thankfully) equal in power to God. Motivated by pride, the devil challenged God for His job, lost the contest, and was banished from heaven." Ever since that time, Lucifer (star of the morning) as he was called before his fall, has been on a rampage to bring as many unsuspecting folks down with him. The good news is that, unlike God, Satan is not omnipresent. He cannot be everywhere at the same time. The bad news is that he doesn't have to, he has lots of help. Revelation 12:8,9 talks about the war that went on in heaven when Satan's rebellion was overcome and he was cast out as the archangel Michael and his angels fought against him. "But, he (Satan) was not strong enough and they lost their place in heaven. The great red dragon was hurled down-the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him." So, even though he can't be everywhere simulataneously he does have these angels turned demons to help. That's why when we resist the evil temptations these bad guys will go elsewhere and try to get a foothold in someone else's life. They want to work where they will find the least resistance. But, does this mean they won't be back? No way! They'll plot a different strategy and be back to beat you down. Now, does all this sound like fiction? Makes an intriguing story, doesn't it? But, that's why Rev. Nicodem cautions us not to be naïve. If you believe there is no evil force out there who delights in seeing you do wrong you become a sitting duck. They have a great starting point because you do not recognize the enemy, so you are not on guard to fight off his advances. Billy Graham says, "Satan's strategy is to persuade us to rationalize." Think about the times in your life that you have done wrong things. Okay, so I'm going to use the Biblical term..."sinned." You see sin is what separates you from God. You can't be sinning, i.e. doing wrong things, and be close to God at the same time. When you are separated from God that is when you are defenseless. You are most vulnerables and there are any number of strategies that can bring you down. Nicodem says, "Sinning has been our natural inclination for years. It's become an ingrained habit. We do it without thinking. Our inherent propensity is to disobey God." Of course, when we do this we regret it later. The mistakes we make stick with us...unless we call on the Holy Spirit to help us. God has certainly not left us defenseless. We are his children, but like those mischievous little ones, we are sometimes hard-headed. We want to do it our way and we do not avail ourselves of the defenses he has given us. Reading on in today's scripture lesson, verses 13-17, we read about the weapons he has provided. the belt of truth; breastplate of righteousness; shoes of peace; shield of faith; helmet of salvation; and the sword of the Spirit. So, you can not only defend yourself, you can fight back. But, Nicodem points out two other enemies, besides Satan, with potential to harm us. The first is...us! As Pogo said in the comics, "We have met the enemy and he is us." In the flesh we are our own worst spiritual enemies." It's the old "stuff syndrome." At least that's part of it. Seems we can never get enough stuff, doesn't it. Soon the stuff controls us or at least the desire for it does. That's where our other spiritual enemy comes in: the World. Nicodem says that world prompts us to leave the path of righteousness. So many factors out there are at play. Peer pressure. The entertainment world. Bosses and job expectations; advertising; even school textbooks." All of these can promote "values, priorties and moral standards that are contrary to God's." So, don't fall into the trap of being lackadaisical. There is a formidable foe out their working against you, in your life, every day. But, the good news is that you have an ally who is even stronger and more formidable than the evil foe. How do you access this powerful Helper? Verse 18 says; "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." He is always faithful to heed your call! Monday Prayer: Lord we are aware that Satan wants to bring us down. We also understand that you won't let him. Thank you for being accessible and for loving us enough to protect us from harm. Amen! ***Author's note: Have a great week. Be cautious of Satan's traps, but confident of the Lord's protection. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:19:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=371 But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn! This is not a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan?this rebirth comes from God. John 1:12,13 On the day you were born did God scratch his head and say: "What have I done here? I don't know about this one." Never happened! Even though you may feel that way sometimes, God loves all of us. Sure, sometimes we give Him every reason to be vexed with us. We test His patience. We don't deserve His blessings. But, enough about how unworthy we are. Obviously we could never measure up to the standard set by Jesus when he was here on earth. The good news is we don't have to. "Jesus loves me this I know." Now where have I heard that before? There's a reason every children's Sunday School class sings or has sung that song. We want to make sure that our kids know about love and that love starts and ends with God. For some reason I feel compelled to pursue the topic of God's love today, so hang on because I'm not sure where all this is leading, but wherever it's going we will...well we'll get there. Our church, Good Samaritan UMC, has been pursuing a study series in worship services and small home groups about exploring our Christian roots. We recently studied Lutheranism. Boy, do we owe a lot to Martin Luther. His questioning mind. His boldness. His refusal to just go along with the same old routines and doctrines accepted, without question, throughout the ages. When we accept the status quo without asking why, things should be done this way, we are opening ourselves up for abuses in a system or a way of thinking. In his book "Christianity's Family Tree" Adam Hamilton (Church of the Resurrection) says that Martin Luther was ordained a priest in 1507, but "it was his personal, spiritual and emotional struggle that moved him to desperation in his search for a God of mercy." Some said that Luther struggled with depression and bouts of despair and that is what led him to try to find love and acceptance in God's message to the world. Makes sense. It is in the darkest of times, those periods in which we struggle with failure or temptation or waning confidence, that we wonder if God is really scratching his head and puzzling over how we could get things so messed up. It's in those times we forget the things we have learned about God like; "God will never call on you to do anything he hasn't equipped you to do." We feel lost and we can't find our way. We make a start only to discover we are going in the wrong direction. For years Luther struggled until he finally formulated what would become the hallmark idea of the Protestant Reformation. "Human beings are justified or made right with God not by our works, but by God's work in Jesus Christ." And what was that work? It was a work of love. He gave His Son as a sacrifice so we might be forgiven for all the misdirection and wrong roads we travel. Luther's discovery came about when he was reading Paul's letter to the Romans which in effect said don't beat yourself up over the wrong things you have done because we all have done them. But, we are now justified by God's grace as a gift, given through Jesus Christ. Luther discovered all kinds of abuses in the Roman Catholic church of that era. How about the little "pray for pay" scam they had going on. They were raising funds to construct Saint Peter's Cathedral in Rome, so preachers were commissioned to conduct a capital funds campaign. They told the people if they would contribute money, prayers would be offered up for their departed loved ones so they would spend less time in purgatory. The clergy also felt it was dangerous for the laity to have access to Bibles because they might misinterpret the scriptures and cause problems. So very few people had Bibles. They had to rely on the priests for interpretations of the Word. Luther investigated these abuses and came up with 95 statements of misconduct. He called them the "95 Theses" and to make sure the public knew about them he posted them on the doors of the Castle Church on Halloween, October 31, 1517. Lutherans call this Reformation Day. Some of the basic things he pointed out obviously made the clergy a little angry. Perhaps, in the same way Jesus angered the Pharisees. Hamilton says, "Luther spoke of the priesthood of all believers." Believers were told they could go directly to God in worship without having to be ordained as a pastor or bishop. In fact, Luther maintained "all believers were ordained, in their baptism, to serve God and do God's work." Another of Luther's affirmations was that of "sola scriptura." This means "scripture alone." That's all you need to define your faith and formulate your doctrine. It's all based on the Bible and Christians can read it on their own and ask the Holy Spirit to help them interpet it. So, Luther began to teach and encourage others to read and study the Bible. Another thing Luther refuted was the idea that since we are sinners our salvation hinges on doing enough good things to overshadow the bad ones. So Luther came to see "God as a God of love and mercy and that the response required from us as Christians is simply to trust in this love." And that statement makes my point. The day this all-powerful, but tender, loving God created you, if he did scratch his head, it was because he was thinking. "Wow, what great things are in store for the world because of the talents of this newborn baby. I know because a lot of love went into his/her creation." Now it's up to you to trust in that love and use the gift you've been given to help others experience it as well. Prayer: Lord of heaven and earth, Creator of all things big and small we revere You and are humbled by Your unconditional love. Amen! ***Author's note: No head scratching this week because we know Jesus loves us. That's our starting point for all we undertake to do. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:19:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=370 "Teacher which is the greatest Commandment? Jesus replied: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew22:37-39 In a recent conversation I had with Mickey Andrews, the defensive coordinator for the Florida State Football team for the past 25 years, we were talking about the fundamentals of faith, sort of. You see, Mickey is a strong believer in adhering to fundamentals as a way to win in football and in life. I told the coach that I had always remembered hearing him say to his players on the defensive line, many years ago, that "low pads win." When the ball is snapped the battle begins up on that line. The player who gets his shoulder pads under those of his opponent has the leverage he needs and can best utilize his strength to win that one-on-one battle. He then has the advantage in getting to the ball and making the tackle. Or if the offensive lineman wins that battle by getting his pads lower, he'll be able to protect the passer or ball carrier. But, then Mickey talked about one of the fundamental things that he believes in that gets him through each day. "Prayer has got to be a strong part of it." he said, then added. " That's something you can do anywhere. You can pray in your car. In your bedroom. The bathroom. You can pray in your living room. Or in your office. You can even pray while you are driving." Obviously, Mickey Andrews, one of college football's best defensive coaches, has learned that in a tough game, one requiring a certain amount of physical strength, the inner strength gained from communicating with the Heavenly Father is how real strength is gained. In life it is important to know what the fundamentals are, as well. In the early days of the church, the followers of "The Way" as they were called back then, actually began with Judaism. But, as more Gentiles began to buy into the gospel message Christianity continued to develop and become more distinct from Judaism. As time passed by, there began to be some conflict in the church as arguments cropped up concerning theology and practice. Consequently, in 325 AD, bishops from throughout the world gathered in Nicea to determine what the fundamentals of the faith were. They wanted to agree upon and write down just what is was they believed. Out of this meeting the came Nicene Creed. This document basically summarizes what we as Christians believe. Now the fundamentals were in written form. Those words that were agreed on and are basically the same ones we recite in churches today. The fundamental thing that was laid out in this creed was that as Christians we believe in God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit---a triune God. God in three persons. All kinds of denominations with varying theological approaches have sprung up over the years. But, the fundamentals are still there. The beginning point of worship is with the Trinity: Heavenly Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This fundamental understanding of the Trinity speaks to many areas of our lives and beliefs. Nelsons' Bible Dictionary explains: "The most distinctive characteristic of the persons of the triune family is their selfless love for one another. Each esteems and defers to the other in a way that makes the original family of the trinity a model for the Christian family of believers in the church." "The Father gives all authority to the Son and bears witness to Him, as does Jesus to himself (John 8:18) Yet the Son claims nothing for Himself; He gives all glory to the Father who has sent Him (John 12:49-50). The key to unlocking the mystery of the trinity is to observe how the persons of the triune family give themselves to one another in selfless love. They are always at one another's disposal." "The Father serves the Son; the Son serves the Father; Father and Son defer to the Holy Spirit, who in turn, serves and defers to the Father and Son in a oneness that is eternally dynamic and inexhaustible. The mutual love of the triune persons spills over into the creation and is seen in their generous cooperation in saving the lost (John 14:15-17, 25-26)." So, look at those fundamentals. First of all God is love. He created or invented it. He gives it freely to us and the love that is demonstrated in the Trinity, models this most basic and important fundamental in life. The Trinity is a model for the Christian family. It speaks to how we should conduct ourselves as believers and demonstrates the value of teamwork and cooperation. I recently read "The Shack" which is an allegory meant to shed light on the Trinity and this separateness of personalities and how they coexist, cooperate and fill different roles in watching over us. Some may be offended or might not like the writing style of "The Shack", but I believe the reason it went to the top of the Best Seller List is that it opens up and enlarges our thinking and enables us to focus on the fundamentals of the Trinity. That Spirit of love for each other, willingness to fulfill special roles, the teamwork involved in fulfilling a higher purpose is basic in the way we should strive to live our lives. But, as Mickey Andrews added, the fundamental idea that "low pads win" is only effective if you follow through with the other things required to capitalize on that strategy. The intensity, the quickness, the strength, and the execution that must follow this basic, fundamental premise are what, in the long run, make it work. When we start with the fundamentals that were demonstrated by the Trinity going all the way back to the Creation, we'll have the low pads needed to win those battles in life. Prayer: Lord thank you for laying out the fundamentals that lead to success for us. Love, cooperation, teamwork, willingness to perform the role you have given us the talent to achieve. To God be the Glory. Amen! ***Author's note: Sometimes we forget about the fundamental things in life that ensure success. No need to despair. Just revisit, re-learn and reapply them and the Lord will put us back on the right track. Have a great week. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:19:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=368 For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes world? Only he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:4 (QSB) Hello Football! It's great to have you back where you belong! If you are like me you miss the gridiron game when it is out of season. Okay, so maybe I overdo the football watching thing a little bit when it is in season, but let me point out that I refuse to watch the NFL pre-season, exhibition games. You know that month's worth of games on the tube that are more like glorified practices. By skipping all of those I should get a gold star shouldn't I. Well, maybe a platinum or bronze one anyway. But, I'll admit once the season begins the games are hard for me to resist. First of all I enjoy football watching. I like the games, strategies, matchups, excitement...all of it. Second, in recent years, I've become more in tune with how the things that bring about success in football, when duplicated in life, can also lead to great accomplishments. This is especially true when you examine this in light of Bible scriptures. I've found many correlations. So many, in fact, that I put some of them in a book: Devotions for the Armchair Quarterback (2004, Gom Publishing) and have a new book I'm shopping to publishers and agents called God's Game: The X's and O's of Football and the Bible. The main correlation that I see between football and life is the role of faith. Hebrews 11:1 says: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." The QSB commentary tells us what faith is like: "Faith means abandoning all trust in our own resources, abilities and reasoning─the things we see. It means relying instead on things we cannot see─God's promises, provisions, and his concern for us. An inner attitude alone does not define faith, though. For faith to be present, action is required. Faith proves itself by its obedience to the Lord." Here's where Biblical advice crosses over football reality as we read in the introduction to the book: Gods Game..." Football coaches must get their players to buy into a message of faith for the team to be successful. Fans must have faith that the coaches have a plan the players can execute and win with and the players are capable of doing the job. So, fans, coaches and players are all in the same boat. They want the same thing. Everyone wants to win football games and to be successful in the other areas of their lives as well. Nobody wants to fail. We know what we hope for and we must have faith that what we do not immediately see will become a reality in the future." Faith played a big role in the life of David Tyree. He was, by his own admission, an obscure special-teams player for the New York Giants. When the Giants made it to the 2008 Super Bowl they were actually facing giants...the New England Patriots whose flashy, unbelievable record coming in was 18-0. NY, 13-6, barely made it to the playoffs as a wild card team. No wild card team had ever won the Super Bowl. The night before the big game Tyree asked his spiritual mentors Pastors Kimberly and Ardell Daniels to pray with him. While praying they felt moved to tell David something that was being revealed to them. They believed that a clear message was coming though to them in answer to their prayers for Tyree's performance in the game. They felt that David would make "a big play" in the game. Proceeding on faith...a confident faith that made him sure of what he hoped for and certain of what he couldn't yet see...David entered the game and dispelled from his mind the last practice session in which he dropped about every pass thrown to him. According to a Charisma Magazine excerpt from Tyree's book (More than Just a Catch, Charisma House Publishing) when he went to Quarterback Eli Manning before the game to regain his confidence, Manning cut him off...looked him in the eyes...and said "I know you're ready. I trust you." In the second half, trailing 7-3, Manning went to Tyree. The Syracuse graduate grabbed the 5-yard pass for a touchdown─his first TD of the season. He thought that was the big play that his spiritual mentors had told him about. He was wrong. The Patriots regained the lead (14-10) and in the closing minutes of the game Manning avoided the charging linemen and lofted a 32-yard pass toward Tyree who describes the play this way. "Touching the ball with my fingers and pinning it down to my helmet, I was determined to hold on. I could not let go." The miraculous catch set up an easy game winning touchdown pass (to Plaxico Burress) against the stunned Patriot secondary. The next day ESPN's Sports Center called the Tyree catch "the greatest play in Super Bowl history." Tyree's action that flowed from his strong faith achieved a miracle. He heard the message. Trusted that it came from God and it has changed his life forever. David Tyree no longer calls that game the Super Bowl. He refers to it as the Supernatural Bowl. Recently I spoke to Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden who is approaching his 500th game in coaching and has won conference and national championships. He's also been through some tough times in coaching and in life. Bobby said: "One thing that has sustained me and got me through is my faith." Faith and football complement each other. God has given us the game of football to enjoy, but not to make it our god. Football brings us enjoyment and enriches our lives in many ways. One of the best ways it does that is to provide life lessons that emanate from the Bible to strengthen us and give us victory through Jesus. Monday Prayer: Thank you Lord for football and the life lessons we learn from it when we measure them against passages of scripture. Strengthen our faith and speak to us through our enjoyment of the gridiron game. Amen! ***Author's note: Bring on those kickoffs and with them maybe a new view of how faith and football intersect in our lives. Keep scoring those touchdowns for the Lord! Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:19:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=365 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man. Nehemiah 1:11 "God is in the business of working through His people to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks." (NLT Bible pg 749). Keep that in mind as this story unfolds. Have ever thought: "You know that is like butting your head against a brick wall." I have. Sometimes you just come up against something, maybe even a stream of somethings, and you can't figure it out. How to solve it, fix it, get around it, make it go away, whatever. Yep, I can tell that you know the feeling. Well, I want to provide a solution. First, thanks to Tony Dungy, Coach of the World Champion Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI. for introducing me to Nehemiah. I probably would never have given him much thought if Dungy hadn't pointed out, in "Quiet Strength" (Men's Bible Study) the way the Prophet's actions helped him during his career in sports. Dungy studied the book of Nehemiah during his first year playing in the NFL for the Steelers. That study gave him the strength he needed to get through many of his struggles. Dungy says: "The book of Nehemiah is packed with wisdom for attacking problems or circumstance that require strength we don't have on our own." So, let's see what Nehemiah did that we can learn from. First of all here's what the QSB Bible says about Nehemiah. "If you've ever faced an overwhelming task or felt inadequate to meet a challenge, you'll be able to identify with Nehemiah. He struggled with issues still with us today: movtivation, fatigue, criticsm. But, this book also offers inspiration and vision. Without neglecting the practical. Nehemiah shows how to takle God's difficult assignments and survive both opposition and apathy." Why haven't I discovered this guy before? I've read the Bible through from cover to cover five times, but I guess I was speed reading when it came to Nehemiah. Shame on me! Nehemiah had a comfortable and wealthy position in Persia. He had the position of cupbearer for King Ataxerxes. His job was to ensure the safety of the king's food and drink. He was trusted and well liked. He was also an exile from Jerusalem. Word got back to Nehemiah that things were not going well for his people who had been allowed to return to Jerusalem. Even though they had completed the rebuilding of the temple, the wall around the city had been torn down and the gates had been burned. Thus, they were at peril from enemies who could attack the city. Walls were very important back in those days. They were kind of the home-security systems of ancient times, minus the codes you have to punch in when you come home to keep from being considered a burglar by the monitoring system at the police station. To make matters worse the leadership, for lack of a better term, was totally disorganized. So, what did Nehemiah do about it? He prayed. He asked God to look down and see him "praying night and day for his people." He confessed that the people had sinned. He also called upon God to grant him favor with the king in his request to go back to Jerusalem and provide help. He put on his un-happy face and went in to see the king. When the king asked him why the long face he said" "Why shouldn't I be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins and the gates have been burned down." Now, he had the king set up and when he asked how he could help, Nehemiah asked for permission to go home and fix things. Now, to make a long story short the king gave him the go ahead and sent letters with his seal to get him past the trouble spots. So he got there surveyed the damage then he told them what he was up to. They replied: "Good let's rebuild the wall! So, they began the good work." End of story. Not quite! Things are never easy as I'm sure you are discovering every day. He discovered some kibitzers. Well, actually more than that...enemies. Sanballat-Governor of Samaria and Tobiah, governor of Transjordan were determined that this wall building wasn't going to happen. A rebuilt Jerusalem was a threat to them and it was particularly disconcerting that one of the King's most trusted assistants had been given his blessing to do the work. So, they tried all kinds of tactics to make this project fail. They ridiculed the people saying they would never be able to do it. But the Jews kept on working. Tobiah said, "That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!" But, the Jews kept on working." They tried to call a meeting in which they would kill Nehemiah. He didn't attend. They accused them of treason. They didn't fall for it. It took awhile and the builders started to complain they spent so much time working on the wall they didn't have time for their families. Weren't getting paid enough to support their families. Whine. Whine. Whine. But, Nehemiah calmly addressed every problem. At every turn he prayed for God's help. And guess what? They built that wall. What we can learn from Nehemiah that will help us today is to examine his prayers that were the key to his success. He got the bad news, recognized God's holiness, confessed his sins, and made a specific heartfelt request of God. When the mocking and ridiculing started he expressed anger to God, but still trusted God to show him the way. When he was threatened he showed trust in God and asked for strength while taking the necessary precautions to protect the city. (NLT pg 743). Every step of the way...in every difficulty that occurred instead of butting his head against a brick wall of problems while constructing this stone wall to protect the city, Nehemiah presented the problem to God, in the right way with the proper timing and God was faithful to answer those prayers. It happens just like that today. Got wall problems? Do what Nehemiah did. Get God involved. Prayer: Thank you Lord for helping us knock down those brick walls of resistance with the ultimate weapon...the power of prayer. Amen! Author's note: Amazing that I had never really paid close attention to Nehemiah before. But, there are a lot of lessons to be learned from him even others I couldn't address in a short devotion. I recommend reading Nehemiah, it's only 13 chapters. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:19:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=364 Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time. Proverbs 5:23 (NLT) "Talk is cheap." "She'll talk your ear off." "He's all talk and no action." "Don't talk it to death." "That team is a bunch of trash talkers." "He talks a good game, but that's as far as it goes." "Talking behind someone's back." Let's see, have I gotten the main negatives about "talk" out of the way? "I love the way she talks." "I could listen to that man talk all day." "Peace talks." "Let's talk it over." "Making small talk." "That kind of talk makes sense." Those are some of the positives associated with the word "talk." Of course there are countless other ways we can talk about talk. Talking can practically be elevated to an art form, when you consider some of the great speechmakers in history and their "way with words." Or talk can sink down to its lowest ebb in mumbling or intentionally misstating or misusing words to confuse or refuse to communicate with a person. Some people are just not great talkers. Some people don't like to talk. You've heard of the strong silent types. There are probably some weak silent types, as well. Not to be written in stone, but here's an observation I've made over the years. When talk stops problems occur. If someone or something is bothering a person and they internalize it rather than getting it out by talking about it; there is great potential for harmful results. Tension. Headaches. Upset stomach. Broken or damaged relationships. Misunderstandings. Sometimes people inwardly stew over a problem until they finally can't stand it anymore. Then, when they talk about it with someone, they may find out they had the wrong interpretation of a situation. Maybe the other person meant something , by what they said or did, that was entirely different from what it was thought to signify. Of course sometimes we can talk too soon. Les Parrott, PhD, in his book "3 Seconds: The Power of Thinking Twice" recommends that we do just that. We should take three seconds to respond instead of saying the first thought that comes into our mind. The second thought that we have ,by delaying for that brief period of time, may be a more appropriate thing to say. Or that delay could affirm that our first thought was okay to verbalize. By talking, wars can be averted or at least delayed until cooler heads prevail and sounder strategies can be formulated. By talking we can teach others the things we have learned, studied, and that God has put on our hearts. Talk can change people. It can dramatically affect lives. Think about some of the profound thoughts you have heard expressed in your lifetime that have made an impact on you. Maybe they changed your way of thinking, your lifestyle, your actions. But sometimes talk can be meaningless. In the first book I wrote "Monday Morning Devotions" (Pleasant Word, 2002) there is an example of this in the first Chapter ("What's in a Word). "Most of us have known people who, in their own minds, felt like the word was mightier than the deed. They say things that make them appear to be Mr. Nice Guy or Ms. Nice Gal, but that's all it is?talk. Their words never evolve into action, but when they utter them, everyone comments about how nice and considerate they are. They have received instant gratification without following through." Talk can however have a great impact because of the setting in which it is delivered or the need of the person being talked to or even those who view the results of the conversation. On the way from Judea to Galilee Jesus had to go through Samaria. He stopped at a well, exhausted and thirsty after a long walk. When a woman came to the well to draw water, He asked her for a drink. "The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritan. She said to Jesus, "You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?" "Jesus replied, "If you only knew the gift God has for you and who I am, you would ask me, and I would give you living water." This, of course, confused the woman so Jesus explained to her what he meant. He allowed her to ask questions then they talked them out. The capper came when he told her things about her life that she didn't think he could possibly know. "You don't have a husband. You have had five husbands and are not even married to the man you're living with now." (NLT, pg. 1628). Jesus did this not to shame the woman, but to authenticate the words He had said to her. He wanted to make sure that she understood these were not just hollow, meaningless words meant to impress her. From that day forth her life would be changed by this one conversation with the Master. She learned that He was the Messiah. She had a rare privilege, one that has been forever preserved in scripture. People still read about her in the book that has sold more copies than any other book that has ever been written: The Holy Bible. The disciples came along and they were also "astonished to find Him talking to the (Samaritan) woman." They didn't question it, but rest assured this was another extremely unusual action Jesus had taken that they would remember later as they pieced together all the lessons they had learned from Him. Talk can be initiated for many reasons. Granted, sometimes the timing is not right for talking. But, once you get past that situation, then talk is usually called for. The Lovely Susette and I have discovered that some of the most meaningful and transforming times we have experienced have occurred after we have had a good talk about the things that are happening in our lives. When something is on your mind, try talking about it with a friend. I highly recommend it. Monday Prayer: Lord thank your for the ability to talk things over with friends and acquaintances. Grant us the gift for discerning how to use conversations to honor you and improve our lives and the life-situations of others. Amen! Author's note: No matter if you have been blessed with the "gift of gab" or not, talking things over with someone else can be a blessing to you and the other person as well. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:19:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=360 Live life with a due sense of responsibility, not as those who do not know the meaning of life, but as those who do. Ephesians 5:15 On our honeymoon, the Lovely Susette and I found ourselves in a helicopter riding over glaciers and looking down at such breathtaking beauty that I forgot to be nervous. I have to admit I offered up a prayer before getting into that flying machine as I looked up at the snow and ice covered Alaskan glaciers and the valleys that we would be flying through momentarily. Awesome, but intimidating. The world looks a whole lot different from the helicopter view. You're totally surrounded by windows, it's like you are floating out there in the air, not like in an airplane where you are looking out of a small window. Also, you fly a little closer to earth for most of the trip in a helicopter than you do in a plane. It was quite a site and a totally different feeling as that pilot wound his way through those white mountains of ice and you looked down on the frigid waters winding their way through them. Then, we started descending and as the small dots on the top of a glacier came into closer proximity, we discovered they were people. Yes, they were the folks who were going to get into our helicopter, We would be left on top of the glacier. "Hope they don't forget to come back for us," I remember thinking. It was beautiful up there, but there was no place to get a cheeseburger or even a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. Now, the point of all this, is that the world appears different when you look at it through a helicopter view. I remember, in a book I read recently, the author was in an airplane and he looked down at the very small cars and houses that looked to be about the size of those in a game of Monopoly. As he did so he thought "You know this must be how everything looks to God when he looks down on earth from heaven. From this vantage point you can't tell who are the rich people and who are poor. You can't tell any differences in skin color, hair color, or body size. Those who are in executive positions and the ones who the lowest in the company hierarchy. They all look the same from the helicopter view. So, here's the big question. What would a helicopter view of your life reveal as you looked down on the different aspects of it? Is your life balanced or overloaded in a certain area(s)? Would you look like one of those ants that are busy rushing from place to place oblivious of anything else except the task of food gathering or ant hill building or whatever their sole purpose of its life is? Scanning the internet recently I came across an article (http://www.mindtools.com/) that talked about achieving balance in your life. The writer suggested taking a helicopter view, so that you would be looking down and assessing the following areas: a) home/physical environment b) partner, love relationship c) health/fitness d) growth/learning e) career/business/work f) money/finance g) family/friends/social relationships h) recreation i) fun and j) spirituality. The writer proposed a ‘wheel of life' that had all of those areas in it and the reader was encouraged to rate each area on a scale of 1-10─ low to very high─ to determine where you are in life currently and how balanced or unbalanced your life is. Is there an area that totally dominates the others in terms of effort, attention and time spent? Are there neglected areas. How can these become more balanced. Rick Warren says, "Blessed are the balanced. They shall outlast everyone." He recommends achieving balance in your spiritual life by organizing the five different purposes to make sure that none of these are being neglected. These purposes, around which he constructed the Purpose Driven Life book are: 1) worship 2) ministry 3) evangelism 4) fellowship and 5) discipleship. Paul in writing to the Ephesians says "to live life responsibly." To do that we need to have balance in our lives. Maybe you should take a little "helicopter view" kind of inventory. Just rise above the daily grind and take a look at what's going on in your life. In this time of self-assessment review your day, then your week. What did you spend the most time doing? The least time? Look back on the significant accomplishments or disappointments of the past month. Where did the biggies occur? Could spending more or maybe less time on them have produced a different outcome or the same result with less time taken to do it? In the NLT version of Ephesians 5:16 Paul says to: "Make the most of every opportunity for doing good during these evil days." By calling the days evil he's trying to show just how pervasive evil is. It creeps in, especially when we are unbalanced in our life, because it might enter the area where we are spending less time. It might transform the neglected into the negative. The small hole in the dam, when unnoticed, could open up the way for a flood of problems. NLT says, "We must keep our standards high, act wisely, and do good whenever we can." Setting high standards is good. Maintaining them is hard. It takes constant vigilance. We need to take that helicopter ride often and objectively view our lives from outside the clutter. Make sure our lives are balanced and that any particular area is not getting out of whack. When we do that, as Rick Warren says, "the rest of your life can be the best of your life." Monday Prayer: Lord we pray for your help in striking balance in our lives. It's so easy to get bogged down or consumed with one area of our lives to the disparagement of another. We ask that you help us avoid this by providing a helicopter view of where we are and where we are going. Amen! ***Author's note: So take a helicopter ride this week and view your life from a distance to see what's going on. That will make it easier to achieve the balance that will make you more productive and happier. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:19:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=356 I was glad when they said unto me. Let us go into the house of the Lord. Psalm 122:1 "Take a fish and place him on the beach. Watch his gills gasp and scales dry. Is he happy? No! So, how do you make him happy? Do you cover him with a mountain of cash? Do you get him a beach chair and sunglasses? Do you bring him a Playfish magazine and a martini? Do you wardrobe him in double-breasted fins and people skinned shoes?" "Of course not. Then how do you make him happy? You put him back in his element. You put him back in the water. He will never be happy on the beach simply because he was not made for the beach." Max Lucado, in his book "When God Whispers Your Name" uses the fish story to illustrate, of all things, "The Gif of Unhappiness." Unhappiness. Who wants it? Doesn't sound like much of a gift to me. I'm sure all that fish could think about was not how unhappy he was, but how happy he would be to just get back in the water where he could breathe again. So, what is unhappiness and why would it ever, in the farthest stretch of the imagination, be considered a gift? Well, I guess logic would tell us that unhappiness is the absence of happiness or the state of not being happy. I imagine if you took a poll and asked people what they wanted out of life they would give─ happiness─ as the answer. But, what constitutes happiness would probably bring a wide variety of answers. And the fact is that once you find something, in the world, that makes you happy it is very elusive. It disappears over time. It's hard to hold on to. Albert Schweitzer was a brilliant man. In fact he was so intelligent that he had this happiness game all figured out. Schweitzer said: "Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory." Okay, but I guess that leaves out anybody who is having health problems. How could they be happy? Scottish writer Allan K. Chalmers, disregarded the health issue and put it this way: "The grand essentials of happiness are something to do, something to love and something to hope for." So, accepting that theory would mean while health problems could make someone unhappy that still gives him something to hope for...better health which is one of those essentials. Now if he or she has something or someone to love, and something to do...Bingo! Instant happiness, right? Well, remember how we talked about how fleeting happiness, in worldly terms, can be? Anybody who thinks that he can go out and find lasting happiness and searches for it among people, places and things is probably on a wild goose chase. A few years back, I don't remember how many, there was a little book called "Happiness is." It was just full of cute little ideas that made you smile. Things like: "Happiness is a crackling fire on a cold wintry day." or "Happiness is a day at the beach." "Happiness is hitting a home run." "Happiness is popcorn, a movie, and a friend to watch it with." Sure, all of those things are nice. Any of them could make you happy...momentarily. But, how about when the fire goes out, it rains on the beach, you have to bat again, and the movie ends? Then, there is a let down. You could feel sad and when you are sad it is hard to be happy. Max Lucado says that unhappiness really is a gift because it makes you dissatisfied with where you are or what's going on. It makes you want to better your situation so you can be happy. Unhappiness is good when it spurs us on to achieve bigger and better things in our lives. But Max says, "You will never be completely happy on earth simply because you were not made for earth. Oh, you will have your moments of joy. You will catch glimpses of light. You will know moments or even days of peace. But, they simply do not compare with the happiness that lies ahead. " Ecclesiastes 3:10 says: "God has planted eternity in the hearts of men." So we will always be longing for something beyond what we have, at present, to make us happy. Still, as Max pointed out there will be those times of happiness, as fleeting as they may be. I think God wants us to enjoy those times to the max (as in maximum, not Lucado.) Happy times are a gift from God. But, unhappiness is a gift also because, as believers, we know those times won't last. We can see the rainbow beyond the storm. We know that eventually everything will be all right. We think eternally instead of temporarily. One of the things that helps me in the quest for happiness is going to church. As the Psalmist said, "I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord." It is there I find the focus on God's love and am reminded that He will strengthen us for the battle. In church, I come to the realization that any unhappiness I feel is a gift because it strengthens me and prepares my heart for even greater joy and celebration. Remember how Job suffered through a long period of unhappiness as God allowed Satan to try to break his will? But, ultimately his faith was rewarded and his life became a place of even greater joy. In these devotions over the past few months I have referred to our newly forming church Good Samaritan UMC and how it began as a dream. We saw it as the Church of God's Dreams. Well, those dreams have been fulfilled. This month we move into our first building. The times of unhappiness, when we didn't know how we would make it, have now been transformed into a celebration of God's goodness. We now have the gift of being happy. So we are truly glad when they say "let us go into the house of Lord." Each time we do so, we are reminded how strong God's gift of happiness is and how it has trumped unhappiness again. Prayer: Lord we have trouble viewing unhappiness as a gift, but when we put our faith and trust in you, we know this is only preparing us for your ultimate, eternal gift. Amen! ***Author's note: God is good. We are constantly reminded of that even in times of sadness and difficulty. Those gifts of unhappiness are always defeated in the hearts of the believers. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:19:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=352 And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me. Psalm 50:15 In any sport, the coach wants to have a "go-to-guy" on his team. In life we feel great despair if we don't have a go-to-guy/gal to turn to when the going gets tough. A go-to-guy is the one who wants to have the responsibility when the game is on the line. If the game is going to be won or lost by one particular situation in a game the go-to-guy wants to be the one on the hot seat...the one who bring about victory. The go-to-guy wants to be at-bat in the bottom of the 9th inning with his team trailing by two runs, with two outs and two men on base and to take it a step farther, with two strikes on the batter. He doesn't even think about failing. His mind is focused on hitting the three-run, walk-off homer that wins the game. The wide-receiver, who will out-run, out-jump and out-fight the defenders to come down with that game winning, fourth-down, pass is the go-to-guy. The basketball player, who wants the ball, as the final seconds are ticking off the clock and his or her team needs a three-point shot to win, is the go-to-guy. The person who is there for you at 2 a.m. when you are troubled and need to talk is your go-to-guy. We all have a go-to-guy. Rev. James Nicodem (Prayer Coach, Crossway Books) says, with no irreverence intended, that God is the Go-to-Guy. As proof we point to Psalm 50:15. "And call on me in your day of trouble and I will deliver you and you will honor me." What is it about God that He will do this for us, no matter how lax we have been in considering what His desires for us are? Nicodem says, "God loves doing God things." Being a go-to-guy is a God thing. No we are not setting ourselves up to be a God when become go-to-people. But, we are becoming more godly. We are trying to emulate him in doing God-pleasing things. When our hearts are right he will appoint and anoint us to help do His work. One of the ways we can actually do God Things is by being a go-to-guy. Just being someone who will listen; who will have empathy, sympathy, and will help when help is needed is the main thing for a go-to-guy. Sometimes the listening part is all the other person needs. Sometimes physical or financial help is part of the need. Maybe they are looking for advice, a second opinion, or a confirmation that they are on the right track. As the go-to-guy you might, in their best interest, in a loving way, tell them that you don't think they are doing the right thing. My go-to-guy is a gal. The Lovely Susette is the one I turn to when I need moral support, advice, a listening ear, some TLC, or just to gain some piece of mind. Usually I have gone to my Go-to-Guy Above first and often He directs me to her. At times I may need another male's opinion. Might be out of the range of Susette's knowledge (she knows a lot, but not everything). Or it might be something that men experience, but women don't, or a least in the same manner. So, it's good to have friends of both sexes, who can serve as go-to-people. That's one of the reasons I think it is so important to be involved in a church. In the church environment, you will usually find folks who care about you and will help you work through things. As you worship together and do God's work together there is usually a special camaraderie formed that is unlike any you would find in a more secular setting. We are all human and subject to making mistakes or having a misguided opinion. Not everybody in your church or your Sunday School Class or Bible Study Group is the best person to serve as your go-to-guy. Maybe some would be a good go-to-guy in a certain situation and not as proficient in another. Here's where praying for a discerning mind is needed. Nevertheless, you always have a Go-to-Guy in God. Praying to Him is a good way to admit your need for help and to receive His assistance. Nicodem says, "Prayer is helplessness plus faith." In a recent talk I pointed out the paradox of becoming strong in God. You have to become weak to get strong. When you admit your weaknesses and turn them over to God, he gives you His strength to make it through the situation or the crisis you are facing. That's the God Thing. That's what He really loves to do. There is lots of scriptural proof that God is our Go-to-Guy in all kinds of situations: When we are discouraged: John 14:27 says: "Peace I leave with you, My piece I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." When we are depressed: Psalm 34:17 "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears And delivers them." When we are worried: "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." When we are dissatisfied: Psalm 107:9 "For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness." When we feel condemned; Isaiah 43:25 "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins." When we are confused: Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye." When we are tempted: 2Peter 2:9 a "Then, the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations." When we are angry: Ephesians 4:31,32 "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." When we are afraid: Psalm 56:11 " In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid." Those are the God things...the things He loves to do that make Him the Go-to-Guy in any kind of situation. Monday Prayer: Thank you Lord for always being there for us. We know we can always go to you for every need. Amen! Author's note: My thanks to Dr. Larry Thompson, FBC, Ft. Lauderdale, for the little 100 Year Anniversary book that is chock full of God's promises to us for every need. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:19:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=351 I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in Him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love really is. Ephesians 4:17-18 "No one ever made an itch go away by getting really good at scratching!" That's what John Ortberg's grandmother told him as she applied calamine lotion to a bunch of chigger bites he had incurred. As he discovered, scratching the itch felt good and made it go away momentarily, but it did not defeat it. The itch came back, with even greater force, as those bites became welts and began to spread. More expert scratching had no effect. It took a healing application to cure the itch. John had been taking the" more is better" approach. More scratching would surely make the itch go away, wouldn't it? No, it wouldn't. He found out the hard way that a different solution was required. An abundance of scratching would not, in the long run, work no matter how good it felt instantaneously and what immediate relief it brought. That solution would be short-lived. Only getting to the root of the infection and curing that would provide the long-range solution he needed. That's a good example of what is going on in our society today. It's an endless quest for more. We've been scratching the itch for quite awhile, only to discover it won't go away. It threatens to consume us and we have to apply the calamine lotion called "abundance denial" to heal it. The Lovely Susette and I are discovering, in these difficult economic times for all, that there are areas in which we need a "calamine lotion." It has probably come as a shock to many that decisions need to be made in this different economy as to what is necessary and what we could do without, if we had to. First, let's look at the evolution of this kind of thinking. Ortberg (When the Game is Over, it All Goes Back in the Box) refers to research done by social theorist Greg Easterbrook. He proposes a theory called, "abundance denial, in which millions of men and women construct elaborate mental rationales for considering themselves materially deprived and, in so doing, only succeed in increasing their unhappiness." He compared two polls taken in which Americans listed items they considered to be necessities. The first poll was taken in 1970. The second in 2000. In 1970, 20% of those polled rated having a second car as a necessity. In 2000, 59% said it was. Back in '70 only 3% said that a second TV was a necessity. In 2000, 45% thought it was. More than one phone in 1970 was important to only 2%, but in 2000, 78% had to have at least one more phone. During that thirty year span those who considered car air conditioning a necessity increased from 11% to 65%. And in '70, 8% thought they should have a dishwasher while 44% considered it necessary in 2000. So it is easy to see how the abundance of necessary things has changed our thinking over the years. Frankly, I can't think of a thing on that list I would want to give up, if I didn't have to. Are there some things on that list that I could do without if I absolutely had to? Well, uh...I don't want to talk about it.:) Truthfully, I think if each of us made an honest appraisal of where the fluff is in our economic mindset and where adjustments need to be made, we probably wouldn't have to eliminate any of the things on that list.Gosh, I bet even the Government could make an analysis of the billions of dollars that are spent and find that "abundance denial" would be a very effective strategy. Nah, we couldn't ask politicians to make those kind of hard decisions, could we? But, if we take a little time to meditate on this we'll find that having "more" will not bring with it instant happiness. Oh, getting something that we really want; a new computer with all the latest bells-and-whistles; a gorgeous new dress to wear to parties; a 2009 model car that will be the envy of the neighborhood, even though the old one was running just fine; makes us happy. But it's temporary. A newer, fancier computer will come along as will a more beautiful dress and fancier, late model car. Then, the old "want-to's" will kick in again and we'll feel that we must own the latest. We will rationalize why we need it. We deserve it! We must have it! Truthfully, the main thing that we can't have enough of and never have to worry about accumulating more than we need, is an abundance of God's love in our hearts. You see, God's love is total. We already have an abundance of it whether we recognize it or not. As Paul says, "It reaches every corner of our experience. It is wide─covering the breadth of our own experience and reaching out to the entire world. God's love is long─it continues the entire length of our lives. It is high─it rises to the heights of our celebration and elation. His love is deep─it reaches to the depths of discouragement, despair and even death. When you feel shut our or isolated, remember that you can never be lost to God's love." (NLT pg. 1876). Snoopy was lying on his back on his doghouse at Thanksgiving and was grumbling to himself about having only dog food to eat while everyone else was inside cramming themselves with turkey and dressing. Then, he happened to think. Hey, it could be worse. I could have been born a turkey." Ortberg says that contentment can be learned and one of the short routes to that end is to use Snoopy's logic. Think and say, "It could be worse" whenever we are tempted to think we are being deprived and forced into abundance denial. One thing is certain. We'll never have to deny an abundance of God's love. It is always there in whatever quantities we truly need. Prayer: Lord thank you for the abundance of your love and it's never-ending supply. A well that never runs dry. A comfort in times of trouble and a joy in times of plenty. We give you the praise and glory and thanks for this marvelous gift. Amen! ***Author's note: Abundance denial...determining what we really need and what is marginal and unnecessary is never easy. With God's help the analysis becomes clearer, the solutions more obvious, and the results more rewarding. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:19:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=339 God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it. 1 Corinthians 10:13(NLT) "Don't ever try to argue with the Devil. He's better at arguing than you are, having had thousands of years to practice," says Rick Warren. So, how do we keep from giving in to those things that are wrong, but are made to look very tempting by the Evil One? Obviously he is a master of disguises. We are told to resist the Devil, but how do we do it? Even the Lord's Prayer says, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Obviously, God is not going to tempt us to do wrong. But, will He allow us to be tempted? Yes! Why? I don't know. But, I do know that He allowed His only Son to be tempted, so why should He spare us? Of course He will keep His promise on that second part--the deliver-us-from-evil part. In 1 Corinthians Paul says that God will keep the temptation from being so strong that you can't withstand it. You will be able to handle, but you have to do just that...handle it. You have to make the effort and God will equip you to defeat it. Now, about Jesus being tempted. He set the example for us because as Hebrews 4:15 says, "Jesus has been tempted in every way, just as we are ---yet was without sin." Oh, so that's the catch. We've already sinned. No matter how hard we try we keep on sinning. Remember how Paul says, in frustration in Romans (7:15) "I don't understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead I do the very thing I hate." Been there! Done that! Right? Sometimes we do something, uh...stupid and think now "Why did I do that." It's like the picture I saw recently of Charlie Brown from the Peanuts comic section. Charlie is just lying on his back, looking up at the sky, and saying. Why? Why? Why? Why? Why do we do these things. Obviously the devil made us do it, right? Well, we can look to Jesus example and say as Reverend Charles Nicodem does in ─"Prayer Coach" ─ how can Jesus possibly understand our predicament? He never slipped. He never gave in to fleshly impulse. He always resisted temptation to sin. "No doubt sin was nothing more than a minor irritation to Him." Not so. Nicodem says, "Why do we assume, because Jesus never yielded to temptation, that temptation was not as big a challenge to Him as it is to us?" He points out that Hebrews 2:18 says: "Jesus suffered when He was tempted." The reason Jesus suffered was because he never gave in. He was going "toe-to-toe" with Satan himself and He never, never gave in. Let's face it. Sometimes the way we end the suffering that comes with temptation is that we give in to it. Finally, we get it off our back. We just do it. We tell off that jerk, who deserved it anyway. Don't know what that does for our Christian witness, but by golly we did it. We put him/her in their place. Okay! Then we may suffer even more later, when we regret what we did, Rick Warren (The Purpose Driven Life) presents a good idea for handling temptation without giving in to it. He says that trying to resist a thought doesn't do any good. The more we concentrate on not giving in to it, the more that tempting thought becomes ingrained in our minds and "strengthens its allure." It becomes more appealing. It is harder, then almost impossible to get rid of it, so eventually we succumb to it. We give in. Satan wins again. But, Warren says that since temptation always begins with a thought, just turn your attention to something else. "Don't fight the thought, just change the channel of your mind and get interested in another idea. This is the first step in defeating temptation." You know when a baby or a toddler is crying uncontrollably and you can't figure out why? Usually the first thing you do is try to change her attention. You make funny faces. You dangle a colorful toy in front of him. You play hide-and-go-seek by putting your hand over her eyes and saying, "Where did Susie go?" Then, you pull your hand away and say "there she is." Then, you do it again, and again, and again until you've refocused the child's thinking and stopped the crying. Gosh, am I glad our kids are grown! But, I'm not forgetting that little technique because of the potential for grand-children later on. So, since we are being manipulated by Satan, we just turn the tables and redirect our thinking. Oh, he won't give in easily. He'll be back. But, the more you block out his temptations, by thinking about something else, the more likely it is that the length of time between temptations will increase. After all the old guy has bigger fish to fry that putting up with your stubborn resistance based on transforming thoughts. "Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts. (Today's English Version Bible). Sometimes the struggle might just be too hard. Then it's time to reveal your struggle to a trusted friend or a support group. Don't have to let the whole world in on it, just someone, with no agenda, who cares about you and is willing to help you defeat the temptation. All of us have sinned. We all fight the same kinds of temptations. But, when you win one, don't get cocky. Overconfidence breeds vulnerability. You must always be on-guard and use all the means at your disposal to combat temptations that will bee harmful in the long run. The good news is that "problems are the playing field for the wisdom of God to be displayed" (Blessing Your Spirit) So don't despair. Just remember God will help. As the Bible promises: "When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it." Prayer: Lord, we confess our weakness and inability to handle temptation alone. When we are tempted help us to change our thoughts and focus on what you reveal to us through prayer. Amen! ***Author's note: Stay alert, be faithful, resist evil temptations. Then, who knows, maybe you'll be tempted to do good things. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:19:02 MST http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4 http://www.goodsamaritantallahassee.org/app/w_page.php?type=section&id=4&article_id=338 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples. Luke 11:1 So you believe in prayer. You pray often. You pray for your family, friends and yourself. You have many examples of answered prayer in your life. In short, you know that prayer works. Still, there are times when you just can't get into your prayer mode. You want to pray. You feel the need to pray, but frankly you just can't think of anything to say to God. It's frustrating because you know there are many areas where you need help. There are others you want to intercede for who need help as well, but you just can't get into it. You feel bad, in fact, you even feel guilty because you just can't come up with the words to say to God to express your current needs or those of others. Maybe you even have a set time that you pray and meditate. You are faithful to keep this appointment with the Heavenly Father and most of the time you flow easily into prayer during this quiet time. But, it is still frustrating because there are times, maybe they occur seldom, but they do sometimes happen, when you just can't get into it. You are like the wide receiver who runs the wrong pass pattern. He breaks one way and the pass goes where he was supposed to be to another area. Maybe it even goes to a defender who makes an interception. You are on the playing field, but did not get the job done. Perhaps you have a sales presentation to make and a lot of other activities, maybe an excess of meetings, or family obligations, or social events preclude your putting together an impressive sale-obtaining package. You have to wing it and you don't do it well. You don't make the sale. You are on the playing field, but you feel like a failure. There are also times in your prayers when you just think, God must find this boring. I'm just saying the same old things. I'm even bored with it. I'm not having to think about what I'm saying. It's just a rote expression of familiar things. We have all been there. I think everyone experiences times when they are on the "Praying Field" and either can't find the words to communicate with the Lord or what you they are saying sounds flat, uncreative and expressionless to their own ears. Let me share a few things that might help. These are designed to get you back in the game. Suggestions to help you defeat the Prayer Busters, those things that are obstacles block your attempts to experience effective and meaningful prayer. These may put creativity and excitement back into the "Praying Field" for you and get you back in the game. Recently I came across a neat little book that offered some helpful suggestions. It's called: Prayer Coach: For all who want to get off the bench and onto the praying field. (Crossway Books, 2008). The author is James L. Nicodem, senior pastor of Christ Community Church in St. Charles, Illinois, a church that started in 1984 with six couples and now has 4,000 members. What attracted me to the book was the Foreword that was written by my favorite football coach, Bobby Bowden. One of his suggestions, let's call it, "praying the fruits." In Galatians 5:22-23 Paul lists the "fruit of the spirit." They are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Nicodem suggests that a good way to break through the doldrums and into meaningful prayer might be to pray a fruit. In other words, simply ask the Lord to show you what you need most that day. "Is it gentleness? Okay take away my inclination to be harsh with others. Don't let my speech be filled with sarcasm. Remind me of how gentle you have been with me─like a shepherd with a little lamb." Before you can focus on the particular fruit that will help most in your struggles that day, you must know what the fruits are. So spending a little time memorizing them before you use this prayer strategy would be good. Or just write all nine of them on a 3x5 card and keep it near the place you go to pray. Then as you ask Him for help, focus on the one that jumps out at you and pray for help in that area. I find this a very appealing way to pray. But, why do I feel like old "Patience" is going to jump off that card and dominate my prayer many times? Another way of getting into a meaningful prayer mode is to "Pray the Armor." In Ephesians 6:13-17 Paul lists the protective suit of "believer's armor" that God gives us effectively battle sinfulness in our lives. These six are: 1) the belt of truth 2) the breastplate of righteousness 3) the helmet of salvation 4) the shoes of the gospel 5) the shield of faith and 6) the sword of the Spirit. Examples from the book: "belt of truth: I want to be honest today, Lord. Characterized by your truth. Help me to walk in integrity─to be the same in private as I am in public. Keep me from using deceitful words." As you go through and pray for the protection that each piece of this believer's armor provides your prayer will take on new meaning as God reveals exciting things to you. Praying the "parts" is another way to do some creative and effective praying that will aid your communication with the Heavenly Father. By parts Nicodem means "body parts." You can pray to enlist divine help by specifically addressing each part of your body. "Lord, I give you my feet today. (stamp your feet for emphasis) These feet have taken me some places where I shouldn't have gone. But, now I ask you to use them to carry me into situations where I can serve others or share Christ." Do the same with your hands, tongue, eyes, ears, and most especially your heart." Of course there are many other good ways to achieve breakthroughs in prayer. You can recite the Lord's Prayer, pausing at each part to see if the Lord wants to reveal something special to you. In a previous devotion we talked about the Lecto Divina, a method of experiencing God's presence in scripture and prayer. In this method you take a portion of scripture, read it aloud, and meditate on what you feel God is revealing to you. Could be a sentence, paragraph, thought or a word. Then you read it again slowly for further enlightenment. It is a good way to get in touch with the Lord through prayer and scripture and can be as different each time as the scripture you choose. So, if you've been benched because of prayer busters, simply try one of these methods and get back on the Praying Field. Prayer: Lord thank you for the variety of ways you make available to communicate with you and keep our lives on the right path. Help us to stay excited about all the possibilities that are present when we put effort and creativity into our prayer time. Amen! ***Author's note: Prayer is an exciting and powerful tool for victorious living. It pays to use any means at your disposal to keep it fresh and effective in your