In our passage yesterday in Luke 23, we saw Jesus take the place of a man named Barabbas. Barabbas was found guilty for murder and was deserving of death. Pilate gave the crowd the choice to release Jesus or Barabbas. With bloodthirsty hatred, the crowd asked for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be crucified! Jesus, who was found innocent would die in place of the guilty! Not only would Jesus do this for Barabbas but it is to be a picture of what He has done on our behalf as well. The righteous dying for the unrighteous in order to bring us to God!
In Mark's gospel, Barabbas is described as a "rebel in prison". That is a great word picture for everyone of us. We have all been in rebellion against God's name, character and holiness. We have been in rebellion to His kingly authority. This is our condition because of our sinful nature - we find ourselves in prison to sin. We are slaves to sin with no way to release ourselves from its bondage and condemnation. I, like Barabbas, was a 'rebel in prison' but instead of me getting what I deserve - Jesus Christ was my substitutionary sacrifice. He took my place, my debt and my death.
Throughout the sermon yesterday I quoted from an old hymn called "My song is love unknown". You know a song is great when the lyrics always stay with you. This is one of those songs for me. The most worshipful rendition of the song I have ever heard is done by Fernando Ortega. Here are the lyrics:
My song is love unknown, my Savior's love to me
Love to the loveless shown, that they might lovely be
Oh, who am I that for my sake,
Oh, who am I that for my sake,
My Lord should take frail flesh and die?
He came from heaven's throne salvation to bestow
But they refused and none the longed-for Christ would know
This is my friend, my friend indeed,
This is my friend, my friend indeed,
Who at my need, His life did spend.
Sometimes they crowd His way and His sweet praises sing
Resounding all the day, hosannas to their King
Then, "Crucify!" is all their breath,
Then, "Crucify!" is all their breath,
And for His death they thirst and cry.
Why, what has my Lord done to cause this rage and spite
He made the lame to run, and gave the blind their sight
What injuries, yet these are why,
What injuries, yet these are why,
The Lord Most High so cruelly dies.
With angry shouts they have my dear Lord done away
A murderer they save, the Prince of Life they slay
Yet willingly, He bears the shame,
Yet willingly, He bears the shame,
That through His name all might be free.
Here might I stay and sing of Him my soul adores
Never was love, dear King, never was grief like Yours
This is my friend in whose sweet praise,
This is my friend in whose sweet praise,
I, all my days would gladly spend.
btw, if interested you can download the song on Amazon for 99 cents or for a better deal download Ortega's 'Beginnings' cd - 2 cd set of 34 songs for only 8.99.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Hilarious!
Ok, there is nothing of spiritual nature to this post. But, sometimes we just need a good laugh! This humor is a great combination.
First, Jimmy Fallon is one of my favorite comedians. He is extremely talented! Unfortunately, his show is on too late at night. So, I have to find his best clips through youtube.
Second, he is impersonating Bob Dylan. While some think I am too young to have listened to Dylan or Neil Young or the Beatles, this is actually the music I grew up on because of my dad and 3 older brothers. Fallon's impersonations of Neil Young are great too!
Finally, this impersonation has Dylan doing the theme song of "Charles in Charge". Of course, this show was a big hit in the 80's...right at the time I was growing up.
So, this combination cracks me up...hope it does it for you!
First, Jimmy Fallon is one of my favorite comedians. He is extremely talented! Unfortunately, his show is on too late at night. So, I have to find his best clips through youtube.
Second, he is impersonating Bob Dylan. While some think I am too young to have listened to Dylan or Neil Young or the Beatles, this is actually the music I grew up on because of my dad and 3 older brothers. Fallon's impersonations of Neil Young are great too!
Finally, this impersonation has Dylan doing the theme song of "Charles in Charge". Of course, this show was a big hit in the 80's...right at the time I was growing up.
So, this combination cracks me up...hope it does it for you!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Preaching
The past two Tuesday evenings, I have had the privilege of opening the Word of God at a Rescue Mission in our city. I usually do something different at the Mission than what I am preaching currently in our church. These past two weeks, I felt that the messages on Peter's denial of the Lord Jesus and then Jesus' restoration of Peter could be very beneficial to some of these men as well. It has been a delight to see these men respond to God's Word just as I have seen in our own church. It is an immense privilege and responsibility to handle the Word of God in front of anyone but even more so when you know that the listeners are truly coming to hear from heaven. I had an opportunity to talk to a friend last night about the nature of preaching. It brought to mind some of the quotes about the nature of preaching and some of the dynamics that go into preaching. I am going to post a few of these quotes over the next few days and share briefly (yeah, right!) regarding them.
First Quote - "the key to preaching is self-forgetfulness" (John Stott)
Self-forgetfullness is hard to achieve! In fact, I would say that it isnt something that can be achieved or conquered. Much like in our own daily walk, we do not achieve it or conquer it. It is a daily struggle to 'take up our cross and follow Him' or as John the Baptist said 'He must increase, I must decrease'. If I truly want to preach in such a way that He increases than I must decrease! Too many times we say that we want Jesus to increase in the eyes of the listener but we still want to increase as well! We cannot exalt Christ and ourselves simultaneously. It is either one or the other. The preacher has the unique challenge of exalting Christ in preaching while still maintaining his own personality and yet not allowing his personality to stand in the way of the listener seeing Christ. In preaching, God does use the preacher's personality. So self-forgetfulness does not mean that the preacher cannot share a life experience or an illustration from his life or family (although I do think the minister should be careful about how much of this he does). Instead 'self-forgetfulness' is exactly what it says. I have found that preaching at its best for me is almost like an out of the body experience. When it is over, I feel like I was watching what just took place and it wasn't even me that was preaching - which explains why that's best, huh! And the key is this thing of self-forgetfulness. Which means while I am preaching I need to be 'freed up' from the thoughts that are so natural, such as:
'I wonder what he is thinking'
'I hope somebody is getting something out of this'
'Oh man, he just looked at his watch again'
'Is he really sleeping through this powerful message'
Ultimately, all of these kinds of thoughts come from a mind that is occupied with self. How am I coming across? What are they thinking of me? These kinds of thoughts are poison to good preaching because 'self' is still central. When this occurs the preacher is using the 'art of preaching' as a means to an end - namely, self promotion or self exaltation. So, on a good day, when he thinks he has 'hit it out of the park' he walks around with a spring in his step. On bad days, when he thinks he 'struck out' he walks around in despair. Both are wrong because the focus is in the wrong place. Of course, the Evil One loves to get us distracted in this way and it doesn't take much on his part to get our sinful human minds focused here (this is also true during the music portion of our worship service!). This is why it is so important that the content of our worship (Preaching and music) be such that God is central and not man. We are already prone to put ourselves at the center. It isnt just the listener who is prone to this but the preacher or worship leader as well. If you are like me, you forget a lot of things...but one thing I never seem to forget about is myself! There I am...everywhere I turn...dominating my thoughts, my words, my concerns. It is so natural for me to make everything about me. It will take a supernatural work for that to be stripped away...and it doesnt happen overnight. It is part of the life-long journey of sanctification and for the preacher it is a constant battle everytime he stands on behalf of our Great God to speak His Word to His people.
So, whether it is during the worship service or at any other time, we must pray for God to help us keep our thoughts on Him. If our goal is really to glorify God and make much of Jesus than it will come at a price. We must die to ourselves daily! If He is going to increase, then I must decrease! We cannot exalt both Christ and ourselves simultaneously! It will be the One or the other! Which will it be?
sidenote: If your interested, this is one of the reasons I have never listened to myself on cd or watched on video. I have often heard others say that I should do this but I still have not been able to get myself to do it. In fact, it is also part of the reason I have not been very proactive about getting messages online or other various media outlets. While I see nothing wrong with making the messages more readily available for others, I have no interest in hearing it myself. This morning after typing these thoughts, I stumbled upon a short article from John Stott. It actually confirmed what I have always felt and thought. If interested, here it is:
The abundance of audio and video recordings of preaching today tempts pastors to listen to themselves and look at themselves. One might improve a few things that way. But in general it’s a bad idea. John Stott explains why:
If you look at yourself in the mirror, and listen to yourself on tape, or do both simultaneously on videotape, I fear you may find that you continue to look at yourself and listen to yourself when you are in the pulpit. In that case you will condemn yourself to the cramping bondage of preoccupation with yourself just at the time when, in the pulpit, it is essential to cultivate self-forgetfulness through a growing awareness of the God for whom and the people to whom you are speaking.
I know actors make use of glass and tape, but preachers are not actors, nor is the pulpit a stage. So beware! It may be more valuable to ask a friend to be candid with you about your voice and mannerisms, especially if they need correction. An Indian proverb says “He who has a good friend needs no mirror.” Then you can be yourself and forget yourself.
First Quote - "the key to preaching is self-forgetfulness" (John Stott)
Self-forgetfullness is hard to achieve! In fact, I would say that it isnt something that can be achieved or conquered. Much like in our own daily walk, we do not achieve it or conquer it. It is a daily struggle to 'take up our cross and follow Him' or as John the Baptist said 'He must increase, I must decrease'. If I truly want to preach in such a way that He increases than I must decrease! Too many times we say that we want Jesus to increase in the eyes of the listener but we still want to increase as well! We cannot exalt Christ and ourselves simultaneously. It is either one or the other. The preacher has the unique challenge of exalting Christ in preaching while still maintaining his own personality and yet not allowing his personality to stand in the way of the listener seeing Christ. In preaching, God does use the preacher's personality. So self-forgetfulness does not mean that the preacher cannot share a life experience or an illustration from his life or family (although I do think the minister should be careful about how much of this he does). Instead 'self-forgetfulness' is exactly what it says. I have found that preaching at its best for me is almost like an out of the body experience. When it is over, I feel like I was watching what just took place and it wasn't even me that was preaching - which explains why that's best, huh! And the key is this thing of self-forgetfulness. Which means while I am preaching I need to be 'freed up' from the thoughts that are so natural, such as:
'I wonder what he is thinking'
'I hope somebody is getting something out of this'
'Oh man, he just looked at his watch again'
'Is he really sleeping through this powerful message'
Ultimately, all of these kinds of thoughts come from a mind that is occupied with self. How am I coming across? What are they thinking of me? These kinds of thoughts are poison to good preaching because 'self' is still central. When this occurs the preacher is using the 'art of preaching' as a means to an end - namely, self promotion or self exaltation. So, on a good day, when he thinks he has 'hit it out of the park' he walks around with a spring in his step. On bad days, when he thinks he 'struck out' he walks around in despair. Both are wrong because the focus is in the wrong place. Of course, the Evil One loves to get us distracted in this way and it doesn't take much on his part to get our sinful human minds focused here (this is also true during the music portion of our worship service!). This is why it is so important that the content of our worship (Preaching and music) be such that God is central and not man. We are already prone to put ourselves at the center. It isnt just the listener who is prone to this but the preacher or worship leader as well. If you are like me, you forget a lot of things...but one thing I never seem to forget about is myself! There I am...everywhere I turn...dominating my thoughts, my words, my concerns. It is so natural for me to make everything about me. It will take a supernatural work for that to be stripped away...and it doesnt happen overnight. It is part of the life-long journey of sanctification and for the preacher it is a constant battle everytime he stands on behalf of our Great God to speak His Word to His people.
So, whether it is during the worship service or at any other time, we must pray for God to help us keep our thoughts on Him. If our goal is really to glorify God and make much of Jesus than it will come at a price. We must die to ourselves daily! If He is going to increase, then I must decrease! We cannot exalt both Christ and ourselves simultaneously! It will be the One or the other! Which will it be?
sidenote: If your interested, this is one of the reasons I have never listened to myself on cd or watched on video. I have often heard others say that I should do this but I still have not been able to get myself to do it. In fact, it is also part of the reason I have not been very proactive about getting messages online or other various media outlets. While I see nothing wrong with making the messages more readily available for others, I have no interest in hearing it myself. This morning after typing these thoughts, I stumbled upon a short article from John Stott. It actually confirmed what I have always felt and thought. If interested, here it is:
The abundance of audio and video recordings of preaching today tempts pastors to listen to themselves and look at themselves. One might improve a few things that way. But in general it’s a bad idea. John Stott explains why:
If you look at yourself in the mirror, and listen to yourself on tape, or do both simultaneously on videotape, I fear you may find that you continue to look at yourself and listen to yourself when you are in the pulpit. In that case you will condemn yourself to the cramping bondage of preoccupation with yourself just at the time when, in the pulpit, it is essential to cultivate self-forgetfulness through a growing awareness of the God for whom and the people to whom you are speaking.
I know actors make use of glass and tape, but preachers are not actors, nor is the pulpit a stage. So beware! It may be more valuable to ask a friend to be candid with you about your voice and mannerisms, especially if they need correction. An Indian proverb says “He who has a good friend needs no mirror.” Then you can be yourself and forget yourself.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Request for Prayer
Please be in prayer for Daniel Griffith. This is the young man I mentioned yesterday during the service. Today he went through a skin graft procedure. He is a special kid who was in my classical conversations class this past year. You can check out his progress at this link - http://danielupdates.tumblr.com/
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Look Up!
Here is my most recent article in the Final Word (newsletter of First Baptist Church of Howland):
I don’t know what it is about this time of year but it has always been my favorite. For those of us here in Northeast Ohio, much of it has to do with the break in weather. Of course, we have our traditional snowfall for the Indians opening day, but right after that we begin to look for that great round object in the sky and some warmer temperatures. But as a minister and more importantly a child of God, I have a more meaningful reason for loving this time of year. Spring means Easter – and Easter means we celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This year Easter happens to fall at the end of April, which is the latest that I can ever remember. I have to say that I think Easter should be earlier than that but nevertheless I am excited as we turn our calendars to April.
You see there is nothing better for us to fix our hearts and minds on than the Cross and the empty tomb. But if you know me and have been around this ministry for any length of time, you know that I don’t believe it should be any different the other 51 Sundays of the year. Why would we only give prominent place to Christ’s death and resurrection at Easter and not all the time? If Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection is really the sum and substance of Christianity than we should be delighting in it all the time. And not just when we gather in church Sunday after Sunday but perhaps more importantly every day of our lives.
The message of the gospel is so simple and yet so profound. Simple in that a child can understand it. There is no pride in understanding its message or articulating its complexities. Yet, the gospel is profound because its message is diametrically opposed to what our nature believes. The gospel says that we are all lost sinners and what we deserve because of our sin is the wrath of God which includes eternal separation from God. But the good news is that God has provided a way for sinners to be forgiven and made right with God. This provision is in the person and work of God’s Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. The way is through His perfect life (or obedience) and sacrificial death (His ultimate act of obedience) on the cross for our sins. You see the gospel is all about what God has done in Christ on my behalf. Notice that the gospel says nothing of who I am or what I have done! At least, not anything good about who I am or what I have done! The only thing the gospel says about me (and you) is that we are sinners and hopeless and helpless left to ourselves. But again, the good news is that God did not leave us to ourselves!
This message is contrary to what we want to believe. We want to believe that we are basically good. We want to believe that we have a self-righteousness that can earn God’s merit or favor. While we may have no trouble admitting that Jesus died for our sins, we at least want to believe that we can do something to contribute to our right standing with God. But it is this kind of belief that rejects the truth of the gospel message. Any self-righteousness rejects God’s grace because it views the sinner as deserving of God’s blessing instead of undeserving. Whether we are speaking of unbelievers (who reject the gospel altogether) or believers (whose sinful natures cause us to quickly go back to our former beliefs), we need the message of the gospel everyday.
We all have a tendency to look within ourselves for the basis of God’s approval (or disapproval for that matter). So, it is critical that we make a daily effort to look to the gospel message. I am reminded of a quote from Robert Murray McCheyne that says "for every one look at ourselves we need to have ten looks at Christ". One of my favorite hymns says it this way:
When Satan tempts me to despair
and tells me of the guilt within (notice looking at ourselves)
upward I look and see Him there (now looking up to Christ)
who made an end of all my sin
because the sinless Savior died
my sinful soul is counted free
for God the just is satisfied
to look on Him and pardon me!
(Before the throne of God above)
We must daily look outside of ourselves to the work of Christ on our behalf. It is His righteousness alone that is able to bring us into a right standing with God. Listen to Titus 3:5-7:
“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
And how does one get this righteousness? By Faith
Paul teaches this in Romans 5 and again here in Galatians 2:16:
“We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we…have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”
I hope this message is the sole basis of your approval and acceptance with God and the assurance of your eventual admittance into heaven. It’s about all Him and what He has done on our behalf. That is the message of Easter and that’s the message of Christianity!
So, I would like to invite you to come and be a part of our services this Easter as we celebrate Christ’s finished work on our behalf. And with that said, I would like to invite you to come every Sunday and celebrate these same truths with us!
I don’t know what it is about this time of year but it has always been my favorite. For those of us here in Northeast Ohio, much of it has to do with the break in weather. Of course, we have our traditional snowfall for the Indians opening day, but right after that we begin to look for that great round object in the sky and some warmer temperatures. But as a minister and more importantly a child of God, I have a more meaningful reason for loving this time of year. Spring means Easter – and Easter means we celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This year Easter happens to fall at the end of April, which is the latest that I can ever remember. I have to say that I think Easter should be earlier than that but nevertheless I am excited as we turn our calendars to April.
You see there is nothing better for us to fix our hearts and minds on than the Cross and the empty tomb. But if you know me and have been around this ministry for any length of time, you know that I don’t believe it should be any different the other 51 Sundays of the year. Why would we only give prominent place to Christ’s death and resurrection at Easter and not all the time? If Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection is really the sum and substance of Christianity than we should be delighting in it all the time. And not just when we gather in church Sunday after Sunday but perhaps more importantly every day of our lives.
The message of the gospel is so simple and yet so profound. Simple in that a child can understand it. There is no pride in understanding its message or articulating its complexities. Yet, the gospel is profound because its message is diametrically opposed to what our nature believes. The gospel says that we are all lost sinners and what we deserve because of our sin is the wrath of God which includes eternal separation from God. But the good news is that God has provided a way for sinners to be forgiven and made right with God. This provision is in the person and work of God’s Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. The way is through His perfect life (or obedience) and sacrificial death (His ultimate act of obedience) on the cross for our sins. You see the gospel is all about what God has done in Christ on my behalf. Notice that the gospel says nothing of who I am or what I have done! At least, not anything good about who I am or what I have done! The only thing the gospel says about me (and you) is that we are sinners and hopeless and helpless left to ourselves. But again, the good news is that God did not leave us to ourselves!
This message is contrary to what we want to believe. We want to believe that we are basically good. We want to believe that we have a self-righteousness that can earn God’s merit or favor. While we may have no trouble admitting that Jesus died for our sins, we at least want to believe that we can do something to contribute to our right standing with God. But it is this kind of belief that rejects the truth of the gospel message. Any self-righteousness rejects God’s grace because it views the sinner as deserving of God’s blessing instead of undeserving. Whether we are speaking of unbelievers (who reject the gospel altogether) or believers (whose sinful natures cause us to quickly go back to our former beliefs), we need the message of the gospel everyday.
We all have a tendency to look within ourselves for the basis of God’s approval (or disapproval for that matter). So, it is critical that we make a daily effort to look to the gospel message. I am reminded of a quote from Robert Murray McCheyne that says "for every one look at ourselves we need to have ten looks at Christ". One of my favorite hymns says it this way:
When Satan tempts me to despair
and tells me of the guilt within (notice looking at ourselves)
upward I look and see Him there (now looking up to Christ)
who made an end of all my sin
because the sinless Savior died
my sinful soul is counted free
for God the just is satisfied
to look on Him and pardon me!
(Before the throne of God above)
We must daily look outside of ourselves to the work of Christ on our behalf. It is His righteousness alone that is able to bring us into a right standing with God. Listen to Titus 3:5-7:
“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
And how does one get this righteousness? By Faith
Paul teaches this in Romans 5 and again here in Galatians 2:16:
“We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we…have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”
I hope this message is the sole basis of your approval and acceptance with God and the assurance of your eventual admittance into heaven. It’s about all Him and what He has done on our behalf. That is the message of Easter and that’s the message of Christianity!
So, I would like to invite you to come and be a part of our services this Easter as we celebrate Christ’s finished work on our behalf. And with that said, I would like to invite you to come every Sunday and celebrate these same truths with us!
Friday, March 18, 2011
A Lesson During March Madness!
I live in northeast ohio and somehow in the midst of all the madness of games televised I did not get the Ohio State game on a local CBS channel. Instead the game is televised on TNT or TBS or Tru or False or some other channel that you have to pay for. It's really not that bad because in our day and age I just watch the game on March Madness on Demand or get the scores on my smartphone (amazing what luxuries we have!). But, that's really not my point! My point is...I actually found myself complaining about not getting a basketball game on television. That's right - complaining about not seeing a game! Boy, does that ever reveal my sinful nature. I am complaining about not seeing a game; a first round game against Texas-San Antonio or something like that; a game that involves young men who I do not know and most likely never will; a game that will be forgotten in a year if not in a week (as all games are!).
Now anyone that knows me knows my passion for sports but sometimes we need to be reminded just how out of control our passion for sports has gotten. Sports and the entertainment thereof has become an idol in our American culture and sometimes I find myself bowing down at this altar. Too much of our lives are wrapped around an athletic arena instead of the throne room of God.
Here are some questions that I have to ask myself often:
1. Does my heart leap more for a great play than it does to hear the gospel truth?
2. Am I anticipating a game with more excitement than an opportunity to worship our Great God?
3. Would I rather look up statistics on my favorite team than read and understand God's Word greater?
4. Do I view enjoying a sport as a privilege or a need?
5. Am I inconvenienced when my sports viewing is interrupted by either an opportunity to serve someone or to listen to them? (I think my wife slipped that one in!)
Well, too often my cold heart fails the test of these simple questions.
If sports does not have this kind of hold on you - first thank God that you have been able to escape the madness. Second, be sure and apply the same principles to other idols that you may be prone to bow down to!
Before I close I am sure there is someone of the reformed thought that is saying..."remember God gave us all things to enjoy...there is nothing wrong with enjoying the gift of sport". I couldn't agree more but the challenge is in enjoying it as a gift and not worshiping it as only the Giver is worthy of.
All good gifts come from the hand of God for our enjoyment and blessing. The challenge of sport; beauty of an athletic play; courage of the weary; the sacrifice of a teammate; the strategy between coaches; all of these things are why we enjoy the "games". But, let's remember that they are just that - games!
So, if we are going to remember what the reformers taught - let's especially remember what John Calvin taught us: "our hearts are like idol factories" and "our desires are inordinate".
We are natural born worshipers...we will worship something. So may I remind you and myself to not let sports or anything else take the throne of our hearts that only the Lord deserves (during this March Madness or at any other time!). Watch the games, fill out the brackets, root for your team, remember it's just a game, and guard your heart to be white-hot for God alone!
Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.(I John 5:21)
Now anyone that knows me knows my passion for sports but sometimes we need to be reminded just how out of control our passion for sports has gotten. Sports and the entertainment thereof has become an idol in our American culture and sometimes I find myself bowing down at this altar. Too much of our lives are wrapped around an athletic arena instead of the throne room of God.
Here are some questions that I have to ask myself often:
1. Does my heart leap more for a great play than it does to hear the gospel truth?
2. Am I anticipating a game with more excitement than an opportunity to worship our Great God?
3. Would I rather look up statistics on my favorite team than read and understand God's Word greater?
4. Do I view enjoying a sport as a privilege or a need?
5. Am I inconvenienced when my sports viewing is interrupted by either an opportunity to serve someone or to listen to them? (I think my wife slipped that one in!)
Well, too often my cold heart fails the test of these simple questions.
If sports does not have this kind of hold on you - first thank God that you have been able to escape the madness. Second, be sure and apply the same principles to other idols that you may be prone to bow down to!
Before I close I am sure there is someone of the reformed thought that is saying..."remember God gave us all things to enjoy...there is nothing wrong with enjoying the gift of sport". I couldn't agree more but the challenge is in enjoying it as a gift and not worshiping it as only the Giver is worthy of.
All good gifts come from the hand of God for our enjoyment and blessing. The challenge of sport; beauty of an athletic play; courage of the weary; the sacrifice of a teammate; the strategy between coaches; all of these things are why we enjoy the "games". But, let's remember that they are just that - games!
So, if we are going to remember what the reformers taught - let's especially remember what John Calvin taught us: "our hearts are like idol factories" and "our desires are inordinate".
We are natural born worshipers...we will worship something. So may I remind you and myself to not let sports or anything else take the throne of our hearts that only the Lord deserves (during this March Madness or at any other time!). Watch the games, fill out the brackets, root for your team, remember it's just a game, and guard your heart to be white-hot for God alone!
Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.(I John 5:21)
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Pray for Chad Cole
Here is Chad Cole's blog. This is the man I have been sharing with you all about on Sundays. He lost his wife and unborn baby in a tragic car accident a few weeks ago. Please go back and read from the end of January till current. Pray for this man! Make sure you let your spouse and children and loved ones know just how much you love them and thank God for them!
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