Getting Ahead of God

Tex

As a child, teenager, and even into my twenties, I did not particularly like dogs. I did not like to pet them, and I certainly did not like them to lick me. But when we got married, my wife convinced me that it would be okay for us to get a dog—and an inside dog at that! So we did.

In the spring of 2014 we got Tex, a Shih Tzu and Poodle mix that has extremely curly hair and weighs all of 5.5 pounds.

Though Tex is an inside dog, he loves going outside. Lately we have been taking him on a walk a few times a week, and we have to keep him on a leash or else he will run away. And even when he is on the leash, he still tries to get away. He will pull with all of his might, to the point of choking himself, because he wants to get ahead of us.

As I was observing his behavior and thinking about how silly it was, it occurred to me that as believers we do the same thing when it comes to God.

You see, God is omniscient, meaning He is all knowing. His knowledge is not restricted by the time-space continuum that ours is. He doesn’t have to react to what happens, for He already knew it was going to happen. He already knows what is coming your way next week, next month, and next year. We can’t see around the corner, but He can.

Based on His omniscience, God has a will or a plan for you and I. Romans 12:2 tells us that His will is “good, pleasing, and perfect.” In Matthew 6:10 Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Yet sometimes our wills, wishes, and desires do not match up with God’s. When this happens, we often times act like Tex. We feel like God has a leash on us and we put all our might into trying to get ahead of Him or away from Him.

But understand this: It’s not always the case that what we want is not God’s will, sometimes the timing just isn’t right. It’s not that I don’t want Tex to make it to the next street corner or that I’m trying to keep him from chasing that squirrel, I’m simply protecting him from carelessly running into the street and getting hit by the oncoming vehicle.

Likewise, it’s not always that God is trying to be a Debbie-downer and make life boring; no, He always has our best interest in mind. Remember, He knows what is around the corner and we have no idea.

So instead of trying to make God fit inside of our box and make His will conform to ours, we need to get inside of His box. We need to “be transformed” by the renewing of our minds so that we can discern His will (Romans 12:2). We need to learn how to live as the clay and allow the Lord to be our potter (Isaiah 64:8).

When we can see it this way, then living in accordance with God’s will won’t feel restraining at all, and we will be a lot less likely to run ahead of Him. His word promises us that He will give us the desires of our heart, but only when we take delight in Him (Psalm 37:4).

Not of this World

If you know me, you know I am a huge Oklahoma Sooners fan. In all my years of rooting for the Sooners, I have only identified one problem: I live in Texas. I’m constantly surrounded by people wearing their burnt orange Longhorn shirts or their maroon Aggie hats, and there I am sporting the crimson and cream.

And of course, these Aggies and Longhorns are always giving me a hard time, so I just have to remind them which football program has won more national titles and Heisman trophies (hint: it’s not located in Texas).

I like to compare my situation as a Sooner fan living in Texas to being a member of God’s kingdom. As believers, you and I are members of God’s kingdom, yet we still live here on this earth that is full of sin and evil. And just like Texas fans are always showing me their horns and trying to pull me down to their ways, this fallen world does everything it can to bring us down and pull us away from our Savior. Tests, trials, and temptations seem to be around every corner.

In order to help us maintain the right attitude towards this situation, let me point you to 3 passages of Scripture from the Gospel of John.

1. John 14:1-3 “Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you. If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also.”

This world is not our eternal home. The Bible tells us we are simply “sojourners” or “temporary residents” here on earth. God has much better things in store for those who are faithful. When we pass away, we will be with Him in heaven. At the end of time, we will be a part of the new creation—the new heavens and the new earth—for all eternity.

2. John 15:18-19 “If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the word would love you as its own. However, because you are not of this world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.”

This is what Jesus told His disciples just a few days before being crucified, and it still applies to you and I today. If you are a believer, and therefore a member of God’s kingdom, then you, too, are not of this world, because Christ has chosen you out of it. So we don’t live according to the standards of this world; we live in accordance with God and His Word.

3. John 16:21-22 “When a woman is in labor she has pain because her time has come. But when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy that a person has been born into the world. So you also have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will rob you of your joy.”

Jesus knew His departure from this earth would cause His disciples to become sorrowful. Even today I sometimes wish Jesus was here with you and I. But this illustration Jesus gives is powerful: One day we will see Him again, and all the pain will be forgotten. Our sorrow will be covered with joy. Oh how we should long for that day!

Living in this world is no doubt a challenge. But if we will remain in Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will be changed. We will become less like our sinful selves and more like our Savior.

In conclusion, here are two things to remember:

1. We are not of this world!

2. Boomer Sooner!

Faithfulness in a Fallen World

Let me begin by asking you a quick question. Would you consider any of these places to be a Christian environment?

·      Your workplace

·      Your child’s school

·      Your local Wal-Mart

·      Your local fitness gym

·      Your local movie theater

Sure, there are Christian businesses, Christian schools, and even Christian movies. But when we take a second to look around us, wherever we may be, it is easy to see that we live in a fallen world. We sin. Others around us sin. We let each other down. Most of all, we let God down.

But as believers, we are called to faithfully follow our Savior in the midst of this fallen world. So how do we do that? Let’s think about the story of Daniel and his three friends and find a few pointers…

According to Daniel 1:3-4, Daniel was a young Jewish man from a royal family. His life was turned upside down when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem and led Daniel and many others into exile. In Babylon, he and several others were chosen by the one of the king’s officials to be taught the Babylonian language and literature. Basically, they wanted to convert these young men. They wanted to steal their allegiance away from the Lord and turn it to the king.

How would Daniel and his three friends react in this foreign land, surrounded by these powerful people? Would they change their allegiance, or would they remain faithful to their God?

The first test they faced concerned the food they ate. The Babylonians tried to feed them royal food from the king’s table, but Daniel would not accept it because it was in violation of Old Testament dietary laws. Instead, he requested that they be fed vegetables and water, which of course made them healthier than the others.

The second test they faced concerned the first and second commandments: not having any other gods and not worshipping idols. When King Nebuchadnezzar made a towering gold statue and commanded everyone to bow down and worship it, Daniel’s three friends refused. As a result, they were thrown into a furnace heated seven times hotter than normal. But as you know, the Lord protected them and they survived.

We read about another test Daniel faced in chapter 6. By this time he had interpreted many of the king’s dreams, had been made one of three administrators over the country, and was very well-known. But because of his success and popularity with the king, Daniel’s co-workers despised him and they devised a plan to trap him. Knowing that Daniel prayed to God often, they convinced King Darius to sign an edict stating that anyone who prays to any god or man besides the king would be thrown into the lions’ den. But did that stop Daniel from praying to God? No way! He continued to pray three times a day, just as he had done before. And when he was thrown into the lions’ den, God shut the lions’ mouths and protected him.

So what can we learn from Daniel and his friends?

1. It is possible to remain faithful. This doesn’t mean it’s always easy, but it is possible.

2. We can be in the world, but not of it. Daniel and his friends were immersed in the Babylonian culture, including the worship of idols. They lived with the people and worked with the people, but did not give in to the sinful ways of the people.

3. God blesses us when we are faithful. Daniel 1:21 tells us that Daniel served in the king’s court “until the first year of King Cyrus.” Cyrus was a Persian king, which means that by being faithful to God, Daniel outlived the Babylonian empire! God blessed Daniel with wisdom, insight, and a long, fruitful life.

I’m sure that at times Daniel and his friends found it challenging to remain faithful. But they didn’t let the world around them dictate who they were and what they did. As we live in this fallen world, you and I must follow suit. Instead of letting the world around us change us, we need to let God and His Word change us.

Let me leave you with some instruction from 1 John 2:15-17. “Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For everything that belongs to the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s lifestyle—is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does God’s will remains forever.”

How the Church Becomes an Idol

The first occurrence of the word church (ekklesia) in the New Testament is found on the lips of Jesus in Matthew 16:18 — “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church…” From this point forward it is clear that God’s grand plan was for Jesus’ disciples to establish the church after His ascension.

And this is exactly what they did. If we fast-forward to Acts 2, in fulfillment of Jesus’ statement above, it is Peter who stands up to give his famous Pentecost sermon (v14), leading to the salvation of many (v41) and the establishment of the church (vv42-47).

This is the church that the apostles continued to grow. This is the church that the Reformers fought to preserve. This is the church that so many have been a part of throughout the centuries. This is the church that you and I are a part of today.

But I am afraid that this church, fashioned by the hand of God, has in some ways replaced God.

Allow me to share with you four ways in which the church becomes an idol…

1. When the happenings are more important than the Head

We are taught very clearly in Ephesians 1:22 and Colossians 1:18 that Christ is the head of the body, the church. But do all of our church’s events, programs, and happenings point to the head? Do they point people to Christ? Do they result in the changing of lives and the growth of the kingdom? Or do they merely result in our happiness and contentment? Christ must be the center of everything the church does.

2. When the work is more important than the Word

You may think that pastoring a church is simple. After all, pastors only work on Sundays and Wednesdays, right? Wrong. The work of the church, led by the pastoral staff, is a huge endeavor. There are meetings to be held, prayers to be said, visits to be made, songs to be sung, meals to be cooked, and events to be planned. But none of this should outweigh the studying, the preaching, the teaching, and, as a result, the exaltation of God’s inspired Word.

When the focal point of a worship service is not the preaching of the Word, something has gone wrong. When the word of man is given more emphasis than the Word of God, something has gone wrong. When meals and meetings take precedence over meditation, something has gone wrong. When more time is dedicated to event planning than exegesis and exposition, something has gone wrong.

Let Isaiah 40:8 remind us that “The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever.”

3. When the building is more important than the body

Buildings are important. Buildings are needed. Churches today are constructing multi-million dollar facilities, and are putting them to great use. But we cannot forget that the church is not the four walls and the steeple (wait, do churches even have steeples anymore???). Even though Webster’s dictionary primarily defines the church as “a building that is used for Christian religious services,” the Greek word ekklesia refers to the “assembly” or the “gathering”—the people in the pews.

So while buildings are important, we shouldn’t sacrifice the needs of the people for the sake of our building projects. A strong body ought to be valued more than a state-of-the-art building.

4. When money is more important than ministry

In no way am I suggesting that money is unimportant. Giving financially to your local church is important. The way the church manages the money given is extremely important.

But here is what I’m getting at: The way a church spends its money needs to reflect its devotion to ministry. The church needs to focus on serving its members and reaching out to the lost more than on how much money is in the bank account.

After all, the church doesn’t have a 401k. While a church should put some money aside for emergencies and for the future, it should also be willing to spend money for the sake of the kingdom. Money should never hold a church back from doing the ministry God has called it to do.

In conclusion, let me ask you this: Do you see how easily the church can become an idol? Do you see how the line has been blurred between worshipping Christ and worshipping His church?

Remember, we can keep the church from becoming an idol when we:

·      value the Head more than the happenings

·      highlight the Word over the work

·      care about the body more than the building

·      focus on ministry more than money

Welcome to the Majors!

I recently attended a Frisco Rough Riders baseball game with my wife, my brother, and his girlfriend. If you aren't familiar with them, the Rough Riders are the AA affiliate of Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers.

Most of the players on the AA team are in their lower to mid-twenties. They were drafted anywhere from 2 to 5 years ago and have made their way past low-A and high-A ball. Their next goal is to be promoted to AAA, and eventually be called up to the majors. This is the way Major League Baseball farm systems work.

Attending that game got me thinking about this concept of different levels within an organization. It seems that this is how the business world works as well; you usually start out as the low man/woman on the totem pole and eventually work your way up to where you want to be.

Since this is the way most of the world works, I wonder if this is the way people view the church...

Just like there are roles to fill in a business or positions to play on a baseball team, there are many jobs to be done in any local church. Of course there are those who preach and teach and lead music, but it takes more than that.

There are tons of people behind the scenes:

·      Those who unlock the doors and turn on the lights before you show up

·      Those who sit in the back and operate the sound system

·      Those who pass out bulletins and take up the offering

·      Those who bake meals and take them to the home-bound

·      Those who hold babies in the nursery

·      And the list could go on and on

But don't misunderstand...The goal in church ministry is not to start at the bottom and work your way up. Manning the back door and shaking hands is not the minors, and preaching is not the pros. Some are called to preach, some to teach, some to visit hospitals, some to give, and some to pray, but the bottom line is that any type of ministry is major, so if you are in ministry, "Welcome to the majors!"

Every role in the church is important. Every role is vital to the goal of spreading the gospel and sharing the love of God. So don't worry about what your job is. That really isn't up to you anyway; that's left up to the Holy Spirit and the gifts He gives you.

Instead, just make sure that you're doing your job! Because guess what? If you aren't doing it, one of two things is true: It's either not getting done or someone else is having to do their job AND YOURS.

Consider what Peter wrote in 1 Ptr. 4:10, "Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God." The only reason we possess spiritual gifts is because of God’s grace. And these gifts are not a privilege, they are a responsibility. We have to be faithful with what the Lord has given us.

So again, don't worry about your role being important or unimportant. If you are using your gift(s) to serve others (and therefore God) through your local church, then what you are doing IS important!

And hey, you never know. Someday God may call you to do something different; He may gift you and equip you in other ways. But don't consider that change a step up or down, just think of it as changing positions. Even professional baseball players sometimes do that at different stages of their career.

Who Can I Root For?

I love sports, and I always have. I enjoy playing them, and I also enjoy watching them. My wife often makes fun of me, saying that I skipped my childhood because I woke up on Saturday mornings to watch SportsCenter and not cartoons.

Whether it’s college or the pros (or even your local high school), we sports fans have our favorite teams. As a native of north Texas, I grew up rooting for the Dallas Mavericks and the Texas Rangers. As the grandson of an Okie, I am a huge Oklahoma Sooners fan (Boomer!).

But besides having “my” teams, I admit to having several favorite players over the years as well.

Kobe and Shaq

Tiger Woods

McGwire and Sosa

Blake Griffin

Adrian Peterson

Stephen Curry

Jordan Spieth

My best friend and I would pretend to be Kobe and Shaq when we played basketball on the goal that hung on my bedroom door. Inside that room I had framed posters of McGwire, Sosa, and Woods on the wall. I used to wear a shirt with Blake Griffin on it. Currently I find myself rooting for Steph and the Warriors to repeat as NBA champs. To be honest, I was a little torn up when Spieth made a 7 on #12 at Augusta during the final round of the Masters.

Have I made it clear that I have always been a fan of sports?

I don’t know that I would ever stop watching sports or stop rooting for my favorite teams/athletes, but for a long while I have been pondering a question in the back of my mind: As a believer, and especially as someone in ministry, should I root an athlete who doesn’t believe and behave as I do?

I’m not sure when this thought first crossed my mind. Maybe it was when the scandalous lifestyle of my childhood hero Tiger Woods was exposed. Can I honestly root for someone who tore his family apart and cheated on his wife multiple times?

Let me give you some other examples…

McGwire and Sosa had a magical season back in 1998. I followed their chase to break the home run record very closely. But then Sammy Sosa had a corked bat and McGwire was accused of using steroids. They were cheaters. Should I be proud that I rooted for them?

A more recent example that bothered me is that of Peyton Manning. Going into Super Bowl 50 there was some talk about the legendary quarterback’s faith and spirituality. He wound up playing an okay game and leading the Broncos to victory, which provided him with a huge platform to speak. So what does he do? He thanks God and then talks about how he’s going to go drink a bunch of Budweiser, all in the same sixty seconds! I can’t tell you how much that bothered me.

Is it absolutely wrong to have a few beers? No. Is it wrong to get drunk and lose self-control? Yes. Now, which Peyton did, I have no clue. But either way, how can you mention God and drinking alcohol in the same minute?

And then there is the curious case of one Josh Hamilton. After recovering from a serious drug addiction and making his way back to the MLB, he had multiple All-Star and MVP caliber seasons with the Texas Rangers. He used this platform to share his testimony and make his faith well known. He wrote an autobiography and spoke at FBC Dallas, among other places.

But then he had a few relapses and eventually wound up divorced from his wife. After a short stint with the Angels, he is now back on the Rangers, but you never hear anything about his faith anymore.

Other athletes currently in the spotlight, such as two-time major winner Jordan Spieth, try to keep as low a profile as possible, making it hard to know much about their personal lives. I know that Spieth attended a Catholic high school in Dallas, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he is a devout Catholic. So when it comes to athletes like this, it’s hard to know.

Then there are the Tim Tebows of the sports world who make their faith as obvious as possible. When it comes to athletes like this, fans have no choice but to know they profess faith in Christ and attempt to live a life that pleases him.

So who can I root for? Who do I root for? To be honest, I root for pretty much all of the athletes mentioned above. I still hope to see Tiger win another PGA Tour Event. I rooted for Peyton and the Broncos in Super Bowl 50. Even though his on-field impact has been slim to nothing lately (mainly due to health reason), I still pull for Josh Hamilton.

Does this mean that I condone the off-field/court/course behavior of these individuals? Absolutely not. In fact, I disapprove of much of it. But there are always a couple things I keep in mind:

First of all, I am a sinner just like them. Their sin might be more open and blatant and even unrepentant, but before God we are all sinners.

Secondly, whoever they are and however they behave, the feats these men accomplish in their respective games are incredible. Even if I can’t root for them as individuals, I can root for their God-given abilities to succeed.

In the end, who I root for really makes no difference. Me rooting for them is not going to have an impact on their success. I don’t pray for Spieth to win the Masters or Curry to repeat as an NBA champ. I just root for them and love to see them do well. And if they don’t, oh well. There will always be someone else to root for, and who knows, maybe he or she will be a follower of Jesus Christ.

Baseball and Scripture

Rawlings Bull Series

From T-ball fields to major league stadiums across the United States, America’s pastime is back. In other words, baseball season has begun!

Even though I didn’t play it in high school, baseball was always my favorite sport as a child. In fact, I enjoyed baseball so much that I joined a tournament team and played year-round.

Today I want to take a second to tell you about my baseball glove. My uncle is a salesman for Rawlings Sporting Goods, and when I was in fifth grade he gave me a very nice glove for Christmas. It was a Rawlings Bull Series glove, brown leather with black lacing, 10 3/4 inches long. I absolutely loved that glove, and there is no telling how many games I played with it, most of them either pitching or at third base.

Fast-forward to my high school days. I wasn’t playing baseball anymore, but I still had that glove. I just kept it in a plastic bin in our garage with some other sports equipment and used it from time to time, but not often at all. One day when my parents were having a garage sale, I pulled up to our house and saw a customer walking around with my glove! I hopped out of my car, rushed to find my dad, and asked him what was going on. Why did that person have my glove in their hand like they were going to buy it? Why was my glove for sale???

Apparently my parents didn’t think that glove was wanted or needed anymore, so they included it in the sale. But I begged to differ! I didn’t use that glove much, but whenever I needed a glove, that’s the one I wanted. It was well broken in. It fit my hand perfectly (like a glove, I should say). I still have that glove to this day and still use it whenever I play catch.

For me, that glove is a lot like the many Scripture verses I have memorized over the years. Thanks to church children’s programs like AWANA and TeamKid, I memorized lots of Scripture growing up. I don’t think about or use most of those verses on a daily basis, but whenever I need to recall one, it’s there.

It’s just like my old baseball glove. I don’t use it much, but whenever I need it, it’s there and it fits me perfectly.

Whenever I need to make a decision, I sometimes think about a verse I have memorized. Whenever someone asks for advice, I often quote Scripture to them. Whatever I may need it for, it’s always there.

So in conclusion, let me take a second to encourage you to memorize some Scripture. Whether you’re 8 or 18 or 80, what you memorize today will probably stick with you for the rest of your life.

Here are a few tips for memorizing Scripture:

• Memorize verses from a Bible translation that is easy for you to understand
• Start small, even with just half a verse if necessary (try 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17)
• If it is a longer verse, memorize it in parts
• Take your time (don’t memorize it in one day and then forget about it; commit a verse to memory over the course of 3-4 days, or maybe even a week)
• Build your confidence (after you learn some individual verses, try to memorize a paragraph and eventually an entire chapter)
• Let memorization lead to meditation (think about its meaning when you’re lying in bed or driving down the road)

Most of all, I know that when you commit the time to memorize Scripture, God will use it to challenge you and change you. He will challenge you to become more like Him and change the way you view the world around you.