Part of my job involves teaching young athletes to lift weights. this is something in my past that I really enjoyed. For me it was about getting better each time, breaking records, watching my max go higher and higher. It always made my day; to go in and to squat more than I ever had, or increase my bench press. I loved it when I felt my body getting stronger and didn't feel happy unless I left a workout feeling exhausted. That sore feeling that I felt throughout the day after a particularly hard workout felt comforting; like you did something. I know weight lifting isn't for everyone. It involves sweat, grunting, groaning, clanging of weights and a lot of waking up early early in the morning to get in your lift; none of which by themselves is a whole lot of fun. Truth is it's difficult; if it were easy there would be a whole lot of people walking around muscled up.
These past two years I've been able to be around something rather unique; Perry Wrestling. No other wrestling squad in the nations has won more state titles. Just last month Perry won it's 38th State Title.
Being around those kids in the weight room is something I enjoy. Year in and year out, they win. They win a lot of times with less talent than the other teams; this year not being an exception. Why do they win; most of it is how hard they work.
I had a great conversation with Perry's Head Wrestling Coach Chenowith. Coach was talking about how tough it is for a wrestler to come out and expect to win after skipping his 7th and 8th grade years.
This reminded me of several kids I've coached. Two of them being some of the better athletes I ever coached, both foreign exchange students; neither proved very good at football. Why not? They didn't have the proper technique or experience of the kids who started that year.
Weight lifting, wrestling and a whole bunch of other sports have something in common. No one starts out being great, no one starts out at the top of their game. I've scene too many kids at the 7th grade level walk into the weight room and struggle lifting the bar and give up on weights because they didn't compare to the kids who had been lifting a couple years.
It is very simple. You've got to bench press 45 pounds before you can bench press 250 pounds. You don't go from squatting 200 pounds to squatting 530 pounds (My personal best :) ) You do it in small increments, you go from 200 to 205 to maybe 215 and then after a period of years and a whole bunch of sweat, tears, grunts, groans, clanging of weights and way to many early mornings; you might just squat 530 or bench 250. If you take your lumps your freshman and sophomore year; maybe when your a senior you'll have enough experience and know how to start.
My greatest moment in sports came not when I was 18; but when I was close to 40. In one of my last Rugby matches I ever played in. I squared off against a young 20ish, muscled up college kid. When he saw me I saw in his eyes he had me pegged for an easy mark; eyes that stared at me as if I were a fat old man and shouldn't have been out on the field. After about our third scrum I heard him cussing, about scrum 5 he was panting and that look that had been in his eyes had been replaced with something akin to awe. At half, he looked at me as if he would rather not have to go up against me. After half my shoulder popped out (something I was used to) and I swear he almost looked happy. After the game he complimented me I told him something about old dogs and knowing a lot of tricks.
What he had was strength, what he didn't have was technique and experience. What he had is this little jewel of a verse....
Habakkuk 2
4 Look, his ego is inflated;he is without integrity. But the righteous one will live by his faith.
I'm not trash talking this young man; I'm saying he is exactly like most new Christians. Most are very strong in their desire for loving the Lord; but what they are not is experienced. It's easy to listen to a sermon on Faith and promise yourself in your heart that you have faith; but what happens when life pounds away at you? What happens when you pray and things just get tougher? Read Habakkuk, it tells us exactly this. When Habakkuk calls out, in Habakkuk 1...
Habakkuk 1:2
2 O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you "Violence!"and you will not save?
I love God's response, In Habakkuk 1:God tells him hold on; you think you've scene trouble, that's nothing compared to what I'm about to unleash on you.
Habakkuk 1:5-6
5 "Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.6 For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own.
I truly feel many churches are not treating new Christians properly. In many ways we are expecting new Christians to have just as much faith as people who have grown in their faith for many years. As a new Christian I was Habakkuk 2:5; standing with my ego inflated believing in my heart that I had the faith to overcome any obstacle. Fact was I didn't. I got knocked down time and time again and over a period of time I felt myself grow in my faith. But faith is a lot like lifting weights. You can't just stop trying to grow. You can't just say I've got "x" amount of faith and it will always stay that way. Our God doesn't roll like that. Instead every now and then he calls down the Chaldeans after we cry out for help.
He doesn't do this because he hates us or because he is sadistic. He does this because he is our God and he loves us deeper and more than we can ever imagine. Roman soldiers ripped the flesh from his back. Every sin we ever did or will do bore down on his shoulders while he was hanging from nails on a cross. God doesn't want us to bench 200 pounds and stop or to have only "x" amount in faith and then stop. He wants us to grow in our faith, he wants more for us. Life is going to get tougher. Last week I had to put down my dog, I loved that dog; but I know one day it is going to be close family members that will pass; what then?
I'm humbled that we have a God who loves us enough that he pushes us to grow. Hard times are tough, struggles cause pain. What we've got to understand is that our struggles, our pains are how we grow in our faith. It's something about our belief that is very difficult for many to understand, but it is at the very essence of who we are. It's something I feel deep down that we have to be teaching our new brothers and sisters in Christ. This verse sums it up best....
Ephesians 2:1
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
Africa 2011
Me in Niger, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
A good Dog
Today is tough, Tomorrow is going to be tougher. This one isn't going to be my typical post. It's one that I may cry a little bit or a lot over. The one I'm writing it for isn't going to read it, even though she is very smart. She came into my life at a time I needed someone to talk to, someone to hug on, someone to shed a tear with and she did that and more. I felt I was rescuing her, but she rescued me. She shared my bed for many years and most of my meals. She was always there for me when I got home with a kiss. In case your wandering who I'm talking about I'm talking about a dog, but not just any dog. My Dog. Calamity was a rescue dog, she lived her early life in a unlicensed puppy meal. She was filthy, dirty and not very loving when I found her. When we loaded her up in my mom's vehicle she peed on the floor, that night she bit my other dog Flash. For the first month she simply stared at the door, never showing any emotion. I really think everything changed when she figured out she could make me laugh. Overtime I couldn't read a book at night without her head poking between me and the book. When Flash got a little too crazed she was always the one who brought him back to reality. What I remember most was that when things got sad, when I wasn't having the greatest day. She was always the one who would come to my side. It was always her head I felt in my hands, her kisses on my leg. If I was sad she whined. When I got married and she became an outside dog she understood. As I had kids her kisses found their way to my son. Today she met my little 4 week old girl for the first time. Calamity was an escape artist. It was a battle of wills between us two and she always won, but always found her way back. A gift she had. Last week Calamity broke her back. I tried to bring her home thinking she might heal. You gotta believe in miracles. It's clear to me now as she looses weight and isn't really eating that its time for her. Today she let my boy hug on her, her head once again found its way into my hand as I cried for her. Tomorrow I gotta take her to the vet, I don't want too; but it has to happen. She has been too good a dog to let this go on. I've got to give her a little dignity. Calamity, if their is any way in dog heaven that you can read blogs I hope you read what I've written. I know you already know my heart, you won it. You were my dog for the past 7 years, what I would give for 7 more. I won't forget you. Most importantly there are no fences/pens in heaven. Run as fast as your little Bassat Hound Legs will carry you. Love you Girl. I promise I'll keep an eye on Flash, he is going to be lost without you.
According to God's Plan
I find myself still struggling with doubt. Struggling and well, feeling foolish. It's easy to say "Put your trust in Jesus", but putting your trust in him isn't exactly coming easy. It's easy 23 hours out of the day, but it's that one hour a night where I lie awake sleepless that is tough. Married, 2 Kids, a 3 week old baby and knowing this June me and my wife will have no job; it does weigh on ones mind. I find myself getting short at work with the students, things I might have smiled about two months ago are getting on my nerves. I know some of this comes with having a baby who isn't even a month old yet. ie. My sleep hasn't been what it used to be. But, I also feel that a lot of it comes from this doubt that sometimes clouds my judgment.
The Bible is an awesome book in that it explicitly addresses doubt. In the Bible it shows that our God is the same God who led his people out of Egypt, he is the same God who let one shepherd (Gideon) defeat a mighty army with only 300 soldiers. What's comforting about Gideon is that he too doubted. The Egyptians also doubted, but their doubt was much different. When Gideon doubted he brought those doubts directly to God. When Scouts told Moses that the land the Lord had promised was full of a unconquerable enemy he doubted. For this doubt the Israelis wandered the desert for 40 years. If these men could doubt when they heard directly the voice of God, maybe my doubt is something that is justifiable.
I listened to a great podcast the other day form Life Point Ministries called secret church. One thing they talked about was the nature of God. In this podcast they talked about the power of God. Two verses really struck a chord with me. They are Job 12:23 and Psalms 22:28.
Job 12: 23
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them.
Psalms 22: 28
28 for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.
These two verses tell me that our God is powerful enough to rule and control nations. If he can do this than who am I to have doubts. The Bible also shows us that God isn't only a ruler of nations, he is also strong enough to provide everything we need.
Acts 17:25
25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
If God is strong enough to control nations, if he is going to provide life, breath and everything else; then why should I doubt, why should I worry. Perhaps I worry because of the "uncertain", I have no doubt there will be food on my table, I can't even doubt that there will be a table. God will provide. Perhaps I worry because of "pride". Pride can be a pretty big obstacle to overcome, yet it is not my pride that will provide; it is God.
Romans 8:28
28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.
Proverbs 16:9
9 A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.
These last two verses seal it up for me. Romans 8:28 is the actual verse my Dad texted me when he found out about our jobs. Being a Christian separates us from everyone else. When other people lose their jobs, when times get tough; what have they to lean on, who do they call out to. What do they lay awake fearing? When your job is the most important thing in your life, when the dollar is the measure by which you way success. Then what do you have when that is no longer there. Christians have the knowledge that "all things are going to work together". They have the understanding that the Lord is the one that is going to "determine his steps" Being a Christian means that we buy into the belief that our God is an all loving God, that he will provide and that everything happens to work for his Glory. It's nice knowing that the one who created the Universe, the one who designed every leaf and every snow flake; is also the one who is going to help me and my wife get a job. Take that monster.com.
The Bible is an awesome book in that it explicitly addresses doubt. In the Bible it shows that our God is the same God who led his people out of Egypt, he is the same God who let one shepherd (Gideon) defeat a mighty army with only 300 soldiers. What's comforting about Gideon is that he too doubted. The Egyptians also doubted, but their doubt was much different. When Gideon doubted he brought those doubts directly to God. When Scouts told Moses that the land the Lord had promised was full of a unconquerable enemy he doubted. For this doubt the Israelis wandered the desert for 40 years. If these men could doubt when they heard directly the voice of God, maybe my doubt is something that is justifiable.
I listened to a great podcast the other day form Life Point Ministries called secret church. One thing they talked about was the nature of God. In this podcast they talked about the power of God. Two verses really struck a chord with me. They are Job 12:23 and Psalms 22:28.
Job 12: 23
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them.
Psalms 22: 28
28 for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.
These two verses tell me that our God is powerful enough to rule and control nations. If he can do this than who am I to have doubts. The Bible also shows us that God isn't only a ruler of nations, he is also strong enough to provide everything we need.
Acts 17:25
25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
If God is strong enough to control nations, if he is going to provide life, breath and everything else; then why should I doubt, why should I worry. Perhaps I worry because of the "uncertain", I have no doubt there will be food on my table, I can't even doubt that there will be a table. God will provide. Perhaps I worry because of "pride". Pride can be a pretty big obstacle to overcome, yet it is not my pride that will provide; it is God.
Romans 8:28
28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.
Proverbs 16:9
9 A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.
These last two verses seal it up for me. Romans 8:28 is the actual verse my Dad texted me when he found out about our jobs. Being a Christian separates us from everyone else. When other people lose their jobs, when times get tough; what have they to lean on, who do they call out to. What do they lay awake fearing? When your job is the most important thing in your life, when the dollar is the measure by which you way success. Then what do you have when that is no longer there. Christians have the knowledge that "all things are going to work together". They have the understanding that the Lord is the one that is going to "determine his steps" Being a Christian means that we buy into the belief that our God is an all loving God, that he will provide and that everything happens to work for his Glory. It's nice knowing that the one who created the Universe, the one who designed every leaf and every snow flake; is also the one who is going to help me and my wife get a job. Take that monster.com.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Words and the power behind them.
Got a call from my daughters principal the other day. I was hoping it was good news, maybe she did great on a spelling test, or something of the like. Turns out it wasn't, She had gotten into a fight on the playground. When she got home I asked her why? Apparently there was some name calling. Big question now is what to do. She got your standard, we're upset at you lecture and you will be disciplined. Truth is its easy to tell a 9 year old that she shouldn't pay attention to what other people say, but there is power in words.
Hosea 14:2 says something interesting. It says "sticks and stones my break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Actually it doesn't say that, it says something to the opposite.
Hosea 14:2
2) Take words of repentance with you and return to the Lord. Say to Him: "Forgive all our sin and accepts what is good, so that we may repay You with praise from our lips".
Hosea is to me saying something I've known since I was 9 and I was sitting in tears on the playground crying because the older kids were calling me names. There is power in words. Words can tear apart a marriage, tear apart a family, tear apart a country. Words can also have the opposite effect. I remember my wife telling me we were going to have a child. I remember the first time I told her I loved her. If words weren't important than why would political candidates, candy bars, car dealers and almost everyone with something to sell spend millions trying to pound catch phrases into our brain. The reason they do this is because words are important.
Hosea 14:2 tells us to "Take words of repentance with you and return to the Lord". The Bible is telling us to "Take words". Anyone who has ever read through the first books of Leviticus has read about sacrifice and offerings: Burnt offering, Grain offering, Sin offering, Quilt offering, Fellowship offering. Each of these early books of Leviticus are very delightful, very detailed reading; the stuff you want to snuggle up next to on a cold winters night. (NOT) The question being why would God spell out in detail these long list of sacrifice; when in Hosea he would say we are to bring "words of repentance". The reason Hosea spells this out is because Words have power.
Why is it so important that we bring words, doesn't God know everything we have done, there are no secrets with an all knowing God. If he knows then why can't we just think it; why do we have to say it. Vocalizing, or bringing to life the words of our repentance is important, important to God and important to us. When we vocally repent, we physically do something. It's not just a mere thought, it is an action. It is by this action that we show obedience and obedience is what God wants.
1 Samuel 15:22
But Samuel replied: "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
Isaiah 1:11-14
21 "'This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves!22 For when I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices,23 but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you.
You have to ask why does God demand in Hosea 14:2 that we take words of repentance.
When we vocalize our repentance, we do more than just shout out to God, we also ask for his forgiveness. The biggest part of repentance is forgiveness. Google forgiveness and will come across study after study showing the power of forgiveness. These studies show that the inability to forgive can be linked to sickness, depression, and even suicide.
San Diego Tribune Article on Forgiveness
Stanford Study on Forgiveness
A whole bunch of studies
What is crazy is that each of these studies state that if we forgive, if we vocalize our forgiveness to ourselves and those whom we have wronged. Then things can change. What amazes me is that these studies show exactly what the bible talked about well over 2,700 years ago in Hosea and throughout the bible. Perhaps one could say that today's top psychologist are just a little behind the curve.
Forgiveness of sin. This is such an important concept that the early Israelis lined up at the temple, offering their unblemished sacrifices. Leviticus spells out these sacrifices in great detail. Huge effort went into these sacrifices, rivers of blood flowed into the streets; sacrifices carried out in the name of forgiveness.
The game changed when Christ stepped into the court of Pontious Pilate knowing what awaited him, knowing the price that he was going to pay. It was his blood that flowed: It flowed on the streets, it flowed down the cross. It flowed so that our sin can and will be forgiven. Christ wasn't crucified for crimes against Rome or the Jewish people, he was crucified because through that crucifixion our sins and crimes would be forgiven. What did Christ do near the moment of death, Luke 23:34 tells us that he spoke out.
Luke 23: 34
34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
All Christ ask us to do is be obedient, to take words of repentance and return to him. Words can heal, they can tear down, they can build up. Words are powerful; but how easy it is to forget, to hide behind our own pride and not speak these words. We speak hundreds of words a day. Physically it is so easy to speak, yet so hard to forgive. But speaking these words is exactly what the Bible tells us to do, its exactly what Jesus did on the cross. We are to do this because their is a true power in words. That power came with a price and our God has already paid that price. It is his blood that covers our sin and forgives. Isn't it truly amazing how awesome our God is.
Hosea 14:2 says something interesting. It says "sticks and stones my break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Actually it doesn't say that, it says something to the opposite.
Hosea 14:2
2) Take words of repentance with you and return to the Lord. Say to Him: "Forgive all our sin and accepts what is good, so that we may repay You with praise from our lips".
Hosea is to me saying something I've known since I was 9 and I was sitting in tears on the playground crying because the older kids were calling me names. There is power in words. Words can tear apart a marriage, tear apart a family, tear apart a country. Words can also have the opposite effect. I remember my wife telling me we were going to have a child. I remember the first time I told her I loved her. If words weren't important than why would political candidates, candy bars, car dealers and almost everyone with something to sell spend millions trying to pound catch phrases into our brain. The reason they do this is because words are important.
Hosea 14:2 tells us to "Take words of repentance with you and return to the Lord". The Bible is telling us to "Take words". Anyone who has ever read through the first books of Leviticus has read about sacrifice and offerings: Burnt offering, Grain offering, Sin offering, Quilt offering, Fellowship offering. Each of these early books of Leviticus are very delightful, very detailed reading; the stuff you want to snuggle up next to on a cold winters night. (NOT) The question being why would God spell out in detail these long list of sacrifice; when in Hosea he would say we are to bring "words of repentance". The reason Hosea spells this out is because Words have power.
Why is it so important that we bring words, doesn't God know everything we have done, there are no secrets with an all knowing God. If he knows then why can't we just think it; why do we have to say it. Vocalizing, or bringing to life the words of our repentance is important, important to God and important to us. When we vocally repent, we physically do something. It's not just a mere thought, it is an action. It is by this action that we show obedience and obedience is what God wants.
1 Samuel 15:22
But Samuel replied: "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
Isaiah 1:11-14
21 "'This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go ahead, add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves!22 For when I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices,23 but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you.
You have to ask why does God demand in Hosea 14:2 that we take words of repentance.
When we vocalize our repentance, we do more than just shout out to God, we also ask for his forgiveness. The biggest part of repentance is forgiveness. Google forgiveness and will come across study after study showing the power of forgiveness. These studies show that the inability to forgive can be linked to sickness, depression, and even suicide.
San Diego Tribune Article on Forgiveness
Stanford Study on Forgiveness
A whole bunch of studies
What is crazy is that each of these studies state that if we forgive, if we vocalize our forgiveness to ourselves and those whom we have wronged. Then things can change. What amazes me is that these studies show exactly what the bible talked about well over 2,700 years ago in Hosea and throughout the bible. Perhaps one could say that today's top psychologist are just a little behind the curve.
Forgiveness of sin. This is such an important concept that the early Israelis lined up at the temple, offering their unblemished sacrifices. Leviticus spells out these sacrifices in great detail. Huge effort went into these sacrifices, rivers of blood flowed into the streets; sacrifices carried out in the name of forgiveness.
The game changed when Christ stepped into the court of Pontious Pilate knowing what awaited him, knowing the price that he was going to pay. It was his blood that flowed: It flowed on the streets, it flowed down the cross. It flowed so that our sin can and will be forgiven. Christ wasn't crucified for crimes against Rome or the Jewish people, he was crucified because through that crucifixion our sins and crimes would be forgiven. What did Christ do near the moment of death, Luke 23:34 tells us that he spoke out.
Luke 23: 34
34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
All Christ ask us to do is be obedient, to take words of repentance and return to him. Words can heal, they can tear down, they can build up. Words are powerful; but how easy it is to forget, to hide behind our own pride and not speak these words. We speak hundreds of words a day. Physically it is so easy to speak, yet so hard to forgive. But speaking these words is exactly what the Bible tells us to do, its exactly what Jesus did on the cross. We are to do this because their is a true power in words. That power came with a price and our God has already paid that price. It is his blood that covers our sin and forgives. Isn't it truly amazing how awesome our God is.
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