Just the other day while I was watching one of the Thanksgiving Day Football games I saw a commercial that took me back to my childhood. It must not have been a very good commercial because I have no idea what product was being advertised, but it did get my attention. What grabbed my attention was the video of someone playing an old school vibrating football game. If you know what I’m talking about that means at least one thing about you is true, you are old. For those who do not know what I’m talking about this game was pretty simple in design. You have two teams of football guys which you would stand up on a small table top box that had a small football field painted on it. Once you had both teams lined up you simply turned on the switch and the box started vibrating which caused the little men on the table to move around. You had no way of controlling what the men did or where they went and most of the time all the players would just fall over. Now as lame as that sounds it was pretty cool at the time, but it was not football.
As time has gone on there have been other “football” type games ranging from black & white images moving around on the monitor to hand-held games and then the Nintendo 64 came out and that was a huge upgrade to the idea of playing an electronic version of football on a computer. The games they have out now with the PS3 and the Xbox are truly amazing. As good as the games are today they still have something in common with the old school vibrating football game…. It’s not really football.
Football is played with real people on a field with a real ball that is moved up and down the field in an attempt to score points. People get hit and occasionally hurt. It is a tough game. You can say the same thing about any of the electronic games. That does not make the electronic games any less fun or exciting to play. Those games do have their own value and place in entertainment, but they are not same as playing the real game.
Playing an electronic football game does not make you a football player. Reading about football does not mean you are a football player. Watching football and learning all the stats about football and those who play the game does not make you a football player. Only those who play the game on the field with others who are playing the game are “football players”.
The same is true in the spiritual realm. Those who read the Bible and read and study about following Jesus are not necessarily Christians. Anyone can read and study about being a disciple of Jesus Christ, but only those who actually follow and actually try to live out their faith daily are truly disciples of Jesus Christ. So the questions is this, are you simply a student of Christianity or are you simply a person who is seeking to do his will and live his way each day of your life?
Christianity is not a spectators sport. It is real life, 24/7 walking with Jesus and trying to do life his way. Part of being a Christian involves reading and study of the words from God, but then those things which you have read and studied must be put into action. So get off the bench and get out there and live like you are on the winning team.
Love God. Go Love Others.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Orange Cones
Orange Traffic Cones are everywhere. As you drive around you see them being used for all kinds of reasons and functions. The city uses them to mark lane closures or detours. The police and the department of public safety use them to warn drivers that a wreck is up ahead and you should move to the next lane. Construction workers use them to mark off an area where workers are so as to keep them safe from on coming traffic. I have often thought that I could park almost anyway if I just had a orange cone to set out beside my truck. As a matter of fact I have joking told my children to not buy a parking sticker for the university, but to rather buy an orange cone and park anywhere they need to park on campus. They of course never did that, but it would have been interesting to see someone try it.
When you think about it, the orange cones in of themselves have no power or control over anyone. A car or truck can easily drive around or over or through a cone. The power of an orange cone comes when those who are driving respect and honor what the cone or cones want them to do. When drivers respect and honor the cones then the needed or wanted desire is met and traffic flows where it needs to flow in order to keep workers or other drivers safe.
Orange cones are used for other things besides traffic control. You see them at sporting events being used to mark the boundary of a playing field. Sometimes people use orange cones to mark an area that is unsafe to walk such as a hole in the ground or a crack in a sidewalk. When you think about it the orange cone has been one the important inventions of our time. They are placed in our life to help keep us out of trouble, to give a direction, to save a place, to mark something important, to keep us out of the ditch or to keep us moving in the right direction. Where would we be without those Orange Cones?
As a Christ follower you have spiritual orange cones in your life too. They come in several different forms and they have many different functions, but the reason they are in your life is the same, to keep you safe and to keep you following Jesus. Some of these spiritual cones come in the form of people. God has placed people in your life to help you in your spiritual journey. They are there to give you encouragement as well as a push in the right direction when you need it. In a real way the Word of God is full of Orange Cone passages. You know those verses in the Bible that speak to you and give you hope, understanding, guidance and encouragement. Those are there to keep you moving in a direction towards spending eternity with God. Some of those passages are commandments and some are stories that enlighten you as to the nature of God.
The other spiritual cones in your life come in the form of the events that happen each and everyday. Everything that happens in your life happens for a reason. Maybe there is a lesson in life you need to learn. Maybe God wants you to experience something today that helps prepare you for something in your life five years from now.
As you read the Bible you see God working in the lives of faithful men and women preparing them for life events that help move people and nations into a relationship with God.
So pay close attention to those orange cones. They are put there for a reason and that reason might just change the course of history for you, your family and maybe, just maybe the world.
Love God. Go Love Others.
When you think about it, the orange cones in of themselves have no power or control over anyone. A car or truck can easily drive around or over or through a cone. The power of an orange cone comes when those who are driving respect and honor what the cone or cones want them to do. When drivers respect and honor the cones then the needed or wanted desire is met and traffic flows where it needs to flow in order to keep workers or other drivers safe.
Orange cones are used for other things besides traffic control. You see them at sporting events being used to mark the boundary of a playing field. Sometimes people use orange cones to mark an area that is unsafe to walk such as a hole in the ground or a crack in a sidewalk. When you think about it the orange cone has been one the important inventions of our time. They are placed in our life to help keep us out of trouble, to give a direction, to save a place, to mark something important, to keep us out of the ditch or to keep us moving in the right direction. Where would we be without those Orange Cones?
As a Christ follower you have spiritual orange cones in your life too. They come in several different forms and they have many different functions, but the reason they are in your life is the same, to keep you safe and to keep you following Jesus. Some of these spiritual cones come in the form of people. God has placed people in your life to help you in your spiritual journey. They are there to give you encouragement as well as a push in the right direction when you need it. In a real way the Word of God is full of Orange Cone passages. You know those verses in the Bible that speak to you and give you hope, understanding, guidance and encouragement. Those are there to keep you moving in a direction towards spending eternity with God. Some of those passages are commandments and some are stories that enlighten you as to the nature of God.
The other spiritual cones in your life come in the form of the events that happen each and everyday. Everything that happens in your life happens for a reason. Maybe there is a lesson in life you need to learn. Maybe God wants you to experience something today that helps prepare you for something in your life five years from now.
As you read the Bible you see God working in the lives of faithful men and women preparing them for life events that help move people and nations into a relationship with God.
So pay close attention to those orange cones. They are put there for a reason and that reason might just change the course of history for you, your family and maybe, just maybe the world.
Love God. Go Love Others.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Late Friday
It did not take long for the word to spread throughout the Abilene Christian University student body, alumni, family and friends that a bus carrying students and faculty had over turned on a two lane high way near Paint Rock, Texas. They were on their way to Medina Children’s home to participate in a Fall Mission Trip. They were on their way to make a difference in the lives of children who were expecting another amazing weekend with the group from ACU. You see, this bus load of students was carrying on a half century tradition of students giving of their time on a weekend to make a difference in the lives of others. There is no telling how many trips have been made down that exact same highway over the years.
This trip even though it was tragic is still amazing to me. It was late Friday and the world changed forever as one student lost her life and many others were injured and taken to various hospitals. The amazing part is what happened next.
Next, the ACU family went into action and reaction. The news spread quickly. Prayers were lifted up; a student body came together and stood together during this time of tragedy. They had lost a fellow student, friend, roommate, and classmate. The love for each other was shown in so many ways during the next hours and days. Life had been changed and this event even though tragic would still make a difference in the lives of so many. When people come together in the face of tragedy amazing things always happen, but the most amazing thing came next.
Next, on the following day the parents of the students gathered on the campus. Students spent time with moms and dads as well as close friends. They came together searching for comfort, peace and understanding. What they were given was a glimpse of amazing faith, love, and forgiveness. The mother of Anabel Reid came to Abilene Christian that day not to grieve the loss of her daughter, but rather she came to make sure that the driver knew that it was alright and she did not blame him for the accident or her daughter’s death. She wanted the driver to know that her prayer for him was that he would be okay and that he would not let this event destroy his life. That my friend is amazing. In her moment of tragedy she found a way to give hope and life to someone else.
It all began late on Friday 2000 years ago. Life would be changed forever. Love would be shown to all. Forgiveness would be given to those who hammered the nails. Forgiveness would be given to those whose sins had put him on the cross. Amazing grace, endless mercy, and true forgiveness is the message of the cross. God’s son would have to die so that you and I could live. God’s wants you to know just how much he loves you and just how much he wants you to live forever with him. Now that is Amazing.
Let us make every day count and let us look for ways to make a difference in the lives of others.
Love God. Go Love Others.
This trip even though it was tragic is still amazing to me. It was late Friday and the world changed forever as one student lost her life and many others were injured and taken to various hospitals. The amazing part is what happened next.
Next, the ACU family went into action and reaction. The news spread quickly. Prayers were lifted up; a student body came together and stood together during this time of tragedy. They had lost a fellow student, friend, roommate, and classmate. The love for each other was shown in so many ways during the next hours and days. Life had been changed and this event even though tragic would still make a difference in the lives of so many. When people come together in the face of tragedy amazing things always happen, but the most amazing thing came next.
Next, on the following day the parents of the students gathered on the campus. Students spent time with moms and dads as well as close friends. They came together searching for comfort, peace and understanding. What they were given was a glimpse of amazing faith, love, and forgiveness. The mother of Anabel Reid came to Abilene Christian that day not to grieve the loss of her daughter, but rather she came to make sure that the driver knew that it was alright and she did not blame him for the accident or her daughter’s death. She wanted the driver to know that her prayer for him was that he would be okay and that he would not let this event destroy his life. That my friend is amazing. In her moment of tragedy she found a way to give hope and life to someone else.
It all began late on Friday 2000 years ago. Life would be changed forever. Love would be shown to all. Forgiveness would be given to those who hammered the nails. Forgiveness would be given to those whose sins had put him on the cross. Amazing grace, endless mercy, and true forgiveness is the message of the cross. God’s son would have to die so that you and I could live. God’s wants you to know just how much he loves you and just how much he wants you to live forever with him. Now that is Amazing.
Let us make every day count and let us look for ways to make a difference in the lives of others.
Love God. Go Love Others.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Home Field
Where does one start in an attempt to explain why the Texas Rangers failed to win the World Series? Yes, where does one begin?..... Well, not that it would have mattered, but it may have matter a little bit, let’s start with having the Home Field Advantage. As you know by now the Home Field advantage for the World Series is determined by the winner of the All Star game played each July. For those who do not know, what this means is simply this, if the National League wins the All Star Game then the winner of the NLCS will have the Home Field Advantage for the World Series. The same would be true if the American League won the All Star Game.
To my limited knowledge this may be the only place in sports where the home field is determined by people who are not playing the actual playoff game. This year (and it may just be that my Rangers were playing) it was especially weird that a team with a worse record had the home field advantage over a team with a superior record. Home Field turned out to be very important in this year’s World Series because of the need for game 7. In short, the team with home field in a game seven wins the majority of the time.
Home Field. What does it mean to have home field? Well for starters, you’re home. You have home cooking, your own bed, your family and friends and most importantly you have your fans. When you come to the ball park the people in the stands want you to win. They cheer for you. They make signs for you. They are with you with every pitch, every swing of the bat and every catch. They chant your name. They give you all the encouragement. They do all this and more while at the same time the visiting team gets nothing.
Do you know that you have a spiritual home field advantage every day? That’s right! When you go out into the world to your job, office, supermarket, mall, café or coffee shop you have a Spiritual Home Field Advantage. God has given you the Holy Spirit to walk with you every step along the way in your daily journey. You see, God knew that you and I would need help facing the challenges of our day: the impatient boss, the back stabbing co-worker, the guy in traffic that cuts you off and then gives you that hateful wave. Or maybe it’s the pressures of being a mom or dad or the pressures of the economic situation you are in at this time of your life. The list goes on and one, but the fact is that God gives you the home field advantage regardless of what is going on in your life. God gives you the power to overcome fear, temptation, grief, anger, selfishness …. You name it and the power of God is within you to overcome all things that are evil.
You are not powerless. You are a child of the King of kings. You have been chosen by God to live a powerful life in the Kingdom of the almighty God. As Paul said, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me”. Now – Play Ball!
Love God. Go Love Others.
To my limited knowledge this may be the only place in sports where the home field is determined by people who are not playing the actual playoff game. This year (and it may just be that my Rangers were playing) it was especially weird that a team with a worse record had the home field advantage over a team with a superior record. Home Field turned out to be very important in this year’s World Series because of the need for game 7. In short, the team with home field in a game seven wins the majority of the time.
Home Field. What does it mean to have home field? Well for starters, you’re home. You have home cooking, your own bed, your family and friends and most importantly you have your fans. When you come to the ball park the people in the stands want you to win. They cheer for you. They make signs for you. They are with you with every pitch, every swing of the bat and every catch. They chant your name. They give you all the encouragement. They do all this and more while at the same time the visiting team gets nothing.
Do you know that you have a spiritual home field advantage every day? That’s right! When you go out into the world to your job, office, supermarket, mall, café or coffee shop you have a Spiritual Home Field Advantage. God has given you the Holy Spirit to walk with you every step along the way in your daily journey. You see, God knew that you and I would need help facing the challenges of our day: the impatient boss, the back stabbing co-worker, the guy in traffic that cuts you off and then gives you that hateful wave. Or maybe it’s the pressures of being a mom or dad or the pressures of the economic situation you are in at this time of your life. The list goes on and one, but the fact is that God gives you the home field advantage regardless of what is going on in your life. God gives you the power to overcome fear, temptation, grief, anger, selfishness …. You name it and the power of God is within you to overcome all things that are evil.
You are not powerless. You are a child of the King of kings. You have been chosen by God to live a powerful life in the Kingdom of the almighty God. As Paul said, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me”. Now – Play Ball!
Love God. Go Love Others.
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