People Are Watching

“People with integrity walk safely,
    but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall.”  Proverbs 10:9

Reuben Gonzales was in the final match of a pro racquetball tournament. In the 4th and final game, at match point, Gonzales made a super kill shot into the front wall to win the game. The referee called it good. Two linesman affirmed that the shot was in. But Gonzales, after a moments hesitation, turned around, shook his opponents hand, and declared that his shot had hit the floor first. As a result, he lost the match and walked off the court. Everybody was stunned. They couldn't believe that a player with everything officially in his favor, with victory at hand, disqualified himself at match point and lost!
When asked why he did it, Reuben said, "It was the only thing that I could do to maintain my integrity. I could always win another match, but I could never regain my lost integrity."

One of the most precious things we possess is our reputation.  Our good name.   It takes a lifetime to build it up... but just one poor choice to ruin it.  Most of us have daily opportunities to do one or the other... We either show the world that we have genuine Christ-like character or compromise our values and prove otherwise.  

Think about your last five major decisions... were they God-honoring?  Aligned with scripture?  Honest?  

...or did they damage your name (and the name of Jesus)?

You can always make more money, play another game, seize another opportunity, or take another chance.   You can’t easily rebuild your reputation once you’ve damaged it.  Today you will be faced with choices... opportunities to shine or shame... which will you choose?   If you are a Christ-follower, remember that people are watching what you do when you have the opportunity to be dishonest.  Stand tall... focus on Christ... and take the high road.  God will bless you for your integrity and the world will learn from your example.  

A Faithful Father

In 1989, a terrible earthquake almost flattened Armenia. It killed over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. One father rushed to his son's school and found the building flat as a pancake. Standing there in tears, he remembered a promise he had made to his son, "No matter what, I'll always be there for you!"  It looked absolutely hopeless, but the dad went to the back right corner and started digging in the pile of rubble. The other grieving parents tried to pull him off, saying, "It's too late! They're dead!”  But he just kept digging for his son stone by stone. He dug for 8 hours, then 12, 24, 36 hours without stopping. Finally in the 38th hour, as he pulled back a boulder, he heard his son's voice. He screamed his son's name, "ARMAND!" And a voice answered him, "Dad? It's me Dad!" 

Then the boy added these priceless words, "I told the other kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive, you'd save me and when you saved me, they'd be saved." He remembered his Father's promise: "No matter what, I'll always be there for you!"

Fourteen children were saved that day because one father was faithful. 

But how much more faithful is our heavenly Father! 

You too may feel abandoned... buried... lost...without hope... Never give up hope that your Father will come looking for you.  I love the quote in the passage above, “No matter what, I’ll always be there for you!”  

God says that same thing to you today:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Deuteronomy 31:6

God will never give up on you.  

His love is never ending.

His power is unmatched.

He is dedicated to your growth.  

He will allow challenging things to happen in your life to build your faith.  You may feel like the world is falling down all around you... but rest assured... He will turn over every stone until you see the light again.  Then as you rise from the rubble of what the world was trying to bury you with, He will be there to embrace you and remind you that you are His.   You are protected.  You are precious.

God is a faithful God.  He will never let you go.  

Thank Him today for His faithfulness.

Name Above All Names

“Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor 

      and gave him the name above all other names, 

 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, 

      in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 

 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, 

      to the glory of God the Father.”

Philippians 2:9-11

There is a place that was never designed for human inhabitants... where there is no joy... no light... and no friends.  It’s name?  Gehenna.  Hell.   What’s there?  Separation of Creator from creation... A division between humanity and hope... an eternity where all is lost forever. 

If you are reading this post today... there’s still hope.  And that hope has a name.  Look at today’s passage.  Paul tells us that God called His Son Jesus... “name above all other names” and that when we hear it... “every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”   Scripture tells us in Romans 10 that all who call out this Name and believe that He is Lord will be spared the eternal separation and pain of hell.  When we call out and confess Jesus Christ as Lord... name above all names... we are saved forever.

What does eternity look like for you?  Take some time to think about that.  We have a lot riding on what side we take.   I urge you to investigate the claims of Jesus... and it is my prayer that one day you might confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and spend eternity with Him.  

It’s the best and most important decision you will ever make.

Everything You Need

     During Superbowl XXXVII, FedEx ran a commercial that spoofed the movie Castaway, in which Tom Hanks played a FedEx worker whose company plane went down, stranding him on a desert island for years. Looking like the bedraggled Hanks in the movie, the FedEx employee in the commercial goes up to the door of a suburban home, package in hand. When the lady comes to the door, he explains that he survived five years on a deserted island, and during that whole time he kept this package in order to deliver it to her. She gives a simple, "Thank you."  But he is curious about what is in the package that he has been protecting for years. He says, "If I may ask, what was in that package after all?" She opens it and shows him the contents, saying, "Oh, nothing really. Just a satellite telephone, a global positioning device, a compass, a water purifier, and some seeds."

He had everything he needed at his fingertips...  He just never opened it up.

Life-changing tools sitting dormant...unused... ineffective.

Some of us find ourselves in the same position.  We feel stranded...alone... hopeless... and desperately searching for rescue.  We stare at the sky and wring our hands in worry.  Days pass and we wonder if anyone will ever come to our aid.  And at our fingertips... there sits a Bible.  God’s love letter to us... unopened, unread, and underutilized.  

The answer to every life challenge is contained within the covers of the Book... yet many never go to it.  Instead we sit and just hope things work out... that rescue will just happen... that the problems we find ourselves in will just float away.  We put our cares on a slip of paper, put them in a bottle, and throw them out to sea... hoping they will miraculously drift to where they need to go.  God wants better for us.  He gave us His Word for a reason.... to assure us that life isn’t built on random luck or on the possibility that the tides will change and everything will just fall into place.  God is intentional... and the Bible was given to us for a specific purpose (as seen here in 2 Timothy 3).

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”  2 Timothy 3:16

We are to learn from God’s word... internalize the truths and wisdom contained inside it....and live out what God tells us to do on a daily basis.  And when we do... when we choose to spend daily time reading it... we receive God’s blessing, priorities re-align, understanding grows, we get stronger, and life begins to have greater meaning.   

We move from just surviving to thriving.   From treading water to standing on solid rock.  

All because we read and apply the most wonderful Book ever written.  

If you find yourself struggling to get into the Word... I want to encourage you to start today.  Carve out some time, choose a book (John, Romans, Acts, James... so many good starting places), and dig in.  Read until God tells you something... Something that makes you stop and think.  Meditate on that scripture.  Memorize it.  Write it down somewhere where you can see it.   

And tomorrow morning when you wake up... repeat the process.  Before long, you’ll have clarity and wisdom like you never thought you’d have... fewer questions about God’s heart... and a better appreciation for Christ’s love and sacrifice on our behalf.  

The Engineer

I heard a story about a train traveling through the night in a very violent rainstorm. The lightning flashes were almost blinding, the rain hitting the windows was deafening and the strong gust winds rocked the train from side to side. When the lightening flashed and lighted up the darkness, the passengers could see the rising water along the tracks. This created terror in the minds of the passengers. Several passengers noted that through all the noise, lightening and wind, one of the passengers, a little girl, seemed to be at perfect peace...

Nobody understood the reaction of that little girl.  

When the storms hit your life... if you don’t panic, they won’t understand you either.  After all... aren’t we supposed to shake our fists at God...wondering where He is or why He hasn’t done something to improve our situation?  Aren’t we supposed to be scared of the lightning... cover our ears when it thunders... or run from the rising waters?  Aren’t we supposed to be terrified of what may happen?

Supposed to?  No.  Do we do it anyway?  Sometimes.

If you’re a Christian, when your life gets rocked... does your reaction look any different than those that don’t know Christ?  Fear. Panic. Worry. Doubt. Darkness. Hopeless. Helpless. Maybe God isn’t enough.  Maybe I can’t do it.  Maybe I’ve put my faith in God when it should have been faith in myself.  The devil will convince you that this is normal.  He’ll tell you that everybody falls apart when things come unglued.  After all, if God were even paying attention, He would have prevented the storm...right?  

Let’s keep reading the story...

 The adult passengers couldn’t figure out why the little girl was so calm during all this excitement. Finally, one passenger asked her, “How is that you can be so calm when all the rest of us are so worried about what might or could happen?” The little passenger smiled and said, “My father is the engineer.”

Her Father is the Engineer...and she wasn’t talking about the guy in the front car.   It wasn’t the guy shoveling coal into the engine... or the one pulling the whistle at the intersections.  Her Father created those guys.  And He died so that they could live eternally.  Your Heavenly Father runs things too. 

He knows the track ahead and He knows what you’ve already passed.  He knows how fast to go and the perfect time to get where you are going.  He knows when it’s time to put on the brakes and when it’s time to stop entirely. 

He has been down the tracks before...and He reminds us of it in His Word (emphasis mine):  

“But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,

    whose hope is in the Lord their God.

 He made heaven and earth,

    the sea, and everything in them.

    He keeps every promise forever.”  Psalm 146:5-6

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."  John 16:33

God has been there.  Felt it.  Seen it.  Been hurt by it.  Understands it.  Is not surprised by it.  Cares about it.  And has overcome it.  

If you are a Christian, the One who drives the train of your life cannot be derailed, defeated, or destroyed.   He’ll never be surprised by circumstances or overwhelmed by the odds.  Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed the flesh He was bridled with so that you could live boldly... unafraid of the temporary and rejoicing in the eternal.  You were meant to see the world’s typical reaction to the unknown and refuse to blend in with those that have no faith.   No, you don’t have to quake and worry.... and just like that little girl, you know one VERY important fact that some others don’t:

Storms will come, but your Dad is the engineer.  

You are in good hands.  

Strong, loving, pierced hands.

Courageous

This is what the LORD says: 

   “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, 

      who rely on human strength 

      and turn their hearts away from the LORD. 

  They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, 

      with no hope for the future. 

   They will live in the barren wilderness, 

      in an uninhabited salty land.

 blessed are those who trust in the LORD
      and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.
  They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
      with roots that reach deep into the water.
   Such trees are not bothered by the heat
      or worried by long months of drought.
   Their leaves stay green,
      and they never stop producing fruit.”  Jeremiah 17: 5-8

    In his book, Who Are You (When No One’s Looking), Pastor/leader Bill Hybels writes:

“Every single day we make choices that show whether we are courageous or cowardly. We choose between the right thing and the convenient thing, sticking to a conviction or caving in for the sake of comfort, greed or approval. We choose either to take a carefully thought-out risk or to crawl into a shrinking shell of safety, security and inactivity. We choose either to believe in God and trust him, even when we do not always understand his ways, or to second-guess him and cower in the corners of doubt and fear.”

Courageous or cowardly.   Convicted or caving.  Risk-taker or excuse maker.  

Do we trust God or does doubt run our lives?

Today’s verse looks at both types of people.  Two groups...both loved by God...but with decidedly different paths and outcomes.  The first, those who rely on people (or their own strength), are compared to a shrub in the desert.  Tumbleweed.  Dry...no destination...no hope.   Why?  Because people shift... their wisdom is finite...their loyalty seems ironclad but can rust away.   Even our closest most Godly friends are limited by the flesh they wear.  Can we trust them with a secret?  Sure.  Can we trust them to do what God can in our lives.  Impossible.   In fact, look at the first part of the passage... God says in His word that we are cursed when we put all of our trust in the creation rather than the Creator.  People are great but God is infinitely greater.  

So where should we place our trust?  Our hope?  Our confidence?  

“blessed are those who trust in the LORD
      and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.”

God is worthy of our trust.  Our faith in Him as we make decisions is vital in our effort to reaching our God potential.  He promises in today’s passage that if we trust and lean on Him, we will bear fruit... that no matter what happens... drought, loss, challenge, circumstance, sickness, pain, fear, separation, agony, confusion, arguments, or hurt... we will still bear fruit.  We will still shine in His light.  We will still overcome.  We will still be champions. 

We will still be His.  

No matter what.  

And we can still change the world for Christ... in spite of our circumstances.  The storms might be blowing, but, in Him, your roots go deep.  You are planted in the living water.  You are mightier than you think you are.  You are God’s child.  

This morning, when you turned off the alarm clock...God whispered something to you.  Most of us don’t hear it because our minds immediately start tracking the to-do list or checking our Twitter feed.  He does it every morning... and if you listen for it, I guarantee you’ll start to hear it.  It’s the same three short phrases.  Every single day your lungs take in air... God says to you:

I love you.

Let Me handle today.

You can trust Me. 

We CAN trust Him... in spite of circumstances and because of His greatness... we can bear fruit.

Three Truths

1)  Feeling Weak?

Philippians 4:13 “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

Everything.  All things.  Every single thing.  There is nothing coming your way today that God can't get you through.  Feeling sapped of your strength?  That's actually good... because it means that you'll need God's.  And He has plenty.


2)  Feeling Afraid?

Psalm 27:1  “The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
    so why should I tremble?”

Feeling scared today?  Why?  What is coming... you'll be ready for.  When you need God... He'll be there.  Who you're worried about... God is already working in their heart.  Don't let the stress of what might happen rob you of the victories that are already here.  Live in the moment and not the maybe.


3)  Feeling Alone?

Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

You can't outrun Him.  You can't push Him away...even though you may think you can by what you said, felt, or thought.  He is a faithful companion...a loving Father...and a trustworthy Friend.  God loves you more than you'll ever know... and it's because of that love that He promises to stand by your side forever.  You aren't alone. Ever.


When the enemy tries to make you feel weak, afraid, or alone... claim these truths from scripture.  They are yours.  Keep them close to your heart.  And when you need them, claim them.  And then tell God how much you appreciate His neverending love for you.

Know that you are in my thoughts and prayers... Pastor Troy