“You Have Chosen Poorly”

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I am a big fan of the Indiana Jones movies. Once in a while, since I was his only son, (with two sisters) my dad would take me out with him to see a “boy” movie – a tradition I continued with my own son when he was little and now with my son-in-laws as well!

There is a scene in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” where Jones and the “villain” need to choose the cup Christ drank from in order to receive eternal life. The villain (since he had the gun) chooses first, and picks a beautiful silver cup and, of course, not really knowing who Christ was, drinks from the cup stating, “this cup is certainly the cup of a king” (or something to that affect). His outcome of course was not a good one after he drinks the water. I’ll save you from the gory details of his demise. I DO, however love the comment of the guardian when he observes what unfolds and simply states, “He chose poorly”. Jones on the other hand knowing history and of Christ, knows Christ was a carpenter and picks the simple wooden cup to drink from. The guardian of the cups response to his choice was, “You have chosen wisely”.

Life is full of SO many choices. Some as simple as what to have for breakfast and some difficult because of their possible lifelong effects (college choice, vocation, whether to marry and who to marry…).

However, there is one more choice which greatly affects THIS life AND the life after death! We can choose not to believe in Christ and serve ourselves OR we can choose to accept him as our savior and allow him to direct us all the way into and throughout eternity. According to scripture, one road is more difficult and less traveled and there is no road in between:
Matthew 6:24 says:
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”  Then Matthew 7: 13 and 14 says:
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

This poem by Cooper Abrams (who revised this version of the Robert Frost poem) “The Road Not Taken” says it all:
Two roads diverged in a forest glen, and I wondered which I should take,
And long I stood and pondered, looking
down each road as far as I could,
to see what choice I should make.
I looked for direction to made my choice.
One was well traveled, broad and wide,
and looked easy as it crooked through the glen. 
The other was strait, narrow and clearly less worn.
Which road, I contemplated, would I have the better end.
Then there appeared a Man with a book in his hand,
It pages He knew so well, He sternly spoke and with authority said,
”This book the end of both roads will show.
It says the wide road will take you to dark depths,
to a place you do not wish to go.”
He then smiled said don’t look so grim, 
I prepared the narrow way for you take, 
where you never go alone,
For this strait road is the only way, 
and I will go with you and take you home. 
It was years ago I stood at that the fork in the road,
and the Man’s sound counsel I took. 
The road was as he said, 
and the end as stated in the book.
Two roads diverged in a forest glen, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
I let the Savior lead me by His word,
And that has made all the difference.”

In college, I came across a “Daily Bread” devotional that was titled, “Two Roads to Choose”. It stated that we had just one life to live and two choices of how to live it: serving ourselves, or serving Christ. I made the decision that morning while reading that devotional that the choice for Rich Rose was to serve Christ wholeheartedly -thus my life’s verse of Col: 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” It was a choice I do not regret and is what God desires for each of his children!

Consider what choice you have made. It’s not too late to give your life fully to Him and let your creator fulfill his purpose in you for this life AND forever! When you finally meet Christ, will he say, “you chose poorly”, or you chose wisely”. Take a lesson from Indiana Jones and chose the simple wood cup of a carpenter…

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“Uniquity”

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“For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

 For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.  If they were all one member, where would the body be?  But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations,various kinds of tongues. All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healing, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? But earnestly desire the greater gifts.
And I show you a still more excellent way.” ~ 1 Corinthians 12: 12-27

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As the HS chapel leader years ago at Norfolk Christian, I started off
the chapel season one year creating this “sniglet” (a combination of
two words with a meaning utilizing both words) to create the word
“uniquity”. I always liked making up sniglets (and still do) when a
normal word just doesn’t make it like “slibble” – a slip/dribble – the
process of stepping on a soccer ball while dribbling but wiping out
and falling on your back!). As you can guess, uniquity is a combination of being unique and unity. This was my hope for the HSstudent body that year. My desire (as was all the HS teaching staff) was to see each student continue to be the uniquely created individual
that God made them to be; and to see them utilize those gifts and
talents in the HS community to strengthen the body and do their part
to make it stronger, function better AND be, of course, unified as a
child of God AND loving and accepting of each other’s differences.

This word could be used for all Christians whether referring to their relationship with the body of believers, their function in the church or even in their own family. In this chapter,
Paul says that, just like the different parts of the human body,
whether the brain, heart, eye or the seemingly most insignificant
part, ALL the parts are important to the proper function of the body.

This illustration is symbolic of body of Christ. All members are
important, bring a special gift to the group, AND should appreciate,
acknowledge, accept and encourage those gifts, talents, personality
traits  and skills those in the body bring!

These verses were always part of the first devotions I would have
with my soccer teams at our preseason tournaments leading into our
first games: “So that there should be no division in the body, but
that it’s parts should have equal concern for one another. If one part
suffers, every part suffers with it,  if one part is honored, every
part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ and each of you
is a part of it.” I Cor. 12: 25-27.

Know what your “part” is in the body of Christ, do all you can to
utilize it to build up the body, and appreciate and encourage what
each member of the body of Christ contributes!!

Pushing Through

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“But I trust in Your unfailing love. My heart rejoices in Your deliverance. I will sing the LORD’s praise, for He has been good to me.” Psalm 13:6

Psalm 13 shows us what to do when we find ourselves asking tough questions like this:

* How long will You forget me? (v1)

* How long will You hide from me? (v1)

* How long must I wrestle with my thoughts? (v2)

* How long must my heart sorrow? (v2)

* How long will my enemies triumph over me? (v2)

All these questions make me think that maybe Psalm 13 was written by an athlete or coach going through a tough season, rough injury, personal performance slump, real loneliness, broken relationship, or a long losing streak. And it’s written to an audience that will likely feel the very same way.

BUT Psalm 13 ends with a great 3-Point Play. Let’s take a look at what’s declared to help us push through:

* LOOK BACK AT WINS. One of the best ways to get through a tough stretch in life is to take a good look back. Note a salvation seen in the past, a deliverance experienced, a victory won. Resurrect the win to trust that it will happen again. He has been good. (v5)

* LOOK UP FOR POWER. Make sure there is a strong, real object to your faith and hope – the LORD. Only empowered ones truly push through. In His unfailing love, God delivers. (v6)

* SING OUT IN PRAISE. A last great way to push through is to find a good praise song and start singing it. Sing out about who’s been good to you. Sing in praise. Let the praise build the expectancy to push through again. (v6)

Pushing through,

Coach Mo

The Way God Wins

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“And you, who were dead in your trespasses…., God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in (Jesus).” Colossians 2:13–15 ESV

When God wins, He wins big time! We’re not talking an overtime, squeak-it-out victory. And we’re not talking about a soccer game where there’s a shootout win because one ball dribbles in, but otherwise it would have been a tie. God doesn’t operate like that. When He wins a battle, His victory is decisive.

As God was pouring out His wrath on His Son, we were there in His mind. From each painful step to Calvary, to His last breath on the cross, Jesus was taking on the ultimate battle—“the rulers and authorities” who were waving “the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.”

Satan had an open-and-shut case against us. Left to ourselves, we were toast. But Colossians 2:15 declares that when Jesus won the victory on the cross, “He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (NKJV). When it came to settling our eternal destiny, God wasn’t offering an obligatory “good game.” He was triumphing over the principalities and powers, including the enemy himself: “You lost! Just like I told you!” That’s the way God wins.

Further, after what looked like a devastating defeat by the enemy, came the ultimate triumph: “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay” (Matthew 28:6). Neither death nor the grave nor Satan’s plans stood a chance against the risen Savior!

Today, Jesus lives to further His victory through the lives of His followers. In fact, “we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). In Christ, we aren’t just conquerors, we’re super conquerors—because God doesn’t just win, He crushes the enemy (Romans 16:20). That’s why we don’t want to take on this battle ourselves. It is the reason the transaction at the cross was entirely out of our hands.

Jesus took on our debt, our sin, our (broken) condition, and defeated the condemning, eternal hold these things can have on us. Because of His death and resurrection, all who trust in Him for salvation are granted a place in the conquering band that will rejoice in His victory forever!
(All the above from James McDonald)

Pushbacks:
* Consider your personal battles in light of this truth.
* Express your heart to the Lord, pouring out your adoration, for an ultimate reason to celebrate.

LORD, when You win, You win big-time! That’s what makes this Friday so good and me so richly blessed. Thank you for becoming my complete sin-bearer, my only righteousness, my matchless defender, my true victor and coming King. You are the best, worthy of my lifetime devotion.

GOOD Friday to you!!!
Coach Mo

Wise in the Eyes

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“Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There’s more hope for a fool than for him.” Proverbs 26:12

Of all the things I’d love to be declared good at, here’s one thing I definitely don’t… being found wise in my own eyes. To be wise in my own eyes means conceit has taken up obvious, real residence in me. Others can see it, feel it, and are left at least silently uncomfortable in my presence. And it will pose a real roadblock to all my future growth, like the most effective stumbling block ever. It will dam up everything good that wants to flow on, offering up more hope for a fool than for me.

If I want more hope for whatever I hope to be or do, I must be careful to avoid conceit…being found wise in my own eyes. I must let God and others tell me what’s good and wise that they see in me and not let myself do all the work here. Only humility and obedience kills conceit and allows us to continue to grow, giving us hope to become all we were meant to be.

You see things the same way? What’s your conceit index reading? Too wise in the eyes?  Kill conceit. Get more hope than a fool.

LORD, fix our eyes. Take away self-conceit and any of the blindness it truly causes. Grant us way more hope than a fool could ever hope for because we’re learning to kill conceit on a daily basis. Help us to wisen our eyes like the Lord Jesus, to see everything like Him, and depend upon Your Holy Spirit to empower us to live conceit-free.

Nothing detrimental.
Bring honor to Christ.
Hoping in Him.
Coach Mo

Campfires

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Do you love campfires? …and fires in fire bowls, fire pits and fire
places? I think we all do: roasting marshmallows, having “smores”,
hanging out with friends or family and watching the flames provide a
brilliant light in a dark area. But for most of us, it’s the warmth
that the fire gives that we love the most! When you’re close to the
fire, the warmth on a cool evening surrounds you and is a wonderful
feeling. But having the seat two rows back from the campfire or
walking away from the fire and you are back in the coldness. Our walk
with God is similar. HE is like the campfire and when close to him, we
feel that warmth.

However often times we feel extremely cold – away from the fire. We
also know that if we’re too close to the fire, it’s possible We could
catch on fire!! This is not a good thing in reality, but in the
spiritual realm, I would suggest that’s how it should be! We, then
become mini-campfires ourselves. Some of you reading this may have
never experienced what being close to the campfire (God) feels like.
Maybe you don’t know him and have never had that feeling. If not, the
solution is as simple as lighting the wood with a match! First, admit
that there IS a God who created you, secondly understand that their
are no perfect people (Romans 3:10, “There are none righteous, no not
one.”) and that you too are a sinner. Then ask Jesus into and to take
control of your life (Rev 3: 20, Behold I stand at the door and knock,
if any man hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into
him”…) and then allow Him and trust him to direct your life, have
fellowship with him and start your journey on the path of he intended
for you with your personal campfire now lit. Then feed and stoke that
campfire to grow by: reading the Bible and a good applicable
devotional, hanging out with other believers, praying regularly
(prayer lists or journals are helpful) and serve God and others in
your church and community.

If you have accepted Christ but you feel cold and away from the “fire”
and your personal campfire is barely smoldering, then James 4: 8 has
an answer for you: “Come close to God and he will come close to you.”
Nothing really profound there. God has not moved. He is waiting for
you to reach out to HIM. Take the steps mentioned before on how to
stoke the fire and feel that warmth again in having that CLOSE
relationship to HIM. Like improving in anything in life, it takes
consistent work and practice to become good at it. Don’t let Satan
discourage you if you have failed before. You will fail at times again
but each time you do, pursue Christ with more vigor and your efforts
will make you stronger and closer to Him on a more consistent basis!

Pray each day that you will stay close to God and make that
relationship to Him a priority so that your OWN campfire can grow,
spread and provide a light in this dark world.

Upon Entering a Locker Room

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“I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.” Romans 15:30

Locker rooms are where the interior of a team is built and developed. Locker rooms are where goals are defined and measured, and the struggle comes out.

Yesterday I had the special privilege of entering a legendary locker room immediately after a convincing victory. Some profound, stirring things took place there. Amazing really.

When you enter a locker room, the presence of a group or team, what do you bring? Scripture here points to five wonderful things in this simple verse:

1. URGENCY – Urge other men. Don’t let them drift. Don’t leave them alone…on an inactive roster. Charge and connect. It’s God’s game plan. Have an urgency to include others.

2. MOTIVATION – Jesus drives men to great attitude and action like no other. Let Him drive you. Be confident this will infect others too. Make Him your first motivation, first audience. Let all other motivations flow from there. Audience of One. Point men here.

3. PASSION – Learn to love the Spirit of God. Be passionate for Him. Let His passions become yours. Let His love infuse you. Let Him define and stir up all the proper passions in you. Buddy up with Him through life, for life.

4. GOOD RECRUITING – Invite others into your foxhole, your struggle. And freely join other men’s foxholes too. There’s power for the journey and greater joy in the journey when men are joined in the journey.

5. GODWARD EXPRESSION – Invite another man’s prayers. Pray for him too. Pray together, man on man. Give great expression to all this. Perhaps the greatest way we can join in manly struggle is to take each other to the Throne of God in prayer.

Pushbacks

* Carrying a good sense of urgency about things right now?

* Making Jesus your highest motivation? Audience of One in place in your life?

* Loving the Spirit of God’s role in your life? Buddying up with Him?

* Asking others to join in your struggle? Joining in their’s?

* Taking men freely to the throne of God in prayer? Who? Inviting them to take you?

LORD, may I operate faithfully according to Romans 15:30. Help me bring urgency, motivation, passion, good recruiting, and godly expression to every locker room I’m in…for Your glory and my joy in You. Amen.

Maximum effort.

Heart for others.

Glory to God.

Coach Mo

Only Two Things Deliver

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“Humility and the fear of the LORD bring wealth and honor and life.” Proverbs 22:4

What things do you always carry with you? My stock answer has always been: my Bible, my ball, and my best playing shoes. 😉 Today’s text introduces two more ‘must adds’. They’re so simple but crucial. They’re small but they don’t always fit so easily. In fact, some think they won’t fit, don’t fit, can’t fit, so they often stay left behind. But without them God says it’s about impossible to experience what we really hope for in life.

God says that there are just two things that bring the big things we all look for: wealth, honor and life. Only one pair can deliver this trifecta. Nothing else can…for very long.

What brings real wealth, honor, and life is humility and the fear of the LORD. Humility keeps our powerful urges for control, approval and comfort from taking over and messing things up. Humility helps us trust the process, trust God. Then ‘Fear of the LORD’ brings us to where our needs for control, approval and comfort are best met. Without humility and the fear of the Lord our pursuit of wealth, honor and life can never bring us the control, approval and comfort we really long for. Only two things, humility and the fear of the Lord can.

LORD, make it very clear to us that the only real, sustainable way to wealth, honor and life is found through humility and the fear of the Lord. Don’t let us look for it any other way. Only two things deliver.

Be strong.
Stand for truth.
Live for eternity.
Coach Mo

Bonus Coverage: 5 extending footnotes
that define this verse’s 5 terms:
• WEALTH brings power and control. Thats why we want it. That’s the endgame. True wealth brings freedom from control and freedom to control. True wealth never brings slavery. Wealth = Control
• HONOR signals approval, recognition, the feeling of accomplishment we get when others believe we’re great, have value or make a real difference. Audience matters. ‘Audience of One’ matters more. Honor = Approval
• LIFE seeks satisfaction, a sense of contentment and fulfillment that a life well lived brings. Life = Satisfaction
• HUMILITY brings a correct view of self. It’s not thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less. Gotta have this to live on well. Humility = Seeing Self Straight
• FEAR OF THE LORD’ simply means a proper view of God, seeing God for who He really is. Fear of the LORD = Seeing God Straight

The Bookends

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“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ… The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” 2 Thessalonians 1:2; 3:18

Let’s talk about winning streaks! When you or your team get on a roll and establish a great winning streak, the first and last wins become the big bookends, usually the most memorable and notable in the string. Can you think of a great personal winning streak…and those bookend games that housed and defined the streak?

Uniquely, The Bible points to 2 words that open 13 straight of its books and 16 of the last 21. Those streaking words are ‘grace’ and ‘peace’. And equally harmonic and powerful, for each of those last 21 books of the Bible, either ‘grace’ or ‘peace’ also becomes the last word or thought mentioned 17 of 21 times (including 14 books in a row). Thus, the Bible bookends so much of its powerful messages around these two words.

The sheer weight of these opening and closing repetitions should command our attention too. Perhaps this is the way we should open and close our conversations also, so that no matter what else is said in between, grace and peace will consistently enter our conversations and close them too.

Do you talk like this? Do you approach others, depositing these kinds of messages, making people feel God’s grace and peace with you? Of all the things you wish for others, is this the pair you package and deliver? Get on a good winning streak of grace and peace in your life…and get others on that streak with you.

LORD, of all the things I talk about each day, help me to speak grace and peace. Help me to experience your grace and peace and then bring it to others. Let me get on a roll and help others to win because they stand tall and confident, bookended by Your grace and peace, too.

Grace and peace to you!!
Coach Mo

The Five Fingers of Prayer

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I came across this little, fun way to pray many, many years ago that I always thought was a pretty good idea and a terrific way to remember not only who or what to pray for…but HOW to pray.

This is beautiful – and it is surely worth making the 5 finger prayer a part of our lives!

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1.Your thumb is nearest you.

So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you.

They are the easiest to remember.

To pray for our loved ones is,

as C. S. Lewis once said, a “sweet duty.”

2. The next finger is the pointing finger.

Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal.

This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers.

They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction.

Keep them in your prayers.

3. The next finger is the tallest finger.

It reminds us of our leaders.

Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators.

These people shape our nation and guide public opinion.

They need God’s guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger.

Surprising to many is the fact that is our weakest finger,

as any piano teacher will testify.

It should remind us to pray for those who are weak,

trouble or in pain.

They need prayers day and night.

You cannot pray too much for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger

– the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves

in relation to God and others.

As the Bible says, “The least shall be the greatest among you.”

Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself.

By the time you have prayed for the other four groups,

your own needs will be put into proper perspective

and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.