It Doesn’t Take Much…

Last Thursday night the Florida Gator football team won the BCS National Championship game in Miami. Tim Tebow lead his Gators to victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in a game that was filled with ups and downs for each team. It is sure to be an instant classic on ESPN Classic and the memories will be remembered for a long time in Gainesville. I am also sure that because of this game, and the other acloades that preceded it,  Tim Tebow will go down as one of the greatest players in College Football history.

While all of this is true, I would like to mention what I think is the most impressive and exciting thing about that night.

In what was sure to be one of the most watched Football games of the year it wasn’t a big play, a great tackle , or a miraculous catch that caught my eye, it was a small subtile gesture. To some it may have seemed inconsequential but as we look closer, the impact may be larger then Tim may have ever expected.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You see, Tim wrote on his eye black the words “John” and “3:16″. And on every closeup and every replay you saw Tebow’s face and along with his face you saw his eye black with John 3:16 in High Definition.

So whats the big deal?

Having the blessing of spending a little bit of time with the Tebow family during time in New York when Tim won the Hiesman a year ago, I learned the main purpose of the Tebow family is not so much winning the football game ,but more importantly, sharing the message of the Gospel to the world. It was interesting to see the fall out the next day in the various newspaper articles and blog post over the eye black and the message that was sent. Some were positive some were negative, in either case, it made some waves. In fact, It was so impactful that as I began to read other articles, some shared that it was so popular that the term “John 3:16″ was the #1 search term on Google the day of the National Championship game! At first I was skeptical but I did my research and as you can see in the following image, which is a screen shot of the top 100 searches on Google for January 8th, 2009, sure enough, “john 3 16″ is the top search.

 

It was also interesting that if you were to click on “john 3 16″ it will show you a line graph for January 8th, 2009, and the level per hour. As you can see below once the game began around 8pm EST (5pm PST) there is a short spike, then around half time which is around 10pm EST (7pm PST) there is a max peak that occurs. This is referred to in Google’s terms as Volcanic! In other words, it became exteremly popular really quick.

So what is the point to all of this. The reason I share these details to you is to show you that it really doesn’t take much. Sure Tim Tebow was playing in one of the biggest football games of his life, but he took a small moment and added a few letters to his eye black, it didnt take much. Even those small words written in silver pen on his face was enough to get thousands and thousands of people interested in what that meant. Interested enough to search it out on Google. What did they find?

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For most Christians, this is well known and understood but for others it may have been the first time they read this verse.
Perhaps it may have been the first time they read that there is a God that loves them, a God that gave, in order that we may have eternal life. They may have read further in the next verse to see that God did not come into this world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved!

It may be the first time they have heard the Gospel and you know what, it really didn’t take much. Remember in our own lives, as we speak with others and serve others, that it doesn’t take much.  The Gospel is simple. And as we saw with Tim, it doesn’t take much to share it with others.

The Oratorio…

According to wikipedia, an Oratorio is “a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists”. Little did I know that attending an Oratorio would give me a picture into what the body of Christ should really look like.

In recent weeks I have had discussions with some friends about the differences in the body of Christ as far as it comes to different types of worship or different denominations. Controversy lurks in every corner of these discussions and unfortunately it is never resolved or concluded. At least not in my head.

Some may say there other Christians who are too emotional and lack the doctrine, while some may say others have plenty doctrine but they lack any emotion. In both these cases, I would probably agree and I would agree that in most cases, there are also extremes.

I will ask, is one better then the other? or is there room for both?

The answer lies in an Oratorio called “Handel’s Messiah“. One of the most famous masterpieces created by George Frideric Handel in 1741. I had the privilege of attending a performance of Handel’s Messiah on Good Friday (which I have thought would make a great tradition during the Easter festivities.) I am sure I had heard bits and pieces of this before but never attended a proper performance of this great oratorio.

The amazing thing about this piece of art, was that it included two dynamics that came together to portray the Gospel in its proper light. The words used in Messiah are all taken from the Bible and represent the complete doctrine of the Gospel. The music that frames these words are used to convey the emotions that this wonderful doctrine of the Gospel produces when taken to heart. The combination of the words (doctrine) and the music (emotion) are a beautiful picture of what we as the Body of Christ should look like.

Many times we are quick to learn doctrine and pretend there is no emotion that is created. or we try and manufacture emotion based upon false or whimsical doctrine. In either case you are going to hurt the entire message of the Gospel.

There is a truth (doctrine) that there is a God, and that this God loved us so much, that he has provided a way, through Christ, that we may have salvation from our sins which produces in us a joy that is overwhelming (emotion).

Remember that there should be a balance because too much doctrine can begin to complicate the simple message of grace and that too much emotion and create watered down feelings that are not supported by the Word of God.

The other thing I took away from this oratorio was the members of the orchestra, the choir, and the soloists. It is such a beautiful picture of how we all work together as the Body of Christ to present this message of the Gospel, through our message (doctrine) and through our love (emotion). We all have certain gifts and roles to play. Some are the soloists who preach and teach every Sunday, or those who share the Gospel with a friend for the first time. Others are in the choir, who volunteer in children’s ministry, or at the thrift shop, or provide financial support. Then there are others who may be in the orchestra all with different instruments and skills, what ever that may be. Watchman Nee said in his book The Body of Christ the following,
“How do I live as a member of the body of Christ? The body must be taken as the unit and boundary of all my works and living. In the physical realm, when my hand works, it is not my hand but my body which works; when my feet walk, it is not my feet but my body which walks. A physical member never does anything for its own self; whatever it does is for the sake of the body. So too is this true in the spiritual realm. All the actions of a member of the body of Christ are governed by the body of Christ, not by the individual member himself. Whether God puts me in first or in last place, it is equally acceptable with me. For only the one who does not see, know, and experience the body of Christ will be proud or jealous.”

In Romans 12:3-8, it says,
For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, {each of us is to exercise them accordingly:} if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;  if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching;  or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

In Conclusion, every time you listen to Handel’s Messiah, I hope you remember that first, there is a wonderful Gospel message and second, realize all of the various numbers of people that it takes to portray that message to you both in words (doctrine) and its music (emotion). We can only truly present the Gospel when we have both the Truth from the Word of God and display the Love that was shown by our Savior Jesus Christ.
PS: One of my favorite choruses of was based upon 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 and I have a version posted on here from You Tube. I have also posted the words below. Enjoy!

Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Let it Snow…Let it Snow…

Recently I saw a news article about snow falling in Baghdad. It was the first time they had seen snow in that city in at least a hundred years. For many of the people in that city they viewed it as a sign of peace and rebirth for them.

Before I go on, I must state upfront that I am a native Floridian who has never had to live, work, and drive in snow. With that said, I can now say unashamedly that snow is an mesmerizing to me. Since I have not had to live in the stuff, I really find it amazing. I suppose its a lot like how many people who live in Florida never go to the beach or disregard it while others who come down here find it amazing! Like I always say a change in perspective can change your objective.

For me its always rain, rain and more rain. But there comes a time when the temperature is just right when this rain becomes something much more special. As the temperature changes the drops of rain begin to change over into flakes all which look different then the other. The leaves begin to drop from the trees in Autumn covering the ground and in a sense they die. Most of the plants begin the process of dying by changing there colors. Even this process is unique and breath taking.

Then comes the first snow quiet and peaceful, then the second and it begins to accumulate and cover over all that which has died. Soon enough everything is covered in a white blanket that wont be uncovered until spring.

Once spring arrives, the temperature begins to rise, and the snow begins to melt and in its place life begins a new and fresh.

This to me creates a few parallels of a beautiful reminder of what Jesus Christ has done for us. The first is found in Isaiah it is talking to the Israelites about what would happen if they repent, in the first chapter and verse 18, it says ,“Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow…“

And just as the snow gives way to new life in the spring, Jesus is in the business of making you New Again. The thing we need to remember is that before there can be a rebirth of life, something must die.

In Colossians 1:21-22 it says; “and although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, {engaged} in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body though death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach“

Because of what Christ has done you can be made New Again.

Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold new things have come. Now all of these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, to be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sins to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

The Best Christmas Gift…

I am sure that once in awhile we get the question posed to us of what is the best gift you ever have received for Christmas? I have discussed with a friend recently the criteria of a truly great gift. A few of the simple criteria included that the gift was unexpected and it has to be thoughtful. Another thing I may add would be that it could be undeserved.

This Christmas I was lucky enough to receive one of those truly great gifts. The best gift I received was having my Sister, Brother-in-Law, and my wonderful niece here for Christmas. Undeserved, unexpected, and very thoughtful. Thank you for making the effort to come down…

In closing, I wanted to with everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I also wanted to say that we all have been given a truly great gift! We may be undeserving of it, we may not be expecting it, and its hard to imagine the thought involved. God gave us this truly great gift through His Son Jesus Christ. I think it says it best in a few lines from “Hark, The Herald Angles Sing”

Hark the herald angles sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled”

Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angles sing
“Glory to the newborn King!

To Chris…

I regret to say that this past Wednesday, December 12, my dear friend Chris Herring was killed in a motorcycle accident. I have known Chris almost from the womb and other then maybe my parents and my sister he is probably the first person I can recall in my life as a child. We attended the same preK-3 class with a very mean teacher but had one of the greatest years of our lives in Kindergarten.

After Kindergarten graduation we said good buy never knowing if we would see each other. The next year we were to move on to Elementary school, I ended up going to a new school the next year and who is the first person I see as I am walking in the first day… Chris! What are the chances? From that point on we had a friendship that bonded closely over the years. And with the exception of a few years, we spent the rest of our Elementary, Middle school and High School days together. We still stayed in touch while I perused my education and profession and he perused his education and his education.

Once you get out of high school its not always easy to maintain the closeness that you did then but in between our busy work and school schedules we would always try to find times to catch up and check in on each other and see how one another were doing. We were the kind of friends who could not have talked for over a year but get together and start off like we had just been together the whole time. I understood him and he understood me.

I also regret to say that on my to do list this past week was to give Chris a call so we could try and catch some dinner. It is starting to catch up to me that I will not be able to do that… I challenge you, that if there is someone on that “to do” list you have been meaning to call, do it today and remember to cherish those who are around you that God has given you. As much as I am sadden by this all, I do know that one day I will get to have dinner and catch up with Chris because I believe he put his faith in trust in Jesus Christ for Salvation. And because of this, that dinner will be at the banquet table with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior who is seated at the front of the table.

Chris, I miss ya buddy.

I came across a song during this time that refreshed my soul and renewed my spirit.. by one of my hero’s Andrew Peterson called “More”. To listen to this great song click here.

MORE

This is not the end here at this grave
This is just a hole that someone made
Every hole was made to fill
And every heart can feel it still–
Our nature hates a vacuum

This is not the hardest part of all
This is just the seed that has to fall
All our lives we till the ground
Until we lay our sorrows down
And watch the sky for rain

There is more
More than all this pain
More than all the falling down
And the getting up again
There is more
More than we can see
From our tiny vantage point
In this vast eternity
There is more

A thing resounds when it rings true
Ringing all the bells inside of you
Like a golden sky on a summer eve
Your heart is tugging at your sleeve
And you cannot say why
There must be more

There is more
More than we can stand
Standing in the glory
Of a love that never ends
There is more
More than we can guess
More and more, forever more
And not a second less

There is more than what the naked eye can see
Clothing all our days with mystery
Watching over everything
Wilder than our wildest dreams
Could ever dream to be
There is more

Its all about who you know..

Last week, I had finally come to a point in my busy schedule of traveling around the country, where I thought I envisioned an opportunity to take a small respite. Little did I know what was about to occur. A quick 45 minutes later I had booked tickets to fly to New York City?! To be truthful my friend booked the flight and I had no idea where I would actually be staying or much of any of the details for that matter. The only thing I knew for sure was I was going to New York!

I have begun to slowly learn that when the opportunity presents it self you have to take it or you will watch it fly away. I can say that I have learned this about many things in my life wether it is with friendships, work opportunities, even with witnessing opportunities. You truly have to seize the moment and take advantage of it. Needless to say, this trip was one of those opportunities I could not let fly away.

My dear friend is related by marriage to one of the most famous people in the state of Florida. Yes folks, I am talking about Tim Tebow. To make a long story very short, my fiends’ brother is married to Timmy’s sister. Her brother and Timmy’s sister are missionaries in South Asia and were generously flown back to the states for the Hiesman Trophy presentation. The main reason why my friend was going was in order to see her brother and her adorable little niece. (which I can completely understand…see some of my previous post)

During the weekend, I had the privilege of spending a little bit of time with the Allen and the Tebow family. They are such an encouraging and faithful people who truly love the Lord and really know what its all about, proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ to a lost world. To top it off, Timmy won the Hiesman which I don’t think could of gone to a better gentleman on or off the field.

So why do I share this short synopsis of an amazing trip I took? To bring up a point that I always consider in my life and I find to be true everyday. The point that it is really all about who you know!

If I had not known my friend I would never had a chance to meet the Tebow family and because I was a friend they allowed me to take part in a few of there family activities based upon the fact that I knew this person, nothing more, nothing less.

When we stand before God and he asked us why He should let us in to Heaven the answer will be fairly simple. Its all about who you know…
Because we know Jesus Christ and what he did for us. Since we are in Christ, God has the abilitiy to look upon us as holy and blameless not because of us or what we have done in our lives because we fall short of His Glory but because we are in Christ. Because of what Jesus has done we are now made free. It says in Luke that the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Praise God for His grace and His mercy. And praise God for salvation which comes only through truly knowing the resurrected and living Savior, Jesus Christ.

Its all about who you know!

The Letter

I was driving home from work the other day and I was thinking in the back of my mind how everyday after work, I look forward to coming home and seeing what I got in the mail. I think this is something I got from my father. Yes, even if I get a credit card application, at least its something addressed to me. The idea that someone had taken time to write something out, fold it, stick it in an envelope, put the postage on it and put it into a mail box in order to have it arrive in my mail box. It takes quite a bit of effort. As I was driving I was thinking how much more exciting is it, at least for me, to receive a letter from someone you actually care about and who cares for you. I thought about how much more personal and real a letter is from someone as opposed to a text message, or an email. My thoughts changed to other items on my drive like trying to avoid another crazy driver.

Eventually I arrived home and checked my mail box like I do everyday. To my delight I had one letter with no return address? Who could this be? Maybe just a credit card application? maybe another bill to pay? Since it was handwritten I figured it probably was not a credit card offer and most likely a letter from a friend…I was thrilled. Upon opening it and reading the enclosure I couldn’t help but smile! Then I began to think about the thought that I had just a few minutes ago as I was driving home. After reading the whole package I kept smiling for quite awhile.

There is just something about a letter that can never be truly matched by any other form of communication or technology. In our culture today we have many convenient ways of communication whether its by way of a phone call, typing an email or sending a quick text message. All of these are great and well intentioned and they serve there purposes very well, but the one thing they lack is a personal touch. They lack an authenticity that can not be found in a phone call, an email or a text message.

Take for instance a book, now days you can get the book on tape, read books online, etc. Again the same holds true for this cause that nothing can truly replace the feel of pen on paper and holding that book in your hand and turning the pages as if you were walking down the same road as those in the story.

The amazing thing about it all is that we have been sent a letter from someone who loves us completely and unconditionally. Keep in mind that it has taken a very long time and some blood, sweat, and tears to write. Everyone has a copy of this letter probably just lying around their house. This letter talks about how much you are loved by this person, how much they desire a relationship with you; how you can be find favor in their sight. It has been delivered to you and I challenged you to read it. It is real and authentic and is the complete Word of God.

I Know You Love Me…

“I know that you love me..” Those were the words which were uttered from my little nieces mouth to my sister upon her arrival home from work the other day. Earlier in the day my niece was spending time with her grandma and had touched the hot stove top even after having been told not to many times before by her mother. Fortunately she did not hurt herself bad but it was enough that she knew she had done something wrong. When my sister arrived home from work, my niece was asked by her grandma to tell her mother what she had done today. So she began to tell her mother that she had burned her hand on the stove and she finished the sentence with the most amazing that anyone could ever say. She finished that sentence to her mother with these words; “…and I know that you love me because you didn’t want me to get hurt.”

How amazing is that! I reminded my sister that she may want to record that and play it back to my niece when she turns sixteen just as a reminder that as her parent her goal is not to ruin her fun but motivation is out of love and out of a desire not to see her get hurt.

The other thing that crossed my mind was how much we are just like my niece when it comes to our relationship with God. How much better would we be if we truly took her words to heart and understood them to be really true in our lives. God has given us commands in His Word in order to share with us His Love. He is our Heavenly Father and He loves you and He loves me and I know that he loves you and He loves me because he doesn’t want you or me to get hurt. While this applies to a lot of the commands found in the Bible of do’s and don’t, the ultimate consideration of this comes the thought that because of our sins we must be punished but God sent his Son to pay our penalty, to get hurt so that we don’t have to. In Isaiah 53:5 it says:

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”

Now That Is Confidence!

My parents have just arrived home from a trip to Erie, PA. they were able to visit with a lot of family including my lovely, talented and beautiful (..did i mention wonderful) niece Alana! And yes, she can now spell her name…(did i mention smarter then your niece) My sister gave them some photos from this past month that were great! During the trip one of the family members went up to Alana and said, “you are such a pretty little girl” and Alana replied very confidently, “Yes, I know…” Reminded me of the confidence that we should have. No, not in our looks, but in our hearts. We all have sinned and fallen short and our hearts are ugly towards God but because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross, and only because of that, our hearts are now viewed as white as snow, or that “pretty little girl” if you will. And we can be confident of that not because of us, but because of what Christ has done for us!

How much is a 1974 Javelin really worth?

So in my travels today I went to fill up my car at the Hess on US 19. As I was pumping the gas a nice new pick up truck pulled up with two gentlemen inside. They got my attention and I approached them when they asked if I was interested in selling my car. For those of you who do not know me I own a 1974 AMC Javelin as shown above! Anyway, I responded with a question to them of how much are the asking? Then they countered with a question of how much I was willing to sell it for. I told them a price that I think is fair but a little above market value. They in turn responded with a question of whether or not I would take what it is worth according to the book value in cash. Tempting…but that car to me is worth more then what they would be willing to pay. That got me thinking about some things as I drove away and headed towards work. My parents have always told me in certain circumstances that “Something is only worth as much as what someone is willing to pay for it.” They would always tell me that it may say its worth so much in a so called price book but you still have to find someone willing to pay that amount.

This leads me to the point that our lives have a value just as my car does. No, I do not mean a monetary value, but instead a value placed upon our heart and soul. Where do we find our worth?..or our value? If we try and list our hearts and souls on the market of this world we will find people who will try and purchase our hearts and souls for as cheap as possible so that they may be able to use us in someway to help them selves and to gain an advantage. In due time, those who we have sold our hearts to here on earth will find a way to damage them or cause them to lose value whether it be on purpose or an accident. At this point, you may feel worthless, downtrodden, and not valuable. And in the great scheme of things we are worthless by ourselves, there is nothing we can do to cause our value to rise. There is good news though.

There is a Father who loved you so much that even though you are worthless he paid the ultimate price so that he could have your heart and soul. Remember that there is nothing of which you can do to make your worth increase. It is only by his sacrifice that he demonstrates his Love and that He thinks you are valuable and worthy. He has already paid the price for your heart and soul and it is just a matter of you accepting that and believing that He does love you this much.