FUNDAMENTALS ARE FOUNDATIONAL

DAY 3 Winning Edge Devotions

2 TIM. 3:14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Every year we begin a quest to build, once again, a successful football team. Training camp consist of the same basic practices each season. Our seniors will hear and practice once again the same drills that comprise our ‘fundamentals’.

In football, all championship teams have great fundamentals. These include proper stances and winning techniques. It takes a lot of practice to instill these winning fundamentals. Practice does not make perfect. One of my favorite youth ministers used to tell our team, “practice makes permanent. Only perfect practice makes perfect.”

On our practice field, we start everyday with these fundamental routines. You will hear our coaches say the same things every day- “Stance, start, form, fit, finish”. Our players go fast with the coaches calling out the buzz words of our system. You will hear “eat the football with your eyes”. The running back coach will say, “tuck it away, high and tight”, the linebacker coach yells, ‘step on toes, bite the football, club arms, grab cloth, and run your feet”.
Our quarterback’s coach repeats , “drop, drop, drop,, and hold our pose” our receivers coach preaches “burst off the cut” and “come and see me”.

This continued repetition builds habits. When our players play the game, we want them reacting and not thinking. By doing the same fundamentals again and again, we develop the proper fundamentals by instinct.

The same habits need to be cultivated in our spiritual lives. The evidence of grace is demonstrated in a desire to practice the disciplines of grace. The fundamentals of Christianity have not changed- we need to read the Word, pray, fast, worship, memorize scripture, share our faith, give. These habits of holiness re-orient our lives to be sensitive to Christ and His kingdom.

Can these habits become meaningless routines? Yes! But just as we push for energy and effort on the football field, we need to add enthusiasm for the fundamentals of our faith. The greatest fundamental, though, is the gospel itself. It is good news for bad people. The message is that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sin and His resurrection is proof of our hope for eternal life in Him. I cannot earn or deserve this gift of salvation, I humbly accept in faith. I am not trusting in myself for eternal life; I am trusting in the sacrifice of Jesus. It is such an awesome message that it transforms our lives and is the foundation of all we do.

I challenge us to develop a practice schedule that includes a daily dose of fundamentals. Let us find workout partners who will hold us accountable and train in the ways of God. These disciplines are always a part of championship performance.

Lord, I have neglected some vital disciplines of my spiritual growth. I had great excuses for leaving them out including my worry about my life with You becoming routine and monotonous. Now, I find that I give almost no time to my study of Your word and prayer. I have not fasted in years. Father, help me to remember why these disciplines are so good for me and keep encouraging me to practice these with energy. Let my thoughts and daily routine develop habits of holiness to Your glory!

EVALUATION PRECEDES PREPARATION

DAY 2 Winning Edges Devotions

PSALM 139: 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Our regular season Monday is a well-rehearsed routine. We lift weights, we watch tape, and we condition very hard. As a coach, it is the film that serves as the greatest teaching tool. We watch the previous Friday’s game play by play.

It is an amazing time – there is satisfaction if the play is a success and embarrassment if the play was a failure. Every player is required to study and listen as the coaches talk over essential details of alignments, stance, and fundamentals. You cannot be thin skinned and survive our film room!

When we slow the play down, frame-by-frame, we are able to see exact moments of success and failure. We run it back and forth, over and over, and there are unlimited details regarding how the player is supposed to step, block, run or tackle. Our coaches are great teachers, and the film clearly shows every detail!

We break down these tapes after every game whether we win or lose. It is a great way to evaluate. We go player-by-player and play-by-play, constantly making observations about the progress of our team. If we are making the same mistakes as the last game, we know that somehow our players are not getting the correct message or techniques.

Sometimes the mistakes are a flaw in the scheme or system, sometimes it is just a player mistake, sometimes it is a great job by the opposition. In every evaluation, we are then able to adjust and plan for future success.

Our lives are so busy in this post-modern world that I worry we don’t have time to evaluate. We don’t take time to rewind the tape and rehearse what went right or what went wrong. I believe that this is a major part of the Biblical idea of meditation. Psalm 139 speaks of God’s constant presence and the psalmist boldly asks for God’s evaluation.

This is a terrifying request. Do I really want to know what God thinks about me? It is easier to keep myself busy in my infinite desire to find distraction. I once saw a sign that quoted Baron Von Trapp saying ‘we often confuse a life of activity as a life of meaning’.

I am suggesting that we get alone and allow God’s spirit to replay our day. Frame by frame and person by person. What was I thinking when I said that? Did that decision glorify God? What values am I demonstrating in my lifestyle? Am I applying God’s word? Am I reading it?

It is only after that kind of honest assessment that we are able to plan progress. We have to know where we are coming from to navigate where we are going.

Father, help me today slow down and honestly evaluate. Search me and know me Lord. Show me what I need to know to move in Your direction. I have been hiding from some dark truths about my heart and motives. Shine Your light on me and let me experience Your merciful presence. I admit that I am afraid to see the depths of my sin, but I know that You are a good God and a loving Father. Thank You for caring enough to show me the truth.

A SECOND CHANCE, AGAIN

Winning Edge Devotions Day 1

PSALM 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

It is hard to put into words how much I hurt when we lose. Sometimes, it is a playoff loss and we shed a lot of tears over a senior playing his last game. As a coach, I live with the emotions of winning and losing weekly. In sixteen years, I have tasted the highs of state championship wins and the devastation of last second losses.
In some strange way, these experiences are a blessing. I have had to learn about failure. I have to find a way to put the pain aside and keep moving. I have to learn how to keep loving my family and performing my duties.
I don’t find many people who deal a lot with failure. The parents at my school are very successful. As Americans, we love to win and have experienced success a lot more than failure. In 1999, I was coaching a team that experienced losing in a regular season game for the first time in four years. In 1998, that same team had a perfect season (15-0) to claim the State Championship!
At our team meeting the following Monday I told them, “If all the game of football had taught you was winning, then you missed out on one of its best lessons”. We have to learn how to lose. Coach Bear Bryant is often quoted as saying, “Show me a good loser and I’ll show you a loser.” And even though this quote gets a lot of laughs from the crowd, it hides a truth in life. We often lose, especially when it comes to really living life as God intended. I never want to like losing, in fact I hate it- but I better learn how to live with the reality that I am going to lose at times.
In Psalm 51, David had experienced devastating losses. In spite of historic wins and unprecedented success, David did the unthinkable. Not only did he commit adultery, but he also added deceit and murder to his dark thoughts and actions.
The entire Psalm outlines the spiraling cancer of sin and guilt. This proud champion had stopped depending on God and was slipping into unrelenting depression. After being confronted by Nathan, David realized his only hope- ‘I have to go to the Lord and cry for mercy’.
In spite of the intense feelings of failure, David reached out for his only hope. All he could offer was a broken heart. In tears and anguish, he humbly pleaded for a Savior!
Have you ever felt that broken? You had such good intentions and a great start, but once again you failed. You hear the voice of cynics telling you that you are a miserable failure. There may even be the voice of your enemy telling you that you will never win. Don’t give up! Cry out to the Lord and let Him get to work repairing all the brokenness and picking up the fragments of failure.
Our Lord is a God of new beginnings. He created the beauty of new mercies each morning and spoke the idea of forgiving seventy times seven! He wants to cleanse us and give us a new start. That includes…..today!
After a loss, you feel incredible depths of despair, but you have to get up. Christ will help you as you reach out to Him. He forgave David and He wants to restore you. There is an old saying, “It matters not if you try and fail and try and fail again. What matters is if you try and fail and fail to try again.” The day after a loss, I am up and ready to start working on a win.

Lord, I pray that for the next 30 days, You will show yourself as the God of New Beginnings. Help me experience the cleansing of grace and a willingness of spirit. These have to come from You, because I fell like such a loser. Teach me Your ways and give me Your heart!

Repost - Intelligent Design and the New Discrimination

I Wanted to Re-post this Blog in Reference to the new movie coming out called "Expelled" by Ben Stein. Read more about it at www.expelledthemovie.com

Original post Sept 14, 2007

Google “Intelligent Design” and you will see an amazing battle being fought today in the context of academic institutions. If you are a professor in most colleges and universities and even hint of a favorable attitude toward intelligent design and you will be blacklisted and viciously attacked by peers and media.

What is the problem? There is a world-view battle raging between Neo-Darwinists and Theists over the boundaries of science and what should be allowed in the context of debate.

Is it a fair fight? The answer is “NO”- the Darwinists pull a great sleight of hand in the debate. Their basic premise is that evolution is science and ID proponents are theologians. Evolution is good science while I.D.’s (or they like to call them “creationists”) lack any scientific credibility.

What is the trick? Well, evolution is not exactly what they purport it to be. No one debates micro-evolution. It is accepted and proven that species do successfully adapt to environmental changes. But that is where the science ends and “speculation” begins.

There is no consensus that “macro-evolution” is proven. Macro-evolution extrapolates the concept of micro-evolution in theorizing that , over time, these slight, successful variations produce new species.

So when Darwinists say evolution is science and intelligent design is not, it is an unfair comparison. Both materialists and theists accept evolution, but both differ as to what the universe is telling us about origin and diversity.

Is it random chance or intelligence? There is good and reasoned debate on both sides.

There needs to be a legitimate debate about the theories of origins and there needs to be respectful hearing of both sides.
Isn’t it ironic how history has flipped? The famous Scopes trial was about the unwillingness of conservative Christians to include evolutionary theory in the classroom. In the famous portrayal, Inherit the Wind (more drama that truth), the Christians are shown to be bigoted and mean. The hero is the lone science teacher who just wants a fair debate in the classroom.

Looking at the trail of fine scientists who have been villainized over mentioning design including denial of tenure and media attacks- the question is “Who are the bigots now?”.

Coach Bryant Memories

I was quoted in the Tennessean today regarding Coach Bryant- I pasted the article below-
Two corrections- I live in Franklin not Brentwood and I played 1982 through Spring of 85

"My senior year, after the season and while we were practicing to play Oklahoma in the Bluebonnet Bowl, I was over in the cafeteria at Bryant Hall eating lunch and the dorm director came over and said, 'Coach Bryant wants to talk to you on the phone.' I said, 'Oh no, what's this all about?' That's not good when he's calling you at lunch.

"I picked up the phone and he said, 'Let me ask you something Billy. After the bowl game, do you want to go out and play in the Hula Bowl out in Hawaii?' I said, 'Well, yes I guess I would.' He said, 'I'll go ahead and arrange that. Somebody called me the other day wanting to know if we had anybody that wanted to play in it.'

"What was so amazing was the power that he had. Somebody had called him and said, 'Coach Bryant, do you have somebody you want to send us to play in the Hula Bowl?' They only had spots for four defensive backs, and they trusted and respected (him) so much that they were willing to take whomever he sent out there. He could have sent a linebacker out there and said he's playing safety, they'd have never known.

"It was a phenomenal trip. I got out there and Archie Manning was the quarterback on my team (South) and Jim Plunkett was the quarterback of the other team along with Joe Theismann."

-- Bill Blair, Brentwood (Safety, 1968-70)

"Coach Bryant had made a deal with me to play football and baseball when I went (to Alabama). It was that as a freshman there was no baseball. As a sophomore, you can play until spring football practice starts, and as you move on we'll see how that works out.

"Well, starting into my senior year, I was slated to be the starting quarterback and I got a broken toe and Scott Hunter was progressing and coming along and started beating me out. We each played about half the time my senior year.

"Before that spring practice, I was supposed to be able to play baseball. (Coach Bryant) had a meeting with me one morning at about 6:30. Of course, anytime you get a call and they say, 'Coach Bryant wants to see you,' you don't sleep the night before.

"So I met him and he said, 'We've got this deal and I wanted to know if you still want to play baseball?' I said, 'Coach I'd really like to play if it doesn't jeopardize my position playing football.' He said, 'No, I gave my word on that. I just wanted to make sure because I'm getting ready to start making out the lineups.'

"I was feeling pretty good and I got up to walk out, and I was almost out of the room when he said, 'Oh, there's one more thing – you better win the damn conference.'

"Alabama hadn't won the SEC baseball championship in 40 years. So I spread what he had said around to the team and (baseball) Coach (Joe) Sewell and damned if we didn't win the conference that year (1968)."

-- Joe Kelley, Brentwood (Quarterback, 1966-68)

"My senior year (1969) we were ranked. We had just beaten Ole Miss 33-32.

"We came up here to play Vanderbilt and we wanted to score quick and (Coach Bryant) wanted to play everybody. Well, we got beat (14-10). In the dressing room afterward, of course, nobody took their helmet off or said a word.

"He used to wear a pair of hunting boots in the wintertime. He set one up on a bench, untied it and set it to the side, then untied the other. He picked up one of them and threw it at one of those big mesh fans.

"And then he started. He said, 'Let me tell y'all something. Tonight you embarrassed me, the state of Alabama, the university, your mother and daddy, your grandparents, your siblings. The only persons you didn't embarrass were yourselves.

"We're going to get on the bus, we're going to go back, and I'm going to find out who wants to play. I'm going to try to run every one of you off. And when I do, I'm going to go over to the university and I'm going to get some of those 150 pound kids that would give their life to play for Alabama. Now, we'll get beat next week (against Tennessee), but you better not bet against us the week after that.'

"Nobody opened their mouth.

"Also, I remember when we went down to Baton Rouge to play LSU (1967). Before the game you always got off the bus and walked around the field before you went into the field house. They had that Tiger in a cage right there at our dressing room where we came out.

"They would poke that Tiger and he'd roar and they had those microphones all throughout that stadium. It was real eerie.

"Coach Bryant walked out in front of us and everybody was uptight a little bit. He looked over at that Tiger and said, 'Hell, that damn Tiger's older than I am. I wouldn't be afraid to get in there and rassle him around.' It kind of broke the monotony up."

-- Hunter Husband, Nashville (Tailback and tight end, 1967-69)

"The thing that stands out to me about Coach Bryant was what he talked to us every day about was not really the Xs and Os of football, but it was about stuff like show your class, display good character, respect your parents, be nice to folks and raise your kids to do that and everything will work out okay.

"You hear more about the inspirational stuff and the motivation before the game and so forth. But he truly every day tried to prepare us for growing up and getting a job and getting fired, and your wife running off and your dog getting run over to be able to handle the things in life that you've got to handle to keep moving on."

-- Jim Bob Harris, Brentwood (Defensive back, 1978-81)

"I had the privilege of being with Coach Bryant his last season at Alabama. I have more special memories than I could ever recount.

"When he walked into the team room, everyone sat up straight and put both feet on the floor. I used to be amazed because he seemed so hard to listen to on TV with that raspy, deep growl, but in the meetings he was animated and you understood every word.

"He would read to us a lot. He liked little quotes and neat stories.

"He always preached kicking game first, defense second, and offense last.

"He always told us how we were going to win and we believed him.

"He loved playing and winning with class.

"The team was honorary pall bearers at his funeral. I will never forget that ride to Birmingham in a Greyhound bus behind his hearse. Every inch of Interstate 59 was covered with people, including the overpasses. They stood quietly and held signs. I fought back tears the whole way.

"Growing up idolizing Bear Bryant was not a bad thing, it changed my life.

"Getting to play for him for one season was something I never will forget.

"Has it been 25 years?"

-- Jay Mathews, Brentwood (Quarterback, 82-86)

"I got married in college and I had to get his blessing basically. This was my junior year. We had beaten Auburn and still had a chance to win the national championship.

"My brother (Gary) told me it was going to be hard because he got married when he was playing at Alabama, and I didn't think it was going to be nearly as hard as what it was.

"I went by his office about five times before I had the guts to walk in. When I told him I wanted to share some plans with him he said, 'All right.' I said, 'I plan on getting married the weekend after we play the Sugar Bowl.' He said, 'You're gonna do what?' I said, 'I plan on getting married.' He said, 'You know who we're playing?' And I said, 'Yes sir, we're playing Ohio State.' The way he said it, 'No, we're playing Woody Hayes, and I've never played that you know what, and my quarterback's getting married?'

"I immediately started thinking, 'Oh my gosh, he's going to tell me no.' Then he said, 'Let me ask you some questions. Do you love her?' I was like, 'Oh, yes sir,' and it ended up being fine.

"I've got a great picture after that game of him looking down at me at the press conference and he said, 'Nice wedding present, wasn't it son?'

"I ended up getting MVP of that game so I actually played well. But I was a nervous wreck before thinking, 'If I don't play well, Oh my goodness.'"

-- Jeff Rutledge, Phoenix (Quarterback, 1975-78)

Recovering One Day at a Time

Well, getting better- I actually did the elliptical trainer for 30 minutes yesterday and will have stitches out tomorrow!

But also my spirit is improving- the Lord is good!

Some of my most sincere prayers have been "HELP"

And the Father is good to hear and answer.

I hope I get off the floor in time to enjoy the beauty of Christmas!

This Time Left Knee

I am recovering from knee surgery for the 2nd time- I just read my posts in 2004 to remember the last time.
Wasn't major- torn meniscus and some arthritis- orthoscopic in and out.

I have a lot on my mind and a lot to pray for- I am hoping for a recovery of knee, body, and soul

One thing that I noticed immediately was the absence of the nagging pain that I had been limping around with since September-
I had gotten used to the pain- to not have it now is shockingly distinct.

I think we carry around pain a lot and it becomes 'normal' to us
So I am in the winter blues- but hopefully on the rebound

Lord, I need some healing help!

You're Blaming Me?

We are accepting questions from the audience in our Sunday School. Here is the latest one:

“All men are sinners. I fully believe that. But, what I don’t get is why we as Christians let God totally off the hook for that. Why? Seems like if we are God’s creation and 100% of us are sinful (Born that way), then there is a huge quality control issue. As the saying goes, ‘When they made you, they broke the mold, and then beat the mold maker. Why is God not at least partly responsible?”

Thanks for the question. This question comes up from time to time. “Why am I responsible if this how I am made? God, why did you make me this way?”

This is such a natural part of human reasoning that the apostle Paul addresses this exact topic in Romans, Chapter 9. I encourage you to read the entire chapter, but here is the excerpt on this question:

“14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?”

In addressing your question, you need to know that our concept of God, our understanding of His authority, our comprehension of His love and wrath, and the understanding of our sin is so far short of reality that we usually come up with incorrect presuppositions and conclusions in these matters.

The ultimate answer is that He is God. We have a hard time with this in our western culture and rugged, independent heritage. Cultures who have a King understand the sovereign rights of a ruler much better than we. In fact, it flies all over us to say, “He is King and can do as He wills”. Regardless of how we feel about that it is, nonetheless, true.

Is there a quality control issue with God? How do you control quality?
The Bible makes it very clear that things have gone wrong. Man was created perfect with a freedom of choice and man chose to serve the creature rather than the creator.

Most makers, it would seem, would then begin to smash and burn to correct the error.

But this maker is different, He loves His creation! He does not desire that any should perish.

He does the unthinkable; He becomes the piece of clay! He enters in, demonstrates the proper way to address the Creator and live for the Creator and then suffers the crushing penalty reserved for vessels of wrath. He then returns from the destruction to proclaim good news- “I offer restoration and forgiveness”.

This sacrifice now allows for the salvation of flawed creatures while, at the same time, still keeps perfect standards of quality and purity. There is now a way that the flawed creatures do not have to be destroyed!

Sadly, most of the creation, it seems, will not accept the correction. They still shake their fist at the maker. This is the great, uncorrectable flaw and rejecting the Son will heap up a fiery furnace of incredible wrath from the Maker. When we turn our backs on the good news, we are rejecting our only chance to survive inspection!

There is precise and perfect quality control from God. He will one day separate the flawed from the unflawed. Those stamped by the Son will be declared perfect. Those who resisted because of pride and sin will be discarded to their shame and misery.

At that point, the factory will once again be perfect to the glory of the Maker. Only now, the creation will see Him in a new light- not only our Maker, but also our sacrificial Lover! To Him Alone Be the Glory!

A final note- we are responsible for our sin.
One of the founders of Princeton, Archibald Alexander summed up judgment day like this:

“The things which shall be brought under the eye of the Judge, and exhibited to the view of the universe, are, all deeds done in the body — whatsoever a man hath done, whether good or bad. Every secret thing. "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Ecclesiastes 12:14. Every idle word. "I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give a account thereof in the day of judgment." Matthew 12:36. The thoughts of the heart shall also be made manifest. Every unholy desire; every proud, envious, or malicious thought; every secret purpose of iniquity; every unhallowed temper; every rebellious and discontented and ungrateful feeling towards God and his government, will be brought into judgment.
And the inquiry will extend not only to positive acts; but also to omissions of duty. Great as is the number of the acts of wickedness, the catalogue of omissions will be greater, and not less criminal. The first sin of this sort which will claim the attention of the Judge, will be the omission to entertain and cherish right sentiments towards God. No more heavy charge will be brought against any individual on that day, than that he neglected to love the Lord his God with all his heart, and soul, and mind, and strength. This is the total violation of the first and greatest command, and the fountain of all other iniquities. The neglect to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ when he was offered to us a complete Saviour in the gospel, will, to the unfruitful hearers of the word, be an accusation of the highest kind.
O reader, whoever thou art, let me entreat you to inquire without delay, whether you are prepared for the scrutiny and judgment of this coming day. Have you made you peace with God? Have you repented of all your sins? Are you in union with Christ by faith? Have you any clear scriptural evidence that your sins are pardoned? What says conscience to these inquiries? Be assured, if your own heart condemns you, God, who is greater than your heart, and knoweth all things, will much more condemn you. But your situation is not like that of them whose day of grace is ended. You are yet in the place of reconciliation. You have yet a little time before you — God only knows how much. Now, then, hear the voice of warning — hear the voice of mercy. Now "strive to enter in at the strait gate." Now forsake your sins, and live. Accept the offered grace — "lay hold on eternal life.’” (The Day of Judgment, Archibald Alexander)

Freedom and Sovereignty

“Where does free will and God’s sovereignty intersect?”

This is an issue all believers grapple with from time to time. Am I free or am I programmed? Is God fully in control or not in control? If everything is programmed, why work? Why pray? This issue becomes even more problematic when we see evil and suffering? How can a good God who is in control allow evil?

As we look at Scripture, we see truths that cannot be ignored. The Scripture makes frequent references to God’s sovereignty (it would be impossible to list all of those). But scripture also supports humans as volitional beings.

Dr. Robert Peterson at the latest Reformed Men’s Club listed four human freedoms in the Bible. There is ample Biblical support for these.

Freedom #1- Man in the Garden- Man was given responsibility and choice in the garden. This freedom is a beautiful gift that glorifies the Creator. This freedom also allowed the possibility (and I say probability) of evil entering it. Which it did.

Freedom #2- Man After the Fall- The Bible indicates that Adam’s sin was cursed and passed on to humanity. According to many places (Ephesians, for example) we are born dead in trespasses and sin. Our freedom now is a bondage. We are bound to sin. Isn’t it interesting that when we revel in our freedom and rebellion, we actually are chained? We cannot choose God because of our nature. We are inconsistent in good and evil choices.

Freedom #3- Man After Conversion- Once the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to our sin and the need of a Savior and respond to His call, we repent and put our faith in Christ. At that point, we have a new freedom, the ability to respond and serve the Creator. I John makes it clear that we are inconsistent in that new freedom. But we now have many helps to follow the path of sanctification.

Freedom #4- Man After Glorification- In heaven, it will all be clear and glorious. God allowed sin and evil to make salvation more glorious, the harder the struggle; the greater the victory. We will say with Joseph, “What was meant for evil, God meant for good.” We will no longer choose evil in light of the gloriousness of God. If sin never happened, we would not know God’s mercy. We would not see God’s sacrifice. We begin to see how truly great God is.

You may hate this answer, but the Bible indicates that God is sovereign and that man makes choices. Our choices do not undermine His plan. He even channels evil intentions to His holy purpose. The clearest example of this is the cross. The Roman soldiers freely chose to hammer the nails, God clearly decreed the exact moment and it was according to His plan put together before the foundation of the world.

This blows our mind. It makes God majestic and mysterious. It keeps us responsible for our choices and keeps us secure in His sovereignty. He is THE LORD!

What Surprises Me the Most About God

As I have been reading the Bible for over 25 years, there are some of God’s attributes that I have grown to love. I have to start with His compassion, love, and grace. My very breath and life is so grateful in that God forgives me. I am so far from His ways. The fact that I am an adopted son of the Savior is thrilling to me. I also admire His holiness, his omnipotence (space… His creation, by His word, wow), His omniscience… all of that is amazing and adored.

On top of that, though, there are some characteristics that have caught me off guard, but make me more appreciative of how He directs me. The fact that God is surprising should not be surprising. He is God and far beyond my ability to grasp.


Surprise #1- God Loves Competition

Our God is a warrior God who seems to relish competition. We pick up some of this in Job where God welcomes Satan’s challenge. We also see it in Revelation and OT references to battles. God is not removed from competition; He puts Himself right in the middle of the battle. We see it in more personal detail when He wrestles Jacob. Christ also shows incredible competitive ability against Satan, flipping the tables and enduring the cross. As a coach, this is encouraging as I seek to teach young men how to compete. Some Christians over the years have challenged me on this (“should Christian schools have football?”) and I have always believed that the natural tendency to shrink from a hard competition does not glorify the Lord. We must, at times, step up and compete! The main attribute missing is us in intensity.

Surprise #2- God Ordains Defeat as a Part of His Ultimate Glory

I hate losing. But I am convinced that God has ordained my defeat at times to show our opponents how we are supposed to be in the loss. I don’t think He favors us over other teams because we are a Christian school. There are believers at the other schools and sometimes a greater blessing is to lose. Who can understand the myriad of His purposes? When I pray, I ask for a win, but there are times when I know He has said ‘No’. It hurts, but I know I am to shake the opponent’s hand, offer congrats, and seek opportunities to still honor my Savior. These defeats teach us humility and keep us from loving the world. Dealing with pain is a part of the ministry of football. Undefeated seasons are special, but persevering in hard times may be more beneficial. It does not give us an excuse to not compete. These defeats go beyond football- Death, tragedy, broken relationships, betrayal, unfair treatment, are all channeled by Him in my life for my good and His glory.

Surprise #3 God Loves to Play the Hero- Showing Up When All Seems Lost

Is there anything more dramatic than a last second win or a comeback? The Lord is the king of comebacks! If history is “his story”, it is a story of awesome drama! The resurrection and many other great Bible stories are winning against all odds. Of course, the Lord is the ultimate hero with every quality admirable one could wish for! Those attributes are ingrained in us as we have His imprint on our hearts.

Our God is full of surprise- it is what will make eternity unbelievably exciting!

My Apologies?

Apologetics is the discipline that deals with a rational defense of Christian faith. It comes from the Greek word ‘apologia’ which means to give a reason or defense.

We are reminded of I Peter 3:15, which says, “in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”

One of the biggest issues in apologetics is the futility of reasoned arguments to non-believers. I Corinthians 2: 14 says, “ The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

Colossians 2:8 “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”

This leads us to some important foundations of defending our faith.

#1 The goal of a Biblical apologetic is not to win arguments, but be used of God to present the claims of Christ and His wonderful gospel. Evangelism and apologetics are very close.

#2 Reasoned arguments alone will not talk anyone into accepting the message of faith. We do offer answers for our hope, but we will not get discouraged if these answers are found to be unacceptable in the world’s eyes.

May the Lord of Glory open the eyes of your heart to His existence and His truth. In Him is life, true freedom, and peace!

Intelligent Design and the New Discrimination

Google “Intelligent Design” and you will see an amazing battle being fought today in the context of academic institutions. If you are a professor in most colleges and universities and even hint of a favorable attitude toward intelligent design and you will be blacklisted and viciously attacked by peers and media.

What is the problem? There is a world-view battle raging between Neo-Darwinists and Theists over the boundaries of science and what should be allowed in the context of debate.

Is it a fair fight? The answer is “NO”- the Darwinists pull a great sleight of hand in the debate. Their basic premise is that evolution is science and ID proponents are theologians. Evolution is good science while I.D.’s (or they like to call them “creationists”) lack any scientific credibility.

What is the trick? Well, evolution is not exactly what they purport it to be. No one debates micro-evolution. It is accepted and proven that species do successfully adapt to environmental changes. But that is where the science ends and “speculation” begins.

There is no consensus that “macro-evolution” is proven. Macro-evolution extrapolates the concept of micro-evolution in theorizing that , over time, these slight, successful variations produce new species.

So when Darwinists say evolution is science and intelligent design is not, it is an unfair comparison. Both materialists and theists accept evolution, but both differ as to what the universe is telling us about origin and diversity.

Is it random chance or intelligence? There is good and reasoned debate on both sides.

There needs to be a legitimate debate about the theories of origins and there needs to be respectful hearing of both sides.
Isn’t it ironic how history has flipped? The famous Scopes trial was about the unwillingness of conservative Christians to include evolutionary theory in the classroom. In the famous portrayal, Inherit the Wind (more drama that truth), the Christians are shown to be bigoted and mean. The hero is the lone science teacher who just wants a fair debate in the classroom.

Looking at the trail of fine scientists who have been villainized over mentioning design including denial of tenure and media attacks- the question is “Who are the bigots now?”.

Standing on the Promise Alone

“There can be no doubt whatsoever that all the troubles in the Church to-day, and most of the troubles in the world, are due to a departure from the authority of the Bible. And, alas, it was the Church herself that led in the so-called Higher Criticism that came from Germany just over a hundred years ago. Human philosophy took the place of revelation, man's opinions were exalted and Church leaders talked about 'the advance of knowledge and science', and 'the assured results' of such knowledge. The Bible then became a book just like any other book, out-of-date in certain respects, wrong in other respects, and so on. It was no longer a book on which you could rely implicitly.”
The Authority of Scripture - Martyn Lloyd-Jones


This past Sunday evening, we had the privilege of hearing from Dr. Robert Peterson, a distinguished Bible professor from Covenant Theological Seminary.

As I sat and listened to him, I was impressed with his precision perfect handling of the Word of God. He said what it said. He did not editorialize, he did not justify- he did no philosophical maneuvering.

He paused and allowed for questions. I raised my hand and asked a question that had popped in my mind during his discourse. He answered that the scriptures did not contain an answer to my question. I brought up that John Milton had thought about my subject and explored it in Paradise Lost. Dr. Peterson looked at me and said somewhat sternly, ‘Nice literature, but it is not God’s Word.” I took the criticism well.

We all tend to add things in the gaps where the God’s word is silent. Sometimes we feel a need to justify God or play philosophy over the “whys”. But Dr. Peterson is the most correct- Stand on the WORD! Let is say what it says. That is exactly what Jesus did when He was face to face with the Tempter.

Thank-you Dr. P- that was an admonishment I needed.

II Timothy 2:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”
This Sunday we have a new room- we will meet in the choir practice room behind the sanctuary. Our topic will be “Sola Scrpitura” Scripture Alone. My prayer is that it will always be our only rule of faith and practice!

The Miracle of Death

My wife Lisa used a phrase last night that has left me stunned. I cannot get it off my mind. She said that she experienced her father’s death as a miracle. Miracle?

It can’t be a miracle can it? Death is an enemy. It is what we fight against and what we fear. It can encompass more pain and agony than life can seem to bear.

Birth is a miracle. Death is a disaster. Right?

She said to her it seems like birth is God exhaling life. He breathes the life giving force on the jar of clay.

As she was with her sweet dad, a hero of life and faith, she watched God…inhale.

He was absent from the body and present with the Lord. She said it was a miracle.

We had all prayed for his healing. He was diagnosed with cancer in 1998. We all were hurt. This man was a husband of 53 years, the father of 6 wonderful children, and 17 beautiful grandchildren.

God responded to our prayers with another 10 years. They were tough years, especially at the end. But they were special. Life is special, regardless of the toil.

Then, as an 81 year-old hero who fought death to the bitter end, it was time to move on. Our prayers were answered fully as he was now eternally healed! Oh the hurt! To love much is to hurt much.

My wife was blessed to be there. She watched God inhale. And His sweet breath translated this man of a deep faith in Christ into paradise. He was loved by Jesus and reunited with his spiritual family.

John 14:1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

One day we will join them. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

PERSEVERENCE

When God wants to drill a man,
And thrill a man,
And skill a man
To play the noblest part;
When He yearns with all His heart
To create so great and bold a man
That all the world shall be amazed,
Watch His methods, watch His ways!
How He ruthlessly perfects
Whom He royally elects!
How He hammers him and hurts him,
And with mighty blows converts him
Into trial shapes of clay which
Only God understands;
While his tortured heart is crying
And he lifts beseeching hands!
How He bends but never breaks
When his good He undertakes;
How He uses whom He chooses,
And with every purpose fuses him:
By every act induces him
To try his splendor out--
God knows what He's about.
--Author Unknown
Seeing the whole story from beginning to end gives ample evidence that God is great and that He is good.
But what about the middle? Think about those long, dark nights. Imagine all the hauntings and accusations Scott must have felt. Is God there? Does He care? Why don’t you answer me God? Am I being punished? HELP!

“God will not give us grace for our vain imaginings. It is when we are actually
in the time of trial that the grace is given.”
(Dr. Lane Adams, former pastor, Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis)

“If you want a comfortable religion, do not pick Christianity” CS Lewis, God in Dock

Aragorn in “Lord of the Rings”
"Hold your ground! Hold your ground my brothers,
I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me.
A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day.
An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down,
but it is not this day!
This day we fight!!"

NFL Hall of Fame

Did you see the National Football Hall of Fame enshrinement speeches? I know, I know… old men in yellow jackets, sweating profusely, and giving speeches is not a stop the channel surfing moment.

But I am always riveted by what these men say. These men represent the best of the best. They are the elite in a sport that requires a warrior like spirit and an incredible will to win. Most of these men play from 8 to 15 years in the league. I cannot imagine what that is like on the human body.

What they say is always inspiring. Hall of Famers have talent, but talent alone does not get you into Canton. These men have leadership skills and character. Here are quotes that are more common than rare:

Roger Wehrli (Cornerback, St Louis Cardianls)- “Finally, many of you know me as a man of faith. I believe that God has guided each and every move I've made. He's put the right people in the right places to bring me here, and I thank Him with all my heart for taking a little guy from a little town with little dreams and making me fit to wear the title of Hall of Famer.”

Bruce Matthews (Off. Line, Tenn Titans) I'd first like to say how honored and blessed I am to be here. If someone had told me when I was a kid that one day I would play in the NFL and let alone be inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I wouldn't have believed them. I consider it an honor and a privilege to be standing up here today, and I'd like to thank the Lord Jesus Christ for blessing me and my family so much…I've never been more aware of how much the Lord Jesus Christ has blessed me and loves me than at this very moment, and I want to thank Him again because that is where the credit is due. Thank you all for this amazing honor. Thank you.

Thurman Thomas (RB, Buffalo Bills) “To my wife Patti, what a design only God could have planned. I was a senior at Oklahoma State when I met a freshman golfer from Buffalo, New York. We dated my senior year. I got drafted to her hometown of Buffalo, New York. That's been almost 20 years. I sit here today and I say thank you, Patti, my friend, my wife, my mother, mother of my kids. It's been 20 years since we've been together, and I would like to take this time and this opportunity to let it be another 20 years we can spend together, but also with the plan of asking you, Will you marry me again? I love you.”

Rayfield Wright (2006 inductee, Dallas Cowboys) “First of all, I’d like to give praise and thanks to our father in heaven and through his son Jesus Christ that has given me the ability to play sports.”

If you read the transcript of the entire speeches, you will see that these are not token mentions.
These men have inspirational stories of family and faith.

The point: Jesus Christ makes a difference. He not only saves, He changes men. If you looked at Hall of Famers in all walks of life, you will see that Christ produces champions.

Let us allow Him to make champions out of us!

A Creed to Live By

The 2007 football seniors met for a leadership retreat at the beginning of the season. We worked through expectations, goals, and requirements for this season. In the six sessions, each senior was asked to consider what it meant to be a leader and a Biblical man.

One of our activities was to begin writing a CPA football creed. This was based on the inspiring “Commodore Creed” that Coach Bobby Johnson uses at Vanderbilt. We have challenged the seniors to work with the coaches to come up with a creed that expresses the special process of CPA football and include our Christian distinctive.

I split the seniors into three groups and made it a competition to see which group could come up with the best “creed”.

Here are some of their individual lines within the results:

“Alone you will fail, together we will succeed”

“We suffer together so that we can persevere together”

“Be bold to stand against culture”

“Train and play like a champion”

“Live with humility”

“Honor your brothers”

“Christ, Brothers, Soldiers”

The coaches and seniors will work on this throughout the season and present our results at the football banquet in January. I know this will be a great process and these seniors will write a great creed. They have Christ as their example and God’s word as the standard.

Football is a special game. The pressure of competition and the physical contact creates a need for “brothers”. The heat and humidity of tough two-a-days and the soreness of a body from intense hitting forges a relationship that is very hard to communicate. It is the hard work and sacrifice that makes “Friday Night Lights” a significant rite of passage for millions of young men in our culture every year.

I am also confident that this process will be more than words. These guys are writing a creed that they will live by.

My Creedo- FOOTBALL

I believe in football- a special gift from God.

It is more than a game. It is a mirror of my soul and a molder of men.

It has taught me that a team is better than a man.
That service is better than selfishness.
That sweat and tears and toil is the path to victory.
That respect is earned and “free and easy” is cheap.

One day my journey will end.
The “two – a – days” I hated will be gone.
The sound of contact will only be an echo.
The hours of weight lifting and running- no longer required.
No more film, no more practice, no more ice bags.

Gone too will be the glory-
The thrill of Friday night and heartbeat of anxious moments
Singing silly songs of victory in the locker room
Experiencing quiet pleasures of a job well done

But for everyday I breathe on this planet
I will never forget
That I am a Lion
My Savior is the King
And my brothers are with me every step along the way.

Soli Deo Gloria

John Wayne Speaks Truth

“Everyone wants to feel useful in this old world, To hit a lick for
what’s right and say a word against what’s wrong even if you get
walloped for saying that word. Now I may sound like a Bible
beater yelling up a revival at a river camp crossing meeting, but
that don’t change the truth none. You do the one or the other. You
do the one and you’re living, the other and you’re dead on your
feet.”
John Wayne, The Alamo

I have been thinking about this classic quote all week. Jo House did a nice job
of showing two things- culture has changed, but even the “oasis of
civilization” without Christ doesn’t solve the problem of sin.

Our HERO is even better than John Wayne. True grit on the cross and he rose
from the dead to boot.

How tough and tender was our Lord! Have you ever thought about the fact
that Jesus kept His scars? Those scars were proof of the battle He had
endured. We often want the easy road. But the hard road offers the greatest
rewards.

Football Time in Tennessee

Excited about the start of football 2007. We had a great Senior meeting this morning. I think this will be a special group.

I'm already praying for us to stay healthy.

I believe we will be successful- the question is...can we achieve our dreams?

It will come down to becoming a TEAM.

Two Weeks and Two Nights

Two tough weeks and two nights of insomnia highlight this restless Sunday morning. Week one shouldn't be labeled as tough, but it was. Amid the riotous fun of Panama City Beach, FL I had to mentally revisit a time of tremendous hurt to me. I don't want to go over the details right now, but a friend was taken from me in very suspicious circumstances that are still hard to fathom.

Week two was tough because my father-in-law is extremely ill and seems to be slowly fading. It is hard to see such a good man and family suffer this way. It also is a mirror of my own fragility.

So I have had two long nights- feeling the pressure of life and spending time crying out to the Lord.

I have been overwhelmed at my sin and lack of spiritual temperature. The Westminster Confession speaks of those "Others, not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the Word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet they never truly come unto Christ, and therefore cannot be saved:"- when I see the depth of my passive and active sin, I can't help but wonder sometimes if I really belong to Christ.

I went over in my min all types and degrees of sin and confessed them one by one. If my salvation were left up solely to me, I would be in big trouble.

So I fully cast myself on Him- I am so tired right now- Lord, I need Your strength. It's been a hard days nights.

My Greatest Desires

Lord, I know my desire is ultimately YOU. So how does that flesh out in my life?

You have given me a wife. May I learn to love her as You love the church. It is a hurdle I will never eclipse. May I be found faithfully leaping until my dying breath.

You have given me three beautiful girls. May I love them enough to teach them and mentor them in You. Let it be real enough to take them through this difficult world.

You have made me a football coach. May I never forsake that calling to train young men. If I am not a great coach, I have no foundation to speak into their lives.

You have made me a Bible teacher to young and old alike.

I accept the reformed faith as a sacred trust and a personal possession- make me not only a teacher…but a spiritual force for Your kingdom.

I want our football program to be the finest Christian program in the nation.

I want our school to prepare the students and defend the faith like Princeton college and seminary in its golden age of effectiveness.

Make me like the great Presbyterians of old:

“hard-headed, long-winded, stout-hearted Presbyterianism”
“We may well be thankful that the Presbyterian Church has so largely escaped the prevailing doubt and dissatisfaction with the ancient faith delivered to the saints. From the old bed-rock we have taken no new departures. It was the honest boast of Dr. Charles Hodge, that Presbyterianism has made no new discoveries in Bible Theology….Thank God! The past of American Presbyterianism is secure.” THEODORE CUYLER, Princeton College and Seminary Graduate May 24, 1888

The Message to the Churches in Revelation

Get Up and Get in to the Game:
The Message to the Churches in Revelation

Revelation Chapters 2 and 3 may be the most important passages to post-modern Christians in the 21st century. Our human tendency to take this important book and chart it or plot it or over cook it which usually leads to confusion and ineffective application.

I claim no hidden or special expertise here- I am simply a reader. But the word “Revelation” means to “move the veil”. It is God’s unveiling of the “right now”.

So I challenge you to read, reflect, and ask yourself deep probing questions. Then statistically, 72% of us need to do some serious repenting.

Jesus asked the question in Luke 18:8 “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” I have always been intrigued by that question.

There are both specific messages and general messages in Revelation 2 and 3. These were actual letters to actual churches. Each letter had a specific exhortation based on current circumstances.

But there is also ample rationale to see a bigger picture here. Why limit the number to 7? There were more than seven active churches in Asia Minor at the time. Seven is a symbolic number in this apocalyptic book, so it hints to a symbolic representation as well as actual, specific places. And each letter contains a loaded Biblical phrase, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. “ The letter is to one specific church, but the fact that we are encouraged to have ears to hear what the Spirit says to the churches (plural) gives clear encouragement to study, learn, and apply these situations personally.

So what do we learn from Christ’s message to His churches?

I Christ is present, active, and extremely interested in the local church. The introduction in Chapter 1 shows a glorified Jesus in the midst of the lamp stands, which are the churches. He is represented in personifications that will be attached to the different churches. Jesus sees, He knows, He is acquainted- He desires holiness and faithfulness to Him. There is a universal, invisible, and triumphant church that will be the over comers, but Jesus is intimately walking and present in the visible church as well. The local church, its ministry and mission, is subject to the Lord.

II For the most part, the church is in a mess. Please don’t ever get caught up in wishing the church could be glorious like the old days. From the 1st century on, the visible expression of God’s kingdom is chaotic and messy. But that is the nature of war on the battlefront. In Chapter 4 of Revelation, there is a scene change to the Throne. All is at peace there. D-day has already happened. These are the final battles that inevitably will determine V-day. Church splits, embattled pastors, compromise, idolatry, misguided distractions, ineffective blustering, flame outs – is just par for the course. Of the 7 churches only 2 are found to be not requiring repentance, and those two are on life support with the Lord coaching them to hang in there.

Ephesus- great doctrine - no love
Smyrna- faithful- but poor and facing unrelenting attack
Pergamum- manipulative rationalization and compromise
Thyratira- idolatry and compromise
Sardis- social acceptance without any meaningful ministry
Philadelphia- faithful and steady- not out of the woods yet
Laodicea- Materialistic- nauseating lack of effectiveness

I noticed, though, that in each case, the struggling churches were sick, but not dead. It was a mixed bag. Some of the sin in each church was threatening its extinction, but none had been removed. Jesus is even patient with Jezebel- “I gave her time to repent”.

In many of these sick churches, there are faithful individuals. The encouragement is to them. Stick with it- I know it is hard- stay the course- Winners (conquerors) get to eat of the tree of life, will not get hurt in the 2nd death, get to eat heavenly food and is given a special name, will rule with authority, will get the morning star, will be cleansed and secure in the book of life, will receive a crown, will have a place in the new city, will sit on the throne.

With this in mind there are some applications:

For me:
I need to repent- I am materialistic, unfaithful, I have a lack of zeal, unloving, prideful, lured by sexual immorality, I compromise and shrink in cowardice, I quit too easily, I am relegated to ineffectiveness by my worldliness.

Oh Lord, break me- I am afraid to even voice that prayer- but I don’t want to be lost in this stinking and dying world, do what you need to make me effective and faithful.

I need to stand. I need to be a faithful and true witness. It means being unpopular at times and getting hammered by culture, I have not experienced much of this – but it will be coming. I need to persevere in the truth.

I need to serve my local church and seek to see her as “Philadelphia”.

For my church:

We have to stop measuring success by the world’s standards. The large, rich churches with great reputations may not be what they appear.

The great church- does not worry about status.
The great church- takes seriously God’s word
The great church- keeps God’s word
The great church- does not deny Christ when the pressure is on
The great church- patiently perseveres in hard times
The great church- is steady and true- faithful to the King
The great church- is loved by Christ

Oh Lord, make my church a Philadelphia. Let it start with me.

While we have time- let’s keep serving our King- He is coming soon.

Seduced to Subtleties

Is it just me, or does it seem that the atheists are bolder and colder?

Any browsing on 'you tube' or other sites and you see them growing more callous and caustic everyday.

The farther we drift from the mystery and majesty of God, the less flesh trembles at the prospect of truth.

I say over and over- it is a sleight of hand. We all argue in broad brush sound bites and universal ignorance. WE ALL LIVE BY FAITH.

Materialists stand firm on their inner rationale. Deists stand on the precipice of revealed objective truth claims.

Revelation 4:1 “After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’”

The phrase “must take place” in the great book of Revelation comes straight from the glorified Jesus. It points to God’s divine pre-destination. He doesn’t say what will take place, which might tempt us to think of His divine foreknowledge. No- Jesus, from the sovereign headquarters in heaven, is still in the control room. He shows John what ‘must” be.


“We must crush this spirit of this age under our feet that says ‘I don’t want to think, I want to feel’. God’s sovereignty is not theological lumber you can live without. It is not a philosophical conundrum only for the intellectual elite. God’s sovereignty is a soft pillow for a weary head. A sovereign God is a comfort to the church under attack. It is a message to Christians facing opposition and even martyrdom. Jesus says to John, ‘Come up to the control tower and watch what must take place’.”
Rev.Art Azurdia

“Should we say, "perhaps you should try Jesus as your savior"
...almost with a consumer market oriented mentality"?. "There are
lots of religious options and if you try this particular religious
option you might like it." ... No... rather, Jesus is Lord and he will
soon be invading with His armies. He is offering pardon in advance
of His invasion and should you receive the pardon and ally yourself
with Him now before He invades, when he comes you will be
considered His ally and He will raise you to Kingship. The
alternative is to be under the wrath of the king. It is not some kind
of religious option. It is an announcement that a new king is on the
throne and he'll be invading. The gospel is not an invitation to an
array of a buffet style choices, it is a command. Will you heed the
command? Jesus is Lord, repent and believe.”
-William Wilder

I am a simple man. But I will continue to say to all who courageously blaspheme, mock, and attack. Are you really prepared for the incredible possibility that you may be wrong?

I Repent

Revelation 3:8 "I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. "

I have been struggling the last few months with my insignificance and low organizational authority. I am like most people in that I have no power.

And I get frustrated. I see things happening, decisions made, people mistreated - and I have no ability to get things done.

But this morning the Lord encouraged me. He is the authority. He has the keys. He has the access. He is in control.

So I repent. I repent of my losing attitude. Lord, you control my state and my finances. You could care less about my status. All You desire is that I will be faithful to You.

My attitude has hampered this. Please forgive me.

I Corinthians 1:26" For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'"

Lord, You are Sovereign and in control. You know my desires and my evil manipulative ways. Please forgive my frustration of not patiently trusting in You. Your ways are not my ways. I now humbly seek You and Your timing. Whatever my circumstance, may I glorify You in my joy and steadfastness. My discontentment is sin. Amen

More Quotes from Princeton

I am continuing to give useful quotes from David B. Calhoun's excellent history of Princeton. These are from Volume I:

“I admonish you again and again, that you read the sacred Scriptures in a far different manner from which you read any other book: that you approach them with the highest reverence and the most intense application of your mind; not as the words of a man, nor an angel, but as the words of the Divine majesty, the least of which should have more weight with us, than the writings of the wisest and most learned men in the world.” Von Molsdorf

The Bible students should be possessed of sincere and ardent piety. They should be students “taught of God”, “conscious of their own insufficiency, but confident of the help of the Almighty. Those that seek to understand the Scriptures therefore ought not to lean on their own understanding, but by continual and earnest prayer should look unto the Father of Lights from Whom proceedeth every good and every perfect gift; who has promised to give wisdom to those who lack it, and ask for it.” Dr. Archibald Alexander, Princeton 1812

Religion without learning or learning without religion are equally injurious.


“Thus it was that with no buildings and but slender resources, save the Church’s faith and energy, Princeton Seminary was established” George Tybout Purves

Samuel Miller’s 7 Resolutions (greatly paraphrased)- I will endeavor to:
1- Remember more deeply than I have ever done that I am not my own
2- Model the attitude that piety is more vital than qualification
3- Conduct myself to my colleagues in respect and delicacy, try to avoid giving offense
4- To resolve disputes and suffer well the offences of others (willingness to overlook and bear with)
5- Keep separate matters of office and ministry (family and work)
6- Double guard against jesting and levity
7- Work to keep a dignified and holy example to all by the grace of God

Compliments on Princeton’s Faculty: (I pray this will be said of our faculty and school)
The professors were full of faith and the Holy Ghost.
The students were genteel, friendly, and pious
Indeed, one of the traits here that everyone possesses is "particular politeness"

My MBTI Score

I wanted to record my Myers Briggs an test again in the future
I ended up INFP
Slight I- Clear N- Slight F- Slight P

"Idealistic- loyal to values and to people who are important to me- want an external life to be congruent with my values- curious- quick to see possibilities- catalysts for new ideas- seeks to understand people and help tghem fulfill their potential- adaptable, flexible, and accepting unless a value is threatened"

Introverted-focuses on inner world
Intuitive-focus on future and possibilities
Feeling-values person centered decisions
Perceiving- flexible and spontaneous- prefer to keep options open.

Princeton and Witherspoon- Grandeur and Glory

Dr. John Witherspoon (February 5, 1723 – November 15, 1794) became the 6th President of Princeton and was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Jersey. He was the only clergyman to sign the Declaration- causing King George III to call it “The Presbyterian Parson’s War”. Horace Walpole is quoted as saying “ Cousin America has run off with a Presbyterian parson”.

Recruited for two years, the reluctant Witherspoon stepped ashore on Aug 7, 1768.-He was a heavyset man of 46, with wife and 5 children and 300 books.

Princeton’s condition was poor. It was potentially bankrupt and struggling with all of the tragedies it had endured in the first years. Under Witherspoon finances, faculty, and student body increased.

He introduced lecture as a teaching method and he purchased a mechanical model of solar system. He also introduced the philosophy of Common Sense Rationalism from Scotland.

“It is always safer to trace true facts upward, than to reason downward from metaphysical principle” Witherspoon

Witherspoon’s vision was to produce consecrated Christian students with an integrated and thoroughly Biblical world view. “Our faith is the grand concern to us all- whatever our calling or profession”

He also held onto the philosophy that learning without piety is ruinous to us and pernicious to others.
In the late 1700's, the Princeton campus was ripe with revolution.



Witherspoon had a helpful sense of humor. He suffered from insomnia, and his tendency to drowse, particularly after dinner, led him, during one of the two terms he served in the New Jersey legislature, to move that the daily sessions be concluded before dinner. When his motion lost, he informed his colleagues that ``there are two kinds of speaking that are very interesting . . . perfect sense and perfect nonsense. When there is speaking in either of these ways I shall engage to be all attention. But when there is speaking, as there often is, halfway between sense and nonsense, you must bear with me if I fall asleep.'

Princeton produced 114 clergy during his administration of 26 years.
Other grads founded ten colleges- 13 became college presidents- 1 president of US (James Madison)- 1 VP- 9 cabinet officers- 21 US senators- 3 supreme court justices- 12 state governors- 39 judges

Example of student Asbel Green- faith was shaken by Deism- under teaching of Witherspoon- “ These advocates (of false ideas and heresy) show us what are the dictates and legitimate conclusions of human reason, but when we become satisfied that we find God Himself impressing His signet on His own word, there is an end to all doubt and distrust”

He later said that he owed “whatever of influence or success” to Witherspoon- He also said in his valedictory address- … on roads to fame or wealth. If you wish to do good, and prefer approving conscience, I have no hesitation in saying that you ought to preach the gospel”

Witherspoon's later years were filled with difficulty. The college had suffered extensive damage to its building and instructional equipment, and its finances were in disarray due to damage from the battle of Princeton in Rev. war. Two years before his death he became totally blind- though he continued to preach. His wife died in 1789, and a second marriage in 1791 to a young widow of twenty-four occasioned more than a little comment. Through these later years his son-in-law, Samuel Stanhope Smith, increasingly carried the responsibility for conduct of the College's affairs.

Thank God for great men like John Witherspoon!

Lessons from Princeton- Perseverence

The Fertile Soil and Frightful Tragedies

Plowing of fallow ground – America at the end of the 18th century had lost some of its spiritual passion. Some have called this a "Spiritual Dullness" that was characterized as boredom with Gospel. God's grace poured out on this apathy in a controversial movement that we now call the 1st Great Awakening.
During this time, Princeton was in its infancy.
During the fall of 1739 the college was a log house containing 7 or 8 worthy ministerial candidates. George Whitefield visited them and wrote that they were "almost ready".

“The devil will certainly rage against them; but the work is of God and will not come to nought” George Whitefield

Good Providence and Problems at Yale-
The revival had a lot of fallout. David Brainerd was expelled at Yale for “intemperate, indiscreet zeal”. This mis-step was sovereignly used by God to ready men for change.
It caused Jonathan Edwards and others to begin the plan that became Princeton.

New Jersey College received its charter from the Governor on Oct 22- 1746. The intial board of trustees consisted of 4 ministers and 3 laymen of the Presbyterian Church- all but one was a Yale grad.

NJC (Princeton) was modeled after the English dissenting academies:
Emphasizing religion, math, English
Encouraging scientific research- "confident in its ability to reveal truth".

The original mission of the college was to raise up ministers AND men that will be useful in other learned professions. The graduates would become "ornaments of the State and Church".

EARLY DAYS AND HARD TIMES

The school had 8-10 students in 1st year. The 1st President died 41/2 months later. Aaron Burr took over and was frequently visited by Jonathan Edwards and Whitefield. Burr died at 41- the job of teaching, administration, and fund raising put him in his grave.

The next day the trustees picked Jonathan Edwards- Jan 1758- He died in March 1758 of a small pox vaccination. They loved him much and encouraged the vaccination to preserve him.

The school then chose Samuel Davies in May 1759, but he died in 1761 on pneumonia at age 37.

The college became dismayed and “spread a gloom all over the country”.

The hard times were about to turn, however, as John Witherspoon reluctantly agreed to take over the struggling school.

Lessons from Princeton Seminary

There was a time in out nation when Princeton Seminary was the strongest voice of Biblical balance and gospel power. I have recently finished volume 1 of the History of Princeton by Covenant Theological Seminary Professor, David Calhoun. It is a masterful and enjoyable work!

What happened?

How does an institution slide into a sea of liberalism and decay?

My next few blogs will consist of notes from this amazing body of work!

Princeton University is a coeducational private university located in Princeton, New Jersey. By most standards, it is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the U.S.(1746) and is one of the eight Ivy League universities. Established by the "New Light" Presbyterians, Princeton was originally intended to train Presbyterian ministers- Wikipedia


Various Quotes and Reactions:
“From 1812 – 1929, Princeton Theological Seminary presented a coherent, continual effort to teach and practice what the Princetonians believed was historic Reformed Christianity. In this they were, in my opinion, successful.” David Calhoun, Covenant Seminary

“They taught theology as they found it in the Bible” and it honored the faith and findings of Augustine, Calvin, and the Westminster Standards. They not only taught it- they lived it. They may have made mistakes, but they stood squarely in the great stream of historic Christianity and orthodox Calvinism.

Quote on Princeton’s Teachers:
These men were not all alike, but they spoke the same thing and there were no visible divisions among them. Their unity was a product of their closeness and their common spiritual faith.

How You See Me Matters to You

As I read the many glorious rich verses in the Bible, I am overwhelmed by all the gifts of the New Covenant. He gives me a new heart, proper fear of God, true understanding of my nature and the meaning of the cross. God bought that for me. It was designed for me, and many others who He has called.

I am swept up in a glorious design of God decreeing – “I will be their God and they will be my people” which is the theme of the New Covenant.

I partake in a glorious sacrament that is the blood of the New Covenant- the sacrifice of Christ.

I boldly proclaim these things in true humility. How? It is all about the glory of Him. In my pride, I can be humiliated in that I truly view myself in my arrogance, my sin, my wretchedness- but point to the Sovereign Lord and His glorious Son Jesus Christ, the Savior.

This message is foolishness for so many. There is nothing I can do for you to see it in any other way. Some in the world look on me in mockery. I am silly. “What a fool this man is”. They mock my Father with twisted humor in a thunderous applause of an entourage of sneering onlookers.

Some look on me in anger. How dare I be so intolerant and disgusting? How dare I say I believe in the violent and oppressive and dogmatic message of Christianity.

Some look in pity, some in disbelief. And some don’t think of me at all.

I can’t change how you look on me….. but God can. God can open the eyes of your heart that you see Him in all His truth and all His glory.

And once you see Him in His truth, you will see me accurately. You will learn to love Him and you will begin to love me.

The final point is that it doesn’t offend me that you see me in such a poor light. All that matters to me is how God sees me. And His Bible tells me that He sees me as His adopted son. He loves me. He purchased me as one who has infinite value.

In Christ, I have an impeccable record in God’s eyes.

I want so badly for God to see you that way too. May God give you repentance and faith in Him today. Read the Bible and plead for the True God to save you – even now.

The Problem in the Church and The Pain of a Nation

Is there a problem in Christ’s Church today? No doubt there is discord in the visible church. There are many vacant Pastorates and congregations rife with split potential.

How completely different from the Scriptural mandates to love, serve, forgive, and bear with one another.

But on another level are we missing the Biblical message? What is the church? Or better yet, “WHO” is the church? The basic message of the New Testament is that God dwells no longer in buildings, but in His people.

II Peter 2 says, “1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Notice all the messages we miss:
Put away malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and ALL slander. To put it away admits that it is present. Churches today have many of these evils. Notice that these basically are a part of man to man problems.

I imagine that some of these congregations have good attendance, and good giving, and good worship and good preaching – but they tear each other apart.

“Like newborn infants” seems to refer back to our Lord admonishing us to become like children if we want to enter the kingdom. It speaks of our need for humility and dependence. It encourages us to almost be naïve in our ability to accept our brothers and sisters.

“Long for the pure spiritual milk” seems to speak of our need to thirst for Christ and His truth. We do not know it all. We need to hang on the preaching and be eager to do it.

“Living Stones”- I wonder if Peter flashes back to the Savior telling him that “on this rock I will build My church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.”? Christ is the builder, we are the stones- living stones. Sturdy and reliable.

We are poor building material today. We are soft and seem to crumble in adversity. Pain produces profundity. Trials temper steely character. We cry at the least discomfort.

Have you read lately some of the comments of our church fathers? Can you hear the strength of their character?

Martin Luther to Phillip Melancthon during a daily crisis: “You are worrying yourself sick because you cannot know how or where it will all end. But were you able to understand it all, then I would have nothing to do with this cause!”

John Calvin: “But when I remember that I am not my own, I offer up my heart, presented as a sacrifice to the Lord” (1541).

Have you become weary of the Church?

I challenge you to start today to become one living stone and let God build the church on you.

When Jesus promised that the gates of Hell will not prevail, do you understand that it is hell that is on the defense there? Gates were defensive. When the church puts away malice, becomes childlike, longs for spiritual truth and grows- it knocks the devils down flat.

Oh Lord Jesus Christ, build me into a battering ram TODAY! AMEN!

Easter- A Holy and Happy Delight

On Good Friday- I played golf to the glory of God and had a great time! It snowed!

On Saturday- I tilled a garden to the glory of God. I froze!
On Sunday- I will worship the living creator and my Savior on the most holy day!

Whether I play, pray, or plant - I can glorify my God.

Holiness implies being set apart for God.

I live a happy and holy life because of my Savior! It is a celebration!

The Old Testament was filled with water and unleavened bread- a great trainer to God's high standards.
Jesus turned the water into wine!
The New Testament is a celebratory feast!

Because of Jesus- we dance. Death is conquered- THERE IS NO FEAR!

HAPPY EASTER TO THE WORLD!

Quarter - filled Cups of Coffee

Quarter - filled Cups of Coffee

”I have measured my life in coffee spoons” -Prufrock
“Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
What advantage does a man have in all his work which he does under the sun.”
Ecclesiastes 1: 2,3


Quarter - filled cups of coffee,
Shadowed stains below the band.
Cooled liquid, thick and soiled,
Etched foam, marked by hand.

Appearance of apparent progress,
Concrete marks of constant time.
Accompanied by piles of paper,
Crumpled calendars, plans sublime.

Of what reward do hours meed?
Riches and honor untold?
What state does watched time translate?
Unused potential to save and hold?

Three - quarter empty cups of coffee,
Symbols unfinished and undone.
Epochs spent on early ambition,
Numerous laps short, the race not won.

Lurking depths of unrequited desire,
Taciturn anger behind the smile,
Endless action churning piles of perception,
Steps no closer to the next mile.

Will the minutes always last?
What price is one to pay?
When activity is ambiguous and prostituted
and success is a shade of gray.


The trap has sprung inescapable.
The suction stronger than my will.
No one there to loose or care,
Fractions of effort to close the sill.


Those dreams seem marathons away.
No tunnel light, no ray, no rule.
Only a vast wasteland of utopian ideas and funny ambition.
I laugh at myself - the fool.

note: I originally wrote this in 1982 and have the handwritten copy in an old journal. Over the years I return to it and in 2024- I made it into a song:

Cold Coffee

The Pain of the Profound

“David must have been plagued by a very fearful devil. He could not have had such profound insights if he had not experienced great assaults.” Martin Luther

We have many in my midst today struggling with the sovereignty of God through the mis-steps of man. A lot of my dear friends are saddened by a perceived sea of error, sin, cover-up, and bungling.

How do we respond to these times of disappointment without it seeming so weak and trite to quip “God’s will, man”?

We know the scripture of Romans 8:28 and Joseph saying “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.” But that doesn’t help me right now.

So let me do some more examples from Church history. Can God be glorified through the splinters of theological and doctrinal disputes?

Is He glorified on a missed field goal or a botched fly ball?

Is the gospel going forth as stories unfold of slander or suicide?

When we say God is in control and victorious- you need to understand that there is nothing trivial about that answer.

We don’t get hurt so much today. We live with pain, but I want to suggest that it is less than the saints of old. Just over a hundred years ago, it was not uncommon to lose children. Old gravesites show us a world of lost infants, and toddlers, and sweet school children.

People did not have access to Tylenol or Advil. And there were not “Docs in a Box” on every corner.

Families did not have acu-weather red icons of tornados rushing to their city and almost no way of calling for help in an emergency.

I guarantee you that I am making someone mad right now when I propose that we don’t hurt as much anymore.

“You are a fool- I know pain” You say, and I know you are right. But even a diagnosis of cancer is done in the light of prognosis and MRI’s and understanding. It is not the mystery of the day of darkness – and that helps.

AND it hurts. We win more than we lose. We get our way. We have food and clothes. We have enough peace for leisure and recreation. We have holidays and celebrations. We have so much good that we lose our need for God.
As I study history, especially church history, I am amazed at God’s good sovereignty. He allows the pain and screw-ups for reasons. Some of the times, the mystery remains- but in most cases time reveals the whys.

We want the “why” NOW!

For example, Why did the Ottoman Turks advance and threaten Europe during the 16th century? How could God allow such to advance?

Some would say that it is judgment of sin. And they would be right.
Others say rain falling on just and unjust. And they would be right.
The muslims would say 'Allah's will". And they would be wrong.

I say it was also to the glory of God and the advancement of the gospel and the growth of the church.

How? One way is that Charles V was prevented from wiping out the Lutherans because of his distraction of the Turks and his desire to keep a unified populace in a time of tension.

God allowed secular and sacred events to provide the right climate for growth and sustaining of The Reformation!

Please, don’t run from God during times of trial or trouble. Don’t distance Him in distress. Instead press in to Him. Have the confidence that He can and will work things out!

Romans 4:20 "No distrust made him (Abraham) waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification."

Does this answer all questions about our part? Do we stay “frozen chosen”? My answer is absolutely not. Step out in courage and go- but please, don’t wring your hands in defeat and keep a loser’s look and lean.

“You are worrying yourself sick because you cannot know how or where it will all
end. But were you able to understand it all, then I would have nothing to do with this
cause!” Martin Luther to Melancthon

“Human life without knowledge of history is nothing other than a perpetual childhood, nay, a permanent obscurity and darkness.” Philip Melanchthon

KEEP ROLLING AND TRUSTING- IT’S TIME TO SHINE!

Courage Under Fire

Matthew 9: “10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” “What a coward every man is! and how surely he will find it out if he will just let other people alone and sit down and examine himself. The human race is a race of cowards; and I am not only marching in that procession but carrying a banner." - Mark Twain, Mark Twain in Eruption I pride myself on being a keen observer of human nature. It has never been hard for me to accept the idea of the radical deprivation of humankind. I see these things deep within me and lash out when I see it displayed in others. The one that frustrates me the most at this time is a general and wide spread infection of cowardice. Not only has our culture become a cess pool of cowards, we have also begun to turn on anyone who even thinks of standing out as bold. The current cowardice starts out as anonymity. I am so tired of listening to talk radio and hearing names like ‘Bob from Boston” or “Bamaboy”. Why should I consider any unsigned e-mail? In the passage above, we have the classic illustration of our common practice of complaint without confrontation. The Pharisees do not go to the Master; they go to the disciples. Sadly, we do the same thing. We air our complaints in safety. We test them as trial balloons and observe what winds will buy them. Sometimes it is an effort to see how risky our stance is and what cost the comments will be. Even worse, we pass much of the information along third hand. Gossip is so pervasive that we have turned it from sin into an art form. Jesus doesn’t play this way. He overhears and confronts. He is a man to man- eyeball-to-eyeball kind of guy. He is strong, and loving. He answers without slander. I wonder what would happen if we committed to this type of practice today? Think of how many pastorates would be built up instead of torn down? How many churches would begin to flow with grace and not criticism? What kind of harmony could be discovered? How much less ammunition would the power of darkness have? I challenge every man reading this today to pray for courage. Find your child or spouse and have that awkward conversation. Look up the offended brother and accept the consequences. Refuse to participate in negative criticism without approaching the source. Ask your fellow critic to pray more and opine less. Try to see the path your opponent walks in and consider his ways. Take the initiative to have a spiritual conversation with a neighbor. Walk up and hug your dad. People want to know where the great men are today? My answer is… they are tucked away in comfort blankets of cowardice. It is time to step out in the light- your nation and church needs you!