basketball

A Silhouette of Truth

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61336241Like many other sports fans across the USA, my TV has been dominated by ESPN and college basketball. As I was watching to see where and when KU and WSU would play, I remembered a quote by John Wooden: “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”

Wooden’s words remind me of the self-portrait Paul painted in Philippians:  “If it were right to have such confidence, I could certainly have it, and if any of these men thinks he has grounds for such confidence I can assure him I have more. I was born a true Jew, I was circumcised on the eighth day, I was a member of the tribe of Benjamin, I was in fact a full-blooded Jew. As far as keeping the Law is concerned I was a Pharisee, and you can judge my enthusiasm for the Jewish faith by my active persecution of the Church. As far as the Law’s righteousness is concerned, I don’t think anyone could have found fault with me (Philippians 3:4-6).”

As a Pharisee Paul thought he knew it all, but when he met Jesus he underwent a radical change:  “But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith.  My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead (Philippians 3:7-11).”

Let me paraphrase the verses above in just a few words:  “I got rid of my worthless-self-righteous-know-it-all attitude, so I could know Jesus.”

Stephen Covey said that, “In the last analysis, what we are communicates far more eloquently than anything we say or do.”  The “what-we-are” communication of Paul, was the harsh restrictive, and punitive mindset of the Old Testament.  Paul knew the nitty-gritty essence of what it took to be a Pharisee, but he didn’t have an itty-bitty speck of “what-we-are” grace. Paul was a know-it-all theologian, and at his core, he would abhor the grace-themed principles of Christianity.

Paul’s pace was slowed on the Damascus Road, when he had a personal encounter with Jesus. Up to this point in his life, Paul had tried to find fullness in a silhouette of truth. When he met the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Paul couldn’t ignore His majestic mercy and the grace galore that Jesus offers.

The arrogance of what Paul was, was quickly overshadowed by the eloquence of what he became. He became a Christian of significance because he was not content to just talk-it-up.  He knew he needed to live-it-out.

The Covey quote I shared earlier seems to be based on the teaching of John: “Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”  If “what we are” determines the effectiveness of what we say, how influential is your life?

The Voice is Your Voice

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The-VoiceLast night I had my TV tuned in to ESPN, so I could watch the Kansas State Wildcats play the Kansas Jayhawks in a game of basketball.  During a commercial break, I quickly flipped through the channels and found The Voice playing on channel 3.

NBC describes The Voice as “the Emmy Award winning, number one series on NBC, featuring the country’s best unknown artists and four of the biggest names in music as coaches.” Due to the success of the program judges Adam Levine, Pharrell Williams, Christiana Aguilera, and Blake Shelton have become household names.

The title of the show, The Voice, reminds me of the words of Psalm 5:1-4: “Listen to my words, O Lord, and consider my meditation. Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, for to You I will pray. My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.”

There is a voice that God listens for throughout each and every day of the Earth’s existence, and it is your voice.  God listens to your words, and He considers your concerns.

When you read this Psalm, you can discover several things:

  • The details of the prayer: It was not some haphazard exercise, but there was an appointed time to meet with God—“in the morning.”
  • The determination and discipline of the prayer: “I will pray” not “I might pray.”
  • The direction of the prayer: It was directed towards God (Jeremiah 33:3).

The difference between “The Voice” and “Your Voice” is this:  You have never had to compete to get the Judge to hear you voice and to get His attention.  You can approach Him boldly in your time of need (Hebrews 4:16), and you can have the confidence of knowing He always hears your voice: “The Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.  The Lord has heard my appeal for mercy; the Lord has accepted my prayer (Psalm 6).”

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The Characteristics of Contentment

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contentment1While watching the Kansas Jayhawks play basketball on Saturday, I became keenly aware of the intent and goal of each of the commercials on TV.  They were designed to arouse a sense of dissatisfaction and an incensed desire.

The pitch lines may have been a little different, but the message was the same:

  • You can’t be happy and fulfilled with the life you have—unless you buy our product.
  • You will never be whole and feel like you belong—unless you join our group or support our cause.

The more you believe the lies of the world, the more you will feel like somebody owes you some- thing. This breeds a sense of entitlement that can be the onset of resentment, and resentment and contentment cannot coexist.

This constant onslaught of “something must be bought” to find happiness and fulfillment or “the world owes you” is foreign to the thinking of the Apostle Paul:

Now godliness combined with contentment brings great profit.  For we have brought nothing into this world and so we cannot take a single thing out either.  But if we have food and shelter, we will be satisfied with that (I Timothy 6:6-8).

Notice the characteristics of contentment:

  • Godliness is enhanced by the presence of contentment
  • There is the realization that you were born with nothing and there is nothing in this world that you can take to heaven with you when you die
  • You are satisfied with the blessings God has given you and do not resent the manner in which He blesses others
  • The key to contentment is the content of your life, and Paul called this godliness

If want to hear the expression of contentment, take a moment to read Psalm 145.  In the first two verses of this Psalm you’ll find the words “praise” and “bless” repeated.  These are the words of contentment not resentment.

Here’s a thought to keep you thinking:   “Many people lose the small joys in the hope for the big happiness ( Pearl S. Buck).”

What’s in a Name?

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nameThe marketing power of today’s professional athlete never ceases to amaze me. I was listening to a report on either ESPN or CNBC that detailed the earnings power of LeBron James, and they are seen in the table below .

james

While there is a lot of dollar value to the name, “LeBron James,” there is still no comparison to power of Jesus name; and, Scripture testifies of this fact:
• Philippians 2:9-10: God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth
• Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved
• Psalm 7:17 I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.
• Psalm 9:10 And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
• Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
• Psalm 29:2 Give to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

Even though LeBron just inked a new deal with Nike that is incredibly lucrative, I still think the name of Jesus has more staying power, and His name is good for all eternity.

The Week That Was

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159-pack13-021514-tmFriday at last! So, how has your week gone? Has it been a week of daily delights or has it been a bit different?

Was it one of those weeks where you felt like you’ve been drop-kicked through the goal post of life; bounced, like a basketball, off the hardwood floors of adversity; or, one in which the time of day never mattered because no one would give you a second of their time?

Life alone can be like that, but life aside of Jesus can be much different. Whenever you think that no one will give you a second of their time, remember that Jesus has given you His life and a promise of eternity in Heaven.

The rejection you feel from time to time—Jesus knows all about it. Remember He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and very familiar with our grief; and, for the joy of obtaining the prize that was set before Him, Jesus endured the cross (Isaiah 53, Hebrews 12:2).

So, the next time you feel rejected, remember you are accepted in Jesus. To Him, you are a keeper—a “prize” that He cherishes.

And the adversity you face—you never have to go it alone because He has promised to never leave you or forsake you. The invitation is to come along side of Him, so He can ease your burden and carry your load.

You can find some comfort and reassurance in the words of Paul: “No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.”

Here’s a verse or two to get you through today and to think about over the weekend: “Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not be shaken. My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock. My refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge.”