Easter 2012



"It's Friday, but Sunday is coming", yes it is (well technically todays Thursday, tomorrow's Friday, but Sunday is still coming).

This is it, this is the pinnacle of our faith, this is why I do what I do, quite frankly this is why we as Christians do what we do.  It's the basis of our faith, everything we believe is what happened on Sunday.  Friday is dark, gloomy, and seemed all was lost.....then Sunday Happened:

I hope you take some time today to watch both these clips, reflect on it, and thank God for what you have in Jesus Christ.  I further hope you take time this Sunday to Worship Him, simply because:

HE'S ALIVE....

Have a Blessed Easter, Chris

some thoughts on Tim Tebow

Some thoughts on Tim Tebow...

I will be the first to tell you that I am a Tebow fan, and long before he was a Jet (or a Bronco) for that matter.

There are those that say that we, as Christians only like him because of His faith, and not because of His playing ability.  There are some great athletes with some great faith (Jared Allen, Kurt Warner, Deon Sanders, Reggie White, Larry Fitzgerald, just to name a few) in the NFL (or retired from NFL).

Yes, i do appreciate Tebows Faith, as well as many others, and how they reflect it on the football field.

More than that, I love to watch Tebow play, He is unpredictable, unprecedented, and some times unbelievable.  Is he one of the best QB's out there, not really.  But alot of the way that He runs, and plays reminds me of my all time fav QB:

Yeah, I know you think I'm grasping at straws here trying to compare Tebow to Favre, but think back to Favre's early days, the way he scrambled and threw the ball and it will remind you alot of Tebow.  Now I don't think Tebow will ever get the chance to be the star Favre was, but imagine this:  If Tebow had been able to stay a bronco and this man helped him fine tune his passing game:

What a QB he could have been.  I would have to say (and this is my opinion, so you can disagree if you want to) that Tim Tebow is better than:

But only time will tell if he gets a chance to prove it.

Have a great weekend! 

Chris

promises, promises

Warning 80's flashback, "promises, promise" by naked eyes



The premise of the song/video was about a relationship in which one party made alot of promises and didn't keep them.....

and if you have been around long enough, it has happened to you:  someone made a promise and didn't keep it, or maybe it was you that made the promise and didn't keep it.

^20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ.  (2 Co 1:20, NIV)

God has made a lot of promises:

He will always love you
He will never leave you
He will always listen
He will always care
He will always be there

He will always forgive (if we ask)

He will always guide

and the list could go on and on.......

When it come to you: are you a person of their word, can I (or someone else) rely on simply what you say.  Your answer to that determines what your character is.  think about it.

Have a great day, Chris



Give me a happy ending

There was a movie in the early 1980's called "The Pirate Movie", starred Kristy McNichol and Christopher Atkins, yes it was cheesy but i always liked it and every once in a while you can catch it on.  At the end of the movie pirates are taking over and everything looks as if it is falling apart, aka nothing is ending right.  Kristy McNichol stops everyone and yells, "hey I want a happy ending"; then the movie breaks into this song:

It's what everyone wants right?  A happy ending, we want everything to work out just like, well, in the movies.

The guy gets the girl.
The bad guy is caught.
Good wins over evil.
The star lands the dream job.
The sick get better.
everything turns out...... perfect.

Big problem is, It doesn't always work that way. 

I was thinking about this today, do you remember in the book of Daniel where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to worship the golden statue, and the punishment was death (thrown into fiery furnace).  Nebuchadnezzar brought them before him and gave them a second chance to worship the golden statue, their response to him was as follows:

“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. ^17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. ^18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Da 3:16-18)

Their faith is awesome isn't it, "if He doesn't, we still will not serve or worship your statue".  Now of course the bible records that the king gets so mad he heats that furnace up much much higher and throws them in, and yes you guessed it God saves them, after being in the fire, they are pulled out afterwards with not even smelling like fire.  A happy ending.  It's what we want.

I was wondering today, what if God didn't rescue them, what if they opened the door and the three where reduced to just ashes, what if it wasn't a happy ending?  What if they didn't get what they wanted,  is He still God?  of course He is, but is He now the God of Sad ending instead of Happy ending?  Life doesn't always turn out the way we want it to.  We don't always get what we want.  We don't always get a happy ending.  The guy doesn't always get the girl.  The bad guy doesn't always get caught.  We don't always get the dream job.  We don't always get to retire on a tropical Island (that's my dream btw).  Some how in the midst of all that we have to remember God could do it, He has the power to do it, and He controls everything.  So why doesn't He?  the answer is simple but yet profound:  it's not in His nor my best interest.  God always works things out for His kingdom and our best interest, but for us sometimes that is something totally different than what we expected or wanted.

The happy ending is this:  God loves you, He sent His son to die for you, and His gift to you is eternal life.  That my friend is the real happy ending.

Have a wonderful day,
Chris

You've got the power

For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. ^35 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. (Mt 12:34-35, NIV)

Do you believe that YOUR words can make a difference?
Do you believe that YOUR words show who you are?

I hope so; because they do.  Your words have the power to change people's moods, feelings, and even their direction.  You have the power within you to either build someone up and encourage them, or to do the opposite and tear them down and destroy them.  The choice, the power is in you.

I also shows your heart, where you are spiritually and maturity wise.  "love is patient, Love is kind...." ring a bell.  It should.  Are our words patient, are they kind?  How did Jesus speak, what did He say.  It's amazing even when Jesus reprimanded someone, at the same time He would encourage them.

Did you know you could change someone's day by mere words, or you could ruin it.  You have the power.  don't be fooled by the old saying, "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never heart me", because it's not true.  Words to hurt, words do damage, words do destroy.  The power (choice) is within your power, so what will you do.

Food for thought for the day, Have a great day, Chris

Are you smarter than a 5th grader?

^28 And he said to man,

‘The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,

and to shun evil is understanding.’” (Job 28:28, NIV)

 

I never have been a smart person (and never claimed to be).  As far as I can recollect I never made A/B honor roll (though came close a time or two).  I always seemed to be "average". 

 

So does getting good grades in school make you smarter?  does it show you have wisdom?  does it mean you will always know the right thing to do?  does it make you more "ethical"?  Does it mean you understand more than the average person?

 

There are two types of wisdom.  One is wisdom you gain from man (school, college, books, etc.); the other is divine wisdom, that only comes from God.  Truth be known you need both.  However, half of this country only has the first.

The source of wisdom is the Fear of the Lord.  Fear translates to giving honor, reverence, respect to the Lord (God); growing to understand who He is, why He created us, He has a purpose in all He does.  What He tells us is in our best interest, His goal is never to harm or keep anything from us.  It is to Grow us into, yup you got it Wisdom.  The other half to this verse is being able to "shun" evil.  To be able to walk away (or run if you have to) that which is not good.  You and I being able to differentiate between what is "good" and what is "bad". 

Books will teach you one thing, God will teach you the best thing.  If you are willing to listen and learn.

 

have a great weekend, Chris.

 

How did we get to this point?

I was doing a search for the youtube video "cardboard testimonies" you know the really cool video of how God changed lives and they write it on cardboard in a big fancy church, and these people walk out in their nice clothes to a live band playing in a temperature controlled environment, and i found this video:

now some are humorous, but most are heart wrenching.  I watch this and i wonder (in an election year) how did we get to this point.  In a country where we raise trillions of dollars for a candidate to run for an office, how is it that we epically fail to take care of the homeless and hungry.  I recognize that not a single person running for office will see or read this blog, but you should be ashamed, very ashamed.  While your flying from state to state all over this country on hard working peoples $$, Americans (many who served this country faithfully) are hungry, cold, and need clothing.

May God have mercy on us for not taking care of His children.

Chris