Sunday, December 18, 2011

More than Conquerors

Matt Foley, Tony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, the apostle Paul, what do they all have in common- great motivational speakers. Each with different topics but motivational anyway.  Can't imagine Paul using the analogy of living in a van down by the river. Anyway, I digress.  Reading through Romans chapter 8, it culminates with words that should fire any christian up.  My Bible titles versus 31-39 as More than Conquerors. That's exactly how you should feel if you believe God's Word is true and infallible.  If God is for us, who can be against us v.31.  That's really all we need to know but he goes on. God gave up his own Son for us v.32. Yes, almighty God sent His son to be killed in an awful way for you and me.  Let it sink in. If God loves us that much he is going to meet our needs and take care of us.  Wait, what if someone accuses you or charges you with something.  Wouldn't that just be awful, game over right? Not even close.  God is your ultimate judge, oh and by the way, Jesus Christ who was killed for us is interceding for us to his Father v.34.  How awesome is that.  Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. NOTHING! A lot of things look pretty formidable when you look at them through our earthly eyes, but stack them up beside my God and you gain a little heavenly perspective.  Verse 37 states "in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us".  Don't forget that key word "through" in this verse.  Alone we are nothing, a vapor in the wind (James 4:14), but with God we are more than conquerors.  Don't forget this truth when God calls you to do something for His kingdom and fear or doubt creeps into your mind.  Ok, everybody huddle up and put your hand in here.  1, 2, 3,   CONQUERORS!!!!!!!!!!

Monday, December 5, 2011

I Won.......and Lost.

So a couple of posts ago I hinted at some news that I was awaiting. Well, I got the news this morning in my email, about a week after I thought I was going to get the news.  Starting in early August I had bought a new workout program and was going to give it a try.  I have been known to try out various programs from time to time (P90X, Visual Impact, others...) and this one intrigued me.  The other part about this workout was that the designers also host a body transformation contest a couple times a year for people who have bought the program at some point.  Well, I decided I would enter the contest just for fun thinking it would help keep me accountable to my workouts. I also thought it would be fun to see the before and after pictures.  The program lasted 12 weeks and ended right before Thanksgiving.  Needless to say, after all the intense dieting the last couple weeks leading up to my final pictures, I was ready for a Thanksgiving feast. Anyway, long story short, I ended up winning 2nd place in the transformation contest. Yeah!!!! Not so fast.  The title of my blog says I won.....and lost. I titled it this way because I became alarmingly aware of some things during this contest. How can a man have such commitment and focus to something as fleeting as the shape and form of his body and yet have such neglect and poor health in his spiritual body.  This contest required me to go to the gym Monday - Friday about 5:30 AM and workout for approximately 50-70 minutes a day. I did not miss one workout.  For some reason, several days out of the week I could not find enough time to fit my personal quiet time in or read a passage out of my Bible. Can anyone say misplaced priorities?  Jim Elliot said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose".  I traded something that I couldn't have lost for that which I will DEFINITELY lose. I am here to say that I lost and was a fool. Please don't misunderstand me, I don't think working out and staying in shape is wrong, in fact God calls us to take care of our temples. 

 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body," (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

But when that activity encroaches on your time spent with God and growing in that relationship it becomes an idol and sin.  I thank my friend Craig and his recent posts testifying to the life God has called us to live.  It has helped me regain some much needed focus regarding what is eternal and what is temporal.  I do enjoy working out and plan to continue in this activity but I also have this on my radar and know that it is an area of my life that Satan would love to see come between me and my Lord. I will be taking steps to ensure I am being held accountable for my time spent in His Word and consistently growing in my walk with the Lord.  Lord give me a hunger for your Word that nothing this world has to offer can take away.

P.S. I won a little prize money for that contest which I had worldly plans for ($350), but I know the people down at the Shawnee Rescue Mission will have a much better use for it. Merry Christmas!

P.S.S. Some people wanted to see the pictures so here is a link to the website if you dare. I don't plan on ever running for political office:)