Priorities

Day by day I am noticing that I have to set my priorities. And that sometimes means, not doing something that I really want to do, and doing something that I NEED to do.

I guess this has everything to do with the war between needs and wants. I struggle with this too, dang man seems here lately that I am making all these confessions about what I struggle with.

Monday afternoon when I went to work out I saw 2 guys from church Emmet and Rob. Emmet said something about doing something to help someone out after church, and I told him that I would put out an email about it if he wanted to. With all intention that – that would be the only thing that I would do in order to make it happen. Selfish isn’t it. And in saying that I was really trying to avoid being there.

Why?

I have the NFL Sunday Ticket, so that I can watch my Jags every Sunday, because they do not come on regular tv here. So, try my best to make it a point to watch every game. So far I haven’t missed any.

Do you see where I am coming from? Can you relate? I hope so of not then I am just loser.

So, Wednesday night Emmet calls me and asks if I am going to come and help out with the project. And all they are doing is raking some leaves –and I said yes. At that time my heart was not in it, and I was only doing it out of duty.
That’s not what God wants, he doesn’t want us to love and serve him out of duty. What he wants is that we love and serve him because we are living a real authentic life with Him. He wants us to give our life to him – really GIVE it to him. And that can be hard sometimes.

A OT passage that I really take to heart, and really impacts my life is in Malachi 1:6-14
Check it (read with anger/frustration/disappointment)

6 "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name.
"But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?'
7 "You place defiled food on my altar.
"But you ask, 'How have we defiled you?'
"By saying that the LORD's table is contemptible. 8 When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty.
9 "Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"-says the LORD Almighty.
10 "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands. 11 My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty.
12 "But you profane it by saying of the Lord's table, 'It is defiled,' and of its food, 'It is contemptible.' 13 And you say, 'What a burden!' and you sniff at it contemptuously," says the LORD Almighty.
"When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD. 14 "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.

These people gave the worst thing they could find, because they wanted to have the better calf’s for themselves. The sacrifice that they gave God was crap. God didn’t want that from them – he wanted the best that they had to offer.

What does this have to with us?

When we serve others, when we live out the Christian life. We are offering our bodies as a sacrifice to God.

Jesus says in Matt 16:24, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Bluntly, in this case that means – denying that Jags game and doing something that matters, something that will make an impact and something that will grow my heart closer to God.

The cross being our sacrifice. God knows your intentions he knows your heart. You have to be real with yourself, and ask:

Why am I doing this?

Why am I a Christian?

Why do something that is going to make myself 2nd?

That’s what I asked myself, and I did and I found that my heart was not in it. I even considered calling Emmet and saying, “Hey man – my heart is not in this”. That would be the biggest cop-out ever, and I knew that I would be giving God a crappy sacrifice. This really convicted me to the point where I consider it a sin.

I wrestled and prayed about this with God. And what it really comes down to is – If I were to call Emmet and cancel, would I be giving God the best of me? That is a simple answer – No.

I am going to be there on Sunday after church. Not out of duty, or because I am trying to look good. I am doing it because it is what God clearly needs me to do. And through it I will be giving God a pure, clean, whole hearted sacrifice.

Special thanks to Emmet, and God for helping me figure this out.

I'm Bitter

James 3:13-15
Two Kinds of Wisdom
13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.

This one hurts some to face. I have got to tell you this story:

This past Sunday was Stephanie’s (my love) 24th birth day. So I had to do something “G” (G- a very thoughtful action of love or caring toward someone else) for her on her birth day. So I had my good good friend Ty help me out. We went out to Wal-Mart the night before and got a cake – I put her name on it and everything – made it look as good as I could. The next day I had him take it to the restaurant that we were going to that evening with her parents. There was no way that I could hide it from her or have time to get away without her asking “where you going”. So, Ty “hooked it up” (hooked it up- helping someone out in a big way) real nice for me, and he told them that we were coming at 5 to celebrate her birthday and gave them the cake. We get to the restaurant – eat – and the time for her cake comes and it’s not THE CAKE. And the waitress “drop’s the ball” (drop’s the ball- when someone does something the wrong way due to miscommunication or they were not informed) and at that moment I was not happy at all. So, I let her know “there is another cake in the back with her name on it” – and she went out and got it. But by that time Stephanie was already the complementary cake.

I was so bitter about that – it ruined the night for me – the waitress might as well have dropped the cake. I was not a happy camper at this point. I knew I was being foolish and I should not let something like this get to me, but it did. I did so much to get everything together and it did not work out the way that I wanted it to. At this point I knew I was sinning in this bitterness. The night was not about me – it was Stephanie’s night, and let something little and stupid like this mess it up. This was not a wise thing on my part. I really wanted to see her so happy when she saw the cake, but the fact that she already had another – I really didn’t care if she liked it or not.

This is out right bitter – and I cannot let the Devil get the best of me with stuff like this. Or with anything at all. The Devil definitely got a W that night – and sadly me and my prideful ambition is the one to blame. So here I am putting this on the line – I am not going to deny the truth of who I am at this moment in my walk –

I struggle with pride.

God – please mold me into a man of humility – this life is not about me – it’s about glorifying you in everything! Rid me of this pride – and may I become on a man of wisdom!

Tough Times

For the longest time now I haven’t stopped hearing about people who are financially burdened. We all have bills we all have to make ends meet. I was talking with Chad about this the other week, its pretty cool. It helps to keep me sane and know that I am putting my trust in God. So here's what I do, I look at my family expenses like we are the main product. And we pay organizations for the things that they provide us.

For example:
Verizon
Food
Gas
Directv
Cavalier Internet
Toyota
College Loan
Credit Card
Ducks Disposal
Mortgage
Utilities

So that’s what it pretty much takes for us to live. And times are tough for everyone. And the bills seem to bog us down and we just feel so overwhelmed. But through this stuff we (Stephanie and I) have made it point that no matter what happens we will trust in the LORD. And we show that trust by where our money goes. That being said New Venture is our highest paid organization. And I am very proud to say that

Psalm 31:14
But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."
Trust in the LORD – a couple weeks ago Steve challenged us to give! We decided to give more – what does that mean?

It means:
YOU won’t be able to have as many starbucks
YOU may not golf this month
YOU will have to say, "no" to going out to lunch
YOU will have to back out on that ball game
YOU wont be able to go the movies every weekend
YOU wont be able to go out to eat as much
YOU wont be able to buy new clothes

If you are REALLY going to put your trust in God – YOU have to REALLY show it.

Last question:
Who is the highest paid organization on your payroll? I hope it’s God.

Comittments

Proverbs 16:3
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

This passage is a whole lot easier said than done. As I think about my commitments in life I think about my relationship with God and Stephanie. Those are my top 2 for sure, ya only 2 – seems like not much at all, but that’s not the case.

With my commitment to God – there is a lot that goes into that. A lot of Do’s and a lot of Don’ts. I really have to check my heart and make sure I am doing things the right way and for the right reasons. But I know that if I commit to the Lord everything I do then – I will be fine and I will give him the glory.

A lot of men struggle with committing themselves thoroughly to their wife. A lot of men struggle with porn, they struggle with their eyes, and they struggle with just loving their wife. The fact here is that if I love God the right way then I will love and respect my wife the right way. If I love God, then I will not be hiding anything from my wife. They are one in the same. God is the beginning, if I begin my day everyday by giving him glory and devoting myself to him then at the end of the day I will be remaining faithful to my lovely Stephanie. It works – try it.

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

Are you a Coward?

This morning while I am doing my Bible reading – it’s the best way to start my day, it’s the best way to start your day too! I was reading in 2 Timothy I read the 1st chapter. I’m a chapter/section reader. But anyway verse 7 hit me like a brick in the face.

It says,
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

I liked this passage but at the same time, I didn’t like it. That word timidity – just sounds dorky. It irked me when I read it, so I looked up the meaning and everything. I broke out the Greek and Hebrew dictionary. The word means cowardice. That is stone cold, because looking at my relationships now I have been a coward. I have a couple friends who I know I need to talk to them about being baptized and I haven’t. I know that I need to be the one to bring the conversation up, and I know it’s going to be weird. You may be in the same boat as me, you know who they are we have just got to put our anxieties aside and do what God sent us to do.
Did I mention that the word “timidity” is used only once in the Bible. And “timid” is used only three times. I think that the lack of usage – is because it is not really something that God likes.

1 Thessalonians 5:14- And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Encourage the timid – I think we all could use the encouragement from time to time. Especially when it comes to approaching touchy/personal subjects such as salvation. But if we don’t – then what are we doing? Nothing. God has given us a spirit of POWER, of LOVE, and of SELF DISCIPLEN! We need to put it to use! It’s there – man it’s there! Believe! Get over whatever is holding you back and share the love and power of God!

DON’T BE A COWARD!

PIGGLY WIGGLY

I just read this passage in Mark 5 and it was pretty cool. It really showed the power of Jesus, and the people’s repose to his actions. Can you imagine being a pig farmer and all the sudden all 2,000 of your pigs sprint off a cliff? I would be like, “DUDE WHAT IS GOING ON!!!????” That was this guys job and in a blink of an eye – it’s gone! This story is a trip because Jesus straight trashed that part of their economy. Haha man – when people think of Jesus they think of all these good things like, him healing people, or embracing kids, or holding a lamb or something like that. We don’t think about him casting demons into pigs and them running off of a cliff. Ya well he did that – he used his all might and power to do that – FOR REAL! I can see why there was an up roar in the community and they didn’t want him around. I mean I wouldn’t like it all that much either; if Jesus came into Midlothian and spoiled all the pigs – I love me some QBBQ. That would really stink, but it was through this action that his power was shown. I bet that man told that story a million times, and his kids told that story, and their kids told that story and every time they told that story the power of Jesus was shown. It may have made that farmer mad for a while but I’m sure he got some more pigs later on and everything was gravy. That same story now is touching me 2,000 years later and if you’re reading this – then you are learning about the power of Jesus Christ. His power can cast away all the demons in your life that you hold on to. Those things restrict you from being what God created you to be. He has the power to change your life – if you let Him.

Lets talk numbers

NUMBERS

There are 365 days in a year.

52 weeks in a year.

8,760 hours in a year.

525,600 minutes in a year.

31,536,000 seconds in a year.

Timing is everything – right?

We must use time as a tool, not as a crutch.
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy

What we love to do we find time to do.
- John L. Spalding

Time heals all wounds, unless you pick at them.
- Shawn Alexander

Minutes are worth more than money. Spend them
wisely.
- Thomas P. Murphy

Lost time is never found again
-Benjamin Franklin

Today I added up the numbers on my teaching time spent with students. And if every student came on every Wednesday night for 34 weeks of Edge they would spend a rough total of 51 hours learning some real good stuff about life. 51 hours out of 8,760 hours in a year – that pathetic. As Franklin said, “Lost time is never found again” – I have to make the most of the time I have teaching. And for parents this puts even more pressure on you – because your kid is going to follow you. Maybe even end up doing what you do for a career. The fact here is 51 hours is not nearly enough. I don’t even know how much percent in a year that is but I am sure that it’s pathetic as-well.

Parents please make the most of your time with your kids – before you know it they are going to off to college. And your opportunity of being a positive Christian influence in their life is going to go right along with that. You can make all the money in the world – but you cannot buy back time. Minutes are worth more than money- spend them wisely.

A Side Note:
Let’s think about a week long trip – there are 168 hours in a week. If you made it a priority that your teen comes on a youth trip then they will be getting over 3 years worth of good learning time in 1 week. WOW! That’s pretty good – This summer we are going to go to CIY and Junior High Challenge. I hope and pray that your child will be able to make it one of those weeks.