Tag: Hebrews

Categories
Daily Post

Heading Home

I  witnessed the second longest soccer game of my life on Friday night! ( for those who don’t know, the game was delayed 2.5 hours because of lightning before it even started this time and then went all the way down to PKs again before the Buccaneers pulled off the great victory), Anyway, after that game we loaded up the family truckster and meander our  way through Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky and eventually spent 2 days explore the coal fields of  West Virginia on our way back to “grandma’s house”.  We witnessed historic sights, interesting architecture, backwoods that make banjos play in your mind, beautiful aspects of nature that show God’s handiwork, excellent tourists traps, and strange oddities.  We even took a mental trip trough family history as we traveled to Butchersville, WV, just outside of Weston and toured the grave of heroes where so many of my historical grandparents lie, and then spent a great day with family.  But even after all of that goodness, there is still something about going home.  So today, we will embark of quite a straight shot(as straight as you can in West Virginia) south to our home.

That sort of reminds me of the Christians life. Its not a perfect comparison, but I need to provide you some encouragement today to get your going after an awesome holiday weekend.  As much as we love the things that we put our hands to here, we are always looking to someplace else.  Our focus in life is not the roadside attractions, nor other great things of this world, but our focus in is our Savior who helps shape and direct our lives.

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  Hebrews 12:1-3 (New International Version)

Enjoy the day, and keep your focus

Categories
Daily Post

The Caleb Factor

My friend Joel heads to Aruba this weekend, and I am jealous.  Yes, jealous.  Not really because of his destination, I am jealous of his preparation.  For the last 3 months, despite our constant barrage of heckling, he has been working each day to prepare his body for this trip.  Now, some of you may say – how vain, and as a matter of fact that is what most of the heckling was about.  But today I say how marvelous.  I am not sure if he hit all of his goals or not, but at least he was forcing himself everyday to work and strive for his goal.

Last night I was with a group of men who have been studying the book of Joshua.  Right there in Joshua 14 is the ultimate daily buffeter.

7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, 8 but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. 9 So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.’

10 “Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

Caleb had a promise from Moses and God, and waited 45 years to receive it.  But he says he was as fit as the day he recieved the promise.  Don’t you think that he must have woke up everyday and thought about the gift he was to receive.  I want to believe that he worked everyday to keep himself ready to take the land and receive his gift.

What so awesome is we have a gift like that waiting for us.  A promise of eternal life if we  fix our eyes on Jesus.  Of course that’s one of the reasons I write this blog; to help each of you work each day to attain your spiritual goals and to stay focused on our promise.

Caleb was fit spiritually, he was fit physically, he “followed the LORD [his] God wholeheartedly”.

I have a trip like Joel’s coming up this summer, and he and Caleb have inspired me.  I want to follow the Lord God wholeheartedly every day, even though I fail most days.  So today I am going to publicly introduce  a small addition to this blog that I will call the Caleb Factor.  To help force me to keep in shape, not so I can take the land, but so I can always be ready to serve.  I will be sharing a little number from time to time to show my progress and my goal.  I am not turning this into a fitness blog, however, I hope you this will continue to motivate you to buffet each aspect of your body each day.

So the starting number is today’s; 184 and the idea is that in June it will be 174.

How will you let the Caleb Factor inspire you?

Categories
Daily Post

Days of our lives

Its good to be back home, where you know the only nastiness on the remote is your own nastiness.  This week has left me a little brain dead, so I have a simple thought to share this morning.  Last week I finally finished Crazy Love by Francis Chan.  This sentence has stuck with me:

I concur with Annie Dillard, who once said, “How we live our day is…. how we live our lives.”  We each need to discover for ourselves how to live this day in faithful surrender to God as we “continue to work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling”(Philippians 2:12).

I agree as well.  And that’s why its important to focus on your days, for they comprise your life.  And that’s also why I think vacations are good.  They allow you to step away from your day and evaluate if they are adding up to the life you want.  Next week I will be doing that, and there may be some guest bloggers keeping the buffetting going.

13But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:13 (New International Version))

Categories
Daily Post

Acts of Kindness

   I have a friend named Jon, who I follow on Twitter. Jon is always sharing links. He doesn’t always provide commentary on these links, so I am not sure of why he shares them sometimes, except that he find some interest in them.  Well, I try to find a time each week for follow these and he has directed me to some very interesting sites.  I am not sure how much work he gets done during the day, but it does help me in my own research!

Anyway, yesterday he posted something about a site call  Neat-O-Rama.  I only spent a few minutes checking it out, but I stumbled upon this arcticle:

Acts of kindness spread surprisingly easily: just a few people can make a difference

ScienceDaily (2010-03-10) — For all those dismayed by scenes of looting in disaster-struck zones, whether Haiti or Chile or elsewhere, take heart: good acts — acts of kindness, generosity and cooperation — spread just as easily as bad. And it takes only a handful of individuals to really make a difference. … > read full article

Very interesting.  This arcticle describes a study that shows how contagious acts of kindness can be.  Especially interesting to me is the chart they added.  In the study the following was noted:

When people benefit from kindness they “pay it forward” by helping others who were not originally involved, and this creates a cascade of cooperation that influences dozens more in a social network.

Hm, this sounds awfully familiar to me….

24Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. 1 Corinthians 10:24 (New International Version)

16And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:16 (New International Version)

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:31 (New International Version)

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:10 (New International Version)

Interesting.  So this Christ fellow, must have know the impacts this can have on people, and  today you now know that these verses have been proven by science to work.

So, let me start:

  • Ray – Happy Birthday Man!  I will buy you lunch when I get back in town.
  • Jon – thanks for sharing these great stories!

How about you? Get out today, show acts of kindness and watch it spread like wild fire.

Categories
Daily Post

Distractions

Today is March 1st, and its a day full of distractions.  The first of March, is it in like a lion or a lamb?  Its the second day of the Hindu holiday Holi.  There’s a full moon.  Its National Peanut Butter Lovers Day.  There’s talk of another big snow event in the southeast. Its almost Spring.  March Madness is right around the corner. And I am sure you can add lots of other things to the day. A day of distractions.

My youngest son turns 10 today.  I still remember being at the hospital and getting a call from a boss at the time.  She was asking me if I could get a report complete and to her by the end of the day. I told her that I was a little distracted at the time, and probably would not be able to accomplish that today .  Finally, remembering what was going on, she realized the ridiculous nature of her request and started apologizing immediately. Distractions.

Distractions from the goal at hand are always present, its our job to filter them out and focus on the goal, the prize.  But boy is it hard some times, I find my self so easily distracted that its absolutely infuriating.  Today’s buffet is a few verses to help you (me) keep your (my) spiritual focus.

24 Put away perversity from your mouth;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
fix your gaze directly before you.

26 Make level [a] paths for your feet
and take only ways that are firm.

Proverbs 4:24-26 (New International Version)


2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2 (New International Version)

Stay focused on your spiritual goal today, and avoid the distractions!