Modeling

I love working in education.  Now don't get me wrong, there are days that I get frustrated with the woes of working in public education.  The pay is terrible, and the hours can be long.  Many times I have to take work home.  And there are always those students, that no matter what you do, just don't care.  However, each child that comes to me and says thank you, or comes back to visit after graduation just to visit me and ask for help outweighs all of the bad.

Now one of the best strategies that I have for teaching, and coaching, is modeling.  I try to model what I expect them to do.  If it is an assignment, I show them how to work out some examples.  If it is a concept, I give them a chance to create a real life example, or I make up one, to help them visualize.  When I coach, I get on the field and practice with them.  I show them exactly what I want them to do, and do it with them.  To me, this is the best way to learn.  Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a good lecture every once in a while.  But, the best way to learn is by experiencing it.

The same is true with Christianity.  The best way to share it, is to show it.

John 5:36
"But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me."

Here Christ was telling of His testimony, not by words that He had said, but by the works that He did.  That was the testimony of who He was.  As we strive to be more Christ-like, we have to model what we learn in the bible.  It is not just enough to quote scripture.  Anyone can do that, and learn it.  But it is the actual application of it to our daily lives that is the biggest witness to others.  Do they here us and see us live it?  There are a lot of people in this world that are playing church.  As Revelations 3 teaches us, they are lukewarm.  Neither cold nor hot.  They put on a good show to go to church, but do their actions away from church show the same life.  When we model the Christian faith, or live it outwardly, we show the world a true look at what Christianity really is.  And not what they see and hear from TV and some internet counterfeits.

So, the question today is, what are you modeling?  Because, what we model is what we truly believe in.

Thanks for reading, and I pray that God will bless you all!

We Three Kings?

I just love Christmas carols.  It is one of my favorite things to do this time of year.  I look forward to signing them at church, hearing them on the radio, and going Christmas caroling.  They really seem to lock in on the true meaning of this time of year.  We set aside time now to celebrate the coming of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Now was Christ really born on December 25th?  Probably not.  For more on that, you can read my post entitled Traditions for my beliefs and scripture about that.  However, there is one Christmas carol that I never did understand.  And that carol is "We Three Kings".  We're there really three Kings?  What does the bible say?  That is what I would like to talk about in this post.

Matthew 2:1-12
"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:

‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;
For out of you shall come forth a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”

Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way."

Now there is a lot of good information here in this text.  My first question is, how many were there?  Actually, we don't know.  It just says magi from the east.  We don't know if it was three, or three hundred.  It never really said.  All we know is that they brought three types of gifts.  Gold, which represents his Kingship, frankincense, which represents His royal Priesthood, and myrrh, which was symbolic of His death that would come on the cross for our sins.  And because of this we traditionally say that there were three of them.  But, we don't know for sure.

My next question is, were they kings?  That is not what the scripture says.  In the scripture above, it says that they were magi.  Now, historically, magi were known as wise men.  They were experts at astrology with there beginnings in Persia.  These were men, who spent their lives studying the stars and there movement to try to predict what was going to happen.  They were by no means kings.

My last question is, how did they know that the star in the sky was significant to the birth of Christ?  They were not Jews.  They were from Persia.  So how did they know?

Daniel 2:46-49
"Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and did homage to Daniel, and gave orders to present to him an offering and fragrant incense. The king answered Daniel and said, “Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery.” Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. And Daniel made request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel was at the king’s court."

I just love how God can take a bad situation and turn it good.  Daniel was taken from his home when Judah fell to the Persians almost 600 years before the birth of Christ.  During that time, he was a part of interpreting many prophecies about the coming of Christ and the End Times.  And because of this, he was made the ruler of the "wise men".  WOW!  I am sure that he took the opportunity to share the prophecies with the wise men under his charge.  Including his 70 weeks prophecy, which talked of the coming of the King, and the Tribulation.  At the end of the 69th week, Christ would enter the gates of Jerusalem.

I know that at the time of the birth that it was getting close to the time of that entry into Jerusalem, and the magi, that at one time were under Daniel, must have been looking for a sign of the coming of the King, which was His star.

Numbers 24:17  
"I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near;
A star shall come forth from Jacob,
A scepter shall rise from Israel,
And shall crush through the forehead of Moab,
And tear down all the sons of Sheth." 

So, were there really three kings?  No.  But, there story is still a true sign that He is our Lord.  And I will still sing the song for that reason alone.  I hope that you all enjoyed this little study.

Thanks for reading, and God Bless you all this Christmas season.  

A Happy Christian Marriage

Hello everyone.  It has been a long time since I have shared some encouraging thoughts and devotionals.  I apologize for my absence in writing.  I have been on a much needed vacation, helping deal with sick babies, and working on a bible study of my own.  I also have been blessed with another anniversary with my wife.  We have been married for 8 years.  She is the love of my life.  And not a day goes by that I do not praise the Lord in heaven for sending her to me.  Other than my salvation, she has been the biggest blessing in my life.  Now I know that I might be sounding mushy and all, and it sounds like we have the perfect marriage.  But we still have our issues.  A good marriage needs constant work.  And it is hard sometimes to find time to work on it.  With work, children, and responsibilities, it can be hard to find time to work on that marriage to make it better.  And where there is a lack of work, marriages can sometimes become strained.  And both individuals need to come to the table to work.  Listed below are some things in my life and study that I believe that are essential to understanding what a marriage is and means.  Now, I am no expert.  I do not have a PhD in counseling or anything.  These are just my opinions and scripture to go along.

1.  The Marriage is About Husband and Wife
One of the biggest things that can cause problems in a marriage is involving other people in things that are between husband and wife.

Genesis 2:22-23

"The man said, “ This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.”  For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh."

I know that a lot of problems can be compounded by running to mom and dad when things are going like you planned.  And sadly, most parents will side with there child, and cause a larger strain within the family.  The same is true with siblings or anyone else in your family.  If there are issues, you need to keep them within the marriage and work them out.  Now, if you need someone to vent to occasionally,  find a friend that will be honest and objective about all situations.  A pastor may even be a good choice.  But going to your family with all your problems is not a good thing.

2. Follow the Bible Plan

I am amazed at the people who say they have a good Christian marriage, but have no sense of the biblical aspect of that.

Ephesians 5:22-30

" Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body."

Now this is the big one.  Let me start off by saying that I do not believe in the putting down of women and they are not slaves to us men.  Allow me to extrapolate these verses.  First of all no one can understand what a true marriage is, and be happy unless they are saved.  I get this reasoning from the scripture.  Every time it tells something for the wife to do, or the husband, it gives a reason based on God and Christ.  So the first thing we should do is look at our relationship with the Lord, before we focus on our spouse.

Lets start with the wives (men I will get to you in a moment, so no snickering).  Wives be subject to your husbands as to the Lord.  What does that mean?  It means that you are to be willing to serve your husbands the same way the you do our Lord.  Why?  Because the husband is the head of the wife just like Christ is the head of the church.  How could you truly understand how to serve the Lord properly if you do not try to do the same for your husband?  Now, this does not mean that you are a slave to your husbands.  But your role in the marriage is to serve and support your husband.  He is the head of the family.  You took his name, not the other way around.  You should look for ways to serve your husband the same way that believers look for ways to serve our Lord.  Instead of looking at the faults of your husband, because he definitely has them, look for ways to make him happy and feel respected.  For respect is the thing that most men crave.  If a man feels happy and respected in his own home, he is more apt to be a stronger man.  Both in his place of work, and at church.  He will have the confidence to make good decisions for his family, and will seek to keep that happiness at home.


Men, it is your turn now.  You should love your wives just as Christ loved the church.  How much did Christ love the church?  He sacrificed His life for it.  Now I know it would not be hard for you to jump in front of a bullet for your wife.  I think most of us would.  But do you love her enough to sacrifice other things for her.  If she were to ask you to stay home with her one night instead of hanging out with the guys, would you do it?  If she really needed your help one day, would you give up your golf game that day?  Are you willing to sacrifice what you want, in order to make your wife happy?  Do you want your wife to submit to you willingly?  What have you done to show her the love that she needs?  Do you love her like Christ loves you?  How could you really understand the love Christ has for his church if you do not try to do the same for your wife?  Women need to be shown love.  Saying it is great, but what have you done to show her.  They have things that are important to them.  When you show her, show her in a way that she will see it, not the way you would see it.  There are things that say I love you to you, but it may not say I love you to her.  Sacrifice for your wife, and show her how much she means to you.


3.  How to Properly Change When Change is Necessary
One of the biggest complaints that I hear from friends and other people when they complain about their spouse is how much they need to change.  What does the Bible say about this?


Matthew 7:3-5
"Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye."

I know it is common place for people to look at the faults in their spouse and try to tell them how to change.  Why?  It is definitely not biblical.  If you want your spouse to change something that is problematic in the relationship, then you need to change yourself first.  We all have our issues.  We all have things that we know bug our spouse.  What we need to do is sit down and make an honest list of the things that we do that we need to change to make our spouse happier.  And we need to make every effort to do that first.  If our spouse sees that we are trying on our own to change ourselves for the betterment of the marriage, they will be more apt to do the same themselves.  We must take a proactive step in the right direction, not tell the other how to get started.  No one likes to be told all the ways that they are wrong, and they will probably tune you out.  So, remove the log in your eye first.

4.  Stop the Arguing. 
Nothing can kill a marriage and stop the flow of love more than an argument.  So why do it?


Matthew 7:12
"In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

Do you like to be yelled at?  Do you like having all of your faults brought out?  Do you like being put down?  I was reading some of Gary Chapman's work on marriage.  He said that in an argument, everybody loses.  Someone will win the argument, yes.  But, then that person has to live with a loser.  Feelings get hurt, words are said that should not be, and you tear each other down.  And for what purpose?  To prove that you are right?  Whoopie!  Arguments never solve anything.  They just create more problems.

So what do we want?  We want to be listened to.  We want others to consider our opinions.  We want harmony and love.  So, do it.  When there is a disagreement, talk about it.  Listen to each other.  And I mean listen to each other.  Not sit there and wish the other would be quiet because they don't agree with you and think of a quick comeback that would further drive home your point and drive the other person away.  Listen to what your spouse has to say.  Repeat what they said and make sure that you understand their feelings and point of view.  Then work to a compromise.  Show your spouse the love and respect in times of disagreement that you wish to receive.  Then your spouse may be more likely to do the same for you.  And if they don't, do not fire back at them.   You still show them that love and respect, and it will become contagious eventually.



Now with all of my opinions put together, the biggest thing to keep in mind, is that these are not quick fixes.  These are things that we should continue to do in order to have a happier marriage.  In the Ephesians verses above, the Apostle Paul taught about the similarity between husband and wife and Christ and the Church.  Christ will love the church forever, not just for a short time.  We must do the same with our spouse.  We must look at these things daily, whether times are good or times are bad.  You get married for better or worse.  Sometimes its better, and sometimes its worse.  And we should be looking at all times in how to make our marriage the best that it can be.


I would love to hear your feedback if you would like.  You can comment below.


Thanks for reading, and God Bless you all this week!

How Many Times Do I Have to Tell You?

Sorry that I have missed posting last week.  It was a very busy time around my job and house.  Closing out the school year, doctor's appointments, preparing for Vacation Bible School, and many other things have just seemed to swallow up the time.  But, life goes on.  And boy does it go on when you have four children in the house.  Now, I do only have three, but we have been watching a baby for a friend of our lately that has made life more interesting around the Boyd residence.

One of the problems has been my son this week.  For some reason, he has been very testy with his listening this past week.  I usually do not have this problem with my son.  I don't know if it is a trait that he picked up at school this year, or what.  Maybe since his birthday is today, he has felt that he is old enough to make his own decisions, even if they contradict mine.  And it seems that I have had to repeat myself numerous times to get my point across.  I have even had to be tough on discipline with him lately.  Why has he been so difficult these last few days.  Then, last night at bible school, I was hit with a message.  You know, there is a difference when a lesson from the bible moves you and when it HITS you.  Well, I got hit.

John 11:1-3
"Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”


Now, this family was well known by Christ.  It is recorded three times in the bible where he went to see them and spend time with them.  We also know that there was a special bond with them based on the message that was sent to Christ. "The one you love is sick."  So what do you think Christ did?  He stayed where He was.  WOW!  Why though?


John 11:4-16

"When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”  “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”  Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”  After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”  His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.  So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”  Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”"

Jesus said Himself that this would not end in death, but as a way to glorify God.  So, He waited.  And two days later, He was ready to go.  Then the disciples did it again.  They questioned Him.  And he then rebuked them for their lack of faith.  When Christ then told them that he had died, they thought he was just asleep and needed someone to wake him up.  How frustrating this must have been to our Lord.  So He made it plain and clear.  Lazarus was dead.  But there was a purpose.  There was a plan for the glory of God.  And yet, even after they were told that God would be glorified, and that it would not end that way, Thomas had to go and say, "Well we might as well go to so we can die too.  But it was not just the disciples.  Mary and Martha had their doubts too.

John 11:17-32

"So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off; and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother. Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house. Martha then said to Jesus, “ Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” Jesus *said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha *said to Him, “ I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “ I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” She *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.”  When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, “ The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she *got up quickly and was coming to Him.  Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.  Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”"

Now, this was not the first time that Mary and Martha had spent time with Christ and learned from Him.  They knew exactly who He was and what He taught.  They had had a meal with Him one time before, in which Christ rebuked Martha for wanting Him to send Mary to the kitchen to help here work.  And yet again, they questioned Christ like the disciples did.  They both went to Him and said that if you would have been here, Lazarus would not have died.  Jesus Himself had to reiterate who He was and asked her if she really believed.

John 11:33-44

"When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They *said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?”  So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, *came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus *said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, *said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus *said to her, “ Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “ Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice,“Lazarus, come forth.” The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus *said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”"

Here we can see the distress of our Lord.  When it says that He wept, was deeply moved, was troubled, if you study those words and how they were used, Christ was not sad because of the death of His friend.  Remember He said earlier that this would not end in death.  He was upset because of the disbelief of the people.  So many people that He had taught, and spent time with, still did not believe in totality in who He was.  If they did, they would not be questioning Him.  Even Martha again questioned Him when he said to move the stone.  His reply was "Did I not just say....?"  Just a few verses earlier, he rebuked her for her lack of belief.

How many times do we question God?  How many times do we seem to forget His promises to us in our situations?  How many times does He have to remind us who He is.  We have a problem in which we try to find our own way when we are in times of trouble.  We try to fix things ourselves instead of trusting in the promises of God.  And just like Martha and the disciples, we need that reminder over and over.  It is my prayer that I place my full trust in Him, and that I will stop questioning Him when I am in time of stress and struggles.  I hope you will do the same.

Thanks for reading, and God Bless you all this week!

The Truth About the Lordship of Christ

 It has been a while since I have had the privilege to read on a regular basis. But the time became available here recently. Now, I love reading any kind of book with a Christian undertone. And, lately I have been viewing quite a few video clips of the teaching and preaching of John MacArthur. I know my pastor references him quite a bit, so I decided to check out some of his books. This is the first book by MacArthur that I have read, and enjoyed it so much I read it in two days. Which I believe is a record for me. Anyway, here is a review of his book, The Truth About the Lordship of Christ.  

Synopsis 
This book explores the doctrine of the Lordship of Christ, and how we should respond to his holiness. It starts with a detailed view of the biblical proof of what Lordship is, and explains what is means that He is the Lord of the Universe and the Lord of Our lives. The rest of the book is a look at how we are to respond to His Lordship. It expounds on the necessity of submission to His authority, holy living, confession, restoration, and the ultimate destination of humankind. He ends the book with certain statements of faith that define what a true christian must believe. I really enjoyed reading this book. But, not only using it as an interesting topic to read about, but as a study tool. I love the fact that everything that the author talks about, he backs it up with scripture. And not just one verse, but many examples of how the bible explains these topics. I also likes the way that he also gives examples of the opposite lifestyle. He shows the differences in the lives of those who are truly saved, and those that are not. He makes the case for the bible and does it in a simple manner that anyone can understand. I think this would be a wonderful book for any Christian to read, to strengthen their knowledge of the bible, as well as any other book by this author. I will definitely continue reading his work myself.  

About the Author
Widely known for his thorough, candid approach to teaching God's Word, John MacArthur is a popular author and conference speaker and has served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, since 1969. His pulpit ministry has been extended around the globe through his media ministry, Grace to You, and its satellite offices in seven countries. In addition to producing daily radio programs for nearly 2,000 English and Spanish radio outlets worldwide, Grace to You distributes books, software, audiotapes, and CDs by the author. He is the president of The Master's College and Seminary and has written hundreds of books and study guides, each one biblical and practical.

If you get a chance, I urge you to read this book.

Thanks for reading, and God Bless You all this week!

This book was provided me free from the publisher by BookSneeze.com blog book reviewers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 

How am I remembered?

Last week, I had a home soccer game against an in county rival. Before the game started, one of my athletes from a while back showed up to watch the game. I had a chance to talk with her about what she was doing now, how was college going, don't you want to put on a uniform and get out here again? As we talked, she conveyed how much she missed high school, and how she wishes she could play for me again. She said that I was different from most coaches. I asked her how, and she replied that I live the way I talk. She said that people know what I believe when they are around me, and that I do not mind sharing that when I have the opportunity. I'll be honest, I had to fight real hard to keep my pride in check. Words like that from someone in the past makes me feel that what I am doing is really worth all the hard times that I go through. This led me to think on what kind of mark are we leaving in our wake. How are people going to remember me?

Hebrews 12:1-3
"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Every where we go, we are surrounded by "witnesses". Those that are watching all that we do. Some, we have a direct influence in their lives; through work, church events, extracurricular activities, etc. Some, are just in the background. Those that are just in the crowd or passing us by when we act on something. We are always being watched. Now this is not to cause us to panic and look around us at all times looking for that person that is watching us. Instead, more of a motivation to make sure that we let Christ be seen through us.

The scripture above teaches us to lay aside every encumbrance and sin that entangles us. We are to do that not only for ourselves as we run the race of life for God, but those that are watching the race. By doing our best to live our lives for God, people see that. And if we talk about Christ with others, we need to be showing it in our walk. One of the most hurtful things I've seen, is to see someone who is always talking about Christ, and living just the opposite. Now, they may be talking a good game, but they don't show up to play. It's like I tell my athletes, don't say we are going to beat someone, and not play hard on the field and get beat. People are always watching. If they hear what you say about God, and then watch you live differently, why should they want to seek God as well? Their only example might be of someone who says, but doesn't walk it.

So, how should we go about this? We fix our eyes on Jesus. We do not just read the bible, but we become students of the bible. When we see an area in which we are weak, we make the changes in our lives. We pray for strength and guidance, and then use the strength and guidance given. And we must understand that this is not just a one time thing. We have to run our race with endurance. This means that we will do this to the end. We must constantly remind ourselves of what we are doing, and who we are living for. We must constantly combat the sin in our lives that bog us down, and gives ammunition to those who appose us. And maybe, just maybe, one of those people that are watching, will seek God, because of the faith that they see in us.

How will you be remembered?

Thanks for reading, and God Bless you all this week!

How am I living?

There are many things in this world that we use to justify the things we do. We have activities that we enjoy doing, jobs, little league with our kids, and so on. Sometimes we get caught up in all the things that we are trying to do, and thus, our lives are controlled by them. Myself for an example. I teach at a high school, I coach varsity soccer in the fall for boys and the spring for girls, and my son is in school and loves to play t-ball and soccer. We have two younger girls at home who want all the attention. We have church three times a week, with different activities going on all the time. Fridays are almost always spent with my parents, and the list goes on. It is very hard not to get caught up in all the details of our lives.

I saw a t-shirt sometime back that "Soccer is life, the rest is just details." This caught my attention to begin with because I love the game of soccer. But I had a thought. What if I replaced the word "soccer" with "Christ"? That puts things into a whole new perspective. "Christ is life, the rest is just details."

Matthew 24:35
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”


All the things of this world that we enjoy to do, will one day pass away. Nothing is eternal except the love of God. Now there is nothing wrong with all the things that we enjoy doing with our lives. That just adds to the pleasure of life. What becomes bad is when we let these things control our lives, and take our eyes off of Christ. If we center our lives around Christ on the other hand, that will never end. He will always be there, now and through eternity. Everything else is the sprinkles on the cake so to speak.

Psalms 37:4
"Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart."

Matthew 6:33
"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

I know that my life is always going to be more fulfilling when I keep Christ as the center of it. Will you too say to yourself everyday "Christ is Life, the rest is just details"?

Thanks for reading, and God bless you all this week!

Aftermath of Christmas

WOW!!!! We had an amazing Chirstmas this year! We spent a lot of time with good family. There was more food than I could eat, but I tried anyway. There were presents galore, and the laughter and squeals of happy children was a constant reverberation everywhere we went. This truly was a wonderful holiday. But the question that I have is, what's next? One thing that I have noticed throughout the years, is that the day after Christmas mainly consists of children trying to play with all of their gifts. They even are adament that they bring their toys and gifts with them everywhere they go. And they seem to forget about all of the other things that they had before Christmas. This brought me to an interesting thought. What happened after Christ's birth?

Matthew 2:1-12

"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: ‘AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.’” Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way."

Christ was worshiped. Wise men from the east knew who this child was. I believe that they got their information from the prophet Daniel. While in captivity under the Babylonians, he rose to be a high ranking official as an interpreter of dreams. He probably told the magi hundreds of years before what to look for. The gifts brought were represenative of Christ's life, death, and Royalty. They recognized who He was and traveled a long way to worship.

Luke 2:20

"The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them."

So what should we be doing now? We should rejoice in His coming. We should offer praise and honor to Him for coming. Because His coming meant that we would have a way to obtain forgiveness for our sins, and gain eternal life in heaven with Him. We should also spread the Gospel. We know that He came. We know that He died. We should be sharing this wonderful gift with all that we come into contact with.

Now, I am not one for making new years resolutions. But, being it is directly after Christmas. I feel that I need to do just as the wise men and shephards did this new year. I am going to strive harder to give glory and praise to God for all that He has done and will do for me, and share this wonderful gift that has been given to me.

Thanks for reading, and God bless you all!

Manger to the Cross

Last night our church put on our traditional Christmas play. We based our play on the book, "The Three Trees." In this story we see three trees all with a different wish. One wants to be turned into a beautiful box to carry the most valuable treasures in the world. The second one wants to be made into a mighty sailing vessel to carry kings across the seas. The third wants to be left on the mountain and point to God, so when people see him, they will be reminded of God. As the story goes, one is cut down and turned into a manger. He is overcome with disappointment, until one night when baby Jesus is placed inside of it. He knew that he was holding the greatest treasure ever known. The second tree is turned into a small fishing boat. Just as disappointed as the first one was until it found out that Jesus was on board and calmed the seas. He knew that he was carrying the King of Kings. The third tree was pieced together and had to endure a jeering crowd. Then they nailed a man to him. He felt ugly and ashamed. However, He knew after that day that every time that someone looked at him, they would remember the sacrifice on the cross.

My part was interesting. I got to play the part of a disciple in one scene and a Roman soldier in another scene. I know you are probably saying that would be kind of hard. But is was interesting working out the logistics of it. But the part I enjoyed the most was being the Roman soldier. I have talked with several people who said they could not play that part. And I understand that. But it meant a lot to me to put Christ on the cross. It really brought it home to me that it is because of my sin that He had to die on that cross. It was a good reminder to me of what His sacrifice was to me. A chance for eternal life.

Now some people have asked me why we did the whole story? Well, is that not the message of Christmas? It is not just about celebrating His birth. But, the fulfillment of a promise to us as told in the Old Testament. He had to be born before He could die, or the resurrection would mean nothing. He had to become a man, just like me and you.

John 1:1-14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

He came to pay a debt that He did not owe, and that we could never pay. He did this so we could have eternal life with Him. That is the true meaning of Christmas. We can see this in our favorite Christmas Carols. If you look at "Away in a Manger", "Joy to the World", "Hark the Herald Angels Sing", and so on, you will see that they all start with verses about His birth. Then they talk about His life, and ultimately Him as King and Savior of this world. So this year, as we remember His birth, let us also celebrate His life, death, and resurrection as well.

Thanks for reading, God Bless, and Merry Christmas!

Traditions

One of the things about Christmas the most is some of the family traditions that we have. These are special times and activities centered around this time of year that, for me, adds a bit of excitement to our celebration. For example, I love going Christmas caroling every year with my church. We visit rest homes and the homes of some of the elderly that cannot get out much and sing our favorite Christmas tunes. I also enjoy visiting with all of our relatives for gifts, fellowship, and of course THE FOOD!!!!!!!!!! But, probably my favorite tradition is the private Christmas morning with my little family. My wife and I tell our children the true Christmas story, and the real reason for gifts to our children, and then open presents. We want to instill in them the importance of Christ's birth, more so than the commercialism that is going on around us. It seems that society does not understand the true meaning of Christmas, or argue that we should not celebrate it, because it is not really Christ's birthday.

This brings up a good question. Was Christ born on December 25th? Probably not. The Bible does not give an exact day. It was more likely that He was born in the spring or summer. Luke chapter 2 tells us that the shepherds were out watching their sheep in the fields overnight. I do not believe they would practice this in the winter time. Many people believe that we should not celebrate His birth on December 25th because of that. This brings to mind 2 passages in the Bible.

Romans 14:4-6
"Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God."

Colossians 2:16-17
"Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ."

I am of a mind to celebrate the birth of Christ this time of year. And the reason we do is based on a tradition began by the early church. But what is the problem with it? Nothing. The scripture above says not to judge someone on a day they see as a holy day, or to celebrate a festival. That is between him and God, and it matters so little in the scheme of things. We should spend more time spreading the news of Christ rather than arguing over whether to recognize December 25th or not. I believe having a day set aside, whether it be by tradition or whatever else, makes it easier for me to focus on being thankful for His birth. Because His birth was the fulfillment of a promise. And that promise is that we have a sacrifice great enough to cover our sins so that we can be forgiven and become sons of God.

Galatians 3:26
"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus."

Thanks for reading, God Bless you all, and Merry Christmas!

I would like to give you an opportunity to share some of your favorite family traditions around this time of year. Please comment below to share. If you do not have a Google ID or anything of that nature, you can post under anonymous and type in your name at the end of your comment. Thanks, and I look forward to reading!

Defending Christ's Birthday

Going in fashion with my last few posts, I am going to stay in the Christmas spirit of things. This time of year has always been, and always will be my favorite time of year. Mainly because we set aside time to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Now there are those who try to argue that we should not do this. They say that Christ really was not born this time of year, or that He is really not the Messiah. So I am going to devote this page to give some proof that He fulfilled all of what the Old Testament said about how the Messiah would be born. Now many Christians can tell you that He fulfilled those prophecies, but cannot tell exactly which verses in the old testament contain them. So here are a few that I have found, and the scripture in the new testament where they are fulfilled.

Prophecy Concerning Jesus' Birth
1)Virgin Birth
Isaiah 7:14 - "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel."

In this verse the prophet Isaiah tells us that the Messiah will be born of a virgin, and His name shall be called Immanuel which means "God with us." We see the prophecy fulfilled around 700 years later, when Mary, who was a virgin, gave birth to Jesus.

Matthew 1:18 - "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit."

Matthew 1:25 - "but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus."

2)Messiah born in Bethlehem
Micah 5:2 - "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

Micah prophesied around the same time as Isaiah. In this prophecy he named a specific city to which the Messiah would be born. This rules out anyone saying that the Messiah would come from a region or country. The prophecy was fulfilled later in Bethlehem when Mary gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem.

Luke 2:4-7 - "Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

Matthew 2:1-2 - "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him."

3)The Messiah would be from the Tribe of Judah
Genesis 49:10 - "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples."

In this set of verses, Jacob is blessing his 12 sons. Here we see a blessing with a promise to Judah. The promise was that many of his descendents would be rulers, including a supreme one that all people would become obedient to. The bible teaches us that the Christ's Kingdom has no end, and that everyone would recognize Him as Lord.

Psalm 45:6 - "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom."

Romans 14:11-12 - "For it is written, “AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.” So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God."

Now Jesus was born around 2000 years after the death of Jacob. However, Jesus' lineage is traced back to Judah in Luke 3:23-34 and Matthew 1:1-16. I will not write these out because of their length but feel free to look it up and check to make sure that I am telling the truth.

4)The Messiah would be a descendant of King David
Jeremiah 23:5 - "Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD,
“When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land."

Now Jeremiah lived in the 600-500BC range. He affirmed in this prophecy that Jesus would be a descendant of King David. We can trace this lineage through Luke 3:23-35 and Matthew 1:1-16. Just as we did tracing Him back to Judah. You can find King David's name in that list of family members.

I hope this has been a helpful way to actually see the prophecy recorded, and where it was fulfilled. Now I am sure there are many other prophecies about this, but I just picked out the main ones that drive it home for me.

Thanks for reading, God Bless you all this week, and Merry Christmas!

Peace at Christmas

I really, really love this time of year. I love the special get-togethers, parties, caroling, and Christmas plays. I enjoy seeing the laughter and joy in children. But most of all, I enjoy the celebration of the birth of my Savior. I enjoy the time to reflect on what His birth meant for my salvation. And I do receive a certain peace this time of year, realizing that God is always in control. He set His perfect plan in motion, so that I might be saved. That is the best part of Christmas to me.

But this brings me to the point of peace. I think of how much peace that I have this time of year, and I see the exact opposite in the world. They are not at peace. They spend so much time stressing and fighting over gifts. About how to decorate their houses. Many of them do not even know the true meaning of this time of year. They have no peace. This makes me think of the verses about peace given to the shepherds by the angels. Doesn't it say peace on earth and goodwill to men?

Luke 2:8-14
"In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.""

WOW! The last verse says peace among men with whom He is pleased. A lot of people tend to leave that part out of their greetings and advertizements. They do not want to offend anyone. But the verse makes a lot of sense when you read the whole thing. The reason that there are so many people around us this time of year with no peace, is because they do not have Jesus. There is nothing we can do on this earth that would please God. No amount of works, morality, or religious practice means anything to Him unless one has received His Son. That is what the verse means. Peace is given to those that would one day accept His Son as their Savior. That is the peace of Christmas. Like I said in my post about Black Friday, we need to get out there and share what this time of year is really about, so that peace in which we have through Christ Jesus may be spread.

Thanks for reading, God Bless You all, and Merry Christmas!

Black Friday

I do not believe in my 29 years on this earth that I have ever seen the madness that is evident on "Black Friday." A day when common sense seems to go out of the window, all for the purpose of great deals for Christmas. People stand in lines for hours, sometimes through bitter cold, just to be the first ones in line for the item they covet for either themselves or as a gift to someone else. Our Television sets and internet pages are full of violence surrounding this day. People getting trampled, pepper sprayed, arrested, and even killed all for the sake of what they believe Christmas is all about.

Now I will admit, my wife and I did go shopping early. We got up at 4 am to head down to the stores for some of the sales. And we do save a lot of money. However, you would not see me grabbing, and snatching, and even fighting over specific items. However, my wife and I never take our mind off of what the true meaning of Christmas is. As a matter of fact, one of our main stops this year was at LifeWay Christian Book Store. And I noticed some things that were very encouraging while I was there. Number one; It was the longest line that we waited in to make a purchase. My wife and I had to wait over and hour and a half in line to check out. At Toys R Us, we did not have to wait in line at all. It was heart warming to see all of those people buying gifts with Christian influence for their loved ones. Number two; everyone was in a friendly mood. I got the chance to strike up many conversations about church, Christ, and the true meaning of Christmas. And every person that I talked to was in full agreement. There was no pushing, yelling, or fighting over gifts. Number three; I noticed much love and compassion in that store. Now, when you are in a line that long, someone is going to have to go to the bathroom. Especially since the people working the store were passing out warm drinks for everyone in line. I noticed numerous times, people leaving their spot in line to use the restroom. And the people behind them, held their spot in line for them, and even offered to hold their basket of items for them. It is amazing how the atmosphere can change when you are with a huge gathering of fellow Christians.

Now with all this going on last week, I wondered. What would it be like if everyone put the same effort in to seeking Christ, as they do that gift they want to buy. Many people fight hard and do some of the most amazing things when they find out that they can get something for free on Black Friday. But, why do they not do the same thing for salvation. Salvation through belief in Christ Jesus as our Master and Savior is a free gift. The price has already been paid. Jesus gave His life, on a cross so that we might have eternal life for free.

John 3:16
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

Romans 10:9-10
"that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."

Acts 4:11-12
"He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."

Ephesians 1:13
"In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,"

So, why are people not waiting in line to receive salvation? I think one of the main problems is advertising. Do they know about Christ, and His sacrifice? Do they understand that without Him they are condemned? Do they know exactly how much God loves them? We see all sorts of advertizements on TV, newspapers, and catalogs on all the things on sale. So how do we advertize? We witness to others. We tell them the story of Jesus. We tell them the gospel(good news). And this season is the perfect opportunity. We will come into contact with so many people this time of year, and we should seize every opportunity to share with them the true meaning of Christmas, which is the birth of our Savior. We stand beside them in line. We visit them at family get-togethers. We sit beside them in a crammed food court. There are so many opportunities that we have to advertize for Christ.

Matthew 28:19-20
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Acts 22:15
"For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard."

Hebrews 12:1-2
"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

So I encourage you today, do not let the true meaning of this season be forgotten in all that we do. And make sure to take time to tell someone of our Savior's birth, and the gift of salvation that He brought with Him.

Thanks for reading, and God Bless You all this week!

Constants

I love being a teacher. I love the opportunity to have a part in helping young people to figure out what they want to do with their lives, and to be a positive influence for them. In my science classes we have to learn about constants. Constants are things in an experiment that do not change. Something that we can control in order to measure whatever it is that we want to figure out. They can be things like temperature, the amount of light, and pH. By having a constant in an experiment, the data that is collected is more accurate. Meaning, the facts that we learn have more accuracy and are more reliable. This makes me think about Christ. Christ is a constant in our lives. He never changes. And because He never changes, we can rely on and have more faith in Him than anything else. Sadly, there is a growing movement that believe that the bible and Christ change with the times. They believe that the scripture has a different meaning today than it did when it was actually written. As far as I am concerned this is a falacy. The Word does not change. No where in the bible can you find a verse that explains that scripture will have a different meaning for other people in different times. It was not meant to. If you think about the scriptures themselves, they were written over thousands of years, by all sorts of people with different backgrounds. There where shepards, kings, fishermen, doctors, tentmakers, travellers, and taxcollectors that all had a part in producing the God inspired teachings that is our bible. Over all of that time, the bible remains perfectly cohesive with no contridictions. How could this be possible if it were meant to change over time. When Christ died, He died for all of our sins; past, present, and future. Christ was there in the beginning. Christ will return in the end. And how He judges who will be raptured with Him before the tribulation, and how He judges who will enter His kingdom afterwards will be based on the Word. We learn that Chirst and the Word are the same. John chapter 1 verse 1reads "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." And verse 14 in the same chapter reads "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." We must look at the bible as a constant. It does not change. By doing this, we ensure that how we are measured is accurate. We will ensure that our final result is approved and acceptable by our God. Just think, if He were not a constant, how would we know if what we were doing was going to provide good results. I honestly believe that the teaching that the meaning of scripture must change with the times is spoken of in 2 Timothy Chapter 4 verses 1-4. "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths." Be wary of those who try to make the bible fit their desires, not their desires to fit what the bible teaches. My hope is that by using the right constant, I can recieve a passing grade and enter the Kingdom with Him.

Thanks, and God Bless You all this week!