BEING A CHAMPION

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” --- 1 Corinthians 9:24

I’ve spent this past spring, summer and fall participating in local races --- runs, triathlons and duathlons --- By my count, twelve in all. I run, bike and swim to win, but in all reality, I have little or no chance to win my Age Division, let alone the race. Probably my strongest finish by far was in the Lake Country (Oconomowoc, WI) half marathon, where I finished 119^th out of 839 total runners and 20^th out of 46 in my age group.

Many of the events are put on by Midwest Sports Events, a fine organization that puts on first-class races, making it fun for all participants from the elite to the novice. They have something called the “five-star” series, which includes all of their multi-sport races. It caught my attention only because if one takes part in five of the races, they receive entry into the sixth race for free. As I chalked up participation, and mediocre finishes, in event after event, I decided to take advantage of this. I also read, but took very little notice, about how there was a point system for those who took part in at least five events and that a champion for each division would be crowned at the end of the year.

Well, lo and behold, the year is complete and the results were all tabulated and the winner of my age group is ME! How could this happen? Did the computer go haywire and list the results in reverse? As it turns out, despite the incentive, not many in my age group did enough events to qualify and strong finishes in the last few events helped vault me past those who did. Will this make me a favorite to win any individual race next year? Probably not --- still, it’s encouraging sometimes to see hard work and effort paid off, especially in contrast to the discouragement of entering event after event and not seeing any tangible results.

The same can be said for our walk with the Lord. Some, like Billy Graham, can see their efforts on behalf of the Lord quantified at large crusades that introduce many to the hope and salvation of Jesus Christ. But there is far more who put in the same dedication to the Lord’s call, but don’t see those efforts quantified. In fact, all they seem to see are family conflicts, an unexciting workplace that barely allows ends to meet and friends shunning them for being perceived as a “Jesus freak”. The enemy swoops in on this and sows seeds of discouragement lessening those believers’ effectiveness for Christ and sometimes worse. That’s where a believer needs to step back and realize that there is only one Judge tallying up the score and as long as that believer is following the path God has laid out for him, he will be a winner in the end --- even if he feels like he’s losing every battle.

One of the great concepts I took from the CS Lewis classic “Mere Christianity” is the fact that, though they are just small glimpses, there are things in this life that give us a “picture” of eternity. We need to look at them and realize that this is a way that God speaks to us and encourages us. I believe this 5-star “victory” was just such an event. I spent the season working hard and sacrificing to take part in these events and, while I enjoyed my participation, often got discouraged by the results. I often feel the same way in my walk with God in my everyday life. God showed me His grace by giving me this victory to remind me to keep plugging away in my walk with Him so I can enjoy the real glory and joy that will go with my eternal victory with Him!

THE JOURNEY HAS BEGUN!

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
       but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” --- Proverbs 1:7

I remember the first time we tried to take our then one-year-old son, Caleb, into the sanctuary of our former fellowship for worship. The stares were long and every noise he made seemed to be magnified 1000 times. That’s because the fellowship, right or wrong, had an unwritten rule against babies in the sanctuary during a service. Our desire to corporately worship the Lord with our child is one of the big reasons we left that fellowship.

I only bring this up because at age five, Caleb’s now entered another phase of his life’s journey that may come under the same kind of scrutiny --- that being our decision to home school him. We need to be prepared, because the minute he misbehaves or acts uncomfortable in a social setting or the minute he stumbles over a reading that his “grade level” should be able to handle, the naysayers (probably “well intentioned” friends and relatives) will be there to swoop down and mention concerns about what he may be missing by not attending public or private school. We’ll probably even question the decision ourselves many times.

I’m confident, though, that the decision is right for Caleb and has come after much thought and prayer. In fact, as we enter the fall of what would be Caleb’s first year of school (albeit half-day Kindergarten), I’ve received strong reinforcement from the Holy Spirit to back up the wisdom of the decision.

It came in the form of a Devotional book that was actually a gift given to our other son, Joshua on his second birthday in May. As I glanced through the book, I saw that it was written to about a 3^rd to 6^th grade level and put the book aside. But, encouraged by my wife, I started reading them to Caleb each evening. He not only paid attention, but he grasped on to major concepts and themes, so much so that he would often apply them to what I was teaching on at the nursing home on Sundays. The enemy will challenge our confidence in teaching our son the ABC’s and 123’s, but if Caleb can rightly divide the word of God, I’m pretty confident the phonics and math will follow!

The next step is an adult devotional book/workbook called the “Road to Emmaus”. It’s written to what I would categorize as a 6^th to 8^th grade level, but I think we can wade our way through it and that Caleb will learn the important Biblical concepts and themes along the way. As much as homeschoolers are marketed expensive learning kits and packages, I think we’re going to stick to the basics --- God’s word and math and phonics workbooks from places like Sam’s Club. It would be nice if there was a voucher system from not using the free public school system, but since there isn’t, we need to budget our finances. I’m not judging those who are led to use them, but I think the enemy plants huge seeds of discouragement through the cost of these learning kits and such.

The other reason for homeschooling is based on the use of time and energy. I remember once sitting in the home of a family that sent their children to public school. It was about 8:00 in the evening after a day of school and activities. The mother was peppering her son with questions that sounded like psychobabble to me and the son’s answers sounded like they were just coming from memory and that they’d be forgotten (probably for the better) hours after the test was given the next day. Suddenly the answers stopped, as we all turned to see why, we saw that the boy had fallen into a deep sleep. Now bring it in to the future: Imagine I, the anointed bible teacher of the family, who has worked a long, hard day at work and come home to help with the cooking and cleaning, sitting at the table with my son, who has gone through a long day of school and activities. As much as we might be dedicated to Bible studies, how much effort will we really put into it and how soon will we decide bedtime at that point is a much better option. When trying to combat the world view perspective children get on a daily basis for eight hours at school, this should not be an option.

Once again, I will not judge anyone who chooses the option of public school. In fact, I think God equips many families to be able to choose that option so that He has some light in the otherwise dark closet known as the public school system. However, the bottom line for us is this: We want to put our boys in a position to pursue success in this world, but not at the expense of pursuing first His kingdom!

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (material “necessities” that the world puts a premium on --- amplification mine) shall be added to you.” --- Matthew 6:33        

WHAT IS LIFE

“ Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
      Before you were born I sanctified you;
      I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” --- Jeremiah 1:5

I recently heard some great testimony at the home fellowship I attend from a woman who shared about how she and her husband felt the call to adopt a special needs child 12 years ago. They agreed to the adoption BEFORE the child was born. Tests had determined that the child would have birth defects. As it turned out, he was born with basically half of a brain and life has not been easy for anyone involved since the birth.

The child requires constant attention and has no ability to perform any bodily function on his own. She was sharing on how the last 9 months have been particularly hard as many complications have reared themselves. However, it was far from a “woe is me” or “where is God?” talk. Instead, it centered on, what a blessing the boy has been and continues to be!

She talked about how the birth parents of the boy, especially the mother, have re-entered the boy’s life. The couple had the boy when they were both 17 and in active rebellion. The mother was a drug user and alcohol abuser, who since that time has turned around her life and given it over to the Lord, rather than to be a guilt-ridden malcontent to society.

She talked about how a smile on the boys’ face lights up a room like no light could and about how her other children had grown in so many ways as a result of their role in caring for the boy. And, though the heaviest burden in his care went to her, she had absolutely no complaints about it.

Her goal and prayer for the boy is simply for his comfort --- A perfect picture of God’s role with His children. She talked about some of the pain he has to endure, but also the joy that he shows most of the time.

The bottom line is that this is a boy, who is touching many lives in a very positive way. Though he experiences more pain and discomfort than most people endure, he has many caring and loving people attending to his every need. The outward result is a loving and joyful human life.

Then she talked about the naysayers --- the ones who say, “That’s no way to live” or ask, “what kind of life is that?” Though the Bible makes clear that all lives and people living them are precious in God’s eyes, society doesn’t seem to put much value in a life like this boy’s.

Worse, though, is the government and more particularly its proposed health plan. It says not only that a life like this has little or no value, but that it’s a HUGE liability. Health coverage would NOT be available to another couple in the same position, who receive the same call as this woman and her husband received twelve years ago. This, in conjunction with the fact that taxpayers will continue to offset the cost of abortions, will make that an “easier” choice when the next young mother is confronted with a similar situation.

This theme of certain lives being a liability extends to the elderly. In my nursing home service ministry, a message I try to hammer home on a weekly basis is that regardless of age, physical limitations or anything else, if God still has someone here on earth, He also still has a purpose for their lives. Unfortunately, certain provisions of this health plan regarding the cost of care to the elderly fly in the face of that.   

Back in Old Testament days when the Israelites used to offer up burnt sacrifices to God, it was said that it was sweet aroma to Him if done in a sincere way. Unfortunately the policy that would be implemented as a result of this new health plan stinks to high heaven.

“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’” --- Matthew 25:44-45 

SCRATCHING AN ITCH

“Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” --- John 4:13-14

I hate to be gross, but it’s the best example I can think of to illustrate the point I will try to make in this paper --- so here goes: I have a case of athlete’s foot that flares up now and then between two of my toes. While not debilitating, it causes great discomfort, especially in the summer when heat and perspiration is prevalent. That being said, there is no feeling more soothing in the world, than taking off that shoe and sticking an instrument between the toes to scratch the itch. It beats a normal back rub by a mile! So is it actually one of life’s hidden pleasures to actually contract the fungus? --- Certainly not! The relief is brief and actually leads to more scratching that really doesn’t satisfy.

For those who have never experienced this, I’ll throw out any of life’s dependencies --- smoking, drinking, overeating, etc. as falling into the same category. It gives us great pleasure when we go to it, but it ultimately leaves us unsatisfied and eventually wanting for more.

That, I believe, is what our government is doing to us right now!

Everything the government, under new President Barrack Obama, has introduced from health care reform to economic reform not only has been introduced by the government, but would be totally run by the government. Nothing has been left to the private sector --- It’s something scholars many years ago came to identify as socialism. That’s right, the same type of government that fueled the rise of everything from communist Russia to Adolph Hitler’s Germany. It is designed to make the people completely dependent on the government to fulfill all their needs. The beauty of it from the government’s standpoint is that it can create problems and then come up with the solutions (create the itch and then provide the scratch), making the people more and more dependent. If the leader is charismatic, like Lenin, Hitler and Obama, they’ll tend to get all the credit without getting much of the blame!

That’s why it’s so important that, even if it falls on deaf ears, every problem and solution is closely scrutinized by the populous. If people are simply looking for change for change sake, the opportunity for the government to take over as their sugar daddy or back scratcher is left wide open.     

This whole principle is explained well in the writings of a man named Saul Alinsky --- A man who Obama learned under in his formative years:

“Any revolutionary change must be preceded by a passive, affirmative, non-challenging attitude toward change among the mass of our people. They must feel so frustrated, so defeated, so lost, so futureless in the prevailing system that they are willing to let go of the past and change the future. This acceptance is the reformation essential to any revolution.”

It’s also what God uses to draw people to Him --- or at least give them a choice. I am not going to say definitively that Obama IS the antichrist, who will usher in the last days, but, like Hitler, he is a type (see 1 John 2:18). I believe God continues to test us and see which way we lean when we are in trouble --- towards Him, which is what He seeks or towards man. We are all wired for that need, one way or the other and it’s up to us whether we choose the short-term solution or the eternal one.

The recent economic downturn in this country, in conjunction with a hotly contested election, makes it tempting to look to the government, rather than the Lord in our trouble and distress. Though they may provide us with stimulus checks, cheaper heath care or the platform for economic recovery, we need to remember where that provision ultimately comes from…and where our hope ultimately lies!

“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the LORD!” --- Isaiah 31:1

THE SPIN DOCTOR

“…For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers…” --- 2 Timothy 4:3

Even before his recent signing with the hated Minnesota Vikings, I was going to write this, but now that he has gone to the enemy camp, I’m assured of this --- Brett Favre is one of the most hated men in the City of Green Bay, Wisconsin. This despite the fact that he led the hometown Packers back to their glory days and started every game during his 16 years with the club.

His crime? --- That’s where it gets a little bit sketchy depending on who you talk to…and how it’s spun!

Here are the facts as I see it (with perhaps a bit of my own spin):

Coming off a 13-3 season and one step from the Super Bowl, the Packers and more specifically their General Manager, Ted Thompson: (1) Forced their legendary Quarterback into retirement; then (2) Ran him out of town when he had the nerve to change his mind, and (3) Proceeded to go from 13-3 to 6-10 and watched as their ex-legendary Quarterback almost led a mediocre team into the playoffs.

Despite this, 90% of the populous is completely on board with what the Packers and Thompson did and on top of that has completely vilified Favre --- An absolutely amazing accomplishment by Thompson and the Packers’ PR staff. How did they pull this off?

First, they used Favre’s continuous wavering and waffling to convince the public that it was a detriment to both the teams planning and the development of Favre’s successor, Aaron Rodgers. This argument seemed to work well despite the fact that the Packers’ record progressed from 4-12 to 8-8 to 13-3 during that period of waffling and Rodgers was, at times, brilliant when he got the chance to play last year.

Second, and this was the big one, they convinced the populous that this “feud” was Favre vs. The Packers, not Favre vs. Ted Thompson. In essence Thompson was able to hide behind the cover of one of arguably the greatest traditions in sports. Even one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time is no match for the love affair the Packers enjoy with their fans in the quaint little city of Green Bay.

The Packers were able to have their cake and eat it too --- They traded in their aging veteran for a younger model and, due to the one-sided PR victory, won’t ever be second guessed for it. Once again, it begs the question --- How did they do that? Let me suggest it was a key signing they made that got little or no publicity when it happened last summer when this whole saga began --- they hired former President Bush Press Secretary, Ari Fleischer as a PR consultant. Fleischer is a classically trained “spin doctor” from the political world --- a world where people rarely get elected for what they stand for, but instead for how they look standing. I believe Fleischer helped them make all the right moves at all the right times and spun everything in the Packers’ direction through effectively selling the arguments I cited above.

So what does this have to do with the verse I have heading this paper and how do I make the spiritual connection I always try to make in these papers? Though I’m convinced beyond a doubt that God is truth and that every word in the Bible is truth, there’s a master “spin doctor” out there using his minions to convince the populous otherwise --- his name, of course, is Satan.

Take the story of Noah’s Ark, which appears early in the Book of Genesis. Satan has turned it into what most perceive (even some believers) as a mythological story and a merchandising gem for the secular world. Truth be told, the “story” (actually event) is pivotal in understanding not only the origin of the universe, but also God’s dealing with sinful man.  

The effects of catastrophic events like volcanoes, hurricanes and earthquakes have shown man how much the earth can “evolve” in a very quick time. To amp that up about a million times with an event that affected the whole earth for forty days easily explains that we have a relatively young earth (about 6000 years), despite things like the Grand Canyon, fossil layers and other evidence that scientists say “prove” an earth that is millions and millions (now billions, I guess) years old. Why is this important? It’s the basis for the theory of evolution --- that man got here by random chance and that there is no intelligent design or more importantly, Creator to answer to.

For believers, the danger of seeing the events of Noah’s Ark dissolve into a children’s fairy tale, is to forget that, though God loves us and makes each and everyone of us with His own special touch, He also has, continues and ultimately will judge the world on His terms. The flood took the life of every living being except for those on the ark. If the story was really processed and understood by all in that way, do you think Mattel Toys would even touch the merchandising of it?

The spin Satan puts on it allows people to hear what they want to hear, taking non-believers and believers alike further and further from the truth. I’ve seen debates where one side argues for creation and one side for evolution. It amazing, the creationists who would and could just use the Bible and its truths to defend the truth of creationism, invariably have the scientific evidence to back it, while evolutionists use science to prove that evolution is simply a theory and then invariably get into a philosophical argument to appeal to the common sense of the worldly man. Obviously, some people are persuaded by the evidence, but ultimately only those ones who open their hearts to accepting the truth.

The bottom line is that regardless of the spin, we are only righteous before God through our belief and faith that Jesus Christ died for our sins. Apart from that, no amount of good works on our part or misconception of God’s love will get us a ticket to anywhere but to the lake of fire, better known as hell. I may not be able to convince you about the Favre saga, but I hope I have persuaded you to pursue the truth!

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” --- John 14:6