My New President

There have been many thoughts racing through my mind since the outcome of the election. Some are dissappointing and nerv-racking; while others are hopful and envision opportunity. Yet, the thought that reigns the most in my mind is Daniel 2:20-21; "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings (and presidents) and raises kings up." The Amercian people are not the one who put Senator Obama in office; our sovereign God did. We only played an ordained role in the process.

Overall I am pleased with the outcome because God has spoken. He answered my prayers. I asked for his will to be done. Though it is not the desired outcome that I wanted, it is the best for us, no matter the consequences. Already it has forced me to pray. I pray that God will protect and sustain our new president's family. I pray that God will give him wisdom. I pray that God will give him a sincere since of value for life; not only in war, but in the womb as well. I pray that God will show him the magnificance of marriage by opeing his eyes to see the beauty of the relationship between Christ and His church; and that President elect Obama will protect the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman.

I would like to encourage you to read Albert Mohlers posting on todays blog. He wrote a very thoughtful and insightful response to Senator Obama's election to office. His words capture the magnitude of the day, tempured with a touch of concern. He is a wonderful writer and will force you to think in 3D.

America Has Chosen A President

For My Name's Sake

In Psalm 25:11, it says “For Your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great.” Several weeks ago I read over this verse in my quiet time giving it little thought. For some time now, I have been introduced to the idea that God is zealous for his name, and will display his great power in wrath and salvation, to receive glory for His name (read verses 1 Samuel 12:22; 1 Kings 8:41; 2 Chronicles 6:32, Psalm 23:3, 31:3,79:9, 106:8, 109:21, 115:1, 143:11; Isaiah 45:4, 48:8-11, 66:5, Jeremiah 14:7, 14:21; Ezekiel 20:9, 20:14, 20:22, 20:44, 36:22; Daniel 9:19; Matthew 10:22, 19:29). Maybe I have grown to comfortable in my complacency to recognize the weight of this truth; God is zealous for His name.

God Is Zealous For His Name

God is zealous for His name because His name is associated with His glory. Everything He ordains is for the glory of His name; that He may be known among the nations and the heavens as great. Great in power. Great in mercy. Great grace. When I meditate on the fullness of this truth I am compelled to see the God-centeredness of God. I am overwhelmed at the magnitude of the significance of this truth in my daily walk. If God is zealous for His glory, and his name represents that glory, than I, bearing the name of his Son, should also be zealous for that glory. And if my life does not reflect zeal for my fathers glory, then I bring shame upon his name.

God reminded me of this truth last week through one of life’s little parables. Last Thursday I made a decision with my football players that was not the wisest. It was not a major mistake, however, it did make a few parents upset. They, deciding not to come to me or my athletic director first, called my super intendment. He of course was not happy and called my athletic director. That Friday I walked into my AD's office and apologized for my mistake. I was wrong in my decision making and made no excuses for it. He was rightfully upset and told me to use a little more common sense when making decisions that are public. In so many words he said to me, “ Everything you do reflects on me. When you make a mistake, it is my name that gets dragged through the mud.” As I thought about our conversation in my car, I felt ashamed for causing my athletic director so much reproach and grief. Growing up in the military, our house was under the same rule; everything we did affected my father. I knew better and should not have been so careless. Then it dawned on me; this is no different than my walk with God.

Be Holy For I am Holy (1 Peter 1:15)

God has called me out of death to enjoy His goodness and majesty through Christ His Son. My heart has been given life and the ability to see the grandeur of Jesus. With that, my selfish ambitions have been afflicted with the constant barrage of soul satisfying truths of my sinful state and God’s greatness; so much so, that I desire to live a holy life. As these desires mount up like a volcano on the verge of eruption, I cannot help but to confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord. Every true believer cannot help but to go public with their love for their King. We are like Peter, who confidently confesses Jesus as “the Christ of God” before the disciples (Luke 9:18-22). We are the woman who interrupted Jesus’ dinner with a Pharisee, to publicly display her love for her Messiah, by washing His feet with her tears and anointing His head with a fragrant oil (John 7:36-39). Our hearts believe, our mouths confess, and our lives show whom we treasure; namely Jesus.

When we do that, the world looks on and can’t help but to marvel. Part of them is attracted, to some degree, by the mere mystery of the unrecognizable beauty pouring out of a redeemed heart. Their eyes can’t help but to be drawn to the blazing center of a Christians life. The other part of them is repulsed by it. When confronted with the holiness of God, they cannot stand to see who they truly are; totally depraved and without any righteousness. This shatters their self involved moral façade. This in turn brings enmity between those whom God have called into holiness and those who are unregenerate; just as Jesus promises in John 15:18-25.

What does this have to do with my poor decision making?

My athletic director is our head varsity football coach. Though he is over all athletics, football is his specialty. I am a football coach; one of his own, a disciple if you will. I am suppose to act as he would act. My judgments, relating to football, should be directly be in line with what he would do. When ever they are not, in the public eye, he is looked upon as incompetent and without authority. It shows his leadership is weak and unworthy. This gives the critical parents and community members prime opportunity to criticize and mock him. This in turn brings shame.

A believer in Christ is no different. God is our sovereign Lord who is all-knowing, all powerful, all wise, and utterly worthy of our complete adoration. When we live unholy and wretched lives before the lost, we tell the world that God is not all-knowing, not all-powerful, not all- wise, and is certainly not worthy of our complete adoration. When our mouths utter disgusting profanities, when our hearts commit adultery with idol worship and empty sensual promises, when our pursuits are inflated with self ego, when our reputations live only for the praises of men; we say to God, “ You are a liar!” And the world sings a resounding chorus, “Who is the Lord that we should acknowledge Him? Who is the Lord that we should adore Him? His people, whom he has called by His name, are not satisfied in him; why should we be?” This brings shame and mockery to our King.

His Name Is Wonderful!

O Lord, forgive me for being so reckless with your name. Your name, the name that is above all names. The name that every knee will bow to and every mouth will confess as Lord; the name at which the stars tremble at the sound of and the mountains melt like wax in the hearing of; the name at which demons submit to and quake by the authority of, and the name by which men are saved by. O Lord God, you are truth. You are our rock and there is no unrighteousness in You. (Psalm 92:8) O Lord God You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, You cover Yourself with light as with a garment, You who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. May Your glory endure forever; May You rejoice in Your works. You look on the earth, and it trembles; You touch the hills, and they smoke. I will sing to You as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be sweet to You. And may Your name reign gloriously exalted in my life and the lives of my family.(Psalm 104:1-2; 31-34; 19:6)

Brothers and sisters, take joy in the name of our God. It is glorious. Live your life in a manner worthy of the name of Jesus. He is our joy. Our obedience to him is not out of duty but of delight. May the world see him more clearly and preciously through the lenses of our lives.

It is amazing how God, in his infinite wisdom, chooses to reveal his word and my sin through many of my blunders. I am amazed at the ability of Gods word to apply itself to the abundant and diverse circumstances that arise every hour of my day. If the eyes of my heart could recognize the multitude of opportunities to taste and SEE God moving and working, they would never blink.

Be good and God bless.

Victory In Defeat

On Thursday, September 11, 2008, my Jr. High football team opened our season up against the 3rd ranked team in the state; Pilot Point. The boys knew that Pilot Point would be a hard team to overcome. They are disciplined and well coached. They have been playing together since they could walk. They are all athletic with speed and stamina. They are a good team. And we knew that if we were going to beat them that we would have to be all of that and more.

We practiced hard and worked on our strategy. The coaches relentlessly taught stance and start over and over; working on technique and assignments. They boys ran gassers across the field in blistering heat; I ran with them. I wanted to show the that I am committed to their success. I wanted them to know that I will walk with them through the pain and sacrifice. When they look to their left they will see their team mate. When they look to their right they will see me; struggling and persevering with them.

Thursday arrived with great anticipation. My stomach felt like little salamanders were scurrying in random directions. Ten minutes before the game I had the boys take a knee and we went over the plays we were going to run. We walked onto the field and warmed up. I spoke to them about courage and how it was not by mere coincidence that we were playing our first game on the 7th anniversary of one of the worst tragedies America has endured; 911.

I told them:

"On that day that many Americans were struck in the heart with a dagger of hate, with the poison of grief and fear dripping from its tip. Its affects were numbing at first, as shock made its way through the veins of America; causing our pulse to weaken. At that point we had a choice; lay down and die or stand and fight. It is easy to lay down and die. Fear cripples your mind and body and convinces you that you are weak and unable, and death is certain. America chose to stand and fight. We have chosen to risk all that we have to ensure that our children and grandchildren will have what we have; freedom, liberty, and the opportunity to pursue our dreams. That takes courage and determination. It takes endurance and perseverance. We must not loose heart. We must stay the course and not loose sight of the prize. Tonight, I’m not asking you to lay your life down for your country. I’m not asking you to sacrifice your comforts for the sake of your neighbors. I’m simply asking you to see what is before you. God has given us tonight as a parable; a time of teaching. Look on the past events of September 11, 2001 and learn from them. If we are to be victorious tonight we must stand and fight. We must have courage in the midst of fierce competition, determination in exhaustion, and endurance in the absence of vision."(paraphrase)

After the speech we knelt and prayed. I pleaded with God for Him to help us play to our potential and not beat ourselves. We prayed for safety for all players and broke out with a hardy amen. The young men ran through the tunnel to the excitement of the crowd. I reminded them that champions do not beat themselves and then broke them out onto the field. My team went out ready to play the game of football with some pride..... and hopefully a level head and heart.

Unfortunately, we lost 28-0. We fought hard for two quarters. Our defense played well, bending but not breaking. However, our offense could not move the ball. My linemen would not fire off the ball. Eventually we were overcome by a persistent thrust of Pilot Point's buck sweep. After the second touchdown everything I had mentioned above was lost. We lost sight of the prize, our determination drizzled, and our heart was to empty to endure.

After the game I spoke to them about what I saw on the field. I had some disappointment and I let them know it. Nonetheless, Lord willing there will be tomorrow and as long as we are willing to get better, we will be ok. Needless to say, after the game I was heart broken. I desperately wanted my boys to win that night. I felt like they needed it to show them that they are capable of doing great things. However, I’m not so sure that is what God felt was in their best interest.

An hour or so after the game I was walking to my car and noticed two of my players (brothers) waiting in the parking lot. I asked why they had not left. They told me that they were waiting for their mother to get off work. Many of my boys have parents that work both shifts to make ends meet. I put my stuff on the steps and decided to wait with them. I was concerned that they were all alone in the school parking lot at 10:30 at night. I sat in between the two boys and began chit chatting about the game. The oldest brother is passionate about football and looked very disappointed. His head was hanging low and he would not look me in the eyes. His voice was soft and his sentences were fragmented. He obviously was upset. He seemed to be humiliated. I tried to encourage him in that he will get better in practice and so will the team. He nodded respectfully and the conversation ended.

A few minutes later he began talking about Roger Garcia. Roger was a student of mine who died on February 8, 2008 suddenly from Community Acquired Pneumonia and the flu. Roger was also a very close friend of this boy. He spoke very fondly of Roger as a friend. I spoke fondly of him as a student. This young man was obviously still grieving the sudden loss of his friend and had a lot of questions. While we were talking I realized that an opportunity was on the horizon; an opportunity to share the most loving thing I could share, the gospel.

I asked the young man that if he and Roger were switched, where would he be right now. He said heaven. I asked him how he knew that for sure. He could not give me an answer. I went over the law with him and asked him if he had broken any of the ten commandments. He confessed to lying, stealing, and using the Lords name in vain. So I told him that if he died tonight, by his own confession, he would be a lying, thieving, blasphemer at heart. He agreed. Then I asked him how he thought God would judge him. The young man replied that he would go to hell. I asked him if that concerned him. He said "Yes...a lot." I then went into the grace of God through Christ and encouraged him to think about his need for Jesus and to commit his life to Christ.

Looking back on that night I see victory in a completely different way. On the field God allowed us to get handled pretty roughly. The boys were very disappointed in their play and the outcome of the game. We were humiliated. However, behind the scenes God was using that humiliation to prepare this young man’s heart to hear the gospel. He was humble and broken. This brokenesss caused him to reflect on weighty matters, such as his friend Roger. It is amazing how loss, no matter how major or minute causes the soul to reflect. This reflection was a sign of divine opporutnity.

Had we won he might have been proud and haughty. Instead, the loss tilled up fertile ground for the gospel to be planted and watered. Therefore, our game against Pilot Point was a success. Though we lost, a soul may have been won. And that soul is worth far more than a “W” in the win column. Please pray for this young man. Pray that his heart took in the seed of the gospel and that Satan will not be able to take it away. Pray that he will be saved and committed to live a life of radical love for Jesus.

Obviously that night many lessons were taught on the football field. If you don't mind, after reading this blog, leave a comment on a lesson you could have possibly learned that night on the field. I'm curious of what you may see that I did not catch. Thanks. Be good and God bless.