Trapped

Have you ever felt trapped?  I know I have.

I was thinking about how we can be trapped by our enemy, and you know, the Bible has plenty to say about that.

Think about a bear trap.  The trap is set by the hunter to snare an unsuspecting bear that happens to be passing by, usually on a familiar path.  The trap is covered by brush and leaves, so it is hidden from the bear’s eyesight.   The bear steps on the trap and suddenly, the iron jaws crush into the skin, muscle tissue, and bone, usually causing a fracture resulting in much pain and blood.  The bear is trapped, chained to the ground, and unable to free itself.  Hours later, the hunter comes to shoot the bear dead.

That’s a picture of you and me when we have been ensnared by sin.  Although the bear is unsuspecting of anything hidden that will take away its freedom, we know of the traps that are set for us.  And the trap that is set for me may be different from the one set for you.  The problem is that the traps that are set for us become hidden, just like the bear trap is hidden. 

How does it become hidden?  Have you ever found yourself thinking about sinning?  The idea is in your mind, and you are drawn to do it.  It feels good to think about it.  You begin to calculate and formulate the way you can actually experience the thrill of it, without being caught.  At some point, the deception that you can do it and not get caught clouds your thinking, and you can no longer see the trap.  The hunter has you exactly where he wants you.

This is what has happened to the financial officer who extorts money from his employer, thinking he’s smart enough to not get caught.  This is what has happened to the coach who sexually molests children, enjoying the sinful pleasure to the max, but giving no thought to getting caught.  This is what has happened to the man who meets up with the other woman, believing that he won’t be found out by his wife.

There is a word that is found numerous times in the Bible that gives us God’s plan for living victoriously over sin, and that word is flee. 

1 Corinthians 6:18 says “Flee sexual immorality.”

1 Timothy 6:11 says “flee these things,” and these things refer to the desire to get rich and the love of money.

You see, there’s a number of things we need to flee.  You know what it is for you, and I know what it is for me.  How do you do that?

You take flight in the direction of God, which is away from the hunter.

James 4:7 tells us how to make the enemy (the hunter) flee.  “Therefore, submit to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  How do you submit to God?  You obey His Word.  You follow Jesus.  You follow His commandment of love.  Proud people are unwilling to do that.  But those who have come to an end of themselves gladly submit to God.  You lean into God, and that is resisting the devil. 

Watch him flee.

That bear trap is set for you, my friend.  And the hunter waits to come and shoot you dead.  But you can outsmart the one who comes to kill, steal, and destroy by following the One who wrote the Manual on How to Not Become the Prey.

All Pro Football Players Go To Heaven

I had a conversation with a friend the other day about how there are so many Christian football players.  I asked him, "how do you know they're Christians?"  He responded something about how they point up in the air when they make a touchdown or make a great play.  I asked him, "Don't you think that some of those guys are pointing with their index finger straight up because they're saying "We're number 1?"  He insisted that when a football player points up while in the end zone they are Heaven-bound.

OK.  So the NFL all goes to Heaven.  Or at least the receivers do.  And the quarterbacks.

But check it out,  I found a defensive lineman who is Heaven-bound!!  And I'll be darned, he's a 49er.  Patrick Willis.   He is regarded by many as the best inside linebacker in the business.  Watch number 52 this Saturday as he leads the assault on Drew Brees.

You can watch a TV segment on him right now.  Click this link for a quick overview of who he is. http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/mp4/SB81v1_WS

Now when I watched this, the thought occurred to me about why football players pray....and what they pray for and about.  I don't think they are asking God to help them win the game.  I think they are thanking God for the strong body and mind He gave them to be able to play the game, and for the unbelievable opportunity to play professional football....and they're telling God that in all they do, lose or win, they want to glorify Him.

Perhaps that's a good word for you and me in our professional....and non-professional lives.  Ya think?

3:16

You've got to love all the Tebow-trash talk!
But let's check out some stats from last weekend's game between the Broncos and the Steelers.  What a game!

Tebow, whose favorite Bible verse is John 3:16

• passed for a season-high 316 yards in the game
• set an NFL record of 31.6 yards per completion
• AND the CBS audience rating for the game was 31.6!
• Add to that, 3:16 was the #1 search on Google on Monday!

Source:  USA Today, Washington Post, and CBN News
Come on you doubting trash-talkers!  Of course you say all that is just meaningless coincidental football stats.  Sure you do.

When Tebow was in college, he would write "John 3:16" on his eye black.  (Today the NCAA has outlawed that.)  He also used to write "Phil" under one eye, and "4:13" under the other eye.  In case you're wondering what that means...let me tell you.  It stands for Philippians 4:13, from the Bible.  That verse says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Here's the Bible verse that is John 3:16, Tebow's favorite:  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

In case you're one who Googled 3:16, you read that verse, but you still don't get it, let me break it down for you.  The reason that Tebow loves this verse is that it shows you the way to Heaven.  God loves you so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross to take away your sins.  God never wanted you to die in your sins and go to Hell, so He made the way for you to live eternally with Him.  He says in this verse that if you will just believe in Him (Jesus), you will not go to Hell, but to Heaven.

So what do you do with that?  If you will believe what is written in John 3:16, you simply pray, and ask God to forgive you for the wrong you have done (sin), that you are turning away from that lifestyle, and that you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that God raised Him from the dead.  Then thank God for what He has just done for you.

Tebow has been quoted as saying that God's plan for his life is to be a positive role model for kids through football.  How do you think he's doing?

If you've prayed the John 3:16 prayer, please let me know, and I'll send you a Bible and some info to help you get to know Jesus. (free)

"She's dead."

It was Christmas Day.  Our daughters, their husbands, and our brand-new granddaughter (our first!) had enjoyed a tamale dinner cooked by my awesome wife…and now we were sitting in the living room opening presents. 

The phone rings.  Anita answers.  The look on her face is not the sort of look one has when a loved one calls to wish Merry Christmas.  She closes her eyes, leans forward, and says “oh-nooo.” 

I knew it was my dad.  I had been expecting this call, because I had returned just a few days before from my last visit to Wells, Nevada to see my dad and stepmother.  Esther was in the last stages of liver cancer, and my 80 year-old dad was doing his best to be her caregiver.  His brief announcement on the phone Christmas Day is the title of this post.

I have known her since I was 14, when my dad divorced my mom to marry Esther.  To say this second marriage was rocky is an understatement.  But there is one thing that would cause the strife-meter to go off the charts, and that was merely the mention of God in her presence, whether by my dad or anyone else.  Any discussion about God was strictly off-limits, or there would be Hell to pay, for my dad.

But that’s not the end of the story.

There was a moment, while drowning in the sea of depression, after the diagnosis and the doctor’s pronouncement of only months to live that the idea of ending it all now seemed like the best way out to Esther.  The pain-killing drugs offered the vehicle to make that happen.  But it didn’t work.

She was taken to the place where staff watches over those who might do harm to themselves, and upon my dad’s first visit to her in that place, he says the heretofore unthinkable thing, the thing that he had trained himself to avoid.  He said, “Why don’t you just give it up to God?”  Her response:  “Tell me what I need to do.”

Miraculous.

My dad told me that he led Esther in a prayer to receive the Lord Jesus into her life that very moment.  And there was a night and day difference in her countenance and in her words.

He was precise in the prayer too, which is no surprise to me.  He told me that the prayer included asking forgiveness of her sins, her belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and His resurrection from the dead. 

Later, she thanked my dad for praying with her…and thanked him for who he was.  If you knew Esther, you would be overwhelmed at that, as I was.

When I saw her a couple of weeks ago, it was during a very brief awake moment on her deathbed.  I took her hand and greeted her, and there was a softness and sweetness I had never seen in her before.

I am sorry that she died the horrible death she did.  I’m also sorry that she had to see death’s door before she was frightened enough of what was on the other side that she finally fell to her knees before the Author of Life.  But I’m thankful for the peace that my dad has, knowing that she is in Heaven.

What A Great Game!

Hey, did you see the game today between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots?  This is the first game I've been able to watch Tebow in action, so I was disappointed they lost, of course.  I was reading a sports columnist online, and they attributed the game win to Tom Brady's power.  As great a quarterback as Brady is, I don't think so.  I think the reason the Broncos lost is they turned the ball over three times.  Hello!  Had it not been for those mistakes, the game may have had a very different outcome.

But it was a great game to watch.  Brady is so cool, and just throws the ball with laser accuracy.  But Tebow, wow, you can see why Bronco fans are so excited!  That dude can pass for sure, but man, he can run!  I loved watching him scramble away from the blitz over and over, and the way he would just run up the field when he saw a lane.  That's exciting football.  Yeah the score is important, but I love to watch exciting and talented players.

I especially love to watch them when I know they have faith in Jesus.  Tebow just happens to be one who does, AND one who can really play the game.  I discovered him on a 700 Club interview, and I believe that he's the real deal.  If you want to watch that interview, I blogged the link a while back.

I found this picture today, and it blessed me.  It's Tim Tebow (15) doing some after-game prayer with teammates and opponents.  Why do they do that?  I think it's to glorify God.  Tell me you don't think that sports figures who glorify God in their lives don't make an impact! 

The Handshake

Where have the sports figures gone who recognize and understand that much of male America, and some female, idolize them and look up to them as role models?  Is that just history? 

Fortunately, it is not.  There are still men and women who play professional sports who know that their behavior and speech on and off the field is followed by millions of people, and it is their deepest desire to affect those millions positively.  Tim Tebow, the Denver Broncos quarterback is one such man.  If you have just a few minutes, take a look at who this guy is, and the values that guide his life.  http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/mp4/SB101v2a_web_WS 

A Healthy Mind

There’s a story in the Bible in Proverbs 7:6-23 about a young man who met a married woman who was on the prowl for a man to spend the night with, since her husband was out of town on business, and she wanted to have some fun.  This young man is described as “lacking judgment.”  Why?  In the story, the woman enticed him with seducing words, telling him of how she had looked for him and had now found him, how she had covered her bed with fine imported linens and had perfumed it, making it just right for a night of hot sex, and best of all “my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.”  In other words, we can do it all night long, and we won’t get caught!  But look at this:  verse 21 says “with persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk.” 

This young man lacked judgment in that he hung around to listen to her.  He made a choice to listen to those titillating words that tickled his ego, and as “a deer stepping into a noose,” he made the mistake that so many men make, and he allowed himself to be taken by the amours of a strange woman.

This is a story that is so familiar to many of us, including me.  So many of us have listened to the wrong voice.  We have done it as a choice.  You and I choose what we are going to listen to, as well as what we are going to look at with our eyes.

Paul the Apostle wrote “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  This means a decision must be made on your part regarding which voice you are going to listen to.  You can continue to listen to that voice that drives you to sin with your body and your mind, taking you deeper and deeper into depression and anxiety, or you can choose today, right now, to listen to the voice of your conscience, which is God-given, and walk away from that voice, and give place to the Voice that gives life.  Choose today who you will serve.

Simply put, in order to walk away from that voice that brings death, you must give yourself to the Word of Life, otherwise known as the Bible.  That means to read it, study it, memorize it, and think about it.  (Romans 12:1-2)