Richer Than Tiger

As the Masters Golf tournament played out this weekend, the thought came to my mind: What do I have in common with Tiger Woods? Then, the idea shifted to: Do I have anything that Tiger doesn't have? And this morning, I settled on one thing, in which I think I exceed Tiger: I am richer than he is. How can that be, you might ask?

• In golf, he is a great professional, and I am a hacker - but I am richer than Tiger
• We were both wearing red shirts yesterday - but I am richer than Tiger
• We both have sexual sin in our past. I have confessed and repented, receiving forgiveness from God and my wife. I am richer than Tiger.
• He has a lot of endorsements, still, and I have none - but I am richer than Tiger
• He is trusting in a religion from his youth, in which he finds strength. I am trusting in a person , who died for my sins and rose from the dead over 2,000 years ago, and who still lives today. I am richer than Tiger.
• I am not better than Tiger - just richer
• I am 100% certain, that when this life is over, I will inherit eternal life; not because of me, but because of the finished work of Christ. I don't claim to be morally superior to Tiger - just richer
• Tiger is famous, and I am not - just richer
• Tiger can do pretty much anything he would like to do, because of his material wealth. But, I am still richer, because true wealth has nothing to do with money.

True riches are found in grace, mercy, love, forgiveness and in following Jesus Christ. It is not found in what can be gained in this life, but in being prepared for the life to come. I do not claim to be a better man than Tiger. I think he is an excellent golfer. He has a life that many envy. I don't. I have everything I need, and more. I am the richest man alive. I'm not better - just richer.

UNLUCKY 64 (or is it 65)

I still don't believe in luck, but if I did, I would believe in the bad part of luck, rather than the good. Each year, in March, I get ready for one of the best sports times of the year: March Madness; that is, the Division I Men's college basketball tournament of 64 teams (or 65, depending on who you ask. Read someone else's blog for that explanation). As I wrote before, I love, especially, the idea of upsets, the underdogs beating some of the better teams. This year's tournament did not disappoint, as there were many upsets, and no one predicted a final game between Duke and Butler, ending in a 2 point game (the closest margin in years). I was satisfied...almost.

The worst part of the tournament happened before the tournament ever got started. I thought it would be a fun, family activity, to have everyone in my family, all 7 of us, pick the games, just like I do before the tournament begins. We could make it a competition. Of course, I knew it couldn't be much of a competition, since in my family, I know everything about basketball, and the rest of my family knows, pretty much, nothing. But, at least we could all have "fun", while they are amazed at my incredible picks, and I console them for picking all the losers to win.

So, a couple nights before the tournament begin, I handed out brackets to everyone and the process was under way. I helped my family pronounce some of the names, told them who the mascots were, and even what color uniforms they wore. I did my best to inform them of what the seeding system meant, that they should never pick a 16 seed to beat a 1, and that, normally, the higher seeds win. There are always upsets, and the trick is trying to figure out who would do it. It did take a while, but I thought it was relatively fun watching them all fill out the brackets and answering the innumerable questions they had.

I felt great about my picks and my eventual family championship. I told the family there would be prizes; but I decided to wait until I won, before deciding what my prize would be! Well, the tournament has been over, now, since this past Monday night, and since I am just now getting around to blogging about it, you can, perhaps, guess what happened. Consider the title of this entry.

Do you want to take a wild guess as to what place I finished, out of the 7 in our family? That's right...dead last. LAST! Can you believe it? That means my 9 year old twins, my 10 year old daughter, my 14 year old twins (now 15), and even my wife, who doesn't watch basketball - they all beat me, and not just by a little bit. They crushed me. I hang my head in shame, all the while making excuses, of course, for my turn of "bad luck." This should not be allowed to happen. I have played sports, especially basketball, all of my life. It just doesn't seem right that a woman, who knows more about broccoli than basketball should be able to out pick me. That should be outlawed.

O.k. I got it out. I feel better now. I just have to remember what is most important in all of this, right? Like having fun with the family, and seeing them enjoy beating their old dad, right? I can just smile, and laught, and let me be a good family memory. I don't think so. The important lesson here is overconfidence. That's what it was - overconfidence. I now enter the "off season" training time for picking the NCAA tournament - with focus and determination. I can start gathering my statistics, scouting all the teams for next year, and reading up on all the preseason magazines. I will also take advantage of all of my resources, including the ability to confuse my children in explaining next year's competition, changing all the rules, and of course, the big one: bribing them with candy, to pick all the losers. My luck (which I don't believe in), is about to change. I can feel it: 2011 is my year!

LUCKY 13

I don't really believe in luck, but I thought it was a good title for this entry, so...there you go.

It was 13 years ago (April, 1997) that Teresa and I received a phone call from an adoption agency in New Hampshire. They shared with us the story of 2 children (twins!) who had been born in Romania in 1995. Their birth mother had died shortly after giving birth (within 2 months) and their father, a Romanian shepherd, placed them in an orphanage. A doctor's family from New Jersey brought them over to the United States 6 months prior to us receiving a phone call.


The doctor's family came to believe that God had them pay for everything and bring them over to the States, so that another family could receive the blessing that they might not be able to otherwise. And it was their desire that a pastor's family might be able to receive the children. And that is what led to us receiving the phone call one April Monday night, from the New Hampshire adoption agency, to whom we had sent no paperwork or money; but had let them know of our desire to adopt and limited finances to do so. This was, no doubt, God's working.


On June 13, 1997, we finished all the process we needed to go through in New Jersey, and brought them home to Florida, where we lived at the time. That was 13 years ago. Today, our twin blessings from God, Alex and Isabella, turned 15! I'm not ready for that. I guess it doesn't matter does it? Here they are: 15 years old

I am grateful to God for these gifts: my oldest son and daughter. He is using them to bless my life and to help me grow in Him. I hope He is also using me in theirs. This is my birthday prayer for both of them:

Lord, thank you for Alex and Isabella, and for this, the end of 15 years of life for them and a new beginning for their 16th year. Even though I didn't know them when they were born, you did, and you knew how you would bring us all together just a couple years from then. Thank you! Thank you for giving them a sensitivity to you; although only you know where their hearts are exactly with you. I pray that you will soften their hearts, renew their minds, and may your Spirit always encourage them to follow you wholeheartedly.

I pray you will keep them pure, in mind and heart, even as they live in this impure world. I pray for friends for them, who are also striving to honor you with their lives. Help them to recognize their weaknesses and to be changed by your power. Help them to be thankful for their strengths and to utilize them for your glory. Help them not to be squeezed into this world's mold; but to stand up and stand out for you, unashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

May they be sensitive to your Spirit, and when they sin, may they confess and repent. May the words of their mouths and the meditation of their hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.

I would love for them to have a safe year, to have a healthy year, to have a happy year; but those are not my goals for them, as I know they are not your priorities either. Mostly, regardless of their circumstances, and sometimes through some very difficult circumstances, I pray you will grow Alex and Isabella, during this year, to be more like your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

THE RESURRECTION - SO WHAT?

Yesterday, Easter Sunday, was a special day celebrated around the world. I realize that many people only celebrate it, to the extent that it is a day of egg hunts for the kids, bunnies, getting together with friends and family, and eating a lot of candy. But, certainly, there are many who do celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on this special day. More people seem to go to church, on Easter Sunday, more than any other day, except perhaps for Christmas!

So, let's assume that people go to church on Easter Sunday and that they say they believe in the resurrection. That is great; but we can't stop there. It is certainly possible for thousands of people to believe in the resurreciton, and yet it makes absolutely no difference in their lives. The Bible is very clear: we cannot just hear what the Bible says; but we must allow it to change us. We must act on its truths:

James 1:22 - "But prove yourselves to be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."

Therefore, the question that I think we need to ask of every message, of every passage of Scripture, of every Easter Sunday - SO WHAT?

What difference should it make in our lives, the way we live, that Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Yes, there is the obvious answer that we think of first:

Romans 10:9 - "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

It is true - this is a life changing decision: to believe what the Bible says about Jesus, including the fact that He rose from the dead; and to make Jesus the Lord, the master of life - to secure eternal salvation in Heaven some day. There is nothing better than that. But, I am thinking beyond salvation; and especially thinking of those who are Christ followers, but may struggle with allowing the resurrection to have any impact on their lives beyond their salvation decision.

I believe that the resurrection ought to make a difference in our lives, every single day. Let me suggest several ways the resurrection ought to play out in our lives; and challenge you, along with myself, to evaluate whether or not we living out this truth. The following are some of the ways in which the resurrection can change us:

• We live with confidence. We know we are on the "winning side"; and nothing the world says or does can change that.
• We live by faith. It is how we came to eternal life; and it is how we must live on a daily basis. Even when we "cannot see", we believe in God's revealed truth, just as we do in the resurrection over 2,000 years ago.
• We expect to be continually changing. Salvation begins a sanctification process, making us new and more like Christ. If we are not changing, then we are not fulfilling what God has planned for us.
• We understand that the most important thing is that people's lives are being changed by the gospel. We are concerned, as individuals and churches, to do whatever is necessary to present the good news of Jesus Christ to people in our community.
• We are not obsessed with our preferences or personal comfort. None of those traditions that we hold to so dearly were a part of Jesus' heart, when He gave up everything to give His life for us. We model His love and commitment by putting aside all that is dear to us, so others will not have unnecessary obstacles to hearing the truth of the resurrection.
• We worship with an excitement, an anticipation, a great joy, because of the resurrection. We don't understand why anyone would "worship" with a frown, folded arms, or an "I'm so bored" attitude.
• We are not afraid to express our praise and thankfulness of the resurrection, through verbal or bodily action. When people watch us woship, they realize that God has changed us to such an extent that we are not ashamed to let everyone know.
• We sacrifice for the good of the gospel, by our giving, even in times of recession, by our service, when many are selfishly using their gifts and talents only for personal gain, and by our pursuit of the mission God has given us

What difference is the resurrection making in your life today?

TRUTH FROM HOLLYWOOD

That's not a statement you hear everyday, is it? It is especially not something you hear a pastor say very often, or ever! But, I am saying it today. Usually, when you watch a movie, you realize that reality is set aside for a couple hours of fantasy, of imagination, of entertainment. Even when a movie is "based on a true story", you know that much has been added or altered, to make it a good story for the big screen. I usually watch a movie to escape from reality.


But, for the past several years, on the evening of Good Friday, I have immersed myself with a dousing of reality from Hollywood; or at least I think so. I have read the story of Jesus' final week hundreds of times over my lifetime. And perhaps, because I have read it so often, and know what it says, the real impact of what Jesus went through for me through His trials and on the cross, is becoming much more of a challenge to experience. I am relating to it, trying to imagine what it might have been like, but not being able to "see it", really. I read the passages of His suffering, but I must admit, it has rarely led me to tears. I suppose this reveals a major weakness of mine, that just reading the accounts have not touched me every time, in the way they should. It is my fault.


But, several years ago, I viewed the movie: Passion of the Christ; and I have never thought of the suffering and crucifixion of our Lord the same again. I realize there was, and is still, criticism of Mel Gibson and the portrayal of these scenes of suffering; but I for one, am the better for it. I have now made it a personal time of worship for me, after the Good Friday service I attend, to view this movie and relive those events in a way that incredibly impacts my heart every time I watch it. I don't necessarily recommend this movie to everyone, because some are offended by it, or don't want to have visions of Christ's suffering. But, every time I watch it, I think: this must have been what it was like (or close to it). At the very least, it has become more real to me, and my heart melts every time I view it.

It is very personal to me. Jesus went through that, for me. He really did suffer, was truly beaten, mocked and betrayed, abandoned by his followers. He did go through the humiliation and scorn, the trials that were a joke of justice. The Scriptures are true; and this is the most realistic depiction I have seen of these truths:

Isaiah 53: 3-7 - "He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

Now, when I read this verses, and the corresponding passages in the gospels, I have a picture in my mind and heart of what Jesus went through to bring redemption to one as unworthy as I. Thank you Jesus, for going through with what you came to do. I realize that I may never suffer in the way you have; but I also know, you have set the example of what it means to be a servant:

Philippians 2:5,8 - "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus...And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

You showed us how to live, in when we are unjustly accused or treated wrongly. You responded in perfect love and righteousness, and bore my sins.

I Peter 2:21-24 - "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed."

Psalm 62

This has been a Psalm that has been on my mind and heart the past couple of weeks. Our worship team is learning a worship song that is based on this Psalm, and that has made it even closer to my heart. There is something about reading the Word of God, and singing it as well. For me, I take it in when I read and meditate on it; and then when I sing it, I express it outwardly in committment and praise. Let me encourage you to read Psalm 62; and then consider the way it is worded in this song:

Psalm 62 by Stuart Townend and Aaron Keyes
My soul finds rest in God alone, My Rock and my salvation,
A fortress strong against my foes, And I will not be shaken.
Though lips may bless and hearts may curse, And lies like arrows pierce me,
I’ll fix my heart on righteousness, I’ll look to Him who hears me.

Chorus: O praise Him, hallelujah, My Delight and my Reward; Everlasting, never failing, My Redeemer, my God.

Find rest, my soul, in God alone Amid the world’s temptations; When evil seeks to take a holdI’ll cling to my salvation. Though riches come and riches go,Don’t set your heart upon them; The fields of hope in which I sowAre harvested in heaven.

Chorus: O praise Him, Halelujah, My delight and my Reward; Everlasting, never failing, My redeemer, my God.

I’ll set my gaze on God alone, And trust in Him completely; With every day pour out my soul,And He will prove His mercy. Though life is but a fleeting breath,A sigh too brief to measure, My King has crushed the curse of deathAnd I am His forever.

O praise Him, O praise Him, hallelujah, hallelujah, O praise Him, O praise Him, hallelujah, hallelujah, O praise Him, O praise Him, hallelujah! hallelujah!

Chorus: O Praise Him Hallelujah, my deight and my reward; everlasting, never failing, my redeemer, My God

MY DRAW TO MARCH MADNESS

Today begins one of the best, few week stretch in sports each year...in my opinion. It is the men's NCAA [march madness] basketball tournament! I love it. I have always enjoyed watching college basketball over professional, because it just seems to be more "pure", basic, fundamentally sound, and team-oriented. You don't get to know the names of players over a period of years, because if they are good enough, they aren't around very long. That is o.k. with me. I didn't get a chance to watch much basketball this season, but now is the time that I make time, if at all possible. Come on...it's THE TOURNAMENT!



As I thought about what I like most about this particular tournament, it came to me...I love the upsets, or the every game potential of an upset. I love it when a lesser known or less talented team gives the "big boys" a good game, and nothing is better than when a lesser known actually knocks off one of the Goliaths! Granted, if any Iowa teams are playing (I guess Northern Iowa counts too), then I want them to win, no matter what. But, other than that, I normally root for the "underdog". It is a big part of what makes this tournament so special.



I cheer for the underdog so much, that when I fill out my brackets each year, I tend to be unrealistic, and pick several of the underdogs to win against better opponents. Don't worry, I'm not betting the house on my picks, or anything for that matter; but it's fun for me. This year, I decided to let my family in on the fun, and as a family activity, one night after dinner this week, I pulled out brackets for everyone and told them how much fun it would be to fill out our own brackets. I admit it took awhile to convince them, but I mentioned something about prizes and that seemed to help. Can you think of anything that can bring a family closer? Stop it. That was a rhetorical question.

I don't know who the underdog winners will be this year, but there are certainly going to be some. It probably won't be as dramatic as one of my kids think: picking a 15 seed to make it to the final four (good luck with that); but there will most certainly be some good ones. I have always thought that basketball was a great illustration of real like, and the idea of underdogs has fueled my thoughts as to how it applies to me.

The context is much different. It is not about winning, but about being an important player on the winning team. But, it has nothing to do with ability or years of experience or spiritual gifts. It has to do with God, His choosing, and our submissive, humble attitude. It is my desire to be used by God, however He sees fit, for His team, for His glory. I am an underdog, in that there is nothing impressive about me. In fact, recently, someone said those very words in describing me. I'm so glad they recognized that. Therefore, I am completely dependant upon God, for making something useful out of me. And yet, in realizing that as an underdog, we can accomplish great things for God, the praise, all of it, goes to the one who called us and empowered us and gave us the victory. If we boast in anyone, it must be in who God is and what He has done.

I Corinthians 1:26-31 - "For consider your calling, brother: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing thing that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. he is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. therefore, as it is written, let the one who boasts , boast in the Lord."