WE HAVE MOVED

The STAND has moved. We now have a fully functioning website at http://thestand613.webs.com/ All of the previous posts from this blog have been moved over to the new site under the "Blog" tab. We also have a Discussion Board, a Calender and many other new features. Please check out our new site and let us know what you think. Feel free to sign the Guestbook or become a Member of the site. Everything is completely free. Thanks again for all of the continued support you have given us. It inspires us to keep going. God Bless.

Making The Adjustment

"Make the Adjustment." This is a phrase that is constantly used in the sports world. Sports is all about making adjustments. It is about learning how to handle the situations you are given and make the most of them. If an athlete is not willing to make an adjustment then he/she is not going to have a very successful career. If a batter has a weakness in his swing and is not willing to make the adjustment, through practice, to fix it then every pitcher will soon know about it and many strikeouts will be in that batters future. Adjustments are in every facet of every game there is in sports. In basketball, if your shot is slightly off then it is going to be a long night. You have to find ways to make a small adjustment and get back in your game. The players that want it bad enough always find ways to make the adjustment. They are never satisfied with where they are and are always looking to get better. Even if that means coming in early and staying late to work on one little thing. Who knows if that one little thing could turn them from a average player to a great player. Making adjustments are also found in our everyday lives off the field of play. They surround us all the time. Think briefly about how many things in last week didn't go as you had originally planned. Maybe you had a schedule planned out of how you wanted things to work and certain circumstances changed your plans. What did you have to do? You had to make an adjustment so that things would work out. The same goes for our spiritual lives. We are obviously going to fail at times, Romans 3:23, but we must be able to make the adjustments to keep from putting ourselves in that same situation again. We must rid ourselves of the things causing us to sin. Mark 9:43-48 says, “And if the hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” Not everything will always go as we planned it out in our minds but we must always remember that God has an ultimate plan for us and we have to be able to adjust to anything that is thrown at us. We have to be able to hit the curve balls in life. The apostle Paul shows us a great example of making the adjustment. Here was a man who was persecuting Christians. Killing them left and right and thinking he was doing the right thing. Then, later in life, this same man was able to say, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." 2 Timothy 4:7-8. Paul made the ultimate adjustment. He was brought to realize the wrong in his previous life and changed his path. That's what making the adjustment is really all about, finding a way to change your path. If what your doing is not working then change it. If its not working now then its not going to start working tomorrow. Make the adjustment, start a new path, and get headed in the right direction. Just as in sports, life is full of adjustments that we must make in order to be successful. Are you willing to make the adjustment?

-Ben Stevenson

A Sense of Urgency

There comes a time in sports and in life when we must have a sense of urgency. Hopefully this comes sooner than later. In baseball, you can't wait till the last inning or two to realize that you have to start scoring runs. You have to score early and often. You must have that sense of urgency all game long. You have to play the game as if the other team is coming after you every inning (because most of the time they are). It is the same in life. You can't wait till your final years to realize that you need to start doing things right. Some people say for example, "I'll just live out my exciting college years then get on the right track after that." Many people don't realize that after you have enjoyed the pleasures of sin 'getting back on the right track' is not as easy as it sounds. It is possible if we learn to trust and lean on His word (Phil. 4:13), but it is not at all easy. Also keep in mind we never really know when our short lives could end. We read in 1 Thessalonians 5:2, "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." We don't know when Christ will return to this earth and we often don't realize that our lives could end in the blink of an eye. Therefore, we must constantly be living a life dedicated to our Lord. We must play the game of life as if death is coming after us everyday (because believe it or not it is). If we can learn to have that sense of urgency I think their is no doubt that we will be more successful and prepared for what our opponent will throw at us on and off the field.

-Ben Stevenson

What Are We Going To Do About It?

Anyone who knows me at all knows that I love the game of baseball. I love sports in general, but baseball holds a special place in my heart. There is just something about the game that is so pure. Anyone who knows anything about baseball knows that it can be one of the most frustrating games ever played. Many things can happen in the game of baseball that go against you. A hitter can get in a slump, a fielder could hit a streak of making many errors, a team could go on a losing streak, etc. After all this is the game where the greatest hitters in the game fail 7 out of 10 times. This is one of the reasons why I love the game so much. I love to win and have never been that good at losing or failing. Yet, it is always out of the failures that we as people seem to learn the most. Of course we are not trying to fail and if we could learn the same lessons without failure we would obviously do so but, it is usually just not the case. So what can a game of failures teach us about our Christian lives? It can teach us to continue to move forward and press on to the goal. In Romans 3:23 it says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." We can obviously see from this passage that we are all going to sin in our lives. We are all going to fail God at some point in time. I guess my main question is, what are we going to do about it? Baseball is a game of failures but still every player is striving not to fail. Whenever they lose, get in a slump, make an error, or let their team down, it is what they do about it that determines whether they are going to be a great player or not. Will they work to make sure they don't make those same mistakes again or will they let that failure rule over them and hope everything eventually takes care of itself. I can tell you from experience being around the game of baseball, if you are not willing to work nothing ever just takes care of itself. The same can be applied to our Christian lives. We are told in God's word that we will fail because we are an imperfect people. The question is, what are we going to do about it? Romans 6:1-2 says, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Our God is a gracious and merciful God but, I think this passage makes it very clear that if we are not willing to work to fix our problems then God is not willing to forgive us. How can we be forgiven of something we haven't asked repentance for? Simply put, we can't. We must notice our sins and work to make sure that they don't happen again. Just as in the game of baseball if we just sit around waiting for everything to take care of itself then we are in for a rude awakening come judgement day. So as we travel through life let's keep this in mind. Just as baseball is full of failures so is life. It is learning how to grow from that failure and keep from making the same mistakes that makes the best ballplayers and, to me, the best people.

-Ben Stevenson

Excellence in what you do is an important value, especially for those of us who have a conscience. You can’t lie to yourself. If you look back and realize that you could have done better, it’ll eat at you until you fix it. I don’t do anything half way -Cal Ripken Jr.

Short Reflection on the Debate

I just wanted to write a short article tonight thanking everyone for coming out and supporting Colton tonight and that your presence brought glory and honor to our God tonight. The debate was amazing in case everyone was wondering. Colton did an absolutely amazing job defending God, Creation, and the Bible. Colton's preparation is to be commended and appreciated. God was truly glorified tonight and the brotherhood strengthened. I know I was encouraged and learned from the event as I hope you were.
I know personally that I will be writing several articles on the debate for the next couple of posts because there is just so much to talk about and discuss in further detail. I look forward to writing on the debate because there was only so much time allowed for Colton and Sean to discuss. If you have any specific topic from the debate discussed, please let us know on the fan page or leave a comment on this article.

1 Peter 3:15 - But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
Thank you Colton for setting for us an excellent example of fulfilling this verse.

Tomorrow's Big Event

For tonight's post I simply want to remind all of our readers of Colton's big debate tomorrow. Tomorrow, April 20, 2010, Colton Scott (a part of us here at The STAND) will be debating Sean Shcifano on the existence of God. I'm sure most all of you have heard something about this debate as we have had many posts dedicated to it here lastly. We have also made many announcements on our Facebook page about this event. We, at The STAND, ask all of our readers to continue to pray for this event. It is a big event in Colton's life and also a big event for the Christian community. The debate is at 7:00 p.m. and lasts till 9:00 p.m. in the Performance Center of the Guillot University Center in the middle of UNA's campus. We ask all that can come to be in attendance to help support Colton in this big event. Thank you so much for the continued support for all of us here at The STAND. All the feedback and positive reinforcement it so greatly appreciated. God Bless.
-Ben Stevenson

Focus on Where You Are Going

In order to supplement this video clip, here are a few passages from Scripture to help you keep your Focus.

Psalm 1:1-3 - Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

Proverbs 3:4-5 – Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Matthew 27:26 – Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

Matthew 27:46 –And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Matthew 28:5-6 – But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Luke 23:33-34 – And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

John 19:30 – So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

1 Corinthians 11:23-28 – For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

2 Corinthians 2:9-10 – Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Philippians 3:7-11 – But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Philippians 4:11 - Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:

Colossians 3:17 – And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Revelation 21:1-7 – Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

Why Defend God and the Bible

With Colton’s upcoming debate, I believe this topic is worth thinking about in this article. Tuesday April 20, Colton is taking his Stand against the faith atheist have in the theory of atheistic Darwinian evolution. In the remaining few days before the debate, please continue to pray for God’s blessings upon this event and that His name may be glorified. Please continue to encourage Colton and let him know you are behind him in his Stand for our God.

So, why should we defend God and the Bible against an atheist and skeptics? First and foremost, we should make a defense to protect and glorify the name of our God. Atheistic Darwinian evolution teaches that we are the byproducts of an accidental and mindless process, there is no meaning to life, no objective standard of morality, and there is no God. This theory is taught in public schools as fact to young children up into the college level of biology education with no opportunity to explore another story with verifiable scientific claims which portrays man as much more than an ancestor of primordial slime. Tuesday April 20, Colton is taking The Stand against this false theory and defending the God of the Bible. We should always be ready and willing to do the same. There is a wealth of evidence and material readily available to study and prepare to make a defense against this false theory. If a person were to come to you asking, “Why do you believe in the God of the Bible in light of the theory of evolution?” how would you respond? Would you be able to defend your faith and bring glory to the God you love and serve? If not, there is no better time than now to be prepared and defend God’s glory against those who deny our God’s power and majesty.

So, why should we defend God and the Bible against those who teach false doctrine? I will allow the Word of God answer this question for me. 2 Timothy 3:15-17 – and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Galatians 1:9 – As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. 1 Corinthians 1:10 – Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. Matthew 7:21-23 – “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

From these few passages, we can see it is of the utmost importance that we defend God and the Bible against those who teach false doctrines. First, if we listen to God through His word, we will be wise for salvation through faith and be able to teach the inspired word of God which is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, and for correction. Second, those who teach false doctrines or other gospels contrary to the gospel of Christ are accursed by their teaching. We are to teach them the more perfect way of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Next, Paul through the inspiration of God desires for us to all live in perfect unity in the same mind and the same judgment. The church of Jesus Christ is to follow the commandments of God and live as one in the unity of the spirit just as Jesus prayed in the Lord’s prayer in John 17. Finally, it is sad to imagine a person who honestly and sincerely professed the name of Jesus Christ during their lives here upon this earth, but they taught a gospel and doctrine contrary to the words of Christ their Judge. Through the Word of God, we can correct the false teaching and save their souls.

God has entrusted us to teach accurately His message and defend it when necessary. I will close this out with three more passages from Scripture.

1 Peter 3:15 – But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;”

Colossians 4:6 – Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 – Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.

The Game of LIFE

Life is a game,

Full of loses and wins.

The competition starts,

As soon as life begins.

Life is a game,

With emotional highs and lows,

And when the game will end,

No one really knows.

Life is a game,

Where you cannot slack at all,

Because as soon as you begin to,

You will stumble and fall.

Life is a game,

Make it count till the end,

Because how you play the game,

Determines where eternity you’ll spend.

-Ben Stevenson

If We Are the Body

Listen to the words in the chorus of this contemporary Christian song written by Casting Crowns: “But if we are the Body, Why aren't His arms reaching, Why aren't His hands healing, Why aren't His words teaching, And if we are the Body, Why aren't His feet going, Why is His love not showing them there is a way, There is a way”

I do not personally listen to contemporary Christian music, but I do remember hearing this song sometime in my life. These words cause me to think about my Christian walks of life and ask, “Am I doing enough?” The apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesian church that, “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” If we are the body, why aren’t His arms reaching out to the poor and lost of this world? If we are the body, why aren’t His hands healing because if we petition God, He hears our prayers? If we are the body, why aren’t His words teaching then who will hear the words of by which we may be saved. Ife we are the body, why aren’t His feet going to spread the gospel?

If we are the body, we are to reach out to the lost and dying world around us. If we are the body, we should be praying for the sick to be restored back to their most wanted health. If we are the body, we should be teaching the words of Christ to all those as we have opportunity. If we are the body, we have a responsibility to go to the lost of this world to teaching them the gospel. If we are the body, we should love one another in a way to give others an example of how Christ would love us, and how He would want us to live. The words in this song are powerful in meaning. These words ought to be a reminder of our responsibility to God, and to the lost of this world.

Having the Never Quit Attitude

"NEVER QUIT." These are words that almost every athlete that has every played a sport has heard. They are often used at motivational speaking engagements and posted all over weight room and training room walls. Having the ability to push yourself one more round, one more quarter, or one more inning, when your body feels like it has nothing else to give, is what separates the good players from the great players. It is what wins championships and creates dynasties. However, this "never quit" attitude has to be taken beyond the playing field. The people that take that "never quit" attitude with them in every endeavor of their lives are the people that are truly successful. We, as a Christian people, must take this attitude with us in our everyday Christian walk. We will face so many encounters when it would just be easier to throw in the towel and give up. We will get discouraged and sometimes even ridiculed when trying to spread God's word but, we can't let that break us down. We can't let that make us quit. The bible talks about this "never quit" attitude in 1 Thessalonians. In 1 Thes. 1:3 it says, "Remembering WITHOUT CEASING your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father." In 1 Thes. 2:13, For this cause also thank we God WITHOUT CEASING, because, when ye recieved the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." In 1 Thes. 5:17, "Pray WITHOUT CEASING." In these passages "without ceasing" of course means to do something without stopping or without quiting. We, as Christians are to continually do these things without quiting. We must push through the adversity we find and press on with the goal of heaven in our sights. We are commanded in Matthew 28:19-20 to "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen" We must do as we are commanded and teach and preach the gospel to everyone we can. How comforting are those last words in verse 20, "lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." We can do God's will and know that He is always there beside us every step of the way. We must do His work with patience and perseverance. If we want to win in this game of life then we must have a "never quit" attitude and in all the things we do for Him we must do them without ceasing.

-Ben Stevenson

"Winner never quit, and quitters never win." -Vince Lombardi

"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish." -John Quincy Adams

How Does God View Us

This article topic was a request from a friend. I hope the ideas considered in this article are what my friend had in mind. This topic has been extremely interesting to contemplate. More importantly, writing this article was humbling. In writing this article, I was reminded of the incredible love of God, His grace, and His purpose for us.

Let us start our exploration of this topic by starting “In the beginning.” “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Why would an all powerful, all knowing, eternal Being want to create a finite universe with all of His many creations? There can only be two explanations as to why a Supreme Being would create the universe. It can only be one of two reasons. The first being scientific and the second would be personal. We can dismiss the scientific explanation because it was the first state of the universe. We simply cannot explain it scientifically because there was no previous state to compare it to, no experiment to recreate it for study, and no initial conditions or natural laws leading up to the event. Since there cannot be a scientific explanation, there is only one other option which is God did it for a personal reason. God had personal reasons for creating this universe and His creation. We read in Genesis of God walking in the midst of the Garden of Eden. God came down to walk and talk with His creation face to face. God had a personal and intimate relationship with Adam and Eve for a period of time which is not told to us. What would you give to walk and talk face to face with your Creator? How about your life as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1)? I can tell you this much of how God views have a personal face to face relationship with us once again. God gave His only begotten Son that we may one day be with Him in Heaven. God restored the hope of one day having this personal relationship and continuing it when we all get to Heaven.

We can talk the rest of our lives of about God’s grace and love which was shown to us through the forgiveness we have through His Son and our Savior Jesus Christ. For now, let us look at a passage from Paul’s message to the Romans. Romans 5:5-8 reads, “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” This passage is simply a summary of the goods news of Jesus Christ. God always has had hope for His children. In the world we live in, it is hard to imagine dying for a person you love. It is even harder to imagine dying in the place of a righteous man. Here is the point of this passage. Would you die in the place of guilty, helpless, no good, doomed, sinner? How does God view our value to Him? God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. There is absolutely, positively nothing one could do in this world to separate Himself from the love of God.

It is our choice whether or not to follow God’s plan for our lives. God gave us all the free gift of choice. We can choose to seek after and accept God’s love. Or we can choose to reject God and His love for us. Why would God give man the gift of free will? Can a robot express love and gratitude? No. Does a robot have free will? No. A robot does not possess the ability to make free will decisions but must act in ways that it is programmed to do. The robot cannot perform any action outside of what it is programmed to do. If we had no choice but to obey and worship God, would there be any love or gratitude being expressed? Nope. We have the choice to worship God in spirit and truth or not worship Him at all. How does God view our free will ability to choose? He receives honor and praise from our choice to serve and worship Him. God respects our ability to choose. Some people ask why does God not make His existence known to all by writing a message up in the clouds saying, “This is God, and yes I exist.” For one, God chooses not to force anyone to choose to believe or not. Second, God has placed enough evidence in His creation for proof of His existence. Paul made this clear in Romans 1:20 where he wrote, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse…” Also, God does not force any of His children to obey, love, or even acknowledge Him in this life. God does not need us, but God does want us. In 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” God wants all of us to be saved, but God knows that not everyone will accept Him. In Hebrews 10:26-29, the writer to the Hebrews says, “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” This passage expresses the love of God so passionately. What must a person under the New Covenant of Jesus Christ do to deserve the wrath of God? He must trample the Son of God underfoot and count His sacrifice as a common thing. One way of looking at this is that Jesus says, “You will go to Hell over my dead body.” The choice is ours. As Joshua said, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15). What is your choice?

Finally, God has a plan for each and every one of us. How does God view us in His plan? The Creator of the Universe sees us as valuable servants in His Kingdom. Our God gives us the opportunity to help in the service of His Kingdom. If God did not think we could do it, would He call us to try? God has taken ordinary, sinful men and helped them to become the people they were meant to be. Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob and sold into slavery by his older brothers. Through God’s grace, Joseph rose to be the second most powerful man in Egypt behind Pharaoh and saved countless people including the Egyptians and his family from a terrible famine. God took twelve men who were fishermen, a tax collector, and other simple occupations and spread the gospel throughout the world beginning in Jerusalem. We can look at numerous other examples of God taking a single individual or small group and making a difference in this world. Imagine what he could do with every person who reads this article. God has entrusted us with the message of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. God knows our individual talents and blessed us with each one. He has a plan for each and every one of us. Will you be ready when God calls you to the plan He has? God would not have entrusted us with such an important message if He did not think we could do it. You can do it, and God will help. As Nehemiah said many years ago, “Our God will fight for us” (Nehemiah 4:20).

Picture - http://www.art-reflections.com/Creation-hands-L.jpg

A Real Rivalry

We moved to Alabama over nineteen years ago from Georgia. As a life-long football fan I thought I knew something about rivalries. The Georgia and Georgia Tech game was a pretty big deal. The Redskins and Cowboys had an intense relationship, but that game has faded substantially as those teams struggle for some kind of focus (7 to 6, really?). But then, as I said, we moved to Alabama and were introduced to the rivalry.
Of course, I had watched the Alabama-Auburn game before we came over here. But once here, it became different. One of the first and most frequent questions I was asked here was this: “Are you Auburn or Alabama?” My response has been that I have friends on both sides of this issue and I stand with my friends. I enjoy all of the college game but I do have sort of a favorite team (Hint: Woof!).
The rivalry between these two state teams is fervent and for the most part good natured fun. Like any diversion it can get out of hand if taken too seriously. But there is a rivalry that can never be taken too seriously, the one between good and evil.

This rivalry goes back sometime before human history, to the days of God and His angels. Some of God’s angels, led by Satan, rebelled against the Creator. I don’t know all I’d like to know about those events, but I do know that the Devil hates God. Peter warned us: “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NKJV). Since the devil hates God and he hates and wishes to harm whatever God loves. This hatred is at the heart of the great rivalry.
This rivalry manifests itself as a battle between good and evil. We are the subjects of that battle. We are in a way, the playing field on which this rivalry takes place. Our souls are the prize. Great forces are arrayed against us. But thanks be to God that He is for us: “…He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Because God is for us victory is assured for the faithful.
The assurance of faith’s victory (see 1 Corinthians 15:51-58) does not diminish the intensity of the rivalry between good and evil. This is so because evil does not see itself as evil. It sees itself as better, even if life’s experiences and God’s Word indicate that it is not.
This is obviously the state of affairs in our culture. Traditional moral values are disdained as just “old-fashioned.” The methodology is clever: Sin is simply redefined out of existence. By this line of thought, since there is no absolute right or wrong, we cannot say anything is wrong.
To make the matter as clear as possible, consider the evil of abortion. There is no issue today that ignites as much intensity of discussion as abortion. It has gotten to the point that the mainstream media will not allow an open and frank discussion of it for fear of stirring folks up against their, the media’s, liberal agenda. So, rather than discuss the morality of abortion, they attempt to destroy the category of morals. The argument goes like this: If nothing is really wrong, abortion cannot be wrong. But we are not ignorant of such tricks (2 Corinthians 2:11).
Christians are locked in a struggle, a rivalry that makes all the rest insignificant. In the battle of good versus evil, good will win. But we must fight and fight on the side of right and good if we are to avoid being a casualty. We cannot be on the sidelines, a spectator in the stands or remain at home in the recliner. “Therefore my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

-Bill Irby

Hobbs Street Herald

CAN

These two men are an inspiration to me as a runner and human being. This is Team Hoyt. They are a father, Dick, and son, Rick, team who compete together in sporting events including the ultimate test of human endurance: the ironman triathlon. The ironman triathlon consists of 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of cycling, and a 26.2 mile marathon. During each of these events, Dick pulls his Rick in a special boat when swimming, Rick rides in a special seat placed on the extended front portion of the bike as Dick peddles, then Dick pushes his son in his wheelchair when running. Dick is the body of the team, but Rick is the heart.

When Rick was born, his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck cutting of oxygen to his brain. Rick's father recalls, "When he was eight months old the doctors told us we should just put him away — he’d be a vegetable all his life, that sort of thing. Well those doctors are not alive any more, but I would like them to be able to see Rick now." Dick and his wife could tell that Rick could understand them. However, Rick could not communicate with them. A group of Tufts University engineers came to the rescue, once they had seen some clear, empirical evidence of Rick’s comprehension skills. "They told him a joke," said Dick. "Rick just cracked up. They knew then that he could communicate!" The engineers went on to build — using $5,000 the family managed to raise in 1972 - an interactive computer that would allow Rick to write out his thoughts using the slight head-movements that he could manage. Rick came to call it "my communicator." A cursor would move across a screen filled with rows of letters, and when the cursor highlighted a letter that Rick wanted, he would click a switch with the side of his head.

In 1975, Rick was finally admitted into a public school. Two years later, he told his father he wanted to participate in a five-mile benefit run for a local lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Dick, far from being a long-distance runner, agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair. They finished next to last, but they felt they had achieved a triumph. After the race, Rick told his father that he felt alive when they were racing. They have come a long way since this five mile race. Rick’s own accomplishments, quite apart from the duo’s continuing athletic success, have included his moving on from high school to Boston University, where he graduated in 1993 with a degree in special education.

Dick Hoyt said, “Our message is yes you can. You can do anything you want to do as long as you make up your mind you can do it.”



Philippians 4:13 – "I CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Tomorrow

“What are you doing tomorrow?” This is a question we ask each other all the time. We have to make plans, after all. Planning is a necessity given these things: the need to use our God-given abilities well (Matthew 25:14-30), the need to work to take care of ourselves and our families (2 Thessalonians 3:10, Ephesians 4:28), our desire to be faithful workers in God’s kingdom (1 Corinthians 15:58), as well as the pace of life in the twenty-first century.
I do not disdain planning for tomorrow. I take care to do that very thing. I have a little book I keep in arm’s reach all the time called a “Day-Timer.” Mine is a pen and paper device, though these days many people use electronic versions of the same thing (I don’t trust them). It has my schedule and a record of things done and to do in it. If I accidently leave it at home or at the office I turn right around as soon as I realize it and go back to pick it up. I’m in a pickle without it.
I think such a thing is good for a preacher or any person who works with a varying schedule to keep. It allows me to look back on the day or week and review what I’ve accomplished and what still needs to get done. It is a very valuable tool.
There have been times that I have get myself so wrapped up in the details of what I have to do today and tomorrow that I forget another very important Biblical principle: Tomorrow may never come.
Solomon had it this way: “Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:2). We remember James on this subject: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit,’ whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that’” (James 4:13-15).
In the next verse James echoes Proverbs: “But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” This is a forceful reminder of the essential reality of life: tomorrow is not guaranteed.
Jesus may come! “The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night” (2 Peter 3:10). I’d love for Him to come the day before I send in my Form 1040, but I have no idea when He is coming. Neither does anyone else, except to say that He can come anytime. We need to be ready (see Matthew 25:1-13).
Our own lives may conclude. We may die. No, make that, we will die. We just don’t know when. The only thing that will intervene is if the Lord comes in our lifetime. I think I’d like to live a good long time and have a fine time doing it, but I know that cannot be the purpose of life.
How do we handle this juxtaposition of the need to plan and work with the reality that tomorrow may never come? I suppose some folks might worry about it and let it make them a little crazy. But God has equipped us with the ability to understand about tomorrow. Jesus said “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34).
Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Tomorrow comes if it will. If it does, be ready to do its work. If it does not, well, we better be ready. Whether it does or not, trust God

-Bill Irby.

Hobbs Street Herald